Nekrotronic

I can never get in sync with Roache-Turner. The things that he finds funny and cool don’t seem clever, but rather childishly stupid to me. In technical terms, Nekrotronic is great. But could this topic possibly be made into a fun and at least somehow valuable movie in any way? Even Edgar Wright wouldn’t make it without retreating to Turner’s cheap and tasteless blending of inspirations from all sorts of genres. [Sitges FF] (06.10.2018)

The idea of demon hunters, already operating over the Internet and who to keep up with the times and be able to attack people via their mobile phones, does not sound completely bad in and of itself. But it shouldn't take the form of an over-embellished B movie patchwork (albeit with an obviously decent budget and relatively high-quality tricks), inspired by both Ghostbusters and Pokémon Go, set in a world without rules in which virtually anything can happen. Yet it's seldom enough to make it really fun, funny, or thrilling. The characters are annoying, the actors average and the dialogues awkward. The film does include a few nice directing ideas in places, but they don’t overcome the overall impression from the completely flimsy workmanship. (07.10.2018)

The much-praised debut of the Roache-Turner brothers didn’t do it for me. I found Wyrmwood extremely dull and off-putting with its cheap CGI gore. I get that they were working with a tight budget, but those awful CGI effects in modern low-budget splatter horror just don’t sit well with me. However, with Nekrotronic, this brotherly duo has somewhat redeemed themselves in my eyes. The film clearly had a bigger budget, and while the visuals are still heavily computer-generated, they’re executed in a way that I find more acceptable. The real improvement in their second feature film is the more polished and intriguing story. While Wyrmwood came off as a blend of Mad Max and Dawn of the Dead, Nekrotronic feels like a mix of Ghostbusters and Constantine. This time around, it’s more of a straight-up horror comedy with some genuinely cool moments and clever ideas that made the 99 minutes quite enjoyable. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s fun and will definitely find its audience. That said, die-hard fans of Wyrmwood might find Nekrotronic a bit disappointing. Overall, it’s a fun watch for a single viewing. (05.10.2018)