You’re It!

Writer-director Ronald J. Rossmann has numerous horror parody shorts to his name, but he utilizes the expanded runtime of a feature film to craft a slasher by way of a police procedural and a film-within-a-film. The result is You’re It!, a character-driven horror-thriller. Does Rossmann’s ambition exceed his grasp, or does the on-screen action justify the 2-hour and 17-minute runtime?

Phillip (Santiago Cirilo) is an indie filmmaker with big dreams. One day, fortune comes his way as a wealthy lady agrees to fully produce his latest script. He gets his usual crew on board with the promise of nice amenities and a proper paycheck, which he sent them all in advance. So, while skeptical, Kristine (Amber Dawn Fox), Grady (Sammie Cassell), Stevie (William R. Frady), Sam (Bradley Nesbitt), Danny (Mackenzie Payne), and Rob (Clam Sepulveda) all agree to lend their talents to this slasher. A slight mix-up occurs on the first day out, forcing the cast and crew to stay overnight near the old, abandoned cabin where they are filming.

Meanwhile, Detective Carpenter (Paul Hurley) is looking into several murders that resemble killings from years ago. He feels guilty for letting the possible killer get away due to a technicality on his part. He enlists the help of former special agent John Michaels (Chuck Sloan) and the coroner, Elizabeth (Marty Stroupe). While the proper pieces are finally falling in place for the cop, the film crew soon finds themselves stalked by a madman. This killer forces them to play hide and seek, and if found, that person is tortured and killed. Will the detective arrive in time to save the filmmakers, or is everyone doomed to die?

“This killer forces them to play hide and seek, and if found, that person is tortured and killed.”

You’re It begins with an approximately 8-minute prologue. In it, some kids playing hide and seek run afoul of an old hag in a secluded house and wind up dead. This is a truly fantastic opening that is scary, intense, interesting, and sets up the stakes nicely. It also serves as the introduction to the good detective, establishing his history and connection to the slayings without feeling forced.

However, it then takes another 55 minutes for the horror to return. It is admirable, great even, that Rossmann wishes to develop the characters and give everyone a backstory and arc. But the pacing is wildly uneven. See, the story focuses on the indie filmmakers from 8 minutes in until the 45-minute mark. Then it focuses on what Detective Hurley is up to, including his reconnection with John. These elements are not intercut, meaning the more psychological thriller aspects are also absent for at least 40 minutes past the prologue. This creates a long, dull interlude without much going on. Had the two storylines been intertwined, then the character development wouldn’t be impeding the thrills and chills, as that is what the investigation ably stirs up at points.

But once You’re It enters full slasher mode, it is a ton of fun. Maybe it is because the cast is exceptional all the way around. Perhaps it is because the characters are three-dimensional, so everyone watching cares about their fate. It could be the exquisite camerawork — there are a lot of ambitious and impressive long takes that ramp up the fear factor — that really puts the audience right there in the thick of it all. Whatever the reason, once this finally takes the horror route, as promised at the beginning, it becomes an astounding feature.

You’re It begins in spectacular fashion. The prologue is stunning in every conceivable way. The setup after is interesting, and all the characters have strong personalities and clear motivations. Too bad that setting all that up means there is no atmosphere, tension, or thrills for close to an hour. But the film readily rights itself as the slasher elements become more prominent. Horror hounds would do well to check this out, just manage one’s expectations about the middle a bit.