“Tensions rise when a stripper and religious protester are trapped together in a peep show booth and must come together to survive the apocalypse in 1980’s Chicago.” – Shudder Original
Directed by Luke Boyce and written by Boyce, Michael Moreci, and Tim Seeley
Warning: spoilers ahead!
It’s here, it’s queer, it’s the end of the world (and I feel fine)! That’s right, sinners. the satanic panic is real, and for Christian zealot Sally Mewbourne, (Shaina Schrooten) and sex worker Angie Pitarelli (Caito Aase), it means overcoming their differences to defeat a legion of demons and give two big fucking middle fingers to eternal judgment.
Y’all, I LOVE this movie! Actually watching it for a third time as I write this review. It checks all the right boxes for me: feminist, queer, funny, eighties setting and style, dark synth soundtrack/score, clever dialogue, and memorable acting.
And HOT! The scene that really pulled me in was Angie dancing in her booth, writhing to Gunship’s “Dark All Day,” which features sexy saxophone by Tim Cappello (from The Lost Boys). Despite Ray, owner of the Revealer bookstore/movies/peep shows, telling her to “smile” and be “less aggressive,” Angie’s dance is just like her, wild and fierce, and the song is so fucking good. I can’t wait to see the extended version when the movie is ready for home release. I’ll bide my time listening to more Gunship.
There’s plenty of moments that I love, (my favorite is an Angie monologue near the end) but for the sake of saving some spoilers, let’s talk about the scene where our protagonists meet the demon prince Asmodeus. Sally explains who he is with fire and brimstone in her voice, which gives me goosebumps, especially for someone like me who was raised Catholic. “To his worshippers, the dungeon and dragon players and heavy metal musicians, he’s Asmodeus, the creature of judgement,” Sally says, to which Angie replies after a beat, “Well, to hell with him… and his judgement, fucking… ass-mode-ass.” My ellipses can’t accurately convey the comedy of Aase’s delivery, or her perfectly timed “fuck you” to the demon seconds later. Sally continually treats the apocalypse with god-fearing respect, and Angie counters with witty devil-may-care attitude. They’re a lovely match. In more ways than one.
I first watched Revealer only a week after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Needless to say, it hit extra hard. Feelings of fear, of being judged, of someone else’s religion made law, that I needed a bloody, neon fueled dose of fuck-the-system in my horror flick. And that’s exactly what I got. With a little sprinkle of Maddie Zahm energy for Sally and her character arc (which I won’t spoil here because I legit did not see it coming and I want y’all to enjoy). Plus a shout out to all you badass aunties out there!
Truth be told, I almost didn’t write this review, but after seeing so many fanboys get it wrong, I had to chime in. I think sometimes film critics take themselves too seriously, and they forget how to have fun. This movie is just as fun as it is creepy. No, we don’t see much of the apocalypse raging outside, but hearing about it from Sally (who “actually read that big-ass book”) and seeing glimpses of Stranger Things-esque red lighting, is enough to set our imaginations reeling. And the ending gives you a little more insight into this new world. In fact, that’s my only gripe, is that the movie ends too soon. I want more! That being said, it’s not an unsatisfying ending, but it definitely leaves some things up in the air.
Lucky for us the writers are releasing a Revealer comic in August 2022 which promises to give us some tie-ins to the story. And more importantly, all net proceeds will be donated to Brave Space Alliance, the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Very excited!
Also huge thank you to The Horror Hour for sharing their interview with Revealer writers and cast. Awesome insights and story behind the film!
So that’s my spiel. If you’re looking for a sexy-fun eighties synth romp through the end times, this movie might be for you. Or if you need some punk-as-fuck righteousness to help you through these dark days, then give it a shot. And to all those fundamentalist, white nationalist, homophobic, asshole bigots out there, “fuck you and your boss, bitch!”
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