THE LAUGHING MASK is a budget serial killer thriller heavily influenced by the likes of THE FOLLOWING and the SAW franchise. The story involves a team of detectives hunting down a masked serial killer before he kills again. The bad guy has a talent for torturing and terrorising his victims before killing them and what follows is a dark and gloomy story that just about gets by on an indie budget. The whole thing feels very familiar, but the main actress tries hard and there's an appropriate atmosphere of sleaze and depravity.
42 Reviews
You all complaining should have your heads examined
thewarlordmorgan11 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Honestly, the hat? the "captain room was too plain" What are you all on about? Did you pop goddamned Doctor Zhivago on DVD without noticing? Since when ultra low budget horror movies are rated on set dressing? And the acting is weak? I mean no s really? Paranormal Activity had A level acting now? Bottom line? The killer was awesome.. Slice it any way you like but I don't see Low budget horror movies for the epic level acting , and still I was impressed with both Rivers and Gabriel Lee.. Hardy was hamming up worse than Easter lunch but none of that took away from "The Laughing Mask" himself.. Every scene this character was in it was worth it, music was on point, the practical effects were money, they even tossed in a T&A for us.. So People without billion stars cant post reviews now? Get off your high horses people, this was a fun, scary, low budget thriller with a f awesome killer, more than worth a rental just to see this guy slash up some people..
Definitely NOT a horror film
tictoctyler11 November 2014
Those of you who saw several posters and stories about The Laughing Mask within the last few years and like myself were expecting a horror film will be somewhat let down with this film. If you don't watch it till the end...
I was expecting pure unadulterated gore honestly when I first saw the shot of the dude with the Chaisaw I was like "YES"! Then I got to see this film recently and although my thirst for gore remained unquenched, I was surprised to see a very well put together thriller with horror tendencies.. And then I was hooked.
This is definitely not a slasher film, not a torture porn or gore fest. This is a thriller in the veins of "along came the spider" and others starring serial killers. The plot revolves around the murder we first witness in the beginning of the flick. Jaycee Johnson was murdered in cold blood by this laughing maniac and we pick up 6 months later with her husband Jake (played really well by John Hardy) who conjures up a plan to have The Laughing Mask come after him in hopes to find his missing daughter..
There is definitely a cool subplot involving a gang of thugs called Rancors and a very interesting twist in the end, so if you're looking for a gore fest stay out, but if your'e looking for a cool thriller with horror tendencies, a good story and a kick ass killer I suggest this movie for sure.
I was expecting pure unadulterated gore honestly when I first saw the shot of the dude with the Chaisaw I was like "YES"! Then I got to see this film recently and although my thirst for gore remained unquenched, I was surprised to see a very well put together thriller with horror tendencies.. And then I was hooked.
This is definitely not a slasher film, not a torture porn or gore fest. This is a thriller in the veins of "along came the spider" and others starring serial killers. The plot revolves around the murder we first witness in the beginning of the flick. Jaycee Johnson was murdered in cold blood by this laughing maniac and we pick up 6 months later with her husband Jake (played really well by John Hardy) who conjures up a plan to have The Laughing Mask come after him in hopes to find his missing daughter..
There is definitely a cool subplot involving a gang of thugs called Rancors and a very interesting twist in the end, so if you're looking for a gore fest stay out, but if your'e looking for a cool thriller with horror tendencies, a good story and a kick ass killer I suggest this movie for sure.
The Laughing Mask fails to deliver..
