Pretty Boy Movie Review: All Style, No Stab

A masked killer crashes a Valentine’s Day party in Pretty Boy, a slasher sequel that struggles to thrill despite Sarah French’s efforts.

The premise picks up where Blind left off: Pretty Boy (Jed Rowan), a silent masked killer in a suit and tie, abducts Faye (Sarah French), a blind woman and returning character, and then crashes a Valentine’s Day party in the Hollywood Hills. That setup suggests a slasher with style and purpose, but Pretty Boy quickly becomes a film that’s more interested in dragging its feet than thrilling its audience.

After the montage, we’re thrown into a house party populated by a fresh batch of victims, sorry, characters. They’re thinly written, one-dimensional, and painfully uninteresting. The dialogue feels like placeholder lines, and the actors are clearly struggling to give these people life. You can’t blame them; when the script gives you nothing, you can’t build something. It’s not just that the conversations feel fake; it’s that the people themselves barely register as real.

And even the genre staples don’t land. The kills, which should be the adrenaline-pumping highlight of any slasher, are largely uninspired. There’s no tension, no buildup, no payoffs worth mentioning. Scenes just linger awkwardly, stretching for time rather than building suspense. At times, it feels like the movie is stalling, dragging its feet to hit a feature-length runtime.

There are, however, flickers of promise. Marcel Walz clearly cares about the visual language of the film. During the party scenes, there’s a genuinely appealing use of pink and blue lighting that gives the house a sort of dreamy, nightmarish glow, like a valentine soaked in neon. It’s the kind of stylistic touch that makes you wish the rest of the movie had the same energy.

The one real saving grace is Sarah French. As Faye, she brings a level of commitment and sincerity the rest of the movie doesn’t earn. French plays her vulnerability without ever making Faye seem weak, and even when the film around her falters, she holds her own. It’s no surprise she’s the returning lead, she’s the only reason to keep watching.

Unfortunately, Pretty Boy doesn’t do enough to stand out in a crowded genre. It coasts on the barest narrative momentum, flattens its supporting cast into clichés, and delivers set-pieces without any spark. For a film set on Valentine’s Day, there’s very little love in it, either for the characters or for the audience.

Pretty Boy will be available to watch on digital and on demand on May 27, 2025.