Bruno Ganz spoke German during filming and was later dubbed into Greek.
Appendage (2023)
A young fashion designer who suffocates from stress produces a monstrosity that wants to take her place.
Fashion Industry… My favourite appalling one! Eccentric people who, for some reason, think they are important because… why again? Anyway, moving forward, Appendage is more. It delves into mental health issues created or surfaced by family, friends, relationships and toxic working environments. The film is about how things are, how we perceive them, and the vast difference between them. Taking a step deeper, one can think that there is no such thing as “how things are,” just “how we perceive them.”
Is it a perfect film? By far not. Is it enjoyable? It sure is. Can it be taken seriously? Not really. Should it be taken seriously? Definitely! And this is where it doesn’t succeed.
The cast is wonderful, and the film’s message is powerful. Mental disorders thrive; they can take over and put people in the passenger’s seat, leading their lives. So, maybe the intentions are honest, but the delivery can create mixed feelings. Writer/director Anna Zlokovic has done a decent job, but Appendage is not as existential as it should have been. Horror fans should give it a go even though they will likely forget their experience not long after.
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Atonement (2007)
Only 8 British military ambulances survived World War II, and all were used in the film.
Sidney Lumet
“The truth is that nobody knows what that magic combination is that produces a first-rate piece of work… All we can do is prepare the groundwork that allows for the ‘lucky accidents’ that make a first-rate movie happen.”
Audition (1999)
The film was shown at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2000 and set a record for viewers who stood up and left. In Switzerland, someone even fainted and urgently needed help.
The Guilty (2018)
A conflicted alarm dispatcher receives a call from a kidnapped woman, and the lines between legal and moral start to fade.
A one-location superb thriller! The Guilty is yet another example of how… let’s quote George Clooney: “It’s possible for me to make a bad movie out of a good script, but I can’t make a good movie from a bad script.” Here, writer Emil Nygaard Albertsen, editor Carla Luffe, and co-writer/director Gustav Möller have conceived, developed and climaxed something spectacular. They have perfectly balanced the plot – the alarm dispatcher and the horror of the kidnapped woman and her two children, and the subplot – Anger Holm’s (Jakob Cedergren) personal background story that affects him, his job, and his collaboration with his colleagues.
What you are about to experience is a purely one-location thriller where everything is left to your imagination. The dialogue, the dietetic (natural) sounds, and Holm’s reactions to the actions and reactions caused fill your imagination with images that compensate for what you don’t see. Moreover, listen to how the natural sounds increase at times and then how they die out entirely. The power of offscreen narrative generates a film inside your head, probably worse than any visual can portray. And that’s the story. The character of Anger Holm is as solid. His unorthodox methods will make you question what you would have done if you were in his shoes, as well as the ethics, morality and legality behind them.
Alfred Hitchcock led the way with one-location thrillers such as Lifeboat (1944) and Rear Window (1954). Great directors have ever since experimented with transitions from closeups to middle shots and more in between to make the visuals engaging. My previous review was The Vigil (2019): https://kaygazpro.com/the-vigil-2019/, and before that, Monolith (2022): https://kaygazpro.com/monolith-2022/. Compare and contrast and see how effective yet different one-location films can be.
So, let’s conclude with… the twist! What a twist! Just wait for it! And from that moment on… that moment of revealed truth… till the end… it will cut your breath…
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The Vigil (2019)
A traumatised man provides an overnight watch for a recently deceased member of his Orthodox Jewish community and finds himself against a sinister entity.
Flawed but suspenseful and compelling low-budget horror. Right off the bat, tracking and dolly shots, eerie music, and offscreen noises set the foundation for a decent confined supernatural horror. Feature debut for writer/director Keith Thomas, who does an excellent job with the camera and maintains a great pace and rhythm of action, suspense, and thrill throughout the film. He also holds an outstanding balance between the plot’s horror (the entity’s threat) and the subplot’s drama (the hero’s past suffering). In front of the camera, Dave Davis supports Thomas’ vision and brings to life that troubled character who struggles with the burdens of the past, including his fears and traumas. While the film went largely under the radar, The Vigil has an enormously strong suit. The way Thomas has written and directed it, even though it predominantly takes place in just a house, provokes the viewer’s thoughts.
