![]() Gigi Saul Guerrero is giving you a film that makes sure you hear the message while simultaneously kicking you in the junk with powerful horror that also understands its roots. Don’t get it twisted, though it’s still undeniably the work of one of the most dynamic voices in horror today. I think one of them was actually fizzing at one point.īingo Hell has multiple stylistic nods – the gore and campiness of Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn the nauseating close-ups of Ren and Stimpy and the garish color backdrops of Creepshow. Greed-made manifest has some of the grossest teeth you’ll ever see. The various stages of dental appliance he goes through as his greedy, demonic nature shows through will put you off of your dinner. ![]() ![]() His physical presence is leering and leaves you feeling a little violated…and that’s before you get a look at those god-awful choppers in his mouth. Speaking of that menace, I’m seriously starting to worship at the altar of Richard Brake. ![]() It’s easy to suspend your disbelief because the characters have such believability despite the outlandish scenario. Scott Caldwell provides a downright wholesome fun that’s as much comedy as it is horror we’re talking about fan-favorite Rose from LOST, after all! The entire cast plays well off each other. Adriana Barraza is like an old Mexican Carrie Fisher with an expandable police baton and a heart of gold. She’s also not above Easter-egging herself and throwing in an El Gigante poster in Caleb’s room I truly appreciate that level of pimpery. There’s more wonderful juxtaposition between the reality and the fantasy as the twin themes of gentrification and cultural robbery are hammered home with brightly lit fantasy counterpointed by hyper gore and sweaty ugliness (it ain’t called Luchagore for nothin’, after all). The earmarks that I appreciated so much about Culture Shock are on full display Gigi Saul Guerrero has a style that’s as jarring as it is unapologetic and dripping with color. Oak Springs becomes a battleground for the spirit and legacy of an entire community. Big is one shyster who’ll always take more than he gives. Lupita watches in horror as her friends succumb to the deadly charm of gentrification of the soul Mr. Big’s Bingo is an Argento-esque nightmare of color where the prizes are huge (opening with a ten-thousand-dollar prize!) and the stamp has suspiciously goopy ink. Their community comes alive when one of their own sells the community center to a man known only as Mr. The others in the motley crew of advanced age are all pretty down and out, but they still love to get together at the local community center for Bingo Night and crack a couple of beers. Scott Caldwell LOST), is trying to help raise her grandson, Caleb (Joshua Caleb Johnson Black-ish), despite the immaturity and selfishness of his mother, Raquel (Kelly Murtagh The Purge TV series). At least Lupita (Adriana Barraza Drag Me To Hell) isn’t ready. It’s a neighborhood on the way out, but the elderly residents who’ve been holding the fort since the Nixon administration aren’t ready to give their hood up to the hipsters who are trying to overwhelm the block with overpriced coffee shops and brightly colored storefronts. In her sophomore feature film, Guerrero turns her eye to the soon-to-be gentrified community of Oak Springs. I had never heard of her when I reviewed Culture Shock back in 2019, but you’d better believe I unfucked that happy crappy in record time after being floored by such an impressive debut feature. ![]() She’s leading the pack of new Latinx talent not only with pinup beauty and legit acting prowess but a directing eye far ahead of her years behind the lens. There are few people working in film today turning as many heads on the way up as Gigi Saul Guerrero. ![]()
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