Despite making mostly low-budget horror movies, Eli Roth has managed to stay in the cultural conversation for over two decades. Finding moderate success with Cabin Fever and his Hostel films, his biggest critical success was his most recent horror film, Thanksgiving, which garnered the highest Rotten Tomatoes score of his career. With Ice Cream Man, one could hope that he would transfer the silliness and creativity that made his previous horror film so successful, but sadly, the quality took a major dip.

Ice Cream Man follows a suburban town that receives a visit from a mysterious ice cream truck. After countless children are served ice cream, things take an evil turn as the kids turn into murderous maniacs, killing every adult in their town while recruiting other children by serving them ice cream from the ice cream truck. Attempting to end the curse is one of the only uninfected kids, Jared, played by Charlie Zeltzer, as well as his older sister and two classmates.

In a time where “elevated horror” has taken over the genre, it is refreshing to see a movie like Ice Cream Man stick with such a basic premise. Void of any major thematic takeaways, this is strictly a horror thrill ride, drawing the viewer into the film with its gruesome kills and fun premise. In terms of how it compares to Thanksgiving, both can be derived as faithful throwbacks to past horror films, with Ice Cream Man mainly paying homage to slasher and zombie movies. Eli Roth may be known for his graphic content, but after this film, there’s no denying his skill in recapturing old-school filmmaking.

Although the kills come in small doses, they do not disappoint. From human brains being used as ice cream to school supplies turning into dangerous weapons, Roth and co-writer Noah Belson come up with numerous creative ways to kill someone, giving the film a grimy, signature style that allows it to stand among other similar films in the genre. The small budget is evident in the practical effects, which look far cheaper than in his past films, but the fake look gives the movie a charm that lets the audience know not to take it super seriously. Roth knows how ridiculous the concept is, and because of that, what could’ve been perceived as a poor use of effects instead comes across as extremely effective.

For a movie that isn’t taking itself super seriously, it is integral that the film has at least some strong humor, but sadly, that isn’t the case with Ice Cream Man. Corny one-liners can work if they align with the world the film sets up, but every joke in this movie comes across as extremely cringe and far too unserious, leading to unlikable character moments and drastic shifts in the pace. Belson and Roth may know how to craft an effective horror sequence, but comedy continues to be a place where the two struggle.

Movies with a basic story don’t always lead to poor quality, but what makes Ice Cream Man fall flat is how thin the characters are. Every character is rather a horror movie archetype or flat-out uninteresting. While movies like this don’t need to have the characters go through some type of development, they need something to them to make them likable, and there sadly wasn’t much here. For a movie solely about people being chased by murderous children, there needs to be something else that’s interesting going on with the characters, whether that be internally or externally, but there is next to nothing here.

The film is constantly bringing vibrancy to the screen, whether that’s through the lavish colors in the costumes or the world-building of the small town. While Ice Cream Man benefits from the vibrant use of color, it does not benefit from the use of generative AI. By using generative AI, the film loses its visual identity and makes it much more difficult for the viewer to buy into the world you’re creating. Sure, it may be beneficial to get indie films finished and released, but using generative AI is as anti-filmmaking as it gets, and it’s disheartening to see someone like Eli Roth take his creative process in this direction.

Ice Cream Man is far from the worst that 2026 has to offer in the cinema world, but a thin script and disappointing use of AI made for an overall underwhelming viewing experience. The concept is strong enough to warrant a theatrical runtime, but Roth makes all the wrong decisions in adapting said concept. It’s evident that Roth has the juice to create a worthwhile horror film, but this was one case where he couldn’t quite get there.

Ice Cream Man is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Rating: 4/10

Oscar Prospects:

None.