‘Blood Tokoloshe’ Still Not The Worst South African Movie Trailer This Week [Video]

Just when you thought SyFy and The Asylum had cornered the market on bad Z-grade horror movies, South Africa steps up to bat. And while the US studio has found increasingly bizarre ways to repurpose sharks, a group of local filmmakers found a monster the press team from The Daily Sun may be more familiar with: the fabled Tokoloshe. Blood Tokoloshe is an (apparently) intentionally incredibad story about a man who summons a tokoloshe to grant him wishes in exchange for it feasting on people’s blood. It is the worst.

The basic setup is that some guy in Orange Farm decides he wants to get rich quick, so he makes a deal with a sangoma to summon a tokoloshe that will grant his wishes in exchange for feasting on township locals. I can’t criticize the basic plot mechanics of this thing because they’re standard horror fare, but the South African angle does seem awfully… regressive, doesn’t it?

According to a write-up by James Francis over at Movies.co.za, the movie isn’t great and is geared towards a Nollywood audience. Which is a pretty good cover story to use if ever you’re an African filmmaker who make something awful. Francis, however, knows the people behind the movie and has seen an early cut of the movie, so who am I to judge?

Despite its ([apparently] intentionally) shitty feel, Francis feels there are a few good reasons to back the movie.

Firstly, it’s not the usual historic saga, cutesy comedy or inane musical we’ve seen pop up out of local cinema. Second, it’s not trying to win awards but instead wants to help build a potential local market for low-budget films – that might not be some glamorous, but it can certainly pay, unlike many locally-produced movies. Third, the film was entirely shot in the township of Orange Farm and sourced all of its actors from there as well. In short, this is a realistic stab at making a true South African film.

I’m not sure if I agree with his assessment that something is worth rooting for purely because it’s not typical South African fare, or that sourcing actors from the Orange Farm community wasn’t somewhat more exploitative of the filmmakers than it was empowering for the people, but hey, it’s still not the most regressive South African movie trailer I’ve seen this week.

 

In case you didn’t get it when the over-enthusiastic sangoma in the trailer said it, here’s the basic plot:

Strange attacks plague the Orange Farm township’s women, leaving the town leaders at a loss to defend them. But with every attack Mthunzi, a sly business man, is becoming wealthier and growing in sexual icon status – something is amiss. The local Reverend learns that Mthunzi has enslaved a Tokoloshe using it to fulfill his greedy desires. Through his greed he breaks a golden rule and loses control of the beast, which goes on a murderous rampage to exact its revenge. Thirst for blood, the beast comes after Mthunzi’s ex-lovers, saving Mthunzi and his current lover, Boitumelo for last. With nowhere left to run Mthunzi turns to the Reverend. Will he be able to stop overcome the beast to save himself, and the one he loves?

Honest to god though, I’ll watch whatever local movies you throw at me if it means I get to write reviews of them after. I saw fucking Blitz Patrollie, and that was… man, that movie was bad.