I enjoyed Men, but I find it difficult to recommend because of its pacing. While the movie is beautiful, it is a slow burn that won’t be for everyone.
Harper is dealing with the recent suicide of her husband.
In an effort to get over this trauma, she decides to spend some time in the beautiful English countryside. She slowly begins to find peace in her isolation, but strange things begin to unfold. Something is up with the men around her, but will she find out what before it is too late?
Mechanically, this movie is great. The acting is fantastic, the score is phenomenal, the imagery is beautiful, and the horror is well done. This is a unique horror movie in that it doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares. The horror comes from the uncomfortable and confusing situations it creates. The isolations, the aggressive men, and the weirdness that carries through the movie all come together to create a very ominous tone. The problem is that sometimes it takes too long for anything to happen.
If you have seen Hereditary or Midsommar you are familiar with the slow-moving imagery that is woven throughout the film. It is often cryptic and adds meaning to the narrative. In this movie, for example, there is a slow-moving closeup of a statue whose visage acts as foreshadowing for events that will occur later in the film. It’s an interesting form of storytelling that I appreciate, but its effectiveness has worn off. This movie didn’t need this much imagery. It almost feels like filler because of how often it would happen. I am sure that if you weave these scenes together and take the time to study them, they create a more meaningful narrative, but as a filthy casual, I don’t have time for that. I just want to sit back and enjoy a good horror movie.
If you have the patience for the pacing and enjoy these odd horror movies with their even stranger twists, Man is a solid choice. If you just want some mindless horror to enjoy on a Friday night, this isn’t for you.
Series Review: Resident Evil (2022)
After the disappointment that was Welcome to Racoon City, I had the lowest expectations for this series. I was not ready to love again, but the show grew on me. I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. It may not be perfect, but I feel it is a step in the right direction.
The series focuses on the fall of New Racoon city as experienced by Jade and her sister. The show will skip from the present zombie-infested world to the past when the Umbrella was still covering up what happened in Old Racoon City.
This series is fine, especially if you want a zombie survival show with some solid stakes. The acting is good for the most part, but there are some inconsistencies. The monsters and special effects are fine, but they are limited by the show’s budget. This is a low-budget series, and it shows, but they do well with what they have. I have seen more expensive shows do worse. It is a bit cheesy, but I was able to forgive it because there are some solid narrative beats.
The story is good enough. The jumping between narratives is impressive. There is some solid editing at play. The story also holds enough suspense and drama to keep most audiences entertained. There are moments where the series slows a bit, but I never thought it was unwatchable. The series doesn’t offer too much world-building if you have at least seen the movies. The series is another narrative about survival told from a different perspective. This isn’t a bad thing, but I am not sure how canonical this series will be.
My favorite part of the series is the villains. They were fun, competent, and had clear goals that helped move the narrative organically. The heroes were equally as competent, but they still get infected with those convenient ex-Machina zombie powers. It isn’t as ridiculous as I have grown used to, but it is hard to ignore. Fortunately, the powers don’t kill much of the tension, and there was enough suspense to keep me engaged.
I can’t speak on how it relates to the games since I haven’t really played them. There are references to events from the game and the movies, but I never felt like I needed to be up-to-date on the lore to understand what was going on. It might help to give you a better appreciation for the narrative. If you like zombie survival dramas, this is a solid one if you can get past the cheesy overtones. I am at least curious to see where this series goes from here. You can watch it on Netflix.
Movie Review: Candyman 2021
If you haven’t seen the new Candyman, what are you doing? Go watch this movie now and thank me after. This is a beautiful horror movie that is well worth your time. This film not only expands the lore of the original but gives it new life. Watching the original is not a requirement, this film does a fantastic job at providing enough context to make the narrative make sense. I remember watching the original when I was younger and remember liking it although admittedly, it did scare me. I vaguely remember the plot but I never felt lost by what was happening.
