The Mutilator (1984) has a number of things going for it as far as I am concerned. Firstly it's a slasher movie, secondly it was made in the 1980s. I really have a soft spot for slasher movies, and horror movies that were made in the 70s and 80s. I am not old enough to remember the 1970's but the horror movies were awesome. Is the Mutilator awesome? Not quite but it's still a very enjoyable slasher movie.
The movie begins with tragedy, and a large dose of stupidity. I have nothing against gun ownership but if like the father in this movie you leave your guns loaded in an unlocked cabinet then you really are asking for problems. The son decides what better present for his father than cleaning his gun collection. His mother is dutifully baking a cake in the kitchen, and somehow her son manages to accidentally fire the gun through the crack in the door, hitting his mother and killing her almost immediately. Meanwhile father has returned, finds his wife dead and gives his son a clip round the ear. He got off lightly, I would imagine my own father would have been a lot less understanding. The father then proceeds to conceal what his son has done, I think, not a bad father if you ask me! I like him already!
Fast forward... the young boy is now a man, Ed. Jr, and he is at a bar with his friends, typical 1980s type movie characters. Ed gets a phone call from his father, the beach house needs closed up and he better come do it. So the gang of bored friends go to the beach house. When they get there they find the house open and the father has mysteriously disappeared. One by one someone is hunting the friends, could it be the hard drinking father? You will have to watch the movie to find that out. But if I tell you the father has a framed photo of a mangled man that he killed whilst boating, the prop having ripped him apart, would I spoil things? Come on, you already guessed!
The movie is a decent example of an 1980s slasher. The kills are quite well executed, and there is some gore. The killer seems to have almost super human strength for an old man. The plot is simple, but it is a slasher so you shouldn't expect anything too high brow. My main gripe with the movie is the acting, the younger actors are all awful without exception. The older actors were of a decent standard, the father etc. but the younger actors really were dreadful.
If you can overlook the awful acting then there is a fun slasher film to be watched. The ending is also hilarious, I loved the ending and what the killer manages to do.
6 out of 10