This film and its plot have been presented in so many different skins there’s just enough to recommend here, but little viewers haven’t seen before. The messaging is far from subtle, one of the many variants of ‘motherhood is hell’ and ‘children are parasites’. The performances are above average, especially from Michelle Monaghan and the actors playing her children. The writing is decent, and the script skirts issues of unready mothers, substance abuse, familial sacrifice and how far one will go to support a monster. The latter seems contemporarily relevant, broaching the lengths a parent will go to support, insulate, excuse and pander to a dangerous child. Hell, its even there in the poster tagline. Initially the film presents as a medical mystery, with the main character trying to solve and understand an affliction befallen her son. This segment of the movie, while slow paced is rather interesting, and as the nature of the illness reveals itself there are a number of genuinely creepy and shocking moments. Unfortunately, beyond good moments and performances, this movie moves at a languid pace, especially considering the beats and plot moments have been reskinned ad-nauseum, and it is likely you have seen this movie before.
The Nun II (2023)
Inspired by the filmmakers, I’m going to cut-and-copy a chunk of my review for the first Nun (2018)
This insipid entry into the over-bloated Conjuring franchise keenly demonstrates everything wrong with the state of studio horror. Where the Conjuring franchise once offered a refreshing revamp of classic horror tropes, this entry seems content to simply check off each and every cliche and uninspired retread of overplayed jump scares.
The filmmakers seem so pleased with the ‘scare’ from Conjuring 2, where a painting of the eponymous Nun comes to sudden life, that they insisted on finding incessant ways of repeating the same tactic. The Nun appears, ready to glare and grasp at observers, in paintings, portraits, pictures, magazine racks, cracks of dried plaster, everything short of moldy bread. It hides in every shadow, creeps behind every mirror, and seemingly exists simply to inflict jump scares. Now to be generous, this is a superior sequel, but far from a good film. The director apparently took note of previous issues and decided to actually include basic lighting and more diverse locales. The framing and locations are well shot, and there is a sense of more adventurousness, alongside a lot more potential victims. The plot is a bit absurd, carrying the threads of the last into a magical macguffin quest, but the performances are sound by the leads and majority of the supporting cast. The ending seemingly closes the book on this chapter, but knowing how things ultimately play out through the Conjuring-verse guarantees this is just a temporary reprieve before another round.
D+
Insidious - The Red Door (2023)
I must admit an initial disorientation, expecting Vera Farmiga to appear before realizing: Oh yeah, that’s the other James Wan produced spooky Blumhouse franchise starring Patrick Wilson. With over 13 entries, 5 in this series, the lines begin to blur. This is the one with astral traveling, drag specters, and a cameo by Darth Maul. Check. Wilson directs this, and while far from unskilled in his first directorial attempt, this film is a waste of any talent he’d wish to showcase as this franchise offers little left worth exploring. He crafts a number of good moments, striving for a deeper tale of fatherhood and connection behind a veil of spooky shenanigans, but there’s little to connect or sympathize with. While the core Conjuring entries are decent, the Insidious films exercise exponentially diminishing returns. This is the weakest entry yet, scares barely existent, plots increasingly trite, and the familial drama predictable and grating in equal measure. The haunted child from the first film grew into a sullen, unlikable, socially awkward adult with unresolved daddy issues due to hypnotically purged memories of that, ya know… the one time Dad tried to murdalize him. A brief acknowledgement to the continuity events in the script and consistency with the child actors, but there is far too much nostalgia baiting and memberberry evocation to the film’s detriment as it will remind viewers of better films. While there’s nothing egregiously horrible here, there’s nothing to connect with and nothing to recommend. Hopefully the coda on this particular entry indicates the door can finally be slammed shut.