The movie follows the artist Anthony McCoy who is in search of inspiration for his next show. His search brings him to the urban legend of the Candyman. Candyman is the soul of a wronged man who can be summoned by saying his name five times to a mirror. Once summoned, Candyman kills those who summon him, becoming the monster he was made to be. Antony’s fascination becomes an obsession as now all he can do or think about is related to the urban legend. Anthony has unknowingly unleashed Candyman back onto the streets of gentrified Chicago. Will this obsession be his downfall, or Anthony be the one to lay the legend of Candyman to rest?
Series Review: Evil
Evil is a monster of the week type show that lacks any charm or interest to make it worth even considering it. I don’t understand how or why it got a second season because of how slow and pointless the first season is. I could barely find the strength to finish the first season, but I lacked the willpower to watch the second. It is a shame because the show has a solid cast, but the story and execution are terrible. Don’t even bother with this show because there isn’t anything redeemable.
The show follows a group of paranormal investigators hired by the church to find out if possessions are caused by demons or something scientific. You have the tech guy who will look at situations logically, the psychiatrist who looks for mental illness, and the priest who will take over if the problem if it really is demons. Most of the episodes end with the party finding a logical explanation, but there is always a demon controlling what they find. It is counterproductive, and it makes a lot of their endless droning pointless and pretentious. There is a lot of explaining in this show, but not enough demon hunting despite there being a world-ending plot against the backdrop.
The best part of this show is the main actors. While they try hard to make whatever this show tries to be work, it is ultimately left lifeless by its story. The show is desperate to be current, linking modern cultural movements like incels and influencers to the devil, but all these explanations are forced nonsense. I never felt the need to become invested in the story because this show is more filler than content. There are moments where they investigate, but you have to sit through pointless backstory that adds nothing to the narrative. I can only hope that the devil destroys the world so I don’t have to keep looking at the ads for this show.
Go watch Supernatural instead. They do this concept better. But if you don’t believe me, you can watch this show on Paramount+.
Movie Review: The Night House(2021)
I expected The Night House to be another badly made and generic demon possession movie. Instead, I got a creatively disorienting narrative about a woman trying to piece together and understand the sinister events that slowly unravel around her. Beth is left to pick up the pieces of her life after her husband’s sudden suicide. Unfortunately, these pieces begin to unravel the dark secrets that her husband left behind. Is Beth’s husband as innocent as she remembered, or has the grief left her chasing shadows that aren’t there?
This is a fun movie that is very much worth your time. The acting is great, the visuals are amazing, and the story is entertaining without being convoluted. I love the direction and risks this movie takes in creating a truly disorienting experience. The use of shadows, mirrors and CGI all help create an endless maze of confusion as you are left to piece together a mystery with fragments of clues. The clues given are often incomplete or misinterpreted, further adding to the confusion and mystery. The deeper Beth gets into her investigation, the more confusing narrative gets. The horror of this movie doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares, but rather on the disorienting experience the aftermath of the suicide brings. Not knowing what is going on helps emulate the same fear and confusion Beth goes through. It is an experience that is masterfully done through the blending of reality, dreams, and delusions. Watch this movie for the interesting visuals and the fantastic performance.
Go watch this movie on HBO if you like disorienting psychological horror. It might not give you nightmares, but you will have a lot of fun with it.
Movie Review: The Black Phone (2022)
The Black Phone is a welcome addition to the horror genre, one that leaves me hopeful for the future of scary movies. If you are thinking of watching this movie, just buy the tickets already. This movie is worth the theater experience. This terrifyingly suspenseful thriller will have you the most stressed you have ever been in a movie as you experience the cold isolated realm carefully crafted by the Grabber.
The sleepy town of Boulder Colorado has been hit with a series of kidnappings. The town is in a panic as they fear for the safety of their young boys. The movie focuses on Fin, the Grabber’s latest victim, who has the supernatural ability to speak with the dead through an old phone. Will Fin be the one to get away, or will he be just another victim?
