“Did you just say ‘no’ to Dave Grohl?”

Dave Grohl

A ridiculous vanity project from consummate rock star Dave Grohl, Studio 666 is a campy horror comedy inspired by the likes of Sam Raimi, with a wafer thin plot about the Foo Fighters recording their tenth album in a haunted house. If it were not clear from the title, the audience should know what to expect from a brutal murder in the opening seconds and the fact that the opening credits include “make-up and animatronic effects” — it’s that sort of movie, punctuated with gory deaths to make up for schlocky writing. Grohl was clearly the driving force behind the project and he commits fully, relishing the opportunity to skewer his own image. The rest of the band seems to be along for the ride, gamely enough though these men are all performers rather than actors. There is less new music than one might hope, and Studio 666 features a heavier, more thrash metal sound than the Foo Fighters have ever produced. The spectre which hangs over Studio 666 is drummer Tayler Hawkins’ untimely death just a month after the film’s release, and fans may struggle to separate this death-filled story from the real life tragedy. The small cast and essentially a single location also make it painfully clear that this was a COVID production, but that constraint serves to keep proceedings focused. Ultimately Foo Fighters fans will be vicariously entertained by the band enjoying thesmelves, but Studio 666 is average fodder that will be swiftly forgotten.

5/10