First and foremost, I respect the filmmakers for their dedication to this film. I do feel someone actually cared behind it. And because of this, I will share my true thoughts on the film and really take the time to say my take on it. The first act opens to a cartoony creepy boss and our main character Sarah getting fired and is hysterically thrown out of her job. The boss character stands out because he is the most unrealistic and over-the-top character in this entire story while the other characters remain a bit toned down and almost dull at times. Though it has a rough start, the first act does set up an interesting premise and possible character moments. We meet Dorian who's onscreen presence is welcoming and charming. He is one of the better things about this film. Also the music stands out as well, though it's generic 80's synth that shows like Stranger Things brought back. We do care about Sarah and Dorian and are rooting for them, especially once we learn more about these characters. It's unfortunate that these character moments have no pay off, and this clever premise is really used in the least clever of ways. The second act moves along and that's really where the story lost its footing. We get a lot of "did you hear that?" And cheap kills that clumsily move the plot along. The third act is nearly excruciating to watch. We have a very monotone and dull villain saying he is God and his victims pleading for their lives and asking why he's doing this. Sound familiar? Yes there's at least 20 other films like this. Many of the characters we've cared about are killed before we can really bond with them, and I believe the shortened runtime may be the reason to push things along. The acting at times is unwatchable and hysterical in moments when it's not meant to be. The characters make really dumb decisions that make you sigh. Unfortunately in the end it was another forgettable "please don't hurt me" gore-fest. It mostly reminded me of the film TERRIFIER but with a lot less interesting of a villain or clever kills. The killer is also a character and many tend to forget that. This killer was a hollow figure with a collection of weapons. We only know his motive is "he likes to kill" we really don't get to see him really be human. Even when he proves to be vulnerable and is stabbed in the foot it seems to have no effect on him and he laughs about it. The film stumbles along and we have more pleading, the last hope for the film is an exciting fight between our main character and the killer. The film sets this up only to quickly have her become just another victim and pleading for her life and asking the repetitive questions to the killer that just makes the viewers sigh. The end of the film is laughable and absurd and ultimately leaves you dissatisfied and sighing as the credits roll. Really I was disappointed that a clever premise turned into your usual kill film. It was not great, but why? Well in the end It's a clever idea that needed an even more clever writer and it just fell flat. I wish these filmmakers the best and hope they improve in the future.
77 Reviews
One Must Fall...asleep
krugerdiane2 November 2021
Maybe it was the lack of my coffee intake for the day, or maybe it was the fact that you have such poorly written characters that you quite literally put your audience to sleep. I'm a stickler for finding hidden indie film gems, in fact I mostly seek out horror films. I found this on IMDb tv and thought why not, could be a hidden gem. I typically never read reviews...well with this romp, I probably should have. The characters are so boring and paper-thin, you honestly wish they were dead. Yes please die. I snoozed for a good 15 minutes as I was trying so hard to keep my eyes open. However I did run back the film and watch the bit I missed. My nap was more entertaining. Side note: don't end your film with some world building almost marvel type end credits scene when it's a low budget indie film. Just don't. It makes you look pretentious, and as a great author once said: "An ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure."
Not bad for little budget
bashum-6573328 February 2020
They forgot the comedy bit..
aismolloy6 January 2020
Okay, what the...
Jacknboxfilms20 September 2021
First off never in my life have I seen a film where people give it 10 stars on IMDb not even classics such as The Godfather or Taxi Driver...so obviously these are family friends of the actors or filmmakers and I even noticed some reviewers ARE the actors and filmmakers. C'mon seriously?
Secondly the movie doesn't deserve even half of ten stars because it was just indie horror schlock. Boring dialogue, boring characters, boring gore. Completely forgettable. Thank GOD it was free to watch.
Secondly the movie doesn't deserve even half of ten stars because it was just indie horror schlock. Boring dialogue, boring characters, boring gore. Completely forgettable. Thank GOD it was free to watch.
All the 10+ Ratings were written on the same day.
yen_menthol8 December 2019
You know those movies that just make you regret wasting that 1hr36mins of your life?
This is that type of movie.
There's two likeable characters, Dorian and Todd.
That's it.
All the 10+ Ratings were written on the same day. Obviously fake reviews, that tricked me into wasting my time in the first place.
This is that type of movie.
There's two likeable characters, Dorian and Todd.
That's it.
All the 10+ Ratings were written on the same day. Obviously fake reviews, that tricked me into wasting my time in the first place.
