Burial Ground Massacre Review (2021) Worth Watching?

A group of college students spend a night at an old, eerie manor, only to realize that a terrifying stalker is watching their every move as he begins plans to repossess an ancient Native American artifact located inside.

Some horror movies like to tease you a little bit, hiding what they’re really about behind coy, creative titles and artsy imagery. Then some just put all out there right up front, so you know what you’re getting into right from the get-go. Directed by Daniel Dahlstrom and David Gere, Burial Ground Massacre is definitely the second type.

There’s a massacre afoot, there’s also a burial ground, and that’s either your thing, or it isn’t. The unparalleled Michael Madsen (Angels Fallen, Dirty Fears) stars alongside a cast that includes Chelsea Vale, Vinny Marseglia, Chris Whitcomb, Blaise Serra, Travis Gordon, and others.

Unearth the Curse

The film opens with a mysterious man whose face remains hidden from the camera. He’s putting on Native American war paint before picking up a forbidding-looking tomahawk. In the background, Michael Madsen’s trademark voice recites a monologue about the sacred, respectful relationship native peoples had with the land before white people entered the picture and changed everything.

Next, we see Adrianna (Vale) driving to an unknown destination as a Native American girl stands on the side of the road. We also witness the same mysterious figure from the introduction brutally murdering a couple in their car.

Cut to a sprawling mansion owned by Chase (Serra) and his family. His parents just so happen to be out of town, which of course, means it’s time to throw a big party. He swiftly plans one with the help of his best friend Javon (Whitcomb) and invites both Adrianna and Kayla (Brittany Toczko). However, there’s just one possible hitch in the plan. Chase’s mansion is built on an ancient Native American burial ground, a state of affairs that rarely ends well in horror movies.

Chase’s family also owns a variety of native artifacts, including a specific cursed ring that resident chief Tocho (Christopher C. Romero) believes caused his people to lose their land in the first place. That’s precisely why he’s so determined to get it back. He hires a mysterious man named Damon (Madsen) for the job, and you can imagine where things go next.

Burial Ground Massacre isn’t the type of movie looking to say anything profound despite the burial ground premise. This is a modern throwback to the anything-goes slasher flicks of the 70s and 80s all the way. It’s got everything a good, over-the-top slasher should have – a mysterious killer on a mission, gratuitous murder scenes, buckets of blood, and far more nudity than there needs to be. And, of course, anyone who’s seen the likes of Poltergeist and its kin will be familiar with the old cursed burial ground premise.

Is this fine cinema likely to go down in horror history as a modern classic? No, it’s not. But you’ve got to respect how unapologetic Burial Ground Massacre is for being what it is. If you have a slasher addition, this film is definitely the kind of thing that will feed it, or at least that’s the case of the first hour or so of the film. Past that point, the story progression kind of falls apart.

Worth Watching?

The story takes a hard left toward the end that really doesn’t fit with the rest of the film, so be warned. However, according to IMDB, a sequel has already been written, shot, and sent to post-production, so perhaps it’s a lead-in to the next chapter of the story. And, really, the script could be a hell of a lot better than it is. But beyond that, Burial Ground Massacre isn’t a bad way to spend 90 minutes of your life if you’re looking for a good, shameless slasher flick.

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