Director Gigi Saul Guerrero has quickly made a name for herself in the horror sphere over the past few years. However, her success didn’t happen overnight. Guerrero’s heart has been in the horror genre for years creating short films, but her collaboration with Blumhouse allowed her to film her first two features. Guerrero’s first feature film, Culture Shock, dove into the horrors of immigration and the struggle to obtain the American Dream as an immigrant. Now, for her second feature, a horror-comedy titled Bingo Hell, Guerrero — or how I like to refer to her as now, The Gore Queen Guerrero — tackles the political issue of gentrification in the realms she knows best; gore and horror.
Bingo Hell follows five underrepresented people from a marginalized group. The protagonist of the film is Lupita (Adriana Barraza), who refuses to leave Oak Springs regardless of the cash that was offered for her home. Her version of her community that she holds so dear to her heart is the place where she grew up and will not stop at any means to protect it. Dolores (L. Scott Caldwell) is Lupita’s best friend and she isn’t afraid to tell Lupita when she is wrong. A fallout was hinted at between them when they were younger at the start of the film but throughout the story Dolores is next to Lupita assisting her as long as it doesn’t interfere with the safety of her grandson Caleb (Joshua Caleb Johnson). Yolanda (Bertila Damas) is a salon owner who willingly sells her establishment for bigger dreams in the main city. Clarence (Grover Coulson) and Morris (Clayton Landey) are old time friends looking for an excuse to finally leave Oak Springs. One night they notice their regular Bingo Night building has suffered the fate of gentrification, as the old neighborhood of Oak Springs slowly begins to fade out. This new and improved building, equipped with the latest cash grab aesthetic of casino-esque decorations and lighting, doesn’t seem right to Lupita and the rest of the group. The skepticism of Lupita allows her to not fall under the grasp of the owner Mr. Big (Richard Blake), who is controlling everybody with his inauthentic green liquid money, unlike her friends and the rest of the neighborhood. This doesn’t stop Lupita from attempting to overthrow the foreign threat and regain what once made Oak Springs her community.
Lupita and the rest of the cast are a group often left as one-dimensional characters in the horror genre. Occasionally they’re knowledgeable grandparents of the lore of their respected films as they give exposition through stories. Or they are sometimes portrayed as the link to the evil entity through their profession as a medium in a séance, which Adriana Barraza has already done once in Drag Me To Hell. The recurring theme here is that the older generation of folk is seen as the communication link of the evil and the young protagonist of the story, and not much is given character-wise. Guerrero grabs hold of this marginalized group and puts them front and center. The older generation now has a chance to shine in a horror film, and these actors do a great job at portraying their group. Most importantly, these five characters are likable, and the time spent with them feels genuine and authentic.
Horror films using the genre to speak upon gentrification isn’t anything new. Osmany Rodriguez’s horror comedy Vampires Vs. The Bronx, is a prime example of using creatures to speak upon these issues. The theme of gentrification isn’t hidden in Bingo Hell. From the first frame, Guerrero shows the declining community of Oak Springs, with the new hipster shops overtaking old establishments. The final realization of community ties Guerrero’s idea of community and the issues of gentrification kicking out the people who made the neighborhood what it is. The journey to come to this realization trends to new land with the inclusion of Mr. Big. Richard Blake hones in a great performance full of over-the-top acting that fits the character’s devilish and slimy persona. His use of green liquid is a smart way to comment on the pursuit for money while introducing a new, and disgusting at times, evil entity used to control everyone in Oak Springs. The green liquid, which is never given a name in the film, is a prominent feature in the film and its use of practical effects.
With a production company called Gore Productions, you can expect the effects team to bring great uses of gore in their films. The standard from gore aficionados is met in Bingo Hell. Although the kill count is fairly small compared to other Blumhouse entries, Guerrero makes every death count and brings them with a new style of kills. From mutilations to ripped flesh, every bit of blood spilled was traumatic to the character — and might just be enough to make you squirm in your seat.
To say a horror film is sweet and charming isn’t a typical descriptor given by fans and critics. But Guerrero truly made a kind-hearted horror film for the whole mature family to enjoy. The antics of Lupita taking charge of her future and her community bring heartfelt laughs and moments. The final dedication is to Guerrero’s grandma and “abuelita’s chingonas.” This film is used to appreciate greatness in a marginalized group that may feel like they are fading. Bingo Hell reassures us that everyone deserves a story, and the community is always worth fighting for.
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