Eli Roth's latest horror offering, Ice Cream Man, is a disappointing addition to his portfolio. The film, which aims to cater to modern-day gorehounds, falls flat due to its lack of substance and execution. While Roth's previous works, such as Thanksgiving and Hostel, showcased his talent for bloody provocation, Ice Cream Man feels like a demo reel for someone less talented. The premise, which involves a mysterious ice cream man turning kids into feral killers, is simple and bluntly executed. The dialogue, characterized by slapdash swearing and kiddy talk, fails to engage the audience. The gore, though inventive, is overshadowed by the movie's cheap aesthetics and poor characterizations. The kills, which are the only highlight of the film, are rendered phoney and frictionless due to the lack of grime and texture. The backstory, a low-impact Freddy Krueger knockoff, feels like a rush job and lacks the suspense and tension that Roth's previous works had. Overall, Ice Cream Man is a soft serve that fails to satisfy the ravenous, enthusiastic genre fans that The Horror Section aims to cater to. It is a film that feels like it's feeding its audience mainly contempt.
