Change Your Image
Enix4
Reviews
Horror in the High Desert (2021)
Promising, but ultimately tedious and dissatisfying
This film could have been at least half an hour shorter. The extent to which it drags is one of its biggest downfalls. The fact that the ending is such a let down makes that time feel all the more wasted.
The only performance that felt authentic was Block's. The rest suffered from a disconnect that kept throwing me off. The impression that Gary might be on the spectrum - and probably shouldn't have been wandering the wilds alone - didn't help. Added to dialogue that felt infuriatingly vague at times, I reached a point where I was just watching in the hope of a suitably horrifying ending.
But, no. "Murder In The High Desert" might have been a better title. All of that, and the killer turns out to be a deformed old man with a machete? A deformed old man who conveniently leaves his victim's backpack in a nearby campsite with a video record of his last hours stashed inside? No explanation for who the killer is. Just a vague "he must want to live alone because of his deformities".
Disappointing.
Haunt (2019)
I don't get it
I don't get how this film is rated higher than a 5? Or how this is was written by the same guys who did A Quiet Place.
None of the characters get more than a cursory attempt at a personality. The only one I was really rotting for was Nathan (and half of that had to do with how fine Will Brittain is). Did Harper's ex actually contribute anything to the story? I ended up skipping forward so much that all I really got was the gist of the third act. Which had about as much impact as the part I'd actually sat through
The beginning had promise, but once the gang hits the haunted house it gets pretty predictable. For someone who hasn't watched a hell of a lot of horror, Haunt might prove scary (which might explain the rating). Sadly, I was pretty bored.
Men (2022)
Deeply Unsettling
Generally, I'm not a fan of cinema as metaphor (got halfway through the mess that was 'Mother!', spotted the metaphor and switched off), but this was so well done that I couldn't look away.
Which says a lot considering there's a couple of scenes in there that ain't for the squeamish. I'd recommend this not just for the deep sense of unease it stirs up (again and again) and the disturbing shots scattered throughout, but also the setting, the effective use of music, the performances and the metaphor itself. Visceral, affecting and deeply unsettling.
Anyone looking for run-of-the-mill horror might do better to avoid this one, but if you're in the mood for something with a little more substance beneath the surface give it a watch. At the least you'll be entertained.
Thanksgiving (2023)
Overhyped
Extra point for the gnarly deaths.
Generic slasher that offers nothing new to the genre. I usually like Eli Roth's work, but this was a bit of a dud.
Characters and relationships so underdeveloped that I just couldn't feel anything for them. The killer's choice of outfit might add something for American audiences, but it felt kind of cheesy. How seriously can you take an axe-wielding psycho who spews clunkers like "This year there will be no leftovers!"
Hung around hoping that the motive would at least provide something of a thrill, but it ended up feeling weak and unbelievable. Obviously open ending to set up the sequel. Honestly, though, why waste the budget?
Rang song (2021)
Better Than Average, But Only Just
First half: Intriguing. This could actually live up to the hype.
Second half: Aw man....
One of the main problems I had with this film is that they stop providing any sort of explanation for what's happening about halfway through. I'm sure that anyone who's grown up with an understanding of the culture and mythology involved would find the story way more frightening. As an outsider, I had to attempt to put together the mechanics myself, to somewhat lesser effect.
Manit comes home to find the dog lying in pieces in the pot. His first reaction: wake the filmmakers up so he can watch the footage from the hidden cameras. Come on! What father comes across the dismembered corpse of the family dog and doesn't immediately rush upstairs to check on his family? Make it make sense!
The story gradually devolves into a chaotic collage of impressions which, while disturbing in some instances, I couldn't always find sense in. Where I should have been frightened, I was mostly confused. The final scene provides an answer to one of the bigger questions, but unlimately it was overshadowed by what I couldn't understand.
Worth a watch, at least.
Baghead (2023)
Unique Concept Spoiled By Lazy Writing
This is the sort of film you watch when there's nothing else, which is sad because the idea behind it is actually pretty decent.
Pros: Concept. The creature design proved fairly unsettling, though I would've probably made that single eye staring out of the bag a tad less human. The pub made for a suitably oppressive setting. Solid enough performances from the cast.
Cons: I was more or less in it until Katie returned from Otto's place so desperate to find Iris.... but couldn't be bothered to check the bathroom where she's lying. Lazy writing. Otto's rushed, cliche little explanation of the creature's history lacked enough detail to have any impact after the build up. The walls of the witch's "tomb" resembled something made out of plastic; a state of affairs unhelped by bad lighting. And what the hell was with the flashbacks before Iris/Baghead crushed Neil's head? The witch has been in control all along? What does Iris's drawing have to do with anything?
Cap it off with a disappointing ending, and you're left with the feeling of having just woken from a dream: nothing but half-remembered images and a vague sense of confusion.
Halloween (2007)
Paper Thin Remake
This film's like a colorful balloon; pretty, but empty.
The actors who CAN act do the best they can with some phenomenally bad dialog. The actors who CAN'T act either overplay it or phone it in. There's no middle ground.
I agree with a lot of the reviews here - making Michael more human took most of the fun out of him. Now he's just another hulking halfwit, mad at the world for picking on him. The best parts are those that recall the original - a familiar piece of music, or a recognizable shot - but even these are too far apart to generate enough interest.
Tapped out before the end. Gotta sleep sometime, right?
Night Swim (2024)
So much potential!
I don't understand why it's so difficult to find a satisfying ending in horror films lately.
I absolutely loved the premise of this, but it was let down on a couple of fronts. First off, the thing beneath the water, the thing that grants wishes? Give it a name! Give it a shape! That mysterious "they never knew what it was" bit takes so much of the terror out of it. What does it do with its sacrifices? It clearly doesn't eat them, and if Rebecca's ghost(?) at the end is anything to go by, it doesn't assimilate them. So, what are they? Playmates?
The kids' decision not to say anything because "dad's getting better" makes no sense. There's clearly something wrong with the pool, but hey, so long as dad's getting better who cares if something happens to one of us, right?
The ending felt as if it was building toward a climax... and then died with a fart. That last shot, dirt covering the camera? Honey, that pool would've been packed with concrete and covered in steel for good measure. I'm just hoping that wasn't meant to set up a sequel.
I didn't hate this. It's a decent watch. It just feels like it should have been so much more than decent.
Cuando acecha la maldad (2023)
Not Worth The Hype, But Not Bad
This wasn't anywhere as good as all the hype that's been made about it. It's not a bad film. Just not amazing.
I was surprised a couple of times, but for the most part it felt like the story might have benefited from a couple more drafts just to flesh things out. For example, I got the sense that it was one demon jumping from host to host, only to get to the end of the film and find the original host was still possessed? And how exactly did the "Cleaner" intend to kill it? We get shown some astrological-looking equipment, but never actually get to see it used?
The ending was pretty meh, too. It felt as if the writer wasn't sure how to tie things up. Just throw in a couple of deaths and never mind the hanging threads.
Infinity Pool (2023)
Plane Crash In Slow Motion
What happened here? The first half had so much potential.
If I want social commentary on class and privelege, I'll look for a documentary. If I want frustration, I'll put on an Ari Aster film. In the end, I was watching purely in the hope that Mia Goth would meet a bad end, but instead of what could have been a phenomenal bang all I got was a whimper.
The filmmakers had the opportunity to work in a couple of truly great twists, but these obviously didnt gel with the rich=debauched shtick. It didn't help that most of the characters had all the depth of a puddle in the Gobi. Did I care what happened to the vapid, easily-led James? No! I just wanted him to shut Gabi up!