I like martial arts/tournaments movies and i enjoy strange horror theme movies. So when i saw this movie on the store, i was intrigued. I originally wanted to watch it on Halloween season as its when i prefer to watch horror movies, but seeing it on sale on Xbox for like 2$ rental, i couldn't help myself and decided ill watch it right away.
So i knew the budget was gonna be very small, this is an indy flick. I think overall they did fine with that they had. The makeup for the monsters is alright,the martial arts itself is decent, not amazing but definately not sluggish, the electronic music is typical of these low budget "psychadelic bad trip" movies where things get stranger and stranger. The camera work does feel very indy but its alright and lastly, the acting is a mix bag.
The "host" was really the highlight, he got energy, he is goofy but not too goofy, make you feel a bit uncomfortable while being entertaining. Don't get me wrong, he is rather by the book for this type of character but the actor had fun with it and reminded me a bit of Azazael in Supernatural.
Sadly i can't say the same for the lead actress. Altough her action scenes were decent, her acting was uninspired, boring, and wooden. She never seem to react to anything, whatever its strange, scary or whatever. She always has that stoic boring face. I don't know if thats how the director wanted the character to be played or simply a lack of acting talent, but i didn't felt compell by her at all. The rest of he actors are alright but their role are rather small.
When i say the movie is strange, its because i feel its the kind of movie you should watch while being drunk or stone very late at night, to kinda immerse yourself in the delirium that is happening. Its hard to explain with words but its a flick i wouldn't watch in the afternoon sobber.
Since there is only a few reviews, i want to keep mine spoiler free so i won't talk too much on the plot, but overall i taught it was alright and you get the point of it. I was just a little disapointed that the monsters per say are not really explored much. I mean, i supose they are there to fit the hellish theme while giving foes that are menacing and seem like an hard to cross over obstacle, but the opponents could had simply been big demon dudes and it would had kinda fit the same purpose. That said it does not really matter that much ultimately as i feel the movie serve its purpose and tell its story fine.
So overall i had a decent time to finish my night, glad i saw it. But really just a rental for a one time watch. Be aware tough that you gotta enjoy low budget horror movies to make the best out of it, and as Jeremy Jahns would say, its a better time, if you're drunk :-)
Plot summary
A fallen MMA fighter must win a netherworld no-holds-barred death tournament against man, beast and demon to save her soul.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Very strange movie made on a tiny budget that turn out not that bad
Not who. What.
Katrina "Hellkat" Bash loses a title match and is depressed. Her car stalls in the middle on nowhere and is given a ride to town. Things are odd and we soon realize at about 30 minutes (PLOT SPOILER) Katrina is in the afterlife . She agrees to a last man standing, one on one fights as a chance for redemption. The film consists of various bouts and a few sacrilegious comments. The film just wasn't done well. The characters attempted to be interesting, but failed. Direction seemed to be lacking. I just never cared about Katrina. Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
Everything you'd expect it to be...
I had the opportunity to sit down and watch "HellKat", as written by writers Michele Pacitto and Jordan Rockwell, but I have to admit that I wasn't really expecting much from the movie, given its rather ludicrous synopsis. But still, it being a movie that I hadn't seen, of course I sat down to watch it.
Needless to say that the movie's title and its cover/poster definitely served as a focal point to lure in the audience. And it worked as intended.
And well, let me just be the first to say that "HellKat" delivers what to be expected, but nothing more, nothing less. So don't believe yourself in for a grand moment of cinematic masterpiece here, when you watch the movie from directors Scott Jeffrey and Rebecca Matthews.
As for the storyline told in "HellKat", well it was simplistic, I will say that much. Actually it was so devoid of any deeper writing that you could essentially watch the first 15 minutes, leave the movie, and come back to watch the last 15 minutes, and you wouldn't have missed a beat. The writing in the movie was just so bland and mundane, which left very little enjoyment to be had from sitting down to watch "HellKat".
The acting in the movie was adequate, but there is no doubt about that the movie was singlehandedly carried by the performance of Ryan Davies, playing Jimmy Scott. His performance was the most memorable and outstanding of all the performances in the movie, and he really made the character come to life and gave it so much personality with his performance.
Visually then "HellKat" was semi-adequate. The special effects were sort of adequate, although bordering on being lousy at times. So don't expect to be blown away by a grand display of over-the-top CGI and effects.
All in all, then "HellKat" is a movie that you will watch once, provided you manage to get through the entire ordeal the first time around. I managed to watch it, but weren't overly entertained or impressed with the movie. My rating of "HellKat" lands on a mere three out of ten stars, as the movie was bland, mundane and lacking a properly written storyline.