The Vigil raises questions that contradict what we know or think we know, making us question what we believe and what we think we believe in. While watching, consider Yakov’s past and how this malevolent entity feeds off his fears. Then, as the story escalates and climaxes, think of the effect(s) that has on him. Ultimately, when the end credits start scrolling down, think…
- Are we to accept that malevolent forces can take over us and tear our lives apart?
- Respectively, are there benevolent forces that guide us through life and support us?
- Is our brain creating those forces – God, gods, demons, and spirits?
- Is our brain weak enough to create those entities, or is it too strong to manifest mental illness in such a manner?
- Is it despair, guilt and paranoia that have taken the wheel in life, or is it hope, sheer will and pronoia? Also, do we choose these feelings, or are they imposed on us?
I am sure you can come up with more questions and thoughts on it, but in the end, ask yourselves: How many of these questions can I honestly answer? Regardless, the power of cinema is there to audiovisually philosophise life and death, amongst other things, offering a unique point of view.
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Outside (2024)
After a zombie outbreak, a man takes his family to his childhood house to protect them, but old traumas resurface, and more horrors unfold inside the walls.
A slow-burn, psychological horror with a hint of zombies – imagine The Shining (1980) with zombies outside the gate. Aesthetically, it is very appealing, and the acting is good. Writer/director Carlo Ledesma has done a decent job revealing a confined post-apocalyptic world and the problems that come with it. But the zombies, in this case, are the backdrop of the film’s theme, which is no other than childhood drama and its relation to domestic abuse. To be more specific, Francis and Iris had problems before the outbreak, and the outbreak only amplified those issues. While it’s not The Shining, Outside has its own qualities, and it’s worth your time, especially if you decide to parallel that story to the actual pandemic we faced not so long ago and its connection to the actual domestic abuse negative records that unfortunately skyrocketed worldwide.
Childhood trauma and domestic abuse is an ongoing debate, and Outside can provide a decent foundation to instigate that debate. Arguably, if you choose not to see from that angle, you might find it uneventful at times and too long for what it has to offer. If you are into zombies and/or psychological horrors, you’ll probably find it quite intriguing.
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Robert Altman
“I probably am a lazy artist and probably don’t control things as much as some people would like – but that’s my business. And if my style is too loose or improvised for some people’s taste, that’s their problem – totally.”
Heat (1995)
The scene of the barrage of gunfire during the bank heist has been used to train American Marine recruits on how to retreat under fire.
Monolith (2022)
A journalist with an obscure past investigates a series of mysterious artefacts through her podcast, leading people and gradually herself to unprecedented paranoia.
Absolutely stunning! The power of storytelling… From the epic of Gilgamesh to the present day, people tell stories about everyday societal issues to the birth of the gods and their creative and destructive forces.
Coming on strong, Monolith visually and audibly tells a story of seemingly identical objects that, once encountered, irreparably mess up people’s lives. They conquer their thoughts, distort reality, and affect them on a psychosomatic level. Monolith is a prime example of how a nano-budget film can be infinitely more effective than a tentpole. Director Matt Vesely, writer Lucy Campbell, cinematographer Michael Tessari, editor Tania Nehme and the rest of the crew bring to life sci-fi/mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seats. In front of the camera, the phenomenal Lily Sullivan, the only on-screen actress, hits the nail on the head, carrying this thrilling story on her shoulders.
There is no need to discuss technical details. Just turn off the lights, put the phone on silent, and watch it until the very end. It is a spectacular one-location narrative experience.
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Forrest Gump (1994)
During the ping-pong games, there is no actual ball. It has been digitally added (CGI) with movement matching the motion of the paddle.
Terrifier 2 (2022)
One year after the Miles County massacre, Art the Clown returns for a killing spree on Halloween.
Higher budget, still “bloody” low quality.
Art the Clown: Part 3
For all the details as to how Art the Clown started and how he made it to 2016, please read All Hallow’s Eve (2013): https://kaygazpro.com/all-hallows-eve-2013/ and Terrifier (2016): https://kaygazpro.com/terrifier-2016/ to see how he made it to 2022. Now…
Not to my or arguably anyone else’s surprise, the script is as bad as the previous two. It is too long, the characters are unrelatable, you don’t care one bit if they live or die, the funny bits are not funny, the scary bits are not scary, the drama is yawnsome, and it has nothing new to offer. At least, the first one had the original “sawing-the-girl” sequence.
