‘Your remote has no control’
The Drone is a 2019 American comedy horror film co-produced and directed by Jordan Rubin (Critters: A New Binge; Zombeavers) from a screenplay co-written by Al Kaplan and Jon Kaplan. The movie stars Anita Briem, John Brotherton and Simon Rex.
Plot:
A serial killer transfers his consciousness into a consumer drone right before he is killed, then flies off to terrorise newlyweds Rachel (Alex Essoe) and Chris (John Brotherton). The couple must fight to stop the insidious device before it destroys them both…
Reviews [click links to read more]:
” …The Drone is a solid enough little film that doesn’t try too hard and lets viewers engage in their own way. if there’s a serious point being made about voyeurism and the lack of privacy in contemporary society, it’s lost because of the failure of one victim after another to obey one of the first rules of the horror film: just close the damn curtains.” Eye for Film
“If you’re looking for lavish cinematography or a deep message, you won’t find it here. The Drone is just silly entertainment with some fun kills. It doesn’t ask to be taken seriously; it just wants us to smile. We need more of these.” Film Threat
“The Drone is over-the-top, riddled with cliches, tropes, stereotypes, and massive leaps of logic. Whilst at times these elements worked in Zombeavers’ favour, the lightening evidently doesn’t quite strike twice. There are moments of The Drone that are kitsch and funny, but the overarching feeling that the audience experience are ones of confusion and frustration.” The Hollywood News
” …this type of lunacy about the soul of a serial killer inside a drone is your kind of humor then maybe you might see something in The Drone that I don’t. I found The Drone altogether too convoluted and crummy to like it enough to recommend it. I don’t dislike The Drone, but it’s certainly nowhere near the sublime ridiculousness of Zombeavers.” Horror Media
“Rubin keeps the film moving along and the drone’s hacking and slashing should be credible enough for midnight movie fans. However, the third act twists are utterly laughable and Chris’s insensitivity and general dorkiness will alienate just about every woman in the audience and a good portion of the guys.” J.B. Spins
” …The Drone hovers the line between dumb fun and just plain stupid, leaning towards the latter more so than not. I actually felt bad watching a talented actress like Essoe tussle with a cheap piece of plastic in unconvincing fashion. She and the rest of the cast are all doing their best, but even their performances can’t bring a sense of terror or genuine suspense to this silly movie.” Killer Horror Critic
“There are some backstory revelations (including a dead-pan hilarious reason for the heroine hating remote control tech) and a hell of a lot of plot holes (do none of these people watch the news?) but the film whizzes along capably […] It seesaws between being a film you laugh with to being a film you laugh at, but at least you’re laughing.” The Kim Newman Web Site
“The Drone is cheesy and silly and goofy, all by design. Best of all, it plays all of its inherent ridiculousness completely straight. There’s no meta, self-referential winking here, just deep dive foolishness. Rubin and company set out to ape a certain subset of films from a bygone era and largely succeed in that aim.” The Last Thing I See
“Though a very simple and formulaic plot, is not trying to sell anything that it isn’t. Like Zombeavers, it exists for the outrageous dialogue and circumstances of an at once unsuspecting people.” Nightmarish Conjurings
Release:
The Drone is released on DVD and Digital by Lionsgate on October 15th 2019. Special features:
- Audio commentary with director/co-writer Jordan Rubin, actress Alex Essoe, cinematographer Jonathan Hall, and drone operator Travis Geske
- Making The Drone featurette
Choice dialogue:
“Man I hate upgrades.”
Cast and characters:
Anita Briem … Corrine
John Brotherton … Chris
Simon Rex … Jeffries
Rex Linn … Baker
Neil Sandilands … The Violator
Gonzalo Menendez … Detective Ramirez
Alex Essoe … Rachel
Christopher Matthew Cook … Richie
Harvey B. Jackson … LAPD Officer Boubier
Travis Geske … The Drone [pilot]
Roger Berard … Roger Ferrari [uncredited]
Trailer:
