Category: Horror

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I’ve talked about Sam Raimi before with my reviews of his Evil Dead trilogy, classics in their own right. While continuing to direct, Raimi and his producing partner, Rob Tapert, started the production company Ghost House Pictures in 2002. The company started producing mid-level budget horror films such as The Grudge, 30 Days Of Night, and Don’t Breathe. Around the same time, French filmmaker Alexandre Aja entered the scene in the horror film industry with 2003’s High Tension. He soon moved on to doing 2006’s The Hills Have Eyes, a remake of the Wes Craven original from 1976. Though he didn’t direct the sequel, he directed 2008’s Mirrors and 2010’s Piranha 3D, a remake of the 1978 original. Similar to Hills, Aja didn’t direct the sequel, but instead directed 2013’s Horns and 2016’s 9th Life of Louis Drax. Now, he and Ghost House have teamed up for 2019’s Crawl.

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Haley Keller (Kaya Scodelario) is an aspiring swimmer at University of Florida struggling to succeed despite her best efforts. After a recent meet, she hears news of a Category 5 hurricane about to make its way to Florida. She gets a call from her sister Beth (Moryfydd Clark) that their estranged father is not returning their calls. Concerned about his health, Haley goes against the multiple warnings and goes further towards the hurricane to find her father. She finds her father (Barry Pepper) in their old house, but he’s trapped in the basement with a huge scar. Turns out the storm caused several large alligators to get loose, and they’ve taken up residence in the Keller’s house. With her father badly injured, Haley has to find a way to escape while surviving against the onslaught of alligators. Will they survive, or will the gators leave with full stomachs?

On the surface, Crawl is nothing that hasn’t already been done before: people trapped somewhere with something attacking them. Hell, plenty of other movies have centered around killer alligators, such as Eaten Alive, Lake Placid, Alligator, and Primeval. However, what Crawl lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in its execution as everything in here works. First off, Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper are excellent as the two leads, Kaya especially giving it her all here. Though Pepper is immobile for most of it, he still has moments to shine and has great chemistry with Kaya. You really feel for these two, not just because of their situation, but because of the character development they’re given. It’s pretty standard stuff, i.e. family being separated, main character doubting their abilities, etc., but it’s very well done. It certainly helps that the two really elevate the material.

Alexandre Aja’s direction is top notch, and he really knows how to establish suspense and tension all throughout. There were so many moments where I was genuinely nervous about what would happen and if the characters would survive. As expected, the alligators are mostly CGI, but it’s done convincingly enough and probably safer than using real alligators. Admittedly, this might be more of a nitpick, but there are some moments that make the characters seemingly invincible. Without spoiling anything, there are moments where Haley is bitten on the leg and arm by alligators, but she’s fine. Of course, she does have some scratches and limps, but an alligator biting down on you would do more damage. Still, Crawl is so well-done and entertaining that moments like that are forgivable and don’t ruin the overall quality. Overall, Crawl is a fun animal attack film with great acting, directing, and thrills.

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Synopsis

Dani (Florence Pugh) has just recently suffered a family tragedy, and looks to her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) for comfort. Unbeknownst to her, he has been talking with his friends about how he’s been wanting to end the relationship. He and his friends, Pelle (Vilhelm Blomgren), Josh (William Jackson Harper), and Mark (Will Poulter) are planning a midsummer trip. Dani decides to tag along to help clear her mind, much to the chagrin of Christian and his friends. They travel to a small village in Sweden that Pelle grew up in to partake in their annual midsummer festival. At first, things seem peaceful and tranquil, if not slightly strange, but things soon take a turn for the worse. Some of the others try to leave the village, only to be met with opposition from the villagers. While Christian and friends have their suspicions, Dani comes to accept them.

Review

Hereditary was easily one of the best films of 2018, despite forgetting to include it on my best-of list. So naturally, when I heard the director of that had a new film coming out, I was sold right away. Having now seen Midsommar, I don’t think this is as good as Hereditary, but it’s still an impressive film. Acting-wise, everyone does a great job, particularly Florence Pugh, whose performance is mesmerizing. Not only is she instantly sympathetic, but she handles the more emotional scenes very well and even has some intensity. Much like his previous films, Ari clearly knows where to point the camera, as the film-making on display is exquisite. The cinematography and editing really help give Midsommar a sense of unease and disorientation, especially in the third act. On a technical level, this is easily one of the most well-made and impressive films of 2019 so far.

