A young girl and her older brother unearth a strange glowing gemstone in their backyard. This also unearths an ancient evil monster dedicated to destroying the universe. Lucky for the kids, the gem allows them to control the monster and they plan to have some fun with it.

Available exclusively on Shudder, this wild and campy film is written and directed by Steven Kostanski (The Void, Father’s Day). Psycho Goreman tells the story of the unlikely and unwilling companionship between a little girl and an intergalactic monster. Mimi and her older brother, Luke, dig up a huge hole in their backyard only to find a glowing stone. When they remove it, they accidentally unleash a monster who was buried there eons ago to keep him from destroying the universe. Lucky for Mimi and Luke, the stone in Mimi’s possession allows her to control the monster. They name him Psycho Goreman, PG for short, and proceed to get up to all sorts of unlikely hijinks along the way.

There is so much to love about this film. The best way I can describe Psycho Goreman is that it’s as if the villains from Power Rangers were thrown into a gory horror comedy. It’s intentionally over the top and campy, making the violence and gore as over the top and hilarious as the comedic one-liners. Kostanski clearly made the film to be a very self-aware cheesefest, placing the wide range of strange characters in more and more unlikely scenarios. Half the time audiences will be cracking up, the other half of the time they will wonder what the hell they are watching, but in the best way possible.

Each performance in Psycho Goreman perfectly straddles that line between comedic and over-the-top. Nita-Josee Hanna makes her acting debut as the ringleader of the unlikely group, Mimi. Even though Mimi is young, she is definitely the boss and doesn’t take any shit from anyone. Hanna is great at making her character likeable, despite that fact that she’s generally an obnoxious, bossy, rude little girl. Owen Myre (NOS4A2) also makes his feature-film debut as Mimi’s older brother, Luke. Even though Mimi is \in charge, Myre is great at making Luke the loving, supportive older brother. Then there is the one-two punch of Matthew Ninaber (Transference, Death on Scenic Drive) as PG’s physical presence and Steven Vlahos (Alien House, Wayne) as PG’s voice. Together they perfectly create an all-powerful monster infuriated by the little girl keeping him on a very short leash.

The visuals, effects, and music add to the Power Rangers feel of Psycho Goreman. For the visuals, the filmmakers primarily relied on outrageous practical effects and monster makeup, sometimes enhanced with CGI. Every character has a whimsical, humorous, and even grotesque look to them, making every creature entirely unique to match their varying personalities. Add some over the top gore, and you have an outrageously fun time. Adding to the entertainment is a wonderful musical score by Blitz//Berlin (The Void, Still/Born). It’s a head-bopping score that is sure to get people dancing in their seats and that also sounds slightly reminiscent of the Power Rangers themes. Every artistic element adds to the fun of this film.

Psycho Goreman is a perfect confluence of gore and laughs that will seep into audience’s brains and never let go. Kostanski has created something magical with this film, and horror fans of all ages are going to have a blast watching it. It has action, laughs, gore, and amazing creatures. On top of that, the performances from the two young leads, Hanna and Myre, add an emotional core to the film. Psycho Goreman is sure to be a film horror fans will love to watch in groups with their friends and introduce to as many people as they can.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10