Just for the record, I don't care for wrestling and never have. Therefore, for a wrestling movie to be one of the most fun and impressive low-budget indy flicks I've seen in a long time, it would have to be a pretty darn kickass wrestling movie. Which is exactly what horror-thriller POWERBOMB is.
Directors R. Zachary Shildwachter and B.J. Colangelo got some actual wrestlers to act in this, including star Matt Cross as himself. He and the other wrestlers do a surprisingly good job of acting, not just in the wrestling scenes but later when they're reminiscing about old times and chiding Matt for playing the small venues and not going for the big time because he's got a wife and kid to take care of.
The opening wrestling scenes are the real thing too, setting the film's realistic tone which carries over into Matt's personal life and that of his wife, ex-wrestling star Amy (Roni Jonah) who also gave up the big time for momdom and is constantly nagged about it by her friend Kelsi Roxx (Britt Baker), also a former ring star who quit only because of a disabling injury.
It's these conversations between the real wrestlers about real wrestling issues and how the profession affects their personal lives in profound ways that give the movie an added dimension of authenticity to go along with the more fanciful events later on.
Speaking of which, what sets the plot into high gear is when Matt is kidnapped by his rotund and very fanatical #1 fan Paul (Wes Allen), who shackles Matt in the basement of his house where he tends his invalid mother and stews in his overwhelming lifelong obsession with wrestling in general and Matt in particular.
Paul, while serving his chained-up captive pizza and showing off his custom-made Matt Cross action figure, speaks at length about how he's going to prepare Matt for a return to stardom by forcing him to get his mind and body back on track. Like everyone else in this film, Wes Allen's performance as Paul just goes full-tilt and never slacks up.
Meanwhile, Josh Miller goes beyond the slime barrier as Matt's super-shady S.O.B. of a manager, Simon, a crooked cokehead who doesn't care how much he cheats and connives to get ahead (while secretly socking away most of Matt's moolah).
This includes sliming his way over to Matt's house and trying to intimidate Amy herself after Matt fails to show up for a match, which places him in an awkward position with some local underworld creeps.
For most of POWERBOMB, we see Matt and Amy pushed to the limit of their endurance and patience, placed into untenable situations and dealing with idiots who are beyond empathy or rational thought either due to inherent evil or a severe disconnect with reality.
So when at last the fickle foot of fate stomps right down on their last good nerve, we get to see what happens when two fed-up professional wrestling superstars go medieval on some well-deserving asses and push things into horror territory.
At about 77 minutes, POWERBOMB is short and sweet, drawing us in quick and getting the job done with no muss or fuss and giving both wrestling and horror fans an exceedingly entertaining time along the way. The finale is bloody and cathartic, and even if you don't love wrestling it's liable to have you cheering.
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