by Joel Harley
Sex equals death, okay? Promiscuity and death by horror film have been inextricably linked since the dawn of the slasher, with Scream’s Randy Meeks essentially entrenching the rule into canon in 1996. The murderous spook of Kevin Ignatius and Nick Psinakis’s Cheat isn’t quite as prudish as all that, but cheating is an absolute no-no in the small town of Silvercreek, Pennsylvania.
College student Maeve (Corin Clay) quickly learns this when she hooks up with a married man (Charlie, played by Michael Thyler) amidst a town-wide suicide epidemic. It follows, then, that Maeve and her middle-aged love rat are soon stalked by a vengeful spirit intent on punishing them for their transgressions.
This supernatural horror film treads a well-worn path: establishing the curse, and its rules and then following the doomed as they attempt to placate the forces which would do them harm. The film opens well (with a cold open not dissimilar to that of 2013’s Evil Dead remake) before foisting the dull Maeve and creepy Charlie upon its audience. The whole thing is predicated on their relationship and chemistry, so it’s particularly unfortunate that there isn’t much to speak of at all.
Vicious kill sequences and a rich visual palette keep the CW teen drama vibes at bay, even as the film slides into Ring/Final Destination last act cliché. A smart idea, skillfully done, but all too faithful to the Supernatural Curse Playbook to forge its own way.
Cheat had its world premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 24th, 2023.