Cheaply made and bad acting
tobias-von-neubronner3 December 2019
The title says it all. Cheap slasher movie
Don't waste your time with this, unless you got 1 1/2 hours of your life to give away and just want to see pathetic blood and "please don't kill me" scenes.
The other reviews are clearly bought or by members of the movie.I mean seriously...10 points? Make it less apparant and rate yourself 7-8.5 and people might actually believe you...and Indie Film Making can get much better than this ridiculous crap.
But... But... It was essentially just pointless...
paul_haakonsen8 May 2020
What did I just sit through?
"One Must Fall" is listed as a horror comedy on IMDb, but you are in for surprisingly little of both horror and comedy when you sit through this 2018 movie from writer and director Antonio Pantoja.
The storyline was essentially rubbish, and I must admit that I zoned out of it about halfway through. Nothing in the movie appealed to me. But still, I was waiting for the horror and the comedy. In vain, I might add.
The acting in the movie was adequate. I enjoy watching new and unfamiliar faces on the screen, and that was given here in abundance. It was a shame that the actors and actresses virtually had nothing - as in literally nothing - to work with in terms of a proper script and storyline here. I can't really point out any performance as being more memorable than the other, sadly so.
I can't recommend that you spend your time, money or effort on "One Must Fall". Some of us suffered through this rubbish, so you don't have to.
My rating of "One Must Fall" is a generous two out of ten stars, solely based on the production value the movie had. Granted, not every movie is targeted for each and every one in the audience, and "One Must Fall" was definitely not winning me over. This was a massive swing and a miss.
"One Must Fall" is listed as a horror comedy on IMDb, but you are in for surprisingly little of both horror and comedy when you sit through this 2018 movie from writer and director Antonio Pantoja.
The storyline was essentially rubbish, and I must admit that I zoned out of it about halfway through. Nothing in the movie appealed to me. But still, I was waiting for the horror and the comedy. In vain, I might add.
The acting in the movie was adequate. I enjoy watching new and unfamiliar faces on the screen, and that was given here in abundance. It was a shame that the actors and actresses virtually had nothing - as in literally nothing - to work with in terms of a proper script and storyline here. I can't really point out any performance as being more memorable than the other, sadly so.
I can't recommend that you spend your time, money or effort on "One Must Fall". Some of us suffered through this rubbish, so you don't have to.
My rating of "One Must Fall" is a generous two out of ten stars, solely based on the production value the movie had. Granted, not every movie is targeted for each and every one in the audience, and "One Must Fall" was definitely not winning me over. This was a massive swing and a miss.
Overrated
Coldwarwells23 August 2019
Was a good first attempt. But not impressed. Was reading the other reviews and I find it hard to believe that all these people believe this film is a "10". They obviously know nothing about film and true horror. It did look nice, but even that wasn't that great.
Wonderfully Acted
deandraslater23 May 2020
When Sarah and Alton lose their jobs for confronting their sexist boss, they get a job at a crime scene cleanup company. On their first day on the job, they end up at a warehouse where the killer hasn't left and he picks them off one by one.
One Must Fall might have some script issues and a killer who just needs to shut up every now and then, but it's beautifully shot and the acting is way better than most films of similar budgets I've seen, especially from Julie Streble and Andrew Yackel as Sarah and Alton who makes for a great team. Despite some flaws, it's still far from a waste of time.
One Must Fall might have some script issues and a killer who just needs to shut up every now and then, but it's beautifully shot and the acting is way better than most films of similar budgets I've seen, especially from Julie Streble and Andrew Yackel as Sarah and Alton who makes for a great team. Despite some flaws, it's still far from a waste of time.
Bamboozled by review bombing.
the-incredible-dutch31 December 2019
I'm always looking for lesser known movies that have been well reviewed, and I saw this pop up and thought "Hey, 7.2 with 1000 reviews, this is gonna be pretty good."
Little did I know that I should've actually READ some of the reviews, cause it turns out this movie was heavily review bombed with 10's and it shows. Though not all the actors are terrible (Sarah and Dorian are passable), the dialogue is particularly awful and the scares are non-existant. The practical effects are standard b-movie fare, definitely nothing to write home about.
Pretty bad, even by b-movie standards. Shame about the blatant vote manipulation, guess it's the only way to get people to watch your lousy movie.
Little did I know that I should've actually READ some of the reviews, cause it turns out this movie was heavily review bombed with 10's and it shows. Though not all the actors are terrible (Sarah and Dorian are passable), the dialogue is particularly awful and the scares are non-existant. The practical effects are standard b-movie fare, definitely nothing to write home about.
