The Scarlet Worm (Abortion Brothel Revenge Western)

 

Normally, I have a policy not to review movies made by friends and acquaintances because I actually value the people in my life and it would suck if I wrote a bad review and lost a good friend in the process. That said, I’m glad to be breaking company policy today because The Scarlet Worm is one of those movies that beats the odds and a crippling low budget. It’s highly entertaining and unlike most of the films I review here, and strangely can be enjoyed by the whole family. A deeply religious barber shop owner lives a double life as a hitman for the mysterious Mr. Paul. He harbors dreams and desires to get out along with a poet’s mind for words. Suddenly, he gets his chance to split when Mr. Paul offers him one last assignment. If he takes out the owner of a local brothel that has been performing abortions on it’s workers, he’s free to go. Things do not go according to plan.

   

As stated before, this is a true anomaly in indie film. A micro-budget Western set in 1909 has nowhere to go but down, but The Scarlet Worm rises with brutally effective staging, a memorable score and dialogue so good that you’ll remember it for days. It’s not a perfect film by any means, but it’s a miracle that these guys finished this at all and that it’s as good as it is. All said and done, The Scarlet Worm is a cracking good time at the movies and another one of a handful of Unearthed Films releases that I liked. Currently, you can catch this on streaming sources as Cowboy Vengeance, By either name, check it out.

 

Written by David, Comptroller of Your Last Scrap of Existence

The Scarlet Worm (2012, Blu-ray, DVD)
Michael Fredianelli
4.4 / 5