Stung (2015)

Director: Benni Diez

Starring: Matt O’Leary, Jessica Cook, Lance Henriksen

A fancy garden party turns into upper class prey when a colony of killer wasps mutates into seven foot tall predators.

When it comes to movies about insects, I find it creepier and scarier when they are regular sized insects, instead of giant insects. (There are a few exceptions, like ‘Big Ass Spider’ and ‘Eight Legged Freaks’).

‘Stung’ is not only about giant wasps, but about people turning into wasps when they are stung. Like a zombie film. Same principle.

Julia and Paul are caterers. They’ve been hired to cater at a lavish private party at an estate. However, the evening of the party, a swarm of wasps attack the guests, who quickly take refuge in the mansion. Those who are stung by the wasps, turn into giant wasps.

The only thing to be admired here (for me), are the gross but amazing practical effects, and make-up. As for the rest of the movie, I was not all that impressed. I found the film slow paced and not all that interesting. Lance Henriksen – an actor I usually enjoy in a film – stars as mayor Caruthers, but it was a bland character with a forgettable performance by Henriksen. Maybe because he wasn’t given all that much to do. Speaking of characters, I didn’t really root for any of them. Not even the heroin Julia (Jessica Cook) – although I must admit she was good during the finale.

Being a horror comedy, it tried to be funny as well. Only, it wasn’t funny. The gore elements worked very well. Maybe this would have worked better as a full-on horror. Either way, this is a good effort, but there are better comedy horrors out there.

Would I watch it again? No.