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Despicable Me 4 (2024)
Minion Mayhem
Despicable Me 4: Gru and family are back along with his family, a new baby and of course the Minions. Great fun and many visual references to films and serials - Blade Runner buildings, the Chityy Chitty Bang Bang car, and a 1930s style Flash Gordon rocket ship. Gru has to attend his old school reunion at Lycee Pas Bon to nab a villain but plans go awry and the family have to go into hiding. He ends up having to raid another villains house via hot air balloon to to snatch a honey badger - don't ask. Just see the film for plenty of fun and Minions mayhem. Directed by Chris Renaud & Patrick Delage, Writen by Mike White & Ken Daurio. 8/10.
Longlegs (2024)
There's A Killer In The House
Longlegs: There are shades of Silence of the Lambs here as a rookie FBI agent Lee Harke (Maika Monroe) is tasked with tracking down a serial killer, Longlegs (Nicholas Cage), even has a visit to a psychiatric hospital with a director who is more annoying than Dr Chilton in SOTL. But it soon veers off in a darker direction. Lee is first assigned to mundane door to door inquiries with a partner, she gets a strong feeling that a killer is in a certain house but her fellow agent discounts this and is shot dead. Lee's clairvoyant tendencies are tested and she is ass;gned to a, decades-spanning case of a series of brutal murder-suicides involving families throughout the state of Oregon. In each incident, the father murdered his wife and children before taking his own life, and left at each crime scene is a letter with cryptic, Satanic coding, that is signed "Longlegs". Longlegs soon makes contact with Lee and she manages to decrypt his messages. There are some memorable scenes, the film opens with a young girl being confronted by Longlegs, near a farmhouse surrounded by snow; Lee's own house, a wooden cabin, seems to have odd dimensions, flashbacks of Lees's past life and that if the one surviving victim. Cage chews up the scenery but in an admirable manner, his Joker like grins and laughter, singing, sometimes just creepy rather than really threatening. His best scene is where he is at a bus stop in a country road holding two suitcases, more chilling than the snow covered fields. Great performance by Monroe as well, she is troubled, withdrawn but seems to have a connection to Longlegs; good support from Blair Underwood as Lee's boss and Alicia Witt as her mother. There are some very disturbing scenes of violence. So gore fans will be satisfied, there is also plenty of existential terror though as a feeling of dread pervades the film. A few interesting plot twists, mind control and a quest for the truth provide for an interesting dark serial killer thriller with ESP and supernatural overtones. Marc Bolan aficionados will be delighted to hear that Longlegs is also a fan and Bolan songs dominate the soundtrack. Written and Directed by Osgood Perkins. Hail Satan! 8.5/10.
Jam (2023)
Sweet Dreams
Sleep: A south Korean horror film about sleep disorders, though it is implicit from the outset that something more sinister may be involved. Hyeon-soo (Lee Sun-kyun) and Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi) are a couple, she is heavily pregnant. One night, she discovers Hyeon-soo sitting up and uttering strange phrases in his sleep, there is also evidence that he has been sleepwalking. His sleepwalking continues ad his behaviour becomes even more strange, sleep eating, and badly scratching his face. Their dog pepper is scared of sleeping Hyeon-soo's antics. Things take a far worse turn and they seek medical help, also attempting to make their apartment accident proof. Soo-jin's mother wishes to bring in a Shaman to exorcise Hyeon-soo and admittedly there is evidence pointing to possession. A dark film leavened at times by humour but you will find several scenes extremely disturbing with extreme violence but much worse is suggested, The antics of the Shaman are a tad funny but she also carries out actual rituals, pointing out the need to identify a ghost before they can be dispatched. . Most of the horror is psychological in nature in Sleep though, the hearing of knocking, the sense of dread, Soo-jin's fears for her child's safety. Some interesting Korean ghost and possession lore is explored. Convincing acting from Jung Yu-mi and Lee Sun-kyun in his final role, he died tragically after the film was completed. Written and Directed by Jason Yu. 8/10.
In a Violent Nature (2024)
Weird Woods
In a Violent Nature: Elements of satire here but it comes across mostly as an overly bloody slasher film. Deep in Canadian woods trouble is brewing. It ticks all the boxes - killer raised from the dead by actions of teenagers, he's out for revenge, wrong was done to him and his family, he was bullied. A cabin in the woods near a lake. The mute killer stomps through the woods, when it's light, at twilight, in the dark, he plods across meadows. He kills one guy who at least deserves his comeuppance, cuts his head in half, carries the half head in one hand, drags the corpse by the other. Throws the head through the window of a ranger's station, raids the museum section, gets a fireman's leather mask, hatchet and hooks with chains and hes off. He uses many inventive means to slaughter his victims, the blood flows freely. The killer is akin to a zombie the way he plods, a slow zombie but quick enough to trap his prey. Perhaps we see too much of his plodding, I reckon 5 minutes of it could have cut. An interesting film, gory in the extreme and certainly not for the faint of heart or/and squeamish. Written and Directed by Chris Nash. 7.5/10.
