Horror Movie Review: The Macabre (2022)

A horror anthology with a comedic edge, The Macabre has a ton of talent behind it, and the love and care that went into it, is clear from the very start. Is it a good film, though? Well, like most anthologies, it’s all about hits and misses. Except, The Macabre only has a few stories, so the misses are more prevalent than ever.

Directed by Eric Mathis, with writing coming from Kirsten James, Rolfe Kanefsky, and Brian Lewis, The Macabre bucks an anthology trend by making its wraparound story the focal point of the film. In fact, if you went into this film unaware that it is anthology, you wouldn’t know it was until the first character tells their story.

Why are they telling stories though? It’s because they must entertain a demonic witch, otherwise she will kill them. A demonic witch awakened from a past life in the body of the shy and quiet girl, Molly (Arianna Lexus). The story tellers? Four young adults who insult and bully her. It’s trope heavy, but The Macabre knows this and spends a lot of its time winking at the camera.

It does take a little while to get to the story-telling part of the film, but we do get to spend time with a litany of characters, some of whom are delightfully odd and played by some famous faces. At least within the realm of horror. Who doesn’t love Mr. Macabre, played by John Dugan (Grandpa from Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and Lady Sinister, played by Maritza Brikisak (an award-winning actor who has done a ton of films)?

In fact, The Macabre is packed with genre names and you can really end up down an IMDB rabbit hole checking out all their work. It’s a strong cast, that’s all you need to know, but how about the stories?

The first involves an ex-couple, in the desert, where the man has picked her up after she broke down and called him. Driving her back, they re-litigate the reason they’ve split up but come under attack from the fabled Mothman, or something thereabouts. The first story (aside from the main thread) is the best of the bunch as it has phenomenal acting (Tasha Tacosa is untouchable in this film), has some amusing moments (don’t take the shortcut called Monster Road), and a deliciously twisted ending.

The next one involves a man named Chris (the wonderful Drew Marvick) who has gone out into the wilderness to camp and relax. Ignoring the warnings by a local that the ground is cursed/haunted. His peace is disturbed though, by a sinister figure who seems to want to get rid of him. Chris isn’t going to be scared off though, as he has his own dark secrets.

A disappointing entry, one that feels far too long, and gets way too talky when it comes to revealing the truth of what is going on. The laughs don’t land here either. This is one that fails to utilise the talents of its lead, and is all the worse for it.

Finally, it’s one of the more complex stories, and one that sits squarely in the middle being neither good nor bad. Here, we have a woman who wants to make her partner feel better, so buys her a Geisha statue that is said to hold a monster created from the heartbroken tears of a Geisha. This monster is eventually unleashed, when the woman arrives home to find her lover in bed with another person.

The creature looks great, the acting is solid, and its peppy enough to hold the attention. Its problem is that it just peters out, ending abruptly and unsatisfyingly.

So, one good story, one bad story, and one that sits in the middle, how about the wraparound? It ends well, initially predictable, but with a fun twist. Which means The Macabre is worth watching, particularly because you can see and feel the effort that has gone into making it.