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The Exorcism (2024)
Psychological Horror
The Exorcism: Anthony Miller Russel Crowe) is attempting a comeback after years of mad drinking and the death of his wife. The film is tentatively titled The Georgetown Project, a sequel to a hit horror film he made years before, he is to reprise his tole as the Exorcist priest. He'off the wagon though and the increasingly abusive film director, Peter (Adam Goldberg) berates him about the lack of conviction in his acting. Miller's daughter Lee (Ryan Simpkins) is expelled from her school and he gets her a job as a PA on the film set, She becomes friends with Blake (Chloe Bailey), who plays the teen girl who is possessed in the film. Father Conor (David Hyde Pierce), an actual Exorcist is technical/religious adviser on the film, Sam Worthington plays Joe, anther priest involved in the exorcism. Lee finds that Anthony is becoming increasingly unstable, sleepwalking, cutting himself. He's literally not himself but is he just disturbed or possessed? What is reality and what is taking place in Miller's imagination/visions is at the heart of the film as it descends into grand guignol horror. Miller is also fighting all too human demons from his own past. Gruesome deaths, demonic possession seem to take place, The levitation, poltergeist and body contortion effects are all observed. Great acting all round but at times it feels as if something id missing, might be bad editing decisions or a script which is too opaque. There are clues though which might point to an explanation as to what is actually going on. This film has ir's faults but is well worth viewing. Directed by Joshua John Miller, from a script he co-wrote with M. A. Fortin. 7/10.
The Bikeriders (2023)
Not So Easy Rider
The Bikeriders: Inspired by Danny Lyon's photo book of the same name about the Outlaws Motorcycle Club. In this fictionalised narrative the bikers are members of the Vandals MC. Danny Lyons is played by Mike Faist, the film is centred on his interviews with Katy (Jodie Comer) the wife of Vandals member Benny (Austin Butler). She may not always be a reliable narrator when she is relating tales second or third hand but she does provide the heart of this story. Lyons also interviews various members of the club, the leader being Johnny (Tom Hardy). Benny is bit crazed, always prepared to jump into, even start a fight, especially when Johnny seems threatened. There is a lot of violence portrayed in the film but for the most part it's non-lethal, only in later days when Johnny's grip slips the club turns into a gang. The scenes of the Vandals cruising the highways en masse are thrilling as are Benny's solo antics. They also inspire street punks whose development into bikers will eventually cost Johnny dearly; as will conflicts with new members who are more into drugs. A tale of times past, of how the biker lifestyle affected friendships and relationships. Convincing performances from Butler, Hardy, Comer and Toby Wallace as The Kid, leader of the street punks. Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols. 8/10.
Paradise (2023)
A Bit Like Vampirism
Paradise: A German SF Thriller. Vampirism in science, extending lives by taking years from younger people. It's the near future and it's technologically possible if you are a DNA match to the donor. Naturally the poor are exploited, give a few years here. But it's worse for asylum seekers - do you want your family to suffer when you could easily give up 15 years for $900k? If you work for Aeon the company behind life extension you don't expect it to affect you. But Aeon agent Max's wife Elena had secretly put up 40 years of her life as collateral for the mortgage on their apartment, when it burns down apparently due to their carelessness the insurance is void. The police help Aeon to enforce the debt and Elena becomes an OAP. A Dystopian thriller which puts a bit of a new spin on a familiar trope. There are those who fight against the system, the Adam group, they carry out attacks including one where fifteen Nobel Prize laureates who have been given free life extensions are shot dead. Max himself decides to transgress and a desperate attempt to win back Elena's years ensues. A few interesting plot twists and the tension is maintained through out the 119 minute running time. Directed by Boris Kunz, Written by Kunz, Simon Amberger and Peter Kocyla. On Netflix. 8/10.
