Destroy all Neighbors

The Prog community both fan and musician has a reputation for being on the pompous side and up at its own backside. And that punk came along and swept them all away on a tsunami of phlegm and vomit. That’s not quite true though Destroy All Neighbors nicely messes with some of the aforementioned elements.

Struggling prog composer William Brown (Jonah Ray) is trying to compose his masterwork while trying to hold down a job as a sound engineer at an LA recording studio. His technical abilities cut no ice with the imbecilic big cheese Caleb Bang Jansen – pronounced calebbangjansen - (Ryan Kattner) who has him sacked.

To add to his problems his patient partner Emily (Kiran Deol) is starting to lose it. Then there’s new neighbour Vlad (a heavily made-up Alex Winter) who plays his music at full volume, all the time.

Initial complaints get him on the wrong side of the law. Until he has enough and confronting Vlad he accidently kills him though he is far from dead, even after dismemberment.

What follows from director Josh Forbes is a quite entertaining horror comedy as matters start to get out of William’s control as the bodies begin pile up if not stay dead. It’s a problem but they do have their uses.

The horror is full on with some nasty effects and if you have a weak stomach there are gastric bodily fluids flowing too. Where is doesn’t quite work is with the comedy. Its mildly amusing rather than the belly laughs that would keep it consistent with the over the top gore. It’s on firmer ground playing and sending up Prog conventions and popstar pretentions and you get the feeling that Forbes and writers Mike Benner, Jared Logan and Charles A. Pieper know more than a bit about these.

The cast are all very good value. They look like they are not taking it too seriously while maintaining respect for the material.

Destroy All Neighbors will be available on Shudder from 12 January 2024.