[Review] — TENANTS is an Anthology with Seven Stories of Terror

The horror anthology TENANTS (94 minutes) from Wallick Productions is available on VOD—in time for the Halloween season—presented by 13th Floor Productions in association with EXIT. Blake Reigle ("Nah"), Jonathan Louis Lewis ("Laundry Day”), Sean Mesler (“Acting Rash” & “The Photograph”), and Buz Wallick (“The Hoarder,” “Need Anything,” & “You’re Not Supposed to Be Here”) directed the anthology. It features the cast of Mary O’Neil, Christa Collins, Myles Cranford, Douglas Vermeeren, Tara Erickson, Clarke Wolfe, Fayna Sanchez, and Rib Hills.

The movie's synopsis goes: Joni is desperate to find her sister Emily. So desperate, she searches for her in an apartment complex that feels strange yet familiar. Frantically searching every floor, she interacts with the inhabitants of the building, unknowingly leaving a bloody trail of bodies behind her. An actress discovers a thirst for blood. A widower comes face to face with a monster of his belongings. A couple faces the horrors of a lost baby when it returns. The apartment manager gets haunted by his past sins, and two roommates attack each other over unpaid bills and cleanliness. Joni isn't alone on her mission; a dark, shadowy figure is waiting around her corner for her. Will Joni live long enough to see Emily? One thing is for sure in this apartment complex: the cost of rent is your life.

Clarke Wolfe (Belinda) in "Need Anything."

Many horror anthologies consist of random shorts by different directors with no connection to one another except for having a similar theme. "TENANTS" takes a different approach by using a wrap-around story, "You're Not Supposed to Be Here," to weave together all the segments. In this segment, Joni (Mary O'Neil), the protagonist on a quest to find her sister, briefly interacts with the characters from other segments.

"Need Anything" is a remake of a short that director Buz Wallick made with Mary O'Neil during the pandemic. This new take drops the pandemic angle and focuses on an "odd couple" of roommates that repeatedly harm each other in hilarious, gory ways.

"The Photograph" is about a stalker turned murderer, haunted by the ghost of his victim, who seeks revenge.

"Hoarder" is a whimsical tale about a grieving widower who can't let go of the past, leading to a bizarre obsession with garbage. It reminded me a bit of the Amazing Stories anthology series of the 1980s.

"Laundry Day" is a sad story about a couple grieving the recent loss of their baby. The wife has a horrifying encounter in the apartment's laundry room in the vein of a "Monsters" episode (another '80s anthology series). 

"Acting Rash" is a bloody short about a "past-her-prime" struggling actress who strives to get rid of a nasty rash on her face before an audition.

"Nah" is the shortest—blink or you miss it. Funny? Sure. Pointless. Yep. It offers nothing to the film.

TENANTS is an intriguing low-budget horror anthology that provides laughs, bloody kills, and a few good gory moments. "Need Anything" and "Laundry Day" were my two favorites, though all the segments have their merits. The directors were passionate about the stories they were telling. The acting is mixed, from tolerable to decent, but I expect nothing less from a horror film. Overall, TENANTS is an entertaining watch, especially around the spooky season. ╌★★★★✰