Horror Movie Review: Lasso (2018)

For fans of extensive torture, mindless violence and plenty of blood and guts. Lasso delivers on all of those fronts. However, it lacks a well-told story, fleshed out characters and quality acting.

Written by Roberto Marinas and directed by Evan Cecil, Lasso takes place at the Hackett Ranch where stories about a killer cult have been told for the last 100 years. A cult that would descend upon the town and kidnap people. Of course, these are just stories though…

Kit (Lindsey Morgan) and Simon (Andrew Jacobs) are a pair of guides for the ‘Active Seniors’ tour group and along with a bus full of senior citizens have gone to spend the day at the rodeo. It’s a fun day where we get some minor character stories. Mainly surrounding Kit and Simon and some light commentary about poor treatment of animals.

The movie plods along, introducing a ton of side characters, leading to the show ending and the killing, starting. Oh yes, it’s been 100 years and the rodeo is just a front for a group of cowboys who like to kill in varied ways. They also like to shoot horse steroids into their veins to really ‘gee’ themselves up.

The cast is huge so there’s a ton of people to be offed and regardless of it was intentional or not, a few times it might make you laugh. Such as the one-armed cowboy becoming a no-armed cowboy. Or the elderly pensioner being swung by her hair into a tree. That one had the hallmarks of Friday the 13th – minus the sleeping bag.

That all of this happens at a constantly frantic pace, makes the film more enjoyable. Barely any time goes by before another person is slaughtered in a violent and grim way. The film is not shy on the blood front.

However, this in turn highlights the flaws in the story and the tepid character detail. The former becomes almost irrelevant and the latter is barely worked on, then completely lost in a flurry of blood and guts. With no-one to care about, all that is left is the splatter and while it is fun, desensitisation occurs and it really stops being effective by the end.

Overall, Lasso is a passable splatter-flick that has entertaining moments and memorable viciousness. If you’re expecting a well-told, well-paced and well-acted film though, you’re looking in the wrong place completely.