Evil Dentists and Slasher Horror in “The R.I.P. Man (2025)”
How often do you dread going to the dentist? Maybe you have a history of bad teeth or gums, or perhaps you’re dreading that upcoming root canal. But hey, at least you won’t be stalked and get brutally murdered by a psychopath inspired by a Middle Ages dentist clan! Sounds oddly specific? Well, that’s because what I just described is the main plot of Jamie Langlands’ latest horror film, The R.I.P. Man.
A young woman named Abigail Freight (played by August Porter) is brutally murdered by an unknown killer who leaves behind two calling cards: a wind-up chattering teeth toy and a knack for pulling out a single tooth from his victims’ mouths. Her boyfriend, Jaden (played by Bruno Cryan), is taken in for questioning by the police. As the killings continue, Detective Mullen (played by Matt Weyland) eventually uncovers that the killer is an escaped psychiatric patient named Alden Pick (played by Owen Llewelyn) who was born with anodontia, a rare dental condition where all teeth are missing. This drove him insane, and he became obsessed with getting teeth, no matter the method.
I’m no stranger to slasher films, especially indie slasher films. In fact, many of the most successful and iconic slasher films have been produced on an indie budget, such as the original Friday the 13th and even the more recent Terrifier movies (which are not for the squeamish). And you may be very familiar with the slasher formula: a group of teens go to some abandoned area and are slowly picked apart until one is left (usually a girl), who then goes on to finish the killer. But what separates The R.I.P. Man from other slashers that came before it is that it doesn’t conform to this formula. Instead, it’s largely a detective story that combines elements of Jamie Langlands’ stylistic horror from The Cellar with an emphasis on atmospheric horror to heighten the tension.
Jamie Langlands once again proves why he truly understands that to get more, you sometimes have to do less. Unlike most horror films, The R.I.P. Man doesn’t fill its silence with eerie music. We get a small, squeaky creak or creepy laugh here and there, but other than that, the scenes are silent. It allows you to fully immerse yourself in the scene, giving you a first-class ticket into the absolute terror our characters are experiencing. This makes even predictable jump scares all the more terrifying! Additionally, it adds a layer of liminality to the horror, akin to the Silent Hill games, especially when our characters don’t know where the killer is or when he will strike.
I think this is my first time seeing a dental-themed character that’s somehow more sadistic than Orin Scrivello from Little Shop of Horrors. And that’s especially impressive, considering he feels pleasure from inflicting pain on his patients (at least he’s not a serial killer?). But the dental killer in The R.I.P. Man goes the extra mile. Before he kills a victim, he sends them a text message with a tooth emoji along with a “R.I.P.” message containing their birth-to-death date. After killing someone, he extracts a single tooth from their mouth with a power drill. I have to really commemorate the attention to detail in making the serial killer as dental-related as possible without making him seem too goofy. And a part of what makes him unnerving as a character is Owen Llewelyn’s performance. He easily makes Alden Pick this tormented force of nature through his body language and facial expressions alone.
Most people think slasher horror is simply a form of cheap entertainment. And sometimes, it is, but I think there is more to the subgenre than what’s shown. For example, the original Friday the 13th was a gory PSA against marijuana use and premarital sex. So what does The R.I.P. Man provide commentary on? The health insurance system. Alden was born with a dental disorder that had a developing cure at the time. However, since his family couldn’t afford the costs for his dental care, he was ultimately neglected and had to undergo his life without teeth or the ability to speak. When questioned about why he didn’t get the care he needed, the doctors at the psychiatric institution sarcastically mentioned he “should’ve gotten private care.”
There are some moments where the film does feel constrained by its budget. The best example is when the killer drills into his victims’ mouths after killing them. There’s only a little bit of blood that surrounds their mouths, yet the police emphasize that they’ve been practically carved open. But that’s not to say the film has bad special effects. In fact, the fake blood and prosthetics look convincing. My other issue would be that since the film is a slasher, the killer does fall into the stereotypical movie killer trope. He seemingly teleports like Jason Voorhees and possesses super strength, able to lift up and pin grown adults to the wall with ease. I won’t lie, it becomes predictably tiring when every slasher villain falls into these tropes. Did Alden Pick do a routine of 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, and 10 km running every single day? That does explain why he’s bald…
While The R.I.P. Man is far from the worst slasher film I’ve seen, I wouldn’t say it’s among the best either. If you like a touch of mystery and intrigue in your horror, then this will be right up your alley. Bolstered by strong acting and decent special effects, Jamie Langlands’ latest film offers a unique spin on the slasher subgenre. For those with upcoming visits to the dentist’s office, maybe skip out on this one. Or you could use it as a reminder to feel blessed that you were born with a full set of teeth, something so ordinary that we often take it for granted. If you’re interested, the film is streaming on Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
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