Film Review: the Gravedancers

After a six-year hiatus director Mike Mendez returns behind camera for the horror romp THE GRAVEDANCERS. Having broke every religious taboo with his previous film THE CONVENT, Mendez returns in full form with this entertaining and imaginative film about a group of friend who desecrate three graves in a cemetery and inadvertently wake the dead.


Now, going into this film you can’t concern yourself with the absurdity of the whole premise you just have to go with it. Three school friends get back together after one of them dies. Having not seen each other they all gather at a bar and get drunk while reminiscing over the good old days before heading to the cemetery for one last goodbye. Letting loose they decide to have a little fun by dancing on the graves and desecrating the ground which awakens angry spirits which latch onto each of them.


Upon learning from a group of paranormal investigators that they have until the next full moon to rid themselves of the spirits before the spirits are strong enough to kill them, the three search for a way to exorcise the spirits. What follows is a darkly comic misadventure of the three friends as they are teased by their spirits before the big finale in the paranormal investigators’ home.


The cast is at top form with Dominic Purcell (from the short lived television series JOHN DOE) heading the group that includes Clare Kramer (from television’s BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), Josie Maran, Marcus Thomas, Tcheky Karyo, and Megahn Perry.


The film borders on self parody but like Mendez’ previous film THE CONVENT he knows how to balance the laughs with the screams for an enjoyable ride.