31

 Name: 31 (2016)

Directed By: Robert Zombie 

Subgenre: Exploitation, Clown-Slasher Battle Royale (okay, so that's not really a thing, but it's fairly close to the niche the film dug for itself)

Series: Spooktober 2018 entry #3

Review: 31 is Rob Zombie's newest (at the time this was originally written) entry into his mixed-bag of horror filmography. That said, I'm actually a huge fan of Rob Zombie's earlier films (House of a 1000 Corpses and the Devil's Rejects), but this one just fell flat for me. Basically, it's about this secret society of overly-posh rich folk who kidnap passers-by every Halloween, put them in a maze-like arena, and sick killer clowns on them. There was an attempt to his usual fair of gritty, grindhouse slasher/exploitation horror alongside social commentary, but it just feels lacking, and what substance is there feels recycled at best. The characters--at least the clowns, the villains of the film--at least look like they're a unique ensemble until you realize they're all entirely superficial; and with exceedingly terrible names like Doomhead and Schizohead, you'd think they'd have some differentiation beyond "slightly different brand of psychotic killer," but you'd be wrong. I couldn't bring myself to give a damn about them, and Mr. Zombie doesn't particularly try and help with that. 31 is also a period-piece, set in 1976, so there's a ton of solid music sprinkled in to help set that scene; unfortunately, some scenes drag on way too long and end up feeling more like music videos rather than elements to a coherent horror film. It's somewhere between passable and solid: the core concept is an essentially Rob Zombie spin on the hunting the most dangerous game subgenre, but the execution rings hollow.  

Overall Score: 2.5 out of 5 Chads hiding in sheds. Did 31 scare you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IMDB: Here

How to Watch: You can find 31 on these platforms.

Official Trailer