D
The Pope's Exorcist
Supposedly based on the personal accounts of Gabriele Amorth, the biggest draw here is Russell Crowe playing a hard-drinking, demon-taunting, vespa riding, mean mofo-ing servant of god. He is a riot, infusing his performance with humor and charisma and obviously having a hoot in this role. His dry humor and line delivery makes the film far more entertaining than it deserves, despite mining a wealth of source material the filmmakers are clearly aspiring to franchise. Beyond these elements, the film is a predictable amalgam of catholic exorcism plots, the usual sampler of jump-scares, sinister whispers, creepy locales and tests of faith skewing towards spectacle with a bombastic final act. There is so little room to maneuver within this overplayed sub-genre, filmmakers are forced to go bigger, louder and more explosive with each iteration. The ‘based on true events’ selling point certainly stretches credulity into the lands of the absurd, akin to a supernatural comic book film, but the characters are decently developed, the pacing brisk, and the film rarely bores. It is often darkly funny, sometimes seemingly a satire of the genre conventions, but unfortunately there are little to no genuine scares to be found. Only a couple of jump moments with some good use of creepy atmosphere and great locations. Slightly troubling is this film’s glossing over and justifying some of the Church’s more egregious sins, with a hand-waving ‘demons did it’ as part of an overarching intent to establish a grander occult conspiracy and retaking holy sites in future films. The script also suffers from having developed an absurdly powerful global threat, but resolves the conflict through the usual smorgasbord of latin prayers and personal conviction. On the whole, this is an extremely average and derivative film, the unfortunate lack of scares balanced by its dark sense of humor and some quality direction. Hopefully the groundwork laid for some ambitious sequels can include more horror elements.
C-
Home For Rent (2023)
Without fail count on Asian filmmakers to provide some of the best horror entries in any given year. From the onset this film is suffused with dark sights, creepy moments and tension throughout. This movie has it all: dark cults, creepy dolls, possession, ghosts, occult conspiracy, sorcery, madness and paranoia. While this movie wastes little time in setup, provides a decent amount of depth and backstory, and as the movie proceeds it unveils layers of additional information concerning the motivations and machinations of most everyone involved. The tone is eerie and increasingly unsettling, with the main character investigating an escalating threat to her family and sanity that casts doubt on her own sanity. There is a focus on familiar fears around grief and the capacity to let go and move on, and the steps people will take in avoiding the pain of loss.This movie gets thick with its plotting, almost akin to a supernatural heist movie with double crosses and triple crosses, betrayals and hidden motivations, retold through multiple timelines layered upon the same events. By the third twist revelation, things start to get a bit much, requiring quite a bit of attention. The movie has no shortage of eerie sights and concepts but requires the viewer to be invested in the mysteries to follow the disjointed narrative. There are a number of great scares, that thankfully don’t really rely on a startle factor, but in getting under your skin and anticipating where the threat approaches. The nature of the greater threat is a unique form of terrifying, especially if one can imagine and empathize with what the character stands to lose if she fails. There is a lot of emotion and genuine heart in this film, and the coda is rather heart-wrenching although might tangentially qualify as a ‘happy ending’. Overall, one of the better entries of the year although selling it as ‘based upon true events’ seems a rather ludicrous claim.
B+
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)
Despite the outlandishness of the title, this movie handles its melding of horror with satire thoughtfully, tackling social issues and commentary that ambitiously overreaches a terse running time and stuffed final act. There are great lines and concepts that unfortunately get shortchanged. The periphery actors and performances are serviceable, but actress Laya Hayes elevates this film with a confidence and commitment more seasoned actors would envy. She presents an earnest and compelling protagonist, conveying mania, stoicism, and grief in equal measure, putting an unique spin on the traditional Dr. Frankenstein role. For a first time director, most of this film is excellently crafted though he is seemingly more comfortable filming exterior shots. There is excellent use of lighting and framing, but interior shots seem to be a bit cluttered, muddled and muted. Lab sets evoke classic hammer horror, arcing electricity, strange experiments beneath white sheets, but with a far more contemporary DYI flavor. The monster design is rather lackluster, but gore and violence is not to be denied. Honestly, the ‘monster’ was arguably the weakest part of this story, as the most horrific elements come from the violent surroundings and resignation to it. The film unfortunately suffers beyond the midpoint, where the script wants the viewer to be moved and understand relationships and motivations only peripherally developed. Many of the characters begin soapboxing, belaboring points and seemingly serving as author mouthpiece rather than distinct individuals. The film seems to simultaneously have a lot to say, introducing new elements even near the climax, but rushes through the second half and many of the beats don’t quite land. Despite these flaws, this is a fantastic debut by a promising director who hopefully has much more to say.
