V/H/S/94

 "V/H/S/94" (2021, Jennifer Reeder, Chloe Okuno, Simon Barrett, Timo Tjahjanto, Ryan Prows, Steven Kostanski, Radio Silence Productions, Bloody Disgusting Films, Shudder Original Films) is a found footage horror anthology and the fourth installment in the V/H/S franchise. 

It's 1994 and a SWAT team enter an abandoned building and discover a series of VHS cassettes which we then watch in order. 

"Storm Drain" is an entertaining story of a reporter (Anna Hopkins) and cameraman (Christian Potenza) who are investigating the sighting of local urban legend "Ratman" and enter the storm sewers to uncover the truth. Upon finding a group of people living in there, they decide it's an opportunity to do a more serious human interest story but, unfortunately for them, the local legend may be more real than they thought! 

A pretty good segment with good pacing and some fun effects. 

"The Empty Wake" is by far my favourite segment of the film. Hayley (Kyal Legend) is a young woman working at a funeral home. She's been asked to hold the wake of a man named Andrew alone at night. After a while with no visitors, she begins to try and find out more about the death of Andrew when suddenly she hears what sounds like knocking coming from the coffin...

A pretty decent jump-fest. The segment builds up slowly before unleashing the actual scares, but, once there it's pretty fast paced. Some fun effects and, even if you feel like you knew where it was going, it's a really strong execution. 

"The Subject" is a story of a mad scientist (Budi Ross) engaging in human-machine vivisection and a team of army personnel on his trail to try and rescue some of his unwilling test subjects. 

We see most of the story in first-person style through the 'eyes' of one of his creations (Shania). The segment boasts some creative camera-work and pretty impressive 'off-screen' acting from our determined 'creature'. However, the action is pretty videogame-like and did feel like it overstayed its welcome a little (and I say this as someone who likes playing videogames). But the action is truly gory and pretty satisfying to watch.

"Terror" is about a group of insurrectionists in America who are planning to attack a federal building. This segment was the weakest in my opinion and didn't hold my interest extremely well. The humour felt somewhat misplaced in comparison to the other segments, although it maintained the same level of gore. 

The wraparound "Holy Hell" is functional but not a standout part of the film, although I did enjoy the 90s advert for "The Veggie Masher". Very entertaining. 

All in all, this is the first time I've really enjoyed a V/H/S installment since the original film, and it felt pretty innovative. The pacing is still an issue, but this is part and parcel with horror anthologies as a whole. 

Available to stream on Shudder.

[Image: Shudder, et al]

Hani

Nightbooks

 "Nightbooks" (2021, David Yarovesky, Ghost House Pictures, MXN Entertainment, Catchlight Studios, Netflix) is a fun horror for kids based on the book by J.A. White.

Alex (Winslow Fegley) is a young horror fan who likes to write his own scary stories. After a disappointing horror themed birthday party, he swears never to write a scary story again and takes his notebooks down to the building's basement with the intention of burning them in the furnace. However, en route he discovers a mysterious floor of the building and enters a strange apartment, which turns out to be owned by a witch called Natacha (Krysten Ritter), who holds him prisoner and tells him he must tell her a scary story each night or else! 

While the witch sleeps, Alex and his fellow captive, Yazmin (Lidya Jewett), who has been stuck in the witch's apartment acting as her housemaid for several years, attempt to find a way to escape and unlock some interesting secrets along the way.

A fun horror aimed at kids, "Nightbooks" delivers some festive scares and action as well as some important messages about wandering into stranger's apartments. Yazmin and Alex learn to work together through the film to try and outwit the evil witch.

Sporting some great effects and a rather terrifying magic cat, "Nightbooks" is sure to appeal to young horror fans in the making and is a fun adventure for adults, too. A welcome entry to the annual Halloween countdown and somewhat reminiscent of other great kids' horrors such as "The Monster Squad" (1987).

[Image: Ghost House Pictures, et al]

Hani

No One Gets Out Alive

"No One Gets Out Alive" (2021, Santiago Menghini, The Imaginarium, Netflix).

