Hello there, again. I’m trying to post on Sundays, but don’t fully hold me to it, I might post whenever inspiration strikes.
Anyways, so last week I talked about the worst I’ve seen in the genre space this year and immediately felt terrible about it as soon as I published it. I don’t like being negative or harping on stuff I don’t like but I didn’t lie. Everything I said in that newsletter accurately reflects my feelings on it.
This week, we’re getting a little more positive. These are the films in the genre space that I think are middle of the road. I overall like them more than not, but I don’t love them.
Alright, let’s begin.
In theme of last week’s newsletter, this is also an image I got by typing in the word “horror” and I think this simplistic yet nothing super special image reflects the middle of the road picks.
Okay, so we have a lot of picks here so let’s not waste any time, so without further ado, our first pick is:
RESURRECTION (dir: Andrew Semans) IFC Films & Shudder
Andrew Seman’s film follows a woman who’s carefully constructed life begins to unravel following sightings of a man from her past.
I saw this back at Sundance in January and I’m not going to lie, I originally was going to put this in the worst of the year. However, Rebecca Hall is an absolute force here. She gives an eight or nine-minute uninterrupted monologue staring right at the camera. A true show-stopping performance.
I also read the script for “Resurrection” back around the last year or so and I didn’t even know it was getting produced. I only found out when Sundance’s lineup was announced. I knew immediately Rebecca Hall was going to kill it (as you can read above, she did) and I was pretty excited that the writer was going to be directing.
I thought the script itself was very intriguing and I thought with the right direction behind the camera, it could really be something special. Unfortunately, Semans is a better writer than he is a director. So many scenes here (especially the final ten-to-fifteen minutes that will no doubt be the number one thing people will discuss when talking about this movie) had so much visual potential and it’s not executed properly. It’s surprising considering the director is also the writer but it seems like writer Semans and director Semans had different things in mind.
Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t terribly directed or anything like that, it’s just underwhelming to what could’ve been. The premise is certainly intriguing and I love the way the script rides with it (even though it isn’t executed nearly as well as it could’ve been with a different director) and the performances are great. It’s just enough to push it over the edge to the middle of the year.
As always, this is just my personal opinion. A lot of people loved this one, so I implore you to check it out, you may love it. Same with all my other picks here.
Alrighty, next we have a Shudder original that makes its way in here purely based off of good character work.
REVEALER (dir: Luke Boyce) Shudder
Luke Boyce’s neon-soaked debut feature follows a stripper and religious protester who are trapped in a peep show booth during the apocalypse in 1980s Chicago.
This is an interesting one. Clearly a product of COVID filming (mainly two actors, one location), “Revealer” stands out purely to it’s characters watchability. Two polar opposites are your leads, a religious protester and a stripper. Watching these two interact with each other and try to get out of the situation they’re in is surprisingly entertaining. The performances are pretty solid and it has a really unique, out-there premise.
Unfortunately, it has its fair share of issues that make it closer to being in the worst section than the best. The prosthetics/creature FX weren’t bad for the first two acts however, no joke, the big villain near the end is wearing a Party City™ looking mask. It’s so shockingly bad, I would rather the villain just look like a human than wear that.
The movie also loses a good amount of steam the longer it goes on. It never gets back to the fun of the first act. As soon as they go underground in the tunnel, it steadily falls from there. It’s unfortunate, as I was quite enjoying the movie up until that point.
The reason why this is in the middle and not the worst is because you can tell the filmmakers really care about crafting characters that feel like real people and are open to change and reflection. This movie could’ve played on so many stereotypes (and don’t get me wrong it plays on a few) but they mostly delve deep into these characters lives and perspectives that makes it stand slightly above the average low-budget Shudder original.
Next, we have a movie that was nowhere near as atrocious as many like to play it out to be:
CHOOSE OR DIE (dir: Toby Meakins) Netflix
Toby Meakin’s first feature film follows a broke college dropout pursuing an unclaimed $125,000 prize by playing an 80’s survival horror game that turns out to be more rooted in reality than fiction.
That’s right dear reader, you heard it here first. I enjoyed “Choose or Die” more than “Resurrection”, “Men” or “You Won’t Be Alone”. Let’s discuss that.
