1. Plot Summary

A group of five college students embarks on a spring-break camping trip to a remote woodlands gold‑panning site. After ignoring warnings about local murders, they encounter two eccentric brothers, Simon and Stanley, in a rural general store. When the teens set up camp, horror ensues: one by one they fall victim to gruesome, inventive murders orchestrated by one of the brothers. The isolated forest setting becomes a nightmare playground of survival and mayhem

2. Notable Elements

• Crispin Glover’s performance: Glover plays twin brothers Simon and Stanley—eccentric, demented, and wildly unpredictable. His off-kilter accent and theatrical drip add bizarre energy to the film

• Creative kills: The movie delivers inventive gory scenes—axis of death includes a poodle stomp, pick‑axes raining through the air, and other over-the-top violence that horror fans might find gleefully absurd

• Tone and style: Although slasher-themed, the film maintains a campy, comedic edge—exaggerated characters, ridiculous setups, and self-aware absurdity reminiscent of tongue-in-cheek horror spoofs

3. Themes and Messages

• Backwoods folklore and rural horror: Simon Says leans into horror clichés—urban legend, remote setting, toxic locals—but plays them for exaggerated effect rather than realistic suspense.

• Chaos vs. group logic: Teen archetypes clash—jocks, stoners, final girl—dissecting the trope of dumb decisions leading to bloody consequences. The film mocks typical slasher logic through its very absurdity.

• Identity and façade: Data about the twins’ identity shifts (one adopting the other’s persona) plays into the instability of self in horror mythmaking 
  The film has no direct holiday sentiment, but it echoes ritualistic storytelling: cautionary tales about hubris, peer pressure, and survival rituals in modern folklore.

4. Personal Impressions

Strengths:

• Glover’s mash-up of maniacal charm and absurdity is both eerie and entertaining—he owns the film. User reviews praise his performance as the anchor of the chaos  

• For splatter-horror fans, the kill choreography is creative and gruesome, and the film’s pace remains brisk—rare for straight-to-DVD offerings of its era

• The dumb-but-fun tone works if you’re in the mood for horror comedy rather than serious frights.

Weaknesses:

• Plot and dialogue are cliché-heavy—characters feel bland, and the script follows standard slasher templates with few surprises

• Glover’s accent and performance may grate on viewers looking for more naturalism—many critics called the delivery grating or unintentionally hilarious

• The film lacks emotional depth or suspense tension—it’s more spectacle than substance.

5. Audience Recommendations

This is tailored to:

• Fans of campy, gory slashers in the vein of Wrong Turn or Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but with a comedic twist.

• Viewers attracted to oddball performances—particularly those drawn to Crispin Glover’s eccentric presence.

• Lovers of low-budget horror who appreciate over-the-top kills more than tight plotting.

It may not suit: those craving polished cinematography, strong acting, or nuanced storytelling.

6. Conclusion & Rating

Simon Says is a b-movie slasher built on wacky gore, eccentric performances, and unapologetic absurdity. Crispin Glover steals the show in an unhinged dual role, and the film’s inventiveness in kills gives it a cultish edge. While the narrative is thin and predictable, horror enthusiasts craving a wild, mindless ride with splatter flair might find it entertaining in its own twisted way.

Final Recommendation: Go in expecting silly, bloody fun—not emotional weight or logic. If low-budget gore and weirdness sound appealing, Simon Says may surprise you with occasional unintentional laughs.