The Mask of Anhangá, an artefact that was used in a military experiment in the 40s, is discovered in the present day and collected by a museum curator. Unaware of the evil that surrounds the mask, she takes it to her home and soon she and her girlfriend are brutally murdered. Troubled police woman Beatriz Obdias (Natallia Rodrigues) is assigned the case and as she tries to figure out who is behind the murders, she’s drawn into the world of the shadowy museum boss Tack Waelder (Ivo Müller) who is more interested in finding the mask.
Skull: The Mask is a high-concept contemporary horror that draws inspiration from classic slasher films. With a plot that revolves around finding the mask, which has attached itself to someone forcing them to commit horrific murders, it’s quite a tense watch with some seriously brutal kills. Clearly set up to launch a franchise, Skull: The Mask introduces the character of Beatriz, the film’s heroine but one that is deeply flawed with a seriously sketchy past.
The antagonist is very reminiscent of the iconic killers that came before him. The way he walks and moves is very like Jason Vorhees and Michael Myers, and his super strength is similar to both of those killers. The mask he wears is effective and creepy, and his blood-stained boiler suit keeps things simple. The kills, while spectacular, are pretty random but fans of the slasher genre won’t mind that.
The film does occasionally get bogged down by a sub-plot about missing children that really didn’t need to be part of the film. It’s concluded as a bit of an afterthought and to be honest the main draw here is the killer wearing the skull mask. I can understand the film-makers were trying to flesh out the world they’ve created a little more but it just wasn’t really necessary.
There’s only really Natallia Rodrigues that gets to show off any acting. Her character is your typical complex heroine and despite the moody nature of her character, there’s something about her that draws you in. The flawed heroine is used to death in films but it felt true for the character of Beatriz in this film.
Skull: The Mask is an entertaining horror that definitely delivers on the kill front. It’ll be interesting to see if a franchise emerges and there’s plenty of material to continue the story with. I’d also be interested in spending more time with Beatriz who we get to know a bit in this film but there’s definitely more layers to unpeel with her character. Skull: The Mask is a good-old fashioned slasher flick with supernatural elements thrown into the mix, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Cast: Natallia Rodrigues, Tristan Aronovich, Greta Antoine, Guta Ruiz, Ivo Müller, Rurik Jr., Ricardo Gelli Director: Amando Fonseca, Kapel Furman Writers: Amando Fonseca, Kapel Furman Certificate: 18 Duration: 90 mins Released by: Trinity Creative Partnership
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