Dead Hooker in a Trunk (2009) User Reviews

I found a clue.

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 29 March 2018]

Four diverse friends discover a dead hooker in their trunk and have different ideas as what to do with the body. Two of the girls have foggy memories and can't say if they weren't involved. As they drive around with the body deciding what to do with it they are confronted by various groups attempting to make a good story more entertaining.

The film attempted too hard to be a clever indie with a bunch of disjointed characters whereas they should have concentrated on just a few characters with better development to set up better dark comedy.

Guide: F-word. Sex. No nudity.

The Soska Sisters have to be taken on their own terms

[m-a-elsewhere · 6/10 · 8 June 2014]

Spiritual awakening in the scenic byways of western Canada...but only sort of.

Less extreme horror exploitation than a null-budget anarcho-punk statement from identical twin sister auteurs Jen & Sylvia Soska (a.k.a. Twisted Twins), DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK is the visual equivalent of lo-fi riot grrrl garage rock—mashing up Robert Rodriguez, Harmony Korine, Nick Zedd, Amos Poe, and Eli Roth, with an occasional whiff of Greg Araki.

The movie has to be taken on its own terms. In keeping with a homage to no wave and grindhouse esthetics, the Soskas apparently consider continuity to be cisgender heteronormative fascism imposed by imperialist capitalist elitism: exterior shots filmed before & after a snowstorm are spliced together; one character's severed limb randomly appears re-attached; it seems that a lead role had to be reinvented on the fly when the actress cast for the part didn't show up on set and the only available substitute was the cameraman. Some viewers can roll with this; others can't.

Still, the script is energetic, brutal, funny, often quite sparkling, albeit the actors mumble and stumble through any dialogue more complicated that "F*&K!"

The plot? There's a dead hooker in the trunk: roll camera and--ACTION!

More specifically: Geek, her severely hungover twin sister Badass, and Badass' equally hungover punk-rawk pal Junkie are giving Geek's friend Goody Two-Shoes a lift home from his Christian youth ministry when, en route, they discover that someone's stashed drugs and a corpse in the boot of Badass' car.

So...call the police? It's not like they had anything to do with it, right? Well, that's another problem--

BADASS: "Last night is really fuzzy..."

Thus the quartet, uncertain whether they're psycho-killers, have to find an informal way to ditch a cadaver in suburban Vancouver in broad daylight in winter--and pious Goody Two-Shoes demands they do so while respecting the dignity of the deceased. Plus, they're all being hunted by the real murderer or murderers.

Complications, mayhem, mutilations, homicides' 'n' hijinx, along with gratuitous everything and a cameo appearance by God, ensue.

It all hangs together—often barely—by dint of the Soska sisters' relentless fan-sensibility attitude.

Ambitious first effort.

[FrightMeter · 6/10 · 30 August 2010]

Four very different friends, including two sisters, find themselves in an epic predicament when, after a night of partying, they discover a dead hooker in the trunk of their car. While trying to find out just who she is and how she got their, the group encounter several crazy situations, including a serial killer who is hot on their trail.

The film is a breath of fresh air in its originality; it sheds all genre clichés to offer an unpredictable, and for the most part entertaining ride. The film blends several genres, one minute acting as a brutal grindhouse slasher, the next a buddy road trip comedy. I works and it's an accomplishment in itself that a film that attempts to be so many different things never loses focus. Despite this, the film is not as effective as it could have been. The characters are underwritten and unlikable. Their reactions to the situations they encounter are often inappropriate or unrealistic to the point of being distracting at points (after having an eyeball knocked out, exactly how long can one go with no medical attention and a piece of duct tape over the socket?) Still, Dead Hooker in a Trunk is a creative, ambitious first feature from the Soska sisters. With a tighter script and a bigger budget, they certainly could be forces within the genre.

FrightMeter Grade: B-

Just Awful

[matt_asimpson · 1/10 · 16 August 2011]

I read some pretty positive reviews for this film, and am always willing to support indy film.

but seriously WTF! I just payed 7 bucks to rent this, I feel so strongly about it that I will ask for my money back from the store.

