Stung (I) (2015) User Reviews

A return to the old school creature features...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 20 July 2017]

When I found "Stung", I must admit that I was instantly compelled to pick up the movie and read the synopsis. And I needed little more to convince me to sit down and watch it. I do like horror movies, and creature features are usually quite fun to watch. But while killer insects have been done over and over, it still does have some appeal to me.

The visual and special effects in "Stung" were actually surprisingly good, and they really added a lot of enjoyment to the movie. It is always nice to see practical effects in a movie, and not just have an all out CGI showcase. Sure, there were CGI present here too, but it was a nice mix of practical and CGI effects.

However, I must admit that I didn't really understand the idea of huge wasps bursting out of stung people mere moments after having been stung. Sure, it was fun and entertaining for the movie as a whole, but it made very, very little sense.

"Stung" has a pretty good ensemble of cast, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Lance Henriksen was in this movie; I didn't know that prior to sitting down to watch the movie. It is unnecessary to point out that Lance Henriksen is always entertaining to watch in the movies that he is in. Matt O'Leary was actually carrying the movie quite nicely together with Jessica Cook. It was also a nice treat to have Clifton Collins Jr. in the movie, especially in a role such as he was portraying. I haven't seen him in a movie for quite some time.

The design of the wasps was actually quite good, and it looked rather convincing and realistic, so the props and special effects team really managed to pull off something nice with this movie.

Writer Adam Aresty came up with an enjoyable story for sure, while director Benni Diez did a great job of putting the story to life on the screen and managed to capture the spirit and essence of old school horror movies with "Stung".

There is a good atmosphere and feel to the movie, and it sets a very adequate mood for the type of movie that "Stung" is. And if you are familiar with the older "Mimic" movies and enjoyed those, then you will most definitely also like "Stung".

I was laughing so hard when they put in a Wilhelm scream when there was a big explosion which engulfed the queen wasp. I didn't know that wasps were capable of performing a Wilhelm scream, but I was proved wrong. That was just hilarious.

I must admit that I had initially just thought this would be another campy and cheesy creature feature with questionable CGI. But I was proved wrong, so very, very wrong. And I really enjoyed "Stung" and can warmly recommend that you take the time to watch it if you enjoy a good horror creature feature in the spirit of the old school horror movies.

Predictable ending to the movie? You betcha... But all in all an enjoyable creature feature. I am rating it 6 out of 10 stars.

Hurting

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 30 June 2016]

Creature features are a tough thing to pull off. Stungnado here may not be the best of the bunch (Eight legged Freaks was a lot of fun to name one in recent memories that got it right), but it does have a couple of moments. Seeing the duo of Lance Henriksen and Clifton Collins can always be fun. Even if they are underwritten characters. But everything is underwritten here.

So try to take joy of simple things. Like the fact the actress playing a catering boss is called Cook. If you can laugh at that, you may find some funny moments in this too. Then again there is a lot wrong with it too, so our main hero is a bit bland, the love story doesn't really work. But the effects are decent and if you don't have high expectations it can be a fun ride of sorts

A decent horror comedy that is not especially funny or scary.

[thisseatofmars · 5/10 · 11 October 2015]

"Stung" is novel as it combines the classic zombie tale with John Carpenter's "The Thing." Monster wasps are attacking, and if you get bitten (or rather, "Stung") by one, you undergo a gruesome metamorphosis into a giant wasp, replete with lots of goo.

"Stung" is a "horror comedy" with zero laughs, but the wasps are worth looking at and the film gets points for not taking itself seriously. Further points are awarded as it stars horror veteran Lance Henriksen and Clifton Collins Jr (anyone involved in the production of Pacific Rim automatically gets a thumbs up in my book.) Factor in a misty, green-themed colour palette and we're presented with a film that's easy on the eyes.

Where the film falls flat is its lead: a tedious stoner-slacker who inexplicably transforms into a commanding hero the moment the giant wasps begin attacking. Where was all that gusto before, when all he was interested in was getting high? I guess a "hero" like this one is meant to appeal to 30-something men who, deep down, think they're special or have secret potential (or something) but can't ever be bothered to put down their blunt. Personally, I've never found anything appealing about an underachiever, and only in a trite male power fantasy like this one could the guy ever get the girl.