Ambar (Cristina Rodlo) moves to Cleveland after her mother dies. As an undocumented immigrant, she finds herself at the mercy of some devious and exploitative characters, including Red (Marc Menchaca), the owner of an old boarding house who demands rent in cash up-front in exchange for not asking Ambar any questions. The boarding house is large, run-down and apparently, only accepts female tenants. Ambar experiences some odd things in the house, but chalks it up to other tenants' behaviour. Besides, she has bigger concerns like finding a job. 

After a co-worker scams her out of most of her savings and the spooky happenings in the house become more intense, Ambar seeks help from a distant cousin, Beto (David Barrera), but when he is unable to help her, she is forced to ask Red instead and this plays right into his and his brother Becker's (David Figlioli) grim plans...

A fairly serviceable haunted house story with a cast of interesting characters and exploration of some very real life horrors. The effects are good and Rodlo cuts a sympathetic protagonist who is also very resourceful. 

The film doesn't go into much detail of the history behind the spookiness and it feels a little unexplored which robs the ending of a bit of oomph. An impressive creature is present, but we don't get too much time with them and it feels less like a 'less is more' approach and more of an 'out of the blue' approach as a viewer. 

Currently available on Netflix.

[Image: The Imaginarium, et al]

Hani

Freaky

 "Freaky" (2020, Christopher Landon, Blumhouse Productions, Divide/Conquer, Universal Pictures) is a horror comedy.

Millie Kessler (Kathryn Newton) is a typical movie high school teenaged girl... she's also the school team's mascot. After getting within stabbing distance of murderer and local urban legend, The Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn), she wakes to discover that she has traded bodies with the madman and is now faced with navigating life as a middle aged, wanted man while said man's consciousness is cavorting around town in her body! 

A hilarious and well-crafted horror comedy from Landon, who also brought us the amazing "Happy Death Day" franchise. The film takes the well-known concept of "Freaky Friday" and adapts it for a slasher film experience with such wonderful ease and tongue-in-cheek hilarity. 

Vince Vaughn excels as Millie, bringing humour and heart in equal measure and then is equally terrifying as The Butcher. Similarly, Kathryn Newton, gives an excellently disturbing performance as The Butcher, countered by her time on screen as Millie.

A fun premise that delivers exactly what you want from it and in a way that is completely rewatchable. I love a good horror comedy and this is a good horror comedy.

[Image: Universal Pictures]

Hani

The Changeling

 "The Changeling" (1980, Peter Medak, Chessman Park Productions, Pan-Canadian Film Distributors).

John Russell (George C. Scott) is a composer who moves to a large rented mansion from the city after the tragic death of his wife and young daughter in a road accident. After experiencing some supernatural phenomena in the house, John begins to hope that he may have found a way to communicate with his daughter's spirit. However, the house has a dark past and John's digging instead leads him to uncover the truth behind a prominent family's history. 

A haunted house classic. The film delivers an unsettling atmosphere and a beautiful, haunting setting. The child ghost's voice still gives me the shivers and the scenes with the ball rolling around are eerie. Not a slow film, we are treated to a possessed wheelchair chase scene down a large, ornate staircase and some disturbing scenes of the murder taking place in the house as well as an eventful and satisfying finale.

George C. Scott gives a fantastic and sympathetic performance as our protagonist, John Russell. He is grief-stricken and lonely. We see him break down and we see him working to get himself back together. It's such an honest and heartfelt portrayal of a bereaved husband and father that doesn't shy away from emotion but still maintains the determined and capable characterisation of the time. John is sad and determined to sort out this haunted house business. Even if he looks completely unhinged doing it. 

Supposedly based on actual events, the unravelling of the mystery is punctuated by the reaction of the spirit in the house who is tragic but also still a petulant and demanding child. John is manipulated by the spirit, but later takes the spirit's plight on-board as his own way of dealing with his own loss. 

A genuinely beautiful and entertaining haunted house film that should be a must-see for any horror fan. 

[Image: Pan-Canadian Film Distributors, et al]

Hani

Malignant

 "Maligant" (2021, James Wan, Atomic Monster, Boom Entertainment, Boom! Studios) 

Madi (Annabelle Wallis) experiences a traumatic event. Left reeling from this and convinced that either an intruder or an intrusive force, has gained access to her home, Madi's sister, Sydney (Maddie Hasson), offers to move in and help Madi recover. However, as time goes on, Madi begins to see things - things that she could not possibly know about. Horrible things that are happening in real time, putting her under the suspicion of Officers Shaw (George Young) and Moss (Michole Briana White).

