Aftershock

Aftershock is a movie that I have seen trailers for on the internet and in the previews of a few Blu Rays, and I really wasn't impressed with what I was seeing. It looked like another bland horror movie with Eli Roth's name attached to it, just like many horror movies since the release of Hostel. But I am usually inclined to give Eli Roth productions a chance, no matter how shitty they look. This is one that had a mix of really good elements and fucking terrible elements, so keep that in mind when considering this movie.

In Aftershock, we follow two groups as they party their way through Chile. The first group we are introduced to is Gringo (Eli Roth), Pollo (Nicolas Martinez), and Ariel (Ariel Levy). Gringo is being shown around Chile by Pollo and Ariel, with the main goal of the trip to get wasted and laid. The second group consists of Kylie (Lorenza Izzo), Irina (Natasha Yarovenko), and Kylie's overprotective sister, Monica (Andrea Osvart). They are visiting Chile with the same intentions as the group of males, get wasted and bang some dudes. They meet up one night and start going to parties together, until a massive earthquake interrupts their good time. What follows is the ultimate fight for survival across the streets of one of the major cities in Chile.

This is one of those movies that is good for 75% of the movie and then just utter shit for the last 25%. For most of the movie we get to see how the characters are having a great time partying in Chile, which seems fantastic by the way. but then we see their struggle for survival after the earthquake strikes. The early earthquake sequences are actually pretty well done and we see how the groups work together to save each other. The movie shows how people are willing to help each other in time of disaster, but all of these solid elements are quickly thrown away in the last 30 minutes of the movie. Such a waste of potential and it just bothered the shit out of me. It didn't bother me that characters that I liked got killed off, it is a horror movie for fuck's sake, but it did bother me that the writers introduced a group of criminals that are looking to murder and rape everyone in their path. It was a dumb fucking decision by a writer that made a mostly competent movie. I understand society breaks down a bit during time of great distress, but there was really no need for the pointless rape and murder. The movie played down the earthquake element at that point and became a fucking chase movie. So fucking dumb.

Eli Roth need to cool it with attaching his name to every goddamn horror movie that is released from overseas. He must get a stack of scripts sent to him daily and he must say "fuck it" and attached his name to each one. The man showed so much promise in the beginning with Cabin Fever and Hostel, then everything just fell apart. We got to experience the shittiness of Hostel II and the abortion that was The Last Exorcism after his first two solid efforts. He didn't even direct The Last Exorcism, but you could have fooled me with the fact that his name was on every poster and in every trailer promoting that piece of shit. Go back to directing films within films like you did with Thanksgiving in Grindhouse and Nation's Pride in Inglourious Basterds. Stop producing and get back to directing, do what you are fucking good at.

This is a movie that should only be seen if you are desperate for something to see. This is Netflix horror movie quality and I can see why it was released straight to VOD. Eli Roth should be disappointed with this one and should just stop producing, because he is terrible at it. Movies need to be consistent for 100% of the movie not 75% solid and then 25% dog shit. I really cannot recommend this because it just flat-out sucks.