Bonejangles (2017)- A Horror/Comedy That Has A Little of Everything and A Giant Slasher/Serial Killer- Fitz of Horror Review

Written by Bryan Fitzgerald (Fitz of Horror) May 19, 2018

Synopsis- While transporting the legendary serial killer Bonejangles to an asylum, a group of police officers break down in a town cursed with demonic zombies. The only way they can survive the night and save the town is to release Bonejangles to help them fight the curse, with something much worse.

Boasting a great premise, great production value and the legendary Reggie Bannister (Phantasm series) who plays Bonejangles demented and legendary serial killer father with very interesting wisdom that he passes down to his beast of a son. Bonejangles has all of the ear marks of a potentially great horror movie, but after getting mentally prepared for it based solely off of the great poster and, in hindsight, very misleading plot synopsis, I was left slightly baffled and confused because what I had watched was definitely good but definitely not what I was expecting.

I expected a more straight forward and somewhat serious approach based on the synopsis but instead Bonejangles was a funny, over the top, raunchy and fun indie horror movie. It took me two times watching it to fully appreciate what director Brett DeJager (10/31, Legend of Cooley Moon) was trying to accomplish but I think he set out to make a tongue in cheek, satirical and fun horror/comedy with a healthy dose of  gore and potty humor for good measure, and he succeeded.

The movie starts with a radio news flash about the serial killer Bonejangles on the loose and on a killing spree. It is right from the start that we learn that this supernatural being cannot be hurt or killed with traditional weaponry but electricity does have a temporary effect on him. Enter the bumbling cops, Doug and Randy.

After being reluctantly called to the abandoned warehouse where the rest of the police force have Bonjangles cornered, Doug and Randy literally stumble into hero roles and help apprehend Bonejangles but not before he nearly obliterates the entire police force.

This leaves Doug, Randy and a few other misfit cops to transport Bonejangles to a maximum security insane asylum several hundred miles away. When the journey begins and one of the officers discover what town they are headed to his past comes back to haunt him after conveniently forgetting his time growing up there and that the day they are to arrive is the one day a year that this towns evil past raises from the dead and wreaks havoc on them until daylight of the next morning.

Bonejangles is full of hellish monsters, lost love, reluctant heroes and lots of name calling. It also has some great gore, a legit slasher lead and a seductive succubus. Critics and keyboard warriors be damned! Bonejangles is much better than the IMDb score of 4.1/10 stars and Amazons 2.5/5 stars. This movie set out to be stupid, funny and original and it succeeds on all of those levels.

Indie horror is a different breed and doesn’t match up with most people’s “idea” of what horror “should” be so they give it a negative review without a second thought. I think fans of indie horror will get what DeJager is trying to do and appreciate Bonejangles as a unique entry in the indie horror-verse. It’s not perfect and it’s not for everyone but it is well worth having on the shelf in your horror collection and probably best to be watched with friends while partaking in whatever extracurricular activities you may indulge in;)

Bonejangles was just released onto Walmart shelves and selfies with the movie in the store are sweeping the horror nation with the hashtag #Bonejangles (and it”s under $10). It is also available on Amazon Prime for Free.

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