Friends Forever (2023): Independent Film Makes Horror Look Easy

Co-written and directed by Thomas Angeletti (co-writers – Jared Richard Acker and Paige Hoover) this Independent Film makes horror look easy. Starring Ashlee Lawhorn, Colleen O’Morrow, and Mark Murtha (With a splendid cameo by the ever talented, and versatile Timothy J. Cox.) Friends Forever is another of those “dumb kids pick the worst place to party, ever” films. It does offer, however, something a tad different.

The plot is fairly straightforward, if not a bit grizzly. Black and white (sepia) family have a dose of bad luck. It ends badly for this close knit farming fam in a farmhouse. Enter, years later, a foursome of friends who pick this place to have their final college party.

It does not go well.

There are a bevy of extras in this film and it is refreshing to see an Indy film utilize so many actors. There are many things that make Friends Forever commendable. The practically perfect prologue starts with Cox as the patriarch of a family that utilizes puppets as entertainment. As usual, Timothy Cox manages to convey a bevy of emotions, and a certain amount of gravitas, to his voiceless role. (There are a few muted lines spoken at the dinner table, but otherwise, his character is mute.)

The rest of the family, played by Julie Carney, Kevin Rife, and Christy Carson also manage to impress with their “silent” deliveries. Carney, as the mother figure, especially stands out, as will be discovered upon watching the horror film.

Friends Forever steps up with a slow burn approach that works well for its story. Angelliti provides superb direction and spot on editing skills that benefit the tale with an admirable adroitness. The camera work is crisp and sharp, losing nothing when the story moves from “black and white” to colour.

The casting of the four college age leads works well, despite the odd clunker of dispirited dialogue. This is to be expected and forgiven. Horror is often the start of many young actors’ careers and therefore performances are usually a tad “up and down.” None of the few halting lines affects the overall calibre of the film.

The Horror Film Friends Forever is currently on the Indy festival circuit and will surely garner some awards. There is much to enjoy in this offering from Angeletti. Excellent FX and a marvelous twist at the end. At a run time of 20 minutes, the film is neither overly long nor too short. Like the Three Bears, it is just right.

Have a look at the trailer below to whet your appetite for the release of this Horror treat. Enjoy.

Michael Knox-Smith January 5, 2023