I could only sit through 20 minutes of it. When the movie starts the first thing you will notice is just how terrible the audio is.

quickly followed by the lighting, camera work. and editing.

you will not know what the hell is going on.

Then when the performances start you will face palm at the writing and execution.

The thing that bothers me most is that the film makers have cast themselves in the lead roles, when really, if they cared at all about film making, they would have stayed on the other side of the camera, at least that way they could have attempted to limit the damage of every other terrible element at work.

0 out of 10

This movie is just plain bad

[maximuspain · 1/10 · 17 September 2011]

I won't warn you of spoilers, but I will warn you of this awful, awful mess of a film. I read many reviews praising this disgrace to the skies, which made me eager to watch it. The high hopes I had for this film were crushed completely within the first quarter of an hour. I really don't know where to begin pointing out the countless shortcomings of this film, nevertheless I will try my best.

First, the allegedly refreshing and convincing story turned out to be among the most illogical, inconsequent crap ever written. The dialogs, oh my God, the dialogs. They were so freaking awkward. The actors were even to explain how they feel due to the lack of both storytelling and acting skills of these "genius" twins and their cast.

And the specious argument of gore is neither valid nor justifiable for this film. The effects are cheap in the cheapest sense of the word, far from convincing and some were even ridiculous. If the movie were labeled a comedy that would be okay, but according to its official IMDb page it's not.

The wild mix of genres, by some reviewers considered innovative, proved to be half-baked and shallow, and therefore unsatisfactory. One review I read compared the movie to a roller-coaster, and I can sort-of agree to that. Only I think it's a BROKEN roller-coaster!

Don't ride a broken roller-coaster, even if it's only figuratively spoken, it can cost you an awful lot of brain cells.

P.S.: I recommend re-watching "The Horribly Slow Murderer With The Extremely Inefficient Weapon" instead of wasting time for this abomination.

A Stupid Debut

[rogertbop · 2 August 2011]

DHIAT's so-called "originality" did not distract me from its oddly paced, and often disengaging, story-telling. It seemed as if the Soska Sisters abandoned all, if any, logic in their script to boost its own bizarreness and eccentricity. Movies don't exactly demand realism (nor do I), but in this case it resulted in a laughable story that just felt too unbalanced to offer room for its humor to surface. In other words, they tried too hard. Whether they tried too hard to be witty or weird, humorous or homage-y, the Soska Sisters didn't know which direction to take their debut so they ended up taking all of them. Their decision made DHIAT a tangled and stupid effort. The dialogue was so stereotypically and poorly written, it literally had me finishing the sentences the actors were saying. (Ever heard that about a Tarantino flick?? Yeah, so don't go comparing them with QT) The acting, at times, was convincing… But how hard is it to act like a whore, a nerd or a religious douche? I guess I understand why people really like it though; it's a (moderately) violent homage to Grindhouse films, that actually has a pretty fun sub-plot about a masked serial killer that's worth mentioning. The Soska Sisters did their best considering their budget and will be welcomed with open arms in the horror community. Personally, I think they will be receiving a bit more than they deserve.

Really terrible debut movie from the Soska Twins.

[Red-Barracuda · 1/10 · 6 August 2014]

I recently saw the film American Mary which was directed by the Soska Twins. I was pretty impressed, as it was quite an interesting and fairly original horror concoction. With this in mind I had to see their debut movie, the brilliantly titled Dead Hooker in a Trunk. Well, after seeing it, all I can say is that they definitely got a lot better. In fairness, this movie seems to have been made on an ultra-low budget, we're taking peanuts here. But even cutting the Soska's some slack on this front, that doesn't change my view that Dead Hooker in a Trunk is a really terrible movie.

Its plot-line is certainly high-concept - four friends find a dead hooker in the trunk of their car. That's it more or less. A strong story is certainly no requirement in a good film but a movie needs to get other things right in the absence of one. And on a technical and artistic level this is an abomination. It has terrible camera-work and sound; really bad acting and an awful script. It's overall just too amateurish to offer very much to anybody. I am nevertheless pleased that these two Canadian sisters have gone on to do better things – as apart from anything else, there should be more women directors out there – but this debut just isn't good on any level I am afraid.