Just a pinch of amusement

[quincytheodore · 5/10 · 4 July 2015]

Stung is a simple cheap thrill, presenting over-the-top characters and gory scenes. It looks rather sloppy, but not without some appeal. The corny set-up have intended humorous acts, they are lightly done and in the spirit of irony. The presentation isn't top notch though, this won't rival smooth delivery of big budget movies, it is good for brief amusement nonetheless.

The story follows the crews and attendees of a party, which doesn't take long to completely crumble as monster wasps decide to attack. There's no scientific or dramatic tension like most monster movies, they just appear and wreak havoc. The main characters are the bartender and event planner, they predictably run around trying to fend off these abominations.

It plays with exaggerated violence tone, chopping heads and limbs in pretty sadistic manner. It also tries to extract any kind of humor with the bantering script, although this makes the characters rather unrealistic. For the practical and special effects, they are inconsistent in quality. CGI looks like it belongs to average video game, which doesn't really convey too much realism for a movie.

Few of the scenes look decent, especially with the bloody dismemberment. However, it can look inauthentic at times. Most of the cinematography involves jittery motion in dark tone, which is unfortunate since the brighter sequences fare better and a large portion of the movie happens in nighttime.

Narrative and effect are shoddy at best, but Stung does its job as light popcorn flick. If not anything, at least it provides a couple of giggles.

Stung?

[Shadowplayed · 5/10 · 4 July 2015]

Well, this is horrorcom, naturally one expects some laughs, some insane action, some over-the-top set pieces..well, we got about half of the last ingredient here. The problem is, humor is just not there, neither in situations nor in jokes, the characters kinda drag through better part of the film awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say, or what kind of stunt to pull. Then, we have Mist-esqu insects galore, but that doesn't quite work out either. This flick can't decide what famous horror to pay its homage to, is it already mentioned Mist, Shaun of the Dead (through main guy who looks and acts very similar to Shaun - Simon Pegg) or Alien - during the final part.

Lance Henriksen is there - why, yes he is, and he elegantly works his way through undemanding role of a small town's Mayor, but the charisma is effortlessly present. Same can't be said for our young duo of caterers that just can't catch their lucky career break, and are falling in love while all hell breaks loose. Actually, Matt O'Leery (Paul) does his best and gets there while his partner, Jessica Cook (Julia) just kinda exists...yeah. Sorry guys, the flick, up to this point, is as dead as the party that's just about to get somewhat more interesting...but not overly so.

Effects and cinematography are very decent, but mostly generic story, sans decent laughs, motivation and chemistry between characters waters the whole thing down. This is not a bad watch, and it does picks up in the last..hmm forth of the film, but it's just not enough to make it a memorable, bloody, suspenseful and funny experience. And that's what every good horror comedy's about...or so I've heard. Passable, but nothing to write home about. OK, so it does have some good ol' splatter, nice fx and bloodshed, but...Sorry to report, I've not been stung by it.

A tasty cheeseburger!

[almighty_satan · 4/10 · 24 April 2015]

I was marginally involved in the making of the movie and know a bunch of the people who made it. So, give me my fan-boy moment and grant me the 10/10 rating. But to avoid any further bias, the bad news first:

If you expect STUNG to be an original game-changer it is not gonna be your movie. It goes by the book of creature features as much as a cheeseburger goes by the book of burgers at McDonalds. But even though I might hate one the moment I bite into the pickle I devour cheeseburgers over and over again, so here are the good news:

Are you in the mood for a cheeseburger? Congratulations! You gonna get a really old-school super-sized deluxe version with extra large fries and a real coke, because 1) Lance Henriksen is in it, 2) instead of giant spiders, ticks, flies or bees, we get GIANT WASPS. 3) The are gooey, gory, slimy, 80s-style special effects creatures (there is a ton of CG stuff in it too, but only for the shots which were impossible to pull off with prosthetics, plus a load of "invisible" VFX, all of which the crew pulled off wonderfully and which look A LOT better than what I am used to from this sort of films), 4) a likable cast who delivers absolutely solid performances, 5) top-notch production value, especially considering that STUNG was made on a really tight budget by a first time director, a shooting and post-pro crew, most of who got off film school not too long ago, and the fact that the movie was made in Germany (thanks to some exquisite color grading it doesn't look one bit like rainy Berlin). Kudos to Ratpack and XYZ Films for having the balls to shoot in a country which isn't exactly famous for its output of creature features.

