Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- campy
- irreverent
- bloody
- cult movie night
- halloween party
What critics said
Critics found mischievous genre fun and pointed political targets, but broadly faulted the film for slasher clichés, weak scares, and an overlong drug-and-dance middle.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The serial killer wears a Ronald Reagan mask, turning political symbolism into slasher iconography.
The script targets conservatives, liberals, Reagan-era policies, and the Iraq War through its festival conflict and killer mythology.
Pot-smoking hippies at a free-love rock festival become the targets of an ax-wielding masked murderer.
The American Free Love Festival takes place in wooded surroundings and serves as the setting for the killings.
Films like The Tripper, and why
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
shares a self-aware slasher structure, countercultural satire, graphic kills, and dark comic energy
The Hills Have Eyes
shares exploitation-horror aesthetics, political subtext, masked killer imagery, and grimly playful violence
The Final Girls
shares a campground-style slasher setup, ensemble victims, and comic genre self-awareness
The Return of the Living Dead
shares counterculture targets, drug-fueled absurdity, and politically charged horror comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- David Arquette
- Release Date
- 2006-04-20
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 4.9 / 10 (114)
Cast
- David Arquette
- Courteney Cox
- Richmond Arquette
- Paz de la Huerta
- Lukas Haas
- Balthazar Getty
- Redmond Gleeson
- Jaime King
- Thomas Jane
- Jason Mewes
Common questions
- What is The Tripper about?
- A masked Reagan fanatic turns a cannabis-soaked forest music festival into a politically charged, blood-splattered slasher comedy.
- What is The Tripper like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Tripper as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Tripper violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Tripper as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Tripper?
- Critics found mischievous genre fun and pointed political targets, but broadly faulted the film for slasher clichés, weak scares, and an overlong drug-and-dance middle.
- Which films are like The Tripper?
- Films with a similar feel include The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes, The Final Girls, and The Return of the Living Dead.
- How long is The Tripper?
- The Tripper runs 93 minutes.