“Choose or Die” feels like a techno-”Final Destination” (although “Final Destination” is undeniably better) and feels straight out of the mid-2000’s. This is the type of fun horror that people would watch growing up and remembering the movie to be better than it was.
But of course, we live in the age of whenever an average movie comes out, people treat it like it’s the worst movie to ever be made, all copies need to be burned, etc. If “Choose or Die” is the worst movie you’ve seen all year, you need to watch more movies.
“Choose or Die” is an inoffensive throwback to cheesy mid-2000’s horror, which granted is certainly not everyone’s vibe, but a lot of the people complaining about this movie are the ones who claim to want those type of movies to be made again.
It gets a little too tangled up in its own rules near the end and there’s certainly a scare or two that comes across more funny than scary but if you’re in the mood for a cheesy horror movie, you can certainly do worse.
Next, we have a South African Shudder original.
GOOD MADAM (dir: Jenna Cato Bass) Shudder
Jenna Cato Bass’s film follows Tsidi, a single mom who moves in with her estranged mother, who’s a live-in caretaker for the mysterious, catatonic ‘Madam’.
There is certainly a lot to appreciate of “Good Madam”. An interesting story, good performances, solid direction and intriguing themes. What stops the film from going into the best section, is the supernatural elements not cohering with what occurs. By the end of the film, the supernatural aspects actually make things quite confusing.
It was really effective at being psychological horror when it focused on our character’s family dynamics and trying to figure out this ‘Madam’ and it should’ve stuck with that subgenre, the supernatural parts feel kind of like an after thought.
It’s kind of a shame, it really could’ve been something special if the filmmakers really horned in on the psychology of the family themes than going a supernatural route.
Next we have another Shudder original, a Dutch one.
MOLOCH (dir: Nico van den Brink) Shudder
Nico van den Brink’s first feature follows Betriek, a woman who is convinced something ancient is hunting her after being attacked by a random stranger.
“Moloch” is a very interesting one. I had higher hopes for this since the director, Nico van den Brink, has two films set up with James Wan based off of his short films. Brink’s short films have not been uploaded to the internet yet, but I eagerly await them.
Don’t get me wrong the film is solidly executed, with some good scares and sequences however I was expecting something a little more…lively, I guess is the way to say it? It felt like it played it too safe creatively at times.
However, this is still a pretty solid attempt. The few scenes that take place outdoors at night have wonderful atmosphere and I really wish we’d gotten more of them. I also really, really liked the ending. Definitely closer to the best section than the worst, but overall I didn’t really love it.
Up next, we have maybe the most divisive option.
MAD GOD (dir: Phil Tippett) Shudder
Phil Tippett’s stop motion animated horror follows ‘The Assassin’ through a world of wretched and torturous monstrosities.
“Mad God” is a very weird, odd film to describe. I had absolutely no clue what I was getting into when I watched it, nor did I understand what was occurring for a good while (I had to look up the story) but half-way through it really clicked for me.
This is a nightmarish, utterly bizarre ride that makes you feel like you are on the worst acid trip. The animation is unique and feels kinda unnatural, which works in the movie’s favor. Definitely NOT for everyone, and I seem to fall into a gray area on this one.
I appreciate what this movie is and what it’s trying to do and it’s certainly one of the most unique viewing experiences I’ve had this year, but not one of my favorites.
Coming up, we have a Canadian gateway sci-fi horror with surprisingly good effects.
SLASH/BACK (dir: Nyla Innuksuk) Mongrel Media
Nyla Innuksuk’s debut film follows a group of Inuit girls in a remote Arctic community who fight to protect their town that has been invaded by aliens.
“Slash/Back” has a great setting and a great premise that it mostly lives up to. What I personally was most surprised by was just how good the special effects were. The alien/creature effects are so cool and unique, it’s a shame the rest of the movie doesn’t ever surpass those cool effects.
The performances are good, direction’s solid, it’s just the script that needed a rewrite to flesh out the characters and their motivations.
Next, we have a Taiwanese Netflix original.
INCANTATION (dir: Kevin Ko) Netflix
Kevin Ko’s found footage film follows a woman who believes she needs to protect her child from a curse.
“Incantation” definitely has its ambitions, it’s longer than a normal found footage movie and puts in the work to make you care about the lead and her conflict.
