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Hatchet Review

Movies.com Critics

4.0

Dave White Profile

… vintage '80s cliché. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 3.0
    57

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Mixed or average reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 40

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times

    Even after appropriately lowering expectations, it's kind to call this one a cut below.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    Variety Justin Chang

    Joel David Moore leads a cast full of token minorities and bickering bimbos, whom writer-helmer Adam Green dispatches with knowing glee and an obvious love for genre conventions that almost overcomes the derivative scripting.

    Read Full Review

  • 50

    out of 100

    The New York Times Jeannette Catsoulis

    Horror without suspense is like sex without love: you can appreciate the technicalities, but ultimately there's no reason to care.

    Read Full Review

  • 75

    out of 100

    Chicago Tribune

    This is not a film intended for a wide audience. But B-movie fans who find their way to Adam Green's gory schlock extravaganza are going to like it.

    Read Full Review

  • See all Hatchet reviews at Metacritic.com

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 16+

Gory monster/slasher spoof is drenched in blood.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this gory, low-budget monster/slasher spoof is drenched in blood, including fake-looking but explicit dismemberments and beheadings. The first violent scene is typically sketchy (though it leaves bloody corpses), but later scenes are incessant, with blood spewing, lots of screaming, and limbs and heads flying. Weapons include a gun and sharp implements (chainsaw, hatchet), as well as gasoline and a lighter. There are frequent breast shots (part of a repeated joke about girls baring their chests for a "girls gone wild"-style video) and descriptions of adolescent male sex fantasies, with crude language. Swearing includes "s--t," "b--ch," and a select few "f--ks."

  • Families can talk about what draws people to this kind of movie. Why do people enjoy scary and/or gory movies? Does this fall into the "torture porn" subgenre? Why or why not? Does the quality of the production affect how scary (or not) a horror movie is? Families can also discuss whether this movie is innovative or conventional -- how is it similar to and different from other horror movies? Are you looking for creativity in a horror movie, or just blood and guts? Why or why not?

The good stuff
  • message true0

    Messages: Victims are rude, selfish, careless, and self-pitying; locals are demented (one is said to "drink his own piss"). An Asian character is especially stereotypical, soliciting a snide comment about "Uncle Remus meets Bruce Lee," with both terms being meant disparagingly.

What to watch for
  • violence false5

    Violence: Lots of spurting blood and eww-inducing vomit/spit. Monster (hunchbacked, deformed, gooey, and nonverbal) attacks two men at the start, leaving exposed bloody body parts and pulling out entrails in close-up, with blood spatters. Description and flashback of father "whacking" Victor in the head with a hatchet (bloody). Alligator attacks boat party; Marybeth shoots it (more blood). Once Victor appears in the woods, the assault is nonstop, featuring jump edits, screaming, running, falling, bloody hacking, insides pulled out, heads cut off and bouncing, a chainsaw, and (of course) a hatchet. Bodies look as if Victor has eaten them. Weapons include a gun and sharp implements (chainsaw, hatchet), as well as gasoline and a lighter (monster set on fire).

  • sex false5

    Sex: Repeated "girls gone wild"-style breast barings (nipples visible), as well as a girl-on-girl kiss encouraged by a sleazy videomaker. A couple tongue-kisses. Much talk about sex and desire by young men, including slang ("skank," "boobs," "t--ties," "nipple," "cooch," "sweaty balls," "d--k," "bag of d--ks," "lick me"). Discussion of syphilis ("You can't hook up with itchy chicks"). Ben describes imagined scene of ex-girlfriend "bent over" a love seat during sex with another man. Mentions of Playboy and condoms. Derogatory slang ("queer") and repetitive Marilyn Manson song lyrics ("Sex sex sex").

  • language false5

    Language: Plenty of strong language, including multiple uses of "f--k" and "s--t" (with more in the Marilyn Manson song "This Is the New S--t," which plays at the beginning and end of the movie), as well as "bitch" (again, with more in song lyrics), "damn," "hell," "a--hole," "bastard," and "c--ksucker." Frequent obnoxious exchanges are peppered with "shut up" and "you suck."

  • consumerism false3

    Consumerism: Mentions of Mini-Cooper, Emeril (Lagasse), Chris Tucker, Jackie Chan.

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Father smokes a pipe. Various background characters smoke cigarettes and drink beer in an early Mardi Gras scene. A boy wears a necklace shaped like marijuana leaves.

Fan Reviews provided by

5

Hatchet Is A Konckout. by Moviedude
Right when you thought horror could get no bloodier,or grosser than The Hills Have Eyes,along comes Hatchet.This movie is the ****.It makes "Hills" look like Bambi.Seriously,there's so much over-the-top blood,gore,and gross horror,that I laughed through it.It's also the best and most creative horror film of the year.The deaths are so creative,and the blood is so free flowing in here,you will be laughing.The beginning is comedy a plenty,then blood and guts galore.For a no-budget horror movie,it's very well done,and made.It won't be at the oscars,but it's my personal favorite movie of the year.Oh,and if you do plan on going to see this,get popcorn so you have a bucket to throw-up in.Seriously,I felt like throwing-up at a few parts it was so nasty.There were also a few parts where the whole theatre jumped.This is definitely a genuine horror film.It's a very enjoyable film however,if you're looking to be scared especially,and it's one you just have to see to believe.A BIG MUST-SEE!!!

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by m1sn0m3r

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by splashsgirl

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