“No saint, no pope, no general, no sultan has ever had the power that a filmmaker has: the power to talk to hundreds of millions of people for two hours in the dark.”
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
According to the special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull, the total duration of the film’s footage is 200 times longer than the movie itself (2.5 hours).
Cukoo (2024)
A girl is forced to stay with her dad and his new family at a resort where nothing is what it seems.
Energetic, paranoid, allegoric, and daring, but overly confusing. Cukoo is the kind of cinema that raises a significant question: Who are the films made for? Is it the studios? Is it the director? The festivals? The audience? If it’s the latter, do the filmmakers know their intended audience?
Writer/director Tilman Singer said he got the idea for his film from the cuckoo bird, which lays its eggs in other birds’ nests. The film explicitly states this, so no spoilers here. The story surrounds that notion, and its development creates an intriguing yet convoluted plot. The information is laid to the audience: “You blink, and you miss it.” Some of it is said, some shown. Then, some of what you hear does not reflect what you see. Hence, the convolution. Lastly, the script’s ending leaves this sense of unfulfillment even though it concludes the heroin’s journey. That is primarily due to the complex narrative that proceeds it. Now for the visuals and sounds…
Seizures, shrieks, pulsating upper chests, perked-up ears, red eyes, and… time loops(?) are only but a few exciting visuals and sounds that get and hold your attention. The “what-am-I-watching” feeling becomes “I-don’t-know-what-I’m-watching-but-I-enjoy-it” due to the dark photography and frenzied editing. What enhances those utterances and actions is the wild acting of Hunter Shafer and Dan Stevens. The main cast also comprises the impressive Márton Csókás, Jessica Henwick, and child actress Mila Lieu.
Back to the original question: Who is this film for? Singer’s directing vaguely resembles Strange Darling (2023): https://kaygazpro.com/strange-darling-2023/. The main difference is that Strange Darling makes sense, whereas Cukoo needs a lot of thought to make some. And that thought is put while you are trying to watch it, and you miss even more, and it makes even less sense.
I definitely recommend it, regardless of the intended audience. Whether you like it or not is not guaranteed, but it’s a great cinematic experience nonetheless.
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Apocalypse Now (1979)
To get the role of …, Laurence Fishburne claimed to be 17 years old, while he was actually only 14. However, by the time filming was completed, he was indeed 17.
The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)
A car malfunction forces a young couple to stay in a cabin in the woods near a small town, where three masked strangers invade and hunt them down.
Ahhh… The disparities between the American cities and the unknown to the public towns where chances are that everyone’s evil.
It’s almost impossible for anyone to watch it and not compare it to The Strangers (2008), a stunning house invasion horror. Major differences that actually matter start from the very beginning, when the 2008 couple was unhappy and torn. Their sadness and awkwardness were relatable to the audience right away, and as if that was not enough, they had to be attacked, too – something that brought their turbulent journey to an end, though. The 2024 couple rubs their happiness “in your face,” and while in real life, that’s what we wish for people, horror films don’t work that way. Horror and drama are a powerful combo.
From then on, the 2024 version has nothing new to offer. It copies the previous film (and its sequel) to a large extent, and that is pretty much it. If you have not watched the original, you may like it more. But if you haven’t, watch the original.
Today, a significant challenge is depicting the differences between the alleged city’s arrogance and local hostility toward outsiders. We have seen this time and time again, and different ways are required nowadays to project this “old wine, new bottle.” Solely, the “religious freak” or inbred guy(s) does not cut it anymore. Well, maybe Chapters 2 and 3 will be more creative. Yes, they are already in postproduction.
One last thing… the intentions! Why are these people doing it? How do these masks relate to the attackers’ intentions (or lack thereof)? How can the filmmakers visually express that particular darkness of the human soul?
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Strange Darling (2023)
A serial killer who went berserk before the last killing spree that made history.
The Independent American cinema that dares and comes out a winner! The non-linear electrifying narrative captivates and increases the levels of suspense to the extreme. Its intention to manipulate, confuse, disorient, and make one wonder why they thought how they did prior to the events is as effective as the serial killer portrayed. It provides food for thought and questions societal norms, taboos, and false individual preconceptions. Furthermore, it raises the middle finger to political correctness as well as conventional Hollywood, which is scared to take chances.
JT Mollner masterfully writes and directs a raw, gritty horror with an engaging story and a thoroughly thought-out, non-linear plot that will keep you in your seats until the last second. Kyle Gallner plays his role beautifully. An extra round of applause, though, goes to Willa Fitzgerald, who left her conventional roles and went berserk, absolutely mental, on camera to bring this character to life.
P.S. Giovanni Ribbisi is one of the producers behind this masterpiece.
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A Touch of Spice (2003)
The film is based on the personal experiences of screenwriter and director Tassos Boulmetis.
