Ice Cream Man is written and directed by Eli Roth, and while there is a decent story underneath everything, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The film does have a twist ending, although it's one most viewers will probably see coming well in advance. The biggest problem is the CGI, which is frequently distracting and looks noticeably cheap. Roth has even acknowledged using ai to help "bring his vision for the film to life," and unfortunately, that decision is difficult to ignore when looking at the finished product. There are so many strange creative choices throughout the movie that I repeatedly found myself wondering what the writers were thinking.
Charlie Zeltzer is tasked with carrying much of the film as one of the few children who manages to avoid being captured by the Ice Cream Man. He does a respectable job considering how much responsibility is placed on him, and he provides much of the emotional center of the story. It's not an easy role for a young actor, particularly when so much of the film depends on him reacting to increasingly absurd situations, but Zeltzer manages to hold his own.
Sarah Abbott unfortunately suffers from some questionable makeup work that makes several of her scenes more distracting than they should be. Ari Millen, who plays the Ice Cream Man, is barely given an opportunity to act because the character itself is so inconsequential in relation to whose actually doing the harm. It's a strange choice for a film centered around such a character, as the antagonist should arguably be the most memorable part of the production. Instead, Millen is left with very little to work with.
Overall, Ice Cream Man is a strange experience. I enjoyed the story for what it was, but the poor CGI, bizarre creative decisions, and underused antagonist make it difficult to recommend. At one point, the couple sitting behind me was laughing at how absurd some of the scenes were, and eventually I found myself laughing along with them. That's not exactly the reaction a horror movie is looking for. It's not much better than the original, if it's better at all, and the fact that it isn't actually a remake or comic adaptation made the experience even more disappointing. Result: C-
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