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Devil in the Dark (2017)
Surprisingly enjoyable
The acting, the plot, all of that was much more than I expected going in. The two estranged brothers are actually rather stellar in portraying their fraught relationship. Honestly, I'd say the brother's relationship is the main selling feature of this film, not the monster, and that's probably where some of the let down is.
That, and the effects are probably the biggest weakness of this film, as they're actually rather shoddy, and yes, that does take points out of this review.
Kadaver (2020)
Intriguing concept, but falls flat at key moments
Such a good premise is let down by some weak moments of writing, unbelievable twists, and shots that were more dedicated to being artsy than common-sense.
The obvious meat source "twist" is super predictable, but what stretches it too far is that some of the actors clearly don't know this twist, when just about anyone should obviously be able to figure it out. That we're to believe they're a part of this cult, yet oblivious to what's going on, just doesn't sit right.
Other twists like this stretch the limits of our tolerance just a bit too far, taking what is a very delectable set-up, and ultimately dealing us with something far less satisfying than promised.
A lot of the dialogue is stale (though that could be the translation, partially), but no where does it hurt the film more than in the climatic moments. While the acting is often good, the pacing of some of the lines is so hammy, and delivery is so cliché that it's distracting from good visuals.
(Want to add your own fun twist? Believe that Alice does not exist/is dead from the start, and just a hallucination of Leo's tortured mind. Given Leo's perchance to hallucinate/have fantastical thoughts, it really isn't a stretch to think that her madness is the only thing accompanying her on the way out of that hotel. )
Ghost Team (2016)
Why the Bad Reviews??
This movie was hilarious, surprisingly heart-warming, and actually a decent thriller. It never gets boring, and the cast grows more likable throughout the film. I don't understand how this has gotten so many poor reviews, when it's definitely one of the top "ghost hunter" movies out there.
Anyways, don't believe the bad type. This is legit a movie worth the time. The only part I would complain about ould be the sound editing, as the words can be hard to make out at times. I'd recommend subtitles, not because it's impossible to follow along without them, but because it makes sure you don't miss anything.
Definitely check it out!
The Willoughbys (2020)
Good start, then becomes terribly cliche.
The film isn't bad. The voice-acting, the unique characters, the dark humor, the animation, all make it quite an intriguing story right of the bat. Unfortunately, what starts out as a truly unique tale gives way to a horribly predictable and cliched ending. I truly thought this movie had promise, but once you realize where it's heading it's charm dwindles fast. What starts out as a daring piece of film ultimately loses out by playing it safe.
Sweetheart (2019)
Possibly a sequel to The Shape of Water
Call me crazy, but considering how often the monster let her live, I'm pretty sure it wasn't actually trying to kill her.
He was probably just looking for love. She kept leaving him food. Definitely some mixed messages going on here.
The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)
Like watching corn grow
If atmosphere is what you're after, however, I think you'll enjoy this piece. With great acting, excellent research into the background lore and Puritan beliefs, and very purposeful cinematography, this movie is truly blighted by it's ridiculous pacing. Lacking in any substantial scares, this is only horror in the broadest of terms, and as such cannot really afford the slow crawl at which the story progresses.
Sadly, slow and meandering is what this film is all about. No matter how you spin it, this movie does little to engage you into the story, preferring to catch your attention with bleak visuals and atmosphere. If the latter is what you're looking for, then by all means go ahead. The film does have merit, but not as a horror film, and not as a great story for the ages.
The Ritual (2017)
A great atmospheric piece with believable characters
Saying it now: 10 times better than the vastly overrated The Witch.
Great acting, captivating cinematography, good pacing, creative bad-ass monster, and overall some very good tension throughout the piece. 100% recommend.
In the Tall Grass (2019)
Don't smoke the grass
Someday there will be a successful time-loop story aside Donnie Darko. This is not that story.
This film tries, and definitely fails, to handle a plethora of themes, and somewhere along the way possible forgets to follow its own narrative. Never have 6 characters felt like far too many to keep track of, even when some of these characters are more footnotes than anything.
The more you get immersed into this story, the more disjointed it seems. So much is happening in the grass, so many characters dying again and again, that it becomes hard to determine which parts matter, and which parts are inconsequential. Eventually, the bulk of the film feels more like filler than real content, with random horrors thrown in (head crushing, incest vibes, baby eating, etc.) to fill a run time rather than give meaning to this cumbersome affair.
Quite often, the film seems like its trying to school you, but none of the lessons hit home in a particularly strong manner. Abortion is discouraged (but so is adoption?), incest is danced around as heinous but ultimately survives the story (a reminder to those that Cal is the pregnant girl's brother, not boyfriend), and religion is a weird and powerfully dangerous thing, and enlightenment is not meant for mere mortals.
Stay off the grass, kids. It ain't worth it.
Knives Out (2019)
Exactly what you need
This movie is a brilliant blend of stellar acting, cheeky humor, and intrigue. A Clue game brought to life, and not sparing an ounce of drama or delight.
Given the genre, you know there's going to be a few twists. The delight comes from trying to figure out how and when the twists will be delivered, and seeing how on or off the mark you were at predicting them. Engaging until the end.
