The next movie on our 2021 October challenge is Willy’s Wonderland. In less than six hours I’ve gone from watching a movie about a creature in the dark to a Janitor beating up animatronics. Horror movies are all over the place and I love it!
Willy’s Wonderland stars Nicholas Cage, Emily Tosta and Beth Grant. It’s the newest movie on my list so far as it was only released this year. If you’ve never heard of the movie, take a look at this trailer:
Willy’s Wonderland follows a man known only as the Janitor. He’s a mysterious silent-type who’s coincidentally resourcefully clever. Also, he’s played by Nicholas Cage so you know you’re in for a wild ride.
When his tyres are ruined, he needs to spend the night at a place called Willy’s Wonderland. Once upon a time, it was a family entertainment center.
However, the Janitor doesn’t realise the night he’s in for… and neither do the ones trying to kill him. Trope revelations and hilarious kills are on show for all to see in this shlocky irreverent horror-comedy.
While Willy’s Wonderland has a lack of character development, its over-the-top craziness makes up for it. Even though the Janitor is raging against the machines, it’s Emily Tosta’s Liv who I wanted to see more of. She comes across as the heart of the story. The character who, other than the Janitor, has the most confidence to do the right thing.
Yet, in the end, she isn’t as involved as she could have been. Still, for the time she was onscreen, I loved it. Liv refuses to let the horror show keep going in her town, unlike the adults.
There’s probably a lesson in there for us all.
If you love Nicholas Cage, you’ll love this movie. If you’re looking to have fun, you’ll love this movie. Don’t go in expecting the greatest film ever. It’s not.
But, it’s also not the worst movie ever. It’s 88 minutes of fun where you can shut off your brain and enjoy.
