Squealer gets off to a hot start. A nude woman crashes through a wall. As she tries to flee from an unknown pursuer, she is hit by a couple driving an RV. Somehow, she survives – only to get hit by a dump truck a few minutes later. The fact that the movie is inspired by true events makes it all more engaging. The plot follows a social worker named Lisa (co-writer Danielle Burgio, Army of the Dead) who stumbles across the work of a serial killer. It turns out he is a butcher who takes his work home.
Regrettably, the film is unable to live up to any of its promise. The tone set in the opening moments is replaced with one similar to a low budget action movie that would be found on late night premium cable in the 1990s. The cast are good looking, there is plenty of (female) nudity, and the action scenes are straight and to the point. There is none of the grit that the premise requires.
Squealer tries its best to make its story as uncomfortable as possible. Ronnie Gene Blevins (What Josiah Saw) certainly looks creepy enough as the titular character, and the performance is fine, but it is also little more than “freaky stringy haired man”. There is not much meat to the character. That being said, he is given the most to work with. Though the tacked on backstory he is given over halfway through the film is ultimately pointless (aside from during the Friday the 13th-esque climax), it is more than anyone else gets.
The film almost makes up for these shortcomings with over the top violence. There is a gross scene involving a spoon and an absolutely brutal leg breaking scene. These moments are disgusting and bring the discomfort that Squealer seems to be going for. Getting to these moments can be a chore, however. There is lots of exposition with two scenes in particular being long and drawn out. This is where the lack of strong characters is felt most.
Ultimately, Squealer is a terrifying idea that goes nowhere. It is never as chilling as this type of story should be and much of the time is spent spinning its wheels. A plot like this demand constant suspense and moments that should have audiences squirming in their seats. Instead, it ends up being a below average slasher.
Squealer will be in theaters, On Demand, and digital November 3
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