A film I’ve been anticipating for some time, Dark Match comes from Lowell Dean, the mind behind the indie cult hit WolfCop. After hearing rumors about the project and even chatting with Chris Jericho about it a year ago, I knew it was in the works and would likely hit festivals soon. Unfortunately, I missed its limited run, but with Shudder acquiring the rights, its eventual release was inevitable.
Dark Match taps into two things I love outside of HMU—indie pro wrestling and cults. It’s not a stretch to merge the two, given that legions of wrestling fans (myself included) tune in religiously every week to watch some of the best talent in the business. Adding Chris Jericho to the mix as the film’s maniacal cult leader only solidified its authenticity. And while Dark Match delivers on the slams and bumps you’d expect, there’s something missing that keeps it from reaching its full potential.
Where’s Dalton Castle when you need him? (And no, I’m not just throwing in wrestling puns for the sake of it.) The film, while solid in premise, ultimately feels a bit lackluster. The setup is strong—an indie wrestling promotion takes a gig they shouldn’t, hoping for a payday, only to land in the middle of something far more sinister. It plays like an episode of Heels, but with a greater emphasis on survival than storytelling polish.
Ayisha Issa’s Miss Behave and her partner Joe (Steven Ogg) serve as the veterans of the circuit, navigating a relationship as rocky as the promotion they work for. Their breakout star, Kate the Great (Sara Canning), is positioned for success, but instead of delivering a WOW-style showcase, their matches turn into brutal fights for survival under the rule of their deranged leader, Prophet (Jericho). Ogg and Issa do the heavy lifting, carrying much of the film’s emotional weight and injecting depth into the bleak scenario. Dark Match does a good job of highlighting the struggles of keeping a small wrestling company afloat, but while it brings a unique horror twist, it’s territory we’ve seen explored before.
I think I liked the idea of Dark Match more than the actual execution, but I was still entertained. Horror and pro wrestling are a natural crossover—something the Asian film market has understood for years. Credit to Dean for tackling a subject as sacred as pro wrestling, and if the film gains word-of-mouth momentum, it could find a cult following. The real fun here isn’t in the technical move set—it’s in the blood and brutality. And at the end of the day, it’s all fake anyway… right?
Rating: 2.5/5
Dark Match
Directed by Lowell Dean
Starring Chris Jericho, Ayisha Issa, Steven Ong, Sara Canning, Michael Eklund, and Jonathan Cherry.
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