Modern grindhouse classic.

[krachtm · 7/10 · 22 March 2011]

After reading some glowing reviews here (which, unfortunately, always triggers my suspicious and cynical nature), I was willing to give this movie a chance, though I was a bit worried that, from the title, I might be in for a cheesefest or someone trying way too hard. Luckily, neither is the case.

There are some distracting things wrong with this movie, but what's surprising is the sheer number of things that are RIGHT. If you're a fan of grindhouse movies, you're probably pretty forgiving of cheap-looking special effects, watery fake blood, and poorly developed characters. In fact, one could make a pretty good argument that a true grindhouse movie almost requires these elements.

This is an impressive debut, and I'd like to see what comes in the future. It'd be a shame if the Soska sisters never got any attention and a chance to prove that they can make really good movies. In the future, however, I'd probably suggest bringing in a script doctor to tighten up the script and give the characters a little more... well, character. Also, less singing in the next movie, please. Whenever someone gets up on a stage and sings, I immediately think to myself, "Filler!" It was admittedly a decent method of contrasting the characters, but that doesn't mean it wasn't also a bit tedious to sit through. I'd give this movie an 8/10, if they cut the musical numbers out.

waste of time

[dopestarrrr · 1/10 · 22 July 2011]

i don't know where to begin... this movie is such a huge waste of time. thank god i did not pay any money to see this.

i got tricked into watching it by reading a review on IMDb by someone who obviously is related to this flick somehow or is just some crazy feminist who is into this piece of *beep".

if i had realized that the 2 girl "directors" are also acting the 2 lead roles, i would not have given it any chance.

its just a cheap form of profiling themselves. they maybe think that the over-use of profane language (the f-word appears in almost every sentence and is just way off) and very, very, VERY cheap gore-effects are somehow funny, but they are not. this movie is not one of those movies that are "so bad that they are good again", its truly just rubbish.

every male-role in this movie is portrayed by a "uber-feminist-lesbian-view" compared to the almighty girl-power of the three lead "actors". and thats what my girlfriend said about this movie, and she is very emancipated.

this is my first review here, simply because it has been a REALLY long time since a movie "p*****" me of that much.

the editing is crap, the dialogs are bad, it lacks any form of logic and is just a cheap shot at being funny by 2 man-hating women. i go as far as to say this is a movie for angry women, by angry women.

Indie cult classic on the way, don't pass it up

[jackmeat · 6/10 · 29 April 2013]

Yes, that is the title.I went in blind on this one and let me tell you how glad I am I watched this. This is an indie horror/action movie that screams "soon to be cult classic" written all over it. Mark my words, Sylvia and Jen Soska are completely on their ways to stardom. Another prediction like that I made was after seeing "Bad Taste" by Peter Jackson. No one believed me then, but I am sure they do now. So the first full length feature film by the twisted twins is here. This movie starts out with a couple kids witnessing their mother shot, and one of the kids shoots the assailant. Fast forward to adulthood with the twins and their "friend" head out on their routine drug pickup, only to discover a dead hooker in the trunk after a long night of partying. Unsure if they did it or not, they decide to dump the body. This little plight adds the geeky sisters bible thumping boyfriend along for the ride. This leads the group of 4 onto a trip through hell that includes all forms of mayhem and violence involving crooked cops,chainsaw wielding gang members,a sadistic serial killer, the list goes on. To say this movie goes over the top is an understatement, and for having no budget, it is astounding. Taking a page out of Carlos Gallardo and Robert Rodriguez's book by making a movie by doing everything yourself, be it, writing, directing, producing, editing, starring, and probably more. The nice touch was Carlos Gallardo appearing in a cameo as G-d in the movie as well. The whole movie moves at a "what the hell will they do next" pace which leads to a ride of a film that you won't soon forget Gore, guts, blood, all plenty of and done with the b-budget crafting perfectly so it isn't distracting by looking fake. And none of that cgi BS used as well. The acting was there to move from scene to scene and i don't think the twins were shooting for any Oscars either. The scenery is basically local areas of Vancouver, so not much to be said there. The story is straight forward and definitely original. I wouldn't be reviewing if I just spouted all the good, the continuity of this film has some issues. Almost to the point of distracting. I won't point out my major gripe there since that would be a spoiler but you will know it when you see it. And trust me, this is a movie you want to see, especially if you are interested in knowing about some soon to be big names in cinema. Scroll down a few messages for a link to their production studios site and see what else is coming up. I have to rate this accordingly without my bias of just how much I loved what they pulled off, and that is a 6.2/10 IMDb 4.2 This is a big descrepancy which I expected, but not everyone appreciates a true grindhouse horror type movie and this one delivers ! Don't pass it up. Bonus, strange quirk such as "Bad Taste" had since in that movie there was NOT a single female. In "DHIAT", I noticed I had just watched a movie that not a single character had a name.BTW, Happy Birthday, Soska twins, today you are 30.