Pretty bad, even by b-movie standards. Shame about the blatant vote manipulation, guess it's the only way to get people to watch your lousy movie.
a hide your eyes movie
bena3-130-29199513 December 2019
So I'm a big wuss as far and horror movies go. I'll take old school zombie, werewolf and vampire flicks all day long, so this one was way too scary for me. If you like to be scared and looking over your shoulder, this is for you. Plenty of blood and guts for the most twisted of you. I'll admit I did hide my eyes a LOT in this one. Loved all the actors. But again, if you are a wuss, it might not be your cup o tea. If you like all things scary, you will adore this. promise
Cleanup For the Cleanup Crew...
dcscribe886015 November 2019
(This film was featured at the Third Annual Sin City Horror Fest.)
You may remember from some years back, an excellent and very weird little film called CURDLED. In that movie, a woman working on a crime-scene cleaning crew developed a morbid and growing romantic fascination with the serial killer whose messes they were hired to clean up.
ONE MUST FALL puts a very different spin on that scenario. Two down-on-their-luck office drones replace their dead-end jobs by signing up with a crime scene cleaning crew. But a question not asked very often does arise: what if during the process of cleaning up, they discover that the perpetrator of a crime has never left the crime scene?
They soon learn the terrifying answer, as they're preyed upon by the city's first reported serial murderer. And he is one for the books. Practical effects lovers who hate CG embellishments are going to LOVE this, as director Pantoja makes sure that his effects team gets to plumb their budget as much as possible, for some incredibly gory "murder-death-kills" that wouldn't be out of place in many of the major, more extravagantly-budgeted slasher franchises.
The cast is game for all of the grueling paces that director Pantoja puts them through, but you won't walk away from this one without the memory of actor Barry Piacente stained on your brain indefinitely, as the grandiose and remorseless serial murderer who gets off on torture and murder...and those who cross his path will be lucky if he gets right to the 'murder' part!
Unless he returns as a supernatural killer of some kind, ONE MUST FALL doesn't look like it's going to be spun off into yet another franchise. But even if not, it's a great one-off, and a perfect introduction to Pantoja's work, a director whom I hope will become another major name in the genre!
You may remember from some years back, an excellent and very weird little film called CURDLED. In that movie, a woman working on a crime-scene cleaning crew developed a morbid and growing romantic fascination with the serial killer whose messes they were hired to clean up.
ONE MUST FALL puts a very different spin on that scenario. Two down-on-their-luck office drones replace their dead-end jobs by signing up with a crime scene cleaning crew. But a question not asked very often does arise: what if during the process of cleaning up, they discover that the perpetrator of a crime has never left the crime scene?
They soon learn the terrifying answer, as they're preyed upon by the city's first reported serial murderer. And he is one for the books. Practical effects lovers who hate CG embellishments are going to LOVE this, as director Pantoja makes sure that his effects team gets to plumb their budget as much as possible, for some incredibly gory "murder-death-kills" that wouldn't be out of place in many of the major, more extravagantly-budgeted slasher franchises.
The cast is game for all of the grueling paces that director Pantoja puts them through, but you won't walk away from this one without the memory of actor Barry Piacente stained on your brain indefinitely, as the grandiose and remorseless serial murderer who gets off on torture and murder...and those who cross his path will be lucky if he gets right to the 'murder' part!
Unless he returns as a supernatural killer of some kind, ONE MUST FALL doesn't look like it's going to be spun off into yet another franchise. But even if not, it's a great one-off, and a perfect introduction to Pantoja's work, a director whom I hope will become another major name in the genre!
The Worst Movie EVER!!! IGNORE the FAKE REVIEWS!!
naturenomad4 December 2019
Wow, I am going to keep it short since this movie doesn't even deserve a sentence of a review however considering how I got lured into wasting my valuable time by these "Fake" glowing reviews, I am here to tell you to do yourselves a favor and skip it. This movie could have been amazing considering it's morbid theme of Crime Scene Clean up crew in Jeopardy, but the director decides to turn it into a very lame and I do mean LAME wanna be of SAW. The acting is atrocious and the direction is all over the place. Ed Wood could have made a better movie then this crap. Poster is cool but that's about. It is the biggest waste of time ever. Worst Movie I've seen in a long time.