B
Skinamarink (2023)
This is an experimental arthouse film that will defy easy explanation and likely leave the majority of audiences baffled. Not for the photosensitive, easily bored, or fans of traditional narrative. The filmmaking is purposefully grainy, unfocused, desaturated and disjointed. Audio distorted, garbled and nigh indecipherable. There are subtitles to help, but even then it is often difficult to discern whether or not they match the voices speaking. It is an extremely unconventional way to make a film, and certainly polarizing. Where it is masterful is in capturing a surrealness akin to visiting a liminal nightmare from the eyes of a child. Everything in the shots and framing are positioned to give a child’s perspective. The nature of the filmmaking relies on the imagination of the viewers to intuit and imagine what may lurk in shadow, behind obscured shapes, what torments lurk beyond sight, and what exactly is going on. A brief search online will demonstrate the breadth of theories, opinions and speculation about the film's possible meaning and symbolism, along with widely divergent opinions about its quality. While certainly an innovative throwback style, it feels far too long and ludicrously indulgent. While there are certainly chilling moments, and an overall unsettling atmosphere, not a lot happens and each scene seems designed to test one’s patience. This feels like an extended variant of the director’s earlier youtube short HECK, and his entire channel Bitesized Nightmares, which utilizes the same filmmaking style but to vastly greater impact in one third the time. Regardless, for all the polarizing opinions, there is nothing else remotely like this and it certainly warrants a watch to formulate your own.
C
The Boogeyman (2023)
An absolutely derivative shadow of last year’s Smile, doubly tragic for being inspired by one of Stephen King’s bleakest and terrifying short stories. This movie does not have the courage or conviction to commit to the darker elements of its source or inspiration, attempting to mask shortcomings through glossy effects and copious jump scares. There is some quality here in the casting and production values, especially with the younger actors who are extremely capable, even if limited by a weak script. The direction is decent, with some very effective shots that make great use of dark corridors and ambiguous shadows; however, these invariably end in a telegraphed jump scare with accompanying discordant crash, and the entire exercise comes off as rote. This is an absolute object lesson in ‘less is more’ as each scene where the monster is concealed in darkness plays far more effectively than where it is revealed in all its questionable design. There’s far too much bad CG and baffling choices, again aping ‘Smile’ but without the metaphorical subtext, to leave much of an impact. Honestly, the memories of the climax began to fade and blur even before the credits rolled because I had seen it all before, and rendered better on every level. Including a superior adaptation of the source made in 1982 freely available on youtube: here
D
Talk To Me (2023)
For a generation consumed by disaffection and disillusion, where bonds and camaraderie are veiled through digital filters and glowing screens there comes reaching across the abyss, a hand: offering connection and communion for those who take its grasp and accept its invitation.
