First time director Mary Beth McAndrews trots out the 2024 Horror film Bystanders. A film about murder, with karma in mind. Jamie Alvey writes the screenplay. The story is basically “murder porn.” The violence is protracted and full of gore. Mind, the victims can be seen as receiving their karmic dues. Before dying horrible deaths at the hands of a serial killer couple, they drug, rape and murder female coeds.
Bystanders Story
A group of frat boys play their favorite game of drugging and raping coeds. They follow this by hunting their victims down in the woods and killing them. One girl; Abby, stumbles into Claire and Gray. The couple are returning from a wedding and Claire swears to protect the traumatized Abby.
The payback begins.
The Bystanders Cast
Jamie Alvey is Claire.
Brandi Botkin is Abby.
Garrett Murphy is Gray.
John Conners is Jacob.
Deaton Gabbard is Brad.
Hannah Fierman is Heather.
Zach Hurley is Jacob.
Bob Wilcox is Cody.
*Side note. Director McAndrews is Claire’s sister, Ellie. She gets no screen time though.*
Let’s Talk
Bystanders seems to use real life sources to base their murderous cast upon. Alaskan baker and hunter Robert Hansen appears to be the motivation behind the frat boys. Hansen used to rape and then hunt down his victims in the bush. Similar to this pack of hyena degenerates.
Gray and Claire, for some reason, make me think of the “Lonely Heart Killers.” Aka; Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck. Fernandez and Beck were a “match made in Hell.” The serial killers preyed upon lonely women. In this film, they prey on predators of the sexual kind.
There are backstories that explain where their deadly tendencies come from. Amazingly, we understand their tales of “the making of a serial killer.” For the purposes of this film, this works.
Why This Works
When the frat boys stumble onto Gray, Claire and Abby, things go badly for the would-be hunters. In my head, I could hear Riddick saying, “Finally found something worse than me.” The frats have indeed found someone worse. Two people who have no qualms about torture and murder.
However, since this loving couple kill bad guys, we support their efforts. After all, they are saving Abby from certain death.
About Abby
Brandi Botkin plays the cute co-ed brilliantly. She takes us through the changes her character goes through. Botkin sells this with an honesty that is amazing. *Just a point to ponder. If ever they decide to reboot Gilligan’s Island, Botkin has to play Mary Ann. She could play the role effortlessly. Seriously keep an eye on this actress, she will go far.”
It Works
Is Bystanders distasteful at points? Yes. Does it work? Again, the answer is yes. This is karma dosed out in double, or even triple, helpings. The predators being destroyed brings a certain satisfaction in an “eye for an eye” sort of way. The film is extremely over the top. It compensates for prat boys so asinine and evil, that we feel they deserve their fate.
The Verdict
Bystanders is different from your “run of the mill” Halloweens and Friday the 13th’s. The “villain” is not a faceless indestructible creature. One bent on killing innocent victims. This is up close and personal. The serial killers can be hurt. Perhaps this is part of the appeal. Bystanders earns a solid 3.75 stars. The subject matter alone keeps the star rating down. It is streaming on Prime right now.
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