Strange mix of genres.

[poolandrews · 3/10 · 6 September 2011]

Dead Hooker in a Trunk is set in Vancouver and starts as the academic Geek (Jen Soska) gets a text message from her friend Goody Two Shoes (CJ Wallis) who needs picking up from Church so Geek gets her sister Badass (Sylvia Soska) to pick him up, together with the drug addict Junkie (Rikki Gagne) the four discover that a dead body has been left in the trunk of Badass's classic Thunderbird, Since none of them know how the body got there they decide to bury the it in the woods but a growing list of coincidences & adventures make this tougher than they expected. From Cowboy pimps to serial killers to drug deals gone bad to bodily dismemberment it's a day neither of the two sisters will ever forget...

This Canadian production was written, produced & directed by the Soska twins who also star in it, to be brutally honest the two look quite cute & seem nice enough on screen & I do feel a little guilty for saying this but I really didn't like Dead Hooker in a Trunk that much at all. The script is a total mess that can't decide what it is or what it wants to be, like other's have noted Dead Hooker in a Trunk feels like a road film as the majority of it has the four main character's driving around into & out of various situations but they never really have any purpose or meaning & there's no great significance to anything they do. There's some exploitation elements with some cheap gore including someone having their arm ripped off but then simply sewing it back on & someone else having their eyeball knocked out but simply putting tape over the empty socket & again carrying on as if nothing had happened, there's some sex & nudity & attempts at comedy & humour which fall mostly flat & the script also throw's in various bizarre subplots that go nowhere like drug dealers, a serial killer with a split cock, a Cowboy pimp & a meaningless twist at the end. The character's are alright, some of the things they do just don't make sense, why not call the police when they find the body? Why not even bother checking she was dead? Why think nothing of killing a guy just because he was carrying a baseball bat? Why not try & find out who the hooker was & how she ended up in the trunk? Come to think of it how did they know she was a hooker anyway? At almost 90 minutes the pace is OK & it moves along at a decent rate but I couldn't get into it, there just didn't seem to be much of a story here so much as one loosely connected incident after another. The script feels like a collection of ideas strung together with no real connection, nothing seems to drive the story forward & the individual moments aren't that great anyway.

Obviously low budget Dead Hooker in a Trunk looks alright to be fair, it's not a visual masterpiece but it's competent enough. I can't say the look of the film appealed to me that much & the low budget does show at times, at one point the story starts after it's been raining & the ground is wet but shortly after the ground is covered in snow. The effects vary, there's some guts, some blood splatter & a few ripped-off arms but none of it stands out & it's quite flatly shot. The character Badass reminds me of a girl I know who really does deserve the name Badass, she is full of attitude & doesn't take any crap from anyone including me, in fact she hits hard & has given me two black eyes for being cheeky...

