DVD Review: DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK (2009)

 
DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK
Written & Directed by: Jen Soska & Sylvia Soska

DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK wins two awards from me.  First off, it wins my award for best title ever!  Second off, it wins my most unexpectedly enjoyable film of the year.  Not to say I didn't think I would like this film, but I just really didn't know much about it and being the Soska Sisters first feature film, I had my concerns.  Well, you would never know this was a first feature from the directors.  I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would for sure.   For those that aren't familiar with this film, here is the basic plot courtesy of imdb.com:

Set in beautiful Vancouver, four friends set out on an everyday errand and end up in a fight for their lives when they discover the body of a dead hooker left in their trunk. Lead by a sexy, impulsive Badass, her distant Geek twin sister, their bible thumping, Jesus loving Goody Two Shoes friend, and a chaotic, rock star Junkie pal, the group has to put aside their differences to dispose of the body before they're next. Thrown into their own personal purgatory, they face off against persistent police, a sleazy motel manager, chainsaw wielding triads, and a brutal serial killer. All the while they are followed by a mysterious Cowboy Pimp who wants to claim the corpse for his own. Will they uncover the truth behind the body and be able to stand up to their demons? Buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life filled with gun fights, extreme violence, blood, guts, gore, and goats.

I really wasn't sure what I was getting into when I put this film into my DVD player. Was it really a Horror film?  Was it a drama or suspense film?  Was it a dark comedy?  The answer to those questions is YES, YES, and YES.   It is all those things plus a couple more genre's thrown in for good measure. 

The film is shot very well with some cool camera angles and shots.  The acting in this movie is superb for a low budget, independent film like this, especially from the Soska Sisters, who star in the film in addition to both writing and directing the film.  They are obviously just as good and comfortable in front of the camera as they are behind it.   The other acting job that really stuck out to me was that of C.J. Wallis playing the character of the goody two shoes, ultra religious kid.    He gave a very funny performance and provided a lot of comic relief among the blood and violence.

As I stated before, it is very hard to categorize this film.  It definitely has a lot of dark comedy elements to it, and reminded me a bit of the (very underrated film in my opinion) VERY BAD THINGS.   But don't worry, you gore hounds will have something to enjoy as well, as there is a LOT of blood in this film and some crazy scenes involving a dismembered arm and someone losing an eyeball.   That is all I will say about those things, as I don't want to spoil all the surprises for you.

Check out this movie as soon as you can.   It looks like that right now only a Region 2 DVD is available from Amazon.co.uk, but the film will be getting a Region 1 DVD release from IFC Midnight this coming January!

 
CLICK HERE to visit the film's official website and watch the trailer
CLICK HERE to purchase the REGION 2 DVD