William Brown (Jonah Ray) is a passionate rock musician and composer with one major issue: he’s unable to create the perfect song to take him further. When William isn’t working on his music or spending time with his partner, he works at a recording studio as an engineer, helping others increase their fame. While at work, he openly reveals his current project to a co-worker, Scotty (Thomas Lennon), and is mocked when another musician overhears it.
William’s apartment is no sanctuary either and has seen better days. His entire building suffers from roof leaks and power outages, with pigs often seen running around. Arriving home after another day at work that felt wasteful, William discovers he has a new neighbor. To begin with, he is suspicious about his new neighbor, given all the strange loud noises that can be heard. The loud noises don’t help William concentrate on his music, and he quickly has had enough, banging on the wall to tell them to stop. The noise instantly stops; however, the strange, mysterious neighbor is not impressed and spits on William’s door. In retaliation, William calls the police, claiming it’s a form of assault. Soon, we learn that William’s new neighbour is a man named Vlad (Alex Winter). William’s efforts to stop Vlad’s loud noises and Vlad’s disruptive behaviour lead to more problems, including an accidental murder. William is left attempting to cover up the murder while still trying to compose music.
Destroy All Neighbors is both comedic and a horror. There are many random and witty one-liners, along with some repetitive gags that are played for laughs, such as William interacting with a homeless man outside his workplace who continually seeks free food while claiming the end is near. The entire film is highly brainless, and its storyline becomes deeply absurd once the plot is revealed, but again, it’s darn entertaining. Plenty of cameos are featured throughout the movie, which was also surprising.
[mailerlite_form form_id=1]Those who love all things horror will be delighted here. The violence consists of flesh and guts, plus several moments of blood-splattering and kills that are downright shocking. As William continues to create music and interact with the dead, the level of horror is heightened. The film’s creativity should also be praised, particularly in costumes and makeup. Alex Winter is unrecognisable as Vlad, and the same can be said about the actor’s voice work. Jonah Ray does a fantastic job as William, creating a character who is constantly terrified and looking over his shoulder. No matter how silly and outrageous the story becomes, he’s fully committed and energetic in every scene.
Overall, I had a terrific time with this film. You wouldn’t think it, but watching a musician attempt to create a hit song while interacting with many dead bodies is profoundly satisfying and hilarious. Plenty of cameos and random one-liners are delivered wonderfully, and those who love all things horror will also be pleased with the level of violence and blood splatters. Alex Winter as Vlad is unrecognizable, and while the film is wacky and absurd, I admired how committed everyone was. Destroy All Neighbors is a pleasurable blast!
7.0/10
8th January 2024
Written by Peter Walkden
WALKDEN ENTERTAINMENT
PODCASTS ARE AVAILABLE!
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