Filmed in Vancouver in Canada this looks OK & has reasonable production values, I have certainly seen worse looking films. The acting isn't great but again considering the nature of the production it could have been worse. The two Soska twins are probably the best thing about Dead Hooker in a Trunk, they look to be having fun I suppose even if I wasn't. Sorry girls.

Dead Hooker in a Trunk is an oddity, it's an exploitative road film that never really feels like anything. The story is all over the place, the mixture of genres is done seemingly at random & it's not even that nice to look at, I suppose I didn't hate it but at the same time I didn't like it either.

A true Grindhouse Joyride

[hauntedtree · 9/10 · 26 May 2010]

Amidst the list of other movies attempting to pay tribute to the grindhouse spirit at the Pollygrind Festival in Las Vegas, NV. The Film "Dead hooker in the Trunk" was the highlight of my time. The twin sisters (Jen and Sylvia AKA Twisted Twins) delivered an extremely well executed film.

Basic story is about a group of teenagers driving around town in their black Camero notice a strange smell coming from the car. They pull over and open the trunk to find a dead hooker hidden in it. It just gets crazier from there. You might have a hard time catching your breath between each crazy event!

They did an amazing job considering what their budget probably was. The script was well written, the cinematography was decent, the special effects where low budget which actually added to the charm of the film. Also I have to mention that the twins are not only beautiful but they are good actors.(something that is often overlooked in films in this caliber)

This film was a true passion project. Not only did the sisters star in this joyride, but they produced and directed it. And I can't forget C.J Wallas, who played the "Goody Two-shoes". He is also credited for the cinematography, editing and composing of this film.

If you are looking for the normal multi-million dollar cookie cutter action film filled your high priced actors, expensive car chases, explosion or even the latest 3D animation, you won't enjoy this film. But you are looking for some fresh new faces and good old fashion story telling, check this film out.

I am anxious to see what Twisted Twins do next!

True Grindhouse. Not Big Bucks Pretentious Hollywood Kill Bill SHITE!!!

[jeremyheadifen · 7/10 · 13 September 2017]

Heil From New Zealand, Soskas.

The Soska Family have collaborated to produce a pretty cool true low budget Grindhouse film. The opening sequence had me fooled into a Gothic-noir film, which I would love to see them try next. But very quickly you realise it is a different ride indeed. I particularly love the way realism is just cast aside without explanation. Nothing is predictable from scene to scene. The Soska sisters were mesmerising. I have only watched half of Kill Bill, and none of Kill Bill 2 because they were such desperate attempts at Grindhouse but with a ridiculous budget. Rather watch this instead. The Soska Sisters are my new fave next to Mary Death of course. I do love my Mary Death...

Jx

dead effin hooker in a trunk - really

[drdeathforpresident · 1/10 · 5 May 2013]

one word describes this - terrible. I am being nice here too. This mindless garbage should not be seen by human eyes. The acting is as good as a high school play. The script has so many 'F' words in it that you can't possibly follow this. The sisters have mass issues - one being their hatred towards all men. The only male lead is the biggest wuss in all cinema. He makes Charlie Brown look like Rambo. How many times do we have to see the dude vomit? I get it already. All the main character does is swear and act like she is bigger then the man upstairs. What world is this? I had to turn this stinker off midway because my brain started to hurt.

An Enjoyable First Effort

[joshsweet · 18 October 2011]

