Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Town That Dreaded Sundown’ (2014)

Written by Scott Edwards

Back in 1946 the town of Texarkana had a killing spree that nobody that lives there will ever forget. Then a movie came to light in the seventies, recreating the gruesome deaths that had the title, The Town That Dreaded Sundown. And it became tradition, after most of the original town members had died off, that the film gets played every year and so many of the kids in the town go to be entertained, yet, they do not know the history behind it, or that the events being played in front of them are based on what really happened. What a tradition to have in a little town that has two of everything, I kind of wish that my town had more of a sense of history like that, but without a killer and all.

While at the drive in theater and watching The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Jami is starting to feel like she does not belong. Asking her date Corey to take her away, Jami has something else on her mind and when making their way to the old lover’s lane, she is ready to make good. But when looking out of the car window and seeing a masked man that resembles The Phantom from the movie, she knows it is time to go. Not moving fast enough, the couple is held at gun point and forced to exit the safety of the car and Jami is forced to watch the demise of her new boyfriend. Being given a message before she is sent on her way, Jami has become the new survivor of The Phantom Killer who is about to pick up where he left off so many years ago.

Telling her story to the police, Jami wants to know more about who and what is behind the killings and even though they have their own leads from the original case, the soon to be college student has decided to do some digging of her own. Hitting up the town's archives and finding as much information on the original case that she can, she is able to put together some great guesses as to who the killer could be now, but the police have traveled down that rabbit's hole as well and have already eliminated the suspects. Getting a call from the killer, Jami knows that there is something else driving him to bring his reign of terror back to the town, she just needs to find someone that has a little bit more information about what really happened in 1946 since there are very few people left in town from that generation.

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Nick at the records department has taken a liking to Jami’s search and is going out of his way to help her find anything that she has not found yet. With the killer still running free in Texarkana, the two need to move fast or else someone else will die a meaningless death. Finding out that the son of the director that brought The Town That Dreaded Sundown still lives in town, the two are blown away by the facts that he is able to send their way. With suspects being locked up on both sides of the border, a killing had gone unnoticed by everyone and now Jami has a primary suspect in mind, but her time in town is limited after her grandmother is ready to move her to the coast and away from all of the madness. Turning her findings over to the police is the best that Jami can do before she leaves, but when you are born in Texarkana, most of the time you will die there as well and The Phantom Killer will do anything to keep her from getting away.
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More of a homage type of movie to the original Town That Dreaded Sundown, and if you think about it that way, it is not half bad. With The Phantom Killer coming back out of hiding, or his spirit being resurrected, Texarkana is forced to repeat what they did over sixty years earlier, go into lock down. Bringing in the Lone Wolf from the Texas Rangers to help with the investigation, he is forced to take a look at the town and its history, along with the movie that drove many people to madness. One of the things that I could not believe is that there are very few people in the town from the 1946 murders and nobody has any insight, just seems like there should be a historian there or something. With plenty of blood, the original movie is reenacted with ease as The Phantom Killer returns and is looking to get even for all of the years he has been forgotten. There is even a love story that gets cut short, since there is no love to be had in the town, especially when The Phantom Killer is loose and looking for his next kill. Stay Scared.

Five Takeaways

1. A town’s traditions may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but when Lover’s Lane says keep out after dark, you might want to listen to that rule.
2. Old people do not know anything about their town’s history, even if they have lived there their entire life.
3. Bringing in a pro may sound like a good idea, but when the only source of information the locals can give him is a movie, you may be in trouble.
4. When killings are matched to a movie that is over thirty years old, it is not a ghost, but a person who has seen the movie numerous times.
5. When leaving town, don’t stop to get food and drink, you can get that from the house, not an out of the way convenience store.

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