Plot
An interesting enough premise that loses its flavor fast
I have to say I am not a huge fan of Eli Roth, either as a person or his films, despite him having cult like status in some circles, but you do know what you’re getting with this films at least, and after watching the trailer, I thought Ice Cream Man would be a kind of bloody horror comedy, and for a little part of the movie at the start, I was fine with what I was watching, as the energy was good - everything felt colorful, exaggerated, and just plain ridiculous. - and it reminded me of the kind of horror movies that aren’t afraid to embrace their own stupidity, and sometimes those simply end up being the most entertaining.
That feeling didn’t last, though.
After the opening stretch, the film simply starts starts circling around a lot - the same jokes, the same style of scenes, and you quickly begin to realize the film has already shown me most of what it had to offer, which is frustrating because I think the premise deserved something much better
There are definitely some laughs here, just not enough to keep the momentum going for the entire runtime.
The gore is easily the best part
If there’s one thing Eli Roth still knows how to do, it’s making ridiculously over-the-top violence entertaining, and here, the practical effects are pretty well done I will say, and some of the kills are hilarious because they’re so absurd, and I won’t lie, I did laugh a few times, but the problem is that gore alone can only carry a movie so far.
Eventually you will become used to it, so once the shock disappears, and yet another samey scene starts to happen, you end up craving for something different to happen, and unfortunately, that never really happens.
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The script…
Because the movie moves so quickly from one bloody moment to another, it never actually gives the characters much room for you to care about anyone, as they’re mostly there to keep things moving, and while I don’t think every horror movie needs some deep emotional story, but I would say it does need someone to care about, even if a silly film like this one, where you feel incredibly detached from almost everyone on screen.
That’s a problem because horror is always more entertaining when there’s at least one character you’re rooting for, at least for me, so by the second half you end up only caring about seeing another creative practical effect, and hope it id done a bit differently, rather than anything the script has to offer.
Also, for such a short runtime, Ice Cream Man also feels much longer than it actually is, and the reason wasn’t because it slowed down, as there was always something happening at least, but as said, the problem was that it felt like the same thing happening over and over.
The movie seems convinced that another outrageous moment will automatically be enough to keep you entertained, but when a film keeps returning to the same formula, it starts feeling very repetitive, even if there are little flashes where you can see a much better movie trying to break through, where every now and then something genuinely funny or creative happened, and then it slips right back into repeating itself.
The villain isn’t nearly as memorable as he should be
A movie called Ice Cream Man really needed an unforgettable horror villain, but here, we don't get that either - the look is decent enough, and there’s definitely potential there, but the character never develops enough personality to stick in your mind, as he feels more like just part of the scenery, which is surprising because I think these films lives and die by its villains.
And while I am sure you have read the social media comments and other reviews calling this one of the worst movies ever, but I have to say I never hated Ice Cream Man to that extreme, as it does have a few moments of joy, and I have certainly seen films I have liked less, but I did became increasingly disappointed because I could see pieces of a much better movie hidden throughout it - moments where the energy clicks, the humor lands, and the practical effects were good.
But I also felt incredibly disconnected from it as a film, which obviously is not a good thing at all.
Final Thoughts
Ice Cream Man has the ingredients for a wildly entertaining horror comedy, but it never quite figures out what to do beyond its premise and buckets of fake blood - I am still no Eli Roth fan I am afraid, after this.