What stings me about STUNG is its not-so-risky bet of being a commercially safe cheeseburger. It carries a feeling of cautiously staying on the beaten path to remain a safely consumable product without the edgy gross-out humor and jump-scares of Jackson's Braindead or Raimi's Evil Dead flicks. STUNG is more along the lines of Eight Legged Freaks or Lake Placid and that's a little drawback, because you've seen it before a lot of times. This predictability makes the movie drag a little (especially the 2nd act has quite a bit of we-are-under-siege-so-let's-bond-and-start-a-romance-dialogue and a few meters too many of sneaking around). During the closing credits I secretly wished that the movie's story would have started at the moment where it actually ends (mild spoiler: it has to do with some flying steak produce), because that's the insane film I really would have wanted to see. It also would have been exactly what Benni Diez, the director, his crew's and producers' twisted minds are truly capable of, because they are all fan-boys whose hearts are beating for crazy films.

In the end STUNG did mainly one thing for me: It raised expectations, because Diez has proved he delivers his product in budget and on time. Now I look forward to Diez' next movie which hopefully goes beyond being a safe "product" and features the batshit crazy handwriting of an unleashed director who jumps from a burning plane with a knife between his teeth, a ticking nuke in his backpack with no parachute and no safety net... into a pool of alligators on acid.

What is a wasp's favorite movie?

[Coventry · 7/10 · 19 April 2015]

A horror movie doesn't necessarily always have to be good or surprising. Sometimes it's more than sufficient already if it lives up your hopes and/or expectations. In case of "Stung", for example, I had only set my hopes on seeing an unhinged and over-the-top giant creature-feature with plentiful of gore and a straightforward simplistic plot. Guess what! "Stung" delivers just that! And if you aren't too skeptical either, you're guaranteed to have a fun time with this German/American co-production that is (nearly) a genuine throwback to the glorious days of 70s animal-horror. There exist several bee-movies (like "The Swarm", "The Deadly Bees" or "Terror out of the Sky"), but apart from Roger Corman's "Wasp Woman" there aren't too many movies about killer wasps to my knowledge. The recipe for pure entertainment here exists of a totally bonkers plot, good old- fashioned gross-out special effects and bad but likable acting performances. The nervous and uptight Julia has just taken over her father's catering company and constantly worries that things will go wrong, in sheer contrast to her co-worker Paul, who just wants to relax, smoke weed and make out with Julia. They head out to cater the annual garden party of the eccentric Mrs. Perch and her creepy son Sydney at their secluded country estate. Mr. Perch used to make a fortune in the pharmaceutical business, but now his wife and son remember his death through annual garden parties where several prominent community members come to, like Mayor Caruthers for example. The evening quickly turns into a nightmare, as hundreds of mutated wasps intrude the party and viciously attack the guests. Since oddball Sydney experimented with chemical pesticides and fertilizers, the wasps are oversized and extremely aggressive … and they lay their eggs inside their victims' bodies, with horrendous subsequences. After an admittedly rather slow start, "Stung" is a non-stop fun and thrill- ride with too many gory highlights to list. The sight of humongous wasp-monsters bursting out of their human hosts is just terrific, especially because quite often the human leftovers – like entire heads – remain stuck on their insect armor. There's a nicely balanced mixture of traditional special effects and above-average decent computer engineered effects. The sound effects of the films are also imaginatively nasty. Apparently the sound of cracking lobster shells can be used to imitate the sound of giant fake wasps! As said, the acting performances aren't very good, but they are definitely likable. There's a nice and almost natural chemistry between Matt O'Leary and Jessica Cook, while the familiar faces Lance Henriksen and Clifton Collins Jr. are responsible for the more memorable and flamboyant supportive roles.

