The Furies (2019)

This is another movie that popped up on Shudder that I decided to take a chance on. It looked pretty cool, had good reviews, and was from Australia. That last one sealed the deal for me because I’ve yet to watch something from that part of the world that I’ve not dug on some level.

The movie opens with a girl running thru the woods being chased by a masked killer. You know basically like every other Slasher movie you have ever watched. Just as he is about to dispatch her another masked killer shows up and they do battle. The new arrival wins and picks the girl up, carrying her away gently. Um what the hell was that? Okay movie you have my attention.

The movie then shifts to a couple of girls tagging a wall under what appears to be a bridge. They get into a bit of an argument and are then grabbed by some unknown assailants. One of them, Kayla, wakes up in a box and eventually is let out. She finds herself in the middle of nowhere and eventually meets up with some other girls. All of them had been kidnapped and dumped like Kayla. Two important things before I continue. Kayla remembers being in an operating room and having something done to her. She also has epileptic fits that somehow give her visons. Spoiler: They all have cameras wired into their left eyes and she somehow can see the killer’s camera view during her fits. Also, each of them is paired with a killer. If the girl dies the killer literally loses his head.

Overzealous Chiropractor or insane killer?

Much violence and mayhem happen as the girls fight to survive before turning on one another. The killers are hard to stop, but kill their corresponding girl and problem solved. This leads to some twisted stuff that gives the Furies an extra bit of oomph that makes it very cool and different. You never see the faces of the men chasing them, but the actresses cast as the intended victims are very good. This is a very simple movie that finds them either being chased, killed, or talking to each other. The movie could have easily broken down during these pauses between the action, but again the cast is so good that some of the most interesting things happen during them.

Killers look cool

The kills are plentiful and pulled off with practical effects work. Guts are pulled out, a face is slowly peeled off with an axe, the same axe gets buried in another girl’s back, heads explode, accidents happen, throats get slashed, and one unfortunate head gets split in half. By the end of the movie everyone is covered in blood. There is also some gruesome impromptu eye surgery when our main character figures out they are being watched thru the implants. This itself plays into a fun twist ending that confused me at first but ends up having a logical explanation. Man, Australian filmmakers know how to make a bad ass horror flick!

If you don’t have Shudder, then you should get a subscription to it. I belong to other services that I won’t’ name, but Shudder is the best by far. There are so many exclusives and great pickups from around the world that there is always something new and interesting to watch every month. The Furies is a prime example of this. If it isn’t obvious yet I’m highly recommending you check this one out.

© Copyright 2020 John Shatzer