Late Night With The Devil (2024)

An additional entry, because it takes place on Halloween night, and was certainly a fun watch. At no point I would argue this film is actually scary, but there are some genuinely great moments for genre fans. It is a pitch-perfect recreation of a 70’s talk show, and viewers will recognize the guests as espys for various famous figures of that era, focusing on the craze for all things psychic and supernatural. Even with the 70’s gloss, one can tell this has some superb production values and is an acting showcase for David Dastmalchian, who has absolutely proven his prowess considering how much sympathy and pathos he could interject for a character as absurd as the Polka Dot Man… In this he delivers a riveting performance, alternating between sympathetic and suspicious, but fully believable especially as the last act’s endgame carries some extreme emotional weight. A parallel to this film might be ‘Starry Eyes’, the thematic bridge being at what length, and what one might sacrifice to achieve stardom. While most of the found footage variants and tropes have been exhausted, this manages to be creative and clever with its variation on the subgenre. The last act might prove divisive, as it dives into surrealism and abandons the found-footage premise in favor of a vision of personal torment, but; if following, all the threads connect and everything makes sense. This is a story of ambition and aspiration, and there is a genie in the bottle element of what it might actually mean to see one’s dreams actualized.

B+

The Devil's Bath (2024)

This Austrian film is a haunting look and portrayal of mental illness and depression at a time and society that demonizes such. This is based on true accounts and criminal records from an incident in Germany in 1704, and delivers a stunning period account of one woman’s descent into madness, and the liturgical framework that drove her actions. The authenticity and attention to detail in the setting, rites and rituals for this community is fantastic, with many subtleties likely lost on American audiences, yet important points delivered organically. This is far more a drama than a conventional horror movie, most genre aficionados will find themselves utterly bored, but the subject matter is horrific, and the film drenched in an atmospheric bleakness. It is quiet and contemplative, but as it progresses, the visuals and unpleasantness escalates to its inevitable tragedy. The main character’s performance is mesmerizing, and the film, especially the final shot, will certainly linger far beyond the film’s runtime.

B+

Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams (Series)

Joko Anwar has risen into prominence as an Indonesian filmmaker who delivers some absolutely top-tier horror. Many of his films are absolute testaments as to how asian filmmaking delivers in horror on a level no others can match. Unfortunately, this series is ultimately a frustrating experience, as while there is a lot to genuinely appreciate in its portrayal of the desperate and downtrodden, the direction and filmmaking, the themes and ideas behind each episode, and certainly the horror elements. As individual episodes of anthology horror, most are certainly entertaining and engaging, with a strong focus on the desperation within the daily grind of those beneath recognizable poverty levels, compounded by the setting, which portrays a level of poverty unfathomable to most American audiences… but yet almost every episode seems to disappoint. Be it atrocious CG monsters, or a lack of resolution, or a descent into absurdity, this series squanders a lot of potential in its setting and situations. The characters are uniformly well drawn and developed, and understanding and empathizing with each is never a challenge, even with the more unlikable and unsympathetic characters. The horror elements can be great, and revisit familiar themes under a different lens. Additionally, what is rather well executed is a linkage between the episodes, which feel very standalone and disconnected, unless one is paying very close attention to the dates and timelines. Up until the last two episodes, one would be easily convinced this was standalone anthology horror, until the filmmakers unify all the threads. Unfortunately, despite the effectiveness of the gimmick, the result is a campy supernatural Avengers, which plays absurdly. While there is much to appreciate, there’s equal amount to critique, and while the whole ends up being stronger than the disparate parts, it is still far from the horror experience his films often deliver. 

