Piper Movie Review 

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Written By Nick Allford

Liz Hurley in a creepy movie, count me in. 

‘Piper’ is based on the fairy tale ‘The Pied Piper’, made famous by the Grimm Brothers. 

A story that dates back as far as the 1300s, with various iterations. The most common of which is the story of a piper who is paid to chase the rats out of town. When the residents refuse to pay for his services, the Piper plays another tune and all of the children in the village follow him into the mountains, never to be seen again… you know, your standard German medieval kid’s story. 

A Modern Take with a Campy Twist

Piper still shot of LIz in office

In this modern take on the tale, Liz and her daughter relocate to a small town in Germany for a fresh start. As they settle into their new life, things take a dark turn. A terrible secret from Liz’s past has awoken The Piper, an evil entity from beyond, who seeks redemption by taking the children of any parent who has done wrong…and her daughter is top of his list. Things go from bad to worse when Liz’s daughter Amy starts having nightmares that come to life. Help arrives in the shape of a hunky gypsy, who for some unexplained reason is Scottish. 

Despite the R rating, it’s not so much a horror movie and more of a teen romance with some spooky elements. Imagine ‘Twilight’ with gypsies replacing the vampires. Although don’t expect the same level of production as the sparkly blood suckers, as it looks like the budget was blown on Hurley’s salary. I’m starting to wonder if Liz Hurley is a vampire herself, as she doesn’t seem to age. 

However, the audio is what really lets Piper down on so many levels. Whether it’s the music and sound effects straight out of a kid’s TV show, or the badly dubbed voice over, you’ll have a hard time not being distracted by it. 

The premise is good fun and you should be able to see past Piper’s flaws if you think of it more as a campy 70’s horror movie. Check out ‘Piper’ if you’re a fan of Liz Hurley, spooky horror and campy teen romance. 

‘Piper’ is available on DVD & Digital Platforms from November 13.

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