Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Pitchfork’

Written by Scott Edwards

Disappointing our parents is something that we all are afraid of doing. No matter what the situation is, we know that they will still love us, but there is that fear in the back of our minds that wonders what they are really thinking. Wanting to live up to our expectations can be a good and bad driving force in our lives, while it keeps you pushing forward, it can also put too much strain on your livelihood and cause you to burn out. It is just important to remember that each one of us is our own person and the only thing that we can do is to live our own lives, the way we see fit.
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Returning to his parent’s farm for a long weekend, Hunter has brought his friends along with him to try and help soften the blow. Coming out to his family as being gay, he knows that the farm people will not accept him the same way everyone in New York has. Knowing that his father is far from impressed, by having his friends along with him for a support team, he will do a little something special for them during the weekend. Planning a barn dance seems to be just the ticket to making his friends happy and keeping his mind off of what is happening around the house.

Arriving at the farm, Hunter is welcomed home by his mother and little sister Jenny with open arms, but his father would rather not look at him. Introducing all of his friends to his family, Clare tries to make nice with the household, but the others are too focused on making jokes about farm living for her to be taken seriously. Deciding to move on, the group of friends, Clare, Matt, Lenox, Flo, Rocky, Janelle and Gordon head to the barn and start to set up for a night that they will never forget.  

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As the party of a lifetime takes place, young Jenny wants nothing more than to be a part of it with her brother, but she is sent to her room. Having her own fears, Jenny asks her father to check out her closet to make sure that there are no monsters roaming around. Playing a prank on his little girl, Mr. Killian then needs to check under her bed, but finds something that he did not expect. Seeing a pitchfork rise from under her bed, Jenny gives out a scream, but there may not be anyone near enough to help her in time.
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As the party comes to an end and Clare finds out that her boyfriend Matt is a cheating piece of crap, she returns to the house to find Jenny’s room covered in blood. Explaining to Hunter what she has seen, she heads out to find the others to get them into the van and out of town before something bad happens to them as well. But the van has gone missing and while looking for it, the group sees someone in the distance that does not look right. Seeing Gordon get killed with a hatchet, Lenox, Matt, and Clare try to escape, but there is only so far that they can go until they run out of steam. Conducting his own search for his parents and sister, Hunter takes a different route and finds that there is a strange house in the middle of nowhere, but that is not all when the owner comes back home.

I was pleasantly surprised when this movie started to play on my television. The first thing that caught my eye was how crisply the movie was shot and that did not dissipate throughout, making it a very fun viewing experience. The characters’ interaction in this movie was great, between the fights, the kisses, and the mistakes, they were all very enjoyable, even Pitchfork himself. I like it when a movie is able to turn a monster into a person, and even after you see all of the killings, you might find yourself a little sad to see him go. I would love to continue on with the turns that the movie takes, but it would give away an ending that you just need to watch to get the full effect. With a barn full of blood, cow tipping, a love story, betrayal, a reluctant hero, crazy families, and a pitchfork arm, this is just a fun slasher movie that does not pull any punches once the killing starts. Stay Scared.

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