''Fender Bender'' is a 2016 American
slasher film
A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as ...
by writer and director Mark Pavia. ''Fender Bender'' is the first film co-produced with
ChillerTV and
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...
, it went into production on November 4, 2015. Shout! Factory developed, financed, and distributed the film and it premiered on ChillerTV June 3, 2016 after a limited theater release on May 23, 2016. The film was shot on location and is set in New Mexico, and follows a 17-year-old girl being stalked by a serial killer.
Plot
Hilary (
Makenzie Vega
Makenzie Jade Vega Norfolk (born February 10, 1994), known professionally as Makenzie Vega, is an American actress. She is known for her role as Grace Florrick on ''The Good Wife'' and as the 11-year-old counterpart of Nancy Callahan in ''Sin Ci ...
), a 17-year-old girl, gets into a
fender bender shortly after obtaining her driver’s license. She innocently provides all of her information to the other driver (
Bill Sage
William Sage III (born April 3, 1962) is an American actor and alumnus of State University of New York at Purchase. He is known for his collaborations with director Hal Hartley. Sage has appeared in more than 80 movies, most notable ''American Ps ...
). When Hilary returns home, her parents are angry at her, though the stranger rear-ended her. As a result, they go on holiday without her, leaving her alone and vulnerable. Hilary invites her friends, Rachel and Erik, over and receives a text from the stranger. She has unwittingly become the next victim as the mysterious driver stalks her suburban home later that stormy night while Erik, Rachel, and she defend themselves. Complicating matters is Hilary’s ex-boyfriend, who appears on the doorstep drunk.
Cast
*
Makenzie Vega
Makenzie Jade Vega Norfolk (born February 10, 1994), known professionally as Makenzie Vega, is an American actress. She is known for her role as Grace Florrick on ''The Good Wife'' and as the 11-year-old counterpart of Nancy Callahan in ''Sin Ci ...
as Hilary Diaz
* Dre Davis as Rachel
*
Cassidy Freeman
Cassidy Freeman (born April 22, 1982) is an American actress and musician. She is known for her roles as Tess Mercer in The CW's superhero drama ''Smallville'', Amber Gemstone in the HBO series ''The Righteous Gemstones'', and Cady Longmire in ...
as Jennifer
* Kelsey Montoya as Erik
* Harrison Sim as Andy
*
Steven Michael Quezada
Steven Michael Quezada (); born February 15, 1963) is an American actor and politician. He played Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Steven Gomez in the AMC series ''Breaking Bad'' from 2008 to 2013 and 2 episodes of its spin-off, ''Bet ...
as Mario
* Lora Cunningham as Olga
*
Bill Sage
William Sage III (born April 3, 1962) is an American actor and alumnus of State University of New York at Purchase. He is known for his collaborations with director Hal Hartley. Sage has appeared in more than 80 movies, most notable ''American Ps ...
as the Driver
Release
''Fender Bender'' was released by Shout! Factory on June 3, 2016 airing on Chiller TV. Shout! Factory released the film on Blu-ray and DVD format on October 4, 2016.
Reception
Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Crazed stated that he was "expecting almost nothing and was shocked at how effective it was in the end. It’s a solid stalk and chase slasher film mixing "''
Death Proof
''Death Proof'' is a 2007 American action-thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he purports to be "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito ...
''" and "''
The Hitcher''" and director Pavia delivers a strong genre entry suitable for a lazy Friday night and some beers." Matt Donato of We Got This Covered was more lukewarm indicating that although "Makenzie Vega asserts herself as a future genre star," "filmmaker Mark Pavia dilutes an original idea with stale, musty slasher generics that have been dominating too many of my reviews lately. A select few moments shine – mostly involving gnarly gore effects – but the sum of this creepy driver’s rampage is nothing but a bland home invasion/slasher wannabe told through a weak, timid voice." Jake Dee of The
Joblo Network rates the film a 5 out of 10 citing lack of originality and "over-trampled" "
''Halloween''-like tropes" as drawbacks while redemption comes in the slick pacing and ever increasing gore and violence culminating in its avoidance of a pat Hollywood ending which "make the movie a bit better than perhaps it should be."
[Dee, Jake. June 03, 2016. Fender Bender Movie Review joblo.com. Retrieved 2016-07-19]
Notes
References
Rotten Tomatoes Fender Bender ReviewExclusive by Brent Lang at Variety“A Crash Course in Terror” at HorrorpediaReview by Felix Vasquez at Cinema CrazedReview by Matt Donato at We Got This CoveredDaily DeadBloody DisgustingHorror WorldHorrorphilia
External links
*
* {{IMDb title, tt5131906
2016 horror films
2016 films
American slasher films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films