Oh, and the answer to the riddle in the subject line is: Stinging in the Rain

Better than expected...

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 2 April 2016]

Although no masterpiece, STUNG is an unashamedly old-fashioned monster B-movie that actually turns out to be slightly better than expected; it's certainly better than the level of fare regularly turned out by the SyFy Channel over the last decade or so. The main problem this film has is not with the execution or the effects - which are surprisingly cool - but the moribund attempts at humour in the script, which is full of dumb lines and expletives.

Other than that, it's okay for a B-movie. Killer wasps attack a party, but this is only the beginning of the story as most of the running time is about big, gooey monsters and bodily horror. The special effects thankfully avoid cheesy CGI for the most part and revert back to decent, prosthetic work, which you may remember from the good ol' days of 1990s era horror such as SKEETER or TICKS. Lance Henriksen is the only actor of note here, but he has quite a big part and is unsurprisingly the best thing on the screen.

Good time no alcohol required

[kk-yanakiev · 7/10 · 3 July 2015]

Fun fun fun ride with extremely likable characters. I will jump on a leg here and guess the budget for the movie wasn't very big, but the cast did an outstanding job. It's above average that's for sure. I mean I've seen way way way more expensive movies this year, that were classes below this one. (Jupiter Ascending is a good example).

I don't really know the two main protagonists as actors, but I sure do hope to see them again. Both are pretty natural and just plain cool.

Perfect flick with friends for a Saturday night. No nudity, its somewhat safe for juveniles as well, so bonus points for that.

If you like that genre, grab the nachos and have some fun with this one.

A film with bugs that bugged me.

[peterp-450-298716 · 2/10 · 5 August 2015]

Oh, God, help him! I think something bit him! You're a doctor! Help him! I'm a gynecologist for Christ's sake!

I had a good feeling about this movie and the last old-fashioned giant insects film I'd seen was "Big Ass Spider". A movie with considerably over-sized vermin who marched along and wreak havoc among the present crowd . The combination of horror, comedy and romance caused already a bit of distrust. Ultimately, this film hit the ball wrong when it comes to the first two genres. And the last genre felt a little forced. It wasn't really comical at all. And scary or exciting it was nowhere so to speak. I was expecting a sort of B-movie with no impressive CGI, but it was in fact actually pretty disappointing.

We meet Paul (Matt O'Leary) and Julia (Jessica Cook), a bunch of friends / colleagues (not really clear) on their way to a garden party organized by a certain Mrs. Perch for her deceased husband. The two take care of the catering. Soon this pleasant party is thoroughly disturbed by giant wasps / hornets / bees (I have no idea what kind it was, but they all sting I guess) that obtained their proportions because a mixture of growth hormones and fertilizer ended up in the ground, right into a wasp / hornet / bees nest.

Firstly I must admit that you don't need to wait that long before the sh*t hits the fan. Before you know it, it's all slime and blood that splashes around. Guests struggling on the ground with foam on their lips after which giant insect start to burst out of them. Just as in "Big Ass Spider" the insects look realistic when they're still of a normal size. But the moment they get those unreal proportions, it looks as if they came straight out of a "Dr. Who" episode from the 70's. Especially the scene at the end looks extremely awful. Even the phenomenon that appeared at one time on the sons shoulder, and reminded me of "Total Recall" from 1990 where someone had an ugly little man growing on his belly, looked really outdated. But admittedly, the amount of gore was huge and at times highly entertaining.

Yet there was much that bothered me. The transformations that occurred after someone was stabbed, was startling fast (but this guaranteed the fast pace in this movie). The romantic part felt really out of place. If I was in this situation, then this was really the last thing I'd be worried about. The way Paul developed from an unreliable catering assistant into an outright hero, isn't that original either. And the way it ends up in the ambulance was probably a metaphorical reference to the movie title. I just didn't know why that would be humorous (just like I didn't get the joke about the bees), but maybe I have a wrong sense of humor.

