Amazon Prime Review – Killer Sofa: Yes, This is Real 

I’m not kidding, there’s a movie called Killer Sofa.

SUMMARY

Welcome to New Zealand, where anything can happen. Francesca (Piimio Mei) is a young woman with a history of bad boyfriends. One day she is gifted a reclining chair after her former stalker, Frederico (Harley Neville) is found murdered. It turns out the chair is, in actuality, a dybbuk, which is a malicious dead soul that possesses an object in Jewish mythology. The only person who notices the chair’s true evil nature is Rabbi Jack (Jim Baltaxe), the grandfather of Francesca’s friend Maxi (Nathalie Morris). Soon, the chair goes on a killing spree bourne out of a horrible obsession with Francesca. Once again, this is a La-Z-Boy going on a killing spree.

END SUMMARY

So, I feel at this point I must remind you that this is not my first furniture-based horror film. Yes, I’ve already reviewed the infamous Bed of the Dead, a movie which I described as “way more complicated than a movie about a killer bed should be.” This film actually has a similar problem, in that this movie decided to add a much more complicated third-act twist than was merited by a movie which features a killer La-Z-Boy. Still, it won’t take you out of it. Also, it annoyed me a little that there was no sofa in this film. The definition of sofa requires that it be a long seat capable of sitting two or more. This is a reclining chair. Moreover, it means that they chose Killer Sofa over the more appropriate “Slay-Z-Boy.” 

The best thing about this movie is the chair, though. Despite the fact that it is, you know, a reclining chair, it doesn’t sit there and wait for victims like you would think. No, this chair stalks its prey. It follows people, sometimes for miles, sometimes up stairs or through entryways that you would think would be impossible for a freaking chair to maneuver. At one point it leans through a doorway to spy on someone and it’s handled like it’s just a regular horror monster, rather than a sofa. It adds a level of inherent comedy to the film that only gets funnier the more serious the film tries to take itself. I have to believe it’s intentional because the movie is called Killer Sofa and I would hope no human would actually think that could be a serious film. 

The performances aren’t bad for a B-movie and the puppeteering on the sofa is usually pretty solid. The kills aren’t super gory, despite the poster, and that keeps it much lighter and easier for most of the film. Honestly, if you’ve got a love of low-budget horror movies, this is one to get hammered and watch. Then send writer/director Bernardo Rao a message telling him that he should have called it “Slay-Z-Boy.”

If you want to check out some more by the Joker on the Sofa, check out the 100 Greatest TV Episodes of All Time, Collection of TV Episodes, Collection of Movie Reviews, or the Joker on the Sofa Reviews.

If you enjoy these, please, like, share, tell your friends, like the Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JokerOnTheSofa/), follow on Twitter @JokerOnTheSofa, and just generally give me a little bump. I’m not getting paid, but I like to get feedback.