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Reviews
The Rental (2020)
Fun!
This movie was on my radar because it combined the talents of Stevens and White and I also was curious to see Dave Franco's take on the "cabin in the woods" trope. And I wasn't really disappointed! It is not the greatest by any means but it certainly is fun! Stevens is brilliant as a character that becomes deeply unlikeable. Brie's comedic timing is perfect and juxtaposed against the slow burn tension it really works. I wish White and Vand had a little more meat because they are both great. It is a tight, moody little horror and a great little guilty pleasure movie. Absolutely loved the final scene.
Ghostland (2018)
Grim atmosphere with great potential but falls flat
This movie makes the mistake of tricking you into believing that it is one thing (that could be a pretty good if its well-executed) but then admits far too late that it cannot deliver. Or at least that is how I see it.
The initial setting and atmosphere and the general feel of the movie is perfect, grim and uncomfortable. But you soon learn that that is about it, and you can expect nothing else.
The Hostels are gory and gross and great because they know what they are.
This movie either takes itself far too seriously if it is intended to be just a scary mindless horror, or it doesn't deliver at all if it is intended to be more on the psychological horror spectrum. It falls flat in the middle.
Run Rabbit Run (2023)
The horror of trauma
I don't understand the bad reviews.
This film was uncomfortable, yes, but it is a brilliant portrayal of abject trauma and growing up with a parent that suffers from mental illness and inconsolable grief.
In as far as it is a horror it is extremely effective in that the viewer's perception vacillates between that of a parent who suffers from severe mental illness and that of her child who is subjected to her parent's increasingly confusing and terrorizing behavior.
It certainly is not a fun horror watch - band perhaps the trailer is slightly misleading, but the film itself is haunting and much more complicated and interesting than you would expect.
The acting is astounding, pure and simple. It is a heavy film with dark subject matter and probably not for anyone who wants to watch a quick, fun horror.
Old (2021)
Yikes! This dialogue?!
I love Shyamalan (even though it is sometimes hit or miss - that's fine, usually a miss is not terrible to watch either) and I love almost every single actor in this film, but this film is not great.
The characters are paper thin with the worst dialogue I have ever heard which, I would venture (and hope) is what affected the acting.
At times it is as if you are watching a skit - the delivery is so stilted that you expect a laugh track.
The age-concept is certainly not terrible and is well executed visually and contrasted with the bright location. Watching the film without dialogue would probably be a different experience.
Escape the Field (2022)
What in the world
This film is infuriating.
You are initially thrown into this film with as much insight as the main character, which is none. You wake up in a cornfield alone with no memory of how you got there and a mundane object next to you. It's not terrible and you decide you will ignore the fact that the son of the King wrote In the Tall Grass and this clearly looks to be a rip off. And the first ten minutes does not suck completely - you meet a few people who woke up in the field as well and no one has any idea of why they are there or what is going on. Plus there is some kind of thing sneaking through the cornfield picking you all of one by one. Plus there are weird robot scarecrows. Plus there are traps. Plus there are clues that make some sort of map. The film is filled with random stuff to make it interesting and then it ends in the worst most ridiculous way that is not only not explained but is so lame that there would not be any good explanation for it. The entire film is a massive waste of time.
Gaia (2021)
Visually beautiful eco-horror
An eco-horror set in South Africa's Tsitsikamma forest. The film is gorgeous with striking visuals that creates, at first, a lulling effect which gradually swells into a claustrophobic nightmare. The external horror element is cleverly hidden throughout most of the film, turning the beautiful landscape into a confusing and ever-present threat. Gabi, the protagonist and environmentalist ventures into the Tsitsikamma forest and finds a father and son living in the forest. For a South African viewer this might immediately conjure up the image of the Knysna woodcutters which adds a nice element to the story. It might not be the best eco horror and is perhaps a richer film for a South African audience but is certainly worth a watch.
Horisonne (2023)
Worth a watch
Certainly worth a watch - solid performances - a slightly scattered plot with a few logical lapses but it doesn't really detract from an otherwise creepy watch. An interesting B story which could possibly have been left leaner to flesh out the main plot or could have made for an interesting film on its own. Chameleon is fantastic and Pretorius is wonderful to watch. There are some familiar tropes and the female characters lack some depth which would have made for interesting conflict in this specific film - Postma's actions and decisions could have used a deeper insight into her character. Overall a good watch.