‘If you can’t breathe, then you can’t scream.’
Reeker is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Dave Payne (Addams Family Reunion; Alien Avengers II; Alien Terminator). It stars Devon Gummersall, Derek Richardson and Tina Illman. A prequel, No Man’s Land: The Rise of Reeker, also directed by Dave Payne, followed in 2008.
Strangers trapped at an eerie travel oasis in the desert must unravel the mystery behind their visions of dying people while they are preyed upon by a decaying creature…
Reviews [spoilers]:
“Reeker works on several levels. It has it all from suspense to shock to gallons of grue, but the main thing that set it apart from the usual kill-the-teen pack is the great script and direction by writer/director Dave Payne and some really above average acting by the cast. Nothing about Reeker feels phoned-in...” Steve Barton, Dread Central
“Writer-director Dave Payne manages to keep the audience guessing as to what is going on, without ever making Reeker too confusing to follow, and, most important, so obvious that the audience unravels the mystery too soon […] Even with the problems that Reeker has, it is solidly entertaining (at least as far as contemporary horror films go).” David Walker, DVD Talk
“One of the appealing things about the film is the creature itself, which is clearly supernatural in nature, accompanied by an odious smell but is also seen wearing a gas mask and producing mechanical devices, suggesting something science-fictional. Where the film falters after a fine build-up is in the twist ending that pulls back to explain everything that is going on.” Richard Scheib, Moria
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“Alas, the longer this goes on the more idiotic it becomes, with every plot twist thrown up purely for effect in the moment and without much in the way of logic. Scripted by its director Dave Payne, it was a proudly independent film, but only went to show that sometimes a script doctor is sometimes exactly what your opus needs…” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image
“Reeker is smarter than its genre, and so runs the risks of condescending to the fright-night aud. But the pic avoids smarmy posturing by being more than reverent toward its elders — Evil Dead among them — while sending them up at the same time. A no-brainer for midnight-movie glory, Reeker is also a glossy, gory takeoff on the teensploitation slasher flick…” John Anderson, Variety
Cast and characters:
- Devon Gummersall as Jack
- Derek Richardson as Nelson
- Tina Illman as Gretchen
- Scott Whyte as Trip
- Arielle Kebbel as Cookie
- Michael Ironside as Henry Tuckey
- Eric Mabius as Radford
- Marcia Strassman as Rose Tuckey
- David Hadinger as The Reeker
- Les Jankey as Trucker
- Carole Ruggier as Mom
- Paul Butcher as Kid
- Steven Zlotnick as Officer Bern
- Christopher Boyer as Officer Mansfield
- Wesley Thompson as Officer Taylor
- Alejandro Patino as Velez the Medic
Filming locations:
Los Angeles, California, USA