I think there’s some solid work done here (unfortunately there are still music cues…in a found footage movie), Hsuan-yen Tsai’s lead performance is solid and the ending interestingly reflects more on the sad side than the scary one.
I really like it, however I can’t say it’s particularly memorable for me.
Next, we have a pick that most people will have a problem with.
TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (dir: David Blue Garcia) Netflix
This picture will probably represent your face reading this. “How in the hell is this not in the worst section?”. You’ll see.
I know, I know, you’re shocked, you’re horrified, you’re betrayed. Well let’s talk about it.
To start off, this new “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is not good. It has one of the most baffling screenplays I have seen in a while. I cannot believe that Legendary was looking for ways to revive this franchise after acquiring the rights and chose this script.
This movie wants to touch on influencer culture, it wants to have themes of gun control and school shootings and racism in the south, however it touches on all of these subjects so unbelievably bad. I truly don’t have any clue what it wants to say about either topic.
At worst, it reads like “Listen school shooting survivors, you can find courage to move on by shooting someone” or “See how much of an asshole you were for asking an old woman to take down her Confederate flag”.
Now that we got that dreadful script out of the way, let’s talk about why this is on the list: FUN.
Remember, not everything on my lists are objective, these are my personal opinions. They reflect how much I would re-watch something or how much I still think about a project after viewing.
I had so much fun watching this. Minus the weird, out of touch attempt of social messaging, this feels like this could’ve been released in like 2002. It doesn’t overstay its welcome with only an hour and thirteen minutes of footage. Also Ricardo Diaz’s cinematography was nice, there some really beautiful landscape shots near the beginning.
There’s some really good gore here and the crown jewel of the film, the party bus sequence is easily one of the most fun sequences to come from a movie this year. I also gotta give it some props for its bold ending, I wish more movies had the guts to end like that.
So is it well-acted? Not really. Is it well-directed? …Kinda. Is it good? …No.
Is it fun? Absolutely. And that’s enough.
Upcoming, we have a band starring in their own horror-comedy.
STUDIO 666 (dir: B.J. McDonnell) Open Road Films
Foo Fighters star as fictionalized versions of themselves as they move into a creepy house to record their new album.
“Studio 666” is exactly how it sounds. Whether or not that sounds like a good time to you, completely depends if you like goofy, gory comedies.
The Foo Fighters are clearly having a lot of fun here and that energy is infectious through the screen. It also sure is nice to see Taylor Hawkins (RIP).
Not all the jokes land but if you’re up for it, it sure is a lot of fun.
Next, we have a perfectly fine, average haunted house movie.
THE CELLAR (dir: Brendan Muldowney) Shudder
Brendan Muldowney’s fourth feature follows Kiera Woods, who’s daughter goes missing in the cellar of their new house and discovers a powerful, ancient entity who are after her family’s souls.
I think people were too harsh on “The Cellar”. It isn’t amazing by any means but I thought the demon that was chosen to be the entity was one we haven’t seen much before of in these movies. The mathematical element was also a cool angle.
It’s nice seeing Elisha Cuthbert in another horror project ('“House of Wax” is genuinely a great slasher) and the direction is serviceable. I don’t know, I just didn’t think this one was bad. It isn’t great either, but it’s worth a viewing on Shudder.
Give it a watch, it might surprise you.
Next, we have a collaboration between Epix and Blumhouse.
UNHUMAN (dir: Marcus Dunstan) Paramount Home Video
Marcus Dunstan’s second film with Blumhouse follows a group of high school students who have to fight for survival against savages after a bus crash.
As if it’s tagline doesn’t already tell you (“The dead will have this club for breakfast”), “Unhuman” is a homage to the teen comedies of the 1980’s (cheesy dialogue that clearly a 40-year old wrote, the 30-year old actors playing 17) and absurdist horror-comedies of the 1990’s (‘Idle Hands’ comes to mind for me). Unfortunately, it doesn’t excuse the movie from having a pretty unexciting first act and pretty awful characters.
Brianne Tju gives a good performance as the lead and there’s a twist that happens about an hour in that kind of changes a lot of things and it worked for me and I think it really found its footing there in the final act.
