The cinematic universe of spooky slashers continues in Slasher House 3. Written and directed by Mj Dixon, the film begins as each entry has: Red (Redd Nicholson) waking up naked in a sterile room with no memory. Soon, her door opens and she looks for a way out. Complicating Red’s escape is the fact that she’s not the only person in the house. Roaming the halls looking for anyone to murder are a bunch of serial killers (see the title).
These murdering villains include C’Nucklehead (Lewis Cooper), Burny Man (Cy Henty), Molly Bannister (Tiana Rogers), and the clown Cleaver (Paul Rogers), among many others. So Red must battle her way through demented baddie after demented baddie to get to the truth of what’s happening. Along the way, Red gets help from engineer Luse (Carly Halse), fighter Eric (Paris Rivers), and Amber (Luna Wolf), But can Red and her allies outwit and survive the worst killers on the planet?
Slasher House 3 is a bit confusing to start if one hasn’t brushed up on the previous entries. No, viewers do not need to watch every Thorn title, nor have mesmerized every second of Hollower. But a rewatch of the first two Slasher House films and a baseline familiarity with Mycho’s exhaustive roster of murderers is required. As such, this isn’t the film fans put on to convert their friends unfamiliar with the British independent horror franchise.
“…outwit and survive the worst killers on the planet.”
But that doesn’t mean the film doesn’t work. In fact, it is cool and fun. The action is often exciting and brutal. When some invisible intruders take Red and Luse by surprise, their being dispatched is filmed well. Mirror Man (Aaron Jackson) gets the best action beat of the picture, but to say more would spoil things.
A hallmark of a Mycho production is the stylized lighting and minimal but effective production design. That is alive and well here. This house looks like an Apple store turned deadly, with its clean lines and stark white lighting on all sides. But when something sinister is afoot, red and orange lights visualize the impending threats.
Nicholson is fantastic as Red. She gives Slasher House 3 the needed weight so that the family drama at the heart of these pictures is felt. Portman has excellent comedic timing as the manipulated engineer. Richard Fysh and Adam Lezemore steal the show. They both perform The Prankster, who has previously only existed in shorts before. Martin W. Payne makes a fun, brief appearance, and his presence is always welcomed.
Slasher House 3 is a fun, action-packed watch. The lore built up across several films is expanded upon in unique ways. Dixon and the cast and crew yet again prove that a well-told story and exciting action are not beholden to budget if a filmmaker can smartly work with what they have.
"…a well-told story and exciting action are not beholden to budget..."