The Beast Within (2024)
In the middle of the English wilderness, a man with a dark secret isolates himself further to protect his family, but secrets always emerge.
Eerie, atmospheric, folklore, yet it lacks significant ingredients. First, good news: The photography, soundtrack, and acting are brilliant. As for the story itself, it’s suspenseful and intriguing. This brings us to the bad news.
That family faces an out-of-the-ordinary drama; the father is a monster only seen in fairytales (or, is it?). That drama could have been dealt with realism. Family drama is relatable to every house. And this could have been, too, regardless of its surrealistic nature. So, while the soundtrack is excellent and the shots are beautiful, their constant use and attempts at visual poetry (parallel sequences) ruin what could have been relatable. In Layman’s terms, those same and constantly used editing techniques in most sequences emphasise the parallel action, making you lose focus from each sequence. As a final note, and hopefully, that will make it clear, the script, the editing and the directing are the reasons The Beast Within is heavily damaged. Like any other film, though, for better or for worse, the positivity or the negativity is attributed to the director. In this case, Alexander J. Farrell. Please read further below for spoilers. At least Kit Harrington, Ashleigh Cummings, Caoilinn Springall, and James Cosmo have great chemistry.
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SPOILERS
Beware of the film’s message! Beware of the werewolf and the message it carries. Domestic abuse and split personality are not to be treated as one and the same. If one suffers from a split personality and one or more of the personalities are violent, and they know it, they don’t take the family and hide in the middle of the woods. They seek professional help. I know the ending is meant to be a twist, but, like any other twist, it shouldn’t defy logic. Not to that extent.
3 Idiots (2009)
Aamir Khan, who plays Rancho and is mostly a student in the film, was 44 years old when it was shot, making him not only an “overly mature” student but also five years younger than his school principal.
Amour (2012)
Not a single word was changed from the script during filming. The dialogues from the script were transferred word-for-word to the big screen.
Baby Reindeer (2024)
A struggling comedian’s life gets even harder when he has to confront a stalker who doesn’t let him be but also surfaces a buried trauma of his.
Netflix’s most powerful project to date! Everything this mini-series has done has done it right. Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022): https://kaygazpro.com/dahmer-monster-the-jeffrey-dahmer-story-2022-biography-crime-drama/ is also up there disregarding the last two episodes. Baby Reindeer‘s writing, directing, editing, photography, and acting are exquisite. Richard Garr has gone above and beyond and created a masterpiece that will be taught in the years to come. His acting, as well as Jessica Gunning’s, leave you breathless. From an artistic point of view, it is immaculate, and the non-linear way of telling the story adds perfection. While I could write a thesis on it and analyse it to its core, I will just leave you by saying that Baby Reindeer is superb! There is something else that I would like you to know and understand, though. Something that I believe will be the worded version of how you had it in your mind.
There are three elements that stand out: The awkwardness, the laughs, and the honesty… And that bloody honesty I’d like to talk to you about. The honesty about professional failure… personal failure… rejection… mental illness, rape… and self-destruction… Again, the honesty about all of it. The brutal, bone-shuttering honesty.
Baby Reindeer makes you wonder, as a viewer, when was the last time you were that honest with yourself, let alone put it out there for the world to see? Will they laugh at my tribulations? How can I open the door of my inner world to strangers when I cannot do it to myself? How could I admit to everyone everything I don’t have the ability to admit to me The moments I’ve been brave. The times I’ve been a coward. How much I struggled to achieve the slightest thing in life. The things I went through and nobody knew or nobody understood. That’s what Baby Reindeer is.
Any form of abuse is scarring. Personal, professional, emotional, physical, sexual. It hurts everyone the same. No matter who you are, no matter what your financial background is, no matter what your social status is, no matter your age, race, sex, or sexual orientation. Baby Reindeer questions what defines you in life. It sets the bar higher than ever before and dares to beg the questions… How much does success mean to you? How much happiness means to you? Which one comes first? Which one makes you complete as a human being? Ultimately, how far are you willing to pursue success and happiness?
We are not meant to be alone in life. We’ll always seek understanding, compassion, affection, and love. But it’s not just finding it. It’s also adapting and knowing how to approach it.
Hats off to all the cast and crew who worked on that show!
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The Thing (1982)
Apart from the female voice of the computer, the entire cast and crew of the film were men!
No Country for Old Men (2007)
A cloud of smoke “invaded” Marfa, Texas, while the Coen brothers were filming their movie. Paul Thomas Anderson was filming There Will Be Blood (2007) nearby, testing the oil rigs, which caused the smoke. The Coens had to stop filming but came back strong the next day. (Both films went to the Oscars).
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (2007)
In Romania, in the late 1980s, the dictatorial Communist regime made not only abortion but also contraception illegal. Hence, the purchase of contraceptive pills on the black market at the beginning of the film.
