Review – Night of the Tommyknockers (2022) Cinemax

First, an overview of what I think this film is supposed to be. “Night Of The Tommyknockers” has the potential to be a dark action/horror/western film, largely set on a dark night in the tiny western town. Simply put: it doesn’t work. We open with miners telling us the legend of the giant goblins, I mean Tommyknockers. The film focuses on the survivors of a mining town and a group of savage outlaws, the “Dirt Gang”. When miners dig too deep for gold, they release bloodthirsty creatures called Tommyknockers and bring the town of Deer Creek, Nevada, to ruin. Meanwhile, the Dirt Gang, led by Dirk (Richard Greico), does what outlaws do best: crime. After a successful bank robbery where we were told there was to be no killing. The gang kills a few people who “deserve it” and retreats to a cozy campfire in the desert. There we receive information that there may be gold in the town of Deer Creek. The gang makes their way into the city and finds that it appears to be deserted. Once night falls, they soon find a saloon where most of the remaining townspeople are trying to spend the night. Then we learn more about the Tommyknockers. I think from here you understand what’s important. The rest of the film is survival.

The ugly

Instead of feeling like a dark western with a horror film, the film sometimes feels like you’re watching “Annie Get Your Gun” or “Oklahoma” (those are musicals and yes, I’ve seen them, so what!). The costume designs are simple and sometimes colorful, but somehow seem strange. The creature design sometimes looks like a person in a loose body suit. It really took away any fear I may have felt. These little details really took me out of the story. Some of the props were a real problem in the same way. Some of the weapons appear to be made of rubber or foam

it stands out. One of our squad carries a knife that looks like it was purchased at a Halloween store. I’m pretty sure I used the Exac

It’s not the same in this year’s costume. My favorite prop mishap is a shovel that folds up like a tortilla when thrown against a Tommyknocker’s body.

The evil

The bad thing about the film is mainly reflected in three things: the acting, the dialogue and the many inconsistencies and unfinished subplots. Wait, is that four? No, I think that’s five. I don’t really count anyway and was never particularly good at math. The acting was completely successful. It was a mix of fair to good performances and Pornhub’s biggest hits. My two favorite lines of dialogue were “He deserves it” and “Oh no, Buttercup.” These two lines and her delivery made me laugh unintentionally. Many of the lines are delivered in a deadpan tone that is scarier than the film itself. The inconsistencies in the story mostly revolve around where the people are in the city, including the Tommyknockers. They are portrayed as voracious killers who will not let anyone leave the safety of the saloon, which can sometimes seem a bit open and easily accessible. The Tommyknockers brutally kill townspeople and horses (Buttercup), they seem to appear and then disappear with no reason as to where they are going or how they got there. At times it seemed as if the survivors and a few newcomers were standing around in the open having long conversations while none of the Tommyknockers showed up. Some of the survivors are introduced and then we never see them again. I hope the prisoners in prison are doing well! Who really knows what’s hurting the Tommyknockers. Some of them can withstand a hail of bullets, while sometimes a blunt object or a weak kick is enough. We also see the beginnings of some side stories that we can’t complete at all. Although the majority of the film was shot very well, some scenes felt as if they had been shot in a completely different location, perhaps on a stage with the lights turned off except for one bright one in the middle of the room. Some other lighting was also a problem for me. Part of the climax takes place at night, but a bright spotlight shines through every open window at all times.

The good?

Finally there was something good in the film. Richard Greico, Tom Sizemore and Robert LaSardo all

had acceptable performances. Unfortunately, they were somewhat drowned out by some of the less than stellar performances. The shining stars of the film are Jessica Morris and Robert Donavan. Their performances are believable and authentic. Unfortunately, Donavan only has a few short sc

enes. I wanted more of his story. Robert LaSardo brought some humor to the role of Lucky, they don’t call him that for nothing. The blood and gore was well done, but was a bit lacking throughout the film. Michael Su did a really good job filming it. Most of the scenes were shot well, which I think is due to his extensive background in cinematography. The soundtrack was one of my favorite parts of the entire film. It fit and really helped convey the feeling. Hats off to Scott Glasgow!

Overall, I didn’t hate the movie, but I can’t imagine watching it again and again. Don’t believe me, watch for yourself. It will be available on VOD, Bluray and DVD on November 25, 2022.

This film is not “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”