However, like I said before, Midsommar has some issues that hold it back from being perfect, but still great nonetheless. For one, the opening of Dani’s family tragedy doesn’t really play into what happens later on, serving merely as setup. Granted, there are times throughout the film where Dani occasionally has visions of her family after their tragedy. While Hereditary did a great job at exploring how we deal with grief and tragedy, this doesn’t explore those themes. Instead, Midsommar explores themes of toxic masculinity and challenging societal norms, particularly in Dani’s relationship with Christian. Also, the very concept of Americans visiting a foreign land and bad things happening is a story we’ve already seen. While not necessarily a bad thing, because it’s a familiar story, you can more or less determine where it’s going. Overall, Midsommar is still an impressive and worthwhile sophomore film from Aster despite some flaws.

Buy Midsommar on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Yzc52j.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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Where to watch Midsommar (2019)

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Love them or hate them, superhero movies are more popular than ever and seem to not be losing any steam. Of course, with the current flood of superhero movies, certain audiences are experiencing superhero fatigue and getting tired of them. Around the time the Marvel Cinematic Universe was starting up, Saint Louis native James Gunn brought us his superhero take. 2010’s Super, about a vigilante who goes after a crime boss after taking his wife, was a much darker take. While not as popular as Kick-Ass released the same year, the movie still maintained a cult following to this day. Given the dark material, as well as his work with Troma, it’s surprising Gunn got to work with Marvel/Disney. While making Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Gunn also produced movies like The Belko Experiment based on an earlier script. Now, he’s producing Brightburn, written by his cousin and brother.

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In the small town of Brightburn, Kyle and Tori Breyer (David Denman and Elizabeth Banks) are trying to have children. One night, a meteor crashes near their farm, and they find a baby boy inside and decide to adopt him. Twelve years later, their son Brandon (Jackson Dunn) begins to show signs of strange powers and develops a stubborn attitude. The parents notice Brandon doing strange things like chewing a fork, sleepwalking to the barn, and scaring the chickens. Soon, things get worse after he accidentally breaks the hand of classmate Caitlyn (Emmie Hunter), resulting in a two-day suspension. One night, Brandon finds the spacecraft that brought him to Earth and learns his true purpose, chanting “take the world.” Before long, people end up missing or dead, namely Caitlyn’s mom Erica (Becky Wahlstrom) and Brandon’s Uncle Noah (Matt Jones). Will Brandon be stopped or will his reign of terror intensify?

Looking at the basic premise of the film, there’s plenty of similarities between this and the origin story of Superman. However, whereas Superman came to be a hero, Brandon has come to cause mass destruction and go on a rampage. Admittedly, Brightburn doesn’t go very far with this concept, as there’s plenty of potential for something more and thought-provoking. While a disappointment, this still delivers a fairly entertaining experience for horror fans and an interesting twist on superhero movies. David Denman and Elizabeth Banks help to propel this film thanks to their strong performances, giving it their full commitment. Banks really comes across as someone who wants to be a loving mother despite what her son has done. Conversely, Denman is believable as the skeptic who realizes the threat Brandon poses and tries being the voice of reason. Their dynamic helps to add a lot to the material.

Jackson Dunn honestly isn’t terrible here, acting especially creepy when he starts acting up and going on a rampage. The rest of the cast, though not memorable, still do their jobs fairly well and don’t drag the movie down. The movie definitely delivers is in shocks and gore, highlights including glass in someone’s eye and someone’s jaw getting snapped. The climax of the film has similar suspense and gruesome gore, so fans of that should be satisfied. In all honesty, while Brightburn isn’t terrible, it’s more of a rental or $5 movie than paying full theatre price. My biggest issue with this is that there’s an interesting concept worth exploring, but not much is done with it. It’s still worth it for the performances and the big set pieces, but don’t expect much else going in. Overall, Brightburn is a fun if disposable shocker you might find some enjoyment with.

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I’ve talked before about Blumhouse and reviewed several of their films, and I’m generally a fan of their work. They’ve made some great films like Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us, Split, Sinister, Whiplash, The Gift, and Upgrade. Of course, they’re known for their franchises like Insidious, Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U, and The Purge. Granted, they’ve also put out bad movies like Unfriended, Ouija, and The Gallows, but no studio is perfect. Regardless of their overall quality, I admire Blumhouse for investing in smaller productions rather than spending millions on one film. Even if one of their films bombs like Jem and the Holograms, it’s not enough to complete sink the studio. I also respect how they take chances on otherwise ridiculous ideas and work with filmmakers that major studios would ignore. With that introduction out of the way, let’s look at their latest offering, Ma.