From the very beginning, the Freddy Krueger-like sequence is not effective. The development from then on is nonsensical and sucks. So, should you give it a pass? Definitely not! Terrifier 2 is the perfect film for all horror fans this Halloween, as the real world makes even less sense than the film and is infinitely more horrific and dramatic, with real-life people who truly disregard human life. At least, writer/editor/VFX artist/director Damien Leone offers a bloody entertainment that disgustingly entertains and hurts no one. He came a long way, and kudos to him for turning Terrifier 2 into an unexpectedly huge box-office success. Moreover, Lauren LaVera (Sienna) is perfect, and David Howard Thornton (Art) is beautifully creepy.
I’m going to copy and paste the ending of Terrifier’s review because exactly the same thing applies. Join the cult, embrace its faults, and enjoy the bloody, guts-out, mindless entertainment. There’s more coming up… on Christmas Eve!
Happy Halloween!
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Terrifier (2016)
After a night out on Halloween, two young women encounter Art the Clown, who will make their lives a living hell.
Bad, but a necessary watch for all horror fans.
Art the Clown: Part 2
For all the details as to how Art the Clown started and how he made it to 2016, please read All Hallow’s Eve (2013): https://kaygazpro.com/all-hallows-eve-2013/ Now… Terrifier is almost as bad, but the kind of bad that makes it a must-see, especially if you are with like-minded horror fans and want to have a night in with unhealthy food and drinks and good company. And if it’s Halloween, even better!
Terrifier‘s script is weak, and the story and character development are non-existent. The acting is bad, and mistakes are all over the place. Why should you watch it then? Because it’s gruesome. It is brutal and gory, and it’s borderline disgusting. Other than paranormal, Art the Clown is the most psychopathic cinematic clown ever. His motives are unclear, and so is his purpose on this Earth. What’s more, writer/director Damien Leone created a universe with him in it and despite the dumbness that rules that world, he is the epicentre of it, his victims revolve around him, and his fans make its existence possible.
Join the cult, embrace its faults, and enjoy the bloody, guts-out, mindless entertainment. There’s more coming up…
Happy Halloween!
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Smile 2 (2024)
A pop star with a troubled past encounters the Smile Entity and gradually and painfully descends into madness.
Eerie, creepy, and dark, with great performances. Two years after the first film, Smile (2022): https://kaygazpro.com/smile-2022-horror-mystery-thriller/ writer/director Parker Finn comes back with a sequel that aims to shock. This time, he gets the beautiful person and actress Naomi Scott with him, and together, they achieve something that doesn’t happen often: a sequel better than the original. And bear in mind that the original was great despite my negative comments about the ending.
Smile 2 has some solid, strong suits. The opening scene sets the foundation for something spectacular. Kyle Gallner is spectacular himself and a good friend of Finn’s, and they open the film with a thrilling action scene that will resonate with you. From then on, Finn uses the camera in a way that reflects the Entity’s point of view. There are numerous sequences within the film where both the action and the way the action’s portrayal will give you goosebumps, make you jump and scream and shock you to your core. Finn has used plenty of cinematic techniques to manipulate your experience and make it unforgettable. His effort, of course, wouldn’t have paid off if it wasn’t for Scott. She shares Finn’s vision and adds her personality and talent to bring to life the image of a pop star we all think we relate to but a person that no one ever will. And here’s what I mean by that…
Besides Finn’s filmmaking techniques, Smile 2 enhances Smile‘s subliminal message. There will be times when we’ll feel alone. Times when we’ll feel abandoned, and no matter how many people are around us, we’ll still feel the same. Because no one will understand what we go through, and because people will think that we are all right, they will be cheerful… smiling! This can drive a person mad and make them descend into madness, regardless of their money, status, age, sex, etc… In both Smile films, the lack of understanding and feeling of isolation are manifested through the Entity’s effects on our body, soul, and mind.