This is hands-down the best horror movie of the year, admittedly scant praise in a year bereft of quality. While a reskin of common ouija and possession tales, Studio A-24 consistently delivers films of a higher caliber, with intelligent scripts and nuanced storytelling. There are many symbols at play here, metaphors for addition and grief, mortality, responsibility, self-destruction and escapism. The layered foreshadowing and themes are present from the onset, delivering satisfying and impactful payoff during the final act. This is a film made by former youtubers with intimate understanding of what appeals to this segment and does an excellent job illustrating this generation’s motives and antics. The film takes its time in setting up and providing sympathetic characters, with a wealth of details slowly revealed organically through acting and subtext. While many do head-scratchingly dumb and self-destructive behaviors, it all feels true to what motivates them, and reflective of the adage ‘youth is wasted on the young’. The horrific elements are truly unsettling, with excellent use of practical effects and visual grotesqueries, but the deeper horrors in this film will unsettle and unnerve on more profound levels. Not many answers are offered about the nature of the specters, the visitations, personal hells, the necromantic conduit or how much is an illusory trap. This is even lampshaded in the script as no one really knows where the hand originates, the rules, or what purpose it serves. But for those seeking a chilling tale and horrific sights from both sides of the veil, this movie gets an unreservedly disembodied two thumbs up and an:
A
The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)
Adapting a single chapter of Dracula, it might have occurred to the filmmakers to read the entire novel. Nowhere in Dracula do vampires have an issue with sunlight, Dracula himself appearing in midday London. So, I do wonder why the filmmakers committed so hard to the explody vampire trope. Beyond this irksome peeve, this is actually a gorgeous film, by the same director behind the amazing ‘Autopsy of Jane Doe’. While this never reaches the same level of horror, he has a great sense of tension and atmospherics, each scene where the characters are being hunted wielding eerie whispers and visual trickery to great success. This is a presentation of Dracula at his most demonic, starved and feral in his hunting and attacks, animalistic but never without intelligence or guile. The effects are very decent, an amalgam of practical and computer generated, but it is notable how consistently better practical effects appear. The film makes the most of its claustrophobic setting, with excellent attention to detail on the historical elements of the ship and costuming. The attacks are vicious, and there is plenty of blood, even if nothing is particularly frightening. The writing and editing could use a little work, the setup is easily 30 minutes too long, there are some severe plot holes, and obvious limitations to where they can take the story, but on the whole characters are well developed, and once the voyage begins, the pacing gets brisk. The last act gets a bit loud, almost an action set-piece and the ending is obviously trying to setup sequels and franchise potential which strikes one as odd, again, if they had actually read the book. But irregardless, this is one of the few examples of a big-budget studio horror worth your time.
B
Unwelcome (2023)
An interesting entry from the UK, that unfortunately suffers from severe tonal whiplash and a gonzo ending. The inciting incident for this film is a shocking moment of urban terror, handled in utmost seriousness and difficult to watch even with the worst conveyed offscreen. As the main characters flee to an idyllic countryside, a different type of threat lurks in the periphery, while the primary dread never quite vanishes. This film carries underlying contemplation on the nature of violence and trauma that could warrant further thought and examination. There is a stark contrast between the leads in how each character acts and responds to violence, presenting some interesting shifts in perspective, dynamic and philosophies. The periphery characters likewise seem to carry some thematic bridge to this theme, each a different depiction of violent potential, some subverting genre expectations, while others deep-diving into the most egregious of stereotypes. But any nuance and subtlety gets thrown out the window when a horde of bloodthirsty wee-folk descend upon the last act to wreak unintentionally hilarious horror. They come off morbidly adorable in their antics and vocalization, reminiscent of Gremlins or Critters. The film draws against often neglected aspects of Irish lore, and the practical rendering of these creatures is very effective. What is less effective is the pacing and the tonal disparity, with parts of the flim seemingly at odds with each other. While gorgeously shot and mostly well acted, the film never seems to commit to a stark horror or comedic tone, and the themes get lost alongside a strange, almost mythic coda. Despite these issues, this is a fun film that evokes shades of 80’s monster horror and provides a decent watch especially for those with an interest in Irish lore.
C
Malum (2023)
The director and writer behind the quite horrific Last Shift (2014) decided to reboot/remake his own film, which should have been a thrilling and exciting means to expand upon the content of the original. Instead this is an inferior and tedious rehash of material vastly better conveyed in the previous iteration. The original had a smaller budget, but utilized more effectively, ingenious and disciplined its presentation and script. Here things all seem a bit glossier, but to its detriment, as much of the DYI creativity seems abandoned. The basic plot and events are identical, with the addition of an intense opening sequence and some background information to a cult that was previously absent, but ultimately unnecessary and implausible. Character depth, slow building tension and psychological nuance is jettisoned in favor of violence, cheap jump scares and practical grotesqueries. To its credit, the practical makeup effects are exceptional: bone, sinew, soft tissue and offal are exquisitely, almost lovingly rendered. There is more attention paid to rendering grotesqueries than there is interest in providing an engaging protagonist or relevant motivation, and the final act that abandons the twists from the original in favor of a less ambiguous but more baffling ending. Distinct from its predecessor, this is an average creepy yarn with some effective moments, great practical effects and plenty of jump scares, but as a remake or successor to Last Shift, this is an inferior retread of a better work.
