Synopsis- On the most chaotic shopping day of the year, retail workers must fight for survival as a parasitic alien infection turns Black Friday shoppers into bloodthirsty monsters.
Director- Casey Tebo
Cast- Bruce Campbell, Devon Sawa, Ivana Baquero
Released – 2021
Casey Tebo’s Black Friday blends horror and comedy into a satirical look at the retail world’s busiest day. It offers an amusing premise and a spirited cast. While the film delivers moments of gore and humour, it often feels uneven, unable to fully capitalize on its clever concept.
The story centres on a motley crew of toy store employees—each embodying workplace archetypes—as they prepare for the chaos of Black Friday. Things quickly spiral when customers become infected with an alien parasite, transforming into ravenous zombies. Bruce Campbell stars as store manager Jonathan, embracing his trademark campy charisma, while Devon Sawa’s weary Ken provides a surprisingly grounded emotional centre. Both performances anchor the film, offering a mix of absurdity and relatability.
One of the film’s strengths is its sharp critique of retail culture. The monstrous shoppers, clawing for deals and losing their humanity, are a grotesque exaggeration of Black Friday’s notorious consumerism. The film’s early humour, poking fun at the strained relationships between overworked employees and their oblivious management, lands with biting accuracy. However, as the narrative unfolds, the satire takes a backseat to conventional horror tropes, losing some of its initial charm.
The practical effects and makeup are a highlight, delivering gruesome transformations and creative zombie designs. The claustrophobic setting of the toy store adds to the tension, but the film’s low-budget roots occasionally show, especially in its reliance on dim lighting to obscure the action. The pacing also suffers, with some sequences dragging while others rush through key developments, sometimes making the story feel disjointed.
While Black Friday entertains, it doesn’t entirely satisfy. The script, penned by Andy Greskoviak, hints at deeper themes about corporate greed and workplace solidarity but fails to explore them meaningfully. The ensemble cast, including Michael Jai White and Ryan Lee, delivers solid performances but struggles with underdeveloped characters and a lack of emotional depth.
For fans of B-movie horror and retail satire, Black Friday offers enough laughs and gore to be worth a watch. However, it falls short of delivering the cult-classic potential suggested by its premise, ultimately feeling like a fun but forgettable holiday horror romp.
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