GFilmsEnt24 December 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The film poster has a great image with a guy in a very cool mask harking back to the 80's with films like Friday The 13th, My Bloody Valentine, and Halloween. So going in to this film I had some expectation that this was going to be a cool throw back to those days. The picture starts with a girl tied to a chair with the killer and his ghostly laugh. The killer looks through his vast array of weapons choosing one, and as the girl cries out, he kills her. So far a good start but sadly the film will only have a few good parts throughout its short run time. Let's start with the script, which was a rehash of every other horror/revenge type film you've seen before. There are two plot lines moving at the same time between the cops looking for a drug dealer/pimp and the killer who is killing off all the bad guys, sound familiar? The dialogue was awful throughout the film and characters said things and did things that were just Laughable. The film tries to have a surprise twist ending of who the killer and drug dealer are, but honestly it was easy to figure out 10mins into the film. The music did not help at all as it did not have the creepiness nor suspense that would have taken the scenes to another level (Think how Halloween or Friday The 13th would have sounded like with no creepy suspenseful score.) music is 50% of your film. The editing had its issues but I have a feeling it was the lack of good direction during production. The camera work was okay, but there was nothing special about it as the camera was used in its basic level. There were no creepy lighting, no creepy angles, no real attempt at a visual style. As I understand it was shot in 4k on a Red but honestly it looked more like a regular DSLR camera. The film missed out on having any tension, suspense and cool kills and horror moments, well except for the Jack In The Box scene. The audio was almost completely ADR which leaves me to wonder what happened to the NAT sounds in the recordings. It is a tough thing to do ADR, and if you don't do it right your film comes off as a badly dubbed Chinese film. There are several good programs out there that could have fixed the NAT sound if they had issues with it. The acting was a hit and miss throughout the film, but it might go back to the weak script as some of the actors, specifically the two leads had some good moments. Now there are some parts in the film that I liked, like the strip club scene where the killer faces off with a bouncer and pulls an Indiana Jones then calls over for a drink and pays for it and another scene that also got some good laughs was as the killer goes to kill the final victim with a gardening shears. But in the end the filmmaker missed out on making a really cool horror mask into the next villain icon. Instead we are left with as a cheep knockoff of The Punisher and Dexter..
Over all the filmmakers get an A for the effort but an F for the film.
Over all the filmmakers get an A for the effort but an F for the film.
Unwatchable
plasticpig7228 November 2016
IMDb is fast becoming pointless. The review on many films seem contrary to the actually experience of the average watcher.
Some films are slow to get into, some hook you immediately and some, of which this is one, are unwatchable from the off.
I have read many of the reviews and most seemed favourable, the rating is high, but the question I have is - How can anyone watch this garbage.
It has been a long time since have seen such appallingly amateur acting, the actors were so wooden, they could have been reading from an auto-cue, the dialogue was pathetic, the timing was so far out it was untrue.
As I write this, I am 16 minutes in and I would have to be paid a serious amount of money to bring myself to watch anymore.
Take my advice, go find something else to watch, I have seen far better B movies.
Some films are slow to get into, some hook you immediately and some, of which this is one, are unwatchable from the off.
I have read many of the reviews and most seemed favourable, the rating is high, but the question I have is - How can anyone watch this garbage.
It has been a long time since have seen such appallingly amateur acting, the actors were so wooden, they could have been reading from an auto-cue, the dialogue was pathetic, the timing was so far out it was untrue.
As I write this, I am 16 minutes in and I would have to be paid a serious amount of money to bring myself to watch anymore.
Take my advice, go find something else to watch, I have seen far better B movies.
Terrible and cliché
ladyaxe19 September 2017
The cover looks great and the concept seems original. This is a ruse. Whatever they spent their budget on was not sound mixing and the acting is a disaster. I could not stand more than 15 minutes before I started to forward the film, but it maintained its overdone, cliché plot and characters.
The female chief and the sexual tension between the rival investigators "forced to work together" is both sad and tired, having been done to death by typically American cop shows. Of course, they throw in some titty shots to garner some attention where everything else fails horribly.
If you are not stoned or bored out of your skull, you might want to give this one a brisk pass.
The female chief and the sexual tension between the rival investigators "forced to work together" is both sad and tired, having been done to death by typically American cop shows. Of course, they throw in some titty shots to garner some attention where everything else fails horribly.
If you are not stoned or bored out of your skull, you might want to give this one a brisk pass.
It's A Sin To Tell A Lie
Foutainoflife15 February 2019
So. Let's be honest. This is marketed as horror but I agree with several others in saying that this is more thriller than horror. It lacked the fear factor that you want to see in horror. The story in this isn't too bad. It's been done before. The problems with this are simple.
