Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon review

    This movie should have really been a bigger hit than it was. I am a huge slasher fan if you've ever checked out my many reviews on the subject and commentary but it's a genre that doesn't get much critical love. If you actually want to talk about good slasher movies versus fun ones, there's only about a handful of them: Halloween, Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Until Dawn (which was a video game), and this movie right here.

Leslie in costume.

    You can argue with me on this list and name your own favorites like Candyman, My Bloody Valentine, or whatever but I'm not arguing specifics just generalities. The majority of slasher films are designed with a minimal eye to character development and a focus instead on the gory spectacle as well as eye-candy. It's not me putting down the genre, it's just me stating that it's a visual rather than intellectual feast.

    Behind the Mask is a beautiful homage to the slasher genre in a way that arguably elevates the entire thing. It is a dramatic comedy, deconstruction, parody, and reconstruction all in one. The first two-thirds of the movie are a delightful send-up of documentaries as well as slasher movies as a whole while the remaining third is an entirely serviceable example of them. The first two-third are sort of a combination of slasher movie and sports drama where we get the perspective of a man who wants to be a slasher movie villain and has spent his whole life prepping for it.

Robert Englund's third best role after Freddy and Willy from V.

    The premise is a documentary crew led by Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) has been invited to do a piece on the making of a slasher. In this world, Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers are all historical figures referred to by name. Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesal) claims to be a local boy who "died" in a tragic accident but has since returned for revenge. He indicates that slashers may actually have nothing supernatural about them, at least he doesn't seem to possess any such qualities, and are actually just extremely well-trained individuals who use special effects to appear as unkillable monsters.

    Leslie is the perfect deconstruction of your typical slasher in that not only is he not a menacing silent killer but he's incredibly talkative and not the least bit physically imposing. He's disarmingly charming and it's easy to understand why Taylor and her crew go along with his preparations for a killing spree. It's impossible to believe Leslie is serious about murdering people and that he'd be vicious enough to do so until he (spoilers) proves otherwise.

The slasher fodder.

    The movie's one serious flaw is that they never spell out that Taylor's crew don't believe Leslie is dangerous right until the end when they're so rudely disabused of said notions. I felt the movie would have been stronger if they'd explained why these documentarians are continuing to film and go along with Leslie if they believe he's a fake. Because the alternative, that they actually believe he's planning on going on a killing spree is even more peculiar. Just a short conversation which says they're grad students with nothing else to film, think they're filming an "alien autopsy" style hoax, or just having too much fun would work.

    Taylor Gentry follows Leslie Vernon around and serves as our POV into the twisted mind of a guy who spends months, even years, to set up his killing spree. This includes setting up parties in the middle of isolated locations, providing a selection of victims, rigging the places with various traps, selecting weapons, and stalking the "Survivor Girl" that he will have heroically defeat him.

Leslie looks like everyone else.

    We even are introduced into concepts like "Ahabs" who represent the Doctor Loomis or Nancy-esque figures of slasher movies where someone knows they are a danger and tries to stop them. Perhaps the movie's best in-joke is the appearance of Robert Englund as Doc Halloran, who was Leslie Vernon's psychiatrist and reveals that he is a genuinely dangerous lunatic. There's also a guest appearance by Zelda Rubinstein from Poltergeist.

    My favorite part of the movie is when Leslie visits the home of his mentor Eugene (Scott Wilson), who is implied to be Billy from Black Christmas. He's apparently retired from murder and taken up residence with one of his Survivor Girls. I loved Scott Wilson in The Walking Dead and he does an excellent job here. There's a wonderful re-watch bonus to this film after you finish it the first time as all of Eugene's scenes gain a sinister quality they didn't initially possess.

Black Christmas, I gave you a heart (I ripped out).

    The actual slasher movie part of the movie is also excellent, albeit truncated but not really that much more than many slasher movies. Leslie Vernon has prepared us for his murder spree for the rest of the film and seeing his plans all come together in horrifying detail is wonderful. I'm actually leaving out the big twist of the movie and I'm pleased that it caught me by surprise despite my familiarity with slasher movie tropes.

    This movie came out in 2006 and this is one of the films I recommend picking up in Bluray. The movie commentaries are great for this film and give a lot of insight into the production, writing, in-jokes, and other stories. I think this is one of those films that stands up to deep analysis and is born from a tremendous love of the genre. Still, if you just want an enjoyable experience watching a slasher film with a brain then this is it. The more you know about horror movies, the more you'll enjoy this film.

9/10