This is a fantastic movie with amazing actors, a great story, and well-crafted horror. There are no cheap jump scares, farfetched storylines, or torture porn here. Instead, you have a tense and stressful situation effectively created through the isolation of the room and the maddening performance of Ethan Hawk. He is creepy, he is odd, and he is frightening. Hawk is a brilliant villain whose performance alone is worth the ticket price. But this movie is not possible without the equally brilliant child actors who help fuel a lot of the tension and suspense of this movie. You couple all of this with the movie’s terrifyingly stunning visuals and editing, and you get one of the creepiest movies I have seen in a while. The Black Phone is horror done correctly.
You need to watch this movie, and it needs to be in theaters.
Movie Review: Slash/Back (2022)
Slash/Back is a low-budget horror movie that you should at least consider supporting. The acting isn’t great, and the special effects are cheesy, but it tells an important story from an under-represented perspective. I had enough fun with this movie that I feel comfortable recommending it, but I understand it is not for everyone.
In a remote arctic village in Canada, a group of teens lives their lives in their under-resourced community wishing for something exciting to happen. Unfortunately, this dream comes true when aliens start terrorizing their little town. Now it is up to them to save the town and possibly the world.
Slash/Back deals with a lot of important issues that are often overlooked in modern and popular cinema. You have a group of capable female protagonists who struggle with the clashing of their native culture and the invasive culture of colonization. This is a story of an underfunded community dealing with the symptoms of poverty: substance abuse, racism, and feeling trapped and bound by the lack of opportunities. It is a story that is very relatable to me, and one I appreciate seeing every time. I love how this movie blends the monster film genre with Inuit folklore while it makes important social commentary. More importantly, it was cool to see that the actors in this movie are from the represented community and not a random assortment of brown people like they have in movies like Apocalypto.
The biggest issue with this movie is its acting. The story follows a group of teenage girls who don’t have much acting experience. It is fine for the most part, but the effects are clear. There are tense or suspenseful movies that aren’t do not land because the acting range isn’t there. You couple the lack of acting talent with cheesy special effects, and this isn’t the scary movie it wants to be. It doesn’t ruin the movie, I know for a fact that there are worse movies out there, but I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention the film’s flaws. It is not unwatchable, but something to keep in mind.
You should watch and support this movie because there need to be more diverse voices in cinema. Flaws aside, this movie is fine that deserves your support.
Movie Review: You Won’t be Alone(2022)
You Won’t Be Alone is a delightfully odd low-budget film about a witch who just wants to live a normal life. Nevena was turned into a witch as a baby. Her mother, fearing that the witch would take her, hides Nevena in a cave. Nevena will spend the first 16 years of her living in this cave in isolation. Eventually, the witch returns for Nevena and takes her out of the cave. Although Nevena appreciates her newfound freedom, she doesn’t want to be a witch. The witches in this movie have the power to take the form of a corpse. Nevena will make three transformations in this movie. We get to watch her learn about human nature from three different perspectives by living as a young woman, a young man, and a little girl. Will she be able to assimilate and have a normal life, or will the hatred toward witches be her demise?
This is a trigger warning! There is a bit of nudity and sex. The movie also deals with abuse, both emotional and physical. If any of these topics trigger you, do not watch this movie.
This movie does a fantastic job of creating an engaging narrative by piecing together different stories. I loved how each Nevena focuses on different aspects of human life based on the assumed perspective. For each version of Nevena, she finds different objects of importance that help her grow as a person. A lot of the narrative exists within her childlike observations. She grew up away from society, so she finds intrigue in everything. This innocent curiosity is a great driving force for the narrative. It is through Nevena’s innocence that we get a lot of important criticism about human nature.
The only complaint I have is that this movie is with the pacing. This movie is a slow burn, and it is going to be an issue for most people. This movie is also a bit unrefined because of its budget. It is not unwatchable, but it is difficult to ignore. There is some awkward camera work and a few of Nevena’s reactions get tedious. If you can get past these flaws, it is a solid movie. If you can get past the issues, this movie proves that you don’t need a hefty budget of name-brand actors to tell an interesting story.
