I’ve been doing my best recently to collect and watch all of the films put out by Bloody Disgusting and The Collective. So far, the films in this ‘selects’ series have really been hit or miss — I loved Exit Humanity and Atrocious, while I absolutely detested Blood Runs Cold and The Woman. Now it seems, that I’ve found one that is right in the middle of the bunch. I thought Trent Haaga’s Chop was delightfully original, but after reading some others’ reviews, I was expecting more.
Chop stars a very talented cast who are very relatable; there are no super-models to be found and everyone just sort of looks like people you’d see in your every day travels. Will Keenan (Terror Firmer, Tromeo and Juliet) plays Lance, an ex-junkie who is being watched and tortured by a stranger (Timothy Muskatell) who he can’t, for the life of him, remember at all. While watching Chop, it is easy to feel sorry for poor Lance, but as his secrets begin to pour out, he really does turn out to be a pretty terrible person. Keenan is very entertaining to watch with his smart-ass remarks and care-free demeanor, as he mocks the stranger all the way until the bitter end.
While this film is no Grabbers or Cockneys vs Zombies, it still holds its own in today’s horror-comedy market. The humor is not of the laugh-out-loud variety, but there are a few moments that did put a smile on my face. Additionally, I will say that the scene with Ray and Jeff did make me genuinely uncomfortable and I didn’t know whether to laugh or turn my head the entire time Jeff was on screen. Kudos to Trent Haaga and company for making that scene make me feel that way!
I knew the end of this film was going to be something to remember and I was right. Viewers will never see it coming. If you are looking for a film with a little bit of gore, humorous dialogue, and an original script, I recommend checking out Chop.
I give it 3 limbs out of 5.
