Picture an idyllic Western flick: yellow-orange skies, sandy trails, men on horseback, country tunes. The campfire is built for storytelling, as we see in The Bad Taste Better; when two bounty hunters and a captured ranch hand rest for the night, they find the monsters of their stories may not be so fictional after all.
I think Western horror is often underutilized. Think about it. There are so many aspects of the wild west that are frightening: animals, guns, crime. Lawless lands make for fantastic frights. And here, The Bad Taste Better shows you only need 15 minutes or so to get that point across.
It’s a simple setup: a local legend is told around the fire, and then that legend comes true. The legend in question is a werewolf — great choice for a desert-based flick. The Bad Taste Better reels you in with the background and storytelling, lulling you into thinking this would be a person-based horror. But no — we’ve got a fang-mouthed monster on our hands! And though we only see said monster in the last minute, he certainly leaves an impression and the audience wanting more. Our three main characters, Red Hand Stanton (Dan McGee), Jethro McAllister (Cale Kaz), and Mateo Mendoza (Owen Adams) played their parts well, adding to the overall authenticity.
The Bad Taste Better is great because of its simplicity. Everything from the runtime to the setting, characters, and monster are easy to digest. You don’t have to think too hard to follow along. Admittedly, with some subgenres I don’t partake in often, I find myself having to remember to pay attention to the horror and not be distracted by its theming. Surprisingly, I didn’t do that at all with this short film. It felt like I had been watching Westerns my whole life, which speaks to its entertainment value. The Bad Taste Better may be short, but it’s certainly not holding back any punches.
Follow The Bad Taste Better writer/director Dylan Volker on Instagram, as well as Westmar Film Company on Instagram and YouTube.
