Horror Movie Review: Revealer (2022)

Directed by Luke Boyce, who co-wrote the story with Michael Moreci and Tim Seeley, Revealer will polarise. Finding as many who are passionate about it as there are those who find it all a bit ‘meh’. Mainly proving to be a lesson in patience.

It’s the end of the world and two opposing characters are trapped inside an adult entertainment store. Peepshow dancer Angie (Caitlin Aase) and Christian fundamentalist Sally (Shaina Schrooten), with the latter rushing inside for safety having been protesting outside, much to Angie’s amusement.

Trapped inside, and with no love for each other, the two women are going to have work together to survive, while learning that maybe they’re not so different after all.

It’s not the most exciting of concepts, is it? Clearly one that is reliant on strongly written characters and even stronger actors. The two women and their opposing outlooks on life is the dominant feature, so all of that needs to deliver, and happily, that is the case… mostly. Angie’s abrasive and self-assuredness hides a woman used to be looked down upon and with her own vulnerabilities and Caitlin Aase kills it. As does Shaina Schrooten, whose character Sally is the one that goes through the biggest changes here, faced with her beliefs being thrown back in her face and revealing personal struggles that ensures she stays sympathetic throughout.

They are both excellent, but as already stated, they had to be, because Revealer sure has a whole lot of nothing happening for quite a while. Thankfully, a lot of that is used to build the characters, but even then, they have a ceiling, and the pacing does begin to suffer around the halfway point.

Attention is still focused where it should be though, and then the film ramps up, and suddenly the ‘less is more’ mantra is thrown out completely. No complaints though, as the film needed an injection of pace, and while things do get a bit wild and all over the place, it does make for an energised and fun finale. It’s here too, that the horror elements of Revealer ramp up too, and there are some imaginative designs, which fit the neon-drenched visuals nicely.

Alas, as the film does reach its conclusion, there’s a feeling that it should have wrapped up already. The fat needed trimming to ensure the last section didn’t feel lethargic, but that’s what happens. Especially when the character’s start to slip into more archetypal roles, which includes having a big moment where they realise that they may not be so different after all. It’s a little cringy, especially with the dialogue at this stage, but the pair manage to just about make it work.

All this being said, it’s not likely to live too long in the memory and that’s simply because there’s nothing that outstanding about it. A solid story, good visuals, great acting, and a full-on conclusion makes it more than watchable, but that’s probably about it.