2046 (2004)
When speaking to each other, Chow Mo-wan speaks Cantonese, Bai Ling speaks Mandarin, and Tak speaks Japanese, yet they all seem to understand each other. Hmm…
Stanley Kubrick
“The essence of cinema is editing. It’s the combination of what can be extricated from time and space that creates a new meaning.”
Cape Fear (1991)
Robert De Niro paid a dentist $5,000 to alter his teeth to resemble Max Cady’s. After filming, he spent another $20,000 to fix them.
Robert Rodriguez
“You’re only as good as the people you hire. Surround yourself with people smarter than you.”
William Goldman
“Nobody knows anything… Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what’s going to work.”
Double Blind (2024)
Down on their luck, in an isolated facility, test subjects participate in an experiment that goes awry and race against time for their survival.
Flawed yet great indie horror that serves the intended purpose. Double Blind cuts right to the chase. While the experiment does not go awry straight away, the feeling is instant the moment the characters introduce themselves. Half of them are indifferent, but it’s interesting to see what’s gonna happen to all of them. Are they gonna make it? Will the medication hurt them? Will they hurt one another? Their insomnia will mislead the story’s development, blur the lines between reality and paranoia, and increase the suspense to enjoyable and exciting levels.
Great one-location thriller that escalates nicely, captures paranoia brilliantly and is directed and edited meticulously. Furthermore, the ensemble cast gives wonderful performances believing in the film and enhancing the intended enjoyable pseudo-realism.
A lot of effort has been put into it by the director Ian Hunt-Duffy, the cast, and the crew, so I will not bother with certain plausibility issues the story faces.
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Walter Murch
“The ideal film editor is a neutral observer with a very sharp eye for what works and what doesn’t.”
Lost Girls and Love Hotels (2020)
Having left her life in the US, a troubled teacher finds a connection with a Yakuza member in hotels destined for those connections.
It could have been a great experience, but it felt incomplete. The reason why can be summarised by an IMDb trivium: “Original cut of the film, which was filmed in 2017 and shelved until its official release in September of 2020, was longer and darker, showing more of a disturbing reality of love hotels, and with more graphic and longer sex and nudity scenes. However some time before release the film was cut down in order to tone it down and attract more wider audience. This is also why most of Alexandra Daddario’s nude scenes were heavily cut down. For example, originally the “sex montage” was longer and it showed her character having rough sex with more men and it also included some topless scenes from her. Despite the rumors there never was any full frontal or lesbian scenes filmed with her. Reportedly, original cut was about 45 minutes longer than final version. It has not been finalized whether a director’s cut or an unrated version would be released.“
This means that while the camera work and the story are great, they become victims of their watered-down version. The film was meant to be longer and darker. It was written and directed this way. It was also acted this way. The sex scenes, other than pleasing to the eye, are also necessary to develop Margaret’s character through her internal turmoil. Also, the (Western, but only) audience would better understand the nature of those hotels. Having heavily cut it in the cutting room, these integral parts of the story feel… incomplete. That makes one wonder how the film would have been perceived or how much we have missed out. Great performance by Alexandra Daddario, whose character increasingly and depressingly descends into isolation, alcoholism, and self-destruction. Takehiro Hira, Carice Van Houten, Misuzu Kanno, and Andrew Rothney complete the brilliant cast.
Cinephiles like daring and provocative films, and they can detect if a film is holding its punches. And the studio’s cut-down version of William Olsson and Catherine Hanrahan’s vision most certainly does. Lastly, think about it. Out of all those films you have watched with Americans or British in Japan, what do their characters have in common?
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David Mamet
“Directing is not about what you want. It’s about getting things done through other people.”
Sidney Lumet
“The most important part of my directing is working with the script. You have to make the screenplay your own.”
Titanic (1997)
A crew member poisoned everyone with hallucinogens to the point where a colleague of director James Cameron was talking to him through a radio while he was standing right in front of her. When he mentioned it, she stabbed him with a pen. Another person led a conga line, and someone else asked to see a priest. The culprit was never found.
Clock (2023)
After receiving a lot of pressure from her surrounding environment, a thirty-plus-year-old woman who doesn’t want to have kids enrols in a clinical trial that will allegedly make her want to.
Flawed yet suspenseful low-budget thriller that deserves your attention. The opening sequence promises a lot. It’s a good old-fashioned setup that will make you want to see how it fits in the narrative. From then on, a lot of clocks are ticking, literally and metaphorically, with the heroine racing against time both biologically and mentally.
