Red Pill – Movie Review (3/5)

RED PILL is a political horror movie that has a lot of heart and horror. It’s a bit too heavy-handed for my liking. In other words, the concept is strong, but the execution needs more work. Amazing potential though. Read our full Red Pill movie review here!

RED PILL is a horror movie with a strong political message. Both comedy and thriller are also genres utilized for telling this story. I desperately wish the execution had been strong because it’s too easy to dismiss it due to the heavy-handed storytelling.

However, this one does have a very strong core concept. It just needs a few outside forces to help steer it in a stronger direction. And honestly, it’s for the sole reason of helping this message get out even further and also to hit stronger.

Continue reading our Red Pill movie review below.

Watch it for the cast and concept

I fully recognize that Red Pill has a strong cast and a very important message. Also, this is a horror movie about the real-life horrors of the political climate. We’re dealing with “weaponization of Whiteness” and the “Becky/Karen trope”. Both of which are becoming a part of the White consciousness.

And if what you just read makes absolutely no sense to you, then you probably won’t get much out of Red Pill either.

This is a political film along the lines of Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us, as well as Antebellum. However, this one is told in a much more direct way. In other words, the concept is strong, but the execution needs more work to reach a wider audience.

The cast of Red Pill 

Tonya Pinkins is strong in the lead as Cassandra, who constantly feels like something is off (and is right). Still, I do have to mention that purple leather coat. It is fabulous but also very distracting and feels strangely out of place. I’d love it in a movie from the 1980s or a retro sci-fi movie, but in Red Pill, it’s yet another distraction which is a shame!

You might recognize Tonya Pinkins from Fear the Walking Dead which might be where you’ve also seen another cast member or two. Both Ruben Blades and Colby Minifie have also been in the zombie series. Most prominently Ruben Blades (who also has the biggest role in Red Pill).

You may also know Colby Minifie from The Boys, Jessica Jones, or I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Also in Red Pill are Catherine Curtin (Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things) and Kathryn Erbe (Stir of Echos, Oz).

Watch Red Pill streaming On-Demand

Red Pill was written, directed, and produced by Tonya Pinkins. This is the feature film debut of Tonya Pinkins, who is a Tony award-winning Black actress. While the concept of Red Pill being a “scary wake-up call about American politics” is strong, the final result does fall short. And it’s a damn shame!

Any movie about the current political climate is as relevant as it is dividing right now. There’s no getting around the fact that this will resonate mostly in an echo chamber. If you are anti-BLM and love the previous US president, then you won’t get anything from watching Red Pill.

If you’re at the other end of this political spectrum, you’ll recognize what is being said and enjoy it. Yes, even if it is lacking in execution. Because it really is, but the potential is still very obvious. That’s why I’m looking forward to the next project from Tonya Pinkins as a director; The Zombie Wedding which is currently in pre-production.

This one is probably at a 2½ but we don’t do halves here at Heaven of Horror and I have no problem rounding up with this one even if it’s a bit too heavy-handed for my liking.

RED PILL is out On Digital on December 3, 2021, from Midnight Releasing.

Details

Director: Tonya Pinkins
Writer: Tonya Pinkins
Stars: Rubén Blades, Tonya Pinkins, Catherine Curtin, Kathryn Erbe, Colby Minifie