Kruel is a Horror Thriller movie by Robert Henderson.
Jo O'Hare (Kierney Nelson) is a young woman who just broke up with her boyfriend Ben (Dakota Morrisiey) after he reveals he cheated on her. When she got home that night (at 3:00 AM), she was grounded by her mom for being out so late. All she can do now is babysit for her neighbours. While babysitting some kids, she lets them go get ice cream, only for them to come running back to her with no cones. She goes up to the truck, and meets a man who calls himself Willie Cool (J.T. Chinn), who comes off as kind of creepy.
A week later, while Jo is talking to Ben (who's trying to smooth things over with her), the kid she's babysitting at the time, Elliott (Matthew Weidle), mysteriously disappears from the street. The police launch an investigation and find one of Elliot's shoes near the river, leading them to deduce he drowned. Jo and Ben aren't convinced, however, and decide to look into their prime suspect: Willie.
The movie was released on May 29th, 2015.
Kruel contains examples of:
- Bad Humor Truck: Willie drives an ice cream truck around town, while still giving off creepy vibes to people. He also killed Ben and abducted Jo and Elliot to make them his family.
- Bait-and-Switch: One morning, when Jo is out jogging, a car follows her. As it gets closer and closer, it seems that the driver wants to run her over. She then notices and the car stops, the driver gets out, and asks her for help finding a road. He brings out a map and asks her to help point out the location. And then he attacks her with an object when she puts her hand on the map.
- Barrier-Busting Blow: Jo's dad kicks down the double doors to the room Willie's holding Jo in.
- Bittersweet Ending: Elliot is back at home safe and sound, and Jo is safe in the hospital. However, Ben is dead, Jo and her family are moving away, and Jo is doubtful that Willie is really dead.
- Cellphones Are Useless: The area where Willie is keeping Jo and Elliot has a cellphone signal jammer in the area, preventing Jo from sending much information to her father. However, her dad pinpoints the area in which the jamming occurs and manages to narrow down where she is.
- Creepy Doll: Willie's house is full of them, as Jo and Ben find out when they investigate it one night. All the dolls activate and start making noise, prompting the two to leave before Willie arrives.
- Handguns: In one meeting with Jo, Ben reveals he took his dad's gun to use against Willie if they have to. He doesn't, because Willie kills him later on.
- Hostage Situation: When Jo's dad comes to rescue his daughter, Willie holds a knife to her throat to get him to stop.
- Jumpscare: Elliot does this to Jo early in the morning. She takes it quite well.
- Missing Child: Elliot becomes one while Jo is talking to Ben. Thankfully he's returned safely, as stated by Jo's mom.
- My Car Hates Me: Zigzagged. After Jo and Ben get in after fleeing from Willie's house, Ben turns the key, and it starts up immediately. However, when Willie starts coming towards the car, the engine starts just struggling, and doesn't start up until Willie smashes one of the windows with his weapon.
- Nightmare Sequence: Jo has one in which Willie attacks her in her home with an axe.
- One-Word Title: Kruel, of course.
- Police Are Useless: Every time someone comes to the police with new information regarding Elliot's disappearance or suspicions about Willie, they always come up with some reason for why it isn't enough proof for them to get involved.
- Rejected Apology: At one point, Jo goes to Elliot's mother to once again apologize for losing him. In response, Elliot's mom just tells Jo that her apology means nothing because of how much she hurt her family with Elliot's loss.
- Shower Scene: Jo has one after a Nightmare Sequence.
- Slashed Throat: Even after her dad complies to Willie's demands, Willie decides to slit her throat anyway. Thankfully she survives.
- They Look Just Like Everyone Else!: When he's not wearing his ice cream truck clown make-up, Willie looks like an average mid-to-late-aged man.
- Tranquillizer Dart: When Jo tries to escape from Willie in the woods, he shoots Jo in the back with a tranquilizer gun, embedding a tranquillizer dart into her.
- Xtreme Kool Letterz: Considering the movie spells "cruel" with a K, it's probably safe to say this trope is in place.
- You Are Grounded!: Jo is grounded by her mother for a few weeks as punishment for staying out so late at night, and not coming home until 3:00 AM.
