Movie Review: Brute 1976 – Coming the select theaters on August 29, 2025 (Digital and VOD on Sept. 30, 2025)

Coming to a select theaters on August 29, 2025, and on VOD and digital on September 30, 2025, is the gruesome horror film, Brute 1976.

It is currently opening in the below markets:

Laemmle Glendale – Los Angeles, CA – 8/26 – Premiere

Laemmle Glendale – Los Angeles, CA – 8/29 & 8/30

Alamo Drafthouse – Indianapolis, IN – opens 8/29

*more markets to be announced.

The film stars Adriane McLean (Miracles of Christmas), Sarah French (Blind), Gigi Gustin (The Retaliators), Dazelle Yvette (Garden of Eden) and Adam Bucci (NCIS Los Angeles).

The film is written by Joe Knetter’s (George A. Romero’s Twilight of the Dead) and directed by Marcel Walz (Pretty Boy, That’s A Wrap).

When Raquel and her girlfriend have car trouble and break down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. At the same time, a group of people are in the desert for a photoshoot. Soon, they stumble upon an abandoned town where a family of masked psychopaths reside.

I find it funny that the first thing I thought of when I started watching this film is that it gave off a The Hills Have Eyes aura with the way the film was shot, as if it was bleached by the sun (if that makes sense). A short time into the film it was definitely giving off Texas Chain Saw Massacre vibes. There was also a time that the film Wrong Turn (the original, not any of the horrible versions in the franchise) with the though of mutant inbreeds who ate people.

I’ll be honest, I have no clue why the film is called Brute 1976. Perhaps I missed it along the way. Maybe “brute” is short for “brutal,” because let me tell you, this film is brutal – and in a very graphic way too (more on that in a bit). The 1976 part of the title is easy – it’s based on that time period based on the funky clothing and the van they drove. They were all pretty groovy. Ha Ha.

I wanted to review this film because I watched the trailer and saw the people in the scary masks. That piqued my interest because the masks are terrifying.

I’m a fan of the horror genre. I’m totally okay with blood, guts and gore. Beheadings, cannibalism, blood everywhere… that doesn’t bother me, as sick as that sounds. I’ve pretty much seen it all in horror movies. HOWEVER… there is a scene in this film that I found extremely difficult to watch and incredibly disturbing. Men should be forewarned – trust me!

Without going into too much detail it involves the part of the male anatomy (think lower extremities), fully exposed in a visually realistic manner, a power drill and one of the most painful to watch “injury” that I have ever witnessed in a movie. Thank goodness I didn’t watch this film with my husband. Do you remember what Lorena Bobbitt did to her husband’s “part?” Well… let’s just say that the character in this film wishes it was that easy.

Barf! I still get very grossed out when I think about that scene. I can’t imagine what men think of it.

Speaking of the male anatomy, there is plenty of strong sexual situations and nudity in this film, just to give you a heads up.

I’m not a prude at all, but I don’t feel like going that route (sex and nudity) is necessarily in a good horror movie. Movies such as The Exorcist, A Quiet Place, The Ring and Sinister didn’t resort to sex or nudity. I get that this story was back in the 70’s with “free love” and all, but the hippie clothing and van was more than enough to convey what time period this film was meant to be from.

Anyway…

The acting was good. Some of it was over the top and cheesy, but it was effective enough.

There are several times I was left scratching my head. For example, if it’s just you and a friend and you find a long, dark tunnel in the middle of no where, why would you go inside? Not only that, when you find basically a junk yard of decaying cars and dilapidated buildings, in the middle of nowhere in the desert, WHY would you want to get out of your vehicle and check it out.

There was another scene involving a chainsaw and a wood armoire/wardrobe. One of the characters thought it would stop the maniac from attacking him. Did he not realize that a chainsaw could cut through the wood like butter? Not only that, the maniac was the size of a linebacker, I’m pretty sure he could have pushed it aside or broke in on his own.

I didn’t understand the ending of the film. I have no clue who the maniacs were overall (a cult, doomsday preppers, psychos…). I could have used more clarification.

Look for Brute 1976 at a theater near you or on VOD or digital.

Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.

 

Kimberly

*I received a free screener in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.