We just don’t get any mad scientists in horror anymore! Well, until now. Krackers: The Sadist of Pennsville is an indie flick with just that, plus a brutal game of survival for two young women.
The story follows a malevolent yet exceedingly sadistic chemist who’s plotting an act of abomination in his old hometown of Springtown, PA while encountering three new victims into the mix of his imminent plan.
Krackers: The Sadist of Pennsville, IMDB
As college coeds Pauletta (Mae Burrus) and Christine (Tara Shilkret) drive their way to a friend’s grad party, they discuss the recent kidnappings in town and how the reward money would help with two things: getting out of college debt, and smoking the fattest bowl of weed. Unfortunately, they become lost and decide to camp out in the woods — a mistake they will soon regret. Joined by fellow lost soul Francis (Miles Mcloud), the girls come into contact with John C. Krackers (Enric Rhoades) in a wild and absurd escapade through the depths of a disturbed man’s psyche.
Krackers: The Sadist of Pennsville is a quintessential indie horror film with noisy visuals, shaky camera pans, and some plot points that come off as a bit odd upon first watch. That said, it’s amazing to see what a filmmaker can do with only $25,000. In a surprisingly artful turn, Krackers isn’t just a humdrum kidnapping-and-murder story; it has live-action sequences that morph into blood-red static drawings, onscreen text with powerful verbiage, and shots of small town life. Considering this is a low-budget film with obvious flaws (i.e., blown-out shots and echoing dialogue), there are moments of strikingly beautiful vignettes and simple-yet-effective makeup.
At slightly over an hour, Krackers felt very quick, which I can only attribute to its relentless push towards more action and furthering the story. Krackers himself is such a character, never once allowing the audience to come completely inside his head, with us only being able to experience the horrors the girls are going through onscreen. On that same character note, the abandoned building most of the story takes place in feels maze-like and endless; a demented horror story going down in what looks like a haunted hospital was such a great idea and the perfect setting to take advantage of.
The addition of various other “beings” takes Krackers to a whole new level. Slower, menacing acts are dialed up to 11 with Deadite-like characters that make our main mad scientist look like a well-adjusted individual. The fact that his secret chemical concoction is what prompted this transformation is the scary part.
Krackers: The Sadist of Pennsville does feel like a genuine indie film: low budget and rough around the edges, but filled with confidence and eagerness of the filmmakers and actors to make a feature-length movie. It is firmly in B-horror territory and doesn’t try to be anything more, only to make a good time for the audience. Though Krackers does make me question a few plot points and motives, it doesn’t take away from the rest of the film, especially when the actors are clearly along for the ride. Might as well join them!
Krackers: The Sadist of Pennsville is available to watch on YouTube. For more, visit the movie on Instagram.