All in all a simple, short story with some flaws, with especially a failed presentation of the annoying insects and a lack of humor and tension. I will still consume a sugary drink on a terrace without running away in panic at the sight of some curious wasps.

More reviews here : http://bit.ly/1KIdQMT

Truck loads of buggy fun

[s3276169 · 8/10 · 6 July 2015]

Stung offers truck loads of buggy fun. From its opening scenes through to its conclusion this a fun filled, unashamedly camp horror, complete with a cast of colourful, intentionally stereotypical, characters.

Stung taps into the 1950/60's big menacing bug genre. Its all been done before but I have to say, probably not this well, in a long time. In spite of its modest budget, Stung, is a polished affair. The acting is good, the special effects reasonable and whilst the storyline is predictable, its so well presented you hardly notice. There's a few moments of black humour thrown in too, which further enhance what is already a decent film.

If you like your horror a little camp, quirky and generally over the top fun you should give Stung a try. Eight out of ten from me.

Comedy Horror

[pgrieves · 6/10 · 20 July 2015]

You have to watch the fist half hour to get into this movie. It's setting things up. I was bored and was going to switch it off after 20 minutes but stayed on. It worth watching...The acting is average and the relationships are pretty poor but maybe that's part of the quirky making of this film - not sure? The most peculiar thing is the the main character continues to run around in this movie as if he is unstable on his feet and always looks like he's going to fall over. It begins at the start falling over chairs? What the hell is this about? It looks extremely deliberate - maybe its part of the stupid comedy aspect? If you like horror with some quirky comedy then get on board. The best line is when the mother mutates and three people say in sequence "holy....mother...fucker!!" that was pretty funny.

Stay Away from this Horrible Redbox Movie

[exxionebay · 2/10 · 3 July 2015]

There has been so many horror let downs this summer including Poltergeist, Insidious 3, Lazirious, and many more B-Titles. Add one more, this one.

OK so here is the real rundown of this movie.

Hire Lance, Blow Budget on CGI, Rubbersuits, crappy goo, unknown actors ( not bad in anyway but still) Then try to make it a comedy, nothing is scary about this movie. They have every opportunity to make a fine horror film with quality monster and storyline. Shame on you Lance, honestly.

Then try to make audience enjoy lame gory CGI bugs with crappy overly loud sound effects made by a 12 year old.

I knew once the "party" was interrupted by the GIANT wasps and everyone just stood, just screaming like idiots a real insult to anyone with half a brain. All of this is happening even though the main characters were saying RUN RUN RUN for exactly five minutes this was gonna be a waste of so many peoples time including my own.

Not the worst, but not far from it

[capelladewdrop · 2/10 · 18 July 2015]

Worst plot line for a horror movie I've ever seen. Rich old men getting hunted by killer wasps. It makes a change from young middles class college teens but I'm afraid it just doesn't work.

This movie has a lot of very disgusting and disturbing scenes, but not in the kind of way that makes us enjoy a horror movie. They are genuinely disgusting and genuinely disturbing.

I did not think any of the characters were likable, and hoped it would be one of these horror movies where nobody survives. But unfortunately the two young servants survived till the end, then they were all smooches in the back of the ambulance.

Besides everything it was a decent movie worth watching and had a smooth storyline. I wouldn't watch it again though.

Stung Stunk

[Seth_Rogue_One · 3/10 · 9 December 2015]

I wasn't expecting much with this movie... Unfortunately what I got was even less.

The effects were slightly better than let's say the average Asylum or Syfy channel movie, but those usually manages to entertain by pure cheese-factor and so bad they're good type of fun... Where as this doesn't manage to entertain much at all.

Starts out okay at least but it manages to get worse and worse through out the running time and the last 25 minutes are just pure awful.

Clifton Collins Jr is a favorite actor of mines but he's been making some seriously questionable movie-choices these past 5 years, some hits but some very far from it, and this is probably his very worst movie which fits well because it's also the very worst performance I've seen of him.

He plays a stereotypical uptight upperclass white guy and that goes as well as you can imagine it would.

