The Super Starring Val Kilmer & Many Plotholes

A newly hired superintendent in a great big old, dusty apartment building moves into the New York residence with his two kids in tow. The Super has a strong cast consisting of Val Kilmer, Patrick John Flueger, Paul Ben-Victor, and Louisa Krause which makes the film feel like you’re in for a good time. Well-polished cinematography, dark and earnest scenes, and plenty of red herrings make the short run time entertaining at a minimum.

In its storyline, the castle becomes a little broken. The Super tries vigorously to be smart and devious with its creepy Janitor Walter. Mother of Movies doesn’t want to spoil the big reveal for this twisted hole-filled journey. Included is a spoiler and explanation section at the end of the review for The Super, where some of the bigger plot holes and nonsensical writing are touched on.

The horror film begins on some strong footing. A teacher from a local school arrives home to find her incapacitated brother quite scared and anxious. How he copes while she is at work is of no concern, but he doesn’t seem happy to see her. Something is amiss and there is also something in the apartment with them.

The Super 2017 is a Horror Movie

The opening scenes are violent and unexpected. As a big fan of horror movies though, I deemed this as a great start. Movies set in apartments held hostage to some kind of killer entity can make for decent viewing. Think 1BR or 13 Cameras. The tension is palpable in the first quarter. Next, a nice guy, Phil takes over the basement and makes a home of it while beginning work for the large complex.

There are some vague details mentioned concerning his run of bad luck. The woman we saw viciously murdered is spoken about as missing. The hotel’s owner, Mr. Johnson, seems off and of course, the building’s Janitor has taken an unseemly interest in Phil’s youngest daughter Rose. A lot is going on and we like that.

Who’s Killing People? Is it Walter?

What begins as a heady case of “who’s the bad guy” quickly turns into something more complicated towards the back end. The Super veers towards dumb decision-making horror and factors in some eye-brow-raising plot twists. For those stuck behind the eight-ball and wondering what on earth happened, Phil’s eldest daughter Violet catches everyone up to speed with a lengthy explanation.

Overall The Super is a terrible horror movie, done well. You’ll want your 90 minutes back and you’ll scratch your head about the weird dubbing but at least Val Kilmer was good in this. For more information via another review of The Super 2017, Mother of Movies recommends EyeForFilm.com.

I give The Super

2 Val Kilmer did this role while recovering from Cancer out of 5

The Super 2017 Streaming

You can watch The Super on Prime Video in AU or as a rental in the USA,
Directed by Stephen Rick / Written by John J. McLaughlin,
Produced by Fortress Features / Distributed by Saban Films and SC Movies,
Released in 2018 after a premiere at the Sitges Film Festival.

The Super, Ending Explained

Rose is a spirit child. Similar to The Others, and The Sixth Sense Rose is only seen by a handful of people. Beverley sees her and the janitor Walter sees her. What tips this idea on its head in The Super, is the fact that Phil’s love interest Beverely ignores any decision-making that even hints at being rational. By the time Walter is seen to be helping in ridding the family of this evil spirit, Beverly joins in on helping to kill Walter. She can see Rose is not a child and a ghost. Beverley actively stands by while he is murdered even though Rose and Phil meant her harm as well. She ignores the pleas for Violet to be free of whatever he father is doing and her dead sister’s evil ways.

What Happens Next?
One can only assume the aftermath of the storyline when the film closes. Does Beverly shack up with Phil and help him murder more people while keeping Violet trapped in a vicious cycle of horror? Who knows but the ending of The Super needs some closer attention.