MASS HYSTERIA
Directed by: Arielle Cimino, Jeff Ryan
Starring: Geena Santiago, Jeff Ryan, Scott Swayze, Matt Perusse, Destry Allyn Spielberg, Robert D. Murphy
In modern-day Salem, a troupe of actors are getting ready to perform their annual Halloween play about the truth behind the historical witch trials. For Paige, this is going to be her last performance as she's leaving for New York and a new role. During the play however, one of the audience members falls down dead, seemingly just after Paige had "cursed" him. Egged on by a street preacher called Samuel Hale, the audience turn on the actors, chasing them through the town, while more people seem to die at Page's hand…
Mass Hysteria is a very funny film, mixing horror and comedy very effortlessly.
The film starts with a clever one-take shot as Paige exposes herself to just about every piece of superstitious bad luck - crossing paths with a black cat, smashing a mirror, walking under a ladder, all while trying to call her agent. It calls to mind some of Edgar Wright's films such as Baby Driver and Shaun of the Dead. It’s a scene which needed to be timed to perfection as it ends seamlessly with the dialogue being handed from Paige to Samuel. That skillful editing is also used for great comedy effect later during the’ ‘food scene”, in which the actors’ sloppy eating is juxtaposed with the tourists’ condition getting worse.
The film also has a poke at the dichotomy of Salem being a tourist town. Like it or not, Salem is famous for one main fact - the witch trials which took place between 1692 and 1693. Tourism is the town's lifeblood but at the same time, the town is besieged by throngs of people messing up the place. There's a great moment portrayed like a scene from a western, the quiet before the storm, before a young girl starts pointing and yelling "The Tourists are coming!".
The tourists in question attending the play seem to be made up of frat boys, some Germans and a hen party, and when they start heckling the play Paige makes a point of reading her lines directly at one of the audience - who promptly dies.
The situation is made worse by Samuel, who seizes the opportunity to seed fear and superstition among the tourists. Matt Perusse is really good in the role, channeling the sort of evangelical charlatans you see on television.
To say much more would be sailing into spoiler territory. There are a lo of characters worth checking out here, trying to help (or hinder) Paige survive this hellish night. The script has some great lines and the film manages to keep balancing between being a horror and a comedy.
THE VERDICT
Mass Hysteria is an intelligent horror/comedy and even though it has a short running time, it has a lot of story to unpack and a number of character arcs to fulfil along the way. There are some nice practical gore fx and more than a couple nasty kills, and encompassing it all is the mystery as to why the tourists are dying and why it looks like Paige is cursing them. Be sure to stick around for the mid-credits scene - I think someone has a very dim view of agents!
8 out of 10 RECOMMENDED
MikeOutWest
MASS HYSTERIA IS AVAILABLE TO STREAM AND DOWNLOAD FROM 1ST OCTOBER!