The original concept of Clock is the polar opposite of the soul-crushing drama numerous women face around the world when they want to have kids and… they just can’t. And they suffer a pain that whoever hasn’t faced it can’t. Hence, it’s original to see a woman suffering from despising having. The procedure itself doesn’t raise many eyebrows. The slight hallucinations increase the tension but only lay out the foundation of what’s about to happen. The turning point is Ella’s point of view on the Holocaust. It’s a daring monologue that reflects on her mental state and will make you want to counter-argue her view in your head. From then on, it is the point of no return where her life descends into the darkness that resembles the descriptions of purgatory. With a nightmarish woodworm that consumes whatever is left of her tormented life. I say no more…
Diana Argon is not just a pretty face. She pours a lot of heart into her work, as she has done repeatedly in the past. Writer/director Alexis Jacknow captures Ella’s psychosynthesis perfectly. Her shots accurately depict Ella’s mental struggle and discombobulation, and the same applies to Alexandra Amick’s snappy and quirky editing, which stitches Jacknow’s shots together, creating trippy and psychedelic montages.
Arguably, the message of Clock subliminally says that if you let the world crawl under your skin, it will own you. Family, friends, neighbours, unknowns, Media, doctors… They’ll become your source of paranoia. If we don’t distinguish our happiness from the world’s misconceptions, we’ll end up living someone else’s life – or not at all.
Despite some flaws towards the end and with the overall pace and rhythm, Clock is a great watch that, as said in the beginning, deserves your attention.
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Walden (2023)
A socially awkward court stenographer gets diagnosed with a tumour and becomes his little town’s vigilante.
Deadpan comedy, drama, and suspense blend like very few times have in the past. The comedic opening sequence combined with the initial heinous crime set the foundation for the oxymoronic feelings you are about to experience throughout the rest of the film. Psychopathy, childhood trauma, ignorant Church but strong faith, and funny and tragic situations that happen concurrently in a small society by people whose normalcy is not what we usually witness compose a bittersweet thriller that generates the desired contradictory emotions.
A similar film would be The Middle Man (2021): https://kaygazpro.com/the-middle-man-2021-comedy-drama/ These are the “beauties” of American cinema that defy Hollywood standards and offer a memorable experience. The epitome of such films is Strange Darling (2024): https://kaygazpro.com/strange-darling-2023/
There is a twist! The way writer/director David Keith decides to deal with the ending is not what you’d expect. But then, nothing really is in this film, so… Hats off to Emile Hirsch for taking such a bizarre role and bringing it to life. Kudos also to the rest of the cast.
The individual battles within us reflect collectively on society. Who we are, what we do, who we have been, and what we have done… “every moment, every truth, every lie, every word” of our lives make societies what they are.
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The Inheritance (2024)
On his 75th birthday, a billionaire gathers his estranged children and forces them to protect him against something that will try to kill him.
Poorly written and executed. So, this is how it goes… No one in the family is likeable. They are unreasonably unlikeable. It’s not because they are rich kids. They are just unlikeable. And if you don’t care about them at all, why would you care if they die? The smartest, most likeable and reasonable person in the film is not family. She is unreasonably reasonable and likeable. She is a coder and knows literature, Latin, the occult, ancient civilizations, and art. She is also sympathetic; she likes them so much that she is willing to sacrifice herself to save one of the worst people alive. Overall, the characters and their development in this film are non-existent.
As for the story and its development, it is mediocre at best. It is plainly shot, predictable, with boring dialogue, and anticlimactic. The worst part is that it explains everything to the viewer, leaving nothing to the imagination, copying horrendously Edgar Alan Poe and undermining its audience’s intelligence.
There is no point in going into more negative details. Unfortunately, it is a film that cannot be recommended. Rachel Nichols is a lovely person and a great actress, and she deserves better than that.
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Werner Herzog
“Follow your vision. Form secretive Rogue Cells everywhere. At the same time, be not afraid of solitude.”
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
Two polar opposite and complicated teenagers bond over a mysterious TV show that gets cancelled, which complicates their relationship even more.
Slow, trippy, and ostensibly pointless. This will be a quick review, as I wouldn’t want to slate it. While it is classified as horror, it is not. The too-many parallels with Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) do not attract the series’ fans and confuse non-fans. Maddy’s reappearance makes an exciting sequence and gives the intended Twin Peaks (1989) vibe, but it ends immediately after her captivating monologue. Overall, the slow pace isn’t as effective, with overly convoluted moments that border-lining previous similar snoozefests.
Trauma, memory, and identity relate in intricate ways that field experts constantly discover theories that blow previous theories out of the park. Trying to cinematically and allegorically depict any of them, let alone combine them, is a Herculean task where writer/director Jane Schoenbrun does her best. In front of the camera, Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine deliver convincing performances.
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Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
A woman is accused of her husband’s death, and their half-blind son becomes the main witness.
Slow-paced, realistic, personal, with excellent performances. Justine Triet and Arthur Harari’s tight, story-driven script and Triet’s character-driven directing compose an excellent whodunit thriller/court drama that, until the very end, will keep you on the edge of your seats.
