User reviews

A small town is embroiled in a heated mayoral race. Tension is high with the upcoming Founders Day festival. Allison Chambers barely escapes from a killer wearing a Founders mask after just witnessing the murder of her girlfriend.

After the great successes of Halloween and Friday the 13th, Hollywood made horror movies out of every special day imaginable. This indie horror seems to be following that path whether in tribute or as a mindless work project. I recognize a few faces, but I don't really know these actors. This is marginal work, but I did enjoy guessing the mystery killer. The reveal is interesting but also problematic. While it is a little surprising, I don't think that person makes sense. That person would have to explain the unexplainable and there is no reason for the scheme. It is deflating to close out a borderline movie on a sour note.

This movie was interesting. The story was there, the murders were solid, but it was kinda random. No explanation of how some characters found out info, the music was very loud, the acting was okay...the mosh pit of protesters was weird. Was she in there all night? And then the cops found her? I enjoyed the sweets loving cop!! She was something else, and I would have given This movie more stars if it picked a a steady genre I guess? Horror, comedy horror, I enjoyed it for the laughs and the murders vs the story, acting, scene changing. Some shots were beautiful, others were yet again, random. Good movie if you like a good random 80s,90s,00, type movie.

This movie deserves less than 5 but the ideas behind the scenario deserves more than 5, so it may be a "not bad" low budget horror movie. And do not dive into the 1-3 ratings, this movie still is watchable.

You will see absurd levels of inspiration from Scream movies. Maybe that's not bad at all, but the execution of the scenes are bad. Even in 80s horror flicks these scenes were executed much better.

I don't know if the scenario was good and the directing and editing of the movie is bad. But the result seems like it. Maybe these ideas with better execution could be a really good movie, because some of th ideas behind the scenario is reflecting the politicians and people around the world very well.

Plot

A small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election.

Cast

Naomi Grace leads competently, Devin "13 Reasons Why" Druid unintentionally comes across as creepy as he was in that and William Russ outshines everyone.

Verdict

Though I'm a horror fanatic slasher isn't exactly my favorite sub-genre, and the reason? They're all too similar, I grew up with 70's-80's slashers and they gradually died out because of that reason.

Founders Day tries to reel in some of that nostalgic magic, but in doing so falls into the same trap! It's so generic, so uninspired, we've seen this before a thousand times (Probably not an exaggeration). It doesn't color outside the lines for a moment, it doesn't dare wander off the path and delivers something that will only be appreciated by people who have never really experienced many slashers and therefore won't predict the whole thing straight out of the gate.

And don't even get me started on that ending, I absolutely didn't "Get" that in the slightest. I need an explanation, what were they thinking?

Rants

I don't like Erik Bloomquist, it's not a personal thing, it's not a talent thing, I don't in fact know what it is. He's just one of those people who when they come on to the screen I wince ever so slightly, feel a level of discomfort and if I had any children would cover their eyes. Therefore a movie written, directed and starring him never really stood a change.

The Good

William Russ is great

The Bad

Bland kills Offensively unoriginal Dreadful finale.

I mean, it was laughable I'll give it that. Acting was bad, like it looked so bad I think it was on purpose. Like Harold character. It had PG13 gore which I don't like, I prefer it when they go all the way and make it gruesome. In between stabbings it was so melodramatic, just sad sappy stories of people we don't get to know. I didn't care for any of the characters. This was a $1 Monday mystery movie so it didn't bother me as much. It was three fully crowded theaters which is rare, usually they only have one viewing of MMM.

From the first couple minutes I knew it was going to be crappy so that helped me tolerate it more. Second time seeing Erik Bloomquist in a movie and both are pretty bad. First was "Weekenders." So many things just didn't make sense. Felt like the mystery was solved halfway through so I was wondering what's next. Didn't really care who the killer was.

There was so many dumb scenes: -the girl and her dad Left her friend sleeping when the house was potentially being broken into -A police search and this kid hid behind a tree surrounded by cops😂and then showed up at the police station while still on the run -The car chase, the cop car drove off in the wrong direction to the car it was chasing -These guys were measuring dicks by using their dead kids -Also the mayor could've just dropped the pen, How on earth did she get stabbed???

There was much more but those are the few I remember now. This was so stupid. So much dumb stuff it was funny, the person I sat next to made this much better because we were just pointing out how stupid the movie was. Even if you left your brain outside the theater you'd still think it's dumb. This was so bad it looked deliberate, everybody on set must have known what they were making.

The acting was mediocre and the writing was was worse.

