Nekrotronic

Exceedingly tedious virtually from start to finish, Nekrotronic follows a sanitation worker (Ben O’Toole) as he discovers that he comes from a long line of demon hunters – with the movie detailing his training alongside two seasoned warriors and, eventually, his efforts at taking down an evil queen of the underworld (Monica Bellucci). Director Kiah Roache-Turner, working from a script written with Tristan Roache-Turner, has certainly infused Nekrotronic with as fast-paced and over-the-top a feel as one could envision, and although this does ensure that there’s some fun to be had in the early goings, the filmmaker’s style-over-substance sensibilities quickly pave the way for a maddeningly broad narrative that’s often as nonsensical as it is familiar (eg much of the movie’s midsection revolves around the central character’s introduction to his familial legacy and the predictably dreary training to develop his newfound powers). It is, as such, not surprising to note that there’s virtually nothing here to wholeheartedly (or even partially) connect to, with the lack of any real stakes certainly preventing one from working up any real interest in or sympathy for the protagonist’s ongoing endeavors. The endless, special-effects-heavy climax ensures that Nekrotronic concludes with a whimper, and it’s ultimately clear that Roache-Turner’s goal of creating a modern cult classic has fallen hopelessly flat.

* out of ****