This clever, scrappy indie proves just how far sharp writing and a playful tone can carry a low budget horror comedy.
by Nav Qateel
Directed by Don Swanson, The Haunting of Prince Dom Pedro is a low budget effort that succeeds where other films struggle. What it lacks in certain areas it more than makes up for by being funny and entertaining. I was expecting more of the same with this low budget indie but was rewarded with what turned out to be a little gem of a movie.
Writer Joe Fishel has penned a script filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and containing lines of dialogue that also feel very real, as though there was plenty of input from actual teenagers. The writing also reveals that the creators of The Haunting of Prince Dom Pedro have a wonderfully silly sense of humor, making the film a pleasure to watch.
For example, our four main characters are named Jayden, Kayden, Hayden, and of course, Payden. The movie is filled with nice touches of writing like this, and while in certain cases this would come off as too odd, it worked perfectly here.
The Haunting of Prince Dom Pedro is set primarily in a high school, and during lessons where historical figure Dom Pedro is being taught, Jayden (Rachel O’Day) starts to hear a voice in her head. The voice drops amusing quips, as do all of the teachers, and this becomes more intense as the story progresses. After Payden and Hayden are found dead in highly suspicious circumstances, in what would be amusingly described by certain characters in authority as “completely natural causes and not suspicious in any way” (I’m paraphrasing), Jayden and Kayden (Madeline Schlichter) go into detective mode.
The pair go around trying to figure out everything they can about Dom Pedro and in the process meet a host of hilarious characters, none of whom are playing with a full deck. From unstable martial artists to conspiracy theorists, each provides plenty of humor, while helpful facts are thin on the ground, leaving our two detectives just as clueless as they started. By the end, the audience is also left in the dark as no conclusions are ever reached, and things like the mystery of their teachers being champion fighters is never answered.
The acting is mostly good, especially from the two leads, but the star of the movie is undoubtedly the writing, which really made this film special. I laughed and chuckled from beginning to end, and while not everyone will click with the writing, anyone with a silly sense of humor will love this little indie.
Nav’s Score: 8/10
