Ice Cream Man Review: Eli Roth’s Return to Indie Form Is a Twisted Treat

Eli Roth cemented his status as a cult favorite filmmaker as part of the “Splat Pack” in the 2000s with movies like Hostel. But once he entered the studio system with movies like The House With a Clock in Its Walls and Thanksgiving, fans wondered if those low-budget days were behind him. Gory and twisted, if somewhat shallow, Ice Cream Man will charm those who were fans of Roth’s early work like Cabin Fever, as it contains many of the hallmarks (and flaws) of his early output.

What is Ice Cream Man about?

Ice Cream Man is set in an idyllic community whose peace is disturbed when a mysterious ice cream man rolls into town, and every child who eats his frozen treats turns into mindless, violent killing machines. In many ways, this feels like a return to form for Roth to his indie horror origins: high-concept, practical-forward, and incredibly lean.

Ice Cream Man Review

Of course, the main reason you are probably watching Ice Cream Man is its abundance of gore, and the film delivers that in spades. Granted, the trailer does reveal many of the movie’s most gruesome and wickedly creative moments. However, Roth takes the concept of children torturing parents and teachers to such maximalist extremes that you will either be delighted or offended (we fall into the former category, of course). And the (majority) practical effects used to bring these parts to life are consistently impressive.

Charlie Storey as “Piper” in the horror film, ICE CREAM MAN, from The Horror Section. Photo credit The Horror Section 2026.

If you look at Ice Cream Man much in the same way you would one of the Terrifier movies — a glorified effects reel whose story only exists for the purpose of pushing the audience from one kill scene to the next — it’s pretty effective, if only because of the merits of those kills. And it is worth noting that Roth’s film is very short, clocking in at under 80 minutes before credits, meaning that once it starts after about 15 minutes, it never lets up. From that point, it’s essentially a non-stop barrage of gore.

But because Ice Cream Man is so obsessed with showing so many deaths on screen (it has more deaths than all other movies in Roth’s career combined, according to the director, and I believe it), it leaves little room for anything else. The character development is scant, particularly among the adult characters who are the victims. Although the movie tries to provide some grounding by giving us a group of three kid protagonists who have not succumbed, they have little personality. 

There is a point in the second act in which the film tries to say something, but we’re going to choose to ignore that, both for the avoidance of spoilers and the fact that it’s a can of worms we’d rather not open. There are some rather problematic implications of the big twist that frankly make the early work of Wes Craven look politically correct by comparison.

As for the acting, it’s consistently not very good, although it’s hard to tell if that’s a result of their performances or the dialogue. Roth’s dialogue, like that of some other horror filmmakers like M. Night Shyamalan, always has a decidedly artificial quality to it. However, that is dialed up to eleven here with some of the most ridiculous lines (and line deliveries) in Roth’s career.

Ari Millen as “Ice Cream Man” in the horror film, ICE CREAM MAN, from The Horror Section. Photo credit The Horror Section 2026.

The only person who escapes unscathed is Ari Millen, who plays the eponymous villain in a wordless performance. Although it’s clearly an attempt to manufacture a new icon a la Art the Clown, it mostly works thanks to memorable costume design and the fact that Millen has a very emotive face. Even though the character is more goofy than menacing, it’s still a fun concept that will earn the movie a lot of fans. 

Is Ice Cream Man worth watching?

Ice Cream Man may not be marketed as a horror-comedy, but Eli Roth’s twistedly dark sense of humor still shines through in his latest outing. If you know that you’re just in for a gorefest with a demented edge, you’re sure to have a good time, even if it lacks much in the way of cinematic nutritional value.

Ice Cream Man opens in theaters on August 7.

Ice Cream Man Review: Eli Roth’s Return to Indie Form Is a Twisted Treat