The 2 leads are played by Matt O'Leary and Jessica Cook though, and I'm sure even they can do better... In fact I know Matt can.

Makes 'Infestation (2009)' look like a masterpiece, and 'Infested (2002)' maybe it doesn't make that specific one look like a masterpiece but at least that one entertained, which this did not.

Dumb horror comedy movie ever made...

[seckinlergafri · 1/10 · 23 July 2017]

Stung (2015) comedy horror movie from the United States .. The giant wasps attacked a party in a park and killed many people. Stung is not funny, weird, and stiff, cheap dialogue dialogue, very stupid character character, kissing in inappropriate situations .. Ohhh please do not make a movie like this ... Silly CGI, do not waste your time to watch a cheap horror movie this..

You say wasp, I say murder hornet

[punisherversion1 · 7/10 · 19 May 2020]

Stung Directed by Bennie Diez. Written by Adam Aresty

As 2020 continues to roll along, we roll right along with it from one insane disaster to another. Right now besides rona doing its thing we have murder hornets. I figured why not indulge in a film that celebrates the utterly nightmarish idea of hornets so large and vicious to appear out of a horror movie. Stung is that movie.

Stung is a 2015 horror comedy where a catering crew working a party at a mansion way out in the boondocks are attacked by hornets. These are not your ordinary hornets. These hornets are genetic experiments and their victims become hornets themselves.

It's a simple enough premise and the groundwork laid down in the beginning is just enough to get you invested in the protagonists and be wary of others. It has the perfect simple opening for a movie of this type. It doesn't bog you down with unnecessary extra detail. It doesn't tie this event to some tragic event in their past. They are humans with lives outside of this story but it isn't so tragic that it breaks them down and they can't continue with life unless they confront this event. Monster hornets are the problem. Don't become one and try to survive. So clean. So nice.

This movie is a dream for practical effects lovers. I was quite jazzed myself when I realized they were going for the strictly practical avenue. The mutated hornets that erupt from their victims are vicious and they are feisty versions of the ant from Honey I Shrunk the Kids. They make the same sounds. I think the movies are using the same sound effects for these types of creatures.

Everything about this movie is over the top. It is played at the heightened emotions present in such a crazy situation. It is also gory, gooey fun. I figured why not celebrate this underseen ode to mutated monstrous hornets. This flick does get pretty wild especially once the hornets turn the mansion into their nest. A murder hornet hellscape if you will.

I recommend this movie. It is currently streaming at Hulu. It stars the kid from Frailty all grown up, Clifton Collins Jr who you will know when you see and the great Lance Henriksen in what's more than a cameo. That's always appreciated. Stung knows what to do with a legend such as him unlike both Grey's Anatomy and Legends of Tomorrow. They wasted him like he was a nobody. So angry about that. Respect Frank Black. I give this movie a B.

No no

[devinbrown-19091 · 1/10 · 13 November 2019]

No one would want to make out in real life if there was some nasty bugs everywhere unless they had a fetish like that I guess but no no.

Delightfully Inane, Bizarrely Tense, Surprisingly Engaging

[DareDevilKid · 7/10 · 5 July 2015]

Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid (DDK)

Rating: 3.6/5 stars

Mrs. Perch, an elderly, wealthy lady from rural America, is throwing a fancy garden party at her remote country villa. For catering staffers Paul and Julia, the party is nothing out of the ordinary - same procedure as every year - except this time her illegally imported plant fertilizer seeps into the ground. Subsequently, a local species of killer wasps that usually lay their eggs into other insects mutates into 7-ft. tall predators, and the celebrating upper-class company provides just the right kind of prey. It's up to Paul and Julia, the two catering staffers, to stop the creatures, fight for their lives, and incidentally getting their stumbling romance in order.

Director Benni Diez takes audiences on a thrilling, gory roller- coaster ride from campy to creepy, in this delightful and dreadful creature-feature. The headliners, of course, are the monsters, and Mr. Diez, a former effects specialist, skillfully blends viscous textures with cheesy digital flourishes. Kudos to his entire special-effects team, who relied less on CGI and more on practical effects. Another smart hand played by the filmmakers is their decision to maintain a tone that's mostly ideal for the contemporary equivalent of a drive- in movie: of reverent, parodic irreverence.

