There's a sort of surreal charm that emanates from every Nicolas Cage movie. Even at their most tempered and down-to-earth, there's an element of absurdity that he always brings. Well this time, his own brand of unique strangeness gets to bounce off an appropriately silly premise, and fans are sure to eat it up. Willy's Wonderland, which was revealed last year, just released its first full trailer, and it looks to be pure over-the-top fun.
Starring Cage in the lead role as an unnamed janitor, it looks to take place in a twisted riff on a Chuck E. Cheese-esque family entertainment center, complete with creepy animatronics and lots of murder (one of which may or may not be standard procedure). Cage gets hired on as an overnight custodian, only to quickly discover he may be in for more than he signed up for.
Seemingly set up as a "sacrifice" to the cursed place, Cage finds himself alone surrounded by murderous animatronics. Only this isn't the average "stalker" horror film, as he quickly demonstrates as he snaps his mop in half and proceeds to beat the ever-living circuitry out of the apparently outmatched machines. The trailer is intercut with a group of teens who found themselves trapped in the party center along with him, as they drive home exactly what kind of film audiences can expect, with lines such as "He's not trapped in here with them, they're trapped in here with him!"
Fans of horror games will likely be quick to notice the resemblance to Five Nights at Freddy's, which places players in a similar situation as an overnight security guard at another fictional entertainment center. Only instead of going to town on the robots like Cage, they're meant to closely monitor security cameras and doors in order to keep the murderous animatronics from getting to them. There's likely a nonzero chance that Willy's Wonderland was conceived by one such player who desired the catharsis of turning the tables on those mechanical monstrosities.
Considering the current state of the world, it's not unreasonable to expect many potential moviegoers to miss the experience of going out and enjoying an extravagant popcorn film. Willy's Wonderland won't be able to replicate the "going out" part of that, but it looks like it may very well ignite some nostalgia for the satisfyingly excessive b-movies of old. Plus, the apparent premise of a horror movie where the victims turn the tables on the killers is sure to appeal to those looking for a bit of relief from the tension of, well, everything.
Naturally, such a film likely won't be for everyone. Hardcore horror fans may not find what they're looking for here. True, it may not end up on any list of the best horror films of all time. But for those who decide to check it out, Willy's Wonderland looks like it will be a uniquely cheesy experience.
Willy's Wonderland will release on-demand on February 12.
Source: Screen Media Films|YouTube