Porno Review: Plenty of Classic References, Camp, and Style

Release date: November 24, 2020
Running time: 95 minutes
Starring Robbie Tann, Katelyn Pearce, Evan Daves, Larry Saperstein (High School Musical: The Musical series), Jillian Mueller (The Last O.G.), Glen Stott (The Good Fight)
Directed by Keola Racela (Above the Sea)

A SHUDDER EXCLUSIVE.  When five repressed teen employees at a local movie theatre in a small Christian town discover a mysterious old film hidden in its basement, they unleash an alluring demon that is determined to give them a sex education . . . written in blood. 

Porno has a fun, low budget but classic feel to it.  It actually reminded me of an adult Are You Afraid of the Dark, with some cheesy dialog, themes, and a slightly corny style.  The story of kids in over their heads facing off against adult-themed enemies is a perfect template for that classic series, minus all the sex, gore, and nudity.  But overall the film has a humorous, ridiculous overall look and feel.  And the style of this film is very good, with a movie set in a 90s cineplex with authentic touches throughout.  I loved the classic movies that were being shown, and the movie paraphernalia that was present in the theater.  And there were lots of classic Easter eggs in the movie, of both the horror, classic movie, and pornographic variety.  I noticed a picture from a prominent horror film, plenty of references to 90s movies, and the movie posters for the pornographic films seemed legit, though I couldn't tell if they were real movies or homages to classics.  In any event, you can tell that this film was made by some true cinephiles, and it definitely felt that way.  This was punctuated by occasionally film elements introduced, such as film grain and cuts to 8 mm style shots. 

And the namesake film in this movie, the actual porno, was well done and creepy.  It had an unsettling style that felt like it could have been a 1970s underground movie.  It was also fun to remember a time before the internet made porn available to everyone at the click of a button.  After the kids saw this grotesque film for the first time, one asks if that is what all porn is like, a subtle but very funny line that  reminded me of a time without infinite information, when pornography was a secret, inaccessible thing.  And as you would expect with a horror film titled Porno, there is plenty of gore and nudity.  Sometimes it feels like a little much, and the squeamish will probably have to turn their heads at several times during the movie.  I actually thought it was a bit too much, with some unnecessary scenes and dismemberments (emphasis on the member).  And just like a porno, the story in this movie is nicely paced that builds to an ultimately quick, and slightly unfulfilling ending.  It is an enjoyable journey, and the start of the movie is definitely a highlight, but the movie escalates into an orgy of activity that resolves itself in a confusing manner.  The climax of the film is epic and involved, but it also seems like a conveniently fast one after so much build up.

Porno is an adult Are You Afraid of the Dark, set in a 90s theater with plenty of classic movie references, gore and nudity, and a slow build up to an epic climax.

Rent it.

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Porno is available to stream on Shudder starting November 24, 2020.