Killer Sofa (4 Stars)

Amazon Friday #19

A film with a title like this just has to be seen, doesn't it? It sounds so trashy that it has to be good. But as you can see, it's not a sofa. It's an armchair. More to the point, it's a recliner, because it can be tilted backwards. In the film itself it's never called a sofa, it's always a recliner. I suppose that "Killer Sofa" sounds catchier than "Killer Recliner".

This is a film made in New Zealand. By that I don't mean an American movie that's filmed on location in New Zealand. It's a genuine New Zealand film, set in New Zealand with New Zealand actors. And New Zealand accents. There aren't many of these films, unless you include the ones made by Peter Jackson.

The film is about a recliner mailed to a young woman called Francesca. She has a history of obsessive boyfriends. After the murder of her last ex-boyfriend, she tells the police that she had to file restraining orders against her last eight boyfriends. Poor girl!

Francesca doesn't know who sent the recliner, but it's a welcome gift. She needs new furniture, because she moves into a new apartment after every boyfriend. The sofa becomes jealous of any man who shows interest in her. It kills them by stabbing them with the hook on the end of its springs.

It all makes sense. Sort of. 150 years ago there was a young couple, Gerard and Valerie. They loved each other, but they were put to death because they practised witchcraft. Gerard managed to save himself by transferring his consciousness into inanimate objects, from one to another, until he finally found his way into the recliner. Valerie's essence passed from mother to daughter, so Francesca is a direct descendent of Valerie. Now Gerard wants to be reunited with her, and he's trying to find a human body for himself, because well, you know... it's difficult for a recliner to make love to a woman.

Or maybe not. Francesca feels sexually aroused whenever she relaxes on the recliner.

This is a film that has no pretentions. The director knows that it's ridiculously trashy, and he makes no attempt to hide it. It's a perfect mix of horror and comedy. When we see someone being chased by the recliner, we don't know whether to be terrified or laugh out loud. That's the way the director intended it to be. It's a success.

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