Synopsis
In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.
The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.
The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions — demons of the past be damned.
But at what cost?
Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful twist on the “cursed film” that breathlessly builds to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.
Review
I cannot express my gratitude enough to fellow reviewer George Dunn who very graciously sent an ARC of this gem of a horror novel.
In one of the most anticipated and widely praised releases of this year, Paul Tremblay takes us down a familiar road of ambiguity in the blindingly bright spotlight of horror films with Horror Movie. The era of remakes, reboots, and re-visitations is upon us, a fact that proves to be the cornerstone of this story told by The Thin Kid. Confusing but by very intentional design, they their various experiences in the production of the (almost) movie, known as “Horror Movie” back in 1993. Presently, “Horror Movie” is resurrected for wide release for today’s audience who has an insatiable hunger for this obscure, urban legend of a movie. A novel that mutates in our hands, Horror Movie showcases a growing sense of uncertainty and dread instituted by The Thin Kid’s story with every strip of film recorded. There’s a reason “Horror Movie” was never completed the first time around in 1993, a dark truth that begs the question, do horror movies make monsters or do monsters make horror movies?
Paul Tremblay’s writing is an intricate art form that utilizes absence as much as presence. In previous works, ambiguity has reigned supreme, casting a long, lingering shadow over the alleged facts of his stories. Horror Movie is no different with the introduction of The Thin Kid, whose real name we never learn, yet is aptly nicknamed. They’re tall, lanky, and described in a way that conjures images of Slender Man, one of the greatest urban legends made possible through the internet (not unlike the remake of “Horror Movie,” how’s that for meta?). This character feels like an inherent departure from Tremblay’s previous novels as he possesses an elusive quality that feels unnerving at best, aggressive at worst. Perhaps this is due to the construction of Horror Movie which, thanks to The Thin Kid’s narration, is written with fierce intention featuring fluctuating timelines that feel very much like loose sand slipping through your fingers. When you think you have an idea of where things are moving, Tremblay is quick to remind us that our predictions are lofty notions.
The central focus of this novel seems to revolve around the idea of predators, even in the face of The Thin Kid’s unreliable point of view. Hollywood’s desire to monetize nostalgia feels like the clearest example of this kind of leeching, given the lengths at which we see “Horror Movie’s” inability to die. It feels very much like a monster of its own, refusing to be put to rest quietly. Tremblay’s pertinent commentary on the state of how stories are manufactured and delivered in the modern day provides an even more intellectual aspect to this novel. Sure, Horror Movie is undoubtedly unnerving, with an indescribable dread that builds and escalates due to its construction alone. But more importantly, this novel also functions as a timely snapshot of the media landscape.
Speaking of this novel functioning as a damn good horror story, Tremblay’s ability to write “jump scares” thrives in Horror Movie. Horror film enthusiasts can recognize the methods utilized by filmmakers to evoke the most suspense, dread, and fear from a single scene. Chapters of this book are written as screenplays, venturing into the authentic territory of filmmaking on the page. What Tremblay creates with these scenes is something utterly remarkable, his writing summoning shifting shadows in the darkness, a slight change of light to reveal the glint of a pointed knife, a monster lying in wait to pounce. He taps into those same primal thrills that force our hands over our eyes, sneaking a peak at what is hopefully the big scare from the safety of our theater chairs. It feels a little on the nose to discuss this book’s cinematic qualities, but Tremblay has never felt more frightening in these moments of scripted scares.
The truth is an elusive beast we may never harness, yet the idea of predation thrives between the characters of this novel in addition to the grand ideas of movie production. Valentina and Cleo, the writers of “Horror Movie,” approach The Thin Kid knowing their personality was best suited for this role, a role that is dependent upon malleability. The most notable characteristic of The Thin Kid is this lack of self, their ability to be molded into whoever or whatever others wish, for better or worse. In the landscape of the horror genre, the creation of monsters and “cursed” movies are staples that come with their own rules and reputations. However, Tremblay’s creation of The Thin Kid subverts expectations and takes readers down a disconcerting path questioning the true implications of creation and manifestation.
The most impressive feat of Horror Movie is Paul Tremblay’s unwavering consistency as an author who provokes the deepest questions about the human condition and ideas of perspective. Horror Movie is a monster in your own hands, something that changes shape in the darkness of stark revelations and unsettling truths. It’s a deeply disturbing, transgressive story showcasing human cruelty and malfeasance. These qualities would seemingly drive folks away, its effects unknowable and possibly dangerous. Yet, there has not been a single Tremblay book that has left me in a state of isolation. Time and time again, his novels have provoked greater conversations of interpretation and subjectivity. If anything, the horrors displayed in Tremblay’s works bring us together, not tear us apart.
Horror Movie is a temperamental beast that morphs under the slightest shift of view. Its grit and predilection for the darkest facets of human nature transform in front of the camera lens, all reflected back within strips of film, or rather the pages of this book. A seemingly impossible feat, Paul Tremblay has outdone himself with this novel, delivering on heart-stopping scares, infinite levels of dread, and questions of manufactured monsters. The universal praise around this book is well-deserved, the last five pages delivering one of the most shocking endings fathomable that colors every shade of story told. Undoubtedly, Horror Movie further solidifies Paul Tremblay as one of the modern horror greats, a master of the startling sense of uncertainty.
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay releases on June 11th!
Check out what other FearForAll reviewers have said (we really love this book if you can’t tell)!
Ed’s Review: https://fanfiaddict.com/review-horror-movie-by-paul-tremblay/
George’s Review: https://fanfiaddict.com/review-horror-movie-by-paul-tremblay-2/
Charlie’s Review: https://fanfiaddict.com/review-horror-movie-by-paul-tremblay-3/
Sean’s Review: https://fanfiaddict.com/review-horror-movie-by-paul-tremblay-5/
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