Landing on Netflix today is the Spanish slasher movie, Killer Book Club (aka El club de los lectores criminales). Directed by Carlos Alonso Ojea, the movie stars Veki Velilla, Iván Pellicer, and Álvaro Mel, and follows the story of a group of horror fans who find themselves being picked off by a killer clown.
In the film, Ángela and seven of her friends regularly meet after school to take part in a book club. During their gatherings, the gang discuss the current book they are reading, which most recently is a novel about killer clowns.
While discussing the book, the group talk about the recent popularity of ‘clown pranks’ on social media – incidents where someone dresses up as a clown, scares members of the public, then records the prank to put online. The conversation then changes and the group eventually disperse.
The next day, while trying to get assistance on a book she is writing, Ángela is sexually propositioned by her college professor. This causes her great distress, which she conveys to her friends, but she refuses to report her abuser.
Believing they need to deal with the situation internally, Ángela’s group of friends decide to perform a clown prank on the professor. They want to scare and humiliate him, the same way he scared and humiliated her, and Ángela agrees.
However, during the night of the prank – where each group member dresses up as a clown – something goes terribly wrong and the professor is killed. But rather than call the police, the group agree to destroy their clown costumes, walk away, and never speak of the incident again.
Although they believe no one can link them to the crime, they soon learn this isn’t true. A few days later, an anonymous message is sent to the group from a ‘killer clown’, which contains the first chapter of a book, detailing the prank and the group’s involvement.
With each new message comes a new chapter in the book, and with each new chapter, comes a death. Someone knows the truth, and has decided to taunt the group, and then is intent on killing them off one by one.
The only way to survive is for Ángela and her friends to work out the identity of this mysterious and deadly clown. But with new chapters arriving and bodies stacking up, will the group unmask the killer in time?
Taking inspiration from a number of ‘90s horror classics, including Scream, Urban Legend, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Killer Book Club is a likeable, if somewhat slight, slasher movie. It’s clearly not the most original film, nor does it pack the same wallop as it’s peers, but it’s not bad either, and fans of this particular horror sub-genre should get something out of it.
What it lacks in originality, it makes up for in good will. And with a fairly simple premise, as well as a swift running time, Killer Book Club offers up some easy-to-watch horror that is ideal for a Friday night in front of the box.
Where Killer Book Club is at its best is in the set-up and the overall production design. The inner workings of this movie are all in place, so it looks good and moves along at a decent pace.
The costume for the ‘killer clown’ is also very strong. While the killer is a bit lacking in the personality department, the costume is at least iconic, and I can see it becoming much-loved amongst horror fans and no doubt popping up on T-shirts etc.
Killer Book Club also has a good cast, filled with the usual bunch of attractive leads, and it makes good use of social media to help tell the story. The film understands the best way to unnerve and terrorise a teenager is to attack them via their phone, and this helps to keep the story feeling modern.
Where Killer Book Club is less successful is when it comes to the dialogue and the general ‘pizzazz’ of the film. Killer Book Club has all the right components to make a stone-cold classic, yet it struggles to pack the right amount of punch.
The reason I Know What You Did Last Summer and its stablemates have stood the test of time is because they are witty, innovative, and generally dynamic. The same can’t quite be said about Killer Book Club, which misses the mark here, by retracing the steps of its predecessors, but without incorporating the same magic that made those films shine.
There are hints of it in its Scream-heavy final act, which is fun, but the picture needs more of these moments early on. With a touch more spark in the script, it would land a lot better, and I’d be more excited about what is being served up.
Despite its shortcomings, and my general quibbles, I do like Killer Book Club. Yes, it is derivative, but it taps into the late ‘90s-era of horror that I love so much, and it has clearly been made by a fan of the genre.
While the film is unable to reach the same heights as its peers, there is something enjoyable about the movie. Killer Book Club makes a good stab at things, and even though it doesn’t kill the competition, it still leaves a mark.
__
Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
It's A Stampede! 
Leave a comment