‘Bitch Ass’ Movie Review [SXSW 2022]: The First Black Masked Serial Killer
Bitch Ass offers a fun slasher movie premise with the potential for plenty of outrageous antics. However, co-writer/director Bill Posley and co-writer Jonathan Colomb deliver a seriously underbaked horror movie that lacks execution. The Bitch Ass antagonist marks an achievement for the genre, but the film itself leaves much to be desired.
‘Bitch Ass’ introduces the horror genre’s first Black masked serial killer
Bitch Ass jumps between the years 1980 and 1999. In the former, the kids involved in the 6th Street gang relentlessly bully the shy, board game-loving boy named Cecil. They call him hurtful names, repeatedly harass him, and ultimately beat him up. That’s the last time anybody saw Cecil, who later became an urban legend within the neighborhood.
Fast forward to 1999, the 6th Street gang continues to run things. They bring in a group of new recruits but give them the task to rob Cecil’s house. However, the teenagers aren’t aware of the house they’re stepping into. They will have to play a series of childhood games that are a matter of life and death.
Writer/director Bill Posley mixes ‘Don’t Breathe’ and ‘Saw’
Bitch Ass immediately captures the audience’s attention with a Tony Todd introduction. He’s essentially the Elvira or Crypt Keeper of the movie, as he presents the motion picture. Bitch Ass introduces the first Black masked serial killer in a slasher that combines aspects of Don’t Breathe and Saw. It promotes having greater diversity in horror movie antagonists.
Posley establishes the conflict of whether to prioritize school or the gang. Q (Teon Kelley) wants to go to college, but his mother (Me’lisa Sellers) can’t afford it. As a result, he joins the 6th Street gang initiation. However, he aspires to be a doctor one day, but even the college counselor at school doesn’t entirely believe in him. Q plans to take his fate into his own hands and do what he feels needs to be done.
Bitch Ass has the running motifs of games and the underdog. Q and the title antagonist are underestimated by their peers. However, this ultimately works to their advantage. This lesson rings true in their brushes with society, as well as the life-or-death games that unfold before them.
‘Bitch Ass’ falls apart in its execution
Posley designed Cecil’s house to look like a gameboard of its own. He incorporates an abundance of fun visual tricks to make their home invasion feel more like a game of sorts. Some of these aesthetics get in the way of the storytelling, but there are some inventive uses of it.
Bitch Ass is low-budget and embraces its camp. However, it becomes an issue during the game sequences. They’re low on the gore factor and most of these games are over almost as soon as they start. As a result, they lack tension and any sort of a payoff. These tame and short-lived games are missed opportunities.
The first Black masked serial killer is a fun addition to the slasher genre. The concept built around him is amusing, although it has poor execution. Fortunately, the film has a firm understanding of its tone and fully commits. However, it could have pushed the envelope much further. Bitch Ass aims to introduce the next legendary slasher icon, but it neglects the movie built around him.
