Shaky Shivers review.
An abundance of charm and a fun tone makes Shaky Shivers a great spooky season treat.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Shaky Shivers
Directed by Sung Kang
Written by Andrew McAllister and Aaron Strongoni
Starring Brooke Markham, VyVy Nguyen, Jimmy Bellinger, Erin Daniels, Skyler Day, Herschel Sparber and Sung Kang
Shaky Shivers Review
Fun. That’s the one-word review of Shaky Shivers if you’d like to save time. We’ll go into more details as to why this should be spooky season staple is so fun…but it’s all going to amount to the same thing. Shaky Shivers is a fun movie. It’s the goal of every scene…every moment…in the movie. Does everything land perfectly? Of course not. But so many things do land, often in a row, that you can’t help but be won over by its persistence. So…yeah. Fun.
Lucy (Brooke Markham) believes she has been cursed into becoming a werewolf. Her friend Karen (VyVy Nguyen) drives her to an abandoned girl scout camp during a full moon to find out. Armed with fuzzy handcuffs, a loaded gun and…oh yeah…a book of spells to bring on and counteract supernatural nasties…the two girls are in for the strangest night (and day) of their life.
I know what you’re (probably not) thinking. This is a werewolf movie? Why isn’t being covered for a Full Moon Feature? Well…it is a werewolf movie…but it isn’t just a werewolf movie. Lucy’s curse plays an important part, for sure. Ultimately, however, it is one of several monster paths that Shaky Shivers takes us down. It’s also a zombie movie. And a bit of a witch story. And Bigfoot might be wandering around in the woods. This is a werewolf movie the way that The Monster Squad is a werewolf movie. A strand of a tapestry…even if it is presented quite well.
That’s not to say we don’t get a werewolf transformation in Shaky Shivers. We get a darn good one. It’s (stop me if you’ve heard this one) fun and more than a little reminiscent of An American Werewolf in London. In fact, the entire werewolf plot of Shaky Shivers works well. Lucy’s fear of being a cursed…the reveal as to whether she is…the fallout from those reveals. If the filmmakers had wanted to make a pure werewolf movie…they had all the elements to make a good one.
They had some broader ideas in mind. The abandoned campsite becomes a breeding ground for all manner of monster activity. What starts with a gunshot blast results in a zombie to deal with. That thanks to a binder full of spells Lucy and Karen try to use to improve their dire situation. Shaky Shivers has fun with it all, of course. There is much mocking of the speed with which the zombie can move. Werewolves and zombies aren’t the only problems the duo has to fend off…there are surprises (human and otherwise) at every turn.
Lucy and Karen’s adventures are accompanied by a never-ending stream of sarcasm and sass. Their relationship is at the center of Shaky Shivers. A lot of what works here comes from the chemistry between Markham and Nguyen. They feel like real people dealing with an unbelievable reality the way they deal with everything…detached resentment. They’ll also do anything for each other. Including some ill-advised surgery and dead body removal.
While the fun never stops in Shaky Shivers it is probably best enjoyed by pre-teens and older. Kids might enjoy some of the effects and the appearances of iconic monster types…but the comedy (and themes of growing into adulthood) probably won’t land until they’re a bit older. Veteran horror fans will find plenty to enjoy in this love letter to the genre.
There are some good gore effects at play here as well. From zombie makeup to some light body horror…everything that is put on screen looks good. Add that to a few surprises and a solid werewolf transformation and you have a horror comedy that doesn’t skimp on the former while mainly focusing on the latter.
The movie starts with a (literal) bang and carries the manic energy from that moment until the credits roll. While serving as a love letter to monster movies of the past…Shaky Shivers strikes its own unique tone. It throws enough ideas at you to never be boring…and is always one sarcastic aside away from putting a smile on your face. That is its unabashed goal. One that it succeeds at more often than not. First time director Sung Kang finds a voice immediately and does a wonderful job keeping it going.
With plenty of (here comes that word again) fun twists and turns to reveal…Shaky Shivers is a delight. A rare teen horror comedy that doesn’t talk down to the audience or present one-dimensional characters. It’s easy to feel the love for the genre dripping through the screen. It has a lot of ideas and gives each the time to work…and be provided snarky commentary from Lucy and Karen. Their hell at an abandoned girl scout camp is a wonderful spooky season surprise for the audience.
Scare Value
Shaky Shivers is relentless in its quest to put a smile on your face. A string of wild and unexpected events for Lucy and Karen result in a persistent fun feeling. Likable leads…well thought out monsters…a script full of non-stop ideas…Shaky Shivers earns a place in your spooky season rotation. It may be a bit too reliant on snark to serve as a gateway horror movie for super young viewers…but there is something here for pre-teens and older.
3.5/5
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