The only real niggle I had the film lay with its persistent and contrived attempts to encourage us to root for the good guy who is essentially a man-child until crisis mode kicks in, and he suddenly and abruptly becomes a badass, composed, think-on-your-feet, know- it- all. That minor, incredulous bit aside, 'Stung" is still a welcome breath of fresh air in the creature-feature horror genre - a rare, unpolished stone, unearthed from a deep, dark crevice, which all too frequently supplies it with hokum and drivel. It delights in its own stupidity the way a dog rolls in dirt, but is nearly as difficult to get mad at after it muddies up the rug.

Goodish.

[jakeben · 5/10 · 3 February 2020]

This film was a weird one for me. A great cast really who do a good job in the film. The effects are great. Location great. A good idea that could have been executed better. I found myself very interested at certain times in the film and other times found myself zoning out of it completely. Maybe the characters weren't likeable enough or relatable enough to really hook you in to the story and care what would happen. It really felt like this film could have been so much more it had the makings of a great film and it didn't quite get there and entertaining watch nonetheless. Definitely worth a watch though!

The kind of positive surprise that I like, a sincere film and a good time.

[kytetiger · 8/10 · 3 May 2015]

Stung (2015)

Giant mutant wasps attack the participants of a party.

The starting pitch may sound ridiculous, but it serves only as a backdrop. In the manner of the old horror movies of the 80s, the threat, whether an alien creature, a gooey monster or a psychopath, allowed to highlight social problems, conflicts between individuals or benefits and values ​​of the characters. For Stung, it is the relationship between Paul and Julia, and a small sally to the aristocracy and hypocrisy of this class. There is on one side the girl and the boy, and the other the mystery of giant wasps. The relationship between the two young people is catchy as it develops throughout the film, organically, each taking the time to know, not succumbing to the ease of Hollywood movies where the duo kiss after 2 min . The attachment is built, and also justifies certain elements of the story, instead of using stupid tricks and narrative turn. As for the wasps, the justification is simple but sufficient. Let us not forget that this is a comedy-horror, and the cause is also a critical eye on a specific theme.

We often associate the horror films or low budget to direct-to-DVD or products of poor quality. As said above, history, and rhythm that follows, are well managed. Added to this a realization of very good quality, with special effects in addition to dolls and practical effects. There is no easy use of CGI, but rather a practical research, which induces the same time a scares. One does not often see the whole creatures, and most of the plans are using real puppets. The actors thus react to tangible elements (except small swarm at first, a bit missed). And finally, the creatures generated computer are created, with some nice effects and flames are not too ugly.

Matt O'Leary, unrecognizable to those who have seen Spy Kids, camped with much ease and conviction his character. I could feel that he found himself in the wrong place, but that the situation required him to act, he had responsibilities. His big mouth is boring at first but I quickly gave him sympathy in view of the problems he faced. Jessica Cook <3 is not left behind. At first, appearing to be relayed to the rank of a stooge, she also has the opportunity to show us what she is capable of. It is also a pleasure to see renowned actors, adding a kind of experience and sustainability, through Lance Henriksen, a selfish but realistic mayor, and Clifton Collins Jr., a frustrated heir.

The kind of positive surprise that I like, a sincere film and a good time.

7.5 / 10

A lot of fun, despite the negative buzz......

[FlashCallahan · 6/10 · 18 October 2015]

Mrs. Perch, a very wealthy lady from a fairy tale part of America, is throwing a fancy garden party at her remote country villa.

It's the same procedure as every year, but this time her illegally imported fertiliser seeps into the ground. Because if this, a local species of killer wasps that usually lay their eggs into other insects mutates into 7 ft tall predators.

And the celebrating upper classes provide just the right prey.

It's up to Paul and Julia, the two catering staffers, to stop the creatures, fight for their lives, and incidentally getting their romance buzzing.

Despite it's glaringly obvious production values and really poor computer imagery, Stung is the kind of film that reminds one of great directors, and their humble beginnings. Cameron gave us Pirhanna: The Spawning, and there is more than a nod to early Dante with some of the comedy injected amid the chaos.

