Kristy (2014)

- By @LastBoneStands

The phrase “wrong place at the wrong time” gets used a lot when speaking about horror films. A group of teenagers decides to go camping on such and such a date. Wrong place, wrong time. Thrill seekers enter the cave just at the right moment when a cave-in happens. Wrong place, wrong time. You see where I’m going with this. This is a trope that is used over and over in horror movies. Rarely is it done quite so well as it is in the 2014 film, Kristy.

Left alone on campus over Thanksgiving, Justine (Haley Bennett) decides to go into town and pick up a few items at a local convenient store. It’s here that she has a chance encounter with a strange young woman (Ashley Greene, of Twilight fame) that would come to haunt her throughout the rest of the 85 minute running length.

For me, this is what really kind of sold the story to me. We’ve all had to pull into a rest stop, gas station, or convenient store at some odd hour of the night, once or twice in our lives. Who knows what sort of shady individuals we just missed, or just missed us? Or maybe we just thought so. The idea that a chance encounter with an stranger in public setting could lead to a twisted game of cat and mouse is absolutely horrifying, and that’s what we get in Kristy.

Sure, this is another stalker/slasher film, and yeah, it’s a bit derivative, but it’s actually a really entertaining watch. There are great moments of genuine tension and catch-your-breath moments, and also a few jump scares thrown in for good measure. The acting done by the small cast is also what helps put Kristy above others of its kind. Haley Bennett acts her ass off as Justine, portraying the studious college girl, terrified victim, and vengeful heroine. Ashley Greene gives a face and voice to the stalkers, making the intentions of their cult known, and briefly explaining the “rules” to their game. With her character of “Violet” there are three masked and hooded men, each with their own signature weapon, and each does a suitable job of acting menacing.

Even though Kristy treads a lot of the same water other films have already been in, I still found myself interested in the events unfolding before me. I cared about Justine’s plight, she wasn’t just a cliché, horror movie stereotype, she was an actual character. It was the small things that really made her feel like a real person, and relatable. I’m not sure how this would hold up to repeat viewings, but on my first time through, I enjoyed the Hell out of it!

@LastBoneStands