Strange Behavior

 


Name: Strange Behavior, also known as Dead Kids

Directed By: Michael Laughlin

Subgenre: Psychological, Slasher

Series: Spooktober 2019 entry #8; review #39

Review: So, a bit of background on Strange Behavior: the film is alternatively titled as Dead Kids and it was shot in New Zealand but, for some reason, set in Illinois. It was also seized and confiscated in the UK during the whole "video nasty" craze. Now, with a name Dead Kids with a "video nasty" status, you'd think the film would be a bit more obscene. Nope! Instead, the film is a pretty fun, if awkwardly paced, throwback to the vintage mad scientist horror films of old with an 80's slasher twist. The plot is, of course, silly, what with its spooky scary psychology (beware the meddling of...operant conditioning!). It follows protagonist and police officer John Brady as he investigates a string of grizzly murders perpetuated against teenagers while his only son agrees to become a test subject for his university's psychology department. As you might expect, their stories interweave in progressively strange ways. What the film lacks in believability, it makes up for in campy fun. Problem is, the tension tends to get lost between long stretches of duller material. And, while the gore isn't half bad, the actual kill scenes are pretty laughable. Strange Behavior encapsulates slasher tropes with old-school mad scientist clichés in a perfectly modern (80s!) bubble; the psychology present here is the silly sort, so don't go in expecting a mind-bending labyrinth leading to madness. If you set your expectations right, you'll likely have a good time.




Overall Score: 3 out of 5 Chads trying to become board certified mad psychologists. Did Strange Behavior scare you? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

IMDB: Here

How to Watch: Strange Behavior is available on these platforms.


Official Trailer

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