Hey gang, Valkor here. Every time I think I’ve seen it all with these wacky horror films, something comes along and proves me wrong. I’ve gone from killer turkeys to donuts to pinatas, and even a pastor that turns into a Velociraptor. But never would I ever have thought a recliner chair would even be remotely threatening. That is until I watched “Killer Sofa”; This film has more of a serious tone than what I was expecting, which I enjoyed. But how it ends... well, read on. And expect a few spoilers, but nothing major.
Killer Sofa is as you would have guessed about a haunted recliner chair that kills anyone who seems attached or interested in a woman named Francesca (Piimio Mei). Francesca has a strange effect on men as they become obsessed when they get to know her. This bit of detail becomes important later on in the film. But until then, the chair goes on a killing spree starting with Francesca’s boyfriend, TJ. There are also two policemen involved–Inspector Gravy (Jed Brophy) and Grape (Stacey King), who connect another case with Francesca’s involving the disappearance and possible death of a guy named Frederico (Harley Neville). Then there’s Rabbi Jack (Jim Baltaxe), whom the chair was mistakenly delivered to his house; Before they took away it, Jack sensed something evil about it. So he’s on a journey to figure out what evil lurks within the chair and how to dispel it. There’s definitely a lot of story to take it in, but it all comes down to Francesca vs the chair. Who’ll come out as the sole survivor? It won’t end as you might think.
Killer Sofa comes from the land of New Zealand, which I don’t think I’ve reviewed too many films from that area, if any. Regardless, with this film, I thought I was walking into something silly. Imagine my surprise when it was anything but! So, let’s dive in with the TOV Breakdown!
The Good:
Killer Sofa, I have to say, was a surprisingly good film! I was expecting to either chuckle my way through this one or sleep through it. And while I didn’t chuckle, I’ll admit it did entertain me! The story is spot on as it doesn’t waste too much time getting into the action, which moves at a brisk pace, making its 80-minute run time easy to bear. The best part is that the film isn’t a wacky take on most tired schlock films; This one is more serious, which adds a level of fear that I would never expect from this type of film. Seriously, the chair alone creeps me out, but given the fact that you don’t get any zany slapstick comedy in the mix makes the film that much more enjoyable. Some parts might leave you scratching your head in confusion (I’ll detail that in the next section). But overall Killer Sofa is one chilling and entertaining piece of horror that’s worth checking out. Before I forget, I gotta show some love to my future ex-wife Piimio Mei, who not only puts on one of heck of a performance (the entire cast did great too) but also looks stunning in almost every scene. ESPECIALLY that “sex” scene with the chair. Dream or not that was unexpectedly hot! PerfectView nod? You better believe it! Finally, to the creators of the recliner? Well done! The chair looks nothing like the box art, but given those beady, button eyes... yea I’m spooked. If you guys make minis of those things, don’t forget ya boy Val.
The Bad:
Overall, I enjoyed Killer Sofa. But my main issue I have with the film is that it tries to fill in too much given the short run time. The one part that slightly confuses me is the connection between the chair, Francesca, Francesca's grandmother, The Dybbuk, and Gravy. Hear me out. I kind of get what's going on (for the most part), but I think the story would have flowed smoother if it was just the whole spooky chair loving and killing for Francesca. I think any and everything else around that part was just too much. I say this because I felt they rushed the ending as it tried to fit everything related to the chair and Francesca in a few minutes. But the film is still awesome!
The Ugly:
Poor TJ, first his legs get all spiked and then he somehow gets blended.
Killer Sofa hits digital and DVD on October 1st, and this might be a sleeper hit for Halloween; It’s weird, dark, creepy and a lot of fun–way better than I had expected. Not perfect, but I enjoyed my time with this one. I highly recommend checking it out. So, out of TOV 5 stars, I’m giving Killer Sofa a 4.