I think it was attempted to be satire, but it wasn't funny. I struggled to even laugh at how bad it was. There were weird character dynamics that detracted from the movie and made it even worse.

It seems to be written for a different generation that is all about rage and forced over-dramatics.

My wife asked if I was ready to go and I was. It wasn't even halfway through yet. And, when we got up to leave, others got up and walked out too. I'm thankful it was only $1 as part of Regal Mystery Movie Mondays.

I will give it credit for being the first movie I've ever felt compelled to write a review for.

I am surprised I didn't walk out of this movie. It baffled my brain as I was watching and trying to eliminate characters as the killer by thinking logically. Huh? Without the 20 minute wrap up at the end it wouldn't have made any sense. It was sorely appreciated. I did not catch the theme/report clue. Very mediocre writing and some very bad over-acting. Some good special effects. The very end left me losing hope. I am very happy I stayed to the end because I very much enjoyed the closing credits. Great graphics and fun animation that gave a very nice recap of the characters and how those that were killed died - otherwise watch when it streams.

After going to watch this movie blindly (not knowing what it was about, not having a seen a trailer) I am convinced that all the negative reviews don't get it. I'm a huge horror nerd, and this falls under the so bad - it's good satire horror film. It's not good like last year's Thanksgiving, but it is definitely a fun movie with some solid kills and a good laugh here and there.

I'm certain this movie is not to be taken too seriously, or at least I hope not, and if you do just that - you're going to enjoy the ride.

My only negative review about this film, which is why I give it a 6/10 and not a 7 is that - it's 20 minutes too long. From the opening death scene to the next, there's just too much back story that could seriously be condensed. Same with the ending, they over explain everything. And in the middle of the movie, they have like a false ending that goes for too long. But, genuinely, it's still a solid movie.

After a series of strange attacks, residents of a small town on the verge of a heated mayoral election are thrust into a deadly race to stop the maniac responsible for the actions as the sides of the debate turn into a sideshow trying to be the main culprit to follow through the whole affair.

There's very little to this one that's worthwhile. Among the few positives to be had here is the potential setup to be had with the relationships between the culprits in the middle of the election. The idea of the various characters enjoying a clandestine romance and trying to follow through with their plans to be together while the figure goes around knocking people off trying to incite a slew of high-intensity clashes between the two different factors in the political sphere that keep growing throughout the film. This is enhanced by the various attack scenes where an impressive mask and costume to hide their identity springs into action with a nice collection of ambushes involving a brutal death manner for its scenes that are pretty much the only positives to be had here. There are plenty of issues to be had here that are massive detriments to this one. The main factor is the utterly asinine storyline that tries to take the political leanings of its setup but is grossly mishandled. Trying to set up the warring factors of the debate as caricatures of the political spectrum who are more concerned with their standings in the days leading up to their election makes everyone out to be immensely unsympathetic due to the unrealistic nature of this behavior. It comes off as incredibly forced trying to make sure that they're grandstanding is seen as the key to their election rather than trying to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding them as it leads to several ill-timed points trying to keep this going. As well, there are plenty of issues to be had with the inability to properly work as a slasher film. The majority of the kills here are immensely brutal and gruesome in concept but the execution is grossly lacking, being shot so haphazardly that it's impossible to tell what's going on or just taking place off-screen to the point that it's impossible not to get any enjoyment out of these scenes. Since the kills are done with an impressive weapon and design, the inability to focus on this factor makes for a disappointing time here since the lack of focus on the kills is a factor that could've saved this one but due to the general lack of focus, it makes for a highly uninvolved time. The other factor here, which also ties into the lack of slashing, is the wholly disjointed and petty reasoning for the motivation behind everything. Due to the revelations made at this point, the idea of instigating the rampage as a way of getting revenge on the unscrupulous ex to get back at them for cheating on them is a backward plan much like the idea of killing off the friend for trying to better their lives without them. The means do not justify the results here, offering up tons of plot holes throughout this plan that get revealed along the way to put such a plot into motion, and with the whole affair being wrapped up in an ugly production scale, unlikable characters that we're supposed to follow, and way too long a running time there's a lot to bring this down.

Rated R: Graphic Language and Graphic Violence.

I saw Founders Day early as part of Regal's Mystery Movie Monday. I knew absolutely zero about this movie. I loved the experience of learning the tone, genre and plot. And I found the movie as a whole to be highly entertaining.

I'm not really sure how to describe Founders Day. It's not a parody. It's not really a satire. It's different than traditional dark comedies. It's some oddly unique combination of all of them. You can call it a horror-comedy, but it arrives there unlike any other movie in that subgenre. I've never seen anything like it.

