Replicator – Movie Review (2/5)

REPLICATOR is a body horror creature feature with the most gorgeous practical effects. And yes, they are what you should watch this movie for. Unfortunately, the story and characters could do well with more work.  The concept works, so it’s not entirely bad. Read our full Replicator movie review here!

REPLICATOR is a new horror movie that combines body horror elements with a creature feature. This is usually an efficient combination and Replicator is no exception. What this movie has in form and visuals, it lacks in content and storyline.

On the other hand, the runtime is just around 75 minutes and this movie has stellar practical effects. You could watch this movie just for those special effects and be a happy camper. So, if you love creature features that focus on practical effects, this movie certainly delivers on those.

Continue reading our Replicator movie review below. Find it On Demand from December 10, 2024.

Something is wrong in small-town USA

With the story in Replicator, we meet the small-town public defender Darby Vincent (Brey Noelle). The town she lives in is full of morally and ethically challenged individuals, but she tries her damndest to get some justice.

Too often, it would appear, to no avail. Still, she persists.

The fact that one of the biggest scumbags in town is her own father doesn’t make it any easier. And then something happens that results in these morally corrupted citizens becoming good people. For no apparent reason.

Something she first discovers when her dad does a complete 180 and appears to be on the fast track to becoming a father of the year. Obviously, this jars Darby as something must be off. As she tries to find a reason, she discovers that the explanation may be out of this world. 

Starring alongside Brey Noelle (Nightmare Neighborhood Moms) are KateLynn E. Newberry (Mea Culpa), Brian Spangler, Jim Azelvandre, and LeJon Woods.

What a difference great effects make

While I cannot claim to be impressed by the overall movie in terms of storyline and characters, the special effects make up for quite a lot of this.

Also, and this is important, it’s easy to see that there’s a concept that could work really well. It just never gets under your skin in any way when the characters are too shallow. So the idea works, but the storyline choices and overall plot development didn’t utilize all the potential of the concept.

Still, you cannot go all wrong with those amazing practical effects. That much is obvious from the opening scene alone. The reason for this is Dave Greathouse, and yes, you will know some of his previous work.

This brilliant standout practical FX makeup and creature design work from Dave Greathouse has been in quite a few other horror movies.

Most recently in the “Fresh Hell” trilogy of indie horror movies. Before that, also Wrong Turn, Tusk, All Cheerleaders Die, John Dies at the End, and The Woman. He even worked on the Yorgos Lanthimos movie The Killing of a Sacred Deer.

Watch Replicator on demand or in select theaters

The director of this new body horror creature feature hybrid is Mark Andrew Hamer, who produced the very efficient horror thriller I See You (2019). He also co-wrote the screenplay with Russ Lindway.

And yes, this is one of those instances where I expected that no women had participated in writing the movie. The main protagonists of this movie are female, but they act more how men would imagine they’d act than how most women would act.

Of course, I’m just saying this as a woman. And as someone who watches a new genre movie daily (on average). so what do I know?!

I was hoping this would be a movie that had a simple story that was well-told and featured some decent effects. Instead, it’s a movie with an interesting plot, an underdeveloped story, and brilliant practical effects. Watch this one for those gorgeous effects and the core plot.

Replicator is out On Demand + In Select Theaters on December 10, 2024.

Details

Director: Mark Andrew Hamer
Writers: Mark Andrew Hamer, Russ Lindway
Cast: Brey Noelle, KateLynn E. Newberry, Jim Azelvandre, Brian Spangler, LeJon Woods