Divided by a contentious election for mayor, a small town is rocked further by a series of grisly murders. Billed as a political slasher steeped in heavy satire, Founders Day quickly falls apart due to a variety of weaknesses. With a disjointed script and feeble performances, what could have been a timely metaphor for the upcoming—and dreaded—real-world election cycle unfortunately doesn’t exist.
Though the film didn’t necessarily need to provide anything profound, as a satire, there are certain expectations for the overall story and level of wit. But there’s nothing clever about it, and in many instances, felt unintentional. The tone is all over the place, almost as if it wasn’t meant to be humorous in the original script but evolved haphazardly during filming and editing.
It also suffers from some fairly bad delivery from its cast. However, some can tie back to the script lacking any true quip. It felt void of the over-the-top yet well-executed humor that films like Werewolves Within or even last year’s It’s a Wonderful Knife have, which are two comparable low-budget satires.
And for such a modest effort, it desperately needed to lean into its strengths, but at times, it just magnifies its shortcomings.
The film does have a few things deserving of credit. There’s a well-executed character design for the killer, though I wish it had a more impactful introduction. Even the weapon—a gavel with a hidden blade—was inventive and original. And I also thought William Russ (who you may recognize as the dad in Boy Meets World) was a great casting choice.
But besides that, I found Founders Day to be quite underwhelming. The film’s political tone only scratches the surface and then provides a convoluted explanation for the killer. If you love a low-budget slasher, this might be worth checking out. But in the end, I found this to be a predictable mess that doesn’t quite know how to sell its horror, humor, or metaphor.
Jordy Reviews It 
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