SUMMONING SYLVIA
(director/writer: Wesley Taylor/Alex Wyse; cinematographer: Matthew Roveto; editor: Sara Corrigan; music: Max Mueller; cast: Travis Coles (Larry), Frankie Grande (Nico), Tony Iwata (Reggie), Noah J. Ricketts (Kevin), Michael Urie (Jamie),Veanne Cox (Sylvia), Nicholas Logan (Harrison); Runtime: 74; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Cody Lassen; Diamond Dog Entertainment; 2023)
“A zany, spooky, horror, gay comedy, that’s silly and chilly.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A zany, spooky, horror, gay comedy, that’s silly and chilly. It’s co-directed and co-written by the former actors Wesley Taylor and Alex Wyse, in their feature film debut.
A gay bachelor party for Larry (Travic Coles) is to be held before he weds boyfriend Jamie (Michael Urie), that’s planned for by his playful buddies Nico (Frankie Grande), Kevin (Noah J. Ricketts), and Reggie (Troy Iwata). They get him to the site by tossing him into a car and blindfolding him. It’s in the same old dark house where a seance took place hours before, that summoned the 19th century ghost of Sylvia (Veanna Cox), who was executed for murdering her son. Arriving at that moment of the summons to Sylvia is Harrison (Nicolas Logan), Larry’s soon-to-be brother-in-law, a straight ex-military man. We also learn legend has it that the house had several gruesome murders happen there a 100 years ago.
Nothing here is to be taken as serious. Things are mostly meant to be taken in fun, including a few of the usual horror pic scares tossed into the mix. If the film gave you a few laughs, then it did its job. Obviously it should appeal more to the LGBTQ crowd than the heterosexual. I laughed, and also felt good this gay film would probably upset the Trump crowd of haters.
REVIEWED ON 4/12/2023 GRADE: B