Given the shameless pun that is its title, one needn’t worry about subtlety or nuance with a film like New Fears Eve. Whilst we are in the midst of a true appreciation for the horror genre and how deeply layered it can prove, there’s something refreshing about a gory slasher that follows a classic formula and refuses the need to explain much beyond the fact that, for 90-ish minutes, a man in a mask brutally offs a group of connected stereotypes.
Why? I hear you ask. There’s never really an explanation. And, honestly, we don’t really need one.
Co-directed by P.J. Starks and Eric Huskisson (with Starks earning writing credits), New Fears Eve wastes little time in setting up its premise, with the opening 10 minutes serving as a greatest hits compilation of disgusting, practical effect-driven kills that informs us that a killer figure dubbed The Doctor is terrorising the town of Owensboro.
This sadistic surgeon of death leaves the town covered in blood (and whichever body parts he dismembers) as local police and FBI are forced to navigate through the maze of bodies left in his wake. Unbeknownst to the story’s three best friend archetypes – final girl Leslie (Lily Claire Harvey), nice guy Brian (Turner Vaughn) and douche-bro Moses (Matthew Tichenor) – their mandatory work New Years party is about to turn fatal when the killer sets his sights on them.
Again, the reason for this trio being targeted is never specified, but given how excruciatingly violent The Doctor disposes of their co-workers and, in some cases, family members, you’d have to imagine there’s some revenge-cum-obsession backstory brewing; only towards the film’s finale do we get an inkling that The Doctor is perhaps someone actually quite trusted when he’s out of his masked attire.
Spectacle first and plot second is very much New Fears Eve‘s M.O., and whilst it’s easy to criticise the film for lacking in narrative and average acting, Starks and Huskisson have a clear objective in delivering a film that celebrates the simplicity of the slasher and reveling in the joy of wince-inducing practical effects. You know what you’re getting yourself into, essentially, and fans of cheesy 80s efforts should absolutely find this shameless throwback enjoyable for all the things it is – and isn’t.
With brief support roles from such genre familiar names and faces as Dave Sheridan (Doofy from the first Scary Movie), Jeffrey Reddick (the creator of Final Destination) and Felissa Rose (best known for the cult 1982 classic Sleepaway Camp), New Fears Eve wears its love of horror like a badge of honour, before ripping it off with such force you’ll bleed out to The Doctor’s delight; seriously, the inventiveness of what Starks and Huskisson have created here is undeniably impressive, even with how sickening it all is.
If you’re looking for something of depth, look elsewhere, but, again, with a title as New Fears Eve you shouldn’t be surprised with what it serves you. Sick and self-aware, if horror fans are interested in a reprieve from the depths of the genre, it’s possible that this could be just what The Doctor ordered.
THREE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
New Fears Eve is available On Digital and On Demand from December 16th, 2025 in the United States.