As for the narrative, it's your standard people in peril B-movie, much like the pap that Asylum have been churning out for years, but with decent acting, and humour that is intended, rather than accidental.

The two leads are good, O'Leary is good as Paul the protagonist, and at times, it's as if the whole invasion scene is going on in his head, rather than in reality, but hey, when your under the influence, you are the centre of your universe. Cook is also good, but here role is limited to that of the She's All That archetype. Timid at first, but them comes into her own during the final act. It's been done to death since SAT was released, and it's becoming a little tiresome.

He mikes and Collins. Jr, provide us with the wonderfully bonkers characters of the film, and they are clearly having a ball, revelling in all the absurdity. And there is a hing of a sequel in the final scene.

It's all a load of old cobblers though, but it's fun, slight, breezy, and it would be wonderful to see the film without CGI, just to see people running around in circles for no good reason.

If you like old school creature features, with tongue firmly in cheek, you could do a lot worse than this.

But the makers missed a trick by not casting Sting as the mayor......

Lazy writing

[nipsuysikolme · 3/10 · 11 October 2020]

Wasps the size of your fist come outside and start attacking the 30ish people partying outside. The logical thing would be to run inside as someone suggests. But the writer needs to get rid of the unimportant extras, so instead the partygoers just stand still and die.

Stung is gory R rating Gore

[jebgr · 2/10 · 20 March 2016]

Gory & not funny. Not a giant bug movie, more slasher flick gore than giant predators gore. Not enough comedy to overcome the gore & more gore than plot. Language is gutter. More 'F' words than most movies. Unsuitable for children, youths and family. Not a 'sharknado' type of movie. The giant wasps are OK, but the focus is more on the blood and gore than the giant wasps. In the right mood this is OK for adults, it's far-fetched enough for comedy, if foul language doesn't offend anyone watching the flick. More slasher gore than Saw. Some parts are kind of sweet as the young man is trying to romance his boss lady, during a giant wasp invasion, and he is a bit dorky with his efforts. The movie is definitely not a teen scream or OK for kids who like flicks in the giant predators genres. Definitely parental guidance is required, with the parents in charge of the remote control! The gore was over the top & really ruined the focus of the giant predators plot. The gore was the focus of this movie. It really ruined the movie experience for me, I love giant predators movies. I like even the sappy disaster movies, but this is different.

This Film Needs An Autopsy!

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 4/10 · 11 May 2017]

Giant wasps attacking a garden party; it's a simple premise with a simple story, so what could go wrong...

Everything...

But first, let's address the good issues about the movie. The wasps are well thought-out and generated and they are also one of the better creations of the writer Adam Aresty who has them able to multiply by injecting something into their victims. This has the effect of creating ultra large wasps from their hosts. A tad unbelievable but this is a monster movie horror film. I even liked the fact that Aresty didn't even try to explain the event with scientific twaddle.

The other good thing about the film is actor Daniele Rizzo who plays the musical entertainment, Larry. He gets so into his character that he appears to be the only one their intent on earning his wage. Even veteran Lance Henriksen comes across as being lost and confused for most of the movie.

Now for the bad parts of the movie...

This is listed as a comedy though there's less humour, even dark, here than there are in none comedy flicks, Only one joke managed to flicker a smile on my face.

The acting; for most of the film the actors, with the exception of Rizzo, look bored and this hinders their performance and portrayal of the characters, which come across as two-dimensional. This would be a bad thing in just one actor but in ninety percent it had me feeling the same way.

The direction; Though Benni Diez does try to build some dark and ominous atmosphere, he fails at adding excitement, which is needed when the wasps' attack. He's also not so good at filming comedy scenes; the beginning of the film is so badly filmed it comes across as monotonous rather than humorous and I wanted to turn off then and there. But being a monster movie fan I had to wait for the monsters to turn up at least, didn't I(?)

What this film requires is a shot of life and energy. If it's on telly when there appears to be nothing worth watching (like reality TV) then you could give it a try.