Many people won't get this movie. I can tell by some of these IMDb reviews as well as the 15+ people that walked out of my showing. Any criticism of bad acting, cringe-y dialogue or idiotic character decisions is completely missing the point. It's all intentional and highly clever.

I was probably the first one in my theater to start laughing, but the rest of the crowd caught on soon after. There were numerous moments of uproarious laughter. I was afraid that some of them may be laughing cynically at how awful they think it is. But luckily that wasn't the case, with dead silence during the serious parts.

I can't emphasize enough how funny I found some of these scenes. Some had me in tears. The funny camera angles, odd acting, cheesy dialogue, outrageous characters and their absurd decisions. At one point I started anticipating, what ridiculous way will this character react? And it wouldn't disappoint.

But there are also fully serious moments that hit hard. Or a montage transition with an awesome song playing that gave me goosebumps. Or a mystery that kept me guessing and fully intrigued. And let's not forget the jaw-dropping kill scenes.

I haven't been this entertained at the theaters in a while, at least since last summer. I had a blast with this movie and recommend it to any non-casuals who are in the mood for a horror-comedy with intentional absurdity.

(2 viewing, early screening Mystery Movie Monday 1/1/2024, 10/23/2024)

Founders day subverts all expectations. This satirical political slasher takes a bold step into uncharted territory, playfully mocking its genre counterparts with a sharp, self-aware edge. With a fearless blend of humor and intentional cringe, the film navigates a maze of political intrigue, delivering a unique (while at some times predictable) viewing experience. While not everyone may grasp its nuanced satire, those who appreciate a witty deconstruction of the genre will find themselves chuckling at its clever twists and darkly comedic moments, inviting the audience to join in on the fun of dismantling tropes and reveling in the absurdity of its small town political thriller-meets-slasher narrative.

I went to a mystery movie. I like all types of movies. I've seen 100's.

This..... this was someone's little project. I would say this is the poor mans Thanksgiving(movie). Which also wasn't great but it entertained you.

This movie fails to entertain. Fails to scare. IT just fails.

The acting is either over the top or non existent. The dialogue is just terrible. The "story" was no where to be found. Someone gets killed by a mysterious killer. It is not compelling. And a horror movie failing to make things interesting is near impossible.

Then you come to the "kills". They are boring or difficult to see. The killer is killing for an unknown reason that isn't setup at all. And the kills are not scary or gory. How does this movie have an R rating?

BORED.

Great movie for anyone wanting to waste their time and hard earned money.

The movie was easily predictable and offered no entertainment except for how sensationally bad it was. It was so bad it was almost good on a comical level.

The actors and actresses were the worst I have seen in years. Porn stars with cloths on and soap opera actors could have done a better job. There are no words invented to explain how awful they did.

The sound engineers must have been new and wanted to over compensate because the noises in this movie we were so loud at all the wrong times.

I almost wonder if it was supposed to be as bad as it was, they mine as well have scrapped the movie if it wasn't.

The sad thing is, these day they will probably make a sequel.

Save your time and your money, when it comes out on streaming services, you will thank me.

I see all the reviews about some people loving it and others hating it. Those who like it seem to think that the movie was written, directed, and acted in such a way to be one of those "dumb" slasher movies which would make it a great film. I actually disagree and it didn't seem to me that the film was intentional made to be "dumb", it just happened to turn out that way. Reasons being are the plot holes, terrible sound mixing, acting being all over the place, the story ending, among several other things. And if it was all intentional, it was very poorly done which then still makes it a dumb movie. I'm a bit surprised it was even shown at Regal, to be honest. I give it two thumbs down and recommend you saving your money and/or time.

The movie was overwhelmingly mediocre and unnecessarily dramatic however it doesn't come across as humorous, meaningful, or well-connected. While watching I considered quitting the slasher genre all together, but decided to write this movie off as a badly directed and produced fluke. The movie felt forced and has a weak plot with a jumbled message, interspersed with a handful of overused phrases from recent pop culture and tropes that have long been exhausted. It was painful to sit through and had very little in the way of actual horror or suspense. In a way it felt like the byproduct of young and inexperienced minds that lack direction or embrace meaningless drama as the intended direction. If all movies were made like this going forward, I would probably quit watching movies all together and become a Luddite in a forest somewhere.