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (2023)
Coming Home
Pet Sematary: Bloodlines: A Prequel to the 2019 Pet Sematary. It's 1969 the young Jud Crandall (Jackson White) has managed to avoid the draft and is off with his girlfriend Norma (Natalie Alyn Lind) to join the Peace Corps. His former friend Timmy Bateman has apparently just returned from Vietnam in one piece but is behaving strangely. We're one step ahead if Jud and the denizens of Ludlow Maine as we've seen Timmy's father Bill (David Duchovny) bury him in the cursed forest. Leaving Ludlow isn't easy as Jud and Norma find out when a crow crashes into their windscreen. They then notice Timmy's dog, Hendrix, also acting strangely. They walk the dog back to the Bateman farm and meet the muttering Timmy who watches as Hendrix savagely attacks Norma. Yes, the dead have risen once again and mayhem ensues. Some of the older people in Ludlow (including Pam Griers) know what is really going on and prepare to fight the menace, We also learn more about the founding of Ludlow in the 17th Century, when the evil of the woods was first encountered. Flashbacks show the founding fathers encountering and being attacked by the risen dead. Pretty gruesome with plenty of savage killings, woundings and cannibalism. I'm sure no animals were harmed in the making of the film though. Not a great horror film but worth watching. Directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer, co-written by Beer and Jeff Buhler. 6.5/10.
MaXXXine (2024)
Mystery Killer Stalks Maxxine
MaXXXine: And so the trilogy is complete. It's 1985 and Maxxine Minx (Mia Goth) has put the events of 1979 covered in X behind her. She is still an adult film star but also works at an upmarket peep booth club to make ends meet. She attends an audition at a Hollywood studio for The Puritan II and performs well winning a part. MaXXine is set to the backdrop of The Night Stalker serial killer, indeed two of Maxxine's friends from the adult entertainment industry are killed in circumstances staged to make it look like the Stalker is responsible. Campaigns for censorship and the Satanic panic also figure. Maxxine is really being stalked, one of these turns out to be Private Investigator John Labat (Kevin Bacon), he knows about her past and that the police have questions regarding the deaths which occurred in X. Maxxine is determined to resist his attempts at blackmail. She is intent in success and badly beats up another stalker who attacks her. Maxxine's determination to make it to the top is central to this film, the director (Elizabeth Debicki) of The Puritan II is also a strong woman and forms a bond with Maxxine but will not accept second best from her. Thus is a brutal film, decapitations, dismemberment, shootings and stabbings abound. Plenty of gore, horror which is psychological. Implicit and explicit. Even the motel and house from Psycho feature in several scenes. But the violence is not gratuitous imho, it advances the narrative. Who is really behind the stalking and killings is eventually revealed and turns out to be a shocker. Great performances from an ensemble cast including Michelle Monaghan and Bobby Cannavale as detectives with Lily Collins as an actress in The Puritan II, and Sophie Thatcher as an FX Artist. I wonder if we've seen the last of Maxxine? Written, Directed, produced and edited by Ti West. 8/10.
Out of Darkness (2022)
Quest For Survival
Out of Darkness (2022): 45,000 years ago, a small band of humans sit around a camp fire. An elder Odal is telling a story but we quickly realise it's about them how their leader Adem led them across the sea to a new land but things are bleak, They set out across upland heath and bogs, heading towards mountains where Adem is sure they will find food and shelter in caves. Adem's mate Ave is pregnant, his brother Geir, his young son Heron, Odal and Beyah a young female make up the group. At night anything beyond the fire circle is a threat. Strange howls are heard. Eventually one of the band is dragged off into the night, A quest begins which leads them into a forest. Most of the horror here is psychological as we do nor see the nature of the beast until the final third of the film. But the small group live in a state of existential terror, they are doomed if they cannot start fire. They lack food and shelter, Adem and Geir's attempts at hunting being less than successful and there seems to be little to gather. They now become the hunted as the unknown creature continues to prey upon them. An interesting Upper Paleolithic thriller with some plot twists which cannot be revealed without spoiling your enjoyment of the film. An artificial language was created for the film and there are English subtitles. Directed by Andrew Cumming, Written by Ruth Greenberg. 7/10.
