The Doom Busters is a goofy alien invasion that doesn’t take itself too seriously and provide a load of laughs along with some pretty good looking special effects considering the films low £8000 budget.
Set against the backdrop of the first year of the second world war, The Doom Busters follows an unlikely group of teenage saviours that are the only line of defence against the unstoppable “Void-Raptor” that is tearing apart the woods of the village they live in.
The Doom Busters is a silly movie, there’s no doubt about that. It’s more of a comedy than a horror film but that’s not a bad thing, across it’s short 80-minute run time, you’re bound to fall in love with the misfit bunch as they attempt to stop the end of the world with brushes, brooms and a collection of underwear.
Director Jack McHenry is a clear fan of Sam Rami as Rami’s iconic Evil Dead camera-technique of running a mounted camera through the woods at high speeds as a stand-in for the monsters perspective.
It’s a fun homage and the homages go further with The Doom Busters “Void-Raptor” imitating the legendary Predator from the Predator franchise with it’s almost entirely red vision and sneaky nature.
Due to the small budget, The Doom Busters doesn’t stun when it comes to visuals or sets, being almost entirely set in a forest. This singular setting does get a bit tiring by the end of the second act, but the almost non-stop comedy and bloodshed makes up for the films short-comings.
Another issue with the film is its tropey story becomes too predictable at some points. If you’re paying even the slightest bit of attention you’ll be able to tell how the movies going to end within the first fifteen minutes because there have been so many films released that are just like this.
Recent comparisons can be drawn to last years Y2K or 2015’s Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. Even though The Doom Busters isn’t original, the fun antics of the cast and the really silly ending is enough to provide a fun viewing for anyone whether you’re a fan of horror movies or not.
Featured Image Credit: Jack McHenry