#AMFAD – The Seven Deadly Sins Meet Disney Channel Pink

Watch my interview with #AMFAD director Marcus Dunstan on the new keithlovesmovies YouTube channel here.

Gen Z-targeted films can sometimes be too on the nose. They have all the elements that one would expect in a film targeting the younger generation –interactive screens, excessive use of technology, sexual characters without consummation of the sexual act on screen (for the hypersensitive Gen Zers), and whatever themes they are trying to put across. Enter Marcus Dunstan’s newest creation #AMFAD: All My Friends Are Dead, a horror featuring an impressive young cast starring Jade Pettyjohn and Jojo Siwa, some nasty killings, a neon-glazed IG-filter-worthy screen, and some serious commentary on invited voyeurism, a byproduct of our current, image-obsessed society. The film poses important questions about trauma, bullying, and how far one would go to erase one another for the sake of popularity. How can a single click or swipe change a person’s life or cause their downfall through a simple premise?

The story follows a group of college friends -made up of every horror movie character cliche in the book designed for audiences’ kitschy pleasure- rent an AirBnB for a Coachella-type music festival. What follows is how they meet their demise, one by one at the hands of a masked killer, as painfully as possible. A clever plot twist, featuring the seven deadly sins and cyberbullying, combined to create an undeniably delicious recipe albeit one that loses steam near the end but for the most part, does not disappoint. Meanwhile, Dunstan is not new to the horror genre, directing such cult favorites as The Collector and The Collection, with writing credits including scripts for some of the heaviest Saw franchise instalments Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3D. He knows exactly what he is doing, and in the case of #AMFAD, he further works his magic throughout.

That being said, the film is still going to be a polarizing one. Its kills are gory, creative, and intense to watch and while the characters fit their respective sins perfectly, the dialogue stalls at times. Also the visuals, while impressive at times, lack the required creativity. In the end, the film finds its strength where it draws inspiration from (modern social media culture, Disney films pink, and David Fincher’s medieval handling of the seven deadly sins as the pinnacle of sadistic serial killer culture), and staggers during moments where it may have benefited from better dialogue and character arcs.

Ultimately, Dunstan’s direction saves the day, so does Pettyjohn’s beautiful face. As Sarah, her ease in front of the camera shows the promise of a young star in the making, as well as her stereotype-defying charisma and demeanor. In terms of the supporting cast, they show promising talent specifically Ens as Mona, the queen bee, and the reality TV star Siwa, as Colette.

At the end of the day, #AMFAD poses some serious questions without losing its chill, tongue-in-cheek take on modern culture commentary, dipping its toes into the slasher genre without losing its identity as a fun, midnight special horror film best seen with friends while huddled around giant buckets of popcorn.

Check #AMFAD on digital on Prime Video or Apple TV+.

still courtesy of Cineverse

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Jaylan Salah Salman

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