Just painful
Aktham_Tashtush15 December 2019
So my head still hurts... some reviews said the "Definitely deserves the awards it's won" ,, unfortunately I googled this after I watched the movie ,, It turns out it won best poster in Terror in the Bay Film Festival , which god knows if it's a real festival or not .
The movie has a plot that is all over the place, the acting was so bad and the graphics were like the cheapest I've ever seen.
I don't think I need to say more ,, I don't really have the will to .. so my last advice is ... Avoid at all costs beacause you'll get a bad headache.
The movie has a plot that is all over the place, the acting was so bad and the graphics were like the cheapest I've ever seen.
I don't think I need to say more ,, I don't really have the will to .. so my last advice is ... Avoid at all costs beacause you'll get a bad headache.
Not very good
mvike19 January 2020
As horror it's subpar, as comedy it's poorly written. The acting is below average except for the main girl, she's okay. Concept is pretty good...just the script wasn't very good. The comedy is VERY generic, and due to the writing lacking, that means the comedy is weak as well.
The only thing that could've saved this was to be full horror or full comedy.
As I find myself saying so often lately, this would've been a great concept for a TV show.
The only thing that could've saved this was to be full horror or full comedy.
As I find myself saying so often lately, this would've been a great concept for a TV show.
Fell Hard
Athanatos1734 December 2019
One Must Fall suffers from fairly bad writing, directing and acting that isn't exclusive to small budget movies but nonetheless brings down the movie.
Although set in the 80's, the time period itself does not factor into anything, other than perhaps to eliminate mobile phones from the equation, which could have been taken care of in other ways.
Barry Piacente stands out, playing his role quite well, and being surrounded by the other mediocre to outright bad actors makes him stand out even more. The practical effects were good and very well done for a small budget movie. There is some tension, but the movie is ultimately brought down by the aforementioned bad writing and directing, even going so far as to use lines from other movies.
All in all not a movie I would recommend, but director Antonio Pantoja definitely has potential once he gets some more experience under his belt and realises that not many people can pull of writing and directing simultaneously, especially first timers.
Although set in the 80's, the time period itself does not factor into anything, other than perhaps to eliminate mobile phones from the equation, which could have been taken care of in other ways.
Barry Piacente stands out, playing his role quite well, and being surrounded by the other mediocre to outright bad actors makes him stand out even more. The practical effects were good and very well done for a small budget movie. There is some tension, but the movie is ultimately brought down by the aforementioned bad writing and directing, even going so far as to use lines from other movies.
All in all not a movie I would recommend, but director Antonio Pantoja definitely has potential once he gets some more experience under his belt and realises that not many people can pull of writing and directing simultaneously, especially first timers.
Tries but ultimately fails
jmbovan-47-16017322 March 2020
It tries. It starts out quirky and camp humor horror. Then it turns into sadistic slasher serial evil killer. For no reason. The killer tries to imbue some sort of philosophical element to the purpose, but this is wasted by the comedy start. Then it just gets ugly and stupid.
Don't Listen to 1 and 10 star Reviews
politehere20 December 2019
Because neither is doing this movie justice. This movie is far from the worst or best movie I've ever seen. If you're looking for comedy or horror, look elsewhere. This movie is neither funny nor scary. It's a bland movie, but I managed to sit through it. It was average at best. The acting is nothing to write home about, but it's not terrible. There's some gore to be found here and it's rather good, so if you haven't seen many gory movies, there might be something cringe-worthy here for you, but if like me, you've become desensitized to gore due to watching many such movies, you might want to give this movie a pass.
A little better than some diy offerings
Twerk_Queen_118 August 2019
Cheap & Bad "Campy" Comedy Horror
KingOfHungary7 May 2020
Review is 2.5, graded downwards. This one is made to be like a very camp 1970-80's camp horror that's very heavy on comedy, unfortunately it is destroyed by a combination of bad acting, terrible dialogue, and really cheap set design. The look and feel of it being a 70-80s film is very forced and fabricated, they could only throw a bunch of vintage props around and put synthesizer music, but it's very transparent and blasé. The dialogue is on the nose and a lot of it is stated clearly to set up later parts, because they couldn't organically work it into the story, people are just stating foreshadows that will later continue the story. Most of the comedy falls flat because it's so hammy and over the top, but it's mildly humorous at parts, perhaps not completely intentionally. The characters behaviors come off particularly bizarre as well, lending another layer of nonsensicality, even though it's supposed to be campy, this one goes in a wrong and awful direction with it.
