Too Late is a comedy-horror movie that really leans more toward the comedy side of things than the horror.
Too Late is a movie that technically falls into the horror-comedy hybrid genre, although it is much more of a comedy than anything else. The horror aspect of it doesn’t really work in a scary sense, but it blends so wonderfully with the humor aspect that it can be forgiven.
This story follows a young comedian, Violet Fields (Alyssa Limperis), who is the assistant of the famous Bob Devore (Ron Lynch). She has sacrificed a lot to be by his side — you could even say that she has sold her soul to a monster in exchange for a chance at success.
When she meets another young comedian, Jimmy Rhodes (Will Weldon), their connection is strong from the start. But Bob doesn’t like her having a life outside of his variety show, Too Late, and her connection with Jimmy could become the end of them both.
What Works With Too Late
From the very start, this movie is hilarious. This is to be expected with such a great comedic cast, of course, but the humor goes so far as to exceed expectations. Due to the nature of the film, there is a fair amount of standup comedy routines, each one funnier than the last. The jokes aren’t only on stage though — there is a lot of comedy laced throughout the movie. Because of this Too Late feels like it fits snuggly in the comedy category.
Too Late’s plot is intriguing from the start. Even for those that go into this movie blind, it becomes obvious fairly quickly what exactly is going on here. That isn’t to say the predictability is bad thing, in fact, quite the opposite. Since it is easy to figure out exactly what is up with Bob, the comedy surrounding his monster appetite really works. It brings so much more to the story. Couple that with the major undertones of selling out in order to succeed, and you have yourself a hit.
The fact that Vivian does many things that she is not proud of, and is essentially an enabler for Bob’s abuse, feeds (no pun intended) into the plot nicely. Pulling off a comedy with a real valuable lesson is hard to do, but Too Late succeeds.
What Doesn’t Work With Too Late
Too Late does flounder a bit when it comes to the horror side of this story. While there are certainly tense moments, and a few grotesque scenes, horror doesn’t feel like the right word for this movie — even if included in a hybrid with the comedy genre. Scary is not a word that many people will use to describe Too Late, making this one feel like it belongs strictly in the comedy category.
Overall Thoughts
Too Late is a silly comedy with just a small touch of horror to it. The plot itself is meant to be a metaphor of selling out, going against your morals, and enabling abusers. But by combining that with a ridiculously funny cast, standup comedy, and a story about a monster so off the wall the characters themselves don’t believe it, this movie becomes a must watch.
The runtime of less than an hour and half helps to make Too Late work as well, giving the audience no time to get sick of the comedy style and weird monster plot. The pacing is done very well, with the plot moving right along. The comedic performances sprinkled throughout certainly help to keep viewers engaged as well.
This movie might be really silly — but it still works. Tough to call Too Late a comedy-horror flick, but it is certainly a comedy, with a little touch of horror.
About Too Late
This cozy horror comedy set in the Los Angeles indie comedy scene features Violet Fields who works a thankless job as the assistant to Bob Devore, famed comedian and host of the live variety show, Too Late. But what only Violet knows is that Bob is a monster both literally and figuratively. Resigned to her fate, Violet is caught by surprise when she meets aspiring comedian Jimmy Rhodes and sparks fly. But as her feelings for Jimmy grow and Bob starts to doubt her loyalty, she and Jimmy could end up as Bob’s next meal.
TOO LATE is the debut feature film from director D.W. Thomas and writer Tom Becker. It stars Alyssa Limperis (Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun), Ron Lynch (Bob’s Burgers, Adventure Time), Will Weldon (Comedy Central’s This Isn’t Happening), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Fred Armisen (SNL, Portlandia), Jenny Zigrino (Bad Santa 2, 50 Shades of Black), Jack De Sena (Avatar: The Last Airbender), and Brooks Wheelan (SNL).
Too Late comes to select theaters and digital platforms on June 25th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.