A new style for Wan, the film kicks off feeling like a much older, campier film, before jumping into more familiar territory with spooky shenanigans in a large house. But this film delivers so much more than the above. With a winding, interesting plot that hops from the bizarre to the outrageous and a gifted cast purposefully hamming it up for effect - but not too much. 

The visuals are excellently used and really appeal to me as a fan of 70s and 80s horror films, J-horror films and practical effects.  "Malignant" pays homage to Henenlotter's "Basket Case" in the best possible way. 

There's so much more to this film, but I don't want to give away too much. My advice is to go in knowing as little as possible.

[Image: Boom Entertainment, et al]

Hani

The Night House

 "The Night House" (2020, David Bruckner, Phantom Four Films, Anton, TSG Entertainment, Searchlight Pictures) is a haunted house film centred around grief.

Beth (Rebecca Hall) returns home after the funeral of her husband, Owen (Evan Jonigkeit), to the beautiful lakeside house he designed and built for them. She attempts to go about her normal life as much as possible, but at night she is haunted by increasingly disturbing and realistic dreams. She finds herself waking up in different places around the house and, against the warnings of her concerned friend, Claire (Sarah Goldberg) and neighbour, Mel (Vondie Curtis Hall), she starts to dig into Owen's secrets uncovering some things about her husband and their home that she did not know. 

A truly beautifully shot film which is slow burning and laced with intrigue. I found myself rapt for 107 minutes and even jumped at one or two places (which is not something I find myself doing often). The story straddles the daily horrors of dealing with grief with the haunted house elements very well, creating a balance rather than feeling like two different themes. The grief of Beth's loss and her building feelings of betrayal intertwine with her unravelling of Owen's life and the dreams that Beth is experiencing.

Rebecca Hall gives a wonderful performance as our protagonist, Beth. She is sad and forlorn, but she is also angry and driven to uncover the meaning behind Owen's sad fate. We feel sympathy for her, but we also appreciate that she is lashing out at those with her best interests at heart. She has such a wonderful range of emotions in every scene. We really share her emotional journey. 

The effects and styling of the haunting are captivating and creative. The use of negative space, shadows and the feeling of something being there that cannot be seen keep you watching the background of every scene for signs of 'life'. The house feels both extremely open and extremely claustrophobic. And, as we build to the climax, the presence becomes more and more threatening.

There are a few clues dropped quite early in the film that may give the game away for some of us seasoned horror viewers, but it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the journey. And I feel like the film does a good job of explaining just enough to come to a satisfying conclusion without getting too bogged down in explaining its lore and rules. 

The film has an interesting take on what happens after death which does not fully conform to the usual Christian religious leanings and I personally found this thought-provoking and unique in a genre so often tied to Christian beliefs.

Certainly a film I'm glad I watched in a cinema, but one I would also like to experience again in my own home. Although, it might make me look twice at some of our corners and furniture...

[Image: Phantom Four Films, et al]

Hani

Willy's Wonderland

 "Willy's Wonderland" (2021, Kevin Lewis, Landmark Studio Group, Baffin Media Ltd., Saturn Films, JD Entertainment, Landafar Entertainment).

A man of few, or actually no, words (Nicolas Cage) takes a job as a janitor at an abandoned family entertainment restaurant called "Willy's Wonderland" in order to pay for repairs to his car which have left him otherwise stranded in a small American town. 

The restaurant hosts some dilapidated animatronics including Willy the Weasel, Arty Alligator, Cammy Chameleon, Ozzie Ostrich, Tito Turtle, Knighty Knight, Gus Gorilla, and Siren Sara. The Janitor begins his long night shift taking short breaks to play a pinball machine and drink some energy drinks as well as occasionally change shirt. But it isn't long before he comes to learn that the animatronic animals are alive and blood thirsty.