The acting was teetering on the edge of being downright awful and it didn't have the polished look that you want to see in everything you watch. I didn't find the settings to be very engaging and the props looked as though they may have been on loan from a high school drama department. The kill scenes weren't very impressive and they were slow. I don't mind slow kill scenes as long as there is the building of tension but it just seemed like a lot of standing around before anything would happen. The laughing was annoying and it took away from the scenes it was in because they were doing it too much. Lastly, I could see things coming and that always sucks.
The best thing? The mask was cool and I liked the effort to make it creepy with the animations and songs. That was creative but overdone.
I guess this is a hit and miss type of film. Some folks may really enjoy it but it just failed to get the job done for me.
The acting was teetering on the edge of being downright awful and it didn't have the polished look that you want to see in everything you watch. I didn't find the settings to be very engaging and the props looked as though they may have been on loan from a high school drama department. The kill scenes weren't very impressive and they were slow. I don't mind slow kill scenes as long as there is the building of tension but it just seemed like a lot of standing around before anything would happen. The laughing was annoying and it took away from the scenes it was in because they were doing it too much. Lastly, I could see things coming and that always sucks.
The best thing? The mask was cool and I liked the effort to make it creepy with the animations and songs. That was creative but overdone.
I guess this is a hit and miss type of film. Some folks may really enjoy it but it just failed to get the job done for me.
Didn't finish
dar04172 September 2020
Only made it through the 1st half hour. This was so bad it was like watching something from when sexual harassment didn't exist. To try and make things better they had both women and men harassing each other. As for being a horror movie this was not scary at all.
Enjoyed the Aesthetic and the killer
paulhunterkirk11 January 2015
Best things of the movie are the killer and the aesthetic. Ive seen other people mentioning, there are scenes in his lair or house that are VERY well done, really stylized and give a great sense of what the director was going for. Unfortunately those are sometimes sandwiched with wooden acting from John Hardy for example who seemed to be having a seizure in the final reveal for some reason. This is definitely a low budget feature with a lot of potential with a higher budget, especially for the main killer.
For example since this is on Tubi TV for free and they have 0 content that is original, throwing a little money on making a series based on this killer with some A talent actors even B involved would be freaking awesome. The weakest part of the movie really is what plagues every low budget feature, but they still managed to get a few strong performances from Rivers, Gabriel Lee and a few others.
For example since this is on Tubi TV for free and they have 0 content that is original, throwing a little money on making a series based on this killer with some A talent actors even B involved would be freaking awesome. The weakest part of the movie really is what plagues every low budget feature, but they still managed to get a few strong performances from Rivers, Gabriel Lee and a few others.
Terribly Done From Acting to Screenplay
tdwillis-2627316 June 2017
Many of the reviewers who rated this film very high and "loved it" had only one review under their belt on IMDb (this movie) with no other reviews or activity. That tells me a lot right there. I don't take a lot of stock in their opinion.
The acting was atrocious. The screenplay tried too hard to be shocking and violent, only to come off as unrealistic and well,cheezy. The lighting/camera use/cinematography/sound all looked cheap.
I really liked the old time cartoons and music mixed in.The score/soundtrack was indeed very decent, showing some creativity which I found interesting. The mask and costume of the killer was also nicely creepy.
Although there wasn't a lot of blood and gore I suppose they wanted to make up for it by the use of profanity and degradation. I am NOT offended easily at all but jeesh.... Overdone is overdone.
Maybe teenage boys would like this movie? Or someone who enjoyed some libations? I know I didn't enjoy it.
The acting was atrocious. The screenplay tried too hard to be shocking and violent, only to come off as unrealistic and well,cheezy. The lighting/camera use/cinematography/sound all looked cheap.
I really liked the old time cartoons and music mixed in.The score/soundtrack was indeed very decent, showing some creativity which I found interesting. The mask and costume of the killer was also nicely creepy.
Although there wasn't a lot of blood and gore I suppose they wanted to make up for it by the use of profanity and degradation. I am NOT offended easily at all but jeesh.... Overdone is overdone.
Maybe teenage boys would like this movie? Or someone who enjoyed some libations? I know I didn't enjoy it.