This is an Armenian film with some awkwardly translated subtitles. Not unintelligible, but award at points. If you don’t mind the budget and pacing, this is a good way to spend two hours. This movie fills a certain niche, and it won’t be for everyone. This movie is also very quiet. Nevena never learned to speak, a lot of her communication is through gesticulation. The movie does a fantastic job at combining Nevena’s non-verbal communication with a contemplative internal monologue to create a powerful narrative. If you are interested, you can stream it on Peacock.
Movie Review: Choose or Die (2022)
I’ve seen enough of these curse game movies to have low expectations of the genre. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Choose or Die. While it may not leave a lasting impression, it isn’t the worst way to spend two hours. I honestly believe it to be one of the better films in the genre.
Choose or Die is about a girl Thea who is really good at computers. As she is desperately trying to find ways to make some extra money, she stumbles onto a text-based RPG that promises a healthy payout. While the game seems innocent, it comes with some deadly consequences. Now she is trapped in the game of her life. Will she win it all, or die trying?
Choose or Die does enough to keep it from being another bad entry to the genre, but it is far from perfect. The acting is solid, and some games are creative, but the narrative is lacking. Thea is a solid protagonist. Usually, movies like this feature a bland misrepresented character that is inexplicably perfect when the plot needs her to be. Thea on the other hand is shown early on to be a capable computer engineer. It isn’t random or unbelievable when she plays the game competently or when she overcomes obstacles. She is also likable enough, although there is some bad writing that keeps her from being better.
The games Thea is forced to play are fun and creative for the most part. This movie does a decent job converting text-based RPG elements into a realistic and suspenseful challenge that Thea must overcome. Most importantly, these games are winnable. In some of the Saw movies or that dumb Escape Room movie, the games aren’t winnable. Instead of the suspenseful ride of watching someone trying to win their life, you get torture porn. While there is nothing wrong with that type of genre, it isn’t horror. You don’t see much torture in Choose or Die instead it becomes a very intense puzzle where the choices are difficult, but not impossible. Unfortunately, not all of the games are created equal. This will hurt this movie’s rewatchability.
My only complaint is with the writing. There are a few very cheesy moments that destroy the tension. Terrible one-liners, cheesy outcomes, and the pointless scenes with the drug dealer kind of slow the movie down and distract from the more creative bits. There is also a lot of buildup to a very disappointing ending that almost ruins the experience.
You can watch this movie on Netflix. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, it’s not bad if you have nothing else to do.
TV Series Review: Severance (2022)
I loved severance. The only issue I have with the series is that it is over and I have to wait for the next season to find out what happens.
Severance plays with the idea of identity as it explores a future where people can separate their consciousness in two, one that lives a normal life, and one who only works. These two personalities will never interact. The idea being that a person can live life without the distractions of work and vice versa. Although the company of Lumen does everything in its power to make this idea seem utopian, there is something sinister afoot, and we as the audience slowly begin to uncover what that is.
Severance is a quirky and dark mystery full of suspense and philosophy. It is fantastically acted, well written, and beautifully shot. I usually criticize shows for their pacing, but here the slow pacing works to add the suspense that will keep you at the edge of your seat. The sterile and chimerical work environment, the positively chipper attitudes of management, and the isolation truly create a well-made psychological horror. If you like movies like Get Out or The Stepford Wives, this is the show for you.
I love how it can create horror through Lumen’s seeming perfection. The constant almost robotic references to protocol, the small mandatory celebrations, the mystery of the work being done, and the consistent positivity from the employees give this show its dark undertones. Let me not forget that the casting is perfect. Every character is well performed and truly give this show its vibrance. Milchick is my absolute favorite villain. Tramell Tillman earns his praise as he plays the chipper helicopter supervisor that is always smiling. It is his toxic positivity that sells the shows psychological horror. Lumen is up to something, and it drives me crazy that I don’t know what it is.
Severance makes valid criticisms about work and individuality. It also explores topics of religion, freedom, and escapism. It addresses each topic effectively by creating an engaging narrative that gets weirder the longer you stick with. This show is weird in the best possible way. If you haven’t seen this show yet, you need to go watch it now. You can watch it on Apple TV. If you don’t have a subscription, it is worth the trail because you need this show in your life.