Dark Match Review (Fantasia 2024)

Last Updated on August 4, 2024

PLOT: A small time wrestling company accepts a well-paying but too good to be true gig in a backwoods town only to learn, too late, that the community is run by a mysterious cult leader… and their event is now a pay-per-view fight to the death.

REVIEW: Filmmaker Lowell Dean’s Wolfcop remains criminally underrated, despite myself and others singing its praises to no end. It’s got just the right amount of humor mixed with some downright nasty gore. So to see Dean enter the world of pro wrestling and give it a horror twist, got me excited. Then add Future Hall of Famer Chris Jericho to the mix and I’m first in line! As a fan of both wrestling and cult cinema, Dark Match seems marketed directly toward me. But does it get over?

Following a small-town wrestling company, Dark Match focuses on the indie side of professional wrestling. Once they’re invited to a strange show in the middle of nowhere, the situation is not as it appears. The plot can get a bit convoluted at times, with some unnecessary rampups to add drama. I would think that wrestling to the death would be high enough stakes, but apparently not. As much as this goes horrific, they do a great job of setting up a realistic and blue collar world. The cast of wrestlers is affable and interacts in a fun way. I could have spent more time with them and their exploits.

Most people on the planet will know Steven Ogg as Trevor from Grand Theft Auto V, but he’s fantastic as Mean Joe Lean. I’ve always felt he deserves so much more than just bit parts and character roles and he really makes the most of it here. I really like Chris Jericho but he’s chewing up the scenery in a way that only a wrestler can manage. I’ve seen Jericho’s promos for over 25 years so I’m used to his delivery but it’s an acquired taste when it transfers over to film. The Prophet/Leader is a pretty over-the-top character and allows for some menacing moments. He’s got a large hat and jacket that makes him look either like The Creeper from Jeepers Creepers or Randall Flagg in The Stand.

Dark Match isn’t as downright funny as Lowell’s other work but it’s still got plenty of humorous moments. The plot can get a little messy and I wish it had been simplified a bit, as each reveal puts the true purpose a little further in the rearview mirror. The wrestling is extremely well shot and Dean clearly seems to be a fan. While the wrestling isn’t exactly required to be good, given where the story goes, but times when they need to pull off moves: it looks great. I almost thought I was watching a Joe Begos movie with all the neon and black lights being used. And the film certainly gets wet with the gore, providing plenty of death and carnage to satiate those gorehounds.

This kind of strange indie horror film is always going to be for niche audiences. Add in the wrestling element and it gets even more confined. But there’s something that works here. Whether it’s the band of wrestlers or the silly way of getting them there, it comes together in a fun package. I really enjoyed my time with Dark Match. I felt rewarded both in my wrestling fandom and my love for weird Satanic Cults in cinema. There are some odd eccentricities that wrestling fans are likely to be accepting of but I’m not sure how mainstream audiences will feel. It won’t be for everyone, but I think those that give it a chance will have a blast!

DARK MATCH IS CURRENTLY PLAYING AT FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL.

Chris Jericho

GOOD

7