B

The Strangers: Chapter One (2024)

The tagline for this movie is ‘they don’t need a reason’, and it certainly feels like this extends to the script, rationale, characters and quality. The first two strangers movies are fairly decent slashers and rather unnerving, as they portray a horror of random home invasion. The ‘strangers’ now seem to possess nigh-supernatural powers, seemingly capable of feats of teleportation, invisibility, invulnerability, and a lot of implausibility. There is no longer any suspense or tension, simply ongoing unpleasantness, both from the unlikable leads and the eventual torture elements. Why this is called ‘chapter 1’ was initially baffling, as I couldn’t tell if this was supposed to be a prequel, a reboot, a remake or a rebootquel, but the answer becomes evident that this is because this is an incomplete film, apparently supposed to be a self-contained trilogy. As it stands, it is a frustrating mess without any of the qualities that made the first films standout, and maybe the sequels will shed some light as to why this opening act is so terrible. 

F

Lovely Dark and Deep (2024)

This film focuses on the majesty and beauty of huge forests, but also their eerie, isolating and unnerving nature. This is the director’s debut, with Georgina Campbell delivering an excellent performance of a park ranger  haunted by tragedy, seeking resolution within the vast wilderness. The visuals and the setting is gorgeous, but this is ultimately a ponderous exercise in tedium where very little happens, and what does is baffling. The movie is only 90 minutes, but it feels like it stretches into an eternity, like the woods themselves. Unfortunately the film veers into extremely confusing territory, and the plot seems to wander into the nonsensical for large portions, as the character’s hallucinations overwhelm the plot. Eventually there is an explanation and coda, but not many questions are answered, the one could be forgiven for presuming it is all still part of the character’s mental breakdown. The questions that do get answered only raise more questions, and the viewer is ultimately left unsatisfied. For those who enjoy a surreal psychological study and not seeking easy answers this movie might appeal, but to all others I’d advise to avoid it but keep an eye out to see what this director does next. 

D

Terrifier 3 (2024)

If you’re planning on seeing this movie, then you know entirely what to expect and it delivers exactly as you deserve. This offers more of Art the clown providing the gratuitous ultra-violence and splatterpunk gore, this time at Christmas!. Art even has a compatriot in the atrocity games, often stealing the show and relegating Art to a side-character. It is hyper-violent and lurid, relishing each moment of pain and atrocity inflicted upon a double-digit body-count and even from the perspective of a desensitized, bleak-hearted horror aficionado this film goes extreme, attempting to outdo the last two films in viscera-drenched attempts to shock and horrify. And it is very successful at this endeavor, once again a tour-de-force of practical effects and gruesome creativity, maintaining its depraved sense of humor throughout. For what it is worth, the performances are fantastic, with David Howard Thornton’s Art giving the same blend of mime antics and physicality while Laren LaVera’s Sienna is now a PTSD suffering ‘final-girl’ but still girlbossing like few others. But the surprising standout is the character of Victoria elevated to co-villian and played with smoldering intensity by Samantha Scaffidi, an inversion of the final girl, now Art’s accomplice and cohort. The ‘story’ continues to expand worldbuilding and lore, while simultaneously being threadbare and a flimsy excuse for grotesqueries and gouging. This film is unrepentantly disgusting and gross, entirely as promised and if within the first 10 minutes, if not utterly appalled you are likely giggling macabrely and certainly the target audience. Admittedly, I am not, but I cannot fault this film for being what it is, and what it provides to the genre. If you’ve somehow stumbled onto this film by accident, may the gods have mercy on your soul, and for those who continue to follow Art’s antics, you will undoubtedly enjoy this third outing and eagerly anticipate his next romp.

C

Imaginary (2024)

More blumhouse rote horror that spends too much time establishing rules and rationale behind its worldbuilding, but barely delivering cliched jump scares. There are some great visuals strewn throughout, and at least one genuinely disturbing moment, especially in the last act where the surreal potential in the premise is explored. There are a handful of unintentionally hilarious moments, and a few that seem self-aware of the ridiculousness involved.  But a handful of scares aren’t enough to elevate this film above average, especially with a cliche-laden script, and most every twist telegraphed. I kept thinking the movie was at its end, with at least two of its faux-endings potentially being impactful, but then the movie… just… kept… going. There is the potential for a better movie here with the premise, a decent cast of likable characters, and some clever direction with great use of color and lighting, but ultimately this movie is forgettable popcorn fodder that squanders every unique element it presents. 

