Hulu’s Into the Dark horror anthology series, produced by Blumhouse Television, has a new installment with director Adam Mason’s I’m Just Fucking With You. Sticking with the series’ theme of holiday horror, the film takes on April Fool’s Day and practical jokes. I’m Just Fucking With You had its world premiere at the 2019 South by Southwest Conference and Festivals (SXSW) on March 10th.
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Two siblings (Keir O’Donnell and Jessica McNamee) check into a motel the weekend of a family member’s wedding. Unfortunately for them, and anyone else who ventures onto the property, the acting motel manager (Hayes MacArthur) is not only highly inappropriate, but also deranged and loves cruel practical jokes. At first, his pranks seem harmless, if not a bit extreme, but they quickly escalate into murderous territory.
Actor Hayes MacArthur does well at playing a dangerous psychopath we can’t help but love. The character is almost always smiling and MacArthur genuinely looks like he is having a great time with the role. Keir O’Donnell excels at being a tightly-wound, sarcastic germaphobe, which is the exact opposite of the chaos Hayes brings. Although I’m Just Fucking With You is a slasher film, it also fits nicely in the dark comedy sub-genre, as it will make you equally laugh and cringe.
Shooting a feature-length film primarily on one property can be a bit challenging as using the same repeated locations can become stagnant. However, between Mason’s clever use of vibrant neon lighting and the clean, well-shot cinematography, this wasn’t an issue.
While I’m Just Fucking With You has a solid start and continues strong during its first half, the film just couldn’t keep up the momentum. Once it starts to use psychedelic camera tricks, the tone goes in a bit of a different direction and the pacing ultimately suffers. Fortunately, the last few minutes pick it back up, allowing the film to end on a high note.
I’m Just Fucking With You will be available exclusively on Hulu on April 1st.
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