The Special (2020) User Reviews

Missing Tales from the Crypt Episode

[payasoingenioso · 6/10 · 27 February 2021]

This definitely should be a 45 minute episode of Tales from the Crypt. Not a movie.

I would not consider this horror. Barely a thriller. Maybe a drama with thriller undertones.

The plot is basic, but the general execution and twists are solid.

Either love it or hate it, but twisted horror for sure and not to be missed

[Digital_excitation · 6/10 · 10 November 2020]

In a nutshell: A man is introduced to a whorehouse where he meets a gypsy woman who introduces him to a sexual object that she calls 'The Special'.

This is a low budget movie and it shows. It's like a long episode of one of those classic horror tv-shows. Because of the sexual nature and twisted dual sided ending, it probably wasn't made an episode for one of those series. That leaves movies, so it had to be stretched. It has been written before: The movie could/should have been shorter. Acting really isn't that bad, neither is the script nor screenplay or pace. The overall picture is average but professional, at 3/4 of the movie you start to guess where it is going.

This movie is however a must see because of the twisted plot and how that turns out, and not just for die hard horror fans.

Saturday night skit turned horror

[coflorida · 5/10 · 3 April 2021]

WTF LOL Never a million years would I have thought Justin Timberlake's SNL skit...D**K IN A BOX would be a horror movie... LOL.

Like an episode of Tales from the Dark Side

[nwsts · 4/10 · 19 October 2020]

Vintage TV style horror film. Poor audio, poor sets, poor acting, poor dialog. Too bad because it had a whacky premise that could have been somewhat funny.

This Movie Should Be 20 Minutes Long, Max.

[reellycynical · 2/10 · 16 October 2020]

Very predictable plot; Acting was poor; Not really much to say about this movie, other than that.

It could have been 20 minutes long and we would have missed nothing.

Skip it.

Some men, it seems, will f@$k anything.

[Ckn48 · 2/10 · 21 January 2021]

The depravity spirals further & further downwards The really sad thing is, this Special is apparently better than a pretty wife willing to have sex. The acting & filming & sound track is 2nd rate But I guess everyone wants find out what's in the box. Once it's revealed & the bodies start piling up, there really isn't much else of interest. I guess it's a case of we've come this far, we might as well finish!

Watched because I was bored but I would not recommend it.

What's in the box?!?!?

[LiquidFreon · 7/10 · 15 October 2020]

First let me start off by saying who will most likely enjoy this movie. If you are a horror aficionado, if you grew up watching Tales From The Darkside, Monsters, Tales From The Crypt, old school video nasties or enjoy reading magazines like Fangoria, then this movie will not disappoint you. What you have here is a well executed horror movie that pulls you in from the moment our main actor decides to take a walk down the dark side, until the very end when the proverbial S hits the F. This is one Pandora's box that even Pandora should not open. The acting is on par with movies in this budget range, but unlike other B or Indie horror movies I have seen, there is no cringe dialogue. Also, when it comes to the special effects used, it would seem that the better half of the budget was used for this. To say anymore would spoil key plot points. This is a journey best taken in the back seat of our protagonist's car.

With the plethora of garbage that gets released almost on a daily basis, you will be pleasantly surprised to find "The Special" on your over crowded horror dining menu. Just be careful what you decide to do with the 'tip'.

Weirdly entertaining

[bgmagic22 · 5/10 · 15 October 2020]

I started to give this a B for originality & then I remembered a movie years ago with a talking hole in a wall. This was definitely a strange story that kept me interested wanting to know what happens next. I watched this by accident but couldn't turn it off. I just had to know what was in the box.

Wow, weird and bizarre

[The_Swedish_Reviewer · 7/10 · 9 January 2021]

I don't know but I liked it. This is such a weird piece of film I've never come across before. Let me warn you though, this is not a "horror movie" for everyone. Actually very few things are scary at all. It' s just an insane setup never seen before. If you like odd low budged indie movies with totally screwed up plots, this is for you. Otherwise, don't stick your nose (or something else) where it doesn't belong.

You opened the box and you came

[mandydier · 5/10 · 5 February 2021]

The acting was not great, and I was never afraid. A tale of pleasure and addiction, with some twisted fiction. The story could have been told in an hour, but the ending gave the movie some extra power.

So refreshing

[robertvardaro-63455 · 10/10 · 18 March 2021]

Blow away, I have not had so much fun on a movie in so long! From the story, to the acting, to the practical fx. It is about how an addiction destroys someone and people around them.

gives new meaning to That guy will f@#k anything

[aratron-00391 · 7/10 · 18 October 2021]

Strange, weird, and bizarre. Unlike anything I have seen before. Held my interest because of how weird it was. The acting was surprising not bad and visuals were good. I think the film symbolizes the danger of sexually transmitted disease.

I give it a 7 because it is unique and I felt disturbed and nauseated while watching it.

"The best revenge is revenge"

[Stanlee107 · 2/10 · 25 October 2020]

That is the first dialogue of this film so I watch this with sceptical cynicism. It is shot in low 2000 TV quality definition. The male characters are very unlikable. Having read other reviews, I do agree it is unintentionally hilarious. It is as scary as one of those alone in the dark episodes for children. This film seems like a rejected storyline for the Twilight Zone episode yet they somehow convinced a production company to make a film out of it. The result is a jumbled mess that should have been left well alone in a box.

What did I just watch?!

