Day 16 (halfway there!), and today’s entry into our horror filmfest is the very bizarre 1989 flick Society. The debut of director Brian Yuzna (Beyond Re-Animator, Faust), the movie centers on Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock), who returns home and feels that there is something off about his family. His parents (Charles Lucia and Concetta D’Agnese) are part of the Beverly Hills crowd. His sister Jenny (Patrice Jennings) has dumped his friend David (Tim Bartell), who tries to warn Bill that there is something very twisted going on. Bill’s girlfriend Shauna (Heidi Kozak) seems only concerned with being invited to parties and where she can fit in. Bill ends up in an affair with Clarissa (Devin DeVasquez), who Shauna naturally hates. Bill feels confused and maybe even a bit paranoid, and slightly fears his psychiatrist. Things get stranger and stranger, until Bill is forced to confront the bizarre truth.
This is definitely one of those films that makes you say “What the hell was that?”, and yet can stick with you after the credits have rolled. Yuzna keeps the audience off balance throughout, making us wonder if Bill is really crazy, or is there some sinister conspiracy at work here. The acting definitely feels like an 80s comedy movie, pitting the lower class against upper class snobs. The final moments are anything but, where things twist into something else, brought to life by some spectacular and unnerving make-up effects by Screaming Mad George (Predator, Bride of Re-Animator, A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master). It certainly gives a different meaning to the notion that the rich feed off the poor. If you’re looking for an oddly bizarre horror flick with a touch of social commentary, this may be one to check out. Now showing on Amazon Prime. 7/10 stars