Anatomy of a Fall‘s strongest point is that while all evidence points out at her, as an audience, you know she probably didn’t do it. If that’s the case, then how will she prove her innocence? Another strong point is the couple’s disagreements that escalate into arguments and then into fights. Very interestingly, writer/director Justine Triet, co-writer Arthur Harrari, and editor Laurent Sénéchal… take no sides. The angles favour no one; the dialogue from both sides provides food for thought and their pace, and the way those arguments/fights are cut finds the right balance of ambiguity. Of course, the result wouldn’t have been the intended if it wasn’t for the great performances of Sandra Hüller, Milo Machado-Graner, and Messi, the dog*.
Making a great film is a collaboration among thousands of like-minded people who have poured their souls into it.
Inevitably, Anatomy of a Fall becomes the anatomy of the human soul. What happens, how we perceive those things happening, what we know, and what we think we know, bottle up one day, and avoiding the truth, or what we perceive as truth, erupts. And avoiding that eruption becomes no option anymore. But, make it to the end, see what the verdict is, and, regardless of our preconceptions, having witnessed all the evidence and testimonies, what do you think happened?
*”For his role as Snoop, border collie Messi was awarded the Palm Dog at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.” (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17009710/trivia/?item=tr7168787&ref_=ext_shr_lnk)
P.S. That moment with the dog almost broke me (you’ll see)…
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The End We Start From (2023)
An unprecedented flood forces people out of the major cities, making a woman with her newborn struggle for their survival.
Great allusion to our climate change with realistic ups and downs. One of the major downs is its pace and rhythm. The suspenseful opening sequence that builds the story up is followed by a dramatic sequence of events that only happen, and the story moves on. They are short and lack development, which blocks the intended emotions. Something happens, it shocks you, but before you absorb it… on to the next sequence… And so on. On the other hand, the acting is solid, but even the outstanding cast – Jodie Comer, Joel Fry, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch – can save the film so much.
Overall, Mahalia Belo’s directing and Alice Birch and Megan Hunter’s script create a disjointed slow-burn that doesn’t live up to the expectations it raises. Current environmental and societal issues blend in a near-apocalyptic drama/thriller that doesn’t know where it wants to go and, unfortunately, leads nowhere. Honestly, the potential was there.
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Nowhere (2023)
A pregnant woman escapes a country at war only to end up in a container floating in unchartered waters.
I’ve said it more times than I can count: An opening sequence’s protracted shot raises the bar high. And this one is none hell of a shot! Unfortunately, this is what also follows; hell.
In a fictitious, dystopian present, where the world is not so dissimilar to our issues, authoritarian governments have taken over and treated people like cattle. Writers Indiana Lista, Ernest Riera, Miguel Ruz, and director Albert Pintó address this calamity’s horror and drama with such mastery that they will pin you to your seats. Based on our recent past, they depict humanity’s capability for the atrocious but also the remarkable. And then claustrophobia and despair hit you full force. Having said that, the script becomes far-fetched and increases the plausibility levels to abnormal standards. But this merely means that you should discount the effort. It’s a film, after all.
With her brilliant performance, Anna Castillo helps Pintó deliver the promise he made in the opening protracted shot. For an hour and forty-five minutes, both of them show you a world that nobody wants to live in, but individuals who can inspire and make our world the way we dream it for future generations.
This is a story about hope and despair, unconditional love and unspeakable hate, survival and perseverance, and finding strength and humanity within ourselves before asking others to do so.
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Dogman (2023)
A lonely man who was traumatised as a kid finds companionship in dogs who help him out committing crimes.
A very daring film by Luc Besson. The film comprises brilliant performances and beautiful dogs. But first things first. The non-linear way of telling the story builds up a compelling narrative of an unlike antihero that, while most people (hopefully/thankfully) have never experienced such a tragedy, his unmatched passion and unconditional love for dogs make him relatable to a vast audience; from people who love animals to people who loathe loneliness… Furthermore, this relatable and unlike antihero is for everyone who struggled – and still does – to make a living, to find success, and, above all, to find love.
Love plays a catalytic role in this narrative. It shapes Douglas because not only did he never experience it as a kid, but he also faced hatred from the people who were meant to love him. Then, the only time he falls in love, he crash-lands and never recovers from it. Alas, he becomes someone he never thought he would. So… you see… who can’t relate to that?
After a series of unfortunate films, Luc Besson returns with one of his humane stories. A story that is not about an action hero who solely takes up on the world and relies on fast-paced editing to do so. But on a human being who, surrealistically, finds acceptance from beings who will never betray him or let him down. Lastly, Caleb Landry Jones gives an Oscar-worthy performance that will shock you to your core, and the outstanding Jojo T. Gibbs accompanies him as the tormented psychologist.
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Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
A zombie apocalypse will unite a group of young men and women against the collapsing civilisation when they realise that they only have one another.
