The Grisly Serial Killer Horror Thriller From A Stephen King Director, Stream Now Without Netflix

I’ll admit that Fender Bender’s premise is by-the-numbers, but it’s still a fun take on the tried-and-true masked serial killer plot that’s fun to watch with friends on a Friday night.

Fender Bender, like many other slashers, boasts a small cast and a simple premise.

When 17-year-old Hilary Diaz (Makenzie Vega) gets in a fender bender while driving her mother’s car, she exchanges information with the other driver (Bill Sage), which is the responsible thing to do.

Not only does she give the driver her address and phone number, she takes pictures of her damaged Nissan Sentra, as well as the car that rear-ended her.

If Hilary were my daughter, I’d be proud of how she handled the situation. Not only was the accident not her fault, but she documented everything, which is exactly what you’re supposed to do if you want to file a proper no-fault insurance claim.

Hilary’s parents, however, are upset about the accident and make her stay home alone while they go out to watch a play. As part of her punishment, Hilary’s father, Mario (Steven Michael Quezada), wants her to call the insurance company and have the situation resolved by the time he returns.

After its initial setup, Fender Bender becomes exactly the kind of bloodbath that you expect it to be.

Once Hilary’s parents leave for the night, Fender Bender wastes no time building suspense and escalating into classic slasher territory.

Noticing that the unnamed driver is circling her residence, Hilary gets spooked after he leaves a suspicious gift for her on the roof of the damaged Nissan before driving off.

Hilary also hears some strange noises in her empty house while taking a shower, but writes them off because her friends, Erik (Kelsey Montoya) and Rachel (Dre Davis), show up to keep her company around the same time.

Now that Fender Bender has enough potential victims in the mix, Hilary receives a follow-up call from the insurance company revealing that the driver’s information she reported matches a claim belonging to a woman who was in a similar accident before being found murdered in her home the day before.

Naturally, the power to Hilary’s house gets cut, as well as the phone lines, and we’re introduced to a knife-wielding man wearing a mask that makes him look like he belongs in a Slipknot tribute band.

If you’re a fan of slashers, you know exactly what’s going to happen next in Fender Bender. But unlike other slasher films, you may be surprised by where the second and third acts take you because writer/director Mark Pavia throws a few curve balls to keep things interesting.

While Fender Bender doesn’t necessary offer anything new to the slasher genre, it’s an effective film with a number of up-and-coming cast members that you may want to keep an eye on. Makenzie Vega works with the tropes she’s expected to act out, and she’s not your typical “last girl” or damsel in distress, which was refreshing to watch play out if I’m being entirely honest.

REVIEW SCORE

If you want to be scared senseless, you might be a little disappointed with Fender Bender because it’s quite predictable. But if you’re looking for something to throw on the TV while you’re hanging out with some friends, you’ll have a great time watching this film.

Even better, if you have that one friend who isn’t really into slasher films, Fender Bender is a great gateway movie because it will be enough to pique their interest without scaring them off from the genre entirely.

You can stream Fender Bender on Tubi for free, and it’s the perfect title for a fun, laid-back horror night. It’s not Halloween, but it gets the job done. You might also learn a thing or two about why you shouldn’t give all of your information to a stranger who clearly has blood on his front bumper.