By: Vernon Nickerson

Clinger, a 2015 Slamdance Festival Selection and the first feature film of the creative team of Director Michael Steves and Co-writers Bubba Fish and Gabi Chennisi Duncombe is a funhouse ride of a film.  Jennifer Laporte (Fern Petersen) and Vincente Martella (Robert Klingher her creepily attentive and aptly-named first love) make the most of a good story and strong supporting cast in this bloody valentine.

Fern and Robert are nerdy, shy and so in love. Given their mutual lack of dating experience and Robert’s relentless habit of making a huge production of every date in the first 15 minutes of the film strongly suggests that something is or  will be amiss. Once he realizes he is dead and Fern’s the “love (ghost) interest” , the rollercoaster ride of fun begins in earnest.

Julia Aks ( as Fern’s older sister Kelsey), Shonna Major (as Fern’s saccharine-sweet Christian friend Moe Watkins) and Jeffrey Bean and Debbie Bean( as Fran’s parents Phil and Lynette Petersen) form a fine ensemble supporting cast.  They join forces in a delightfully comic scene to help save Fern from her boyfriend Richard’s more deadly intentions.

Will love prevail? Will Fern spend eternity with her perfect lover? Does Christian Singles magazine really tell young girls that “they have to be sexy”?  Well go have big bloody fun answering at least the first two of those questions for yourself by seeing “Clinger”.

Clinger 81 min

Director: Michael Steves