The synopsis for the indie horror film Open 24 Hours reads “After setting her serial killer boyfriend on fire, a paranoid delusional woman gets a job at an all-night gas station.”

Between this and the trailer, I decided to give it a try.

The film opens as that woman, named Mary (Vanessa Grasse), tries to get a job following her release from prison for setting the house on fire with her boyfriend in it.

But that boyfriend was actually a serial killer who made her watch, until she’d finally had enough of being his psychological prisoner.

The job ends up being the graveyard shift at a gas station, but on her first day on the job, she starts experiencing hallucinations that she’s being stalked. Is it trauma, or is she really in danger… that’s what we discover over the course of the film.

This modern day slasher film starts out a bit jumbled, but that later works in its favor as we’re just as unsure as Mary about what’s real and what isn’t.

Granted there are some huge plot holes that you have to ignore, but I was impressed with the way the film uses claustrophobia and misdirection to build an atmosphere. The setting could be any deserted gas station in North America on a cold and rainy night, so I was surprised to see it was filmed in Serbia.

It’s got plenty of blood, and quite a few gory kills, as well.

I’m giving Open 24 Hours a 3 out of 5 stars. As of this review, it’s streaming on Amazon Prime.

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OPEN 24 HOURS

Director: Padraig Reynolds
Cast: Vanessa Grasse, Brendan Fletcher, Emily Tennant, Cole Vigue

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I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!

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Tagged: horror films, indie films, movie review, Open 24 Hours, slasher films