Worth checking it out
jonathanmaine21 June 2023
Definitely worth checking it out. Got it on Vudu mostly out of the IMDb ratings, it's definitely a low budget horror but it has s really different aesthetic, the old cartoons and the songs made it for me, even if it's low budget the good outweighs any bass. There are some issues mostly sound related and some of the acting is spotty but overall for a low budget is very solid. I'd give it a try with an open mind. It really makes you wonder what Aguiar could've done with a decent Budget, you can see the character has a ton of untapped potential and it sets itself apart from other slasher characters.
Actually was pretty entertaining
wildblueyonder11 March 2018
Admittedly, it does start to drag in the beginning and is kinda cheesy and low budget at times... I almost gave up on it, but glad I stuck with it.
It picks up nicely and has a very solid end. The killer is the best part of the movie, for sure.
And while the acting many times does really leave something to be desired there are also several moments of good dialogue, and as I said I thought the killer for sure was well acted.
Perhaps the best thing about the movie is that there are several very funny moments but it doesn't stoop to like 'B' movie humor - it does keep a straight face (pardon the pun couldn't resist...)
Give it a shot - just remember you might have to stick it out for a little bit but worth it, IMO.
It picks up nicely and has a very solid end. The killer is the best part of the movie, for sure.
And while the acting many times does really leave something to be desired there are also several moments of good dialogue, and as I said I thought the killer for sure was well acted.
Perhaps the best thing about the movie is that there are several very funny moments but it doesn't stoop to like 'B' movie humor - it does keep a straight face (pardon the pun couldn't resist...)
Give it a shot - just remember you might have to stick it out for a little bit but worth it, IMO.
Just bad.
koditzadispater13 March 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Police chief in a random room? Forensic officers with no gear, just a hat? Lead detective with no gloves? Bad script, unconvincing acting and expired jokes, all in a plot that is too bad to be interesting. Story is unconvincing and characters are not well defined, nothing to make you like - or dislike - any of them. Total waste of time.
Kinda convoluted
dstrokeslade13 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Movie was OK at best, I don't know what the reviewers are on about. I was there as well and yes there were a lot of people. The movie started late because they had to wait for the light to go down to start the projector. When it started, we immediately got a nice kill, then the beginning was sorta confused. The kills were OK but not at all gory enough, story was again OK, score was definitely not good.
Pitman looked cool and some scenes were well executed but in the end I was left wanting more. More kills, more of the killer, less of Jake Johnson moping about and less of Kate strutting about.
I didn't hate the movie but definitely didn't think it was all that. Cast and crew were present but I left before the rush of people.
Pitman looked cool and some scenes were well executed but in the end I was left wanting more. More kills, more of the killer, less of Jake Johnson moping about and less of Kate strutting about.
I didn't hate the movie but definitely didn't think it was all that. Cast and crew were present but I left before the rush of people.
Fun Low Budget indy horror
nightwing-6979220 June 2023
This was free while I was scrolling through Tubi, I liked the mask never heard of the director or anyone in the cast. When the poster is good, the budget is low and nobody in the cast is known you know you're playing horror Russian roulette its either going to be a good or a total disaster. Laughing Mask fell under good..
I dont think its 10 stars, but when I came in to look I saw people pelting the poor movie with 1 star reviews like wtf man, what were your true expectations going in? Saying stuff like "its unwatchable" is totally unfair, go in knowing its a low budget movie..
Ill rate the goods and bads..
The villain is well written and whoever plays him does a fantastic job bringing him to life. Having the dude use music to convey what he says was different and very well done.
Score was great, someone scrubbed through all old school royalty free music and it gives an old timey look Story was so so, I wanted a horror and got a thriller. I saw other ppl saying the same and I agree the movie is not characterized correctly. It falls more under along came the spider than saw but never commits fully to either.
Cinematography was good, again for a low budget movie. There is a scene at the killer's home is my favorite in the entire film, you can see it was shot in a hurry like.. 1 take and GO GO GO..
