‘Revealer’: Retro, Neon-Soaked Mayhem Unleashes The End Of Days [Panic Fest Review 2022]
Mary Beth McAndrews
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Homages to the 1980s aren’t rare in the horror. From Stranger Things to The Guest, throwbacks are in, typically marked with neon-lighting and period-appropriate clothing from scrunchies and leotards to jackets with shoulder pads. At this point, it’s difficult to create something unique while also tapping into the power of nostalgia. Luckily, director Luke Boyce and writers Michael Moreci and Tim Seeley are able to create a standout in the crowd with his new film Revealer.
The year is 1987. The setting: Chicago. Angie Pitarelli (Caito Aase) is a dancer at a local peepshow. Sally Mewbourne (Shaina Schrooten) is a religious protestor who ridicules Angie for her job of choice. Then, the apocalypse actually comes. Angie and Sally take refuge in the peepshow, trying to find a way out. What follows is a hellish labyrinth full of weird intestine-like snakes and demonic entities.
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The key to Revealer’s success is its central performances by Aase and Schrooten. They have incredible chemistry that seamlessly transitions from disdain to hesitant trust to friendship. While the timeline of their relationship moves a bit too fast, Aase and Schrooten still play brilliantly off each other, whether Angie is hurling a witty insult or Sally is mumbling about demons.
Early in Revealer, there’s a performance by Angie doing a chair dance for customers to “Dark All Day” by Gunship. The entire sequence immediately establishes the retro and gritty vibe of the film. But what’s most impressive in the filming of Angie’s dance is that’s not just a series of close-ups of her body. the camera sits on the other side of the peepshow glass and observes her from a distance, while still placing the audience in the eyes of the voyeuristic customer. The camera keeps that distance so as to never objectify Aase but rather show off her physical abilities. Plus, Aase is a burlesque dancer who choreographed the entire dance and worked closely with Boyce to make this sequence empowering rather than exploitative.
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Filmed entirely during the pandemic, Boyce and crew cleverly utilize limited spaces to create a COVID movie without making a movie about COVID. It speaks to the creativity of indie filmmakers even with such strict limitations. The first half of the film shows Angie and Sally in two different rooms, separated by a thin wall. Just when the setting seems to wear out its welcome, they drop into subterranean tunnels. Boyce is able to balance these locations to keep Revealer engaging.
The budget does show at parts, particularly when it comes to CGI. There are some beautifully designed creature effects, but the supplemental CGI slightly cheapens Revealer. But the film is so full of heart and earnest in its message of friendship in the face of utter destruction that any of those less polished details can be overlooked. And the vibes are spot-on.
Boyce has created a fun post-apocalyptic hellscape full of gross monsters and dark humor with Revealer. The central performances anchor the film and make the small cast compelling for most of the runtime. It’s also another stunning example of pandemic filmmaking and what can be accomplished with limited resources. Revealer is an impressive contemporary horror film that doesn’t let budget hold it back from swinging for the fences.
Summary
Apocalyptic retro horror ‘Revealer’ uses its stellar cast and limited setting to create a fun and nasty horror comedy with a lot of heart.
