My quick rating – 5.4/10. Starting with the Tubi logo, Buzzkill immediately presents a question. Are we in for a surprisingly decent horror flick or another cinematic experience best enjoyed with the remote firmly within reach? Thankfully, this slasher comedy lands somewhere on the right side of that equation, even if it occasionally looks like it has been drinking as heavily as its star.
We open at a frat party where some lovesick dude is professing his undying affection for his ex-girlfriend Sarah (Frances Sholto-Douglas). Naturally, the soundtrack is Lita Ford’s “Kiss Me Deadly”, because subtlety apparently wasn’t invited to this party. Meanwhile, Sarah’s tipsy sorority sister Nora (Siena Agudong) manages to topple into a bush while her friend gets stabbed. It’s quite the evening, and the body count is only getting started.
Five weeks later, Nora is still getting thoroughly acquainted with the bottom of a vodka bottle. However, there’s a method to her madness. Her memories of what happened to Sarah only seem to become accessible when she’s drunk, making alcohol consumption less of a destructive habit and more of an unconventional investigative technique. Forget forensic science, this girl is running an entire murder investigation on liquid courage. Her plan is to solve the mystery during a sorority party, one drink at a time. Nancy Drew would probably recommend a different approach, but she also doesn’t have Nora’s particular skill set.
Written by Suzanne Keilly, the mystery angle is a genuinely fun idea, giving the story something more interesting than simply lining up college students for the slaughter. Unfortunately, the slasher side of things is considerably more familiar territory. The killer’s intimidation routine is also a little overdone, especially when there’s seemingly very little reason for anyone to be quite so terrified. You’ll understand what I mean when you watch it.
Fortunately, the comedy is mixed in nicely, the effects are surprisingly good, and there’s enough blood and gore to keep horror fans happy. The acting is also considerably better than you might expect from a film whose leading lady appears to be attempting to single-handedly bankrupt the vodka industry. Agudong is easily the standout, making Nora an entertaining mess who somehow remains the smartest person in the room. Realistically, she’d probably need her stomach pumped before solving anything, but common sense isn’t exactly the point here.
Director Jem Garrard does a solid job bringing everything together. And honestly, Tubi seems to be stepping up its game, finally. The unnecessary post-credit scene adds absolutely nothing, particularly since the sequel tease has already happened.
Buzzkill isn’t reinventing the slasher genre, but its central gimmick works even when it wears thin, the laughs land often enough, and the gore delivers. I couldn’t quite tip it to a 6, but it’s an entertaining little time-waster. I suppose I’ll have to check out those R.L. Stine Pumpkinhead flicks now. That’s a sentence I wasn’t expecting to write today.
