Strangers trapped at an eerie travel oasis in the desert must unravel the mystery behind their visions of dying people while they are preyed upon by a decaying creature.
Reeker is a 2005 American horror film, written and directed by Dave Payne that centers on a group of young adults who are stranded in a desert oasis where they fall prey to a horrific decaying creature.
Sometimes you get unexpectedly great movies when you least expect them. Maybe that's a stretch but this certainly has one of the best endings ever. I never even had a clue that it was coming. It tied up all the loose ends and weird things that I had just associated with it being a B-movie.
While traveling to a rave party in the desert, the college mates Gretchen (Tina Illman), Trip (Scott Whyte), Cookie (Arielle Kebbel), Nelson (Derek Richardson) and the blind Jack (Devon Gummersall) get trapped in an abandoned motel when their van run out gas. Along the night, the Reeker, with his smell of death, chase them and they have to fight to survive.
The effects are gory and visually effective. The director milks the suspense by separating the characters and having blind Jack stumble around over cadavers. The events have an eerie quality and the isolated desert location is atmospheric. David Payne knows how to direct an action sequence and the actors are all reasonably impressive, particularly Devon Gummersall as Jack.
Like many horror films, Reeker places it's characters within predictably creepy surroundings. The aptly named "Halfway House", a remote Motel / Gas station subsequently becomes the setting for this film. The fact that no one's there, telephones don't work and dead, blood-stained deer materialize randomly on the booking office floor doesn't deter these hormonal lugs from copulating in the vacant hotel rooms! Ghostly voices are occasionally heard and strange etchings on the walls, provide possible clues for the more discerning among us
You'll see very clever people online with reviews saying, "It REEKS" or "It's a stinker". I think they claim to not like the film so they can use these lame jokes that they think are clever and original. You're not clever, you're a jackass. Sure the film has some weak points such as the pacing but dear god man, I watched Orgy Of The Dead. This looks like fucking Gone With The Wind compared to that film. It's not bad. It's worth a viewing.
This was Marcia Strassman's final film before her death on October 24, 2014 at the age of 66.
