Horror Movie Review: Knights of Badassdom (2013)

Knights of Badassdom is a 2013 horror comedy based around supernatural demonic forces & LARP (Live Action Role Play). It was directed by Joe Lynch and stars Peter Dinklage, Ryan Kwanten, Steve Zahn and Summer Glau.

A group of stereotypical nerds who are emotionally crippled & socially awkward head off into the woods to take part in a massive LARP session. Eric (Zahn) and Hung (Dinklage) force Joe (Kwanten) to come along to help him get over being dumped by his girlfriend, Beth (Margarita Levieva).

Joe isn’t really into LARP, preferring to try & live his dream of being in a successful death metal band but agrees to take part in the fantasy role-playing. While in character, Eric casts a spell from a book that happens to have actual demonic incantations in it. He inadvertently summons a demon that begins killing the LARP players one by one.

Knights of Badassdom so desperately wants to be the horror version of Role Models, arguably the best LARP-centric movie out there. Unfortunately, it falls way short thanks to it’s under-cooked plot, it’s under-developed characters & lack of humour. Comedy that is based around one thing; look at the nerds…aren’t they freaks?

It’s such a disappointment as the actors are talented & funny people. Here though they’re just wasted. They’re nerds who are really into their LARP, that’s about as much depth as you get. There is no feeling towards Joe’s girlfriend woes because he is dumped within the first few minutes of the movie, we know absolutely nothing of their relationship. So why would we care that the demon takes her form?

The low budget effects are very hit & miss. Some of the gore looks good but the finale/faceoff with the demon is cringe-inducing. It does not look good at all.

Perhaps the worst thing about Knights of Badassdom though is that it commits the ultimate horror sin. It is boring.

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