"Attack of the Killer Donuts" Review - Rome International Film Festival (***)

Justin Ray and C. Thomas Howell star in "Attack of the Killer Donuts."

Grab a beer and few friends because "Attack of the Killer Donuts" is all kinds of bizarre fun. This low-budget horror/comedy has all of the trappings of a late night, nothing-else-to-watch good time and what it lacks in actual scares it makes up for in more than a couple of laugh-out-loud scenes.

A chemical mix-up involving a mad scientist (Michael Swan) and a donut shop causes several pastries to come to life in the form of flesh eating, growling little monsters. The donuts—who are mostly animated (a few times we’re blessed with actual prosthetic donuts and they are hilarious)—reek havoc around suburban Los Angeles. Our leads, Johnny and Michelle (played by Justin Ray and Kayla Compton) are at the center of the plot but it’s the supporting characters that help to offer up most of the laughs. There’s even a goofy cop duo!

Unfortunately, there is the lack of actual scares. It’s clear that scaring people wasn’t first priority for the filmmakers, but legitimately frightening donuts would have gone a long way in making "Killer Donuts" a movie worth revisiting.

"Attack of the Killer Donuts" is knowingly ridiculous and asks audiences to laugh with it along the way. Adjust your expectations accordingly and this over-the-top horror adventure can offer up just as many laughs at it does cringe-worthy moments.

3 out of 5 stars.