This is an odd little Canuxploitation thriller that sets out to be The Outsiders but ends up closer to Walking Tall meets Romeo and Juliet in the woods. And not necessarily in a bad way. It’s got all the staples of a mid-80s B-movie action drama: a Yamaha-heavy score, melodramatic family feuds, and a gas station paperback plot.
What makes it interesting is how it leans into its grim tone. The film is essentially about a teenage boy and his family moving to a small rural town, only to get harassed by a local family of violent sociopaths. There’s an almost Western-like structure to it – outsiders coming into a lawless town where the villains basically run the place, and the authorities are either useless or too scared to step in.
Title notwithstanding, this isn’t just some afterschool special about schoolyard bullying; the Logan family, the villains of the piece, are full-grown adults, and they’re genuinely psychotic. The violence feels more visceral than your average 80s revenge flick, making it stand out in a way that feels a little uncomfortable but also compelling.
Directed by Paul (Prom Night) Lynch, it has that distinctive Canadian tax-shelter film vibe, where it feels slightly off from the usual Hollywood structure – grittier, a little rougher around the edges, and less concerned with big-name appeal. It’s got shades of First Blood in its setting and sense of small-town oppression, but without the budget or finesse.
If you’re into films where revenge is best served cold, and you don’t mind some uneven acting and a slightly bizarre sense of morality, Bullies is an interesting watch. It’s not exactly a classic, but it’s got a bleak nihilism that makes it a curiosity for fans of lesser-known 80s thrillers.
It looks good on the shelf next to Tuff Turf, New Kids and Eye of the Tiger.