“I Heart Willie” is a nasty piece of work that hopes its gore and admittedly exciting visuals will distract you from failures in writing.
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From the opening scene, I Heart Willie announces itself as a mean-spirited monstrosity.
This latest public domain cash grab, unrelated to the so-called Poohniverse, seems determined to go as dark as possible with its gleeful vivisection of the mouse that has become the ultimate symbol of childhood innocence and wonder.
After the smallest bit of backstory via montage, Director Alejandro G. Alegre wastes no time in serving up the main attraction—the admittedly horrifying and imposing visage of Willie (played by writer David Vaughan).
He’s a tall, muscular figure wearing a deeply creepy mouse mask, his body covered in burn scars. He also seems to have a taste for sadism, as we kick things off with a vicious torture scene and an early death before getting introduced to our quartet of protagonists.
That includes a couple of YouTube ghost hunters, Daniel (Sergio Rogalto) and Nico (Nicho Camacho), on their way to investigate the site of an urban legend. Accompanying them are Daniel’s ex, Nora (Maya Luna), and her BFF Jess (Daniela Porras), who isn’t shy about her thirst for Daniel.
They are investigating a local legend about a boy named Willie who was said to have been born with severe deformities, resulting in a human-mouse hybrid appearance rumored to have inspired the design of Steamboat Willie.
Although the boy was believed to have died in a fire, many are convinced he is still haunting a dilapidated property—an abandoned resort—where several people have gone missing.
Whether he somehow survived the fire or is a Voorhees-inspired vengeful spirit is a point of debate. However, Nora proffers a groan-inducing Halloween Ends theory of her own: “Evil never dies.”
It turns out Nora is not unfamiliar with Willie, having encountered him at a young age. After surviving the harrowing ordeal, she claims to have a strange connection to the killer, with an ability to sense his presence. It’s as if, she says in all inexplicable seriousness, “He imprinted on me.” Ok, Twilight.
It’s a small cast, so it takes a bit for anyone other than our ill-fated exterminator from the film’s prologue to meet their untimely demise. Unfortunately, that means we must sit through too many uninteresting talking scenes and some confounding exposition.
Yet, the violence ramps up quickly once Willie makes his presence known.
It begins with the first of many idiotic decisions. After coming across the slain exterminator’s bloody van, Jess and Daniel decide it’s a swell idea to climb in back and start having sex. Lustful fornication is a cardinal sin in any slasher, but it feels foolish here and almost makes you root for Willie.
We know our heroes are doomed from the start, but wicked Willie doesn’t just like to kill; he enjoys playing with his prey, taking them back to his lair to chop off body parts and skin them alive.
There’s a fun twist that’s actually pretty entertaining and could have been a lot more thrilling if the script hadn’t telegraphed it so early on.
It isn’t easy to talk about without spoiling a significant part of the film. Still, you’re almost guaranteed to see it coming based on the flashing, neon-lighted signposts leading up to it. That’s a shame because I honestly enjoyed the destination; if only the journey had been less bumpy.
A Mexican production, I Heart Willie was filmed in and around Michoacán in Western Mexico.
The actors are all native Spanish speakers, though the film is almost entirely in English. There are only a few minor Spanish bits—hilariously subtitled using a cartoonish, Disney-esque font that feels campy and misplaced.
Given how loathe Americans are to read subtitles, I understand why the filmmakers chose to make this an English-language film. Unfortunately, however, it severely hampers the performances, especially given how dialogue-heavy the film’s first part is.
When the action ramps up, it’s clear these actors have some chops and are pretty convincing, selling the moments of terror and suffering. Sadly, the language barrier makes most of the film feel awkward, with the acting coming across as stiff and unnatural.
I loved seeing some onscreen diversity. It would have been exciting to see a Spanish version of the film that allowed its small cast to shine, giving us characters we could actually invest in and root for.
Now, something must be said about watching a film where all that matters is the splatter and gore.
I Heart Willie is clearly more interested in that angle than in weaving a rich narrative or investing in character development. I’m not inherently opposed to that. I’ve enjoyed films that revel in the sheer brutality and visceral horror that have made the Terrifier franchise such an indie horror hit.
I Heart Willie never rises to that level of shock and awe, and it certainly could have leaned more into that aspect—though I suspect budget limitations hampered it considerably.
That said, there’s a solid effort here in the area of visual effects and mean-spirited mayhem. This is a film that should appeal to the torture porn crowd who enjoy a good bit of sadism with their slashers.
The film never goes too far in showing the really nasty bits. It’s enough to create a grimy, unnerving atmosphere, but it’s not Saw or Terrifier levels of brutality.
Ultimately, this is far from the worst of the dark fairy tale films but nowhere near the best either. It feels rushed to cash in on a trend and exploit a gimmicky concept’s novelty before it’s bled dry.
Though, some of it really works.
Maya Luna as Nora is fantastic and seems to relish the part, especially in the unhinged final act. It’s a cool setting with solid set design. The makeup effects are strong, and Willie is a very unique and threatening killer. The film makes good use of its budget, and it doesn’t feel particularly cheap.
There’s fun to be had, especially if you enjoy your horror on the more savage side. The kills are grim and lurid. There’s a bit of a perverse edge to the whole thing that makes this more interesting than your average hack-and-slash film.
It’s not a slam dunk by any means, but you might have a decent enough time if you manage your expectations.
I HEART WILLIE releases in theatres across the US and Canada for one night only on February 26th. A list of participating theatres can be found at https://iheartwillie.com. A digital release will follow at a yet to be announced date.
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Overall Rating (Out of 5 Butterflies): 2.5
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