Killer Body Count (2024) Movie Review
Starring Cassiel Eatock-Winnik and Savana Tardieu, this Tubi release sends teenage boys and girls to a Catholic camp to repent and reform from acting depraved.
Plot Summary
At a catholic camp, teenagers find themselves forced to do bible study and repent after revealing they are a homosexual or being caught having sex and not fitting into some of the most conservative beliefs of the faith. Cami, sent by her father, can see something is off with the only two adults present, Tawny and Eugene. But, what really is worrisome is Ali’s story about a killer in the woods, Wyatt revealing there is no way out, and the fence is electrified, and then what was thought of as a 20-year-old story, likely told just to scare people, might be true – as people start getting murdered.
Cast and Characters
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Cami | Cassiel Eatock-Winnik |
| Tawny | Alex McGregor |
| Eugene | Bjorn Steinbach |
| Ali | Khosi Ngema |
| Wyatt | Savana Tardieu |
| Bree | Jessie Diepeveen |
Cami
Cami lost her mother, and with her father seeking faith to help get through his grief, he forced her to join a church that has helped him. Unfortunately for her, though, as she explores her sexuality, he is more than willing to treat her hooking up with a guy as an egregious sin, thus causing her to end up in a youth camp for sinners.
Tawny
Tawny leads the youth camp, often with an iron fist and a sharp tongue, though she tries to keep a bubbly and pleasant demeanor when possible.
Eugene
Eugene is Tawny’s older brother, who she would prefer acted like the music or enforcer of her word, but he is a bit more lenient than she is.
Ali
Ali is one of the girls in Cami’s section who introduces the story of the killer from 20 years ago that got the original camp shut down.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Blood & Water.”
Wyatt
Wyatt is Cami’s roommate, with whom she often hangs out.
Bree
Bree is the quietest of all the girls, is one of the few who don’t gawk or do something with the boys, and honestly may leave you questioning why is she there – unless she is supposed to be a snitch.
Review
Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)
Good If You Like
- Horror movies that veer may contain thriller elements but avoid being overtly serious or leaning towards being comedies
Similar To This
Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.
Highlights
The Sexuality and Nudity Isn’t A Cheap Hook
While there is nudity, mainly in bare male backside and multiple sexual situations, “Killer Body Count” isn’t trying to overtly rely on young nude bodies thrusting and gyrating on each other. There is a push to present sex as normal, and beautiful when consensual, and while some taboos exist for a reason, most are about controlling people’s, especially women’s, pleasure.
So if you thought this would be graphic, or was hoping it would be, prep to be disappointed.
On The Fence
Wishing They Went Into Everyone, Or At Least More Characters, Backgrounds
Though Cami gets fleshed out to a point, she is the only one who isn’t crafted to leave you piecing together their story with assumptions. This can potentially be an issue for some since, with everyone there for varying reasons, whether it is their sexual proclivities, sexuality, and who knows what else, it would have been interesting to hear more stories.
Granted, could this have made the movie more sexual? Potentially. However, when it comes to some characters, like Bree, who we don’t see hardly look in anyone’s direction and not even have implied sexual relations, it makes you wonder why they are there, what they do, and what’s up with their guardian?
Also, I should note that while the girls present the idea that they may have interesting stories or pasts, the boys are pretty generic – both in looks, personality, and forgettable dialog. Like everyone’s parent but Cami’s, you don’t get to know or understand them, and specifically for the parents, most don’t reveal what led to them sending their children away. Again, you can assume they thought they were on a bad path.
The Tightrope The Film Walks May Not Be For Everyone
“Killer Body Count” exists in a weird place in modern horror. It doesn’t push that it has any desires to be a comedy, even though its characters seem like they could easily fit into such roles with ease. Yet, even with acknowledging how oppressive faith can be on a young woman’s sexual journey, pushing women to advocate for their pleasure, and even giving Cami some depth to allow for a better-than-expected performance, the film doesn’t necessarily commit to anything that could have made it notable.
Instead, you could submit that it plays it safe to potentially avoid criticism. It allows for odd and potentially comedic characters but doesn’t want to be put into that space and compared, so it doesn’t seek to explore what can be done. Then, while they have Cami’s storyline, Wyatt’s, and others, all of which could lead to coming-of-age stories about sex that isn’t just about the thrill or consequence but processing what it means to be a woman who is learning what she likes; it doesn’t pursue that path either.
This ultimately made us feel like “Killer Body Count” played it too safely, and while it doesn’t dispel any enjoyment you could get from this, it doesn’t go as far as needed to be more than new content online.
*We acknowledge that the goal here could have been to avoid presenting a message and just deliver an entertaining movie.
Background Information
| Film Length | 1 Hour 49 Minutes |
| Date Released | May 17, 2024 |
| Distributor | Tubi |
| Director(s) | Danishka Esterhazy |
| Writer(s) | Jessica Landry |
| Based On Work By | N/A |
| Genre(s) | Horror, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult, LGBT+ |
| Content Rating | Rated TV-MA |
| Content Information | |
| Dialog | Cursing |
| Violence | Blood, Torture, Self-Harm, Notable Fight Scenes |
| Sexual Content | Nudity, Sexual Situations (Implied, Explicit) |
| Miscellaneous | Depiction of Corpses, Body Horror, Vomiting |