This is why my negative comments on Smile‘s ending apply here, too. No CGI monster can be worse than fear of loneliness and abandonment. But you’ll be the judge of that. Speaking of judgement…
People think they know one another. They don’t. They only know what they allow one another to know. More often than not, what’s on the outside does not reflect the inside. That’s why we shouldn’t judge people by their appearance – we shouldn’t judge people, period. Upon watching the film, ask yourself this: Have social media turned people into what you see around you, or have they just surfaced it?
Happy Halloween!
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On the Bridge
Logline: Driving in the middle of the night, a man stops when he sees a woman sitting at the edge of a bridge, he sits with her and listens to her haunting and sinister story.
Genre: Drama, Horror, Short
All Hallow’s Eve (2013)
While babysitting two children on Halloween, a VHS finds its place in the house, and upon playing it, strange things start happening.
Art the Clown: Part 1
The homage to John Carpenter pays off despite the numerous flaws. So, here’s how it all began…
In 2008, writer/editor/director Damien Leone made the short film The 9th Circle. It was the first film in which Art the Clown appeared, and it is also the first segment of the film on VHS.
In 2011, based on the clown’s popularity, Leone made another short film called Terrifier. That’s also the third segment of the film on VHS. That raised the infamous clown’s popularity even higher. Something that brings us to…
All Hallow’s Eve, two years after that. The film became an excellent opportunity for Leone to put his short films into one and anchor it around the clown. So, how great is it? Not at all. Is that a bad thing? Not at all. All Hallow’s Eve is so bad that it’s actually good. As an audience, you really want to know what will happen in all three films and the house. That means that Leone has achieved his goal.
There are countless mistakes from a technical and artistic point of view. That will not prevent you, though, from wanting to watch until the very end.
The film was a great start for Leone’s career, who arguably created the most horrific and terrorising killer clown ever. And what did he do next? He propelled Art the Clown’s reputation to the sky with Terrifier (2016).
Happy Halloween!
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Carved (2024)
In a small town, a bloodthirsty pumpkin takes revenge on the people who carve pumpkins.
Shallow, bad, but precisely what you might need before you go to bed. I’m not going to slay it to death, so here’s, in a nutshell, what you need to know. It is honestly unserious, intentionally poorly written, and deliberately funnily acted. What you sign up for is a low-budget superficial horror/comedy with a lot of obviously fake blood, mainly intended for an American audience.
Don’t blame it, though. The real world is upside down, and Halloween is a celebration. Get some junk food, your friends or your own company and forget your problems for an hour and a half. The next day, you’ll forget you even watched it.
I’ll conclude with two positive notes, though:
1. It’s natural diversity puts to shame the already shameful woke films.
2. In its shallowness, it still tries to pass a message: Screw with nature, and you’ll rip what sow.
Happy Halloween!
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The Substance (2024)
In a world where age matters, a fading celebrity who is slowly pushed aside receives a unique drug that creates a younger version of herself.
Hitchcockian, stylised, surreal, and shocking! While the concept is not unique, its development and execution are. The film’s unmistakable message is that people, and especially women, need to stay young and beautiful in order to stay relevant, matter and be liked. Try to find one likeable man throughout the film. You won’t. Everyone is either a coward, weirdo, or disgusting. On the other hand, besides Elizabeth and Sue, all women in the film are irrelevant. And while they are the same person, Elizabeth (the old self) is so insecure that she takes something she has never heard before and has no idea what it will do to her. Upon taking it and seeing the results, she despises herself so much that Sue (the young self) creates her own personality, completing the split. She detaches herself from herself, blaming herself for being herself. Enough said. From then on, the chaos, the madness, and the abyss of the human soul spiral out of control in ways you haven’t thought about or seen before.
From an aesthetic and technical point of view, producer/writer/editor/director Coralie Fargeat, composer Raffertie, director of photography Benjamin Kracun, and editors Jerome Eltabet and Valentin Féron create a dystopian present that resembles The Matrix (1999), which is as fake as The Matrix. Slow-mos, snappy editing that cuts to what matters, polished and stylised close-ups and long shots, and loud beats give life to a world with exaggerated fancy colours, surreal houses and people, and out-of-this-world kicks and knees. But this world wouldn’t be complete if the make-up department didn’t go out of its way to create the monstrosity you are about to witness. Finally, Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are phenomenal as Elizabeth and Sue, respectively.