Arcadian (2024)
Coming Of Age Drama With Monsters
Arcadian: Nicholas Cage doesn't really chew up the scenery for most of this film but he does bring a house down. The nocturnal photophobic monsters do most of the chewing for him. In the opening scenes we see Paul (Cage) gathering supplies, shooting, explosions, sirens and screaming taking place in the background, he collects his infant twin sons and heads for the country. Fifteen years later, most of humanity has died in an apocalyptic event and it's aftermath. Paul and his sons Joseph (Jaeden Martell) and Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins) live in a dilapidated farmhouse. They board it up at night, the creatures come scratching at the doors, trying to break in. Joseph is a thinker and a tinker, he builds a battery powered buggy. Thomas is more headstrong, takes risks, likes helping out on a neighbouring farm. But his main interest there is Charlotte, (Sadie Soverall) the farmer's daughter. There wouldn't be much of a story here if they didn't come in conflict with the monsters, so it comes to pass. Paul plays a major role but it's also a coming of age story with Joseph, Thomas and Charlotte proving themselves as warriors. The creatures are well imagined, they burrow, savagely attack, eat people alive quite literally in their beds. Some terrifying scenes which qualifies this film as being SF/Horror. The cold equations of Post-Apocalypse survival come into play here as well, and humans can be monsters as well. A dark film, the nature of the apocalypse is never fully explained but Thomas and Charlotte play a Crack The Apocalypse game where you must explain what caused the event in ten seconds. Good acting all round especially from the three younger actors who all have appeared in previous SF/Horror/Fantasy films/series'. Directed by Benjamin Brewer from a screenplay by Michael Nilon. 7.5/10.
The Dead Don't Hurt (2023)
A Tragic Tale
The Dead Don't Hurt: 1866, the film opens at it's ending, well close to it anyway. Weston, an alcoholic bully who is the son of the local Mr Big, freaks out and shoots six people dead, the village idiot is framed for the murders. The Sheriff Olsen (Viggo Mortensen), is burying his Franco-Canadian wife Vivienne (Vicky Krieps) as the mayor rides out to tell him about this, hiding the set up. Olsen and his four year old son set off on a quest, The film cuts between the past and this quest. We see Vivienne as a young girl, her father heading back across the border to fight the English, Vivienne first meeting the Danish Olsen in San Francisco, how she rejects a rich man in favour of him. When they move to Nevada it's not long before Olsen enlists in the Union Army unknowingly leaving Vivienne in danger from Weston. A tale of the immigrant experience, of corruption and a great love. An epic tragic story which encompasses much of the differing terrain of the continent from deserts to wood, to rivers to mountains, to the sea. There are violent scenes which you will find disturbing but it's a film which is rich in human and geographical detail. Written, Directed, and produced by Viggo Mortensen. 8/10.
Kolory zla. Czerwien (2024)
Plenty Of Plot Twists In This Dark Thriller
Colors of Evil: Red: Polish serial killer film. Teen girl Monika's corpse is found washed up on a beach. The way she was killed resembles an old case 15 years before and the man who was convicted of that crime has just been released on parole, je claims that he was framed on both occasions and commits suicide. Police and senior prosecutors are determined to declare this: Case Solved & Closed. But a junior prosecutor continues to investigate and brings his suspicions to the girl's mother, a judge. Plenty of red herrings here regarding the suspects but it soon becomes obvious (to all but the senior prosecutor) that a long list of women have disappeared or been found murdered over the past 20 years. A dark, disturbing film with scenes of abuse, violence and gory murders. A club run by a crime boss figures in several of the deaths as does police corruption, corruption which likely extend further in the judicial system. A solid thriller which will maintain your interest to the concluding scenes. Directed by Adrian Panek, screenplay by Panek, Lukasz M. Maciejewski and Malgorzata Oliwia Sobczak. On Netflix. 7.5/10.
