Guess Who (2024) Review – A Surprising Tubi Slasher
Guess Who: Quick Verdict
The Verdict: A surprisingly polished and engaging entry into Tubi’s original horror catalogue that successfully elevates itself above its low budget peers. Guess Who begins as a familiar slasher before cleverly pivoting into a more grounded crime horror narrative, using the folk tradition of Mummering as a unique backdrop. While it doesn’t entirely escape the clutches of overused genre tropes and occasionally suffers from middle act sluggishness, the strong lead performances and sharp cinematography keep it consistently watchable. It is a solid 3 star holiday horror that offers enough novelty and unexpected turns to satisfy most genre enthusiasts. If you are looking for a rare example of a Tubi original that actually values technical competency and narrative cohesion, this is a great choice.
Details: Director: Amelia Moses | Cast: Keeya King, Corteon Moore, Elizabeth Saunders, Gabriel Davenport | Runtime: 1h 24m | Release Date: 5 April 2024
Best for: Fans of holiday-themed slashers looking for a slightly more mature narrative and viewers tired of the usual low-quality Tubi offerings.
Worth noting: The film’s central theme of “Mummering” is a legitimate folk tradition still practiced today in parts of Newfoundland, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Where to Watch: Tubi (Free)
Rating: 3/5 Stars
(Surprisingly high production values, solid acting, refreshing genre twist)
Welcome to Knockout Horror. It has been a minute since we looked at any horror movies. I have been so busy attempting to restructure the site that articles have been pushed to the side just a little bit. It’s time to get back into the flow of things, however, and what better way than with another low budget Tubi horror movie? Well, I say low budget but this one really doesn’t come packing the usual stink of Tubi’s standard horror fare.
Highlights
This feels fairly high budget
In fact, I would go as far as to say that director Amelia Moses’s most recent effort, Guess Who, feels like a decidedly higher budget affair than most of its Tubi compatriots. Michel St-Martin’s cinematography is crisp, shots are well set up and demonstrate a competency that many similar movies lack, and acting is, generally, above par.
Guess Who follows the story of young couple Kaitlyn (Keeya King) and Michael (Corteon Moore) heading back to Michael’s home for Christmas. Michael and Kaitlyn come from distinctly different backgrounds so it is with no small sense of trepidation that Michael introduces Kaitlyn to his family of interesting characters. All of whom still live in the impoverished trailer park in which he grew up.
“This one really doesn’t come packing the usual stink of Tubi’s standard horror fare. The cinematography is crisp and the acting is generally above par.”
The local Christmas celebrations are underway and the community is taking part in an old British and Irish tradition known as Mummering. Where people invite both friends and strangers into their home to answer riddles before engaging in festivities together. The only catch? One of the people participating this year happens to be a sadistic killer.
A slasher with a twist
Guess Who, initially, feels like a fairly formulaic slasher movie. Memories of I Know What You Did Last Summer immediately come to mind and a sense of familiarity and expectation hits. What is slightly more surprising is that writers Ian Carpenter, Aaron Martin and Matt Wells take the story in a somewhat different direction from what you may predict.
The typical run of, seemingly, random kills eventually comes together to reveal an altogether more connected and cohesive narrative. Moving Guess Who away from the slasher genre and into something more of a crime horror with slasher elements. A fast paced ending makes up for some sluggish pacing during the middle and everything wraps up in a way you may not see coming.
“Moving Guess Who away from the slasher genre and into something more of a crime horror with slasher elements… everything wraps up in a way you may not see coming.”
Honestly, having seen so many Tubi slashers it is quite refreshing to see them churn out something that actually feels slightly unique and fairly original. Sure, the whole Mummering concept turns out to be little more than a novelty. But in a world of copy and paste horror, a novelty is quite welcome. The story veers off in a somewhat unexpected direction and the movie benefits from that. With a welcome twist keeping things fresh. Guess Who won’t blow your socks off but you might be surprised at how enjoyable it can be.
Still fairly formulaic
Despite the positives, Guess Who is still bound tightly by its slasher trappings. This means a whole array of overused horror tropes. Characters mysteriously separated from their friends finding themselves alone and stalked.
“As far as Tubi horror movies go, Guess Who is definitely worth a watch. It ticks a couple of boxes as being both a watchable slasher and a Christmas horror movie.”
Characters existing solely to be red herrings. Fake jump scares and everything else you might expect from a movie like this. But it is not quite as dragged down by these traits as other similar movies.
Acting is decent throughout with Corteon Moore coming on particularly strong towards the end of the movie and Keeya King remaining solid throughout. Elizabeth Saunders is a lot of fun in her role as the family’s eccentric matriarch and interactions between the characters feel natural and organic. This is a competent cast that is clearly engaged in what they are doing.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The Good
- Production Quality: Amelia Moses and Michel St-Martin deliver a film that looks and feels far more expensive than its contemporaries.
- The Cast: Keeya King and Corteon Moore ground the film with authentic performances, supported by an appropriately eccentric turn from Elizabeth Saunders.
- Narrative Shift: The transition from a simple slasher to a more complex crime thriller provides a welcome sense of originality.
The Bad
- Slasher Cliches: Despite its unique direction, the film still relies on fake jump scares and characters making predictably poor decisions.
- Middle Act Pacing: The story loses a bit of momentum in the second act before picking back up for the energetic finale.
- Novelty Use: The Mummering concept, while interesting, ultimately feels like a surface level gimmick rather than a deeply integrated plot point.
The Ugly: The “Improvised” riddles. While part of the tradition, the awkward exchanges between characters during the festivities can occasionally be more cringeworthy than creepy.
Should You Watch Guess Who?
Yes, especially if you have a Tubi account and a spare ninety minutes. It is a rare gem on the platform that manages to be technically competent and genuinely interesting. It won’t reinvent the wheel, but it is a perfectly serviceable 3 star horror that respects its audience’s time far more than the average slasher.
Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight
Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.
A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.
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