Airbnb’s are having a banner year in horror with the latest indie thriller, 8 FOUND DEAD, as the most recent entry. This snappy yarn tells the tale of three couples that descend upon the same desert rental property with deadly results. Arguably an anthology, we follow officers Blake Miller (Laura Buckles) and Bobby Miller (Patrick Joseph Rieger) as they respond to a grisly murder scene in their otherwise mundane desert burg. The ensemble cast is wonderful, but the shining stars here are writer Jonathan Buchanan and director Travis Greene who construct a complicated collection of parallel narratives that render a savagely entertaining movie. Think Tarantino and Hitchcock with a smidge of Guy Ritchie.

The scenario is this; Carrie (Aly Trasher) and Ricky (Eddy Acosta) are getting ready to meet friends at a remote rental property in the desert.  Meanwhile, their friends, Sam (Alisha Soper) and Dwayne (William Gabriel Grier) are already en route and arrive at the arid escape. To everyone’s shock, peculiar couple Richard (Tim Simek) and Liz (Rosanne Limeres) are already at the home insisting that they too have booked the property. What begins as a comedy of manners descends into madness as the nimble timeline follows the two aforementioned officers size up a bloody crime scene and we see parallel stories playing out. It’s no spoiler to say that eight people die. The mystery is this, “Who survives?”

As if switching channels, Buchanan’s tightly wound script offers just enough information to keep us both interested and guessing. This is supported by a talented ensemble and strong performances. Trasher‘s steady performance as a struggling actor looking to network and climb ahead is great. Soper’s Sam is a surprisingly nuanced turn as a social media influencer with a painful secret. At the top of the heap are Simek and Limeres who seem to toy with their housemates with grotesque pleasure. Limeres‘s has an almost Lin Shaye quality to her giving off a wholesome appearance and creepy vibe. Meanwhile, Simek‘s Richard is the crazy uncle type that telegraphs unease with every movement and every word while trying to convince you that everything is fine.

As the framing device, the officers survey the bloodbath and we, the audience, are subjected to increasingly disturbing narratives that back up what the officers discover. Soon enough we hit real-time. To an audience, this is just a tricky story. For a writer, it is a carefully measured recipe that is handed over to the talented director that creates the dish. Greene and Buchanan are a talented duo to keep your eye on.

8 FOUND DEAD is one of this year’s best thrillers. It’s an exhilarating mystery thriller horror movie that is deftly crafted, wonderfully executed, and satisfyingly gruesome. You will rethink rental properties for sure. This one is a lot of fun.

8 Out Of 10