Daily Movie Rec 8/13/2023
Cherry Falls (2000)
"She thinks fellatio is a character in Shakespeare."
Directed by: Geoffrey Wright
Cinematography by: Anthony B. Richmond
Country: United States
Plot:
The body fluids fly when a serial killer begins specifically targeting virgins at a local high school, as the sheriff's daughter unravels their town's dark secret.
Reasons to watch:
[Slight Spoiler Warning]
The ending of the film in which the main characters protect the names of the four rapists who incited the killer's vengeful fury puts a disappointing damper on what's otherwise a criminally underappreciated slasher. Geoffrey Wright skilfully balances tone as the movie constantly shifts between raunchy teen comedy, hard-hitting drama, over-the-top slasher insanity, and white-knuckle mystery-thriller drenched in suburban psychosexual tension. However, most of the film's success can be credited to Brittany Murphy's electric lead performance. Her dorkiness and unrestrained enthusiasm bleed through into her character and the authenticity of what she puts on screen is wildly endearing. It's not shocking that she gathered a bit of a cult following even before her untimely death in 2009, and I feel like I should dive into her filmography at some point.
Overall, if the ending is enough to steer you away from Cherry Falls, I get it. If it's the reason why you dislike the film, I get it. If you enjoy the movie despite the ending, I get it. A flawed, but intensely memorable and subversively clever turn-of-the-century genre film.
Where to watch:
The seven seas, matey, yarrr
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