I saw this as a Monday Mystery Movie and full disclosure i was not disappointed. About 1/3 of the theater walked out by the end (some right before it started) and i think theyre idiots. Founder's day is boring, yes, but this level of mediocrity is rarely seen in horror anymore. I was crying laughing at some scenes. It's terrible in a way that is completely inoffensive and dare I say heartwarming. The political commentary is watered down, the dialouge and delivery are Wattpad levels of juvenile, and the cinematography is passable at best. Massive props to Jayce Bartok and Catherine Curtin though, who played their characters phenomenally. I'm almost sure they knew how trash their lines were, and decided to run with it. Seriously, just the right consistency of slop. A must-pirate.

Founder's Day is not a perfect film and it owes its existence to the SCREAM franchise. That said, it's a very good watch that will keep you guessing until the end. I did enjoy the fact that it wrapped its plot around politics and showed that even a local election can have a polarizing effect on its citizens - especially those closest to the candidates. Where this movie falls short is in the costumes and the acting. The killer's wardrobe was decent, but the deadly gavel stole the show. There were also problems with the police uniforms. As someone who works in the film industry, I can say this with some authority. They should have done better. But if you are not in the industry (or a cop) you might not have noticed that. The acting was uneven. I thought William Russ and Naomi Grace were excellent. Jayce Bartok (the poor man's Carey Elwes) gets an honorable mention for really bringing it in the scenes where he was angry. Tyler James White will be interesting to watch in a better written role. I hope gets one soon. There were some questions that the story left unanswered concerning the main plot (but I'm not going to spoil anything here). The bottom line is that if (when) this film lands on a streaming service, I will likely watch it again. And that's one of the best things you can say about any movie. Congrats to Eric Bloomquist and his team. Looking forward to the next one.

This "horror" movie was just horrible. I wanted to walk out after 20 minutes but my husband wanted to stay because he was laughing at the bad acting. He said it was the most stupid horror movie he'd seen in years but he loved it because it made him laugh so much. I was ticked because Regal billed it as a "block-buster" so I thought it was going to be "The Beekeeper" with Jason Statham. Shame on you Regal. What were you thinking? Did you owe someone a favor? Are you being black mailed? Did aliens take over your top positions? Whatever the case, just know that I'm deeply disappointed in you but I'll be back for future Mystery Movies because you showed some really good ones last year.

The film was entertaining overall. Totally sufficient for a light, fun night out. It will give you and your friends plenty to discuss afterwards.

The plot was unfocused, but not difficult to follow. The twist at the end was somehow both surprising and predictable at the same time.

For the most part, the characters were bland and the audience did not get to know them well. That might be due, at least in part, to the mediocre acting.

Upon further reflection, I think that the movie was supposed to be a comedy moreso than a horror movie. I wasn't scared or shocked at any point during the film, but I did find the cheesiness to be funny.

The best part was by far the cinematography - excellent lighting and camera work.

This isn't what I'd call a good movie but it's fun and not nearly as bad as the reviews are making it out to be. I'm not easy to please and usually end up not liking most new movies or finding them overrated, but I thought this one was decent for the genre and its budget with a good amount of ingenuity to it. Yeah, I guessed many (but not quite all) of the twists and turns (including the biggest reveal at the end, but only just before it happened and I dismissed it too because I'd read a partial spoiler, making me think that guess was wrong) but it kept me guessing (even having read that partial spoiler), more than Thanksgiving for example where the killer was much more obvious.

Something about this one reminded me a little of Cherry Falls. I think this was much better than other recent slashers like It's a Wonderful Life and I liked it more than Thanksgiving too, even if that one was glossier and this one was weakened more by a lower budget. But, yeah, I went in with low expectations, expecting it to be awful based on the reviews, and was pleasantly surprised. That's not to it doesn't have its issues - it does. Despite its tongue-in-cheek nature, it's a silly movie and there are plotting and logic issues (the motive arguably being much too elaborate, and other issues with the reveal) but it kept me guessing and I found it an enjoyable watch. Overall, I'd recommend it to slasher fans and those who enjoy following politics too. I will say I wasn't crazy about the decision by the protagonist at the end, though, but otherwise I quite enjoyed this and would watch a sequel if they made one (maybe a new killer in the same outfit knows the secret/twist and is stalking those involved - that could be quite satisfying). 5.5/10 (but I'll be generous and round up to 6/10)

The writing was so bad I was wondering if we'd have to walk out only five minutes in. It seems like something written by a high school student who waited until the night before it was due to start. Eventually it got bad enough to stay just so we could see the train wreck unfold.

Cliche storylines and horrendous acting throughout. Several scenes brought us to laughter, but not intentionally.

I do have to give credit, I didn't know who the killers were until the end(it's a cheap Scream rip-off from the start so not a spoiler). But it turns out that's only because it made no sense to the plot whatsoever.