The Watchers (2024)
Dark Woods, Old Predators
The Watchers (titled The Watched in the UK and RoI]): A wild wood, you can enter but you cannot leave. But people try, in the opening sequence we see John (Alistair Brammer) being pursued and dragged by unseen creatures into a giant burrow. Mina (Dakota Fanning) is an American living in Galway, working in a pet shop. She is troubled by past traumas, adopts new identities when going to bars. Her boss asks her to deliver a rare parrot to Belfast Zoo. She sets out but doesn't seem to realise that she is going off the beaten path eventually ending up lost in a forest. Following an old woman she arrives at a building which looks like a Beckettian bunker. The woman, Madeline (Olwen Fouéré) warns Mina that she invites death if she goes outside after dark. Madeline, a former lecturer informs Mina that there are Rules which must be obeyed if she and the others are to survive. Ciara (Georgina Campbell) has been there for 5 months, she's hoping her husband will return, Daniel (Oliver Finnegan) is passing his 8th month in the bunker. Madeline is a longtime resident. One wall is a mirrored window, the four must stand, and sometimes perform for the Watchers, unknown creatures who gather outside. A strange Folk Horror tale summoning up legends of a lost race which preceded human settlement and for a time co-existed. When we see the creatures they scuttle like spiders but rise up and are tall humanoid. There is talk of a professor who knew more but is now gone. They have a TV and VHS player but only a tape of a reality show, also a wind-up gramophone and a few items of furniture adding to the Beckett-like feel of the bunker. Huge burrows which contain lost items, having to forage for food, trap crows, it's a bleak existence as winter sets in. The woods are threatening, all encompassing but to survive they will have to attempt an escape. Rather disturbing scenes involving the creatures and their ability to mimic humans but again the woods, the mirrored window and lack of supplies add an existential element to the terror. Particularly good performances from Fouéré and Fanning. A few interesting plot twists which I won't reveal and it's best if I keep the Rules secret as well. A pretty good Folk Horror film. Written and Directed by Ishana Night Shyamalan in her directorial debut, produced by M. Night Shyamalan, based on the 2022 novel of the same name by A. M. Shine. 8/10.
Kaibutsu no kikori (2023)
Good Serial Killer Horror
Lumberjack the Monster: The prolific Takashi Miike who brought us Audition, 13 Assassins and Blade of the Immortal directs this serial killer film which definitely enters horror territory. At least 3 serial killers figure here, the Lumberjack tracks down nasty people and smashes their heads in with his ax. He has already dispatched a Ponzi scheme organizer and a violent criminal but his third victim, Akira (Kazuya Kamenashi) turns out to be a bit tougher and fights him off. We've already seen Akira murder a man who was attempting to blackmail him and we've met his doctor friend Sugitani (Shota Sometani) who carries out lethal experiments on living patients. Akira must now track down and kill the Lumberjack if he is to survive. There's also a profiler Ranko (Nanao) who takes an interest in Akira and a driven detective (Kiyohiko Shibukawa) who is obsessive in his pursuit of murderers, none of these are stock characters, they are fully fleshed out. Some really disturbing scenes of heads being crushed, jugular veins slashed and scenes of existential horror. I won't describe the latter as it would give too much away, similarly I can't name the actor who portrays Lumberjack. There is also a conspiracy stretching back 30 years and a few interesting plot twists. Good performances from the main cast. Directed by Takashi Miike, Screenplay by Hiroyoshi Koiwa, based on the 2019 Mayusuke Kurai novel of the same name. On Netflix. 8/10.
La bête (2023)
From La Belle Époque Paris To A dystopian Future
The Beast (La Bête): 2044, AIs carry out most meaningful jobs, humans are too unreliable due to their emotions. Some humans have undergone a process to purify their DNA. They enter their past lives to rid them of any strong emotions so that they can find better jobs. A perfect Dystopia, the general idea has been explored in other film but this "time travel" if the mind puts a new spin on things. Gabrielle (Lea Seydoux), an unfulfilled young woman decides to undergo the procedure, at the clinic she meets a man, Louis (George MacKay) and they immediately click. She is sent back to Paris in 1910, she meets an old friend Louis, she had shared confidences with him years before but she is now married, they are still attracted to each other though. Just as in 2044 Gabrielle fears some event or creature may attack her. The floods come and Paris becomes a mire and more dangerous place. In 2044 an Android Kelly is assigned to look after Gabrielle and brings her to a 1980's themed club where she meets Louis again, he is her love through the ages. In her second treatment she returns to her mist immediate past life in 2014 where she is an aspiring model, Louis in this occasion is an Incel who stalks her. Some aspects repeat themselves, three women in a 2014 club and the 1980s themed club act a bit like the Weird Sisters from Macbeth, a clairvoyant encountered in 1910 is online in 2014. We get hints about how the AIs ended up running things, an rvent in 2025, a civil war in the U. S. A tale of love, love which sometimes expresses itself in strange ways. Is this another warning about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence? Maybe but you can also just enjoy it as a Science Fiction Romance film. Great performances from Seydoux and MacKay as they each play three roles. Directed and written by Bertrand Bonello from a story he co-wrote with Guillaume Breaud and Benjamin Charbit. It is loosely based on Henry James's 1903 novella The Beast in the Jungle. 8/10.
