Jon Keeyes debut was, and still is a very good low budget movie.
Debbie Rochon plays Jane Toppan, a psycho who torments a group of friends after they confess their deepest fears on a pirate radio show.
The film was obviously a labour of love for writer/director Jon Keeyes, as it quickly grabs your attention from the well thought out title sequence, and keeps hold of you right up to the somber conclusuion.
The cast were very good here, especially Brandy Little who was perfect as Jessie, a young woman plagued by guilt after the disappearance of her sister. She was totally into her part from the get go, and really made you feel sympathy for her.
At the opposite end of the scale, Debbie Rochon delivered a wonderful performance, managing to be sexy, slimy, sick and psychotic, whilst never in danger of becoming too over the top.
The rest of the ensemble were all good in their respective roles and it always helps to have Brinke Stevens in your movie too.
Surprisingly, the low budget didn’t seem to hold the film back in the aesthetic departments either, as the film looked and sounded great.
OVERALL SUMMARY
American Nightmare is a fine debut and it was a sign of great things to come from Jon Keeyes, however I didn’t care much for the recent ‘Hallow’s End’ so am hoping that his latest film ‘Suburban Nightmare’ will be a return to the high standards set here.
