Following mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas in 2019, Universal decided to delay the release of this satirical horror film, should it incite further violence. Upon discovering the then-unseen film’s plot – a group of liberal elites kidnap and attempt to kill 12 conservative “deplorables” for fun – Donald Trump tweeted: “They create their own violence, and then try to blame others. They are the true racists, and very bad for our country!”
The gory remains of a gouged-out eyeball in an early scene are a reminder that this is an asinine B-movie, and a harmless one at that. Directed by Craig Zobel (Compliance) and written by Damon Lindelof and Nick Cuse, it attempts to send up smug, bourgeois liberals complaining about climate change, all the while humanising their gun-toting conservative counterparts. It’s not subtle, or particularly clever, though Glow’s Betty Gilpin is fun to watch as an ultra-violent ex-military veteran with a southern drawl.