C-

MaXXXine (2024)

With regards to Ti West’s pastiche trilogy of era horror, it will become a matter of personal preference which period and whose thematic content resonates strongest. I found this to be the weakest of the three, with last year’s Pearl being exceptional, X being above average, and this entry being… Meh. West's schtick is his ability to perfectly mimic the aesthetic and feel of a particular era, but the content within is never quite as clever or profound as it wishes. This film perfectly apes the lurid 80’s aesthetic and leans heavily into sexploitation, gratuitous vibrant gore and satirizing the Hollywood machine, but nothing really connects. The stacked cast is excellent, with Mia Goth once again being the centerpiece and absolute acting powerhouse. She infuses a relatively unlikable character with sympathy and steely will, determined to succeed in a rigged game despite all obstacles and at all cost. Unfortunately this film is rather predictable with regards to its ‘mystery’, and skews far too heavily into nostalgia ridden style over substance. The themes feel underdeveloped and far too cliched examinations of ambition in pursuit of stardom, and the final act seems to simply go off into unrelated directions, despite the killer’s identity being telegraphed far in advance. There are some very stylish kills, but nothing particularly lands or resonates with regards to why it should matter to the characters or viewers. At best, this film is a wonderfully shot homage to 80’s slasher flicks, but for those not blinded to the nostalgia, this will feel like an empty void with no substance, and as a capper to this particular trilogy, quite a letdown. 

C

The Deliverance (2024)

Supposedly based on a true story, but the truth was a likely manufactured ploy to avoid paying rent and Child Protective Services. This film ignores most of the ‘true’ elements, down to changing characters and accounts in favor of a bombastic, yet absolutely derivative exorcism film. The first act is actually decently set up and paced with the cast, especially the child actors, giving quality performances. The initial buildup and dread is decent, but the film’s portrayal of the mother’s alcoholism and abuse is grotesque and borderline trauma porn. The film works very hard to make us sympathize with the mother, but she’s a repulsive, miasmic presence. and the far better horror story could have been told on this front, skewing closer to the truth. Unfortunately the back half film doubles down on supernatural visitations, which, like the claims that inspired it, is a rote sampler of exorcism tropes, but like with last year’s Exorcist: Believer, removing any catholic influence but doubling down on the sanctimony. What is worth watching here is Glenn Close’s performance. She’s utterly, hilariously amazing in her role, and delivers some laugh out loud moments, fully committed to the absolute best delivery of some of the worst dialog the year has to offer. But her performance is one of few highlights in a slog of a film, which culminates in a ludicrously over-the-top ‘come to Jesus’ moment that would have fit right in with one of the ‘God’s not Dead’ films. Even with the film’s insistence ‘demons did it’ one can’t help but to feel the most horrific aspect is the children were allowed to stay in this situation at all.

D

Uzumaki (2024)

Upon watching the first episode, I was convinced that this would finally be the Junji Ito adaptation fans have been waiting for. In horror and manga circles, his work is borderline legendary, but previous adaptations have been mixed quality at best to downright atrocious (looking at you Gyo). Unfortunately, this series is a mixed bag. This is probably the highest fidelity adaptation I’ve seen of a comic, recreating the look and feel of the manga with rotoscope animation and lavish attention to every detail in the artwork. But, whether different teams worked on different segments of episodes, the animation quality doesn’t remain entirely consistent. While the series manages to cover most of the different chapters, pacing is one of the series’ biggest flaws. While certain segments can be quite effective, the entire production races through beats and sequences that should be allowed much more time to settle and breathe, and short-changes quite a few. The last chapters in particular feel utterly rushed, with no time to allow the unsettling visuals and coda to really give an impact. Ultimately, this is still a very good adaptation, featuring some genuinely disturbing body horror, fever-dream surrealism, and disquieting cosmic horror all suffused in bleakness. But it is far from what the look and feel promises as a perfect adaptation and lacks the impact of the source. One can’t help but to think an additional episode and slightly more time in development would have delivered what is missing here. 