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Maggie (Diana Silvers) and her mother Erica (Juliette Lewis) have just moved from California to her mom’s hometown in Ohio. Not long after starting high school, she immediately makes friends with popular girl Haley (McKaley Miller) and her guy friends. They invite her to a private drinking spot, and they try unsuccessfully to get someone to buy booze for them. Eventually, they convince veterinary nurse Sue Ann (Octavia Spencer) to get booze for them, giving her the nickname “Ma”. Soon, Ma starts texting them and invites the teens to come party in her basement, which they agree to. Once their classmates starting coming and turning the basement into a real hotspot, Ma’s true nature starts to come through. As she grows crazier, the teens decide to block her, prompting her to go after them and their families. Soon, we learn what Ma’s true motivation is: revenge.

Between the poster and the trailers, it’s pretty clear that they’re bankrolling on the star power of their Oscar-winning lead. It’s easy to see why since Octavia Spencer is easily the best part of this otherwise sloppy and mediocre thriller. She almost perfectly walks the line between being sweet, friendly, and fun-loving, to psychotic, terrifying, and gleefully insane. It’s a shame that, as great as she is, the rest of the movie falls flat despite its potential. The rest of the cast, while not terrible, are mostly forgettable aside from Lewis, Luke Evans, and Allison Janney. While none of the teens are necessarily unlikable (Maggie is a decent lead), they feel more like archetypes than characters. Likewise, Tate Taylor (The Help, The Girl on the Train) directs the film competently, and there’s a few decent shots. From a film-making perspective, there’s nothing necessarily wrong here.

Honestly, the biggest problem with this movie is the tone, the movie seemingly not knowing what it wants to be. Through flashbacks, we find out that Ma was a victim of bullying, which led to her going crazy. It seems like the movie tries to give an anti-bullying message, but it’s wrecked by how ridiculous this movie gets. While there are some serious/scary moments here and there, it’s more funny and ridiculous than anything, creating tonal whiplash. It’s disappointing because it seems like this movie had potential to be great, but it never lived up to that. Given that Spencer was also a producer and she worked with Taylor on The Help, she clearly believed in it. Honestly, this might be good for a laugh or two, but don’t expect having nightmares anytime soon. Overall, Octavia Spencer’s performance slightly elevates Ma, but it’s a fairly mediocre and disappointing thriller.

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While critics were divided on the film, the original Pet Sematary was still a hit with audiences and fans. Given its success, director Mary Lambert returned to do the 1992 sequel, Pet Sematary Two. Unfortunately, the sequel was a disappointment at the box office and received negative reviews from both critics and audiences. As the decades rolled around, there were more Stephen King adaptations, but none matched the quality of what came before. However, interest in adapting King’s work was renewed thanks to the massive success of 2017’s It. Thanks to its success, many more Stephen King works are being readapted for the big screen. One such work is Pet Sematary, which is being helmed by the directors of 2014’s Starry Eyes, an underrated gem. Now, 30 years after the original film came out, we have the highly-anticipated remake/readaptation, Pet Sematary.

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Synopsis

Much like the original, this movie is about the Creed family moving to home in a small Maine town. The daughter Ellie (Jeté Laurence) stumbles across a pet cemetery in the backyard, and meets old-timer Jud (John Lithgow). The two become friends, and he’s soon introduced to the rest of the family, including father Louis (Jason Clarke). Like before, Louis works as the doctor at the local university and runs into hit-and-run victim Pascow (Obssa Ahmed). Pascow warns him not to go beyond the pet cemetery, but when the family cat Church is killed, things change. Jud suggests they burn him in the Indian burial site beyond the cemetery, leading to the cat returning. Soon, Ellie is killed by a truck, which drives Louis to want to bury her in the burial ground. She comes back to life, but not the quite the same as before.

