Crumb Catcher, the debut feature film from Chris Skotchdopole, sets itself up the way many horror films have throughout the history of cinema. A newlywed couple arrives at a cabin in the woods, and as nighttime officially settles in, they notice something is amiss. Now, there are many films that simply take this tried-and-true premise and roll with the fun that can be had there. And as genre fans, we love that! Even so, a breath of fresh air is equally beloved, and that’s exactly what Skotchdopole delivers. Rather than go the safe route of having a dangerous lunatic knocking on the door of Shane (Rigo Garay) and Leah (Ella Rae Peck), the filmmaker takes a different approach. Gone is the knife-wielding masked slasher, and in their place, is a simple inventor/salesman and his wife, hoping to gain financing for their breakthrough invention: the Crumb Catcher. Whether or not he’s actually dangerous is what the couple, and the audience, will find out. And lucky for us, that process turns out to be a ton of fun.
There’s really no way to break down what works so well about this film without starting at the very crux it hinges on: the brains behind the Crumb Catcher, John (John Speredakos). Equal part Looney Tunes and scuzzy snake oil salesman, John shows up and immediately shifts the tone of the film for the rest of its runtime. As soon as he enters the picture, the film unequivocally belongs to him. The film does a fine job at toying with the viewer’s perception as to whether or not he’s actually harmful, but Speredakos’ performance just leaves you utterly fascinated. It adds a bolt of energy to the film that feels a bit lacking as far as the conflict of the main relationship is concerned. However, Garay and Rae Peck definitely work well together as far as reactionary approaches to the madman taking up space in their living room. Their chemistry is certainly felt, especially in the third act that dares to take yet another two or three tonal shifts.
What begins as a zany film regarding a ludicrous inventor looking for a quick buck takes an incredibly hard pivot in the third act. Including a viscerally frightening car chase, it’s the type of horror sequence nobody would ever want to find themselves in. Every editing choice causes you to wince, not just out of fear, but out of sheer hope. If only our protagonists can make it to the end credits without more harm befalling them, everything will be alright. It seems like fairly standard horror fare, but Crumb Catcher’s final twenty minutes unfolds like a realistic nightmare. And this is all stemming from an otherwise darkly comedic film. With a very light touch, Skotchdopole impressively is able to set up sequences in a very economical manner. It doesn’t feel as if this film in particular has much to say about the concept of newlyweds and what comes with a possibly new phase of life, but it does feel like Skotchdopole has the tools needed to create an intriguing film. At the end of the day, Crumb Catcher is as zany as it is scary, and does something new with a genre cliché.
Crumb Catcher celebrated its world premiere at Fantastic Fest earlier this year, and was recently seen at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival. For more information about the film, head right here.