Found footage films have always been an area of contention in the horror community. The Blair Witch Project helped launched the genre in 1999 then 20 years later, you can’t go a year without finding some horror flicks with a shaky-cam.
As they’re seemingly cheap to produce and heavily reliant on jump scares, found footage films continue to scare audiences.
Unrelated to horror films yet just as horrifying has been the topic of police brutality. In 2020, news of violence perpetrated by those in blue has been in constant rotation. Widespread protests have ignited across the world and the topic has created a heated discussion on the internet.
Almost coincidentally, Cruiser combines a practical use of found footage and a highly contested topic to deliver a terrifying story of carnage.
In a small Georgia town, a young police officer starts his first day on the force. Since it mainly consists of minor traffic violations and busting kids drinking, it seems it’ll be an easy day on the force for the young cadet.
Yet when he decides to inspect a car pulled over the side of the road, it proves fatal. The driver suddenly chokes him to death. The mysterious man steals the cop cruiser and clothes and starts to deal out his own brand of bloody justice.
Sadly, there’s no compassion, no pity, and no escape. Just a gruesome death for anyone who is afraid they broke the law. However, he doesn’t decide to kill everyone he comes into contact with.
The psychopathic killer, simply known as Cruiser (Shuler Hensley), kidnaps one person. Locked in the back seat of the cop car, Tara (Lori Beth Sikes) watches Cruiser as he embarks on a bloody trail of violence.
Dark and utterly depraved, Cruiser is a hellish ride into the insane. The film balances itself from a pseudo snuff film to a slasher horror. While slasher horrors almost always take place in the would-be heroes shoes, Cruiser places you right in the perspective of the killer.
Taking cues from shows like COPS, Cruiser utilizes the use of a police cruisers dashboard camera to record the mayhem. Cell phones and gas station surveillance cameras pick up the spots the dash camera misses.
By using this technique, Cruiser feels earnest in the term ‘found footage’.
Although, Cruiser isn’t the first time a killer cop has shown up in a horror movie. The 1988 slasher flick Maniac Cop was the first to bring a homicidal cop to horror fans.
Fortunately, Cruiser is different in the fact the killer comes off quite unsuspecting. Unlike the Maniac Cop, the villain doesn’t transform into some hideous demon.
Furthermore, Cruiser’s eerily calm demeanor is what makes him frightening.
With no warning, he unleashes his true self to his victims. Using a trusty axe, he dismembers their bodies. By the time they have a chance to understand what’s going on, it’s too late.
Also, Cruiser’s origin is just as interesting as the movie itself. Originally filmed in 2016, it seemed as if the movie would never see the light of day.
Moreover, the casting choice of the homicidal cop played by Shuler Hensley is a surprising one. Shuler is a prolific Broadway star whose last movie credit was in the 2017 musical The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman.
How one goes from such a joyful film to this graphic piece of cinema is mind boggling yet he nails his performance.
By using his background on the stage, Shuler’s able to showcase his vocal skills in a chilling manner. For instance, Cruiser suddenly bursts into operatic numbers between bouts of rage.
Through this a whole new layer of dread is added.
Disturbing cinema can be very hit or miss. The subject matter in these films can come across too tame or so over the top, it’s hard to take it serious. Unfortunately in its climax, Cruiser dangerously comes close to the latter.
Thankfully, the quick run time lets you breathe as the film veers towards the absurd.
Meanwhile, Cruiser releasing in 2020 feels calculated. Certainly, it’s difficult to think of a more divisive year for stories about law enforcement. Although possibly triggering for some, Cruiser is still a fresh take on two genres in one that would satisfy anyone into extreme and demented cinema.
Cruiser is available on VOD.
