I think Phantasm IV: Oblivion is probably one of the most flawed entries in the series, mostly due to a poor plot. However, with its characters, comedy, horror and good plot, it expands on the themes from the previous film, making it a good watch.

Oblivion depicts Mike’s struggle to understand and stop the Tall Man as the mysterious caretaker plays with his mind and controls every direction he takes. Meanwhile, Reggie tries to rescue Mike as he faces more of the Tall Man’s agents. During his effort, Mike has major revelations concerning the true identity of the black sphere that claims to be his brother Jody and the origins of the Tall Man.

The Characters

With Mike, Oblivion achieves a feeling of nostalgia and melancholy. He keeps a diary during his struggle, which we hear through his narration. He reminisces about the period of joy and love he experienced with Reggie and Jody (which we see through unused footage from the original Phantasm) before the Tall Man divided them and subverted their sense of reality. This make for some really emotional scenes because you understand and feel Mike’s nostalgia as you’ve seen him in the past and witnessed the horrible things the Tall Man did afterwards. Mike is the best written character in the film as the arc he undergoes is a lot more eventful than those of Jody or Reggie. After being taunted by the Tall Man, he realizes that he can’t kill him or escape his influence. This puts him in a bleak state and informs the huge decisions he makes afterwards.

Jody is an interesting character. Oblivion presents him in a greyer light unlike Lord of the Dead. He clearly tries to help Mike and his fight against the Tall Man however, as the plot progresses, he begins to display more questionable behavior. Whether he really is Jody or not is still unclear. His true intentions and desires are also a mystery. In a way Jody is an antihero in Oblivion as he can’t be completely trusted. He’s a tense watch.

Like in the previous films, Reggie doesn’t really undergo a dramatic change. Nothing’s really happened to him since Phantasm II. He displays the same determination and loyalty to his friends as he did in the last two films. This is usually fun to watch as the plot tends to put new challenges before him. Unfortunately that isn’t the case in Oblivion.

The Plot

There are two plots in this fourth instalment. One follows Mike and his journey to defeat the Tall Man. The other follows Reggie trying to find Mike, which is the weakest part of the film in my opinion. The occasional horror and comedy makes his journey entertaining but for the majority we just see things we’ve seen before. A lot of the conflict Reggie engages in aren’t really compelling or original. He fights zombies, stops at motels, meets a woman called Jennifer (whose characterization is really bland). His plot feels like a combination of beats from Phantasm II and III, resulting in a mostly unmemorable experience. The plot plays out like this until the third act where, avoiding spoilers, things get interesting.

Mike’s plot is the complete opposite. His journey is very much unique and engaging. It’s difficult to talk about his plot without getting into spoilers hence I won’t write too much about it. I will state that Mike’s journey brings him closer to his enemy, he learns of the Tall Man’s past and his intentions for him. He comes closer to Jody, which results in some tension as, like us, Mike doesn’t trust Jody. He questions him, demanding to know whether he’s alive or not. Jody is silent on the issue and continues to help Mike, making everything that follows a lot more suspenseful. With its revelations and twists, Mike’s plot is so powerful it almost makes Reggie’s bearable. Whenever Mike appears on screen, you’re on the edge of your seat.

The Horror and Comedy

Unlike the last two films, Oblivion seems to make more of an effort to scare you. There are numerous jump-scares and some disturbing imagery, creating a creepy atmosphere similar to that of the first film. Of course, Oblivion offers plenty of gore, some of which is comedic, some however is legitimately uncomfortable to watch. For the first time since Phantasm II, the gore is used efficiently as it stimulates the one emotion gore should aspire to arouse: disgust. The best example of this is when Reggie finds a man in the boot of a police car, who’s arms and legs are broken and tied around each other.

Most of the comedy comes from Reggie, which as I stated earlier makes his plot a little more entertaining. He utters quite a few amusing one liners, particularly in one scene where he fights off a zombie cop.

Overall, despite Reggie’s boring plot, Phantasm IV: Oblivion is still a good watch because of its characters, Mike’s fantastic plot and the good balance of creepy, gory horror and cheesy, character-based comedy.

I give Phantasm IV: Oblivion a decent 7 out of 10.

The next Phantasm review shall be our last as Halloween draws to a close. Keep an eye on this space for when we cover the final chapter of the saga, Phantasm: Ravager.