Sting (2024)
Charlotte's Web Of Horror
Sting: Charlotte (Alyla Browne) is, a rebellious 12-year-old girl, she's a young miss who is not disturbed if a spider sits down beside her. She lives in dilapidated apartment building owned by her grandaunt Gunter (Robyn Nevin) and delights in travelling through the air vents observing other tenants and raiding her grandaunt's apartment. We already know that a spider has arrived from Mars or at least from outer space as it emerges from it's pod. Charlotte thinks the little spider is cure and adopts it, keeping it in a jar. Her stepfather Ethan (Ryan Corr) is the put upon janitor of the building having run ins with the miserly Gunter, who doesn't want to make necessary repairs. The family relationship while soapish doesn't detract from the action, rather is integral to it especially seeing as Ethan also works as a comic book artist. Eventually the spider grows, escapes and devours pets, moving on to the tenants. Even when it has only grown to tarantula size it's shocking in the violence it can inflict. But the monster spider is existentially terrifying as it drags it's victims into vents. Not a film for anyone suffering from arachnophobia or the faint of heart. The creature is well imagined and much of the spider's scenes are deliver through convincing animatronics and puppetry rather than CGI. Shows influences from Aliens in the vents chases/battles and a face to face scene between Charlotte and the spider. There is a slight line of humour which does leaven things a little but Charlotte's web of horror will leave shuddering when you heat strange noises. Written and directed by Kiah Roache-Turner. 7.5/10.
The Crow (1994)
Bye Bye Blackbird.
The Crow: Saw it again on Saturday, 30th Anniversary re-release in the cinema.. I'd forgotten mist of the detail so it was a joy to behold. Dark, very dark. All of the action is at night, on Devil's Night, the night before Halloween to be precise. Arsonists strike on Devil's Night. It's also used as cover for house invasions, Shelly Webster, is raped and seriously wounded while her rock musician fiancé Eric Draven is shot and thrown to his death from the window of their loft apartment. Police Sergeant Daryl Albrecht is a stubborn type, he's already been busted from detective from sticking his nose in where it's nor welcome, after Shelly dies he persists in an investigation and is again demoted. Maybe there's police corruption? There's also skater girl Sarah who Shelly used to look after she won't give uo either. A year later Eric arises from the gtave with supernatural powers intent on tracking down the gang responsible for the attack. Some extreme violence and gore, not just in the vengeance which ERic extracts but also in flashbacks to the home invasion. Great scenes in the rooftops where Eric dwells, plays guitar and plots hus revenge. The fight scenre are wonderfully choreographed. Plot twists and a conspiracy ensue. Directed by Alex Proyas and written by David J. Schow and John Shirley, based on the 1989 comic book series by James O'Barr. 8/10.
Fresh (2022)
For Those With Strong Appetites
Fresh: Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) finds the dating scene rather tasteless, her app supplies a bland menu of possibilities so when she bumps into a quirky yet charming guy, Steve (Sebastian Stan), at the Fresh Food section in a supermarket, she's minded to give him a try. Things work out swimmingly and she soon agrees to go away for a weekend with him. But ... he drugs her and she wakes up in chains. Steve has some odd tastes and it would be a spoiler to reveal them here. Suffice to say that he has a discerning and exclusive customer base. And Noa isn't his only captive. He is such a charming sociopath even after he has shown his violent side, Noa realises that she will have to convince him that she is harmless and has even developed Stockholm Syndrome if she is to get her teeth into solving this hard conundrum. Really disturbing, even nauseating in parts yet this horror thriller is also a black comedy/social satire. The gallows humour does leaven the mood a bit. Great performances from Edgar-Jones and Stan. Directed by Mimi Cave, in her convincing directorial debut, from a screenplay by Lauryn Kahn. 8/10.
