What do you do when your wife forces you to watch The Bachelor? You make a horror movie about it, of course… and that’s exactly what director Tim Cruz did. His third film The Final Rose is a slasher-whodunit set on a remote island about a single mother competing on a reality TV dating show called Love at Last. When the contestants become targets of a mysterious masked killer, their search for romance turns into a fight for survival.
Pitched to Fox and Tubi in September 2021, the concept was impressively bought on the spot based on two sentences. Cruz and co-writer Blake Rutledge created the outline in two weeks, completed the first draft in five and shot the film in 12 days during a sweltering June in California. Fittingly released during Filipino American History Month, Cruz expresses pride in it most likely being the first studio-produced film with a Filipino director, writer and lead. Adamant that the main character Jess be played by a Filipino American, he was ready to walk away from the project if Tubi disagreed. Thankfully, they supported his demands without hesitation and Christina Masterson was cast as Jess, with Fil Am actor Marc Fajardo playing her brother, alongside Indonesian American actress Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja as her daughter.
Masterson shines as a virtuous character coping with manipulation placed upon the women by the production team (Roger Horwath, Brittany Underwood, Robert Adamson) on the set of Love at Last. The show’s bachelor Garrett (Robert Palmer Watkins) is easy to root against. His portrayal fully embodies the “charming asshole” duality of an entitled man surrounded by women he objectifies. Brian McGovern as the host and Chris Harrison type steals the show in his scenes, serving memorable comedic quips, and Brytni Sarpy’s Madison begins as your typical “in it to win it” contestant later shown to have more depth in her pursuit on the show.
Behind the scenes photos were provided by Tim Cruz.
What could have easily veered into melodrama is averted by the film’s decision to not take itself seriously. The script slings campy humor without restraint, the cinematography utilizes sweeping landscape imagery seen in reality TV, while the darker elements keep it grounded. The Final Rose team knows its source inspiration material is absurd to begin with and opts to lean into that tonally. However, Cruz emphasizes a refusal to ridicule real life contestants on shows like The Bachelor, stating that personalities get slashed on screen to give viewers a false sense of superiority. As a former crew member on many unscripted shows like The Apprentice, his firsthand experience led to a desire to provide commentary on how cruel and unjust reality television is.
These thematic motifs are the focus of The Final Rose in terms of horror. While there are ‘70s Italian horror inspired kill scenes, the use of gore was minimal due to budgetary reasons. Had time permitted, it may have served the film to increase tension as the audience anticipated the next victim’s demise. When the killer’s identity is revealed, it is unexpected and their motives fit within the social message the story wants to achieve. Additionally, there could have been opportunity for franchise potential around the masked killer: reality television’s answer to Ghostface or Michael Myers, if you will. Perhaps there’s room for another campy slasher set in the world of Hell’s Kitchen?
The Final Rose is a fictional exposé of reality television but also a parable on how the toxicity of the entertainment industry creates monsters. Those who love to hate reality television shows or want a nonchalant, humorous horror will find this to be towards their liking. It’s also a new addition to the slate of programs embracing Filipino American leads this year, such as Jacob Batalon in Reginald the Vampire and Jo Koy’s Easter Sunday… and that alone is worth celebrating this month and in future representation.
The Final Rose is now streaming on Tubi.
The post The Absurdity and Horror of Reality TV Dating Shows in ‘The Final Rose’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.