Movie Review: 'The Scary of 61st' Posits a Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Horror Movie

The Scary of 61st is a creepy, macabre, horror movie that centers around none other than Jeffrey Epstein. The horror movie from writer director Dasha Nekrasova posits a world in which the evil of Jeffrey Epstein was the manifestation of a demon which possesses and destroys the roommates who move into one of Epstein’s former stash houses, apartments where Epstein is alleged to have imprisoned very young women before they were then traded like currency amongst Epstein’s uber-rich friends around the world.

If that plot isn’t outlandish enough, wait until you witness the incidents of The Scary of 61st. But first, let’s introduce the characters at play. Madeline Quinn plays Noelle and Betsy Brown is Addie. Together, Quinn and Addie are moving into a spacious New York City apartment that they are getting for a remarkably good monthly rate, by New York apartment standards. Why did they get such a great deal? That will be unraveled as the story of the two roommates plays out and each is drawn deeper into this creeptastic plot.

The weirdness begins with a woman, known only as ‘The Girl,' played by writer-director Dasha Nekrasova, showing up at their apartment and demanding to come inside. Eventually, Noelle lets The Girl into the apartment and prods her to explain why she wanted to be there. The Girl explains that the apartment they are occupying is haunted by the spirits of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein, the recently dead financier and flesh peddler to the wealthy elite. The Girl is a firm believer in every possible Epstein conspiracy and she sees this apartment as ground zero for Epstein’s crimes and the potential demonic entity guiding the criminal enterprise.

Noelle is skeptical but it doesn’t take long for her seductive new friend to start winning her over. Despite having always been with men, Noelle begins to be more than won over by The Girl’s conspiracy theories. The two begin to form a romantic and sexual relationship all while spending time mapping out The Girl’s many threads of Epstein conspiracy. It’s a strange inclusion but the relationship does add a heady, dizzying quality to a story that gains chaotic energy throughout, one surprise turn after another.

So what about Addie? How is all of this Epstein talk and conspiracy stuff affecting her? Well, you will need to see The Scary of 61st to see the weird and creepy things that happen surrounding Addie and how that all plays out. I will only say that what happens with Addie throughout her part of the plot is highly transgressive and easily will be the most memorable of all that happens in this horror and conspiracy flick. Credit to actress Madeline Quinn who proves to be a fearless performer.

One big question that hangs over The Scary of 61st is whether it is appropriate to use something as real and horrifying as the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein as the basis for a horror movie. On one hand, I can understand the motivation and the idea is well executed. On the other hand, Epstein had real victims, very young women who may rightly feel exploited by someone using their real life traumatic experiences as fodder or a marketing hook for a horror movie that links Epstein’s crimes to something vaguely demonic and supernatural.

Remove the Epstein aspect and the movie is still kinky, weird and compelling but there is no denying that the Epstein plot and references to Epstein’s still very alive and kicking friends, including references to the currently on trial, Ghislaine Maxwell, adds another dimension to The Scary of 61st. There is a transgressive thrill to The Scary of 61st that is easily traceable to the invocation of Epstein, his evil and his mysterious death which is a big part of the conspiracy plot.

The Scary of 61st is currently in limited theatrical release with plans to release to digital streaming rental sites on December 24th, 2021.