The McKinley’s
So, there are times in everyone’s lives when people come along that we didn’t know we needed. Someone that simultaneously will shake things up and open your heart. This exact thing happened the first time I watched Ash and Bone. I unquestionably stumbled on to two of my favorite psychopaths in horror movie history.
Our journey begins with the Vanderbilt’s. The Vanderbilt’s are a… lovely? wonderful? Let’s just stick to, a family. Lucas(Harley Wallen), a recently widowed father, Sarah(Kaiti Wallen), the new wife and step-mother, and Cassie(Angelina Danielle Cama), well, Cassie is a kind of a bitch, have come away from the big city to have a little quality time. Lucas hopes that a nice summer at the cabin will put Cassie on the straight and narrow. Almost immediately, Cassie tries to get in a little trouble. She goes straight to the local bar, where she meets new, seemingly older friends, Anna (Jamie Bernadette) and Tucker (Mason Heidger).
These new found best buddies get to drinking and talking. This is where we, the captivated audience, find out about the creepy McKinley house. Cassie convinces her two new buddies to go with her to check out the house. Our Scooby gang is in for quite the surprise. But don’t you worry horror fans, it’s almost time for the heroes to show up.
Enter the McKinley’s. May (Erika Hoveland) and Clete (Jimmy Doom) are two of the best things in this film. These two psychos bump this movie up an entire point. May’s scenes are brilliant in the most disturbing way. Clete’s creepiness is just enough to let me forget he sounds like a pirate. What I’m getting at is I love these character’s. If I’m being honest I was rooting for them the entire time. If you are not understanding yet, for me this movie is about the Mckinley’s.
Now, there were things I didn’t like about this film. Primarily and at the top of the list, the Vanderbilt’s. When I said I was rooting for the McKinley’s I mean I wanted no survivor’s in the Vanderbilt family. Maybe Lucas and Sarah were OK. I felt a little bad for them. They seemed somewhat innocent in everything. If they were supposed to be the heroes in this 97 minute thriller, it was lost on me. The second thing that took me out my state of immersion, was the worst business owners in cinematic history, i.e. the bar owner and the gun store owner. These scenes were unrealistic and maybe should have been better left out completely.
On a more positive note, Ash and Bone was well filmed. I thoroughly enjoyed the use of the on screen text messages to let us know this is the middle of nowhere. The acting passable at times, but the more intense the scene, the better everything was. The films MVP award goes to Erika Hoveland! The soundtrack and music work was well done and added an extra something to the film.
Family drama, a troubled teen, and probably incest, what more could you want in a horror film. Altogether, this is a solid horror movie. I enjoyed it, especially those crazy McKinley’s. Don’t take my word for it though, watch it yourself. No, really, go watch it. Do it for the McKinley’s. Available now!