Fargeat pushed it to the limits. She intended to shock you, and this is precisely what she did. Here is the beauty of cinema: Fargeat raises exactly the same questions as Richard Garr in Baby Reindeer (2024): https://kaygazpro.com/baby-reindeer-2024/. 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? Yet, the two of them couldn’t be more antithetical.
Fargeat puts Mary Shelley, Oscar Wilde, Alfred Hitchcock, David Cronenberg, The Wachowskis and Darren Aronofsky into the mix, and the result pays off. It is an old wine in a combination of new bottles that affects the perspective of the content. I’ll leave you with a quote that surely rings a bell: “We work jobs we hate to buy shit we don’t need to impress people we don’t like.”
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Bernardo Bertolucci
“Success can be a nightmare. When you are identified always with a certain title, with a certain movie, especially with a certain sequence in that movie, it becomes a kind of a little nightmare.”
Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
After his imprisonment in Arkham Asylum, still struggling with his dual personality, Arthur Fleck meets Harley Quinn, falls in love and goes to trial for the crimes he committed.
A superb masterpiece that rightfully disappoints the iconic villain’s fans. There is a ton of information to read online about how this film was made, the influences behind it, and how certain creative decisions were made. I will only focus on the creative choices that made Joker: Folie à Deux, that masterpiece that, ultimately, disappoints.
Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener and the rest of the cast are amazing. Hildur Guðnadóttir’s music is amazing. Lawrence Sher’s photography is amazing. Jeff Groth’s editing is amazing. Mark Friedberg’s production design is amazing. Lastly, Scott Silver’s script is amazing. This leaves us with director Todd Philips.
Philips created an audiovisual masterpiece, and both Jokers will be discussed personally, professionally, and academically in the coming years. Joker: Folie à Deux is stunning. I would dare to call it flawless, but there is this one flaw that damaged it irreparably, financially and critically. Ostensibly, you may think it’s the fact that he turned it into a musical, and you would be partially right. But I’ll be a tad more specific.
The musical parts would be unique in understanding what is happening in Fleck’s mind. You see sequences where, while singing and dancing, he commits atrocities while expressing his love for Quinn at the same time. That speaks volumes about his mental state and the way he perceives the world – the differences between reality and fantasy and the blurry lines that hardly distinguish them. I find that notion particularly challenging and intriguing – the way the performance and non-performance worlds combine and synthesise Fleck’s/Joker’s version of reality. Now, here’s the catch…
Philips turned the whole film into a musical, singing and dancing in both reality and fantasy, not separating the two. That was uncalled for. Questions such as “Who gave him the right to create that version? Why spend three times the budget of the original movie? What audience was he trying to attract?” filled up the internet. And then there was the ending… “He tricked the audience. In an attempt to go for the Oscars, he ruined the villain and made a film for himself and the main cast.” and so much more.
I have debated academically the question of who the filmmaker makes a film for. Is it the audience? Themselves? The film festivals? The distribution companies? I believe that’s a question worth answering before the filming stage. In this case? A film for the audience was not made for it. This is where Philips and Warner Bros paid the price. And, consequently, the audience for paying the ticket, only to see their favourite villain become an Oscar-bait product.
Depending on your expectations and where you stand, you will love it or loathe it. If you are a Joker fan, you will disappointed. If you are a musical fan, you will thoroughly enjoy it. But the question remains: Why did they do that to Joker?
P.S. I am a Joker fan.
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Azrael (2024)
Years after the Rapture, a group of mute zealots hunt down a young woman to offer her to humanoid creatures of the wilderness.
Well-directed, shot, edited and acted, but the weak, full-of-holes script overshadows it all. Films where there is no dialogue have been made before. And while A Quiet Place (2018) is studio level and Azrael is indie, a weak script remains weak regardless of the budget. For example, creatures of forest cannot be outrun… in the forest. Or, setting a trap with the boyfriend tied up in a random part of the forest where no one could ever possibly know that she will go through that way… do I need to say anything else? OK, one more: Her out-of-nowhere Rambo performance in the end.
Time and time again, Samara Weaving proves to be a brilliant actress. Azrael is no exception, but she doesn’t have much to work with. If the Christian God caused the Rapture, what are these creatures? Why are these people the way they are? What has happened to the rest of the world? Why are we watching this endless chase? All these questions will occupy your thoughts while you watch the film, and the young woman’s suffering will take the back seat, which shouldn’t be the case.