Well-crafted, unique, and full of thrills and horrors! Young men and women, bullies, outcasts, misfits, misunderstood, visionaries, and everything else in between, find their voice, style, pace, and rhythm in a world that collapses, dies… and comes back from death for more. Like every other musical, Anna and the Apocalypse begs the question: Why do people sing and dance instead of talking and acting… “normal”? Consequently, what connects the real to the performing world? Anna and the Apocalypse unites those two worlds with humour, horror, drama, and surrealism, offering a different kind of Christmas spectacle that will hold your attention till the very end.
The brilliant performances by all actors and actresses, the exceptional script by Alan McDonald and Ryan McHenry, the captivating songs by Roddy Hart and Tommy Reilly, and the engaging directing by John McPhail make this film a must! And like with every film, especially musicals, extra credits should always go to the editor(s). In this instance, to Mark Hermida, who stitches it together with exquisite precision.
Like a new musical version of Shaun of the Dead (2004), Anna and the Apocalypse is a must-see for every fan of apocalyptic films, as well as (British) comedies, musicals, and cinema as an art form.
P.S. The film is dedicated to writer Ryan McHenry, who wrote and directed the short Zombie Musical (2011) from which Anna and the Apocalypse was adapted.
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It’s A Wonderful Knife (2023)
A young woman who wishes she was never born gets transferred to a reality that she hasn’t, only to see her town suffering at the hands of a psychotic killer.
Unoriginal, uninspired, and uncalled for. It can’t be woke and watchable. History has shown that, and It’s A Wonderful Knife is no exception. Combining the clichés of previous decades’ slasher horrors with modern woke touches that ruin cinema in its entirety, this film does a massive disservice to one of the most classic films of all time, It’s A Wonderful Life (1946).
Turning this classic into a horror is not a bad idea, though. It could have been a decent adaptation that combines Christmas, horror, drama, comedy, and suspense. Instead… well… Michael Kennedy’s poor script and Tyler MacIntyre’s indifferent directing offer nothing to the genre. In a small American town where everyone could as well be an underwear model, even people in their forties and fifties, and everyone accepts everyone for who they are, is the actual fantasy genre. Surely, they can’t expect their audience to be that dumb.
Shame! I’ve praised Shudder for most of the films they have produced lately, but this is a colossal misfire. Both Katharine Isabelle and Justin Long deserve a lot better than that. P.S. Having said all that, the chemistry between Winnie (Jane Widdop) and Bernie (Jess McLeod) is the only positive element the film has to offer.
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Genie (2023)
A man who struggles to keep his family together stumbles upon a genie who might be able to help him right before Christmas.
Naive, not so funny, and utterly formulaic. Well, I guess I don’t have many good things to say about it, so I’ll keep it short. This is how it goes: Issue -> magical solution -> more issues but some solutions -> they lived happily ever after. The remake of the British television film Bernard and the Genie (1991) messes it up with the wishes, as well as its Christmas messages. This messed-up situation translates to an unoriginal film that grasps at straws where nothing is as funny as intended. But I’m going to finish this short review on a positive note, and that is – what I perceive to be – the main message: Even if we had the wish to find happiness, we probably wouldn’t be able to as we wouldn’t be able to recognise it.
We struggle to identify happiness, and no genie, Santa, or deity can help us do so because we need to find it within ourselves and then offer it to the people we want to as well as the rest of the world. Therefore, even if we had wishes, we wouldn’t really know what to wish for, let alone how to handle the consequences of our wishes.
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Silent Night (2023)
Fueled with rage and having nothing to lose, a grieving father prepares himself to take revenge on a vicious gang on Christmas Eve.
Action-packed, dramatic, Christmas-y, and… John Woo! Not knowing if I’d ever watch a John Woo film again, I must say I’m kinda impressed, but to a certain extent. The way he decides to tell the story, Joel Kinnaman and Catalina Sandino’s acting, the lack of yawnsome dialogues (or not at all), the heart-wrenching drama, and the pseudo-realistic action-packed sequences kinda make it up for the formulaic script that we’ve seen a lot more than once in the past.
Let’s be honest. There is no audience today that believes that a man who has allegedly never trained, has never used a knife to kill, has never fired a gun, has never had surveillance experience, and has never had any hand-to-hand combat experience… can become that good in a year through a montage sequence. But Woo ties it all up to the Christmas spirit, and if you love a good, violent, vengeful, bloody Christmas film with cheesy slow-mos… look no further! The film has numerous flaws, no matter how you look at it. But it is not a film that takes itself seriously and does not try to fool anyone. It is easily digestible with the right dose of everything.
So, grab your popcorn, put the phone on silent, gather your mates or chill on your own, and enjoy the vicious Christmas deaths of detestable drug dealers and gang-bangers!
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When Evil Lurks (2023)
Two brothers deal with evil themselves to prevent it from spreading, only to create ultimate chaos.
