The Suckling (1989)

Synopsis of The Suckling

There are some interesting ideas kicking around this bargain-basement independent horror film, but its technical ineptitude almost makes it unwatchable. The plot concerns a young woman whose boyfriend drags her to an illegal clinic located in a brothel. The owner, "Big Mama," drugs the poor girl and aborts her fetus, which is then flushed down a toilet and exposed to toxic waste, mutating into a rapidly-growing monster. The young couple is trapped in the brothel with whores, Big Mama and a psycho named Axel (Frank Reeves in a memorably nasty performance), while the hideous beast picks them off one by one. The monster is semi-scary and the cast is quite good for this sort of film, but the technical flaws are numerous. The photography is absolutely horrible and often puts really bright lamps in the center of the screen, blinding the viewer and darkening most of the frame. The stop-motion work is laughable and the soundtrack is worse. Many sound effects are either overdone (listen to Axel count money) or missing entirely (several gunshots are completely silent). Still, for horror fans willing to forgive these amateurish lapses, there are enough intriguing moments here to make it worth a rental on a rainy day. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:

89 mins

Director(s):

Francis Teri

Categories:

Horror

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