‘Don’t sit on the furniture’
Killer Sofa is a 2019 New Zealand horror feature film about a recliner that becomes enchanted by an attractive young woman leading to crimes of passion
Written and directed by Bernie Rao, the movie was originally titled My Lover My Lazy Boy but has been retitled by distributors but with reference to a sofa rather than a chair. The Midnight Shepherd Productions film stars Jordan Rivers, Piimio Mei, Jed Brophy and Sarah Munn.
Plot:
Francesca always attracted weirdos. When one of her stalkers is found dead, she looks for comfort from her best friend, Maxi.
Meanwhile, Maxi’s grandfather, Jack, a disgraced Rabbi, comes across a reclining chair containing a Dybbuk inside. Jack and his voodoo sorceress partner try to find out where the recliner has been delivered while exploring Jack’s newfound gift for communicating with the other world.
However, the reclining chair becomes enchanted by Francesca and starts committing crimes of passion…
Release:
Killer Sofa was unleashed on DVD and Digital by High Octane Pictures on October 1st, 2019.
Reviews:
“It’s far from the usual horror affair and is different enough to garner interest based on its premise alone. The fact that this has been pulled off without it plunging into unwatchable depths is beyond me and deserves applause in and of itself, but better yet is that it works and stays entertaining throughout.” Cult Metal Flix
“Killer Sofa is just a quietly bizarre little New Zealand oddity with a subdued sort of strangeness. It’s a beautiful mess of a movie that’s entertainingly entrancing. Nothing about it should work and yet magically, virtually everything does.” Culture Crypt
“This movie is the utter ridiculous that I needed to make my day better. The gore special effects are absolutely terrible, in only the way a horror movie set in New Zealand with a killer recliner could be […] The actors play it straight and that someone makes everything strangely funnier.” Fan Girl Nation
“Killer Sofa is weird, sometimes unwieldy […] Bernie Rao deserves credit for making one of the year’s craziest screenplays as watchable as he did, with your mileage dependant on microbudget patience. There’s niftiness here that sells “killer couch” gags without needing buckets of fake blood or severed limbs.” Flickering Myth
“There are some genuinely chilling moments, entertaining kills/attacks, and solid acting. The story would still seem a bit too convoluted, but perhaps easier to digest. To be clear, director Bernardo Rao did not give us a bad film, just one that felt like a bait-and-switch.” Horror Geek Life
“Surprisingly. Killer Sofa has good acting across the board and a very modern feel to its style and quality. It has truckloads of sexuality and really cool throwbacks done with trippy lighting and filters. It’s smokey, comfortable and fun.” Horror Society
“The effects are mixed with the fact they make the sofa look terrifying being a huge plus, it is the CGI moments that look like the weakest part of the film […] Funny comedy horror.” Movie Reviews 101
“While it wasn’t as gory or horrific as I would have liked, I found myself enjoying Killer Sofa and its absurd, often deadpan, humor. While it won’t be for everyone, audiences with a taste for the ridiculous and weird should find plenty to enjoy. Recommended.” Pop Horror
“All the scenes with the animated chair are so much fun. The effects are excellent for what they need to be, and the film looks like it cost more than it probably did […] There are a couple of really nice gore gags, and despite the multitude of flaws, it was eminently watchable.” The Scariest Things
“It’s weird, dark, creepy and a lot of fun–way better than I had expected. Not perfect, but I enjoyed my time with this one. I highly recommend checking it out.” The Other View
YouTube reviews:
Trailer:
Cast and characters:
Jordan Rivers … TJ
Piimio Mei … Francesca
Jed Brophy … Bob Gravy
Sarah Munn … Valerie
Angelica Thomas … Ashanti
Harley Neville … Frederico
Stacey King … Roseanne Grape
Sean Fleming … Warren Lee
Jim Baltaxe … Jack
Grant Kereama … Tohunga Makutu
Jamie McCaskill … Joel Wiremu
Technical details:
81 minutes
Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
Fun facts:
The movie was originally titled “My Lover, My Lazy Boy” but the production feared being sued by the La-Z-Boy furniture company. After this, the Stephen Kingesque title ”The Furnishing” was then considered, until finally, someone came up with the ”Killer Sofa” title which stuck.
