It’s nice to find a horror movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Baghead is a story of four struggling actors who take a trip out to a forested cabin to write a screenplay that is sure to rocket them into the realm of movie stardom. They decide to write a story about a group of friends who are tormented and stalked by a creep in a bag mask. Well, it just so happens that their fictional tale is brought to life when a an actual person in a bag mask starts to terrorize them.
Baghead is the perfect mix of the less chauvinistic and sexually-driven moments from The League and the creepier action from The Strangers. It’s as if the Duplass brother, in some sort of mad and backward science experiment, took the digital copies of that TV show and movie and melded them together in such a way that the mildest elements of each film were conjoined into two, high functioning and socially adept Siamese twins, each with a specific and unique skill set that the other could only understand, but never fully acquire. By this, I mean that you will be equal parts frightened, amused, unnerved, and hysterical throughout the majority of the movie. As one twin psychologically deconstructs any confidence you have ever had, the other twin is there to pat you on the back and tickle you in all the right places.
Like any other horror movie that takes place in a setting defined by natural beauty and geographical isolation, there are some elements to this film that will feel more than familiar. Everything goes perfectly and to plan upon arriving to the cabin. Of course, there is a turning point about halfway through—some drama amongst friends, sexual tension, a murderous villain with a bag over his head. And then, the movie really peaks at the end; however, not at all in the way that you might expect.
Baghead unravels slowly and, in the end, reveals itself to be a true mystery. Instead of relying on gore and the exposed navels of barely legal college coeds to entice its audience, Baghead utilizes wit and adult fun to captivate whoever dares to watch it.
- Rated: R
- Comedy, Drama, Horror
- Release Date: 6/15/2008
- Directed by: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass
- Starring: Greta Gerwig, Ross Partridge, Steve Zissis
- Produced by: Duplass Brothers Productions
- Written by: Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass



