Gator Face – Movie Review (2/5)

GATOR FACE is a new slasher movie set in Florida (where else?!), where the alligators roam and are almost treated as Gods by a chosen few. It comes across as a B-horror movie and could’ve been a solid genre-hybrid if the filmmakers had dared to lean more into the kitsch and campy vibe. Read our full Gator Face movie review here and find it on VOD!

GATOR FACE is coming to VOD, and if you want a new slasher movie with a retro vibe, then this could be for you. I was pretty excited about it at first, but then I realized that what I saw as kitsch and campy was treated with an earnestness that did not help the plot.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s all good fun for slasher fans. Also, I definitely appreciate the use of a more practical approach over digital special effects. In fact, even the runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes is efficient.

Continue reading our Gator Face movie review below. Find it on VOD from September 15, 2026.

Forget Ghostface, Here’s Gator Face

Yes, the killer is the title character in Gator Face, which makes perfect sense. Also, the whole masked serial killer vibe and a name so close to the iconic Scream killer does feel like yet another pop culture reference. There are many of those in this slasher movie, and I always welcome that.

The plot revolves around three girls enjoying a vacation in Florida. They head out to a beach that one of their moms visited in the 1990s. They come upon a beach that I can only describe as “plain” and agree that it was well worth the trek and gorgeous. Well, if that’s the standard, then I live minutes away from a beach that could only be described as a paradise.

Also, it’s next to abandoned houses and not a place three teenage girls would usually venture into, but that’s where the retro-vibe thing comes in. Girls are idiots who always run up the stairs when they should be running out the front door. I tell you, the older I get, the more Sidney Prescott‘s iconic grievance with horror movies rings true.

Retro B-horror Slasher or Sinister Horror Thriller

Anyway, after leaving the beach (which includes an intense close-up of a teen girl getting dressed), they go back through the abandoned neighborhood. Now, there’s a message on one of the houses: 3 Dead Inside. Of course, this means the girls just have to check out the house. You know, as opposed to getting to the airport, which was their next move.

As a result, this house is where they first meet Gator Face. The rest is something you should experience for yourself.

I know I’m knocking Gator Face for some things that may seem irrelevant to most viewers. However, as someone who enjoys both retro-stylized B-horror slashers like the awesome Frankie, Maniac Woman, but also loves those sinister horror thrillers, I feel like this one sort of wanted to be both.

Also, there’s the use of real alligators in the movie. Now, while I don’t mind seeing shots of real sharks in shark horror movies, this is because they’re in their natural environment. In Gator Face, we’re seeing “handlers” getting the reactions they need out of the alligators, which is not something I’m crazy about.

Another sort of kitsch and (hopefully!) intentional detail: When Gator Face is killing people, he has a boy-band-like blond hairstyle. When he’s handling alligators, he has darker and shorter hair.

Watch Gator Face on Digital

Gator Face comes from writer and director Padraig Reynolds. He previously made genre movies like Rites of Spring, Open 24 Hours, and Dark Light. I do really like that Gator Face is made with practical effects, shot in real locations, and features real alligators. And then again, I am not too comfortable with the idea of live animals in movies. Ever!

Sure, these alligators live in a sanctuary (we know from the end credits). Yet anyone who has watched Tiger King or Monsters of God will know that anything called a “sanctuary” isn’t necessarily great for the animals. And with this being located in Florida, where most anything seems to go, I don’t have much trust in the concept. Too often, the animals are used more for show than being allowed to enjoy their lives.

That’s just my personal pet peeve as an animal lover. It’s also why I prefer animatronics and CGI or real wildlife footage, where the animals aren’t made to perform.

For me, a lighter tone and more comedy would’ve made for a more entertaining watch. Then again, when a movie begins with a Friday the 13th vibe, then moves into Texas Chainsaw Massacre territory, before a little Jeepers Creepers creepy van moment. All those references don’t exactly scream horror-comedy. For me, it’s all just a tad too heavy-handed to drive it home as a serious horror-thriller.

However, the end credits scene does offer a teaser for more movies. Actually, I wouldn’t be against watching a sequel. I just hope they abandon using alligators being handled and brought into houses. A focus on the kitsch retro style would be awesome.

Gator Face is out on Digital Platforms on September 15, 2026.

Details

Director: Padraig Reynolds
Writer: Padraig Reynolds
Cast: Tabitha Brownstone, Amariah Dionne, Scot Scurlock, Ella Mosca, Nikolas Kolasinski, Iain Smith, Kiara Mitjans, Barron Regan, Ellie Shaddix