Two killers are on the loose, and they’re videotaping their exploits along the way. Somehow those videos made their way on to a website, and as the film starts, a man is clicking on the video clips, thus revealing the narrative we’re about to experience. As the footage plays, we’re “treated” to the two killers’ journey through smalltowns, and victims, in reverse. One of the killers is mouthy (Jules Graciolett), though he actually seems somewhat sane compared to his non-speaking, but ultra violent, companion (Rob Medaska). Both of them are brutal murderers, however, and their victims are as helpless as they are unsuspecting.
When I first read the synopsis for Rob Medaska’s MP2V, I thought I was in for another found footage horror, potentially torture porn, film. To be fair, though, the film throws that idea out of the window almost immediately. While the film definitely utilizes first-person video seemingly taken by the two killers’ Flip camera, much of the film is shot like your average film, with the omnipresent camera capturing things from more interesting angles. That said, the film maintains a handheld or lo-fi aesthetic throughout, so while the Flip footage is noticeably altered to make it appear different from the other footage, the overall quality of the film’s images are not that different (or good looking).
As far as the subject matter goes, the film is plenty depraved. Rolling along shotgun with two violent and random killers is bound to be a disturbing experience. At the same time, though, this isn’t the type of film that relishes in the visceral gore that often accompanies such tales. Instead, the murders are often handled in a way where the truly gruesome bits are off-camera, or inferred by the audio and conversation. We see the aftermath, or hear about it. It’s a welcome way to handle this type of film, as it makes the film more about the uncomfortable experience than gore and grime.
Additionally, the choice to have the film’s narrative be revealed in reverse, as if someone is clicking on video clips out of order, or backwards, gives the film a leg up over similar fare. Had it just been straightforward, killers on the loose recording their exploits, it’d be less interesting. With the reverse narrative reveal, it keeps your interest more as you wonder how things got to where the film opens.
Or, you don’t care and this is just another DIY horror flick with little to say. Certainly an opinion I could see someone walking away with, though not one that I share. I feel that MP2V took many steps to make this experience a unique one, and tried to deliver something with more impact. I can’t say this is one I’d watch again, I don’t think you have to do so, but I also don’t think it’s the worst of these types of films I’ve seen (though one victim appears to be wearing one of the worst blonde mullet wigs since Joe Dirt). It was something new, and for that I appreciate and respect what it has achieved.
This film was submitted for review through our Submission for Review system. If you have a film you’d like us to see, and we aren’t already looking into it on our own, you too can utilize this service.
