Horror
Hatching Review
Hatching is a festival award-winning Finnish horror film directed by a woman (Hanna Bergholm) who’d never made a full-length feature before. Appropriately titled Egō in the festival’s host country and Pahanhautoja (which the ever trustworthy Google Translate claims to mean ‘evil graves’) in its native tongue, the film contains an outer membrane of gooey unpleasantness and a delicious yolk full o...
La Casa del Caracol (The House of Snails) Review
There’s two things you need to know going into the Spanish horror film LA CASA DEL CARACOL (THE HOUSE OF SNAILS). There is a severe lack of snails The dog doesn’t die The dog shows up early on, standing on the side of the road like a pointy eared hitchhiker. Author and main character Antonio (Javier Rey) picks him up on his way to the isolated town in the mountains. Suffering writer’s block, Anton...
Morbius Review
I’m not entirely sure what goes on at those culty gatherings hosted on MarsIsland (perhaps an Elizabeth Báthory approach to skincare) but it seems to work for probable real-life vampire Jared Leto, whose inability to age is, at this point, slightly concerning. It’s a shame, then, that his dedication to acting is not given the same priority as his quest for eternal youth. Known for going way too ha...
Scream Review
Twenty-five years ago, the small town of Woodsboro, California, became infamous for a series of teen murders. The culprits were also teens, Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu Macher. Billy was the disturbed leader, but although he killed for what he thought were justifiable personal reasons, he saw his actions as though he were the villain in a slasher movie. His obsession with the genre dictated...
Titane Review
Below is my review of this year’s Palme d’Or-winning film Titane – the sophomore feature from one of the most exciting directors in the infancy of her career, Julia Ducournau. It is impossible to review this film without spoiling it, so if you want to go in blind then it’s probably best to stop here. In 2017 Ducournau directed her first feature-length film Raw, a coming-of-age story about a ...
Last Night in Soho Review
Edgar Wright’s love for vintage music has been more apparent than ever from his last few films, more recently in his documentary The Sparks Brothers and prior to that, the thumpingly cool caper Baby Driver. But music is also put to expert use in his earlier comedies. I’m sure many (like myself) still associate Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” with Shaun of the Dead and his new film, Last Night In Soho,...
Coming Home in the Dark Review
COMING HOME IN THE DARK is the first feature length film from emerging director James Ashcroft. It’s mostly based on a short story by Owen Marshall. The film is deeply set in New Zealand. From the landscape to the accents, there’s a real feeling of location throughout. The film tells the story of a family on a road trip through beautiful New Zealand. Hoagie (Erik Thomson) and Jill (Miriama McDowe...
Candyman Review
CANDYMAN is phenomenal. It’s confronting. Bloody, creative. It’s a wonderful mix of horror, melodrama, and comedy. I’m used to horror being either a fun, schlocky kill fest. Or a cerebral tale, filled with symbolism, and ultimately a social commentary. CANDYMAN is both. Now, CANDYMAN had some big shoes to fill. The original ‘Candyman’, released in 1992, is one of my favourite horror films. I wat...
Werewolves Within Review
Did you enjoy Knives Out but felt it could do with more lycanthropy? You may just love Werewolves Within, the new film from Josh Ruben and starring a bunch of comedy actors you know you’ve seen in something before. We open in the town of Beaverfield where a man hiding out amongst the snowy trees is taking off his wedding ring very conspicuously and messaging someone who is definitely not his wife....
Army of the Dead Review
After a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, the city is walled off and abandoned to the undead. While the displaced citizens hunker in rundown refugee camps outside the perimeter wall, a veritable army of the dead throngs the Strip. Not to worry, though: a quick tactical nuke will soon be taking care of the problem. That is rather inconvenient for billionaire Bly Tanaka (Hiroyuki Sanada), as he has $200...
I Blame Society Review
I’m frankly obsessed with this film. I’ve watched it four times. Each time I notice something new to love. As such, it’s hard to write a review that isn’t just a blow by blow account of what happens. Or a long list of all my favourite lines, many of which wouldn’t make much sense without the context. ‘I’m a murderer, not some frenzied spree killer!’ I quote, cackling, to a group of people who have...
Spiral: From the Book of Saw Review
The SAW movie franchise was the horror hit of the ‘noughties. From 2004 to 2010, seven movies were released. This was an annual gift to fans who loyally visited the cinema to follow the punishing machinations of John Kramer, the serial killer known as Jigsaw. In 2013, the eighth film, JIGSAW was released. Now, in 2021, we have been delivered the ninth instalment, SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW. Mov...