After doing battle with one of the animatronics, the Janitor goes dutifully back to his chores, but is soon interrupted by a group of teens lead by Liv (Emily Tosta) who is hellbent on ending Willy's Wonderland's blight on the small town after her own ill-fated experience at the restaurant. 

Extremely reminiscent of the "Five Nights at Freddy's" games (which, if you're unfamiliar, are definitely worth seeking out), "Willy's Wonderland" couples an industrious protagonist just trying to do his job in spite of a menagerie of killer animatronics, with perhaps, understandably, a little less intrigue than the games. 

The premise is fun and Cage delivers an entertaining performance as the silent, straight faced Janitor, just dealing with things as they come up. 

The action does become a little samey and perhaps 8 animatronics was a little many, however, the film doesn't outstay its welcome at 88 minutes of run time and certainly delivers a fun and innovative collection of kills. 

Definitely worth checking out. 

[Image: Saturn Films, et al]

Hani

PG: Psycho Goreman

"PG: Psycho Goreman" (2020, Steven Kostanski, Raven Banner Entertainment, RLJE Films, Shudder) is a Canadian horror comedy. 

Two kids; the Tyrannical Mimi (Nita-Josee Hanna) and her browbeaten older brother, Luke (Owen Myre); accidentally release a murderous intergalactic warrior called The Duke of Nightmares (played by Matthew Ninaber and voiced by Steven Vlahos), whom Mimi renames Psycho Goreman or "PG" for short (much to PG's chagrin).

Finding that, with the crystal taken from PG's prison cell, they have control over the deadly alien, a relentless Mimi, anxious Luke and their soon-to-be-regretful friend, Alastair, proceed to have some wacky, gruesome fun as well as introducing PG to Luke and Mimi's hilarious parents (Adam Brooks and Alexis Hancey). However, a group of equally entertaining hunters from PG's home planet of Gigax are now hunting PG down. Will the plucky kids help their murderous friend evade retribution? Will they find out if PG has a taste for hunky boys? Only time will tell!

A hilarious, ridiculous, gooey and tastelessly wild ride. PG will win you over with sarcasm and violence, and amazingly Power Rangers-chic practical effects. I had the best time! Easily my favourite film of 2021 so far.

[Image: Raven Banner Entertainment, et al]

Hani

Adverse

 "Adverse" (2020, Brian Metcalf, Black Jellybeans Productions, Potato Eater Productions, Red Compass Media, Lionsgate).

Ethan (Thomas Nicholas) is trying to make up for a shady past. He is the sole guardian of his little sister, Mia (Kelly Arjen), and is barely making ends meet with a job as a ride share driver. His life is about to turn upside down, however, when it transpires that Mia has gotten herself into debt with some dangerous people. Taking the job as the driver for chief gangster, Kaden (Mickey Rourke), Ethan infiltrates the crime syndicate in an attempt to exact some revenge.

A dark tale with no true winners. The film starts off as a gritty neo noir thriller before ramping up into a more action driven piece. We follow Ethan as he reluctantly invades the criminals' operation, driving not only Kaden around, but also his associate Jake (Matt Ryan), who is suspicious of Ethan and has an unpredictable temper. Ethan also has to win over the other gang members in order to work his way up to Kaden; swallowing his pride to get close to them. 

The film takes its time to introduce Ethan, Mia and their world before ramping up in pacing. We meet Ethan's parole officer, Dr. Cruz (Lou Diamond Phillips) and his overbearing ride share boss (Sean Astin) and are introduced to his lonely, chain-smoking neighbour. Metcalf himself appears as the desperate nightclub owner and drug dealer who sets the whole sorry tale into motion. 

As Ethan's world begins to collapse, he attempts to take back control. The film boasts some impressively violent scenes and a fantastic 'first shooter' (or should I say, 'first tyre iron') style scene in a warehouse that demonstrates that Ethan has been pushed over a line he will not be able to come back from. 

Despite the short time we spend with the characters, the cast bring a depth to them. Mickey Rourke delivers an excellent performance as the ailing crime boss, Kaden, who is both disgusted at but resigned to continue his crime legacy. The film also lets Thomas Nicholas pull away from the more comedic roles he's known for to deliver the sympathetic, but gritty performance as lead man, Ethan. Kelly Arjen brings out the vulnerability in the feisty, headstrong Mia. And Matt Ryan's Jake is a quick tempered sadist who takes pleasure in violence, but also has a separate, softer façade for the outside world.

