Punk rock has been a staple in the horror genre for decades. Return of the Living Dead, Driller Killer, Class of 1984, Repo Man, Green Room, the Misfits appearance in Bruiser, and numerous punk-inspired characters in our favorite horror franchises earning a spot in our black hearts. These are just a few examples of the marriage of genres from film and music. A marriage, in my opinion, that will last forever. The parallels between punk rock and horror run deep. They’re both considered the outcast genres within their respected mediums, by defying the norms set forth by society. They’re never afraid to outwardly broadcast messages of their defiance through their art.

The latest addition of this genre-meld is Straight Edge Kegger, written and directed by Jason Zink. After young punk Brad (Cory Kays) thinks his straight edge friends have gone too far, he decides to leave them behind. Along the way, he meets his new friend and party man, Sean (Sean Jones). Sean takes Brad out to his first house party where he meets the beautiful Maybe (Evelyn Reidy) and they take a liking to each other. Brad may have finally strayed too far away from his straight edge lifestyle. During another epic house party, a group of masked intruders attacks the houseful of drunks and stoners so no one gets out alive. It’s up to Brad, Sean, and Maybe to save the party in this blood-soaked attack from these straight-edge marauders.

One of the most endearing things about this movie is the effort that was put into making it. This is a true indie film and was built with blood and sweat, literally. Director/writer Jason Zink is still selling his plasma to pay off his film debts. I can and will always appreciate it when a filmmaker does whatever it takes to have their vision come to fruition. I applaud the guerrilla-style filmmaking and the use of real locations. For a film that is portraying the grit of the punk lifestyle, it’s the only way to do it. These types of atmospheres are extremely hard to recreate.

The overall message of the film is inspiring and is one of tolerance and acceptance at its core, dressed up in horror attire. When asked about the message of the film, Zink had this to say.

“All that I’m trying to say is that any idea, when taken too far, can become problematic. Horror was always going to be the genre but that’s just because I’m a horror junkie. It’s more about conflict, both internal and external, than I think it is about straight edge culture. We wanted to do the culture justice. We just had the horror slant of them taking a dark turn.”

I like that this film took an alternative approach within the punk community. I’ve seen films do mostly stereotypical routes when trying to portray it. Some of them tend to come off as feeling like actors in costumes and really never tear down that wall between fantasy and reality. The actors in Straight Edge Kegger do a decent job of making you feel like they’re actually part of the culture. With a standout performance from Julio Alexander, who plays the straight edge villain James, he really sells his belief in the ideals in straight edge culture to the point of cultism. The main character, Brad, played by Cory Kays sells his motivations of wavering between two worlds and deciding what ultimately makes him happy. However, I felt that his timidness throughout most of the movie downplays the severity of the situation and I was hoping to see his character turn the corner more in his assertiveness, rather than partying and trying to survive.

If you like blood and senseless killing (which I can be pretty damn sure you do if you’re reading this), you’ll have plenty here to keep you pleased. I love seeing good practical effects on a shoestring budget. It’s actually kind of ironic when you consider Zink was selling his blood to make fake blood for his movie. He took the time to meticulously plan out all of his effects and they’re done with purpose. There’s also a good mix of weaponry involved in the killing to keep it fresh.

The movie is basically two films from the first half to the last half. On the front half, you’re getting a The Decline of Western Civilization epilogue that brings straight edge culture to light and on the back half, you’re getting You’re Next. On the surface, it sounds great, but that was its biggest flaw. The film lacks a second act to tie the first and third act together. There’s a lot of set up and preaching done in the first act, which is interesting in itself, but there needed to be more conflict in the middle to justify the climactic build. It feels likes an unnatural progression from the beginning to the end. I think this also would’ve helped flesh out some of the tertiary characters a bit. The only thing I love more than horror movie kills are horror movie kills that involve characters I don’t want to die. I also would’ve liked a more robust sound design, as it tends to drop off at times. Given certain time and money constraints, which most indie films seem to struggle, simple things like beefing up a background track and adding more ambient noise can make a huge difference.

Despite the film’s story defects, I had fun watching this bloodbath of a punk party invasion. Backed with a killer soundtrack, no pun intended, it’s worth a watch during a time when we all have so much fucking time to watch things. Every punk movie needs a soundtrack as its backbone and there is no disappointment here. The entire opening of the film was shot at a live show from the band UGLYBoNES. Zink brings his own lifestyle and knowledge of the scene to life and allows us to be a part of a world some of us would never otherwise experience.

“As I said before, punk is what I know best,” adds Zink. “I grew up going to shows in Chicago and have been no stranger to the circle pit (or mosh…take your pick). Sometimes, I feel that punk is ham-fisted in other movies. Like an ad for Hot Topic or something. So my goal was to make something authentic.”

Straight Edge Kegger was distributed by Scream Team Releasing and you can pick up your very own copy here, on VHS, DVD, or Blu-Ray.