Penny Dreadful

I have to say, I can't wait for this years HorrorFest 8 Movies To Die For. Last years was so much fun, getting to see these great indie horror movies in a theatre was a real treat, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Courtney Solomon has in store for year 2. But, I didn't get to see all 8 of the movies last year, I only saw 4 of them in the theatre, the rest I've been catching up with on DVD. And one of them, that I just took a look at, is Penny Dreadful.



Here's the story: Penny is a young coed who was involved in a horrible car accident when she was a small girl. The accident, that killed both her parents in front of her, has left her with a crippling fear of cars. Well, Penny and her therapist are on a road trip to a cabin in the woods to help Penny get over her fear. Well, on the road, in the dark, the duo hits a hitchhiker. Luckily the hiker isn't hurt, but when they give him a ride, to make it up to him, they give him a ride. Well, that might sound uneventful, but the hitchhiker is a strange bird, not talking, eating raw meat and generally scaring Penny far worse than the car ride alone!

Well, after the hitchhiker is dropped off things go south pretty quickly. First, the hiker becomes threatening, then after a flat tire, the therapist hikes off to find a cell signal, leaving Penny alone in the car. Well, Penny gets out of the car, she's hit from behind and when she wakes up, she's stuck in the car with her, now dead, therapist! And not only is she stuck, she's really stuck, as the car is wedged between two trees and there's no way to get out. Penny is then terrorized by the hitchhiker from outside the car, and anyone who attempts to help her is killed.

Penny Dreadful is a great movie, the acting is great and it has to be because most of the 'action' takes place inside a car. The story is really good, going for tension and suspense over gore, although there are a couple of bloody scenes. I'm giving Penny Dreadful three and a half out of four cigars,

because while it takes a little while to gain steam, once it's up to speed the terror doesn't stop! If you're looking for a great horror movie that doesn't rely on gore then you'll love Penny Dreadful! So, until next time, when I'll write my review while being terrorized inside my car, remember that the best movies are bad movies!