Available now on several VOD services in the US and also available to purchase on Region 1 DVD. The film is also playing the Ramsgate International Film Festival in the UK on 3rd June 2021. Hopefully, it will roll out onto other platforms globally in the not too distant future.

[Image: Lionsgate, et al]

Hani

Dave Made a Maze

 "Dave Made a Maze" (2017, Bill Watterson, Gravitas Ventures, Butter Stories, Dave Made an LLC, Foton Pictures).

Annie (Meera Rohit Kumbhani) comes home from a weekend away to find a large cardboard thing in her livingroom. To make things weirder, the large cardboard thing contains her boyfriend, Dave (Nick Thune). Dave warns Annie not to enter his 'maze' for fear of getting lost and explains that he has been trapped within his cardboard creation for the full duration of Annie's trip. When Annie attempts to lift the maze to reveal Dave, Dave yells out and Annie decides to heed his warning. Confused, Annie seeks help from their friend, Gordon (Adam Busch), who then seeks the help of; Harry (James Urbaniak) and his film crew (Frank Caeti and Scott Narver), Leonnard (Scott Krinsky), Brynn (Stephanie Allynne), Greg (Tin Nordwind) and Jane (Kirsten Vangsness). Because that's not enough people to ponder this cardboard conundrum, they also bring over a local homeless man (Rick Overton) and two Flemish tourists (Drew Knigga and Kamilla Alnes).

After some pizza and a lot of pondering, the party decide to enter the cardboard maze. To their surprise, they discover that Dave was not lying and that the inside of the maze is much greater than its exterior looks. To their utter surprise, however, it soon becomes apparent that this maze has a mind of its own and that the maze's cardboard inhabitants may actually be dangerous. Can they find Dave and exit this maze or will they all meet a cardboardy doom?

A fantastically creative piece from the concept to the set design, to the characters. This film is so hard to put into any particular category. It really has to be experienced, to believe. The maze is a wonderfully inventive and sometimes creepy idea. It has an almost nostalgic feel to it. Like the cardboard equivalent of a Henson production. 

The cast deliver an excellent off the wall performance that fits the film so well, in it's otherworldliness. It was nice to see Adam Busch as a familiar face, and Meera Rohit Kumbhani is excellent as Annie. 

The film is not without its dark sides and we experience a surprisingly poignant reflection on serial project abandoner, Dave, and his relationship with his friends, Annie and also with himself. 

At 80 minutes, the film does not overstay its welcome and its sheer inventiveness keeps you engaged as a viewer. A genuine delight that is so worth checking out. You can't know entering the maze whether it's your thing or not. You just have to go in and find out.

Currently streaming on the Arrow Player and available to purchase elsewhere.

[Image: Dave Made an LLC, et al]

Hani

The Stylist

"The Stylist" (2020, Jill Sixx Gevargizian, Sixx Tape Productions).

Claire (Najarra Townsend) is a lonely, awkward woman and a hair dresser. She wishes she could be someone else and, occasionally, she takes this desire to extremes...

When she is asked by an acquaintance, Olivia (Brea Grant), to be her wedding hairstylist, Claire finds herself invited into Olivia's life... and, what's more, she finds herself wanting Olivia's life...

A dark tale about obsession. We feel for Claire despite the atrocities she commits; she is awkward and intense, people don't know how to take her. She is obsessed with becoming someone else; being accepted. These obsessions lead her from gruesome act, to gruesome act in her unrelinquishing desire to become these other women. 

More of a thriller than a slasher, the film has a fairly slow pace that is punctuated by the violent and bloody murders Claire commits. She is methodical, determined and almost whimsical in her pursuit of becoming someone else. 

Her odd behaviour sets off red flags around Olivia's friends, but their catty remarks just spur the obsession further on and eventually this leads to Claire's crescendo in a final, shocking act that closes the film in a memorable way.

Beautifully acted and with some very nice and bloody effects.

Despite some slower pacing in the middle, The Stylist is a really interesting film and delivers a feature film that truly builds on the powerful 2016 short of the same name. 