Also, I am a sucker for movies with overall good-natured endings, so even though this probably should’ve went in the bad section, I still got enough enjoyment from this that elevates it to the middle section.
Here, we have a dark, cringe comedy.
ALL MY FRIENDS HATE ME (dir: Andrew Gaynord) Super LTD
Andrew Gaynord’s first film follows an insecure man named Pete, who is reuniting with his college friends for a birthday weekend and feels…out of place.
“All My Friends Hate Me” attempts to blend awkward cringe comedy with a paranoia edge and it does a fine job at it. The film is well-written, the direction behind the camera is fine, the acting’s good, it’s well-shot.
I think there’s a plot development later in the film that feels kinda dumb that took me out a bit from the really well-formed atmosphere from before, but it doesn’t ruin the film or anything.
It just isn’t very memorable for me.
Next, we have another Blumhouse and Epix collaboration.
TORN HEARTS (dir: Brea Grant) Paramount Home Video
“Torn Hearts” follows a promising country-music duo who travel to the hidden mansion of their idol Harper Dutch, who’s been out of the public eye for decades. What starts as a friendly visit turns strange very quickly.
I’m gonna contradict myself here.
The first time I watched this I really liked the slow build of the first two acts and thought that the third act’s fast pace and kinda unnatural ending put me off.
The second time I watched this it was the opposite. I thought the slow build of the first two acts is what hurt the movie, with the third act being the most interesting part.
What is the truth? I don’t know. I still think the ending is a bit unnatural, even though I’m completely aware why it ends the way it does.
Katey Sagal is having a lot of fun here and I say her performance alone is worth a one-time watch. It’s pretty fun and pretty interesting when it wants to be, but there’s a structural issue in there for me somewhere.
Next, we have probably the most well-acted project on this list.
THE RIGHTEOUS (dir: Mark O’Brien) Arrow Video
Mark O’Brien writes, directs, produces and acts in his feature debut that follows a grieving man who questions everything after he and his wife are visited by a strange, disturbed man.
“The Righteous” is well-written, well-directed, well-performed, well-shot, well-lit and has a fascinating moral center at the forefront. I like the ending, but it just wasn’t very memorable for me.
There was also one effect near the end that was executed so shockingly poor, it looked like an amateur YouTube short. Overall, it is very good, it just didn’t leave an impact with me.
Next, we have a bottle thriller based off the novel of the same name.
NO EXIT (dir: Damien Power) Hulu
This single-location thriller follows a recovering addict who ends up stranded at a rest stop during a blizzard and discovers a kidnapped child hidden in a car that belongs to one of the people inside the building and has to identify who among them is the kidnapper.
“No Exit” is an enjoyable little thriller. It has good production values, good performances, a good twist and a bloody good finale.
There are some inconsistencies within the imperfect script, but overall it’s a fun, interesting thriller for a chilly day.
Next, we have the first film I saw at this year’s Sundance film festival.
FRESH (dir: Mimi Cave) Hulu
Mimi Cave’s first feature follows a young woman named Noa, tired of dating apps, who gives her number to a charming guy named Steve she meets at a grocery store. The less you know the better.
Mimi Cave’s feature debut is bold, darkly funny and pretty fun when it wants to be.
My favorite part of the movie I think is actually the first 35 minutes before the title card drops. Unfortunately, I don’t think it goes as dark as it should’ve, going for a more dark comedy approach. Which is fine and all, but when you're dealing with a topic this horrific, it never fully feels like it delves into it, opting to instead show flashes of it.
Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar Jones give very solid performances and Lauryn Kahn’s script is pretty well-contained, although there certainly could’ve been a re-write to fully flesh (no pun intended) out the themes.
Next, we have a brutal revenge movie.
BULL (dir: Paul Andrew Williams) Saban Films
“Bull” follows a vicious mob enforcer who resurfaces after a decade to find his son and track down the gang that double-crossed him.
Neil Maskell gives a great performance as the titular Bull, knowing when to intimidate and when to be off-putting, sometimes both at the same time.
It’s well-written, well-acted with a cool ending.
What puts this in the middle section instead of the best, is the back and forth storytelling used in the movie. We’re cutting back and forth between ten years ago versus now, and it’s honestly hard to tell when cause everyone looks the exact same.
