Chompy and the Girls (2021) - Marks for originality

Some people say that all the best stories have been told.  Others point out that there are only really a handful of stories to tel and that it's all about doing them differently enough to pass as something even vaguely original.  I watch a lot of (bad, straight to streaming service) horror films.  They're just a monster stalking your average bunch of teen until they're picked off one by one.  Most are bad, some are okay, but none really stick with me on account that they really aren't anything new that will actually stand out.

I'm not saying that - the weirdly-titled - 'Chompy and the Girls' is an amazing film which will stay with you until you die, changing your life for the better.  But it certainly is different.  And, in this case that was good enough for me.

The premise is that a teenage girl is meeting her long lost father for the first time in the park when they notice a strange man with a jaw which can dislocate, expand then seemingly swallow an innocent little girl whole.  Naturally, seeing this only a few meters away freaks them out and they do what most of us would do in their predicament - run.

The only problem is, 'Chompy' (as they christen him) starts to follow them round with his mouth open, as if he's selected his next two meals.

Yes, this film probably sounds a bit wacky and 'out there.' It is.  You have to let your brain accept some pretty crazy premises to get anything out of this.  But hopefully the characters should keep you invested.  They're hardly a particularly brave and noble bunch, but, starting out like this, it does give them a long way to go in terms of growth as the movie progresses.

I'm not sure I'd call this an outright 'horror' movie.  Sure, it has some horror elements, but more creepy scenes and a lot of black comedy and banter between the main characters.  It's not perfect.  The main character can be a little annoying with her brat-like behaviour, but she learns a lot on the way.  Otherwise, if you're in the mood for something a little different from your typical Hollywood output then this is actually quite fun.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that