Horror Movie Review: Scare Package (2019)

An entertaining, and extremely meta experience, Scare Package is an anthology horror created by Aaron B. Koontz and Cameron Burns. It features horror shorts written and directed by Aaron B. Koontz, Courtney Andujar, Hillary Andujar, Anthony Cousins, Emily Hagins, Chris McInroy, Noah Segan, and Baron Vaughn.

Chad Buckley (Jeremy King) owns and operates a video rental store. He is obsessed with all things horror and yearns for the ‘good-old days’ (the 80s) of the genre. If only others could share his love, then maybe his store wouldn’t be struggling. Which brings us to the story wrap-around, interweaved within the shorts that make up most of the film’s 107-minute runtime.

Chad decides to test the knowledge of potential new hire, Hawn (Hawn Tran) and put him through some tests to see if he is the right material for the job. All while regular customer, Sam (Byron Brown) sets out to make Fawn fail because he is jealous that Chad is considering him for the job.

Fawn can deal with Sam’s antics, and Chad’s demands, but can he avoid the temptation to enter the one room that Chad specifically told him not to go into? This story, especially with its culmination, is excellent. It’s funny, silly, violent, and gory. It’s also extremely meta, and that makes for an even funnier experience. Yet, not so much, that a casual horror watcher would be lost in the detail.

Part of that watchability comes from the chemistry that the actors portraying Chad, Hawn, and Sam have. Yet, they’re not alone, and the shorts themselves have a spate of top-quality acting.

The shorts are all based around a specific sub-genre of horror and are relayed by Chad, or Sam, talking about or showing the events of the movie.

First up, we have Cold Open. Where we meet a person called Mike Myers (Jon Michael Simpson) who has a simple job. He’s the guy who sets up the circumstances that horror movie characters end up in.

We’re talking about changing a sign that points away from the insane asylum, cutting the power to the house with the babysitter inside, planting satanic objects, and cursing a doll. It’s a thankless job, and Mike is getting tired of it. He wants to be a main character now.

A very strong first short that is easily the most meta of all of them. It’s funny, but it’s also really twisted. Helped by the lovable character of Mike Myers.

Up next is One Time in the Woods. A short that uses body horror as its inspiration but combines slasher horror into it too. It’s one of the nastiest and goriest shorts on show but does it all in such an over-the-top way, few won’t find it absolutely delightful. Again, it’s another excellent short.

The first misstep comes with M.I.S.T.E.R. Where a man, having had enough of his wife’s demands to be a better man, joins a group knowns as M.I.S.T.E.R., which stands for Men In Serious Turmoil Establishing Rights. It’s a werewolf horror with a cool twist at the end. Though, not enough to make this one stand out.

Girls Night Out of Body is a little worse though. Where the overall tale doesn’t live up to the initial premise. Seeing a group of girls stealing a forbidden lollipop that has transformative capabilities. Their stalker is going to regret going into their motel room now.

The downward trend is halted with the absurd and hilarious, The Night He Came Back Again! Part IV: The Final Kill. A sequel to a series of movies that surround a 4th of July killer who appears to be indestructible. Daisy (Chelsey Grant) has had enough, and along with her friends, plans to end this once and for all.

Yet, as all horror fans know, you can’t keep a good killer down.

Finally, the last short is So Much to Do and is probably the one that needed to be cut to make Scare Package an overall tighter experience. Here, a woman is possessed by a dead man who threatens to spoil the ending of a show she wants to watch. So, they fight, within the same body. While there is a little more to it than that, there’s not much more, and it doesn’t tie up in satisfying fashion. Easily the worst of the bunch.

Thankfully, it’s not the last part of the film as we return to wraparound surrounding Chad. The final portion of the movie overall, is simply pure bonkers entertainment.

As a total ‘package’, Scare Package is a great anthology on the strength of the wraparound story alone. However, it also has three great shorts, two decent shorts, and only one meh short. Meaning, there’s more good here than bad. The dedication to horror, the effects, the meta jokes and silly humour, the top-tier acting, and the franchise capabilities makes Scare Package a must see for all fans of horror. It’s a great modern anthology.