#FLOAT is a new horror movie that is part supernatural slasher and part survival movie. It’s low-budget but has a lot going for it. The runtime is just 76 minutes and it seems made for horror fans. Read our full #Float movie review here!

#FLOAT is a new horror movie that may be low-budget but is also focused on storytelling and optimal use of special effects. So much of it feels familiar, but at the same time it plays out as a fresh take on it. As a horror movie with both a supernatural slasher element and a straight-up survival plot, there’s a lot to like.

Having a runtime of just one hour and 16 minutes is also a plus. And yet, I can’t help but think a few tweaks could’ve made it better. Horror fans should watch it but keep their expectations low to help the experience.

Continue reading our #FLOAT movie review below. Find it on Digital and VOD from December 9, 2022.

Making the most of the budget

I mentioned earlier that #Float has good special effects. While that might be a given to some, those of us who have seen a lot of horror movies (with very varying budgets) know that it most certainly is not.

For this movie, the filmmakers have opted to use mostly practical effects, which is always a plus if you don’t have the budget for good CGI. And I do truly mean that as a compliment.

Honest practical effects will beat out crappy CGI any day! Good CGI, however, is another thing entirely. For a horror movie that is both a slasher and a survival movie, you can expect quite a lot of violent deaths and bloodshed, so it definitely matters that the special effects work.

The filmmakers also make excellent use of “cut away just before impact” to allow us horror fans to imagine what comes next. Another brilliant little low-budget hack that takes nothing away from the horror.

#Float isn’t without flaws, but making the most of its budget is definitely not one of them. The filmmakers consistently seem to make the right choices in that department.

#Float (2022) – Review | Supernatural Slasher

The good and the bad

Where is the flaw with #Float, you might wonder if working with a smaller budget isn’t one of them?! Well, not all the actors are as strong as you’d want. Some deliver their lines in very lackluster ways, which is a shame.

Especially since others are very good and completely outshine those that are not. By comparison alone, they fall through – though even those that are less than great are better when working with those that are good.

Rather than focus on the bad, I will shine a spotlight on the good.

For #Float, the good performances come from Scarlett Sperduto (she played Angelina Jolie as a child in Wanted) and newcomer Kate Mayhew. In this movie, Kate Mayhew plays the lead character, who is dreaming of becoming an Instagram star (or “Influencer”, if you will).

Hence the hashtag in the title of this horror movie.

Of course, you could argue that casting is linked to the budget, but there is so much talent out there. You just need to cast based on talent rather than looks or personal relationships. I don’t know that the latter factored into the casting process, but something needs to explain a few of the casting choices in #Float.

Watch #FLOAT on VOD or Digital Platforms!

#FLOAT is described as a movie that “plays on classic tropes of ’80s slasher films – beautiful young, selfish people blithely ignore warnings about the dangers awaiting them and then get gruesomely killed off – while employing a modern sensibility” and I can easily get behind that description.

Then again, with Zac Locke as the writer and director, I would expect nothing less. Of course, Zac Locke isn’t someone with experience as a writer or director. This is his feature film debut and the only credit on his IMDb page in both capacities.

However, he has some hardcore horror movie producer experience from the business side of Blumhouse productions. Zac Locke has been an executive producer on movies such as The Wind (2018), Bloodline (2018), Mercy Black (2019), and Agnes (2021).

With a runtime of just 76 minutes, it still manages to have a lull that seems avoidable. It never gets boring, but it does get quite predictable, which isn’t exactly ideal. Still, it should work for most horror fans and is clearly also made for horror fans to enjoy.

#FLOAT is coming to VOD and Digital Platforms on December 9, 2022.

Details

Director: Zac Locke
Writer: Zac Locke
Cast: Kaya Coleman, Scarlett Sperduto, Grant Morningstar, Kate Mayhew, Matt Wise, Christina Nguyen

Plot

Young, beautiful and full of life, vlogger Kali and her friends are heading to the river for their annual float, but it’s the first time since their friend ODed and drowned last year. Their partying turns deadly as a sinister paranormal force plunges them into a life and death struggle forcing them to face their own fears as they turn on each other and proceed to die one by one.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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