Horror Movie Review: Bunnyman (2011)

Originally released in 2011 and with a spate of sequels, the original Bunnyman is an absurd slasher horror. One borrows from the likes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre but in the vein of a parody.

On first glance it looks like the kind of movie worth avoiding. The kind of movie that you know will be filled with rubbish acting, rubbish effects and with a rubbish story. That’s not the case though as what we have here is an effective horror that works within the limitations of its budget. It’s just a shame that that it doesn’t really push the boat out in regards to gore and violence. This really should have been a Braindead-esqe horror with slapstick blood and guts flying all over the place.

The Bunnyman of the title is a misshapen and grotesque man who hides inside a rabbit costume. He is part of a Texas Chainsaw Massacre style family who like to capture and torture their victims.

Our introduction to the killer sees him driving a large truck with one of his victims in the back. He comes across a car full of teenage idiots and begins to torment them. Simply by bumping the back of their car and honking his horn. For unexplained reasons the group are unable to outrun the killer. Even though they’re in a car and he is in a truck…

Eventually after trying to escape his attention, the group crash and are forced to hike through the woods to find help. Bunnyman is on their trail though.

What we get is a homage/parody of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and other hillbilly killer flicks. We get familiar scenes such as a dinner with the killers and their victim and Bunnyman wielding a chainsaw like a maniac. It’s a really on the nose parody that might annoy as many as it amuses.

The unusual horror villain can’t hide the basic flaws with the movie. The plot is ripped from better horrors. Its cast is below average, in particular the group of teens that seem designed to annoy more then anything else. Not because they’re well acted obnoxious beings but rather the terrible decision making that will annoy the hell out of every horror fan.

Just bad writing.

The biggest disappointment as we said at the start of this review though is just how often it pulls away from being an overtly gory movie. A really missed opportunity to stand out but it wouldn’t be fair to say it’s a terrible movie.

Bunnyman does have merit especially seeing as it’s a slasher horror starring a killer in a bunny suit!