I don’t know about you, but this world has just gotten so mean these days. No one has any respect for anyone else. People treat those they deem beneath them with such apathy, like they’re useless. But when those people get fed up with the inequality and rampant disregard, it’s bad news. Messenger 666 takes one bike delivery guy and transforms him into a walking nightmare.
NYC bicycle messengers face deadly threats from truck drivers. A messenger gains superpowers and seeks vengeance, battling corrupt pharmaceutical executives behind a sinister plot.
Messenger 666, IMDB
Say what you want about Tubi horror, Messenger 666 offers a homely but heartfelt story about an occupation we don’t often hear about. Angel Vitali (played by Tim Palmer) is a bike mesenger who, while dutifully doing his job, fights tooth and nail demanding respect from citizens around the city. Obviously, they do important work, like delivering zombie rage-inducing drugs to unwitting clients all for a careless pharmaceutical company — but no thanks are given, especially from truck drivers not keen on sharing the streets.. After a rash of incidents where other bike delivery people are run down in the streets, Angel himself is injured — but transformed. Turning into a skull-headed behemoth, he is now Messenger 666, delivering vengeance to those who caused him and his team harm.
As many indie movies are, Messenger 666 does what it can to make every last dollar stretch. Where some scenes needed a little more work, others far exceeded my expectations. For example, some dialog could have used an extra microphone or two, but that’s overshadowed by the fact this was filmed in an actual city. And while some of the action may be missing (like any sort of blood resulting from violent action), it’s edited thoughtfully so we use our imagination to fill in the blanks.
While the characters may be an odd choice to focus on (who wants to watch a movie about bike messengers?), I value plotlines that stray from the norm. Messenger 666 isn’t only about running over delivery people, it’s a whole world of big pharma, dangerous new drugs, and supernatural powers straight from Hell. It’s new and refreshing, instead of rehashing stories we see time and time again.
Messenger 666 is a charming horror flick that doesn’t require a lot of thought put into it, but still entertains. Yes, it is a Tubi horror movie that comes with its own flaws. But it still is an indie slasher best watched with a group of friends to maximize on the unseen carnage.
Watch Messenger 666 now, streaming on Tubi! Follow writer/director Dwayne Buckle and 360 Sound And Vision on Instagram for more.