[ocelementgirl · 3/10 · 24 November 2020]

Well this puts Justin Timberlake and Jimmy fallon sketch to a new level. Great body horror but not much horror otherwise... and well.. wierd isn't the right word. Im not sure how I feel haha

Absolutely grotesque concept with subpar presentation until the very last scene.

[jbrbsmom · 4/10 · 12 February 2022]

The plot has so much potential! In a nutshell...a " supernatural sexual experience that is out of this world but should only be had once"

SO many things to guess at!

What IS this experience? Why can you only have it once?

The explanation is actually very Clive Barker...if you are a true horror fan, the CONCEPT of this movie will creep you out for DAYS. I could talk about the ways this could have gone right for HOURS.

Sadly, it was reduced to a lot of bad and completely bizarre soft porn where it could have been SO much more.. mild give away...you spend about half an hour watching a semi naked man have sex from the ass up and don't see the partner. While his musculature was quite nice, a photograph of him is all I need and fast forward through the HOUR to something relevant please. There is potential for a great indie short film here instead.

Seriously. Skip the whole next hour of this film. The acting is comical where it shouldn't be and for the most part abysmal, the plot just is incoherent, wandering and tries to have too many side stories that just don't make sense or belong. Spare yourself the misery. And the special effects in this section of the movie look like something that lost a sixth grade science fair.

Fast forward to the last last five minutes or so. Once you have the basic plot from the first twenty minutes, then the ending is something fans of Black Mirror or Twilight Zone will really enjoy because it turns into something quite good...a grotesque mess with a message...and even if it might be a semi cliche message, the presentation is fabulous and well worth the last few minute watch. The special effects ( in the end only) were fun and high quality for a low budget flick. I MIGHT EVEN SAY BEST I have seen in a very long time.

Has nothing to offer

[kuarinofu · 3/10 · 5 January 2021]

It didn't impress me from the get-go, but I still gave it a chance.

The chance was wasted. 'The Special' is long and empty, it really drags, and feels like there was enough story for like half an hour. The remaining run-time is just useless filler.

It is evident that the budget was minimal, but the acting could've still been better. The story is very simple and really did not impress me even slightly.

The commentary on addictions, happiness, and life experiences are blurry and not particularly thought-provoking.

In terms of horror, there's only one cool scene (the first kill), other than that there's no even good gore or gruesome deaths.

I at least had a hope that this could've been a good exploitation flick, like 'Deadgirl' (2008), but no, it is only disappointing.

Besides surprisingly well-done make-up (for the budget), there is nothing of interest in this film.

Just skip.

More than once

[woodswalkerx · 7/10 · 9 November 2020]

It's not your average boy meets box story. It's actually an original and outrageous movie about addiction.

"Mind blowing"

[dangahigh · 5/10 · 1 February 2021]

Don't usually write reviews, but I had to for this one in 7 words. I DID NOT SEE THE ENDING COMING.

One time deal or what?

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 17 October 2021]

When someone tells you - you should only do a certain thing once, no matter how good it feels: you should listen. Now it will be quite difficult to identify with the main character here - to be honest, the opposite will likely be the case.

Now onto the ... core of things (no pun intended). You should not be easily offended or disgusted. Otherwise the movie will kind of freak you out - not in a good way. The premise of using ... a hole without much knowledge is something I personally would never do, not even if I was paid a lot of money.

That all being said, the movie reaches its logical yet twist ending in quite the interesting fashion - with blood and other special effects being a big part of that journey. Can you dig it? (quite literally actually)

Less Special Would Have Been More Special

[ADavo63 · 5/10 · 21 October 2021]

A weird little movie that would have worked better as a Creepshow episode or short film. It has some horror elements but works mostly as a disturbing descent into sexual addiction.

Never ask what's in the box

[cbblythe-81770 · 9/10 · 12 November 2020]

Wow, this movie outrageous, funny, gross and scary. What more can you want?

Director Harrison Smith gave us a gross-out body horror treat with this one.

Poor sap Jerry thinks his wife is cheating on him. His drinking buddy Mike, played by the terrific Dave Sheridan, has an absolutely great idea. We'll show her, let's get hookers!

But not just any hookers. Mike's gonna hook his good pal Jerry up with the best sex of his life. An erotic treat known as "The Special".

And this is where things go way off the tracks for our intrepid hero Jerry. His continued poor decisions and lack of impulse control lead him down a long, dark path of self destruction.

If you take a bit of Lynch, throw in some festering bits of Cronenberg, add a blob of Chuck Russel, a maybe just an ooze of Lovecraft you'd find yourself staring down The Special.Once just isn't enough of The Special

Simply Bizarre!

[scott-22402 · 7/10 · 18 April 2021]

The quality of the production, set, actors, or even dialogue didn't need to be high to tell this story. The plot was simple and elegant. It was never made to win an Oscar for anything, but what it did win was my attention - which it kept all the way to the gory (and fitting) end.👍

Are you kidding?

[bonniesnewhamp · 2/10 · 7 November 2020]

I like horrors, thrillers, and syfy just like everyone else. Has the entertainment, film industry running out of story lines that they have to make crappy films like this? If you like horror movies that makes no sense and you don't care if its good or not this is for you.

a very poor movie

[yamahapic · 2/10 · 24 October 2020]

This movie is a waste of time, the script is boring and it ee repeating same thing. the actors are ok but the story is very poor.

The worst film I have ever seen

[jmariehamilton · 1/10 · 28 July 2021]

Utterly, utterly atrocious. I can't believe someone made this ridiculous movie. It actually starts off ok then descends into complete farce. I would compare it those cheesy 80's films like 'The Stuff'.