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A Bonkers Prehistoric Caper That Won’t Go Extinct – The Invisible Raptor (FrightFest 2024)

Mike Capes as Dr Walker in The Invisible Raptor standing next to a man in a dinosaur costume

FrightFest champions all facets of genre cinema, from chillers that will haunt your nightmares to gore-splattered features and those late-night bizarre watches that will stick with you forever. The Invisible Raptor, somehow, ticks all of those boxes. Directed by Mike Hermosa and written by Mike Capes and Johnny Wickham, the film first played Glasgow to a rave reception, and it has now made its way to the London event.

With a star-studded cast featuring Lord Of The Rings star as well as Sandy Martin and Bunny Levine, the creature feature begins when a genetically modified invisible raptor escapes Tyler Corporation and wreaks havoc on the community of Spielburgh County. At the same time, washed-up palaeontologist Dr Grant Walker (Mike Capes) is rocked by the sudden reappearance of his college sweetheart Amber (Caitlin McHugh) and the disappearance of Elliot Kintner (Luke Speakman), a regular at the low-budget amusement park where he now works. All that was left behind in his wake is a large, steaming pile of poop, with Dr Walker teaming up with loner security guard Denny Danielson (David Shackelford) to track down exactly what left the waste in its wake.

On the surface, it's easy to immediately dismiss The Invisible Raptor as another wild horror comedy that will erase itself from everyone's minds as soon as the festival circuit comes to an end. But this prehistoric caper packs plenty of punches in terms of its bizarre story, immediately likeable characters, gut-busting comedic moments, and entertaining gore by the bucket load. The film is well aware that the ‘hey, look, this raptor is invisible' gag won't carry the entire film, and instead offers viewers tongue-in-cheek references, racy double entendres, slapstick moments, and so much more to keep the hilarity rolling.

But this is a horror film, after all, and The Invisible Raptor keeps the stakes high with inventive, bloody, surreal kills that leave no one safe from the apex predator's fury. Between the mayhem, the film does a good job of building an emotional connection with viewers, from Denny's tragic backstory to Dr Walker's fall from grace in the world of palaeontology and how their friendship blooms against the odds – the odds being an invisible dinosaur. Both leading men offer strong performances, alongside a truly stellar Sandy Martin as eccentric, famous chicken farmer Henrietta McCluckskey who, quite literally, takes one for the team in a bit to trap the dino.

It's bonkers and bloody brilliant in equal measure, packed full of winks and nods to classic creature films and ridiculous gags aplenty that match the overall mood of the film. It's about an invisible dinosaur, after all, of course it was never going to take itself too seriously. After dazzling audiences at festivals, The Invisible Raptor is sure to garner a cult following in the years to come.

The Invisible Raptor had its UK premiere at FrightFest 2024 on Thursday, August 22.