Five years after their graduation party ended with bloodshed thanks to an unexpected guest, six college girls reunite and are haunted by the man who attacked them all those years ago in The 6th Friend.
College-based slasher movies are nothing new, but what works in The 6th Friend‘s favour is its embracement of the stereotypes audiences expect to see. Directed by Letia Clouston (formerly Letia Miller) and starring scream queen Jamie Bernadette, the film knows exactly what it is from the very first moment. Hitting all the buttons of classic slashers such as Scream, from the masked attacker to drug-fuelled scenes that keep the viewers guessing as to what’s real and what’s all in our ragtag groups of friends’ minds.
Bernadette’s Joey is a strong character, and she definitely holds the film together with her solid performance even when the writing goes awry towards the final act. The film is skillfully executed and well edited for a low budget production, giving it that feel of slashers of times gone by. Our supporting cast of characters have a strong and relatable chemistry and, although some of their dialogue is incredibly cringeworthy in parts, it makes sense with the tone the film adopts throughout its 90 minute runtime.
The practical effects are another big plus, with plenty of blood spilled during the latter half from pans upside the head to a bottle being shoved violently into a victim’s throat. Even though there is plenty to enjoy, the biggest downfall is the fact that The 6th Friend doesn’t offer anything new to the genre. It’s perfectly adequate and watchable, but the story – including the telegraphed ending – unfortunately feels quite lacklustre. It completes its goal of paying homage to the classics but will ultimately be forgotten in a short space of time. If it wasn’t for the top notch performance of our leading lady, we would have already have erased this from our memory.
With a strong central performance and good special effects, The 6th Friend is just another addition to the growing catalogue of slasher films that is entirely watchable but adds nothing to this popular subgenre.
THE 6TH FRIEND / CERT: UNRATED / DIRECTOR: LETIA CLOUSTON / SCREENPLAY: JAMIE BERNADETTE / STARRING: JAMIE BERNADETTE, CHANTELLE ALBERS, DOMINIQUE SWAIN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
