Not unlike what 1996’s “Scream” accomplished, director Todd Strauss-Schulson’s valentine to 1980s slashers deconstructs the conventions of the genre, but goes further than “Scream” by dropping its characters literally in the middle of “Camp Bloodbath,” a “Friday the 13th”-like slasher. This allows Strauss-Schulson to play fast and loose with his movie, moving the timelines around and blurring the realities between life and cinema, while his engaging young cast tackles the project like nothing else could be more fun. In particular, Thomas Middleditch and Alia Shawkat seem born for this type of project, while lead Taissa Farmiga makes for a thoughtful and engaging final girl herself. Highly recommended for fans of slashers and meta cinema.
Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)