Fly Me to the Moon (2024)
Endearing Conspiracy/Rom-Com/Drama
Fly Me to the Moon: A Romantic Comedy/Drama which deals with the filming of a fake moon landing as a beta option in case things go wrong. Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is an ace marketing executive but she has a skeleton in her closet and Deep State operative Moe Berkus uses this to blackmail her into fixing NASA;s public image. This causes tension with Apollo 11 Mission Director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum). Her tactics sometimes alienate him but there is a chemistry developing between them. A bit like the Rock Hudson and Doris Day movies. The dark shadow of the deaths of the Apollo 1 astronauts hangs over this film though. When problems develop regarding the mission, Moe comes up with the idea of faking the moon landing. He again applies pressure on Kelly and she hires a flamboyant temperamental commercial director to make the fake. Johansson is wonderful as Kelly, conning politicians into continuing support for the project, adopting any accent which is necessary, hiring actors to stand in for Davis and other engineers when they refuse to be interviewed. Tatum projects a more serious Davis, he tends a memorial to the Apollo 1 astronauts, the Apollo 11 is his life and a fitting tribute to the dead astronauts. There is a crucial scene where he clashes with a TV interviewer over the fatal mission. He does have his comic moments though. Woody Harrelson plays Berkus as the consummate Man In Black, indeed he supplies Kelly with a small army of Men In Black as actors, guards and gophers. He is comical yet threatening, you really believe that he would have people killed to keep a secret. Jim Rash excels himself as Lance Vespertine, the camp temperamental director who fills in for the role conspiracy theorists allege was played by Stanley Kubrick. And he is just as demanding as Stan, take after take. It would be a spoiler to tell any more about how the plot develops but I'm sure you will enjoy this serious comedy. Directed by Greg Berlanti from a screenplay by Rose Gilroy. 8/10.
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
A Very Dark Surreal Comedy
Kinds of Kindness: Following hard on the heels of Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos' latest film is even quirkier, indeed in comparison Poor Things is a straightforward retelling of the Frankenstein tale. This is an anthology film, three loosely linked stories, Willem Dafoe is a crazed boss, a father and a cult leader. Jesse Plemons is an employee whose entire life is controlled by his boss, a policeman whose wife goes missing and a cult member on a mission, Emma Stone is a love interest of Plemons, the missing wife who turns strangely changed and Plemons partner on the cult mission. It's difficult in mere words to describe how weird this film is but I'll try, I'll refrain from mentioning what links the stories. Dafoe isn't your normal control freak, he dictates Plemons' diet, sex life and even sends presents like McEntoe's smashed tennis racquet from 1984, Cannibalism, an island ruled by dogs, a quest for a prophet who can raise the dead, staged car crashes, changelings all feature. Some disturbing scenes, a creepy ex husband can be as bad as a cult leader, dismemberment and murder of injured people not to mention suicide, Though this is a very dark comedy it is not a film for the squeamish. But if you're familiar with Lanthimos then you know what to expect; he was a bit self indulgent in the films running tine of 164 minutes, It would have benefited from a a 20 minute cut Convincing performances from Dafoe, Stone and Plemons with good support from Margaret Qualley. And Hong Chau. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, screenplay by Lanthimos and Efthimis Filippou. 8/10.
Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams (2024)
Demons, Aliens, Angels
Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams: Indonesian SF/Horror seven episode anthology series set in Jaktara between 1984 and 2024. Aliens, a boy who beings good luck to families who adopt him but they have an unfortunate habit of dying, demons (or aliens) transferring life from the young to the old, pretty good rejuvenation, sort of psychic vampirism I guess. People disappear after applying for work through a PO Box leading to a quest by relatives. We even get a colour blind electrician. An author whose life mirrors that of one of her characters but there is a deeper connection. Social issues such as poverty, old people being abandoned in nursing homes and land grabs by corrupt authorities also intersect with mysteries in the film. Some gory scenes including dismemberment and cannibalism feature. A bit of a mixed bag but it's all tied up in the final episode. Created, co-written and co-directed by Joko Anwar who is a prominent Horror Film/TV director in Indonesia. On Netflix. 7/10.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Silent slaughter
A Quiet Place: Day One: Set in New York AQPDO shows what it was like to be at the centre of the Alien attack in a big city. This is for the mist part a grim dark tale. Samira (Lupita Nyong'o) is a terminally ill cancer patient in a hospice, she's bitter about it but loves her cat Frodo. Halfheartedly she joins an outing to Manhattan to see a marionette show. Even as they arrive military aircraft are above the city, soon thay are advised to leave. What might be meteorites but aren't fall, an explosion damages her bus. When she comes to people are aware that they must stay silent to avoid the creatures, There can be no happy ending for Samira but she sets out on a quest to find pizza while others flee towards possible rescue. We see more of the lizard/ape/spiders in this film, they scuttle up buildings, lay in wait to ambush, drop down in hordes on a street crowded with fleeing people. We see the Aliens dining on some food food they have seemingly brought with them, maybe they hunt and dismember humans for the fun of it or are programmed to do so. In her travels across New York Samira meets up with Eric (Joseph Quinn) and they form a bond. Frodo is also a star, exploring the ruins, it is he who brings Eric to Samira. Some extremely gruesome scenes but much of the horror is also psychological, streets full of dust and ash, having to constantly remain silent. The brightness in this film comes from Samira's willingness to help others. A fitting and impressive prequel to the existing films in the series. Written and Directed by Michael Sarnoski, based on a story he conceived with John Krasinski. 8/10.
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.