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A deranged
serial killer who spent his days ripping
out peoples hearts has finally been electrocuted.
Unfortunately, the electrocution didn't have a lot
of impact on him, and a small hospital nearby soon faces
a night of terror as the serial killer is on the hunt
for a new body to transfer his soul into. It's up to
a bunch of survivors to find a way out of the hospital,
but with all the doors securely locked up, chances of
survival decrease by the minute.
Had I not known for a fact that Heartstopper was made
in 2006, I would have thought that it was made in the
late 80's. Why? Well for starters, just read the plot
description. The fact that most of the actors had very
timeless hairstyles also added to the extreme 80's
vibe. It's been a long time since we saw a slasher
flick where an electrocuted serial-killer comes back
to life to wreak havoc once again. Personally, I'm
quite happy about this since I never did like the
concept very much, but I have to say, Heartstopper was
a quite neat throwback to the cheesy slashers of the
late 80's.
The story revolves around Sara, a suicidal teenager
who's bullied in school. After a failed suicide attempt,
she winds up in a hospital which is about to close down.
What she doesn't know is that the body of electrocuted
serial killer Chambers is also in the hospital, and
he's more alive than he should be. As the hospital
quickly turns into a morgue, Sara has to find a way
to escape her destiny (which is becoming Chambers new
host body). But even though she gets help from some
newly found friends, it seems as if it's only a matter
of time before she has to come face to face with the
brutal serial killer.
Yes, Heartstopper is indeed quite cheesy, but what
surprised me was how well-crafted and suspenseful it
was. The story might be simple but it's executed in
an impressive way with a cast filled with ambitious
and talented actors. When I saw Robert Englund in his
sheriff's outfit, I actually couldn't help but to
think of Dr. Loomis from Halloween (is it just me who
sees the resemblance?).
Even if Heartstopper was surprisingly entertaining, it
naturally did have its fair share of problems though,
the main one being the lame serial killer. I didn't
think Kane was very intimidating in "See No Evil" and
James Binkley wasn't any better. I think the problem
with having these kind of guys as the villain is that
they feel more like criminals than psychopaths, if you
know what I mean. You can't compare the killer in
Shocker with Michael Myers for example. Perhaps it's
because while Michael stays silent, Chambers chat's
away for all he's worth. Either way, I didn't think
that Chambers (James Binkley) worked very well.
Overall I would have to say that Heartstopper is a
quite forgettable slasher flick, but it does manage
to entertain while it's going. I think that director
Bob Keen maybe succeeded a bit too well with the
80's vibe. Either way, I recommend it for a rainy
Thursday night as it sure is a good time-killer, but
it definitely isn't anything you must have in
your slasher collection.
We get some hearts ripped out, a stomach ripped open,
a melted face and some more.
For its intents and purposes, it works. Doesn't go far
beyond that but feels competent enough.
If you enjoyed the electrocuted-killer-comes-back-to-life
slashers from the 80's, you will most definitely enjoy
Heartstopper. However, I was never a big fan of this
concept and Heartstopper doesn't do a whole lot to
improve it. It's entertaining enough for a Thursday
night, but you'll have forgotten all about it before
you know it.
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