PARTY FROM HELL

Jackie Moore as Molly

PARTY FROM HELL (2021). Director: Jared Cohn. 

Denise (April Martucci) is planning to launch a new interface for her company with her sister-in-law, Ashley (Veronika Issa) -- bolstered by seven million from entrepreneur Peter (Eric Roberts) -- and a major party is planned for the event. Denise literally bumps into a party planner named Molly (Jackie Moore) and hires her to put the launch party together. At the tasting session, things don't go so well when Peter's allergy to peanuts sends him to the hospital -- no peanut products were supposed to be in the appetizers -- and things get worse from there. Ashley disappears as a vengeful Molly starts a campaign to not only destroy Denise but everyone around her, including her daughter Grace (Nicolette Langley) and husband, Josh (Matthew Pohlkamp). Molly takes no prisoners, even framing the nice black employee, Liam (DeShaude Barner) for theft of a corporate credit card. 

April Martucci

To be frank, Party from Hell isn't very good but it is entertaining, which counts for something. The actors are competent, although none of the performances stand out. Molly is the latest in a long line of sociopaths with a grudge -- in this case she hates a group of girls who tormented her in school and has already disposed of several of them. The story proceeds at a good pace, but is devoid of style or real tension. There's no elan to the murder sequences. As for primary victim Denise she fires Liam without doing any investigating, and gets absolutely hysterical because Josh has some lipstick on his collar after a party in a bar -- she's not too tightly wrapped, either. 

Verdict: Plan your next party yourself! **1/4.