DARK MATCH: 3 STARS. “an over-the-top exercise in genre filmmaking.”
SYNOPSIS: In “Dark Match,” a new horror wrestling flick now playing in theatres, mixes amateur wrestling with ritualistic sacrifice.
CAST: Chris Jericho, Ayisha Issa, Steven Ogg, Sara Canning, Mo Jabari, Michael Eklund, Jonathan Cherry. Directed by Lowell Dean.
REVIEW: According to Wikipedia, in the wrestling world a dark match refers to a non-televised match, often used to test new talent or warm up the crowd. The term takes on a different meaning in “Dark Match,” a new down and dirty indie that sees an amateur company of wrestlers unwittingly take a gig from a cult leader, played by Chris Jericho, to be human sacrifices in literal death matches.
A mix-and-match of retro 1980s wrestling and lurid horror, “Dark Match” is a fun movie right up until, but not including its final shot. The abrupt ending is a bit of a bitter pill (no spoilers here), but until then it’s an energetic romp that features the same kind of oversized showmanship that makes wrestling such a hoot. The ritualistic kills are gorey, often ridiculous and often bigger and more effective than you might expect from a low budget film.
Director Lowell Dean embraces the grindhouse aesthetic, bringing dynamic camerawork and inventive lighting to create energy and suspense. There are plots holes you could suplex The Rock through, but the verve Dean brings to the material ensures you likely won’t notice… or care.
“Dark Match” is an over-the-top exercise in genre filmmaking that finds occasional grace notes—mostly from Ayisha Issa’s performance as Miss Behave who brings some welcome emotion to the film—amid the wild antics.
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