[Film Review] The Bad Man (2018)

In the realm of extreme horror films, there is an area I like to call extreme-light. This is a film that has content that is definitely messed up and beyond the borders of regular horror, but perhaps doesn’t go as hard as other extreme films. Like, maybe there’s a disembodied head being used for sexual deviance, but the extreme-light film won’t show it explicitly. Or, maybe there’s foreign objects being placed in orifices for the joy of a sadistic freak, but it’s only the sound that clues you in on what’s happening off-screen. Extreme-light may be a good entry point for those interested in exploring the extreme genre without wanting to dive head-in. The Bad Man fits snugly into that subgenre. 

From Scott Shirmer, the director of the 2012 shocker Found, The Bad Man follows a couple as they take the reins of a bed-and-breakfast after a death in the family. Despite shutting the B&B down, a previously booked customer shows up on their first night, and they decide to let the man stay the night instead of turning him away. This, of course, turns out to be a bad decision, as their good-natured gesture ultimately leads them into a nasty nightmare. 

Starting out with Mary talking to an unseen interviewer, she tells the story of the evening that changed her life. The first act of The Bad Man is not great. There are some strange interactions between the titular “bad man,” a clown out of makeup called Lawrence (Arthur Cullipher), and couple Mary (Ellie Church) and PJ (Jason Crowe). An exposition dump spaghetti dinner and oddly timed bath does cause some worry for the viewer that the film will carry that odd pace throughout. Luckily, once the nightmare kicks in, The Bad Man becomes something different and strangely unique. 

After thinking she sees Lawrence spying on the couple in the bathtub in his clown getup, Mary insists that PJ get his gun out and locks them in their room for the night. She wakes up the next morning and PJ, and his gun, are gone. Mary investigates the house and, just before walking out the front door, sees Lawrence dragging an unconscious PJ across the floor. With most viewers likely yelling at her to get the hell out, Mary turns back and confronts Lawrence, refusing to leave PJ to whatever fate the clown has for him. This decision is infuriating, but as the viewer gets to know the character, it is actually right in line for the type of woman Mary is, devoted and strong as hell. 

Mary is drugged and, through intercutting the aforementioned interview, she informs the audience that the drugs she is given causes complete paralysis. When she gains consciousness, she sees PJ, still knocked out, and another person, a muscular, shirtless man in a gas mask named Charlie (those familiar with Found will recognize the look of the character, great call-back). Lawrence’s clown makeup is fairly generic but gets better as he grows more unhinged and the colors smear into a grimy, unrecognizable mask. 

It is revealed that Lawrence is training the couple to be sold as a “pretty lady” and “good boy” – a human doll and dog to be sold to the highest bidder in a small cult of fetishists. The interesting thing about this film is that the majority of the most dehumanizing atrocities are committed against PJ. In a genre that typically saves its worst tortures for women, this subversion of expectations carries through the film and provides a compelling narrative that elevates The Bad Man above other more nihilistic and nasty fare (see: Incident in a Ghostland, with which this film shares some similarities). That’s not to say that Mary avoids being abused in many ways, but PJ is broken down until he is essentially no longer a man, until he is a shattered soul. Throughout the mutilation, sexual assault, physical anguish, and mental imprisonment, it is Mary who maintains her will to live, and ultimately it is up to her to save herself and PJ. 

The Bad Man starts off as just another low-budget horror, but it mutates into a story of resilience and survival, as well as a cutting critique of American capitalism and the effects of trauma on the mind and body. In the end, it’s hard to believe that anyone could come out of such a terrifying situation with any bit of their humanity intact, but this film manages to shine a bit of light and hope into an otherwise bleak pit of despair. 

The Bad Man is available from TetroVideo now! 

Rating based on extremity. 

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