Alice Maio Mackay’s acclaimed slasher Bad Girl Boogey is streaming free with ads on Tubi and Fandango, it's also streaming for subscribers of Shudder. Described as "a transgender and queer film" with a fun cameo from horror icon Bill Moseley.
The slasher was originally released on digital platforms on July 4, 2023 in select theaters on July 7th, 2023 and a DVD release on July 11, 2023. It received a positive reception at its premiere at Popcorn Frights Film Festival and a healthy festival run.
SYNOPSIS: Angel's mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles, fight their fear, and find the masked killer before he, or it, slaughters everyone they hold dear.
Alice Maio Mackay, a 16 year old transsexual filmmaker, directed, produced, and co-wrote with Ben Pahl Robinson. It stars Lisa Fanto, Iris Mcerlean, Prudence Cassar, Steven Thai, Hoa Chris, Asimos Oscar, Michalak, Lewi Dawson, Toshiro Glenn, Kate Bonney, Hjálmar Marteinsson, Stanley Browning, Molly Ferguson, Joe Romeo, Emma Bleby, Erin Paterson, Georgie Cufone, and Michelle Nightingale.
Jack-O's Review: “Bad Girl Boogey never escapes the limitations of its low budget, and it's weighed down even more by irritating, unlikable characters that make it harder to stay engaged. Although there are some bloody kills, they aren’t enough to make the film feel fully realized. Despite being set on Halloween, the seasonal atmosphere is almost nonexistent—beyond a mask and a few balloons and decorations in the opening, there’s little that actually connects it to the holiday. It just didn’t work for me.” ★★ @trickhorrortreater
More Reviews:
“Bad Girl Boogey is an intense, bloody slasher that features compelling performances, gruesomely creative kills, and profound commentary on the deadly consequences of allowing bigotry and hatred to go unchecked. The film also has a fun cameo from horror icon Bill Moseley (The Devil’s Rejects). With the impressive work Mackay has done telling queer horror stories with small budgets, it will be exciting to see what she can do with a big budget one day.” ★★★★ Bloody-Disgusting.com
“On the surface, this is a slasher in which a killer targets queer kids. Intentional or not, it borrows from the classic Demons—anyone who puts on a possessed mask goes on a killing spree. However, if you look deeper, this isn’t just another masked boogeyman movie. It’s a story about how queer kids are treated—they are misunderstood, they are bullied, the adults around them ignore what they are going through when not rejecting them, and most tragically, they are being murdered by hate...The film is quirky and has a distinct visual style, with lots of choppy editing and neon lighting set to alternative music, making it feel like an artsy music video at times. Plus there are some good practical gore effects. Also of note is that it is very clearly stated that the events are taking place on Halloween, yet there’s little in the way of Halloween atmosphere. You’d think a bunch of queer kids would make Halloween something extra special.” BoysBearsAndScares.com
“...it’s evident to me that Mackay really knows and loves her genre films. Oh, and the kills here are quite gruesome at times, which should please slasher fans ... Bad Girl Boogey is self-aware, while at the same time, it doesn’t feel like a retread of every other slasher. This is one stylish, out and proud queer horror film by an impressive young talent.” 7 out of 10, HorrorBuzz.com
“One thing that the viewer can’t fault are Bad Girl Boogey’s effects ... Overall Bad Girl Boogey has a lot going for it, for only her second feature Mackay shows a talent for staging the suspenseful and violent scenes a film like this requires. Hopefully, she’ll get a better grasp on pacing and revealing information.” ★★★½, VoicesFromTheBalcony.com
“Mackay tells a story rooted in reality and elevated by this supernatural plot device to represent a greater societal imbalance. With some memorable kills, likable characters, and a breezy run time, Bad Girl Boogey is not a slasher to miss. With an inventive story, Mackay adds another queer horror entry to their list and to the genre, bending tropes and creating bloody imagery to last.” Warped-Perspective.com
Bad Candy is streaming free with ads at Tubi, Roku, Plex, and Fawesome. The Halloween-themed horror anthology was originally released in 2021 by Epic Pictures to select theaters on September 10, On Demand on September 14, and to Blu-ray on September 28.
SYNOPSIS: On Halloween night in New Salem, Radio DJs Chilly Billy (Corey Taylor) and Paul (Zach Galligan) tell a twisted anthology of terrifying local myths. Residents of the small-town experience horrifying paranormal encounters that lead them to a grim end.
Written and directed by Scott B. Hansen and Desiree Connell. Zach Galligan (Gremlins), Derek Russo ("Loki"), and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor star.
