Reviews

Very suspenseful and unsettling film that stands the test of time. A 20th anniversary Best Buy steelbook was released Oct 2022 and is a great collectors item. The Ring emphasizes lyrical storytelling with repeating images and motifs and reverberating themes. There is also a linear detective story taking place at the same time. There are shocking images and very dark ideas. All this makes for a horror film that makes sense but also has artistic elements that are quite thought-provoking.

Part of the story incorporates the concept of projected thermography, or thoughtography, the process of capturing images from the mind directly to film. It is a very interesting aspect of the story that makes sense if you read a bit about it.

Highly recommended.

The most grotesque metaphorical representations of human existence and society. The art style and level of detail are astounding to the point of satirizing the medium itself through grand exaggeration. It's difficult to conceptualize this on the whole, but there is profound meaning in certain set pieces and sequences.

The gimmicks of classic slasher films are present in abundance though are morphed in various ways, which gives a feeling of authenticity and newness. The interplay between sex, innocence, virility, and death, a staple of the genre, is mutated and turned on its head, prompting viewers to question right and wrong in several dimensions--this is the hallmark of the film. Inventive editing adds to the overall horror, and there was even one sequence, or the way scenes were spliced together, that I had not experienced before. Cryptic hints to a backstory actually make sense. The female leads are tantalizing but also reprehensible. The scope and setting is fittingly small for the genre. Some kill scenes are brutal in a way that supersedes the source material, which contrasts well with the quirkiness of just about everything else in the movie.

I call it an irreverent homage because it really is fashioned as a satire, but the satire is actually achieving the same things as the source material rather than just making fun of them. And there is an obvious respect of the slasher genre that shines through above all else.

The main area for improvement is the lack of dread. There was no true stalker moment, which is the only thing missing.

It has a couple very good scenes and gore. True terror is not present since it's all stylized and dumbed down for 13-year-olds who have Netflix on in the background while scrolling through TikTok 12 hours per day. Leatherface looks cool. The acting is terrible. There is a strange digital film grain that is uneven and looks like static. There is essentially no story. The audio mix is good. The ending is clever.

I loved this movie. I thought the writing was superb, and the lead performance by Katie Douglas was very captivating and thought-provoking. Goes to show what can be accomplished with a good, simple story and interesting characters.

2021 re-skin of amazing 1980s horror cheese. Full of dopey characters and domestic melodrama. Inventive kills. Highly recommended. Thank you, Mr. Mancini.

Another garbage documentary series that rewrites history by characterizing the totally incompetent Green River killer detectives as empathic and talented investigators. There are even multiple times when they are shown crying (probably encouraged), and while it may seem they are crying for the victims, they are actually crying over how stupid they are. Very simplistic interviews with a background of inane b-roll footage that has nothing really to do with the story.

Psychological horror movie with effective visuals, inventive horror elements, and a great albeit very dark multilayered story. Despite what some other reviews say, the story makes perfect sense and progresses organically. It typifies new horror in that the excellent story comes first and progresses through the horror, rather than a lackluster story being used as a vehicle to deliver scares.

Organic blending of horror, thriller, and action genres. Very creative filmmaking. High on gore, which was done well. Shocking at parts. Definitely recommended.

For fans of Hereditary and The Blackcoat's Daughter.

This movie does everything well. Very enjoyable. Chris Rock is amazing. And some very disgusting practical effects, which is always a huge plus.

The bizarre mix of characters combined with fantastic imagery and subtle practical effects propels this familiar concept into the nth degree of weirdness. And Nicolas Cage goes bonkers.

Great cinematography and very dark. Slow middle offset by good suspense, and the final act is really cool. Not sure how some people gave this a 1 or 2...it's actually really good.

If you love this sort of movie, you'll love this. You know who you are. Very bizarre characters and strange happenings in true slasher style. Don't be fooled, though, as there are still some very effective moments. -- As armless corpse is being carted off on a stretcher...

Lt. Bracken: "What are her chances, doc?"

Coroner: "I've done all I can, but massive shock has blocked her nerve centers, and loss of blood has done the rest. Not a chance in a million. Sorry." -- That about sums it up.

Made by student of horror and obviously passionate filmmaker Stevan Mena, Malevolence 2: Bereavement draws inspiration from all the right films in all the right places. Reworked elements from iconic films, such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho, lend accessibility, and dedicated horror fans will be reminded of lesser-known films, such as Frailty. Of note, Brett Rickaby (no idea who he is) is absolutely fantastic as traumatized, psychotic, and vicious killer Graham Sutter. (His performance reminds me of Bill Paxton in Frailty.)

The characters have real depth that develops organically (usually an afterthought in horror), and it is used effectively to hammer home the brutality and finality of the story. I'd say this film matches the bleakness and sorrow of some of the meanest I've seen, such as Incident in a Ghostland, so the average person will probably not enjoy the Malevolence trilogy. Nothing funny goes on: Every character is damaged beyond repair, and the intensity of each's struggle toward healing and redemption acts as jet-fuel on their respective blastings off into dead-end lives punctuated by murder. Acceptance of the deterministically helpless state is the only way to survive here. What is suffering? Who or what is capable of suffering? What is the link between pain, suffering, and the soul? Just a few of the philosophical questions posed.

Shocked I hadn't heard of this until now. I watched the first in the trilogy (also excellent) and immediately then this. Now on to the third.

I'll be on the lookout for Stevan Mena's next film.

With strong influence from iconic horror movies of the 70s and 80s, this movie never lets up. Very enjoyable. This was not made by someone who modeled the story and cinematography after classic horror movies because they were begrudgingly tasked with making a horror movie. No, this was created by someone with a love and passion for all things horror, and it certainly shows. Highly recommended.

I've seen two horror movies recently with incredible female lead performances: Malevolent (Florence Pugh) and now The Hole in the Ground (Seána Kerslake). Really fantastic. Very creepy atmosphere of dread, desperation, and hopelessness. Not a "fun" watch, but very entertaining. I never looked away.

Solid for what it is. Kind of a downer actually. Also, hard to focus on the plot sometimes because of how voluptuous the lead actress is.

This movie won the Grand Prize at the Gérardmer festival. Other well-known movies that have also won this esteemed award include Scream, Cube, Stir of Echoes, The Orphanage, It Follows, and Bone Tomahawk.

This is a sad, scary, disturbing, violent, and creative film with a complex plot. It confronts the most uncomfortable things about life as a human being: anguish, suffering, violence, disfigurement, terror, loss, lack of hope. I personally think it is better than Martyrs.

Saw this on Netflix and put it on for fun, having heard somewhere that it was a good remake/reboot. This is a great movie for what it is, which I did not expect. It has everything, and the cinematography is sleek. More creativity would have carried this to a 9/10. However, judged solely against other horror movie franchise remakes and additions, this is a 10/10 and, quite possibly, the best of them all.

Solid movie with a nice mix of dark humor, heartbreak, suspense, violence, and classic horror elements. Reminds me a little of Hereditary with it's integration of family drama, though this Pet Sematary remake doesn't seek to terrify.

I always notice when the little things are off in movies the effectiveness of which hinges on authenticity. Everything in A Most Violent Year is true to the time period...the cars, the jacket lapels, the appliances, and even the razor that Abel is seen using in one scene (safety razor, not a bic).

Message of the movie: a deep, heartfelt ode to materialism and the love of money. Everyone is corrupt. Recreates perfectly the attitude of 1980s NYC-that the pursuit of wealth is of the utmost intrinsic goodness, that placing the pursuit of selfish goals above all else is the most righteous path.