Review by Emily Craig
Directed by: Sandy Chukhadarian
Starring: Angelica Chitwood, Deniele Ramos Cloutier, Melissa Elena Jones, Aubrey Wakeling
Psychos is director Sandy Chukhadarian’s first go at directing a full-length feature, having previously worked in other departments of the television and film industry. The film follows three main characters who seek revenge on their childhood tormentors, each receiving a video message through their phones which remind them of their dark pasts. Tough girl Sasha (Angelica Chitwood) decides to bring her boyfriend and the other two victims on a road trip to the house in which they suffered the torment, and retrieve the tapes they’ve been sent to rid the memories once and for all.
Of course, this plan doesn’t go as expected. Things spiral out of control, and long story short, this revenge horror ends up a bloody mess (literally and metaphorically). The inspiration does seem to stem from the likes of I Spit on Your Grave and French Extremist film Martyrs, and it pretty much follows the classic revenge film layout.
Psychos is very well thought out in terms of plot and character development. Our main characters each have enough screen time to establish what they’re about and help us understand each of their characteristics. We have Sasha, the strong leader; JJ (Deniele Ramos Cloutier), the intelligent Goth; and Norma (Melissa Elena Jones), the innocent good girl. The only downfall to these characters is that I can’t relate to any of them, as they’re all unlikeable. There isn’t really anything in the film that makes me root for them, nor the antagonists, so I really didn’t care who lived or died in the end. Usually there’s perhaps one character in a group of protagonists that you feel disassociated with, but it’s a mistake to portray all the characters in a film this way.
The film is well paced and edited, which makes the 1hr and 20m run time seem just right. There's a twist to the plot, which in honesty I wasn’t expecting, so kudos to that. What dramatically lets this film down is its outdated dialogue and iffy acting; the script is extremely cheesy, and there are parts of the film where the actresses portray lots of depth and other parts where they're, honestly, terrible and flat in terms of expression and deliverance.
Ultimately, Psychos is average. It excels in some areas but in others it really sucks. It isn’t boring and I was entertained throughout, but the acting and the lack of characters to root for really lets it down. I would have also liked to have seen a little bit more gore for a film of its kind. It just doesn’t compare to the best films of its ilk, and I would suggest if you’re looking for a good revenge film, look elsewhere.
Psychos is on VOD now.