Horror Movie Review: Drainiac (2000)

From writer/director Brett Piper comes Drainiac! A delightful slice of low-budget trash that will win over many viewers through its sheer dedication to be more than your average bargain basement horror flick. Dedication that comes through in a variety of ways, even if it has some notable issues when it comes to pacing, telling a coherent story, acting, and so much more.

Looking, sounding and behaving more like a movie from the 80s, rather than the year 2000 when it was released, Drainiac! stars Georgia Hatzis as Julie, a teenage girl who is forced to renovate houses for her cruel father. His latest project just so happens to a dilapidated house with a secret. Something lives in the drains, something that is clogging up the pipes.

For Julie, it’s going to take more than a plunger to deal with this problem. Alongside her friends and a mysterious exorcist (sort of), she is going to have to bleach the hell out of this house to get it clean.

As you can probably tell, Drainiac! has comedic elements and draws from the likes of Evil Dead when it comes to certain sillier moments. Yet, it is not what it will be remembered for. What it will be remembered for is how trippy and hallucinogenic it is. Drainiac! has some mind-bending moments and these jump off the screen through a combination of different effects, with the most impressive being the stop-motion.

It’s always cool to see that utilised in a horror movie and Drainiac! certainly makes it memorable.

Alongside that, there are plenty of gory moments (including an excellent toilet bowl castration) and plenty of moments of atmosphere. The latter is something of a surprise, especially when you witness the first few slapstick minutes of the film, but a welcome one.

What isn’t so welcome are the lengthy moments of just nothing happening. Where characters thread water and say very little. Made all the more difficult to stomach because the cast are a mixed bunch and some really struggle to energise a talky scene. This inevitably hurts the film’s overall pacing, and while most will be excitedly awaiting the next slice of madness it offers, getting to those moments can be challenging.

Regardless, Drainiac! is worth a watch because it is a movie with imagination, and even with a limited budget, that shines through.