Jack-O's Review: Bad Candy (2021) delivers solid practical effects—highlighted by an impressively designed demon man bat—and leans heavily into a strong Halloween atmosphere that fans of the season will appreciate. However, uneven acting and a few weaker segments make parts of the anthology more awkward than entertaining. While it clearly aims for the same vibe as Tales of Halloween (2015) and Trick ’r Treat (2007), it never quite reaches the same level of quality. That said, if you’re in the mood for a Halloween-themed horror anthology, it still stands above many lower-tier entries in the genre. My previous rating was ★★, but after many rewatches, I’ve grown to love the Halloween atmosphere—my current rating is ★★★." @trickhorrortreater
More Reviews:
“This is ADHD moviemaking all right; the restless camera doesn’t really stay on anything that long, but the great practical effects and very on point Halloween production values make it watchable, if at times baffling ... This is scrappy, well played but ultimately rather uninvolving fare...” Bloody-Flicks.co.uk
“There seems to be a theme of retribution in the mix, but Hansen and Connell don’t offer an organized picture to really hang their big idea high. Bad Candy is a messy endeavor, and with lowered seasonal demands, perhaps its disjointedness will suffice, but in the grand tradition of horror anthology releases, it doesn’t have the consistency to really deliver prime Halloween escapism.” ★★ Blu-ray.com
” ...apart from a few outright ugly shots, plentiful passion exists in energetic production design ... A little more attention to technical details like consistent color timing and Bad Candy could hit for par on an average homespun indie course. Unfortunately for that effort, a tragically underfed script loaded with nearly nothing but redundantly empty deaths never stood a chance of plopping out anything other than a flop.” Review Score: 35 CultureCrypt.com
” ...a very satisfying entry in the horror genre, with a well-constructed series of tales – and a surprising pay-off at the end. Added crossover appeal is thanks to the presence of Zach Galligan, whose work in Gremlins defined a generation of cinemagoers and he is very good here as one of the DJs.” FilmAndTVNow.com
“A scary story often benefits from the restrictions of limited locations, a truncated length and the necessity for a sharp, smart twist in the tale. There’s none of this in Bad Candy, in which all of the stories feel roughly the same and none of them come to any sort of satisfying conclusion. Instead, there’s often just a weird clown wandering into frame and an abrupt cut back to the radio studio.” Film: ★ / Movie: ★ FlickeringMyth.com
“Muddled and messy, Bad Candy offers barely a morsel of the fun that a Halloween-set anthology should do. The creative team have tried their hardest to replicate the enjoyable madness of a film like Trick R Treat, but sadly do not achieve their goals.” ★★ TheHollywoodNews.com
“The practical effects are handled very well and help with the immersion ... The costume design is on point, especially in regards to the clown demon who acts as one of the throughlines through the vignettes. It’s actually really cool how they explain the creation of them (not sure of their gender) without giving us a boring expository scene.” HorrorObsessive.com
“It’s a far from perfect film, but with enough entertaining tales, laugh-inducing gore and spookiness to make it a solid transport to Halloween whenever the mood strikes.” ★★★ KillerHorrorCritic.com
“This is a crowded film, with stories that bleed into each other Short Cuts style, but there’s a coherent overall look, with an emphasis on 1980s-ish practical effects (you can imagine the vintage Fangoria spread). Nevertheless, it has a streak of ruthlessness that makes it more than a simple retro exercise – that MAGA hat and the Not All Men horror aren’t the only touches that root it in a 21st century divided America.” JohnnyAlucard.com
“Yes, Bad Candy is corny and silly, but it’s also a real blast, an ideal choice for the season. There’s a real love for Halloween at play here, and you can definitely tell that the creators love the theme immensely. It’s a playful movie with a generally fun nature, which makes it easy to watch and easy to like. Sometimes the stories are a little creepier, sometimes they border on comedy, but they all work.” Nerdly.co.uk
” ...while there is a lot to like here, it felt a little bit too long and didn’t go into quite enough depth in some of the stories to make it a perfectly satisfying anthology. It could have been better to cut something and lose 10 minutes than try to cram it all in, to let things breathe. Despite that nitpicking, one thing that is certain though is that Bad Candy is a cut above a lot of independent horror...” NerdSpan.com
“Most Halloween anthologies are content with four or five stories, but Bad Candy attempted to cram as many stories as possible in its hour-and-45-minute runtime. As a result, it’s inconsistent throughout, and unfortunately, it falls flat at the end when it concludes on the weakest story of the bunch.” 65% NoFSpodcast.com
“The tight story, breakneck pacing, high body count, dark humor, and exceptional effects combine to make Bad Candy an instant late-night classic that competes with some of the best indie horror movies from the past few years.” The Verdict: WATCH THIS MOVIE. SignalHorizon.com
“The lack of originality at times really hurts, and the segments are not really given time to develop. On the plus side, favouring mostly practical gore effects is great to see. Thanks to the cinematography of co-director Scott Hansen and Blake Studwell, the movie looks great, but the visuals can only do so much. There are a few too many tricks in this bag of sweets.” StarburstMagazine.com
“A deaf kid features prominently in the opening segment, and there are several POC included at various points too, but nobody is developed enough to really make an impact. They all, essentially, boast one-line descriptors — abusive stepfather, rat-faced drug dealer, horny weirdo, etc. The only real character development in Bad Candy, in fact, is with Paul and Billy, and even then, it comes so late in the game that it’s hard to conjure up much reason to care.” VagueVisages.com
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