The Red King (2024)
Pretty Good Folk Horror
The Red King: Very much a homage to The Wicker Man rather than a pastiche or a rip off. Sergeant Grace Narayan (Anjli Mohindra) is posted to the remote Welsh island St Jory after troubles in her Newcastle station where she was a whistleblower. Narayan is just as much by the rule book cop as Sergeant Neil Howie in The Wicker Man, it's not long before her inability to let anything pass has her at odds with many of the locals. And these are odd people, the island was once dominated by The True Way, a cult that carried out human sacrifices and worshiped Pagan Gods. That's all in the past thought, isn't it? When Narayan arrives there is a parade in progress, with the islanders masked up as they dance around tourists. Once the tourists have departed the cavorting locals stop and become sullen. The sergeant stays at The John Barleycorn inn, the landlady has a quirky daughter who takes more than a casual interest in Narayan, Then of course we have a missing youth, the islanders are generally silent about this. Things get stranger as the plot unfolds with murders and suicides, some violent gory scenes and a general feeling of unease infuses the story. The previous sergeant is still present and is obstructive. The Lady if the isle carries on as if it is her fiefdom. More of Narayan's back story is revealed and it looks as if a much wider conspiracy is at play. Everything which is happening might also be part of a ritual, Pagan motifs and imagery are ever present. A pretty good addition to the British Folk Horror TV Canon. Created & Written by Toby Whithouse, Directed by Daniel O'Hara. Six episodes on Alibi Channel. 8/10.
Atlas (2024)
AI Uprising
Atlas: Not a bad film but nor a great one either. Similar in some aspects to The Creator in so far as it deals with an AI uprising and the search for the leader of the revolt. The AI supremo Harlan (Simu Liu) manages to control most AIs and starts a war to destroy humanity. Three million people are killed before Special forces overwhelm the androids. Harlan along with some sidekicks escapes off planet. At;as (Jennifer Lopez) was raised with Harlan as her "brother", her mother being the cyberneticist who developed him She now works as an analyst for the International Coalition of Nations (ICN) military. When they capture a stay behind droid she manages to extract Harlan's location from his CPU. Atlas fears and hates AIs, she's a;so a misanthrope and has difficulty getting on the mission to capture Harlan. Soon things start to go awry. Some good action sequences depicting the AI revolt in a summarised manner, also great fighting suits with autonomous capabilities. The attack on the spaceship is also impressive as are the hand to hand battles between the androids and special forces. There are a few plot twists which I can't reveal but some important flashbacks help to explain a few things. Acting is OK but there are a couple of plot holes plus the laws of physics being breached without proper explanation. Still. It's worth watching. Directed by Brad Peyton, written by Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite. On Netflix. 6.5/10.
A Banquet (2021)
Hard To Stomach
Gave up on "A Banquet" after 20 minutes. Body Horror eating disorders possible possession.
More nauseating than terrifying. Begins with a very disturbing death which shares the general theme of the film.
A very odd family all in all.
I'm not faint of heart or generally squeamish but I found this hard to swallow.
A Banquet (2021)
Tense Body Horror with Sienna Guillory. A teenage girl suddenly stops eating but stays the same weight.
Could she be a monster from Japanese folklore who has a hidden extra mouth?