One-way ticket to hopelessness! If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. A protracted opening shot raises the bar high! And the whole of When Evil Lurks‘ first act does exactly that. What people say and why they say them makes one wonder what the characters know and what the audience doesn’t. Why do people regard evil the way they do, and what is that evil anyway? More importantly, how does one defeat such an evil force?
And while everyone’s trying to figure it out and approach it in a way that makes sense to them… the dog sequence will haunt you almost as much as it will haunt them! It’s brutal, relentless, and… evil! Upon watching it, while it noticeably slows down, expect chaos till the very end (The woman and the boy walking…)! And this is where I’m going to leave it… with a question: What if the world found out one day that biblical evil exists, it has taken over, and God, the one we used to justify our atrocities, has abandoned us?
Writer/director Demián Rugna hits the nail on the head with an original and unconventional horror that will shock you to your core. A must-see Argentinian horror for every fan of the genre. This is one of Shudder’s best horrors yet! Speaking of Argentinian horrors, you must also watch Rugna’s earlier horror Terrified (2017), one of my earliest reviews.
P.S. Have a look at Rugna’s inspiration for writing the script: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16300962/trivia/?item=tr7183296&ref_=ext_shr_lnk
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The Creator (2023)
Years after the war between humans and robots began, a former soldier is sent to locate the robots’ secret weapon only to discover something extraordinary.
Formulaic script that overshadows the impressive visuals, but more importantly, the film’s message. Right off the bat, Hollywood’s standard formula stands out. The story brings you up to speed, calamity strikes, personal drama occurs, the hero says “no” to a mission, he will say”yes” immediately after, the mission itself takes place, and nothing is what it seems.
Alas, it is only natural for the plot to unfold as predictably as the story. As a viewer, you sit back, relax, and accept anything that happens, as the suspense is always kept to the minimum. Unfortunately, so does the drama. It feels like, “Let’s put things there so they happen.” Nothing builds up. It just happens. Furthermore, nothing is daring about the plot, the dialogue, or the acting – Notice that the characters shed tears only after the shots cut back to them. Not letting the actors unfold their charisma leads to a waste of talent, such as John David Washington, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe, Marc Menchaca, and the rest of the cast (But one. Wait for it…).
I’d like to finish this review, though, with a positive touch. There is A LOT to take from The Creator‘s symbolism. In my last review, I spoke about Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and how it still manages to shape today’s stories [Birth/Rebirth (2023)]. Writer / producer / director Gareth Evans finds ways to incorporate the God Complex into his film, but the harmful elements mentioned above deliver an outcome that “just does the job.” What’s more, the Americans being the villains in an American film is a daring notion, and kudos to everyone who green-lit such a project. Furthermore, if you want to see unforced, real diversity and representation, and not some woke horse$hit, this is the film you are looking for. All races blend cinematically the way they should, just like in the real world we should. Lastly, one of the film’s biggest surprises (the wait-for-it moment above) is the phenomenal acting of the introduced actress Madeleine Yuna Voyles. She will bring tears to your eyes by adding the intended emotion to the film.
A.I. is not the film’s theme; freedom is. What we all want in life is to be free of oppressive governments, institutions that manipulate us and turn us against one another, corporations that we can’t stop being constantly indebted to, war, famine, diseases, bigotry, poverty, and everything else in between that prevents us from being happy.
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Birth / Rebirth (2023)
A morgue technician, obsessed with defeating death, reanimates a woman’s dead daughter, and when she finds out, both of them cross every ethical as well as scientific line.
Shudder dares the out-of-the-ordinary… and improves itself! The film’s strongest suit is that, for just a little while, it focuses on the thrill and the drama and makes you believe that things can actually be all right. For a mum who lost her girl, things can still work out. But then it reminds you that messing with Mother Nature leads to hubris. Man or woman playing God is a one-way ticket to physical and/or mental torment.
Marin Ireland and Judy Reyes create incredible chemistry as two women who defy everything considered morally “right” in a script penned by Brendan J. O’Brien and co-written and directed by Laura Moss. Birth/Rebirth is a low-budget must-see for every horror lover and whoever examines the relationship between life and death.
Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” (1818) will always inspire such horrors, finding ways to modernise the God complex. By the way, it’s funny how we used to think that Frankenstein was the monster when he was the doctor… who was actually the monster.
P.S. Read my last note about Marin Ireland in my previous review: The Boogeyman (2023)
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The Boogeyman (2023)
A creature lurking in the shadows will terrorise a family already torn apart.
Successful, scary moments, but formulaic as a whole. The Boogeyman cuts right to it! Its first act conveys the horror and drama, sets the pace, and warns you about what you have signed up for. The appearance of Lester Billings – the amazing David Dastmalchian – solidifies both the genre and the subgenre and opens the door to our haunting childhood fear. The main characters, Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, and Vivien Lyra Blair, pick up the torch and, till the very end, deliver solid performances.
