Demented Dessert: Ice cream melts quickly in The Ice Cream Truck
By Billy Cripps
Normally horror movies involving ice cream are cheesy tongue in cheek fun. What happens when the fun ends and things get serious?
Remember Clint Howard’s corny 90’s horror The Ice Cream Man? What about the more recent We All Scream For Ice Cream? Well try to imagine those films with a more serious tone, and you have the 2017 film The Ice Cream Truck, which is now available VOD services everywhere.
However if you’re expecting sheer brilliance, you may be disappointed. While The Ice Cream Truck isn’t terrible, it is flawed. The story, writing and acting are great, however, it leaves much to be desired.
When the movie begins, it has a feel of the bygone days of the ’80/’90s when horror was at it’s peak. Sadly, it quickly drops from there.
THE PLOT
— Courtesy of Look At Me Films
Mary moves back to her hometown in the suburbs, to realize things are more terrifying than they seem. As she awaits her husband and daughter to arrive, she gets to know the neighbors. They consist of a just barely legal, freshly graduated from high school boy toy, Max.
Do you see where this is heading residents of Elm Street? Yea we figured you would. Moving on…
MY CASE
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The Ice Cream Truck is a film starting off strong but soon peters out. There were actually a few, emphasis on few things, I liked. As I stated earlier, the directing and acting are good. The old school effects are a nice touch — where it fails is lack of details.
I’m not sure why the film is called “The Ice Cream Truck” because after the first couple of minutes it becomes more of a background plot. As it continues, it becomes more of a drama. That’s cool if it’s your thing, just not my blood filled Chalice.
What we end up with is a film that begins horror but turns drama. It’s like someone mashed How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Clint Howard ‘s The Cream Man. Sure the ice cream truck itself is there but it becomes more of a Loony Tunes “Minah bird” kind of character. We basically learn nothing about him. Be ready for a weird ending, that makes no sense.
THE VERDICT
The Ice Cream Truck isn’t really a horror film, but it is a good film. I look forward to more work from this talented director and writer, Megan Freels Johnston.
We the jury find The Ice Cream Truck guilty of one count misdirection, one count of plot holes. In addition we find the defendant not guilty of being a bad movie. Not guilty of being a bad writer or director. We deem the defendant a passable movie, but not a horror movie as advertised.
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