Shown on Film 4on Friday 24 May. 11.10 pm. 92 mins. 27 days left to stream for free.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
A Tale Of Three Furiosas.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga: A tale of two or rather three Furiosa's; Anya Taylor-Joy doesn't appear until past the half way mark in the film. The young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) lives in the Mothers' Place an oasis amidst the desert. She is kidnapped by raiders as she attempts to sabotage their bikes. Her mother Mary (Charlee Fraser) sets off in pursuit, not just to free Furiosa, but to keep the location of their haven secret. She shoots some of the bikers but one reaches the biker horde camp and is presented to Lord Dementus (Chris Helmsworth) leader of the pack. Mary's rescue attempts fail and Furiosa is brought along by Dementus on his raids, eventually ending up as one Immortal Joe's future brides as a trade. It would be a spoiler to reveal how she got out of this or any of her other adventures. Suffice to say that the Teen Furiosa (an AI process was used to blend the features of Browne and Raylor-Joy) ends up on a war rig with Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke), rising through the ranks we finally encounter Taylor-Joy as Furiosa just in time for a war between the desert rulers. Great scenes of the the biker horde, in ways resembling The Golden Horde in their sheer numbers. In a nod to the MCU, Dementius wearing a cloak rides in a chariot pulled by motorbikes whilst one of his sidekicks is dressed like Loki,. Some really gory scenes as captured warriors are made to fight to the death for limited places in the horde. Some of the torture scenes are OTT but more is implied than actually shown. The battle scenes surpass those of Fury Road, with improved aerial action and even more impressive hand to hand fighting and duels on the war rigs. We get underground cannibals and Dementius has a taste for human blood sausage. Great performance from Browne and Taylor-Joy who have few lines and their expressions, gestures and actions are all important. Helmsworth is impressive in a crazy like a fox manner along with George Shevtsov as The History Man who is effectively Dementius' Merlin. A triumphant prequel to Fury Road. Directed, co-written, and co-produced by George Miller. 8.5/10.
Jongmalui Babo (2024)
A Bit Convoluted But Better Than Many Say
Goodbye Earth: South Korean Pre-Apocalypse series. An asteroid is going to hit the Earth in 200 days, it's point of impact being the Korean Peninsula. There is much cutting backwards and forwards which does make things a bit convoluted but this series is worth sticking with. !2 episodes may have been too many though and at times I found myself rooting for the asteroid to gain speed. At the 200 day mark, there has already been an attempted coup and mass prison escapes, with the escapees getting involved in people trafficking. The flashbacks are vtal to understanding this and further developments as the clock counts down from 200 days. The wealthy are using their influence to flee the country and strip it of supplies. Honest soldiers and ordinary citizens have to combat corrupt security units who are in league with criminals. There are cults involved in scams regarding survival arks, maybe a few will survive though much of this is magical thinking. Other cults see the asteroid as bringing salvation. How ordinary people navigate these problems does get a touch soap opera like at times but the human stories give life and meaning to the struggle against evil when no future seems possible for the mass of humanity. Some gruesome scenes and violence as you might expect. On Netflix. Written by Jung Sung-joo, Directed by Kim Jin-min, based on the Novel of the same name by Kotaro Isaka. 7.5/10.
28 Days Later... (2002)
Fast Zombies
28 Days Later: Saw it again in the cinema last night, showing as part of Danny Boyle season, I thought it was going to be a 4K remaster but it was the old stock ir a DVD. Still that lent it a crtain grainy charm,. Great opening sequence Where an ape is strapped to a gurney, electrodes in head as it watches violent news on multiple screens. No, it's not Donald Clarke the Irish Times' film critic, it's another bald bonobo. Activists break into this lab and release ape which have been infected by the Rage virus. An unimpressed chimp ears the face off an activist and she rapidly becomes infected. Cut to Cillian Murphy awaking from a coma in a deserted hospital ... 28 Days Later. Moving across London he is attacked by a Father Jack like priest but apologetically knocks him down, Chased by speeding zombies he is rescued by Moltov Cocktail throwing couple, The infected still run whilst ablaze! I'd forgotten so much of the detail of the film., Brendan Gleeson with his tank like black cab, reminded a bit of Ernest Borgnine in Escape From New Yi=ork. The trip north through a devastated countryside, Manchester in flames. The crazed soldiers. You can see how this film influenced The Walking Dead, The Girl With All The Gifts and other films and TV shows. A great story, great direction, effects and acting. A classic Zombie film. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland. 9/10.
Tiger Stripes (2023)
Tiger Lily!
