Spoiler Free Review by Kelly
I first encountered the crew from Monster Makeup Productions with their deliciously campy and bloody film, Death Drop Gorgeous (2020). Here at the Spinsters of Horror, we do our best to support all corners of the horror world, and as members of the LGBTQIA+ community, queer horror and PRIDE holds a special place for us. So in June of 2022, we hosted a Twitch fundraiser screening of DDG with some of the cast and crew on hand to provide insightful (and hilarious) commentary throughout the movie. It was an absolute blast and we fell in love with them. We also discovered what wonderful people they all are, and I have since then formed a bond with filmmaker/actor/ fellow metalhead Brandon Perras-Sanchez, who I do really hope to visit in Providence one day.
After hitting the ground running with what is now a cult favorite, Death Drop Gorgeous, the team is back with Saint Drogo as their highly anticipated second film. Both visually and sonically ominous with threats of impending doom, it is a story about an ex-lover gone missing that brings Caleb (Brandon Perras-Sanchez) and his current partner, Adrian (Michael J. Ahern), to ProvinceTown to search for him. And ruin they do find. Saint Drogo is a genre blend of folk horror, Lovecraftian imagery, and queer anxieties addressing loss, addiction, and community.
This second feature shows a maturation in the team's filmmaking, while still giving the audience the same horror, gore and chills that delighted us in Death Drop Gorgeous. Yet, this time it feels personal. There is no camp here, but stillness and dread shown through wide shots of an endless beach, the location being set in the off season of ProvinceTown, making our characters not only feel isolated, but be physically alone and vulnerable. Brandon Perras-Sanchez and Michael J. Ahern have once again shown us that they understand film, have massive hearts, a passion for the genre, and a desire to tell nuanced queer stories through a horrific lens.
Although I had a hard time hearing (and deciphering) an important monologue, I want to sit with this one for a spell, and eventually rewatch it. It deserves all the time and attention we can give to it as you can tell that the team put their blood, sweat and tears into the production. Saint Drogo spins a beautiful, heart wrenching yarn amongst some very steamy sex scenes (that had me levitating off my bed), breathtaking ocean side views, and entrails, lots of entrails. Maybe a monster, as well. There is also a little easter egg for DDG fans! Watch it - you won’t regret it.
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