Methodic was written by Chris R. Notarile and Brandon Slagle, and directed by Chris R. Notarile. The story revolves around a killer who escapes an asylum he was placed in after attempting to wipe out his family as a young boy. There are sisters and a psychiatrist who is way too invested, and yes, this is an alternate-reality Halloween movie. 

The performances vary. When the actors and actresses are more grounded and subtle they perform well. When they have to push themselves to extreme emotions and reactions, some of them stumble. The dialogue is solid overall. I felt like only one character had any depth, and- killer aside- none were particularly interesting. The relationships are more interesting than the characters themselves, but all of them could have been better explored

Methodic is tonally challenged. It fails to be suspenseful. The score disrupts any attempt to build a mood. The music sounds like something from an action thriller, which Methodic is not. We don’t follow an active protagonist; she’s a would-be victim. There’s not much fight in the more physical scenes; our killer kills pretty reliably. There are no thrills to back this music. In a vacuum the music is fine, but the execution makes it seem like Methodic is having an identity crisis. There is also Carpenter-inspired music that’s enjoyable and far more fitting. The sound is genuinely good. Every *thunk* feels impactful. While I felt none of those emotions associated with horror, I did think the dialogue was funny when it wanted to be. 

Methodic looks like a 1970s made-for-TV movie. Despite its appearance, it makes a lot of the right visual decisions. It doesn’t attempt to show anything it can’t afford to portray somewhat convincingly. The effects are all practical, although more or less limited to blood. The blood looks good. I didn’t even think there was going to be blood. Five minutes in it depicts a child after he has bashed his parents to death with a hammer, and there’s no perceivable gore on the child or the hammer. After the killer escapes the asylum he dresses in a way that’s inspired by a drawing of “The Dollman.” It’s a great look. I can think of similar outfits, but it still works, and it’s unique enough that it doesn’t feel derivative of a specific source. 

To be specific about Methodic‘s Halloween influences it doesn’t just echo the good movies but the “Thorn Trilogy” as well. I find this unfortunate. It was simply more effective without delving into Thorn-esque elements. It’s made far worse by the fact these elements could not be more shallow and unexplored, and as such, they add absolutely nothing. If this movie was a sandwich, these elements would be the mayonnaise, watered down with the finest tap water, and gently brushed onto the bread to coat it with the thinnest layer possible. Why even bother?

Another interesting thing about the plot is there isn’t anything more methodical here than in the average movie of any sort. Our murderous doll dude never takes the time to come up with a serious plan or elaborate scheme. It’s only called Methodic to associate itself with Insidious, Sinister, Malignant, Livid, and that realm of horror titles. The difference is I can say from experience the aforementioned titles described the entities in their films. Methodic has several strengths. It isn’t far off from being an ok experience, but for me, it drops the ball a few too many times. 

4 out of 10

Methodic
RATING: NR
METHODIC (HD Trailer)
Runtime: 1 Hr. 37 Mins.
Directed By:
Written By:

 




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