Film Review – The Murder Podcast (2021)
They say that if you are going to do a podcast then you should podcast about what you are truly ionate about, so that is exactly what aimless Chad Thadwick does with best friend Eddie. Except what Chad and Eddie are ionate about is instant ramen noodles and reviewing them and unfortunately that ion has so far not managed to garner them the acclaim and sponsors that they are looking for. Instead they are celebrating a record high of one hundred plays of their podcast.
With that in mind, and the fact that Chad is living in the basement of his long suffering sister Martha, Chad decides to that their podcast needs a shake up and luckily for Chad there has been a recent spate of unexplained murders in their small town. So it is out with instant noodles and in with murder as Chad and Eddie decide to start a murder podcast and investigate the killings.
The Murder Podcast comes from writer and director William Bagley, and it is clear that he has had a lot of fun with this film. Whilst there are moments of horror, The Murder Podcast is much more focused on its comedy elements and the result is less of a traditional horror and scant scares and more of a stoner comedy with horror elements. Obviously how you receive this depends very much on your sense of humour and whilst there will be many who find much hilarity in the shenanigans of Chad and Eddie, there will inevitably also be those who will tire quite quickly of it.
The film is very aware of its stupidity though and that makes it infinitely more watchable. Andrew McDermott and Cooper Bucha, who play Chad and Eddie respectively, put in solid comedic performances and their plucky protagonists are people you root for even when they are being slightly annoying.
Budgetary restraints can sometimes prove a distraction in horror, especially when it comes to effects. However this is not an issue in The Murder Podcast and the effects work well and the film is well edited. The low budget nature of the film only adds to its charm, and it will be really interesting to see what Bagley will turn his hand to next.
Whilst The Murder Podcast may not appeal to all, it will prove a good enough time for those who find comedy horror their preferred genre. The Murder Podcast is the type of film that will watch much better with a crowd rather than as a lone venture.
★★★