Horror Movie Review: Society (1989)

I doubt there is a horror movie fan out there that wasn’t blown away by Society the first time they saw it. Smart, funny with some of the best effects any horror has ever had (Screaming Mad George – a master at this sort of thing). The word ‘shunting’ takes on a whole new light once you’ve witnessed Society’s big payoff.

…but I’m getting ahead of myself.

So we have Bill…a perfectly happy teenage boy. His family is rich & he lives with them in a mansion in Beverley Hills. He is part of the upper class of society, popular at school, nice car to drive & a cheerleader girlfriend who dotes on him.

All of that though might sound great but Bill feels disconnected from his family & doesn’t fit in within the other high-class society members. It’s a feeling he just can’t shake which is then made worse by a recording he is given by his sister’s ex-boyfriend. This recording seems to suggest that his family & their friends engage in some pretty violent orgies.

After witnessing his sister having a very strange shower Bill becomes convinced something is wrong with his family & the people they mix with. Wherever he turns though, he finds more questions then answers & when the body count starts to rise he is left with no choice but to confront his family & discover their secret for himself.

No-one could have prepared Bill for just what is actually going on in the high parts of society. Nothing prepared me for what was going on…

The movie is famous for it’s disgusting yet brilliant finale. It’s the sort of thing you can’t tear your eyes away from as the ‘shunting’ takes place.

Thankfully the movie has more going for it then an incredible ending…its fun & exciting to watch. The pace of the film is excellent as we build & build perfectly towards a payoff that just keeps giving.

The acting is great with Bill doing a great job of a teen unsure of his place in society & the confusion that leads to horror as he discovers the truth. His mother & father are excellent too & provide a lot of the comic relief (particularly in their sex scene at the end).

It’s not a movie for everyone as many might actually be sickened by the finale. Seasoned horror movie fans will be in their element though, it’s hard to describe as I don’t want to spoil it for those who’ve never seen it.

The use of sex throughout is smart & never feels overdone. Society is trying to show a kinkier side of the upper class, something that is often hidden under a veneer of expensive champagne & stiff upper lips. It can be seen as bit crass at times & it doesn’t exactly do subtleness but that’s all part of the movies charm!

A great soundtrack with a well placed tongue in cheek look at class warfare, Society is a movie that deserves higher acclaim & a place alongside the greats of horror movie history.