‘ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER’ (2024) – Movie Review – PopHorror

I’m a huge fan of genre mashups, so a film like Astral Plane Drifter is right up my alley. A film that combines comedy, Kung Fu, spaghetti westerns, lo-fi Sci-Fi, and the metaphysical?

Sign me up!

Synopsis

Sometime Before Yesterday. Or After Tomorrow. Somewhere Out In The Yonder. There Was This Guy.

Astral Plane Drifter was directed by Scott Sloane and created and written by Mike Caravella. The film stars Mike Caravella, John J. Jordan, Mike Rad, Christophe Zajac-Denek, Andrew Joseph Perez, Irena Murphy, Richard Wayne, Blade Sabovcik, Jenny Leona, Gianni Caravella, Samuel Hanke and Matt Weis.

I really enjoyed Astral Plane Drifter. It’s kind of an easy watch. You just have to go with it’s flow. It has a really laid back and chill vibe. The film follows The Drifter as he tries to save his friend, and in effect, the earth itself, from an energy vampire. Over the course of the film he’ll have to find his path and content with vampires, energy vampires and snake men.

The film is an absolute blast. The Drifter is so laid back and fun to watch. Think The Dude if he had metaphysical powers. The combat scenes are completely not what you would expect at all from a film that takes Kung Fu as an influence, which just makes it all the more hilarious. The dialogue is another strong suit for the film, especially the double entendres, such as when The Drifter tells the energy vampire he can’t put his key in his hole. I died laughing from that line alone.

I really liked the lo-fi aesthetic, especially the look of the villains. They had a very retro look that worked well with the vibe of the film. I like how the hero rarely had to use his abilities to take down the villains, using his go with the flow nature to his advantage. Seeing the hero just shooting the shit and getting wasted with henchman that were sent after him was a joy to watch.

When The Drifter uses his powers, it’s absolutely hilarious. Did I mention the dude can shoot lasers out of his junk? The film wraps up the main story but leaves things wide open for a sequel, which I definitely wouldn’t mind one bit.

Final Thoughts

If you enjoy chill comedies, stoner comedies, Kung films, Spaghetti Westerns and Lo-fi Sci-Fi then Astral Plane Drifter may just be the film for you. It’s laid back but also frequently hilarious.