Tiger Stripes: A Malaysian coming of age shape-shifter body horror film. Zaffan (Zafreen Zairizal) attends a conservative school, along with the other girls she is forced to wear a hijab and long robes. Being a rebel she takes the hujan off and dances on Tik-Tok. This gets her in trouble at school and with her pious mother. She is the first in her class to menstruate and this gradually leads to her being excluded by her friends and bullied. Her body changes though in surprising ways. Blotches, stiff hairs to start with but then claws develop. This is a tale which involves many Fortean tropes demons of the forest which Zaffan sees sitting in trees, mass hysteria of schoolgirls having fits, an exorcist Imam, a shape-shifting transformation into Werechild. Mostly though it is a story about revolt against medievalist misogyny and a girl fighting for her freedom. There is one scene in particular where Zaffan deals with an Imam which fair gladdened my heart and made me laugh out loud. It is in the tradition of Carrie and Ginger Snaps. Tiger Stripes: was released in Malaysia in a heavily censored version, and the director has disowned that cut of the film. Written and Directed by Amanda Nell Eu. 8/10.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)
A Folk Horror Vibe
The Strangers: Chapter 1. A reboot which is intended to be a trilogy. Maybe I was expecting too much to be explained in the first film but it did kind of promise more than it delivered, A couple's car breaks down in an eerie small town in rural Oregon. Most of the locals are odd, even the cops stare at them in the diner. Weird blank faced kids offer them religious tracts. They manage to rent a cabin for the night but soon have strange visitors. A battle ensues, fought in the can, in the crawl space and in the woods. The visitors are suitably menacing in their masks. Gory and violent, once again not a film for the squeamish. Definitely a Folk Horror tinge to it. I spite of my caveats it is worth watching, definitely better than The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018). Directed by Renny Harlin, from a screenplay by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland. 7/10.
Monster (2023)
Not Such A Quiet Place
Monster: Indonesian horror film with no dialogue as such, just a few names being shouted out along with background noises. Two 11 year old children, Alanna and Rabin are kidnapped, Alana manages to free herself from a car boot but goes from the garage into the house to find her friend. It is quite literally a house of horrors. She finds the body of another dead boy and it is soon clear that she is in the hands of cannibals who operate a take away service. The house becomes a battlefield with many hiding places but Alana will fight. The combat is well imagined and is not beyond the capabilities of a brave and determined child. Alana is determined to free Rabin. Quite terrifying in parts, the lack of dialogue enhances the tension and sense of existential fear. There are a couple of homages to The Shining, the best being when an ax crashes through a bathroom door, a lot of ax work ala The Shining actually along with a chainsaw which brings Texas to mind. Incredible performance by Anantya Kirana as Alana with good support from Marsha Timothy and Alex Abbad as the cannibals. Directed by Rako Prijanto, Written by David Charbonier, Justin Powell, Alim Sudio. On Netflix. 7.5/10.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Back To Basics But With A Potential For Growth
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes: Generations have passed, the intelligent apes have split into different communities. Humans have lost intelligence and the ability to speak, become feral. Noa (Owen Teague) is a bonobo in a falconry-practicing clan,. Going through a rite of passage he has a run in with a human scavenger. He encounters apes with electric weapons and returns to his village to find it in flames and his people enslaved by the guerrilla gorillas. He meets up with Raka (Peter Macon), an orangutan who guides him towards the settlement of the pugnacious primates. Taka adopts a stray human Nova (Freya Allan) who seems brighter than your average sapiens. During another encounter with the angry apes, Nova reveals that she can speak and that there is a community of intelligent humans. In some ways Kingdom returns to the original 1968 POTA: humans are hunted by apes, especially by gorillas, nets are used. Orangutans are wise, even philosophical. The gorillas are bellicose, bonobos are calmer but will fight when necessary, chimps can also be aggressive as is seen in the fights and hunts. The leader of the offensive apes is a chimp, Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), he has built a coastal encampment close to a human vault containing weaponry and technology. He has a renegade human scientist, Trevathan (William H. Macy) as a semi-prisoner and part-time Merlin. A film about trust, what is intelligence, interdependence and the struggle to rebuild civilization. Will simians or sapiens prevail or ciuld they work together. The apes are really well characterised with good performances also by Macy and Allan. Directed by Wes Ball and written by Josh Friedman. 8/10.
