Amusement: Review By Dr. Cinema

The plot is very reminiscent of Prom Night, Valentine, and all other slasher flicks based on a tortured youth seeking revenge on his former tormentors, and much like those films it involves a young man who turns into a serial murderer simply because he fails to impress three young ladies. Now, while I usually don't like spoiling a film for the potential readers, this information is alluded to very early in the film. When I first saw the title and the promotional art of the film I thought it would take place in the confines of an abandoned amusement park with a crazed serial killer picking off a group of teens who decide to have a night of fun within the theme park. Well, then I read the synopsis and I thought oh well that might work too.

However, the film was very flat and not even remotely suspenseful or thrilling. One of the most exciting and clever scenes of the film was when it is revealed to the character Tabitha that the life sized doll is not what it seems. This is the only scene in the film that felt like a real horror film. The rest of the film is flustered with cheap scares, cheesy dialogue, and incomprehensible situations the characters find themselves involved with the killer.

The actors are the only part of this film that I give clemency, and not all of the actors, only one, a certain beautiful actress by the name of Jessica Lucas. She is the only actress in the film who has potential. Even with an insanely horrible screenplay she is able to find her way into the mind of the dull character that she has been cast to play.

Overall, Amusement is a stunning example of how far the slasher genre has fallen down the hierarchy of horror films and cinema in general. It lacks suspense, character, plot, substance, and personality. My final thought on Amusement is that it is a horror film not fit to be watched when your bored, on a date, or even if you like to see people butchered.