Black Friday (2021)

September 4, 2022 2:36 PM

On Thanksgiving night, a group of disgruntled toy store employees begrudgingly arrive for work to open the store at midnight for the busiest shopping day of the year. Meanwhile, an alien parasite crashes to Earth in a meteor. This group of misfits led by store manager Jonathan (Bruce Campbell) and longtime employee Ken (Devon Sawa) soon find themselves battling against hordes of holiday shoppers who have been turned into monstrous creatures hellbent on a murderous rampage on Black Friday.

Also stars Michael Jai White and Ivana Baquero. Directed by Casey Tebo.

65% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently available for digital rental in the US on multiple outlets. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (4 comments total)

This is a pleasant watch, with a great cast, goopy effects from Kurtzman, and a fun premise. But you're going to forget most of it as soon as you finish watching it. There just aren't enough jokes.

And you know those sort of campfire scenes where the heroes catch their breath between battles and chat a bit? Those are like 40% of the movie here. It's weird. Possibly an artefact of being shot during the pandemic? Dunno.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:38 PM on September 4, 2022 [1 favorite]

I came for the Bruce Campbell but it looked like he did most of his shots on greenscreen?

This was fine, I liked some of the 'oldschool' shots/ effects. Always great to see the art being kept up.
posted by porpoise at 5:36 PM on September 4, 2022

holiday shoppers who have been turned into monstrous creatures hellbent on a murderous rampage on Black Friday

So slightly calmer than normal Black Friday, then?
posted by Nerd of the North at 9:18 PM on September 4, 2022 [2 favorites]

Now I want to append “Meanwhile, an alien parasite crashes to Earth in a meteor” to every IMDB movie synopsis ever. Against the backdrop of the Civil War, the manipulative daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a turbulent romance with a roguish profiteer. Meanwhile, an alien parasite crashes to Earth in a meteor. A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims. Meanwhile, an alien parasite crashes to Earth in a meteor.
posted by showbiz_liz at 4:13 PM on September 6, 2022 [2 favorites]