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Sickly sweet trashterpieces made for Gore-Gore Gorillas and Horror Hounds are rarely this good. We tend to like them because we laugh at them and understand the humor involved; some of us appreciate the lo-fi vibe of such DIY efforts. Others just dig the grit and grime of it all. Those B-movie lovers will be pleased to know that all of that is found with this movie. To say the blood flows freely in Who’s Watching Oliver is indeed an understatement. Expertly filmed and gruesome as all get out, this film will be a wet dream for some select audiences.
Thing is, this tale about a twisted relationship between a young man and his mum is also a damn good movie because of what it hides from us. You see, love is in the air and the filmmaking team behind Who’s Watching Oliver dives right into the budding flowers (and filth) of romance.
Let’s face it, a surprise love story dressed up in a brutal film about a serial killer who rapes women while his mother watches via Skype and then butchers them is hardly going to be meat for the masses, but DAMN if director Richie Moore’s film doesn’t make this effort to do something different AND twisted work time and time again. While you gag at the content – it is tough, tough, tough stuff – you will also tear up at the hopelessness of it all. Until, of course, the fateful day when Olvier meets Sophia. Will they or won't they? Sigh.
You certainly will feel sorry for the lonely Oliver, expertly portrayed by the film’s co-writer Russell Geoffrey Banks, as he drifts about his day. He wanders the streets alone. He wakes up alone. And, with his mother (Margaret Roche) being the only one watching over him, he is sure to listen to her directions. Hell, he even whips it out for her when she demands to see him masturbate his frustrations out all over himself.
Yet, Who’s Watching Oliver manages to be a sweet film about a budding romance as Oliver, forever under his mother’s thumb, actually meets a girl that, no, he won’t bring home to meet his mother. Sophia (Sara Malakul Lane) is a solid gold nugget in a world of coal. She, almost immediately upon seeing the slouched figure of Oliver, takes a liking to the young man. They meet regularly and Oliver, waking up from under his mother’s spell, finally loosens up.
Of course, with his mother demanding more sacrifices, he keeps his other life away from Sophia. Until, becoming jealous of Oliver’s midnight sprees, Sophia decides to check and see just what he is up to with all these other women he picks up. Mother is not happy.
But YOU will be. This film has cult classic written all over it. From the performances to the well-shot scenes, there is an artistry that begs for an appreciative audience. You just have to be willing to get your hands bloody.
Look, for those who can’t tolerate gore and the sawing of arms and legs and heads, this movie is going to be a tough one to sit through. You will, due to the incredible acting from Banks and Lane, fall for these two social misfits, though. I guarantee it. They are precious together and their romance is one for the ages, even if most stomachs will have completely churned themselves into knots over what Oliver is forced to do to other women thanks to the bizarre fetishes of his mother. But what will happen when the lovely Sophia fines out what he truly is?
Anxieties are rarely this charming to go through and, yes, the tension might just kill you, too. There is much growing that Oliver needs to do and trying to navigate a new romance through all the bullshit of his current online existence is going to be more hassle than anyone EVER bargains for.
If you aren’t genre fans or B-movie enthusiasts, I beg you to face this flick head on. You will be rewarded. For the weirdos out there (like myself), we will be warmly inviting Oliver to sit beside us. We’ve been waiting for you, Oliver. Make yourself at home.
Who’s Watching Oliver will be distributed by Gravitas Ventures on July 3, 2018 in the US and Canada.
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[tab title="Details"]
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 87 mins
Director: Richie Moore
Writer: Russell Geoffrey Banks, Raimund Huber
Cast: Russell Geoffrey Banks, Sara Malakul Lane
Genre: Horror
Tagline: Who's Watching Oliver?.
Memorable Movie Quote: "What does it feel like... to kill someone?"
Theatrical Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Official Site:
Release Date: July 3, 2018
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:No details available.
Synopsis: Who's watching Oliver tells the story of a mentally unstable loner lost in a life forced upon him. By night Oliver aimlessly wanders the streets and bars on what can only be described as a truly shocking and humiliating killing spree. His only savior and possible way out of a life he is desperate to escape comes in the form of the beautiful Sophia with her sweet eccentricity and naivety to the danger she has put herself in.
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
No details available.
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