A recliner becomes a death trap in this Kiwi horror comedy that goes a bit, no definitely crazy, with a twist ending that is somewhat expected but still brings a bit of a shock.
Francesca is a local dancer who has been the object of many men’s affections. When she learns one such man, Frederico, has allegedly been murdered, she is both relieved but in shock as well. However, she is excited at the same time when she receives a new recliner for her home, which she shares with her roommate TJ, who doesn’t seem to want to be more than friends with her. However, on her first night with the new furniture, weird things begin to happen.
While Detectives Bob Gravy and Rosane Grape investigate the death of Frederico, a local named Rabbi Jack, who touched the recliner before it was delivered experienced something that may be related. As he searches for clues in his visions, he learns the recliner may actually be a Dybbuk demon who is seeking to kill to gain energy. When it is revealed that the recliner has become enticed by Francesca, it plans to kill anyone in its way and perhaps Rabbi Jack may be the one who can find a way to stop the chaos before its too late.
From the mind of filmmaker Bernie Rao comes this very crazy film that perhaps pay homage to a few certain horror classics. Yes, the idea of a killer sofa seems a bit out there. Okay, a lot out there. However, as the film goes on, some can think of films like Christine and Child’s Play perhaps as influences for Rao to bring this story to life as let’s face it, have we ever seen a “killer sofa”. We’ve seen a “killing bed”, but not a “killer sofa”.
Piimio Mei’s Francesca is this film’s version of Arnie Cunningham to a certain extent. Her role of Francesca is one who is so loved by many that our killer sofa will go to great lengths to protect his “love” and at times, it can be quite gruesome. Nathalie Morris’s Maxi is her best friend who tries to figure out what’s going on while her grandfather, Rabbi Jack slowly discovers he has become some sort of visionary who learns of the Dybbuk that has possessed the recliner. Grant Kereama plays a mysterious expert whose viral video on the demon attracts the attention of Jack and Angelica Thomas’s Miss Cleo doppelganger Ashanti.
Jed Brophy and Stacey King are added to the mix as the wonderfully named Detectives Gravy and Grape, who investigate the goings-on while James Dunlop’s TJ is someone who is more of a friend to Francesca despite her romantic interest in him. There’s even a creepy cousin in Ralph, played by James Cain, who wants to marry Francesca even though she clearly has no interest in him. The death scenes are not too graphic or gory for the most part…it is more of a post-death motif that makes the film go a little squeamish with one victim’s eyeball unwittingly getting sucked up by a vacuum cleaner. The finale of the film definitely has a bit of the predictability but still tends to be a bit of a shock overall.
Killer Sofa is without a doubt a bat-[censored] crazy idea, but the underlining is that it is homage to the likes of horror classics that tends to sometimes go out there, but at a runtime of 80 minutes, it’s definitely worth checking out at least once.
WFG RATING: C+
High Octane Pictures presents a Mad Kiwi Films production. Director: Bernie Rao. Producer: Bernie Rao. Writer: Bernie Rao. Cinematography: Bernie Rao. Editing: Paulo Lourenço and Bernie Rao.
Cast: Piimio Mei, Nathalie Morris, James Dunlop, Jed Brophy, Stacey King, Jim Baltaxe, Harley Neville, Kimre Viviers, Angelica Thomas, Jason Tolley, Trae Te Wiki, Grant Kereama, Sean Fleming, Michael Fowler.
The film is being released on DVD and On Demand on October 1.
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