The Lighthouse (2019)
100 Proof Pretentious
If a man goes crazy on a rock, but the rock is just a metaphor and the man doesn't actually exist, does it matter?
It's hard to understand how or why so many people think this to be a good film. While the acting is superb, and the cinematography great, everything beyond that is a clumsy mess so full of itself that it's bursting.
At its core the story is an obvious ode to Prometheus, with a side serving of identity crisis, and a possible exploration into the timeloop spectrum (Thomas and Thomas both have very similar mustaches, after all).
While the actors and crew were clearly giving their all to this performance, in the end it's hard to actually care about anything that happens. Everything is so isolated and vague, that all you come away with is the feeling that nothing you just saw matters. The story is so distant from any conceptual reality that it doesn't seem worth the effort to further analyze the themes and lore that inspire it, and that's where this arthouse movie falls apart.
I don't want to spoil it beyond that because while I'm critical of its reputation, the film itself is bizarre, disturbing, and hilarious enough to deserve a watch.
Entertaining? Yes. Good? Not so much.
Passengers (2016)
One part Stockholm syndrome, one part gaslighting.
I won't bother with a full review. This is a story about a man completely manipulating a woman's life for his own selfish desires. This is a rape story. Had it acknowledged this and not masqueraded as a "romance," then it might have been something worthwhile. But it's not.
The Detained (2017)
Surprisingly decent acting, lighting, and camera work.
I will say I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised to see that the cast has some genuine acting chops. Not to say they don't have a few poor deliveries or need some seriously help with their stunt work, but it's not hard to assume their direction was awful, so don't judge them too harshly for that.
Overall the kids can act, and unlike many low-budget horror movies, this film doesn't suffer from terrible lighting or shaky camera work.
But absolutely nothing can save this movie from a disaster of a script. The stereotypes do have some interesting twists, but it's still terribly written and poorly timed. On top of that, there is so much stupid in this movie. And whenever one or more of the characters does something stupid, it's unrealistically stupid. Like a not-even-the-village-idiot-would-do-that type of stupid.
A few examples of this stupid:
1. Having sex in the cafeteria as soon as you escape the room with the killer in it. Literally.
2. Having a heart-to-heart loudly after reaching a dead end, instead of backtracking to find another way out immediately.
3. Having sex a second time while waiting in the cafeteria knowing a killer is after you.
4. Wandering the halls shouting while trying to hide from a killer.
5. Having an assortment of items to arm yourself with, and choosing only mildly threatening objects.
Really, if you want to know the whole list, you'll have to watch it yourself. If you enjoy bad dialogue and unrealistic human behavior, you might actually enjoy yourself.
Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
This Buzzsaw Lacks Teeth
The acting is fantastic. The dialogue is clever. The cinematography is clean and effective. The concept is a whole lot of fun. And you know what? The supposedly mesmerizing art is actually pretty evocative.
So why is the end product so uninspired?
Well, the death sequences might have something to do with it. As much fun as they should be, something about their presentation is just... off. Getting chased by a mechanical hobo on crutches is pretty spectacular, but having it merely snap your neck is actually rather bland on camera. And being hung by a scarf? Surprisingly dull. Then there's a death that's pretty much a paint-by-numbers headscratcher, but that one's almost a little too vague. Exactly how did she die? Radiation poisoning by a weird snapchat effect?
The implied death by grease monkeys is probably the best death of the entire
film. It's fun, has interesting buildup, and leaves just enough out to keep the menace alive even as we know the character definitely isn't.
But the deaths are the only sticking point of this comedic horror. Truthfully, the message behind this story is more mess than art, and that turns out to be a rather significant sticking point for me.
This movie dissects the insanely pretentious world of art profiteering from the extremely haughty perspective of the "Art for Art's Sake!" clubhouse. I have no problem with that in itself, this is a tongue-in-cheek movie that takes great joy in destroying it's own premise. But I think it might have gone a bit farther than it intended.
What exactly is the message? Well, let's try to summarize:
Exploiting art is bad, obviously, and so is judging it - especially if you're getting paid to do so. And be sure not to judge the art on the probable depravity of the artist. And don't show it to anyone, but also don't store it away. Selling it on the street corner might be okay - jury's out on that one. And maybe you can like it, if you promise not to like it too much, or show it to anyone else. Who knows; art's a fickle mistress.
Actually, it's probably best to just burn it. Burn it all up. Art should only exist for the artist anyways. Boo to anyone else that thinks or feels anything about a piece of art.
Which...what? Is that really what the movie was aiming for? I get the feeling it was hoping to go in a more "art should be pure" direction, and only meant to really tear apart the profiteering, but honestly, it doesn't really hit the mark. If anything, the movie makes you feel like artists are essentially pointless to society, and that art has no communal value.
There's actually one moment in the movie where some really amazing sincerity bleeds though - when the art critic is trapped in a soundproof room, tormented by his own voice as it echoes some rather scathing art critiques. It's in this moment that the critic seems to realize he's nothing more than a schoolyard bully, and it's beautiful.
Sadly, this scene just highlights how most of the rest of the film is a subtle letdown. Nothing about it is awful, but the truly brilliant moments don't come often enough, and in the end, we're left with a critique that isn't sharp enough to cut an impression.