D+
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
After the intense and uncompromising 2013 reboot of Evil Dead, this film takes equal steps forward and backwards in potential. The selling point is trading the cabin in the woods for an LA highrise, but the film never escapes cabin trappings, choosing instead to rely upon familiar hidden rooms, dingy furniture, warbling record players, and endlessly flickering lights. The opening hints that they intend to subvert audience knowledge of the franchise, by turning the tables on specific shots and noise cues, but they never commit hard to defying expectation. All the beats expected from an Evil Dead film are present, including visceral horror and tension built to shocking payoff. The effects are excellent, with a seamless and fantastic blend of practical and CG rendering truly grotesque sights. The direction is pretty good, building each beat just long enough for a decent reveal and including an inspired sequence through a peephole, arguably the best moments in the film. The main characters are well drawn and sympathetic, even if the accents get a bit dodgy. There exists overall a sense of malevolent glee, reflective of the deadites themselves, as none of the cast can be considered safe or off-limits, and the film relishes taunting and tormenting its victims. Overall, there is a lot to like and enjoy here, but far too reliant on familiar tropes and the re-introduction of more overt camp elements. The filmmakers revisit the darkly comic tone and feel of Evil Dead 2, down to a rather glaring shot that comes off far more comedic than horrific. Unfortunately comedic aspects diminish the tension and distract from what should be more effective payoffs and there is an over reliance on far too many familiar beats. Despite this, this is a wildly enjoyable film for returning veterans to the franchise or new viewers alike, and one hopes the next entry allows them to finally escape the claustrophobic trappings into something more epic.
B
PSA - Nefarious (2023)
This is an earnest warning. Nefarious labels itself as a horror film, but it lies. The setup maintains the pretense, providing a rather tantalizing setup, where a death row inmate proclaims to an assessor he is a demon, and prophesizing his interviewer will commit murders before the session ends. What follows is mostly a dialogue between two characters in a single location, where the demon attempts to convince his opposition of the validity and nature of his claim.
I make an earnest attempt to remain apolitical in reviews and assessments, and enjoy films presented from the perspective of myriad religious and moral frameworks. My personal philosophy on the nature of evil, the metaphysical and religion does not bias an appreciation of stories told from every perspective. Nor does political affiliation negate the possibility of empathy or understanding of perspectives and stories told from frameworks that might otherwise be vastly different from mine.
So with that disclaimer… This is not a horror film, this is a bait and switch attempt to get audiences to listen to a tedious sermon conducted by individuals without qualifications, skill, or intelligence. There is no fear or tension, suspense or anticipation, there is horrifically bad dialog and equally atrocious overacting. To be fair, the opening and first act offers a modicum of hope one might be treated to an interesting film, before degenerating into boredom and political manifestos about demons rejoicing in the ‘athiest left’s’ agenda to destroy america. And there certainly could be a horror movie based in those concepts; religious and political horror movies have done far more with less, but this is not it. This is boredom and bad theology with all the wit and intelligence contained in a bag of lobotomized rocks. False equivalencies, straw men, logical fallacies abound, you’d think an eternal spiritual intelligence might be capable of formulating a cohesive argument, but this is akin to a home-schooled preschoolers thesis prompted by a helicopter parent in an inbred household. Then there’s the anti-climax which <<spoilers for anyone determined to endure this sludge>> the resolution to all conflict comes through a brief moment of prayer, then the viewer is forced to endure another sermon, co-starring Glenn Beck. Avoid at all costs.