B

Ship of the Damned (2024)

Trash.

Cursed undead cannibal pirates sailing a 500 year old ship should at least provide some entertainment, but… No. This film tries to take its cues from The Fog, but you’d be better off watching the Fog remake (2005), which sits at a glorious 3.5 IMDB score. This is bad acting on a cheap set with a sluggish narrative that alternates between flashbacks and the modern day without a decent bridge to connect them. The script is atrocious, no one is expecting high art here, but the writing is unfathomably bad, as are the direction, lighting, and characters. The plot takes some mind-numbingly dumb leaps in logic and plausibility, and the ‘final fight’ is one of the worst choreographed pieces of drek I have witnessed this, or most any year. The stretches in plausibility in this scene alone is matched only by how egregiously this film squandered an awesome piece of poster art. 

F

Sting (2024)

The other spider movie released in 2024 plays far more comedically than its French cousin Vermines. There’s only one offending arachnid in this one, a bloodthirsty space-spider that likes to whistle, which of course, a little girl befriends and tries to keep as a pet. The core is about the girl and step-father trying to connect with each other, and the difficulties in integrating to a new normal. Difficult at the best of times, but exponentially harder with the presence of a giant spider. The characters are likable, and the writing has some decent moments, but the trite family drama derails the film in places. But this is countered with an abundance of cheese elsewhere. And it is pretty funny, the tone set right at the beginning with a flash forward with a very unfortunate exterminator. There are some decent shots and creepy moments, with some creativity with sets, lighting and framing in what is otherwise a very contained setting. The beats are predictable, much inspired by better films, but there's fun to be had if you appreciate a cheesy creature flick and find yourself unnerved by eight-legged horror.

C

Tarot (2024)

This is rote, paint-by-numbers studio garbage that benefits from some interesting monster design, but disappoints in almost every other aspect. Given the potential in the subject matter, one might hope for a bit of creativity in the script, but this is as generic and bland as they come, wholesale ripping off ideas and sequences from far superior films. The characters are one-dimensional and the acting is atrocious, with the potential thrill of seeing horrible things happen to them robbed of grotesque potential by a PG-13 rating. There are a lot of jump scares, but few exhibiting any actual creativity or uniqueness. There is one sequence that is surprisingly inspired, only tangentially related to the Tarot arcana represented, but for a moment gives a glimmer of what potential this film might have had in development. There’s a strange tonal shift to humor in the last moments, that somewhat plays like everyone having the sudden revelation: this is genuinely a bad movie, and the only recourse is to laugh.

D-

The Beast Within (2024)

When making ‘monster as metaphor’ movies it’s helpful to have an actual monster. The set up feels like there’s a monster, all indicators suggest there’s lycanthropic shenanigans afoot, but then the movie pulls a bait and switch rendering much of the setup rather nonsensical. The ‘monster’ is domestic violence you see, with a little girl having nightmares of a werewolf inspired by her father’s tales and the fact he has a monthly ritual in which he is chained up during the full moon in a remote locale to prevent him from wolfing out. Which, again the setup only really makes sense if he were an actual werewolf, but I digress… Hopefully this spoiler saves potential viewers from a tedious runtime and false promises. The little girl delivers a pretty decent performance  and the rest of the cast features a minor reunion for former lord-commanders of the Night’s Watch, one of which is a great actor, and the other is Kit Harrington. He continues the same sullen, wooden performance that is the cornerstone of his acting prowess. Despite some lovely settings and cinematography, this film is a waste of time and intelligence, not worth the time or effort and leaves a genuine lament this wasn’t an adaptation of Gabriel Knight 2. 