The bad was everything associated with low budget that you should see everywhere.. Sound was rough at some points. They tried to do ADR which probably made it worse since doesnt match some of the other scenes some of the set pieces are weird, like that restaurant scene was fully ADR and made no sense being shot in a restaurant, felt like lots of the scenes were shot in the first place they were able to. The "fight scene" at some alley was weird disjointed, we went from a horror type movie to action lol it was weird.
That acting ranges from ok to good to godawful. The main players (Jake, Cordova, Kate) are solid, the support players like Brock was wooden but ok..
I would give it a honest 6 stars as it I watch a ton of these no budgets and this was well shot, well executed and had a good story with A+ to the title character.
I dont think its 10 stars, but when I came in to look I saw people pelting the poor movie with 1 star reviews like wtf man, what were your true expectations going in? Saying stuff like "its unwatchable" is totally unfair, go in knowing its a low budget movie..
Ill rate the goods and bads..
The villain is well written and whoever plays him does a fantastic job bringing him to life. Having the dude use music to convey what he says was different and very well done.
Score was great, someone scrubbed through all old school royalty free music and it gives an old timey look Story was so so, I wanted a horror and got a thriller. I saw other ppl saying the same and I agree the movie is not characterized correctly. It falls more under along came the spider than saw but never commits fully to either.
Cinematography was good, again for a low budget movie. There is a scene at the killer's home is my favorite in the entire film, you can see it was shot in a hurry like.. 1 take and GO GO GO..
The bad was everything associated with low budget that you should see everywhere.. Sound was rough at some points. They tried to do ADR which probably made it worse since doesnt match some of the other scenes some of the set pieces are weird, like that restaurant scene was fully ADR and made no sense being shot in a restaurant, felt like lots of the scenes were shot in the first place they were able to. The "fight scene" at some alley was weird disjointed, we went from a horror type movie to action lol it was weird.
That acting ranges from ok to good to godawful. The main players (Jake, Cordova, Kate) are solid, the support players like Brock was wooden but ok..
I would give it a honest 6 stars as it I watch a ton of these no budgets and this was well shot, well executed and had a good story with A+ to the title character.
Liked the Laughing Mask..Not nearly enough blood
jimhorner0816 November 2014
Loved the killer, Laughing Mask is scary and funny at the same time, he's cool and it remind me of what would happen if The Shadow and The Joker had a love child.
That said I wanted rip roaring killing spree.. I saw a dude with a chainsaw man and blood in the preview and I wanted carnage and didn't get it. The kill scenes are not graphic or gory but at least they're kill scenes, but there is not enough "mask time" in the movie for my tastes.
Every second of the storyline I was just basically waiting for the mask to show up again and kill people LOL . It was not a bad movie, just not at all what I was expecting. I wanted blood dammit.. blood blood blood!!!!
That said I wanted rip roaring killing spree.. I saw a dude with a chainsaw man and blood in the preview and I wanted carnage and didn't get it. The kill scenes are not graphic or gory but at least they're kill scenes, but there is not enough "mask time" in the movie for my tastes.
Every second of the storyline I was just basically waiting for the mask to show up again and kill people LOL . It was not a bad movie, just not at all what I was expecting. I wanted blood dammit.. blood blood blood!!!!
A very interesting low budget horror film
cynthiamorgan-8848015 May 2017
Warning: Spoilers
**this might contain spoilers** I came across this movie on Google Play and decided to give it a shot and Im surprised at the last few nasty reviews.. I mean, complaning about how "plain" the police chief room was in a Low Budget movie is kind of ridiculous don't you all think? Of course some of the things were obviously done on shoestring, but for me that was all washed away by the story. I loved the killer itself and all the scenes he was in were the highlight of the movie, the twist was very well put together and I certainly didn't see it coming.Of course some of the acting was wooden, have you ever seen a low budget independent film with "oh my god superb" acting? Even with the cast, The lead that played Kate and the guy who played Cordova were great. I definitely recommend it to anyone who is not interested in being a movie snob while clearly watching a low budget film.
Here comes the Boogey Man
nogodnomasters21 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
A well dressed vigilante killer stalks the city of Orlando, one who likes older music. Kate (Sheyenne Rivers) is the lead investigator.