This seems to be a film that divides people into the camps of rabid critics or excitable supporters. "Dead Hooker in a Trunk" was one that interested me because of the unique title, and when I watched it I was strangely compelled. Twins "Badass" and "Geek", along with their friends, discover that the body of a hooker is in their car, and they begin to panic, as two of them ("Badass" and "Junkie", the characters are never named) reveal that they don't remember anything about the previous night. So "Badass" leads the group on a quest to ditch the body, all the while arguing with her twin sister and her friend "Goody Two Shoes" about their lives and what they should do. Things get complicated with the arrival of the police, a mysterious man dressed as a cowboy, an unknown serial killer in a hoodie, and the fact that their hooker may not be as dead as she seems... The film should descend into madness and incoherency at this point, but the Soska sisters manage to maintain a good pace throughout, with the 4 lead characters all strong enough to pull off what is required which is more than a simple blood and gore fest. It mixes elements of a thriller with a B-Slasher movie, road-movie and plenty of comedy. The old-school gore effects have a sweet nostalgia to them, the villains are actually genuinely menacing, and the entire exercise just about manages to hold itself together. The mood does whiplash occasionally, with the light-hearted antics of the crew suddenly being cut short with "Junkie" losing her arm to the Yakuza and "Badass" and "Geek" torturing a man to death in a surprisingly brutal and effective scene, though this adds to the experience rather than detracting from it. That said, there are moments when one can tell that this is their first film, with wobbly camera-work and sometimes clunky dialogue, but it is a highly polished and frequently amusing first attempt, topped off with a really cool cameo from Carlos Gallardo, and a very good soundtrack that fits the tone perfectly. Certainly a film to look at if you want a bit of fun.

One of the worst movies I've ever seen. They charged people money to watch this??

[Hal_Opinot-Pepper · 1/10 · 19 January 2017]

I cannot fathom why this home movie, an attempt by teenagers with not an ounce of skill between the entire production crew, to make a horror film. This scattered, non-directed, non-acted, completely uninteresting, obviously home-made piece of garbage has nothing going for it except a few occasional funny cornball home- made special effects, most of which are just over-the-top cartoon gore. There is literally nothing else about this movie that's worth sitting through.

Are you one of those people who ever picked up a camera and tried to make a movie over a weekend with your friends when you were a teenager? That is this movie. I have no idea why this got distribution, and I definitely have no idea why there are people posting here that they actually enjoyed watching this miserable, self-indulgent teenage crap. Maybe they're all friends of the filmmakers, that's the only thing I can imagine.

Every character is a cardboard stereotype, like you'd find in a movie written by a kid who didn't know how to write. The editing is abysmal, the camera-work seems like they just had someone running around with a super-8 camera. In sunny scenes you can see they didn't even think to wipe the dust off the lens. The acting - well, there isn't any acting. These people have obviously never acted before in their lives, and they aren't here. I don't know what you call their stiff, phony hamminess, but it's not acting.

I know the Soska sisters did go on to become good directors and make watchable movies. Their next movie, American Mary, was great. That does not save this.

I just finished watching it.

[Delrvich · 1/10 · 29 May 2021]

I've just finished it. And between a 1 (could have done better but didn't) and a 4 (couldn't do better), this has to be a 1. Some of their glaring continuity mistakes/illogical actions: 1. Jen goes with electrical tape covering her missing eye having lost it and, after no attempts for real medical attention, casually leaves it behind in a parking lot .... 20 or so). Killer (Bateman) was supposed to have a forked member. It was eventually flashed, but, it didn't appear so.

I'd add more, but, you saw them too.

There's nothing wrong with schlock, but, I prefer mine appear more unintentional a la Ed D Wood.

---------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Deliberately bad 2 I don't want to see it 3 I didn't finish and or FF'd through it 4 Bad 5 I don't get it 6 Good 7 Great but with a major flaw 8 Great 9 Noir with moral 10 Inspiring with moral.

leave it in the trunk please

[trashgang · 3/10 · 13 November 2012]

I liked the title, sounds a bit like those good old exploitations but what a terrible thing this was. Once started I thought, yes, this is going to be good but once the girls are watching the trunk I knew what I was getting. Trash.

Written by the Soska sisters and even played and directed by them it is obviously a ultra low budget. There aren't any real effects to see because it's done off screen, well, most of them. But there is a lot of red stuff that I can confirm. Sadly, it's the script and a lot of talking that made it almost unwatchable. I must admit that I grabbed the remote and had the fast forward button ready to push. Some parts are really okay but to many scenes are ridiculous and boring.

Maybe I they had a lot of fun but I rather should let this flick in the trunk straight to the bin.