Review

I apologize for spoiling Ellie being the one who comes back, but the trailer spoils it anyway. Comparing this to the original, it’s better in some ways, yet worse in some ways. For one, the acting overall is slightly better here, especially Jason Clarke as Louis and Amy Seimetz as Rachel. In addition, Jeté Laurence does a good job as Ellie, especially in the second half when she’s resurrected. Also, I appreciate the filmmakers trying to go in different directions as opposed to just recycling the original. Much like the original, this movie has a great mood, with lots of rolling fog and spooky woods. Tone-wise, this version is more consistent than the original, playing it more seriously and not adding odd bits of comedy. While not necessarily too scary, this version does have a very creepy and ominous vibe about it.

Unfortunately, for all this version gets right, there’s also a lot this version gets wrong, which is disappointing. For one, while John Lithgow is a good actor as always, he feels underutilized here, only serving to provide exposition. Also, while the original established a friendship between Louis and Jud, here it feels like they meet circumstantially. And despite Jason Clarke’s good acting, his character comes across somewhat bland and uninteresting, not really offering anything compelling. Plus, while it’s heartbreaking to lose a young child, it was more impactful when Gage was killed in the original. Without getting into spoilers, the third act, especially the ending, leaves much to be desired. The ending does play out differently than the original, but its execution isn’t very strong. That’s the best way to describe this remake: done differently but not executed well. Overall, this Pet Sematary tries but doesn’t recapture the original’s charm.

Buy Pet Sematary from Amazon: https://amzn.to/43upnRd.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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Where to watch Pet Sematary (2019)

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[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ z_index_tablet=”500″ global_colors_info=”{}”]Jordan Peele has had a very interesting career to say the least, having gone from comedian to horror filmmaker. Peele first entered the scene when he joined the cast of the sketch comedy show Mad TV in season nine. After the show’s cancellation in 2009, Peele, along with fellow cast member Keegan-Michael Key, created a new sketch comedy show. The show, Key and Peele, was a huge hit with viewers, and many of its skits became viral hits online. While ultimately cancelled in 2015, Key and Peele did team up again to star in the 2016 comedy film, Keanu. But then, in 2017, Peele made history with the release of his directorial debut, Get Out, which was massively successful. Not only was it one of the highest grossing films of the year, but it even got several Oscar nominations. Two years later, Peele released his highly anticipated follow-up, Us.

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Synopsis

In 1986, young Adelaide Thomas wanders off while with her folks at Santa Cruz, encountering something that leaves her traumatized. Several years later, an adult Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) and her family take a trip to their summer home for vacation. She’s accompanied by her husband Gabe Wilson (Winston Duke), daughter Zora (Shahadi Wright Joseph), and son Jason (Evan Alex). After going to Santa Cruz beach with her family triggers her past trauma, Adelaide wants to leave right away. That night, they’re visited by a family dressed in red that looks almost like them but slightly off. The doppelganger family attacks the main family, and soon similar doppelgangers show up seemingly out of nowhere and start killing. After their neighbors Josh (Tim Heidecker), Kitty (Elisabeth Moss), and their daughters are killed, the Wilson’s run for the hills. Will they survive, who are these doppelgangers, and what do they want?

Review

Us is definitely one of those rare instances where a relatively new director strikes gold twice in a row. Compared to Get Out, this is much more of a pure horror film with some thriller elements thrown in. Much like with Get Out, what makes Us work so well are the performances, especially from the lead actors. Lupita Nyong’o does a phenomenal job as always, definitely giving one of the best performances of the year so far. Winston Duke, who typically plays heavies, is convincing as your average dad who cracks jokes and cares for his family. The kids also do a good job, as do the rest of the supporting cast, given they’re playing dual roles. What’s most surprising is how they’re able to play two different versions of the same character and make it believable. There really is no performance that falls flat or drags the movie down.

While there are plenty of tense and frightening sequences, some moments are slightly ruined by comedic moments. Granted, Get Out similarly had comedic moments mixed in, but here, they seem to clash with the more intense scenes. That said, some of the more comedic elements do work, especially with how well the cast delivers it. Much like Get Out, while the premise is fairly simple, there’s a lot more going on under the surface. As the story unfolds, Us gives us some answers, but leaves the rest up to your imagination. Suffice it to say, you’ll be thinking about this well after seeing it, and you’ll have plenty of questions. Hopefully, I won’t jinx things by saying this, but Jordan Peele is on a roll with two hits behind him. Overall, while the tone is slightly off at times, Us is still a great horror film that deserves its acclaim.

Buy Us on Amazon: https://amzn.to/40xkuWY.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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Where to watch Us (2019)

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