I must say, I liked the film with the old fashion music tuned into the scene. John Hardy was horrible as an actor, while the other ones were not so great, and at one time breaking up while reading their lines. I thought the coroner had the best lines and we could have used more of her. The biggest mystery was not who the killer was, but how bullets didn't seem to stop him, how he moved around so quickly, how he left no DNA anywhere, and why he wore suits when splattering blood. I mean the dry cleaning bills had to be horrendous.
In spite of all the film's shortcomings, my fascination with redheads held me glued as well as the soundtrack.
Guide: F-word. Nudity (Sheyenne Rivers plus strippers)
I must say, I liked the film with the old fashion music tuned into the scene. John Hardy was horrible as an actor, while the other ones were not so great, and at one time breaking up while reading their lines. I thought the coroner had the best lines and we could have used more of her. The biggest mystery was not who the killer was, but how bullets didn't seem to stop him, how he moved around so quickly, how he left no DNA anywhere, and why he wore suits when splattering blood. I mean the dry cleaning bills had to be horrendous.
In spite of all the film's shortcomings, my fascination with redheads held me glued as well as the soundtrack.
Guide: F-word. Nudity (Sheyenne Rivers plus strippers)
Tubi TV has a winner
jlynn-3969727 June 2023
Watched it on Tubi TV and if I was with them I'd be pushing a sequel for this tomorrow. There are obvious issues when it comes to budget, but what shines for me was the writing and the main character. I got a really cool 80s vibe from the police investigators, aside from them you know.. having a crime scene with no police cars, gloves, equipment or anything the banter was fun, not PC by any way but it was very 80s. The jokes like the "saw it coming" someone else had issue with I loved it too, like she said "this is the point in a movie where someone would say something this cheesy" lol
The kills are great, the underline theme of killing the guilty, and beware tied into the mystery as to why they are guilty really caught my eye.
It was disappointing to see a release date of 2014 though, as it seems not likely at all to get a sequel.. But Tubi is having some content, man get a series out of this with him just killing people with his style? There's not a slasher or character with his penache and style.
Get a decent cast behind this and it would've been a hit..
The kills are great, the underline theme of killing the guilty, and beware tied into the mystery as to why they are guilty really caught my eye.
It was disappointing to see a release date of 2014 though, as it seems not likely at all to get a sequel.. But Tubi is having some content, man get a series out of this with him just killing people with his style? There's not a slasher or character with his penache and style.
Get a decent cast behind this and it would've been a hit..
Surprisingly good
jacktheripperblog16 November 2014
I received a screener of this film to review and was pleasantly surprised. The story revolves around the Laughing Mask Killer and Jake Johnson's plotting revenge against the killer.
The first act is really slow to be honest, after The Laughing Mask's initial appearance we get a lot of back and forth between Jake and Kate (Sheyenne Rivers), I didn't care much for Kate as a character, she was kinda one note, bitchy and the performance ranged from very very good to blah in like 3 seconds.. Jake Johnson was a puzzle, I thought at first that he was boring but as the story progressed we see he is nothing but. I loved how he went from rage to passive in a snap.
The second act things pick up a little bit and it would get spoilery but its really good. Wer'e introduced to a bunch of disposable characters (there just to be killed) so their acting really doesn't hurt the movie a bit. The "pimp" for example was terrible but again, cannon fodder so it worked
3rd act the film takes a huge turn. There's a great twist ending and everyone should absolutely check this one out. Its a great film specially for a indy project. Love the laughing mask character, it was the highlight for me
The bad things are very few. The film is short and runs pretty fast, some of the effects are not fantastic and some of the non main characters acting was not very good, but overall this was a very enjoyable movie.
The first act is really slow to be honest, after The Laughing Mask's initial appearance we get a lot of back and forth between Jake and Kate (Sheyenne Rivers), I didn't care much for Kate as a character, she was kinda one note, bitchy and the performance ranged from very very good to blah in like 3 seconds.. Jake Johnson was a puzzle, I thought at first that he was boring but as the story progressed we see he is nothing but. I loved how he went from rage to passive in a snap.
