More angry women this week and I’m here for it, as always. The world rumbles on and I’m half-watching the bad news unfold in horror (both in the UK and worldwide), half-burying my head in the sand to preserve my sanity. Almost exactly as I did at the beginning of the pandemic.
Still, there are things to be happy about. Dogs, tattoos, seeing friends, having a new niece or nephew on the way – and horror movies. I’ve also been going back into the office which almost makes me feel normal and part of that has been dragging my weary carcass into the cinema after work. I recently caught The Black Phone which was very good.
This week’s pick might not be quite as tense or satisfying as the above-mentioned, which is based on a short story by Joe Hill (Stephen King Jr.) but it does have female solidarity, almost no men and a seedy 80’s aesthetic, which is almost always appealing. Hey, I’m easily pleased.
REVEALER (2022)
Tensions rise when a stripper and religious protester are trapped together in a peep show booth and must come together to survive the apocalypse in 1980’s Chicago.
Directors: Luke Boyce
Starring: Caito Aase, Shaina Schrooten, Bishop Stevens
Genre: Horror ∙ IMDB user rating: 4.4
My score: 2.5/5 ∙ Runtime: 86 mins
Angie (Aase) is a stripper at a local adult bookstore called Revealers. The gig is pretty soul-destroying for everyone involved but particularly Angie, who begs her colleague Ray (Stevens) to at least try and rustle up some business.
On the way into work, Angie enjoys a feisty back and forth with religious nut Sally (Schrooten), who’s protesting in a group outside the store. Sally begs her to fix her heart and welcome Jesus into her life, a suggestion Ang scoffs at openly.
Once in her booth, our girl gets to work but it’s a slow night. Well, slow that is until the Heavens turn pitch black and the end of days comes rolling in. This is how Ray ends up dead and Sally finds herself inside the bookshop with only Angie for company – and survival. The pair have no choice but to put their differences aside and find a way to safety.
No easy task when, a) the women are on such different moral pages (or are they?) – and b) the Devil’s own evil henchman has been sent to collect their mortal souls. When Angie reveals there’s more to her than just looking good in a thong – and Sally makes her own confession – the pair seem to turn a corner.
But is it enough?
THOUGHTS
The messaging here isn’t that subtle and is very by-the-numbers. Think retro buddy movie and you’ll have an idea of where this is heading before it gets there. However, I don’t mind that too much. I’m not wild about the central characters and maybe would have liked some more padding around their personalities so I cared a bit more – though I did warm to them (sort of) eventually.
The fact that this has an 86 minute run time is helpful as Revealer doesn’t really have a lot of plot. The day of reckoning has finally come – as predicted by the church – and Sally’s pissed off because she hasn’t automatically been whizzed up to God’s side. Maybe because her secret doesn’t exactly align with her religion – but is she willing to proclaim who she really is and risk her place in Heaven?
The effects are basic too which isn’t unexpected given this is a low-budget straight-to-Shudder TV movie but the setting is unusual and I appreciate it was giving us a slightly different take on the apocalypse. Not original but more than just zombies, who can get old quick.
I did find it a shame that Angie’s character had to have a wholesome side to counterbalance her morally corrupt career choices. As soon as Sally finds out her new ally has parental responsibilities, she softens considerably. Which is what I mean about being heavy-handed. We get it: don’t judge a book by its cover, even a slutty one (especially when you want to fuck them yourself.) As always though, why do flawed characters have to justify their place in the world?
Otherwise this was fine, though probably quite forgettable.
Christa Act 
One thought on “Revealer review”