Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

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Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

R

2007

1h 32m

Comedy

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Nice, normal-looking Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) has an obsession with movie-style slashers like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. Leslie decides to follow in the footsteps of his heroes, and, ever the self-promoter, invites a documentary filmmaker (Angela Goethals) and her crew to follow him around as he constructs his own grisly legacy.

Critics Consensus

A smart mockumentary that presents a gory, funny, and obviously affectionate skewering of the slasher genre.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

Aug 9, 2007

C

Other than displaying a textbook awareness of its ancestors, Behind the Mask offers next to nothing

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Steve Murray

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Mar 22, 2007

B

A deconstructionist horror comedy that owes a debt to Scream and the 1992 Belgian film Man Bites Dog, Mask nevertheless has enough pitch-perfect wit to lay claim to its own patch of postmodern, movie-loving snarkiness.

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Mark Rahner

Seattle Times

Mar 16, 2007

2/4

About two-thirds in, the movie shifts gears disastrously. Made me want to haul someone into the cutting room for revenge.

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Joe Lipsett

Horror Queers Podcast

Mar 12, 2026

An extremely clever slasher mockumentary with a pair of great lead performances. It's beyond disappointing that the sequel never materialized because this has barely aged a day.

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Alan French

Sunshine State Cineplex

Oct 2, 2022

8/10

Behind the Mask strikes surprising thematic gold, while also worshipping the genre. Glosserman’s shell game approach leaves the audience with clear messages, all while providing enough easter eggs and homages to satisfy the hardcore genre fans.

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Jason Adams

My New Plaid Pants

Jul 2, 2021

The film is more a comedy than a horror film, and a very very funny one at that

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Jason D

@jdyer1313 1 day ago

One of my all time favorite horror movies. Something totally different and a fun rewatch every time. Wish they would have done a sequel.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 11, 2026

A Super Movie = a *3.5* star Movie

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Christian K

@ckacar Sep 9, 2026

A fun and knowing look at maybe my favorite genre. Just a really great idea for a film and while it is executed how you would expect at the end it contains a lot of laughs through the end.

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Logan D

@Greynomad38 Aug 31, 2026

A documentary film crew attempts to record a man who envies slashers so much he wants to be one. A mockumentary meta-narrative that details the preparation such hard workers as Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees must endure for their craft. Horror fans not only get to see Zelda Rubenstein (final film released during her lifetime) and Robert England, but there's also a blink and miss it cameo from a horror icon. The film itself sports an enjoyable sense of humor but a tonal pivot in the third act was problematic for me. Not that I found it jarring. I just didn't feel the tension needed.

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Luke T

@LightSyson Apr 30, 2026

How has 20years past and i didn't know about this film? Best Meta premise I've ever seen in a horror comedy. Great lead actor. Why didn't he make it big? Rough around the edges but adds to the charm.

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Kris T

@RT26407207 Apr 15, 2026

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon tries to reinvent the slasher genre with mockumentary flair, but mostly ends up rehearsing its own clichés in advance. The acting often feels like everyone is aware they’re in a "clever indie horror" and forgot to bring actual fear or personality to the set. And the big final twist? Let’s just say it’s less "mind-blowing reveal" and more "yep, saw that coming from the opening monologue." Verdict: An interesting idea stuck in a predictable script, carried by enthusiasm more than execution.

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Scott Glosserman

Director

Nathan Baesel

Leslie Vernon

Angela Goethals

Taylor Gentry

Robert Englund

Doc Halloran

Scott Wilson

Eugene

Zelda Rubinstein

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Synopsis

Nice, normal-looking Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) has an obsession with movie-style slashers like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger. Leslie decides to follow in the footsteps of his heroes, and, ever the self-promoter, invites a documentary filmmaker (Angela Goethals) and her crew to follow him around as he constructs his own grisly legacy.

Director: Scott Glosserman
Producer: Scott Glosserman
Screenwriter: Scott Glosserman, David J. Stieve
Distributor: Anchor Bay
Production Co: Code Entertainment, Glen Echo Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Horror Violence|Brief Drug Use|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 16, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 21, 2017
Runtime: 1h 32m

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