 Perhaps it could be argued that the plot is not always a strength of the Giallo, and I was expecting too much from Scary but, ultimately, it fell a bit flat for me. The Scary of 61st (2021) Two roommates' lives are upended after finding out that their new Manhattan apartment harbors a dark secret. Two roommates' lives are upended after finding out that their new Manhattan apartment harbors a dark secret. Written by Dasha Nekrasova and Madeline Quinn Directed by Dasha Nekrasova A Horror Movie Review by Mark Walker Two roommates' lives are upended after finding out that their new Manhattan apartment harbors a dark secret. (IMDB) The Scary of 61st is arriving in a limited edition Blu Ray in October of this year, so it felt like a good time to have a look at the film and perhaps whet some appetites for its release.  Friends Noelle (Madeline Quinn) and Addie (Betsey Brown) move into a “too good to be true” swanky apartment in Manhattan, undeterred by the strange design of the place and the shifty realtor who suckers them in. Almost immediately, strange things begin to happen; bad dreams, visions and a strange visitor in the shape of “The Girl” (Dasha Nekrasova).  The Girl suspects the apartment once belonged to Jeffrey Epstein and was used as a den of iniquity and even sacrifice. Addie is affected by the apartment and starts to see things. As her visions become more and more deranged, all three women are pulled into a witchcraft-laden conspiracy that doesn’t end well for anyone. From the off it is clear that Scary’s general aesthetic and heavy digital grain on the image is riffing on 80s/90s horror and, specifically, the Giallo style. Like the films it is inspired by, there is murder, blood, sex, more blood, sex, sacrifice, a bit more blood and conspiracy, perfect ingredients for a grimy Giallo horror. If it had run with that and played as a tribute to those classic Giallos, Scary would have worked a lot better than it did. However, as I started watching the film, I had to double-check if was supposed to be a comedy. It is, but the humour just didn’t hit for me. I am not saying it isn’t funny, but for me it didn’t work. It doesn’t seem to have made up its mind if it is a comedy tribute or a piss-take of the Giallo. In some places it captures the style and atmosphere perfectly but, where the comedy comes in it came across as the latter which, for me, just felt a bit mean-spirited. The deliberately bad acting also feeds into the retro feel of the film but, how funny you find that will depend entirely on the viewer. Another issue for me is that none of the characters are particularly sympathetic, which makes it harder to care about what happens to them. I don’t know if this is part of the comedy of the film but, again, for me, it didn’t work, I just found Addie and Noelle annoying. I am still not sure why these two were friends, let alone renting an apartment together! I don’t have to like characters for them to be sympathetic, but if I feel neither for them, then I just can’t get overly invested in their fate. Now, I suspect there will be many film aficionados who will be able to tell me how wrong I am and, perhaps, I am not knowledgeable enough of the Giallo genre to really appreciate what is going on here but, ultimately, I just got a little distracted. In keeping with the Giallo style, Scary is clearly designed to shock, but much of that felt like the team was trying to see what they could get away with. Having someone masturbate with (yes, with, not to) a picture of Prince Andrew feels designed purely to shock and was only loosely related to the minimal plot surrounding Epstein. I’m all for shocks and controversy, but make it make sense. Perhaps it could be argued that the plot is not always a strength of the Giallo, and I was expecting too much from Scary but, ultimately, it fell a bit flat for me. I’ve been a bit negative about The Scary of 61st but, remember, this is just my opinion and die-hard Giallo fans may get more out of the movie than I did. There is clearly talent and potential on show here, and Nekrasova does a great job with her direction capturing that retro Giallo feel. For me it was just the story that let it down. I would be interested to see more from Nekrasova, and Scary definitely hasn’t put me off seeing what the team comes up with next. So, what about the disc as a whole? Grain is always something that divides audiences. Used well, it can really enhance the filmic quality of digital images, but it is easy to overdo it. I appreciate it was used in Scary to emphasise the Giallo aesthetic but, on this occasion, it feels a bit heavy-handed in places. It’s a personal thing though and I did get used to it once I settled down into the movie. The effects are suitably grimy and again pay tribute to the Giallo. There isn’t as much gore as you might expect from a Giallo, but the last reel of the film won’t disappoint anyone hoping for a bit of blood. Grain aside, the picture quality was good. and the images are backed up by a solid 5.1 Master Audio soundtrack. The special edition release comes with a number of bonuses including:
 On the whole, Scary is not a film I would revisit again, it just wasn’t for me I am afraid; there was more than one glance at my watch for this one. However, for existing fans of the movie and anyone interested in Nekrasova’s take on the Giallo, then the special edition looks like a nice addition to your collection and is an attractive little package. Although it wasn’t an instant classic for me, Scary is a promise of more to come from Nekrasova and the team. The Scary of Sixty-First is on limited edition Blu-ray 3 October from Fractured Visions CHECK OUT TODAY'S OTHER HORROR ARTICLE BELOW  THE HEART OF HORROR REVIEW WEBSITES |
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