When was the last time we got a new horror slasher villain that really worked?
The fact is, for every Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, there is a Madman Marz or Harry Warden. For every Freddy, there’s a whatever-the-hell-the-Jeepers-Creepers-monster-is-called.
But the latest attempt, in “The Gallows,” introduces us to Charlie Grimille, the dirty little secret of a high school, who was killed in an accident during a performance of the play “The Gallows.” When students years later attempt to revisit the play years later, they awaken Charlie in a murderous way.
So will this succeed where others have failed, and will we have a new name to add to Jason, Freddy, Leatherface, Michael, and Pinhead? Who knows, but all of the pieces are in place: an interesting backstory, decent-looking execution, a scary costume, and a good gimmick–a noose is certainly a sufficiently creepy weapon of choice, and a horrific enough way to die.
Whether Charlie is timless enough to match up with those heavyweights remains to be seen, but we still have the best contender in years.
