Skull: The Mask, known as Skull: A Máscara de Anhangá (Skull: The Mask of Anhangá) in its native Brazil has an incredible trailer, an awesome poster, plenty of goretastic practical effects and, well, that’s about it.

That should be enough, but this movie never gets to the sheer level of intensity and madness that it hints that it’s ready to achieve.

Beatriz Obdias is a bad cop who has stumbled on the titular mask, which was on its way to a museum when it was stolen. Now, dead bodies are piling up, as the mask has possessed a crime scene cleaner (pro wrestler Rurik Jr.) and is using him to satiate its unending bloodlust, because after all, Anhangá is a pre-Colombian spirit that wanders the Earth after death. This version of the spirit has a gigantic meat cleaver and is constantly covered in blood.

There’s also the museum owner who wants the mask for himself and a man named Marco who wants to protect the mask, which his family has a long history with. He walks around with a severed hand, which ties in to the bloody prologue.

I really wanted this movie to succeed, because the effects look incredible and I can overlook so much in a slasher. But it just drags and just when you think things are going to go fully off the wall, it slows down again.

Skull: The Mask is currently streaming on Shudder.