Revealer (2022)
2022
86 Minutes
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.
User Review
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The low budget, retro horror film “Revealer” has a crackerjack premise and a surprising amount of depth. Part apocalyptic horror and part religious satire, this story of female empowerment makes a political statement while being fun and entertaining. It’s interesting, unique, and different, which makes overlooking its flaws a lot easier.
Angie (Caito Aase) is a stripper who works in a neon-soaked porn palace called Revealers. Sally (Shaina Schrooten) is a born again Christian who harasses Angie every chance she can get, waving religious protest signs and marching outside the shop with the hope of “saving” everyone inside. When demonic forces from the underworld suddenly attack, the two women become trapped together inside a cramped peep show booth. They are from different worlds, but are suddenly forced to work together if they hope to escape with their lives.
It’s a terrific premise for a film, and co-writer / director Luke Boyce adds a bit of snarky humor to the story. He incorporates progressive elements along with atheist viewpoints while gently criticizing the judgmental nature of religious texts. Christian beliefs about the end of times are coupled with Bible verses, which points out the hypocrisy of it all. Sally is a Bible-thumping holy roller while Angie is an unapologetic exotic entertainer, but the demons are after the religious one, not the sinner.
While there is a bit of sophistication in the film’s theme, “Revealer” suffers from its small budget. The setting is limited to a few small rooms, which puts major constraints on where and how far the story can go. It’s still a great idea for a horror flick, and it’s fun to watch two strong women from different backgrounds come together to fight a demon.
By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS0 member like this review.