F

Abigail (2024)

This movie is a hoot. The trailers give away far too many twists, but even with those elements spoiled, this movie was a hilarious creature romp. There is a stellar ensemble cast, Melissa Barrera makes a great lead/‘final girl’ and Dan Stevens is having a great year filled with villainous roles allowing him to go over-the-top camp. But the standout is Alisha Weir playing the titular character, a little girl vampiric ballerina, and she is obviously having a blast alternating between sweet, savage, and at times utterly deranged. The movie walks a very fine line between camp and horror, more often embracing camp, but there are some horrific moments and gratuitous gore. There is nothing particularly scary, but the film isn’t really going for frights, more like a love-letter to genre tropes. It’s smartly written and funny, there is some great action choreography, and very slickly directed and produced by the duo known as Radio Silence. This is certainly the best vampire film the year has to offer (at least until Nosferatu is unleashed), and a highly enjoyable thrill ride that never feels stretched, despite a 2 hour runtime. 

B+

In A Violent Nature (2024)

This movie plays with the conventions of a slasher, locking the perspective mostly to that of an undead killer named Johnny. Like his rampage, the film is slow and methodical, and the filmmaking plays as a nature documentary on a day in the life of a relentless undead juggernaut. While interesting in concept, the execution proves to be rather tedious and unengaging. It involves a lot of walking, lots and lots of walking. The film seems to hover somewhere between an experimental art-house take on classic tropes and simultaneously relishing the sillier extremes of the genre. This features one of the most ludicrous, over-the-top kills In horror movie history, that genuinely needs to be seen to be believed. There is a surprising amount of sympathy for Johnny, whose back-story is delivered through overheard conversations by vapid one-note stereotypes of the slasher genre, aka, the victims. But honestly, as an experiment, it is a failed one. There have been other variants of seeing a slasher movie from the killer’s perspective, but none so spectacularly boring. The last act switches perspective to that of the ‘final girl’, but doubles down on the tedium with inane monologues that think they’re profound insight and thematic revelations on the nature of Johnny, and indeed all nature, but… plays more as a coma-inducing soporific. The filmmaking, direction and cinematography are rather good, and there are a lot of fun kills and gore, but one must endure gulfs to get there. If you have the patience, this is certainly a worthwhile watch, but far from the elevated horror it aspires towards.

C

Smile 2 (20240

2022’s Smile was an effective, if derivative, curse-horror film with interesting but bleak subtext about the nature of trauma. This sequel picks up the threads from the last, and takes them in fascinating new directions. Not simply a rehash of the first film’s overreliance on jump scares and creepy visuals (although this film has both in abundance), this film dives deeper into the psychological torment and mental breakdown the entity inflicts upon its victims. We are up-close and experiencing the main character’s mental degeneration, as the lines between reality, memory, sanity and personal torment blur. Naomi Scott gives an absolutely riveting performance, a ludicrously talented singer, actor, and the role plays in ways to subvert her beauty and appeal. There are some genuinely harrowing sequences, and some of the best jump scares cinema has to offer. They aren’t simply gibbering ‘boos’ but close, personal and often unexpected. The film plays with the expectation of scares in every hidden shadow and every isolated moment, but when they come, they’re never from the direction expected. They are also reflections and perversions of the main character’s experience, with some sly commentary on the loneliness and vapid existence of stardom and celebrity. This is Parker Finn’s sophomore effort, and superior in every way to the original film. What few complaints might be that it could be far more streamlined in the editing, a good 20 minutes and at least one subplot could be slashed without diminishing the final product. There are far too many lingering shots of how things are ‘upside down’, and it does rehash the last film’s twist a bit too lavishly, but that also reflects the entity’s nature and how trauma distorts perception. Regardless, this is still one of the better horror entries 2024 has to offer, and even without a followup sequel, leaves the viewer satisfied and eager to see what Finn might offer genre fans in the future.