The second act things pick up a little bit and it would get spoilery but its really good. Wer'e introduced to a bunch of disposable characters (there just to be killed) so their acting really doesn't hurt the movie a bit. The "pimp" for example was terrible but again, cannon fodder so it worked
3rd act the film takes a huge turn. There's a great twist ending and everyone should absolutely check this one out. Its a great film specially for a indy project. Love the laughing mask character, it was the highlight for me
The bad things are very few. The film is short and runs pretty fast, some of the effects are not fantastic and some of the non main characters acting was not very good, but overall this was a very enjoyable movie.
Different than other horror films out there
mhudson-2853724 June 2023
I was surprised to see this on Vudu, the poster looked creepy but not recognizing the names I came to IMDb and saw a bunch of either really low or really high. Lows had complaints about the sleepiness even misogynistic while the highs all praised it and warned of the budget, my faço fit style of movies is low budget fare from the 1970s so I bough it and man, I didn't regret it.
It seemed the director had ambitions of putting together something like "seven" or "along came the spider" but had the budget of attack of the killer tomatoes, so the will was there burn some of the scenes fell flat mostly due to working with non professional actors. Kate, Cordova are the most solid ones from the bunch, Jake hams it up and overacts quite a bit ina very soap opera way. The guy who plays wink was surprisingly solid although that fight scene was not the greatest
Where this movie shines is in showing the Killer and the kills. Every time he's on screen you forget the budget and is immediately drawn into the story. There's one scene with him painting you just have to see.. very wel put together
Third act falls apart s bit but the ending more than makes up for it with a cool twist i honestly didn't see it coming
If you're fan of the low budget genre give this one a shot.
It seemed the director had ambitions of putting together something like "seven" or "along came the spider" but had the budget of attack of the killer tomatoes, so the will was there burn some of the scenes fell flat mostly due to working with non professional actors. Kate, Cordova are the most solid ones from the bunch, Jake hams it up and overacts quite a bit ina very soap opera way. The guy who plays wink was surprisingly solid although that fight scene was not the greatest
Where this movie shines is in showing the Killer and the kills. Every time he's on screen you forget the budget and is immediately drawn into the story. There's one scene with him painting you just have to see.. very wel put together
Third act falls apart s bit but the ending more than makes up for it with a cool twist i honestly didn't see it coming
If you're fan of the low budget genre give this one a shot.
Well done, wish there was a sequel
morrisonjoan26 June 2023
The movie is well put together, very stylish and I agree with some of the reviews that the director bit more than he could chew with the budget he had.
This is a movie that if Blumhouse had thrown in like 3 million dollars on it for a decent cast, we could have the next horror icon for decades for sure. All of the issues with it are 100% budget based, ADR was lacking in some areas for example, some of the shots were clearly hurried and shot in a guerrilla film making style that didnt mash up with the vibe of "thriller" Aguiar was going for.
If you can see past the budgetary issues, the character itself is very well put together. Using songs to convey what he was feeling at the time "here comes the boogey man" and the "its a sin to tell a lie" plus the mask design and dress made me want to know more about how he came to be and less about the other characters. This is a Laughing Mask show, and its a pity a movie from 2014 is languishing out there when we could've had several sequels by now.
This is a movie that if Blumhouse had thrown in like 3 million dollars on it for a decent cast, we could have the next horror icon for decades for sure. All of the issues with it are 100% budget based, ADR was lacking in some areas for example, some of the shots were clearly hurried and shot in a guerrilla film making style that didnt mash up with the vibe of "thriller" Aguiar was going for.
If you can see past the budgetary issues, the character itself is very well put together. Using songs to convey what he was feeling at the time "here comes the boogey man" and the "its a sin to tell a lie" plus the mask design and dress made me want to know more about how he came to be and less about the other characters. This is a Laughing Mask show, and its a pity a movie from 2014 is languishing out there when we could've had several sequels by now.
Interesting thriller, not a slasher.
riseamericanow8 January 2015
Most fans watching this flick are very much like myself waiting for a brainless slasher type. Unfortunately we don't get one.
This is a thriller, Im not sure why the horror sites picked it up as a horror movie but its not at all. Some other reviews already went over it so Ill just make it simple the good and bad..