Definitely Lived Up To All The Awards It Has Won!
abecca-0516110 December 2019
With the Slasher movies of the '80's, you completely expect cheesy, with a scream queen you may, or may not be rooting for. With 1 Must Fall, you get dark humor, a connection with the characters, and a realistic portrayal of the killer. This film does a good job of reminding us what being human feels like, with a showcase of emotions (humor, heartache, awkwardness, gore). Certainly worth a watch, and definitely lives up to all of the awards it has won! Great Find.
I liked it
mjsreg5 December 2019
Okay, okay - so this isn't the best horror movie ever but if you take it for what it is then it's a cheesy fun movie that isn't meant to be taken too seriously (I think).
The acting is superb - I don't know what others were expecting, but the characters are portrayed well by the cast. Some may need to polish-up their skills if they want to move on to more serious endeavours, but they did a good job int he context of this film.
If you are in the mood for something not too serious and like to laugh (even if your not meant to) then this is a god one to watch.
The acting is superb - I don't know what others were expecting, but the characters are portrayed well by the cast. Some may need to polish-up their skills if they want to move on to more serious endeavours, but they did a good job int he context of this film.
If you are in the mood for something not too serious and like to laugh (even if your not meant to) then this is a god one to watch.
Really, Really Boring
aureliasdestiny2 January 2020
I just struggled through an utterly boring 30 minutes into the film and I'm yet to see any comedy. It's listed as a horror comedy and with a 7.4 rating, so I expected something amazing. They hadn't even encountered the serial killer yet.
I'm not going to bother watching the rest because the characters are just utterly boring and mundane. None of them are relatable and every word just makes me dislike the characters even more. Actually, I feel a dislike for ALL of the characters. Especially the guy in charge who said never to meet his eyes and acted pretentious.
The scenes feel jumbled and some could have been edited out so as to not drag things out. The acting wasn't very good either.
I can only guess that positive reviews were bought by people who didn't even watch it and get paid to write a positive reviews. Those people are ruining things for we fans of movies. You can't even trust a rating anymore. It's ridiculous.
Someone else might like this movie, but it's just a B rated film and didn't hold my attention.
I'm not going to bother watching the rest because the characters are just utterly boring and mundane. None of them are relatable and every word just makes me dislike the characters even more. Actually, I feel a dislike for ALL of the characters. Especially the guy in charge who said never to meet his eyes and acted pretentious.
The scenes feel jumbled and some could have been edited out so as to not drag things out. The acting wasn't very good either.
I can only guess that positive reviews were bought by people who didn't even watch it and get paid to write a positive reviews. Those people are ruining things for we fans of movies. You can't even trust a rating anymore. It's ridiculous.
Someone else might like this movie, but it's just a B rated film and didn't hold my attention.
Not bad
BandSAboutMovies17 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I've always wondered what happens after a slasher murders their victim and the crime scene cleanup guys show up. What must it be like to show up to clean all the blood, eyeballs, gristle and gore? I Must Fall (originally One Must Fall) is the first film from Antonio Pantoja and it answers that question.
When Sarah - joined by her best friend and roommate Alton - quits her job rather than sleep with her boss, she ends up working cleanup after a gory series of murders. But has the killer left the building? We wouldn't have a movie if they did.
While the film calls up all of the slasher moments that we know and love, I really enjoyed how the killer (Barry Piacente) sees what he is doing as a holy mission, even allowing a character to pray to God to have someone rescue him, giving fate the opportunity to turn things around.
This is also a movie that does not skimp on the gore or on the damage to its leads. I was shocked by some of what happens in this movie and - spoiler - cheered on the close, as Sarah returns to get revenge on the boss who caused so much of her trauma.
Most modern slashers are quite frankly worthless. I found a fair deal to enjoy here, which is high praise.
When Sarah - joined by her best friend and roommate Alton - quits her job rather than sleep with her boss, she ends up working cleanup after a gory series of murders. But has the killer left the building? We wouldn't have a movie if they did.
While the film calls up all of the slasher moments that we know and love, I really enjoyed how the killer (Barry Piacente) sees what he is doing as a holy mission, even allowing a character to pray to God to have someone rescue him, giving fate the opportunity to turn things around.
This is also a movie that does not skimp on the gore or on the damage to its leads. I was shocked by some of what happens in this movie and - spoiler - cheered on the close, as Sarah returns to get revenge on the boss who caused so much of her trauma.
Most modern slashers are quite frankly worthless. I found a fair deal to enjoy here, which is high praise.
See also
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