I’m jumping out af sequence again to talk about Urban Legend. One of the new slashers of the ‘90s, Urban Legend delivers on the title with a killer who takes the time to stage their kills around popular legends. Or their versions of them anyways. It’s a strong concept bolstered by one of the best casts of the time. Seriously; Robert Englund, Alicia Witt, Jared Leto, Joshua Jackson, Brad Douriff, Rebecca Gayheart, and Tara Reid all have roles in Urban Legend. That’s not even the best part of the movie.

• Directed by: Jamie Blanks
• Written By: Silvio Horta
• Starring: Jared Leto. Alicia Witt. Rebecca Gayheart

Why This One?

Urban Legends, and in some ways many horror movies, are American folklore. The tales that are retold and handed down, shared from one generation to the next. Thematically, this is not new ground for a horror movie. Black Christmas was based on the babysitter getting calls from inside the house. Alligator is based on people flushing baby gators into the sewers. Horror movies are just the next iteration of how we tell each other these stories, so combining them is a perfect set up.  Or it should be.

One of the most interesting things about Urban Legend is how it shows people responding to death and stories of death. It’s especially relevant because the legends we most enjoy recalling are grisly tales . Just look at the popularity of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, you know, before they swapped out the good illustrations. 

The Characters

Most of the side characters treat the deaths in the movie with dark humor. They make jokes about the deceased and treat the anniversary of mass murder like it’s a reason to party.  Or a ticket to fame. It’s both cynical and realistic at the same time.

The movie is also cavalier about the main character Natalie’s past, and her role in a death. She was involved in a “prank” that was a lot more like vehicular manslaughter. Her attitude about her part in the accident is concerning. Maybe not deserving of the murder-all-your-friends concerning, but as far as final girls go, she’s got some issues. 

She’s surrounded by friends who are just as problematic as she is. Paul, her love interest, is a journalist with no issues exploiting death for his byline. Parker and Sasha are too concerned with their own interests to really care. Brenda, Natalie’s best friend, is the only steady and stable one. 

Until she’s not… Spoilers! Sorry it’s necessary.

Brenda is the killer, which from a logistics perspective doesn’t make much sense. Let’s be honest: there are some kills that she just couldn’t pull off.  That’s less important than the absolutely bat-shit crazy performance Rebecca Gayheart delivers in the role.  She goes all-in on wild-eyed frenzy and sarcastic madness. After the first two acts filled with cynical and self-referential humor, it’s a welcome change. Her performance is absolutely the best part of Urban Legend.

The fact that the killer is the best part sadly highlights my major problem with Urban Legend: I don’t really like any of these people. Nor do I understand how they would be friends. They don’t really seem to like each other. This is important since the killer’s plan mostly hinges on Natalie becoming unglued at the deaths of people close to her.  None of these people dying seems like a major loss. You know, outside the base tragedy of the loss of human life. Which is always terrible; I’m a Ghoul, not a monster.

How is it as a Slasher?

The killer has a pretty compelling reason to start her murder spree. So much so that if she hadn’t spent so much time targeting innocent people, I might be a little more on her side. As it stands, I have a hard time rooting for anyone who is so unfocused in their revenge. 

Brenda’s kills are big and impressive, staged around urban legends.  Those stories are at the root of her trauma, and she all too gleefully passes that on. 

The victims aren’t isolated in the typical sense. Much of the movie takes place on a crowded college campus. Natalie’s insistence that the incidents happening around her are connected murders is met with dismissal from the authorities. 

Also, her friends are jerks so she’s pretty much alone socially.

There is also very little traditional stalking, although having the killer hiding in plain sight does give the “always watching” advantage.  There are some nice red herring moments which help keep the suspense up through the third act too.

Is It Good?

It’s fun. Does it need to be anything more than that?  Honestly, I enjoy the concepts of the movie more than its execution. The characters don’t really connect or seem like real people, and at times don’t react like them either, which makes for an odd viewing experience.  But this is an urban legend. It’s built around hyperbole and fantasy. It doesn’t need to be real; it just needs to entertain and impart a warning. 

Final Thoughts:

Social messaging has always been a part of horror: don’t have sex, don’t do drugs, don’t dig up dead serial murderers. Urban Legend leans heavily into this trend and it’s one of the reasons it’s worth a watch. There is a sequel, but I’ll save that discussion for another day. Until then, don’t flush any alligators, don’t pick up hitchhikers, and remember humans can lick too.

Urban Legend is available on streaming.