It has been 28 (film) years since the rage virus spread from a lab monkey to humans, creating vicious and violent zombie-like creatures to roam the UK and cause irreversible destruction. How did this event dismantle society and impact the way the survivors live, behave and navigate life? Filmmakers Alex Garland and Danny Boyle return to the world they created to explore the lasting devastating imp...
Australian filmmaker Sean Byrne is obsessed with obsession. From the power drill wielding Lola in his masterful feature debut The Loved Ones to Tucker, who has an unhealthy appreciation for sharks in Dangerous Animals, Byrne loves to delve into the psyche of people who are consumed and love to see their victims squirm. While The Loved Ones looked at how an unhinged prom queen wannabe responds to r...
Monster Summer is a nostalgic 90s horror flick that sets out to capture the attention of the whole family. It seems very rare that a ‘scary’ film actually pulls off a multi-generational appeal but director David Henrie and writers Cornelius Uliano and Bryan Schulz do just that: it’s spooky, fun and won’t give your children nightmares, well, too many. It’s sort of like The Goonies meets Scooby Doo....
Robert Eggers continues kicking goals with Nosferatu, released by Focus Features and Universal this New Year. Long story short: if you’re a fan of Eggers’ previous work, vampire flicks and the legend of Dracula in general- don’t hesitate to catch this one in cinemas. It’s a solid horror flick to sink your teeth into. Not much new can be said about Eggers as an auteur filmmaker. You either lo...
Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera) is having the worst time. Not only has her boyfriend broken up with her while she’s been undergoing cancer treatment, but he has also taken the musical they composed together and cast a famous actress in the role they wrote for her. Seeking comfort, Laura returns to her childhood home, where she finds a monster (Tommy Dewey) in her closet, and begins a surreal romanc...
Heretic, directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (65), is a slick little chamber flick starring Hugh Grant as Mr. Reed. A welcoming old fella who has a few points to push. With sinister charm and Grant’s signature romantic persona. Heretic is a decent psychological thriller, somewhat hostage horror flick that grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go until a muddy third act shift. Some spoilers t...
As a keen fan of the Hellboy films, I was thrilled when I heard that the franchise was getting another instalment with Hellboy: The Crooked Man. My excitement compounded with the news that the plot of the film was lifted directly from the Dark Horse Comic books by Mike Mignola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Christopher Golden and director Brian Taylor. Surely this delightfully detailed folk-hor...
An American couple are on an Italian holiday in Tuscany with their young daughter. They are Ben and Louise Dalton (Scoot McNairy and MacKenzie Davis). Among the others on holiday are a rather boring Danish couple that Ben and Louise attempt to avoid and in doing so, they end up spending time with a friendly British couple Paddy and Ciara (James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi). They have a son Ant (D...
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” marks the long-awaited return to Tim Burton’s twisted, supernatural (under)world. Fans (myself included) of the original 1988 film are hoping this sequel will recapture the magic that made the first such a cult classic. After a sudden family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family find themselves back in their hometown of Winter River. Lydia (Winona Ryd...
Nic Cage (Mandy, Renfield) is back! Portraying the sinister powder wearing titular character Longlegs. More on him later. Longlegs is more than just another wild Nicholas Cage flick. There’s a lot of detail under the hood. Spoiler warning. Skip to the last paragraph if you wish to remain fresh. Just know that on viewing Longlegs, it’s important to remember that nothing is initially as it seems whi...
It is rare that a film is as simultaneously familiar yet frighteningly disturbing as Birdeater, and the unique combination makes for a disconcerting ride that is not quickly forgotten. Directors Jack Clark and Jim Weir have created a narrative that echoes an experience that many Australians have experienced – a classic bush trip with mates to celebrate the end of school, a significant birth...
Well, talk about facing your demons – in The Exorcism Russell Crowe takes this to a whole new level. Directed by Joshua John Miller, The Exorcism is yet another take on a classic of the horror genre, but this time with a little bit of a twist. While it’s not the most original of exorcism themed films, it does become uniquely meta. The story centers on Tony (played by Russell Crowe) a recove...
