Prosaic and predictable slasher featuring the iconic spinach-eating mariner
In the Northeast coastal town of Anchor Bay, a group of 20-somethings make the mistake of breaking into a defunct canning factory at night to make a documentary on the legendary “sailor man” who supposedly haunts the rundown facility.
"Popeye the Slayer Man" was one of three low-budget horror flicks to take advantage of the cartoon character entering the public domain in 2025; the other two are England’s "Popeye's Revenge" and Scotland’s "Shiver Me Timbers." This is the American rendition and pretty much on par with “Popeye’s Revenge” (I haven’t seen “Shiver Me Timbers” yet because the trailer and promo pics don’t look very interesting).
While this is too pedestrian and predictable, it is entertaining to have Popeye as the antagonist and there's no eye-rolling wokeness to be found. The inclusions of Wimpy, Olive Oyl and Sweet Pea are a plus. In addition, the filmmaking is proficient for low-budget fare; and I like the abandoned factory milieu, even though it makes the proceedings one-dimensional. Meanwhile, the no-name cast is serviceable despite glaring woodenness.
Speaking of which, the female cast is good with Elena Juliano standing out as brunette Olivia. There’s also redhead Mabel Thomas as Katie and blonde Marie-Louise Boisnier as Lisa. I suppose "Popeye's Revenge" is slightly better on this front. I shouldn’t fail to mention Asian-American Angela Relucio, who has a bit part as Margot Harrigan. She happens to be the vocalist for the modern rock/metal band The Man From Alphabet, which supply the excellent end-credits song “Sailor to Slayer.”
Like “Popeye’s Revenge,” I didn't find the story as compelling as other low-budget slashers, such as "Lurking Woods," "The Lake on Clinton Road" and "Crazy Lake" (all from a decade ago). Nevertheless, if you're in the mood for a modern slasher, this fills the bill in a run-of-the-mill way.
It runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot in Oneonta in east-central New York, as well as Cooperstown, which is 33 miles north of there.
GRADE: B-/C+