Every sequence counts. As said above, the acting is exactly what it needs to be, and the jump scares are used properly (something I don’t say often). The photography is haunting, and Stephen King’s story is compelling. The story’s development into narrative, though, is its downfall. Arguably, nowadays, any story with a CGI monster called “Boogeyman” can not be that surprising for the audience. It is a story that has been told and developed numerous times despite its diverse portrayals. Rob Savage’s Boogeyman is not an exception, even though it was written originally by King (short story). In my opinion, Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook (2014) was the last time its portrayal properly balanced the psychological and physical horror. The Boogeyman is a decent effort. It’s meant to have flaws; it’s a (CGI) monster under the bed. But then, it’s Halloween week, and everything goes. So, turn the lights off and enjoy a decent horror during the celebration of the dead.
Personal note: Marin Ireland is like Barbara Crampton back in the day. She’s been into every horror I have watched in the last few years and really liked it. If you haven’t watched The Dark and the Wicked (2020), I most highly recommend it. I would watch anything with her in it.
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Hellbender (2021)
A mother does the best she can to protect her daughter from the world, as it will never be ready for their witchcraft.
Halloween-ish, dark, and cuts right to it. The Adams family and Shudder bring to life a pagan horror that aims to entertain rather than scare. The location is the perfect fit, the questions asked and the way they are answered, and the more questions raised right after also work quite well. The premise is simple and the film is honest.
Wearing the hats of actors, writers, producers, and directors (and more), the Adams family makes a film about the humanistic side of an old witch and her witch-in-the-making daughter and the way they deal with society nowadays. Admittedly, I would expect Shudder to spend a tad more on the project, but this is not the case. The visuals don’t always deliver regardless of the effort put into it.
There is no need to talk about certain flaws. Overall, it’s enjoyable and a good fit for the celebration of the dead. Happy Halloween!
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Fast X (2023)
A man who once suffered from Toretto and his gang shows up years later for revenge.
Yet another unnecessary and ludicrous addition to the franchise fatigue. I was not meant to watch it, but after repeatedly hearing how “dumb” it allegedly is, I watched it only to write this review and offer my 2 cents.
A film is not dumb. The writers who write these kinds of scripts are not dumb, either. The same applies to the directors, producers, and distributors. A film has no intelligence to be smart or dumb, but it can be superficial or profound, depending on how much it delves into its subject matter and/or how much it spoonfeeds you the answers to the questions it poses.
Having established that, we are left with two options:
1. The filmmakers consider the audience dumb and, therefore, produce nonsensical films, thinking that the audience will react with astonishment!
2. The filmmakers think that the audience is oblivious to narrative quality. They have as low standards as they do, and they will get their fat paycheck regardless of how low that quality is.
Neither dumb nor oblivious is a positive way to think of your audience. Your audience is the people who will pay for the tickets and will produce you money in return. So, cars that defy the laws of physics, tech-savvy characters who are also prolific in fighting, non-existent technology created only to serve as a gimmick, indifferent drama/parody that you only want to fast forward, hearing the already funny word “family” for yet another 56 times (as per IMDb), and bad editing that is meant to “make” the film but instead “breaks” it even more, characterises the film, in a nutshell.
Universal seems undecided as to what kind of company it wants to be. This year, they released (and they keep releasing) incredibly diverse films where, while most of them deserve praise, Fast X most definitely doesn’t. Anyway, it is their money as much as it is the audience’s choice not to pay for the ticket. Let’s see whose loss it’s going to be.
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Older Gods (2023)
A man becomes obsessed with the death of his friend and the eerie cult that caused it.
Decent tribute to the man who started it all. H.P. Lovecraft died in poverty as he and his writings were utterly ignored – in life, anyway. In death, he lives in a kingdom of fantastical and horrific riches beyond anyone’s imagination. A kingdom that belongs to a world ruled by dark, monstrous, and inconceivably terrifying deities… where the humans are only cattle, and their loving gods are nowhere to be found! That is Lovecraft’s source of immortality and gift to the lovers of primordial horror.
Older Gods deals with the primordial and starts off really well, introducing that compelling darkness that can only make one think if they can conceive the inconceivable. The notion that these gods can permeate our world is what writer/director David A. Roberts teases. Their introduction, their state of existence, and what could have happened to our insignificant (to them) world if they decided to come back is where he succeeds the most. Upon doing that, though, he delves a lot into it and tries to convey the abstruse. A verbal explication of that darkness is excessive when images capturing glimpses of that horror can depict it. Personally, I’d rather be left with (what if) questions rather than spoonfed answers.
Having said that, Older Gods is recommended as anything that remotely resembles Lovecraft’s work – and is presented in a way that represents his unfathomable fascination with the human mind chaos – must be seen by every horror fan!
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