by Joel Harley
An unflinchingly brutal account of the atrocities which unfolded one night on a college campus in 1978. Actor Devanny Pinn (Pretty Boy, Truth or Dare) makes her directorial debut with this grisly American horror story based on true events. If you know, you know. If you don’t, you will by the end.
Pinn approaches the true story of a serial killer from a fresh perspective, watching the events play out over a period of 24 hours. True crime buffs will likely recognise the specifics as ‘Patrick’ (Jeremy London) goes about his horrific business. But Pinn is more concerned with the victims than the monster, at least at first, and spends plenty of time with her characters – real people – free of sensationalism or the male gaze. Drawing a contrast between the horrors which are to come and the groovy seventies’ accoutrements, it’s an unsettlingly slow build, working towards a horrific endgame.
When the night falls, the gloves come off, and the killer’s crimes are depicted with unyielding savagery. Every bone-crunching act of violence is deeply felt, made all the more upsetting for its basis in reality and the preceding time spent getting to know these people and their lives.
If its big ‘reveal’ leaves an unfortunate taste in the mouth, then that’s because, up until then, The Black Mass felt better than that. An atypical true crime biopic; heartfelt, angry, and uninterested in using its killer’s name for cheap shock value.
The Black Mass had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 27th, 2023
