Ice Cream Man
Review by Mark Woodring
The man who brought into this world horror classics such as Cabin Fever, Thanksgiving, and the Hostel series, takes a slight jog to the left and brings audiences a different kind of horror.
It must be noted that our press stresses that this is NOT a remake or reimagining of the 1995 film, and having read the synopsis for that one, I can agree with that, unavoidable ice cream puns and uses aside in terms of horrific effects notwithstanding.
So let’s talk about this one.
**NOTE: this post may be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, you can read Mark’s review below. Remember, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
86 Minutes, Rated R
Written by Eli Roth, Noah Belson
Directed by Eli Roth
Synopsis:
An idyllic summer town descends into madness when an ice cream man serves kids sweet delights with horrifying results.
Where to begin? Having just finished screening the film, let me start with some just some some general impressions.
1) We need more horror movies featuring kids – little kids, not teens – in the lead. Weapons was one great recent example of this.
2) I was initially put in mind of The Crazies, and while that’s not a perfect comparison, it managed to stick in my head for the entire runtime.
3) A bit of Stranger Things felt (more than looked) present as well, but that’s likely because everything seems to have a bit of ST in it since that show became the massive hit it did.
Ice Cream Man is, to put it bluntly, an incredibly original take on horror, with children being both the victims and perpetrators of the insane level of gore Eli Roth puts forth.
Honestly, I’m almost surprised the kids’ parents allowed them to do this movie, it’s that extreme.
Not BAD, mind, but extreme.
As in, I enjoyed it immensely. Upon further reflection, I’d liken this to an R-level upgrade of 2024’s Monster Summer, with the kids being the main characters, but with an absolutely amped up level of violence.
And gore. Lots and lots of gore.
And ice cream.
The mythology is just logical enough to hold the film together, as most horror films’ scripts are, and that’s okay; it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the film at all.
I’d recommend this one for fans of both Eli Roth (who has a small-ish role, as well) and for fans of unconventional horror.
Ice Cream Man hits theaters Friday, August 7, and stars Charlie Zeltzer, Sarah Abbott, Dylan Hawco, Luke Dietz, Eli Roth, Karen Cliche, Ari Millen, Benjamin Byron Davis, Kiori Mirza Waldman, and Shiloh O’Reilly.
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