Movie Review: Psycho Goreman

While playing an overly complicated game in the backyard, siblings Mimi and Luke stumble upon a buried box with a glowing stone attached to it. Being children they obviously extricate the gem and head inside, with Mimi taking it to bed with her. Unbeknownst to them, the stone was keeping a vicious alien entity captive inside and they have now freed him; unfortunately for the alien, whoever possesses the stone is his master and has nearly complete control over him. The kids name him Psycho Goreman, and begin to parade him around town to do their bidding, which in turn attracts the attention of the many alien species who imprisoned him causing them to send assassins to try and take him out before he can do any harm.

If it sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is, but very much intentionally so. This low-budget gorefest is a lovingly absurdist homage to the somewhat insane live-action kids shows many of us grew up watching on Saturday mornings. The mostly practical special effects are imaginative and endearing in their often disgusting way, and contribute mightily to the retro charm. The acting is surprisingly proficient, with the children in particular standing out. Mimi is a tough character to like, and actress Nita-Josee Hanna sells the part. So much so that some people may have trouble tolerating her. Matthew Ninaber and Steven Vlahos as the man in the suit and the voice of Psycho Goreman also demonstrate some pretty good comic chops despite being behind a mask the whole time.

While the obviously inexpensive nature of the production is largely an asset, there are a few ways in which a little more money or polish could have helped. The audio mix in particular is sometimes hard to understand, but mostly this is a much better movie than it has any right to be. It is definitely not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but those that can get on the movie’s wavelength are likely to have a blast. ★★★★ – Sean Farrell