Gore 0,5/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5

fairly entertaining movie

[john-bludgeoned · 7/10 · 11 July 2022]

This flick has flaws yes , but with a budget less than 3000 you should give it a break . Watch it , they put alot of heart into it . Its enjoyable for what it is and has some decent gore .

They get better.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 14 June 2013]

The Soska sisters are two of the more interesting characters working in horror today... identical twins with a seriously twisted outlook on life who have thus far written, directed, produced, and starred in several shorts and two full length indie movies, Dead Hooker In A Trunk (2009) and body modification horror American Mary (2012). Suitably impressed by the latter, I felt compelled to check out their debut feature; sadly, Dead Hooker is nowhere near as an accomplished effort, being yet another weak Tarantino-style grind-house homage that wants to be both ultra-cool edgy thriller AND over-the-top splat-stick, but which ends up simply being a mess.

Jen Soska plays 'Geek', a bible-thumping church-goer; Sylvia plays her sister 'Badass', the yin to her yang, a tattooed bitch in a tight black vest who refuses to take crap from anyone. Together with 'Goody Two Shoes' (C.J. Wallis), Jen's virginal boyfriend, and crap punk-rock singer 'Junkie' (Rikki Gagne), they are thrown into a world of chaos and violence after the discovery of a dead hooker and some bags of cocaine in the trunk of their car.

While I admire the Soska's for their attitude and obvious enthusiasm, I cannot bring myself to praise what is very clearly the work of naive newcomers; behind the admittedly nifty title lies a poorly written wreck of a film with embarrassingly bad dialogue and some truly terrible acting, not least from the sisters themselves. The action meanders aimlessly from one frustratingly logic-free scene to the next, the characters making ridiculously bad decisions, shrugging off severe (and probably fatal) injuries, and somehow developing incredible fighting skills along the way. About the only real fun to be had is with some cheap and cheerful OTT gore.

Thankfully, American Mary suggests that Jen and Sylvia have since honed their writing skills and are now happy to appear in cameos, leaving the main roles to real actors. A wise decision ladies.

The usual mess

[Leofwine_draca · 1/10 · 30 April 2018]

DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK is a typical indie non-horror/non-thriller made by a bunch of amateurs who moonlight as both cast and crew. They're no good in either role. This is the kind of film you see with positive reviews online, failing to realise that said reviews are written by family and friends (or the filmmakers themselves). The story has a group of friends discovering the body of a prostitute in the boot of their car - as you do - and trying to figure out what to do about it. It's very slow throughout, with unlikeable characters and an overly talky screenplay.

Well, *I* liked it.

[Dirkmaster · 9/10 · 18 July 2012]

So many people have badmouthed this movie, I felt like I had to respond. First off, in fairness, I have to say that I rented this movie knowing nothing about it, except that I liked the title and a trailer I saw on another IFC disc. And, I spent the first 30 minutes rooting that a meteor would come and kill every character in the movie.

But then, outrageous things started happening with little consequence. And the main two female characters started growing on me. And more weird stuff happened, and even the goody two shoes started to grow on me. I'm glad the meteor never show'd up.

This is a funny, freaky movie, but you gotta give it time. Imagine my shock and delight to learn AFTER I HAD WATCHED THE WHOLE THING, that it was written and directed by a pair of women. And then, to discover that it's the two main female leads! Sexy, smart, wicked sense of humor (an almost guy-like sense of humor, if I might be so sexist).

In the end, I enjoyed this movie a lot. It wasn't pretentious, high-brow or meant to be taken seriously, and I think that a lot of the bile being shot at it is because they 1) didn't go all the way through, or 2) were expecting something else.

BTW, I didn't have any problem with the audio. But then, I always watch movies with subtitles on, cause I have a problem understanding dialog in the best of movies.

Was American Mary a fluke?