I watched this recently, was not at the event but was given the opportunity to watch it and was both disappointed and surprised at the same time..
Disappointed because even though the movie is made in FL and we have a ton of wannabe filmmakers here dishing out all kinds of garbage, I had high hopes for this and was not happy with the lack of blood. The kills are solid and atmosphere was creepy, but there was not enough blood to make me happy..
Surprised because although it wasn't a good horror film, was a great police thriller. There was the main plot and the subplot running at the same time, a cool killer and a twist ending. The acting was there but clearly the low budget aspect of the film shows in the acting but it needs to be taken into consideration.
Cinematography was on point and I was given a link to watch this in full 4k. Although I don't have the TV or monitor to run it in full 4k it looked amazing to me, the colors very vibrant and the script was an old school revenge flick with a saw type twist.
I was surprised overall and even though I was upset it wasn't the horror movie I signed up for it definitely was worth the time.
This is a thriller, Im not sure why the horror sites picked it up as a horror movie but its not at all. Some other reviews already went over it so Ill just make it simple the good and bad..
I watched this recently, was not at the event but was given the opportunity to watch it and was both disappointed and surprised at the same time..
Disappointed because even though the movie is made in FL and we have a ton of wannabe filmmakers here dishing out all kinds of garbage, I had high hopes for this and was not happy with the lack of blood. The kills are solid and atmosphere was creepy, but there was not enough blood to make me happy..
Surprised because although it wasn't a good horror film, was a great police thriller. There was the main plot and the subplot running at the same time, a cool killer and a twist ending. The acting was there but clearly the low budget aspect of the film shows in the acting but it needs to be taken into consideration.
Cinematography was on point and I was given a link to watch this in full 4k. Although I don't have the TV or monitor to run it in full 4k it looked amazing to me, the colors very vibrant and the script was an old school revenge flick with a saw type twist.
I was surprised overall and even though I was upset it wasn't the horror movie I signed up for it definitely was worth the time.
It's a low budget fun fest
Mporter3311 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I just rented this on google play and honestly was a bit skeptical due to the one dude that went "its unwatchable, I couldn't get past 15 minutes" wth man, seriously? Have you seen syfy and anything they put out? The Laughing Mask is better than any original syfy movie they put out in like 5 years. Yes the acting is off at times and yes the plot leaves somewhat to be desired, but the actual killer is ..well.. Killer and the twist really got to me (SPOILERS) I really thought it was Cordova..
People, this is not Avatar so to expect anything more than a low budget fun film is getting your hopes ready to be dashed, I think it worked well, the effects were very well done (except for a few after effects blood) and you can clearly see where the budget lacked.. I say put some more money on this and do another a-la Evil dead 2 with a higher budget and you have something we are missing in horror, an interesting and captivating killer. This guy is a mix of punisher, dexter and the joker.. Can't miss it.. Oh and there are boobs.. Can't go wrong with boobs. .
People, this is not Avatar so to expect anything more than a low budget fun film is getting your hopes ready to be dashed, I think it worked well, the effects were very well done (except for a few after effects blood) and you can clearly see where the budget lacked.. I say put some more money on this and do another a-la Evil dead 2 with a higher budget and you have something we are missing in horror, an interesting and captivating killer. This guy is a mix of punisher, dexter and the joker.. Can't miss it.. Oh and there are boobs.. Can't go wrong with boobs. .
Great movie
miketorresdiaz7 October 2015
I had a great time watching The Laughing Mask at Wolf Museum and Mystery in Saint Augustine, Fl. I got there at 6pm and they had some vintage 80's trailers until the dark settle in that we were able to relax and watch the movie. The story line was great plot with an ending twist at the end. The shots, audio, and scene were great. I have to say not bad for the director first movie. I'm positive that the next movie will be even better. For the other fans out there it's a movie worth watching. They had posters and the Mask of The Laughing mask for $35 I pick up one myself. Great quality its worth bucks I spent.
Bravo to Michael Aguiar thumps up in my book!!!!!!!
Bravo to Michael Aguiar thumps up in my book!!!!!!!
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