Bodkin (2024)
Some Good Dark Comedy And Action But The Pacing Is Off.
Bodkin: Set in Bodkin, a village in West Cork this black comedy thriller falls between two or perhaps even three stools. The pacing is off and it doesn't really pick up until the third episode. The Red King shows how a story like this should be done. Three podcasters arrive on Bodkin to investigate the mystery of the disappearance of three people during the Samhain Festival 20 years before, A local entrepreneur, he runs a server farm, is now organising the first Samhain Festival to be held since then. There are secrets in Bodkin, some are kept by nuns who run yoga workshops and drink pints in pubs, others are kept by smugglers but no one will talk about the disappeared. To add to the mix one of the podcasters, investigative reporter Dove (Siobhán Cullen) has been sent by her editor to cool her heels in Ireland after a source "commits suicide". There is a lot of humour in Bodkin, Dove perhaps having the best lines but there's also some serious criminal business going down. INTERPOL, MI5 and the troubles rear their ugly heads. It might also be a bit too clever for it's own good with the plot twists but it is worth watching. You might think some of the locals are unbelievably weird but this is West Cork. Created by Jez Scharf. Seven episodes on Netflix. 7/10.
Catch Me A Killer (2024)
Criminal Minds In South Africa
Catch Me a Killer: in the 1990's multiple serial killers were at work in South Africa, there were no profilers, Micki Pistorius (Charlotte Hope), a forensic psychologist was recruited to South African Police Service (SAPS) in 1994, where she founded and headed the Investigative Psychology Unit (IPU) as chief investigative psychologist. She was also given the rank of Captain (Superintendent) as not all police chiefs would be happy to take advice from a psychologist. This series is based on her memoir Catch Me a Killer (2000), eleven episodes cover her story from her early days through to her setting up training programmes for profilers. She eventually trained 100 police officers as profilers. She didn't just sit in an office drawing up profiles, she went into the field, hunting and confronting those whom she would never see a monsters. Her belief was that she had to see the human they had once been if she was to make a connection. She came face to face with these killers and once was shot and wounded when a serial killer set up an ambush. Catch Me a Killer is no dry docu-drama it is more akin to Criminal Minds. Some really disturbing cases and graphic portrayals of violence and death, not something for the squeamish or faint of heart. Jessica Ruston was the Showrunner, wrote 7 of the screenplays and contributed to all 11 episodes. On Alibi Channel. 8/10.
Love Lies Bleeding (2024)
Neo Noir Romance
Love Lies Bleeding: A much darker version of Drive-Away Dolls, the comedy is sparse and understated in this Neo-Noir Lesbian Romance. Jackie (Katy O'Brian) arrives in Crater New Mexico, she's a bodybuilder, intent on winning a competition in Las Vegas as she drifts from town to town. She soon catches the eye of gym manager Louise (Kristen Stewart). They hit it off after Jackie has a run in with a local bully. Things could be good for both of them except that Jackie has already gotten a job as a waitress at Lou's (Ed Harris) bar and shooting range. Lou is Louise's estranged father who is the local organised crime boss, a big fish in a small town. A further complication is JJ (Dave Franco), Louise's brother in law and lieutenant to Lou. He is also violent towards his wife, something Lou let's slide. But that's not enough, there's also Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov), Louise's ex who can be manipulative and demanding. There are three femmes fatale in this story. Extreme scenes of violence define this film as both Louise and Jackie reveal hidden strengths and psychoses. At times Jackie appears like an avenging angel, Wonder Woman and/or The She Hulk whilst the cooler killer Louise has deeper plans. Will they be a match for Lou who is the very embodiment of evil in a chilling performance by Ed Harris? Oh, there's also a couple of FBI agents sniffing around. All of thus occurs in the Autumn of 1989 as the Berlin Wall falls on TV in the background, local power structures crumble in Crater. Stewart, O'Brian and Baryshnikov are convincing in their different ways as a dangerous menage a trois. Directed by Rose Glass, screenplay by Glass and Weronika Tofilska. 8/10.