Currently available to stream on the Arrow Player.

[Image: Sixx Tape Productions]

Hani

Saint Maud

"Saint Maud" (2019, Rose Glass, Escape Plan Productions, Film4 Productions,  British Film Institute).

We meet Katie (Morphydd Clark); covered in blood, sitting on the floor. She is a nurse. On a gurney beside her lies a deceased patient. Katie is distraught, having failed to save them. 

Some time later we meet Katie again, but she has found God and reinvented herself. Now known as Maud, she takes a position as a private, live-in palliative care nurse to a wealthy dancer and choreographer called Amanda (Jennifer Ehle). Amanda is terminally ill and has lost the use of her legs, which as a dancer, she finds particularly hard to live with. Amanda is embittered by her situation, but Maud feels like they have a connection. When Amanda tells her of her fear of death, Maud comes to the belief that God has sent her here purposefully to save this woman's soul. Amanda perhaps further cements this belief by jokingly giving Maud a book of William Blake paintings, which are very religious in content, with an inscription penned on the cover calling Maud her 'saviour'. She also feigns a similar experience of ecstasy with Maud during a prayer.

But Amanda is still her own person and, despite Maud's best efforts to keep her "pure", Amanda enjoys too much booze, an endless supply of cigarettes, and the company of her friends. Including a friend called Carol (Lily Frazer), whom Amanda pays for sex. Maud's attempts to scare off Carol eventually lead to her own abrupt dismissal.

Distraught and furious, Maud practices self-flagellation and then gets extremely drunk. After a night of debauchery and a one-night-stand; which brings back vivid visions of her initial trauma, and a visit from an old colleague, Maud has a revelation and decides what it is she must do to fulfil her purpose as Amanda's saviour. 

An interesting film and a great character piece. Maud is a scary concept; so sure that she is in the right. Although she is not a physically imposing person, her power lies in her position as a care giver and her strong conviction. She is also continually dismissed by her peers; seen as an outcast or as harmless. 

Clark is excellent in the role as the obsessed and warped care giver and Ehle portrays the feisty, but broken spirit of Amanda with heartbreaking effect.

Maud's delusions and hallucinations are very subtle and effective and the effects and imagery slowly build up in impact throughout the film's duration. 

The locations and the contrast between Amanda's tragic life in her grand, ornate home and Maud's tragic life in her sparse bedsit, are beautifully stark.

I enjoyed the film, however, it does drag a little in places from a plot perspective. Definitely a slow burning film.

I wondered what the significance of Maud and "God's" communion being in Welsh was,  but a bit of research and an interesting interview piece I read from the director informs me that this was actually due to Glass overhearing Clark speaking Welsh to her family and it sounding good. Which, in honesty, is as good a reason as any and did inspire me to go hunting for answers in the first place!

Worth checking out, but less scary and more unsettling.

Currently available to rent from various VOD platforms, including Sky Store and Prime in the UK.

[Image: Film4 Produtions, et al]

Hani

Spree

 "Spree" (2020, Eugene Kotlyarenko, Forest Hill Entertainment,  DreamCrew, SuperBloom) is a found footage film.

Kurt (Joe Keery) is intent to go viral on social media after a kid he used to babysit, Bobby (Josh Ovalle), becomes a social media star. Taking a job as a rideshare app driver, he rigs up his car with webcams and begins his tutorial live stream on becoming viral. We follow him as he picks up and then murders customers, finding new ways to make his content increasingly interesting for his viewers. When he picks up a comedian, Jessie Adams (Sasheer Zamata), he hopes for a spike in followers, however, upon realising that his viewer figures are still low, he decides to find a more drastic way to gain notice! 

A creative and gory ride helmed by an increasingly manic, but very engaging performance by Keery. The commentary on society is far from unique, but the film manages to be both entertaining and provide a couple of surprises along the way where it did not go where I had assumed it was inevitably heading. The live stream and CCTV style works really well and does not suffer the same motion sickness impact that some more traditional found footage films seem to have. 

Definitely worth checking out. I had a genuinely good time with this one.

[Image: Forest Hill Entertainment, et al]

Hani