[selfdestructo · 5/10 · 22 April 2023]

The biggest problem with Dead Hooker in a Trunk is a technical issue -- I couldn't hear half the dialogue in this movie, and the Blu-ray offers no subtitles. Whether the soundtrack was mixed way too loud, or the boom mic was too far away, or there was background noise, or whatever the case, sound is this movie's weakest trait. And maybe there's a really good movie in here somewhere, I don't know. I'm sure this was one of many issues in having a $2500 budget. Maybe you can't hire a competent sound guy. Your buddy gets the job (CJ Wallis is credited for all sound/mixing/music, he also played Goody Two Shoes, one of the leads). Two things I do appreciate, however, are (1) An ambitious movie on a tight budget, and (2) Badass chicks. So, 5 stars for me.

What exactly have the Soska Sisters done? They were supposed to be the next big thing in horror. American Mary is a stellar movie, but I think Katherine Isabelle in the lead should at least share some of the credit. That movie and this one were both written and directed by the twins. It seems since then they're just hired guns on feature films, which strikes me as odd considering the success of American Mary. Nothing since has been written by them, and this includes a sequel to a bad horror movie (See No Evil 2), and a modern day remake of a David Cronenberg film (Rabid). This, to me, says "slumming it." Can they not get the backing for another one of their own creations? I would much rather see what they have in store creatively next.

Edit: Surprise, looks like I need to see On the Edge (2022), witten and directed by Jen and Sylvia.

Low-Budget Grindhouse Action Horror At It's Finest

[andyrose_tx · 8/10 · 17 May 2010]

I was lucky enough to have received this film as a screener and submission for the Pretty Scary Blood Bath Film Festival this past February and after viewing it, it was promptly selected to play at the festival.

Jen and Sylvia Soska are twin sisters from Canada and they are filmmakers - writers, directors, and actors - who, with their debut feature, demonstrate that they truly understand what goes into a great grindhouse action film. DEAD HOOKER IN A TRUNK's title alone is the stuff cult classic films are made of, but the story of four friends, a Badass, a Geek, a Goody Two Shoes, and a Junky who find a dead hooker in the trunk of the car and the insanity that ensues backs the title up to provide a film that rivals many of the classic grindhouse films of decades ago. There are fast paced fight scenes, ridiculously off the wall dismemberings, some good ol' butt kicking, and plenty of laughs found within this film. And yes, there really is a Dead Hooker in a Trunk. Plus the film features a cameo by El Mariachi himself, Carlos Gallardo, as God.

The acting works at every level. Each of the cast turn in a believable performance. The special effects are low-budget but they deliver a believable punch where needed. The story is fun, although a bit fantastical and over-the-top (this is fiction after all), leaves you laughing where you should, on the edge of your seat from time to time, and most of all - truly caring what happens to the characters.

Technically, the film is well executed. Cinematography and editing are well done. The score and soundtrack is exactly what you'd want to hear in this type of film.

While not perfect in every way, it is dark comedy done with a low-budget grindhouse mentality and I believe this film is destined to become a cult classic.

awesome flick

[valor23 · 10/10 · 20 April 2011]

This is my first ever film review- so bear with me ,dont quite have the knack for this yet!! I wont get into all the particulars- but I will say this- I really enjoyed this film! I had so much fun- it really took me away from crap in my life - to just a nice break- I had heard of the Twins- and was vaguely familiar with their film here- but had never seen it! What I liked is the fact they were kind enough to send me a copy to see- which blew my mind- and then I was hoping I would feel the same about the film . I was ! Loved it! Okay okay- granted- its no CGI monster- not George Lucas / Steven Spielberg type production- but it IS ORIGINAL- and story different then I have ever seen! The acting was from the heart- the lines witty-and the actors / actress seem to really enjoy doing this film! That is the MOST important part of it all- LOVE WHAT YOUR DOING! That is awesome to see ! They are heartfelt- and they have great desire to just get better and better- and that drive is what WILL make them a success- maybe not ever make a billion dollar blockbuster-but who said Lucas etc thought that at first also??? I have since be able to "get to know " the Twins via online- they are wonderful- amazing folks- and working on a brand new film that IS gonna knock your socks off! Just watch this- have fun with it- get away from the doldrums of life- get a soda- popcorn- pizza- watch the movie- ENJOY- and be forewarned : you might just love it- and the best is yet to come!