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Picture
A documentary crew follows an aspiring serial
​killer in the making as he plans his big debut.
HORROR

Behind the Mask: The Rise
​of Leslie Vernon
 
(2006)

Directed by Scott Glosserman

Written by Scott Glosserman and David J. Stieve

Starring Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, Robert Englund,
​Scott Wilson, Bridgett Newton, Kate Miner, Zelda Rubinstein

Connor Eyzaguirre
June 25, 2021
7/10
Behind the Mask is a relatively obscure horror comedy I'd heard about for quite some time, but never sat down and experienced. Now I have, and while it's certainly inventive for at least half its runtime, I did find myself feeling a bit underwhelmed by the film's end. What starts out as a creative approach to the slasher subgenre evolves into a generic, joyless slasher that lacks the heart and soul that had been previously established. Add to that a much smaller role for Robert Englund than I had hoped, and you've got kind of a disappointment on your hands.

Meet Leslie Vernon (Baesel). In a world where Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, and Michael Myers are real killers, Vernon is their biggest fanboy and wants to be the next legend. He brings a documentary crew to follow him as he prepares for his big reveal. The first half is pretty damn funny, with the constant references to the slasher subgenre and the films therein. It pokes fun at the formula and sets up an interesting new killer. But the second half, once the crew decides they've had enough and tries to stop him, is formulaic and forgettable. It's a damn shame, too, because everything preceding this is gold.

I think there's a lot to like about Behind the Mask, but it also leaves a lot to be desired. It never puts its concept into overdrive, constantly dancing around its potential. It's a film I would likely return to at one point, if only to see if my issues are founded or otherwise.

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