B+

Salem's Lot (2024)

This third adaptation of Stephen King’s novel sits squarely in the middle, far better than the 2005 miniseries, but a pale shadow of the 1979 version. There is a decent amount to enjoy, the vampires are chilling, most of the cast is pretty good, but no one gets a real chance to develop and breathe, as the constraints of a movie doesn’t give enough time to allow for any form of character development. The book and both miniseries allowed denizens of the Lot to exist in their day-by-day, to contrast as the town was slowly overrun and corrupted but there’s no chance for that here. If anything, this movie seems content to simply rush through its plot to hit iconic beats and moments at a frenzied pace. King’s thematic exploration of the slow bleeding death of the small-town is certainly missed entirely, as this film seems far more enamored with spectacle. The last act makes some significant changes from the source, with reasoning that could only be the result of coked-up studio executive meddling, ‘Ya… Stakes to the heart are okay and all but… HOW ABOUT A STAKE TO THE FACE!!! AND EVERYTHING SHOULD EXPLODE!’. It is unfortunate, as this film actually has some great cinematography and visuals, some decently creepy moments and presents horrific vampires (as they should be). It looks great, light on substance, might provide an enjoyable moment or two for those familiar with either source, but those seeking genuine scares it would be best to revisit the original miniseries.

C-

Alien: Romulus (2024)

After Ridley Scott’s attempt to destroy this franchise and legacy with the one-two punch of Prometheus and Covenant, the reins were handed over to Fede Alvarez and while far from perfect, a welcome return to horror roots.The setup is much like Alvarez’s other films, Don’t Breathe and Evil Dead, focusing on a younger cast of mostly unsympathetic characters, with an element of malicious glee in watching horrific things happen to them. And there are some genuinely horrific moments strewn throughout, not afraid to focus on some of the more gut-churning possibilities the franchise offers. There are also a number of highly inventive sequences, remixing the elements from previous films yet delivering something harrowing, especially the zero-g sequence. Most of the cast is decent, but David Jonsson delivers a genuinely amazing performance in his portrayal of the android Andy, alternating between personas with a chilling efficiency. Alvarez focuses much of his attention on the facehugger part of the life-cycle, so arachnophobes are certainly going to be cringing, but there is copious gore and effectively built tension throughout. The film does tend to revisit and amalgamate elements from other entries in the series, providing a kind of a ‘greatest hits’ package for the franchise, and for the most part this is not a bad thing, unifying many of the disparate entries. Where the film falters is in an unnecessary need to make callbacks and shoutouts, recycling iconic lines to simply key-jangle nostalgia bait. The last act goes a bit off the deep end, and revisits one of the more shameful moments in the franchise history, but delivered far more effectively and with more nastiness. On the whole, while not necessarily offering much new, it reinvigorates and refreshes the alien franchise where I would welcome additional entries despite once having written it off.

B

Vermines (Infested) (2024)

In this French film, a contained highrise setting provides the backdrop for one of the creepiest infestations committed to media. Even the tamest arachnophobes should avoid this, as it is skin-crawling, disquieting and embodies every possible variation on spider-horror one might imagine. Personally, I find the smaller variants more terrifying, part of the effectiveness in the opening salvo is that they could literally be hiding anywhere unseen and unnoticed. The larger they get, the less of a hidden threat they become, but still providing their unique eight-legged terror. This film is smarter than it seems on the surface, as there are thematic undertones and subtext about xenophobia and the immigration crisis in Europe, which is referenced in the original title, but one of many things lost in translation. The messaging is never particularly hamfisted, but it does infuse the characters, the setup and film’s resolution. Unfortunately, some of the characters are insufferable, many do jaw-droppingly dumb actions, and the last act gets short-changed. Irregardless, this film is fast-paced and frenetic, and once things get started never relents in its intensity. The direction is fantastic, with some great moments and framing, most shots eliciting squirms, tension and disquiet, which earned the creators the directing gig on the next Evil Dead movie. If creature-horror appeals to you, or if spiders have ever given you the creeps, this should not be avoided.

B