There is no attempt to distinguish a decade ago versus now. It makes for some confusing moments that could’ve been easily avoided.
Next, we have an interesting update to the home invasion thriller.
SEE FOR ME (dir: Randall Okita) IFC Midnight
“See For Me” follows a blind former skier named Sophie who is cat-sitting in a secluded mansion and must use an app named ‘See For Me’ for help when three thieves break into the house.
Not gonna say too much into this one, but I implore you go into it blind, no watching any trailers or anything (Honestly just avoid trailers all together, they give everything away).
The lead performance is good, the direction’s good, there’s some nice tension and it has a pretty satisfying ending. It’s a fun crowd-pleaser, although there definitely are some logic issues.
Up next, we have a psychological thriller starring Andrea Riseborough that was released quietly earlier in the year.
HERE BEFORE (dir: Stacey Gregg) Saban Films
Stacey Gregg’s feature debut follows Laura, a mother who is captivated by a family moving in next door. Laura is particularly fascinated with the neighbor’s little girl, who reminds Laura of her own daughter that passed away years ago.
“Here Before” is an interesting dramatic thriller that tackles the idea of reincarnation and looking for meaning in mundane things. Andrea Riseborough is excellent as always and Gregg’s direction is inspired.
Why it falls here instead of best, is sometimes it’s pacing is a bit too slow and unfortunately the twist is quite predictable.
Next, we have a Sandra Oh-starrer.
UMMA (dir: Iris K. Shim) Sony Pictures Entertainment
Iris K. Shim’s first scripted feature follows a woman named Amanda who lives on an American farm with her daughter, who becomes haunted by the fear of turning into her mother when her mother’s remains arrive from Korea.
I understand why a lot of people didn’t like this one, but I stand by it as it being fine. Sandra Oh’s excellent as always and I think Iris K. Shim knows how to stage a horror sequence.
What makes this stand above for me, is the characters feeling real. The teens in this movie aren’t stereotypical bullies (well, for the most part) and Amanda herself feels like a real mom. It’s true, the stakes and threat are never painstakingly high, but the overall message is nice. It’s also cool to see some Korean lore here as well.
Next, we have an intriguing mystery.
OFFSEASON (dir: Mickey Keating) RLJE Films
Mickey Keaton’s “Offseason” follows a woman named Marie, who travels to a desolate town after being informed that her mother’s grave has been vandalized and getting caught in a nightmare when the island’s gate closes for the season.
“Offseason” feels like a video game. It goes too heavy on the fog machines at times but it feels like a horror game thats focused way more on atmosphere and setting an eerie scene, than giving you jumpscares and gore. It gives you disturbing images occasionally, but overall it feels more like setting up a scene.
The effects, whenever there are any, are used the right amount. The acting is solid, the ending’s solid, but overall it just isn’t one of my favorite viewing experiences of the year.
Next we have a film that really grew on me the more I thought about it.
A BANQUET (dir: Ruth Paxton) IFC Midnight
Ruth Paxton’s first film follows a widowed mother who is tested when her teen daughter Betsey experiences an enlightenment and insists her body is no longer her own and stops eating.
I really wasn’t a fan of this one when I first watched it, but interestingly enough, the more I thought about it, the more I liked it.
It is too slow for its own good and not all the performances hit, but I think it builds tension in a unique way (scraping plates) and there are some interesting themes to think about.
And last but not least, we have a controversial Taiwanese film.
THE SADNESS (dir: Robert Jabbaz) Shudder
“The Sadness” follows a young couple pushed to the limits of sanity as they attempt to reunite amid the chaos of an outbreak of depravity and violence.
“The Sadness” definitely gets depraved at times. Sometimes, a little too depraved that I don’t think I could recommend this to someone without a content warning.
“The Sadness” is very well-shot and well-acted with really solid special effects. It’s so aggressively not for everyone, but I think it’s a fascinating exercise in brutal-ness.
FINALLY IT’S DONE! This took me such a long time to make, cause there were so many films that I kinda just gave up on writing in-depth on the last few.
I hope you enjoyed, the best films will most likely come Sunday, hopefully. Then, we’ll get into some new topics.
Sorry for any potential grammatical errors and I’ll see you next week (hopefully)!