What’s certain is that Weaving is never afraid to get her hands dirty (more like, from top to bottom). If Azrael didn’t convince you, Ready or Not (2019) https://kaygazpro.com/ready-or-not-2019-comedy-horror-mystery/ will. It’s a shame that the result here didn’t pay off. Especially when the ending is so cool!
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The Instigators (2024)
An organised heist goes terribly wrong, and two men must find a way out of a seemingly inescapable situation.
Funny at times, with enjoyable action, but forgettable nonetheless. Following up on Wolfs (2024) review https://kaygazpro.com/wolfs-2024/ and the things I said about the Dogme 95 and the Hollywood gang, Apple TV+ gets the copyrights and releases a film similar to Wolfs with some of the rest of the gang for The Instigators.
The Instigators is yet another slapstick action/comedy with an excellent leading duet and great action scenes, but it is incredibly superficial. The action is fine, but the imbalance with the comedy that, more often than not, ceases to be funny because of the too much cursing that gradually loses its panache… makes it repetitive. Doug Liman’s film is not a “bad” film, but, as mentioned above, it’s forgettable. It addresses a specific Hollywood audience and a particular time of the day or night when one wants to watch a film without having to think too much. Matt Damon and Casey Affleck (Ben Affleck is the producer) might not be as enjoyable as Brad Pitt and George Clooney, but that’s because the story and character development are weaker. Other than that, they are both great. With them, Hong Chao, Alfred Molina, Ving Rhames, Ron Perlman, and Toby Jones complete the excellent cast.
I reviewed Wolfs and The Instigators back to back because Apple TV+ released them back to back. Their similarities might speak volumes about what kind of audience they are trying to attract and compete with the rest of the streaming platforms. Other than Wolfs 2, let’s see what else they have in mind.
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8½ (1963)
Federico Fellini had placed a note to himself on the camera that read: “Remember, it’s a comedy.”
Wolfs (2024)
Two fixers who have been working solo so far must collaborate on a case in which the rabbit hole goes much deeper than they thought.
Clooney/Pitt in a slapstick action film that works for the most part. Let’s start with the title… “Wolfs” is not the wrong plural of the respective animal but the last name of the fixer (Winston Wolf) from Pulp Fiction (1994). This is the sixth time Brad Pitt and George Clooney have collaborated, and there will definitely be a seventh (yes, the sequel has already been greenlit). The director of the Spiderman franchise, Jon Watts, writes and directs Wolfs, a film where “Sony, Lionsgate, Apple, and Netflix went into a bidding war for the movie package before Apple sealed the deal.” So, is it that good?
Wolfs is the kind of film that makes you enjoy actors such as Clooney and Pitt, especially when they work together. You get to enjoy the action as much as you get to enjoy the comedy that accompanies it. If it weren’t for them, it wouldn’t be as enjoyable. They have worked together for numerous years, including Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Mark Wahlberg and more. It’s like the original Dogme 95 avant-garde filmmaking movement transitioned to Hollywood, expanded, and the same gang recycles its members, producing and directing films that address a specific Hollywood audience.
Wolfs is a fun film that will make you forget your problems for a couple of hours with funny lines and acting and with Watts orchestrating what’s in the foreground, what’s in the background and why. The film’s pace and rhythm work well, and even though the plot is not entirely mindless, in the end, it gets a tad convoluted for what it is. The next review will intentionally be The Instigators (2024). And you’ll see why.
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Elia Kazan
“The key word in art – it’s an ugly word, but it’s a necessary word – is power, your own power. Power to say, ‘I’m going to bend you to my will.’ However you disguise it, you’re gripping someone’s throat. You’re saying, “My dear, this is the way it’s going to be.”
Frank Capra
“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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Nemesis
Logline: Wounded and hunted down, a man enters a deserted bar, but refuge is not what he finds.
Genre: Horror, Short
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.
Thank you for reading!
Please, don’t forget to share, and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.
Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!
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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!
Thank you for reading!
Please, don’t forget to share and subscribe. If you enjoy my work and dedication to films, please feel free to support me on https://www.patreon.com/kaygazpro. Any contribution is much appreciated and valued.
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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.”