Reviews

A different kind of serial killer story. More to do with the fascination of killings, rather than a story about killings.

One one hand, you have your actual serial killers, and then there's those who are absolutely fascinated with them.

In this case, it's a curious fascination that turns into obsession - a very unhealthy obsession.

I know of people who are very into their serial killer crime history, as well as fictional stories in both the book and TV format. All of these people happen to be women for some reason. Two of whom are colleagues and love their true crime stuff - with emphasis on serial killers - and a couple of months ago we were at my wife's friend's place, and apparently her friend is only interested in watching true crime murder docs and serial killer stuff.

I'm not sure I'd want to know their web history, but they're otherwise lovely people.

But in The Red Spider our protagonist goes a few steps further. Because when he comes across a freshly murdered body, of a child no less, he doesn't freak out, or even report the body. His reaction, a very subtle one, is simply one of surprise and curiosity; as if finding a dead animal. He suspects the culprit is a man that's just walked back to a crowd of people that are about to get on a bus (they were at an evening fanfare site), and so begins 'the stalking'.

Over time, our protagonist somewhat befriends the killer and is clearly interested with getting in on the action, but whether he can go ahead with committing such a terrible deed himself is another matter.

Does he even have it in him? Or does he merely fancy the idea of it?

I suppose that's the concept the film is trying to sell. The film's third act, however, takes a very different turn, in which the young man - Spoilers here on - failing to go through with a killing of his own, does 'the next best thing'. He decides to take credit for all the murders himself (what a cheat!) and 'confesses' it all to the police.

Now I'm sure there's countless studies on the psychology of what makes killers tick, of what motivates them and what the act means for them. But how messed up must one be to simply want to take all the credit for some pretty gruesome murders, without actually having done anything. They're basically throwing their life away for infamy in return.

I would maybe understand if this was someone serving a life sentence in some godforsaken prison and fancied making a name for themselves. Instead, this concerns a bright young lad with his whole future ahead of him, skilled as an expert diver at school, with present but typically quiet and serious parents (normal for that period), and even the good looks to find a suitable love interest.

Is he so far gone that he finds his life and future so meaningless that he'd rather be known as the most prolific serial killer that his country has ever had?

What about the shame to his family? The shock to everyone who ever knew him? The hated figure that he will inevitably become?

On the other hand, maybe that's a notion he eventually gets off on. Generations to come will study his wicked nature as one of the faces of evil. Others, like him, will look upon his brutal acts with curious fascination, and stories will be written inspired by his crimes. (Despite being a killer fraud.)

Maybe some people wish to live forever only in name, no matter the cost or reason - even if it means being one very disturbed individual.

Even as a fictional piece, there's something very captivating in the psychological theory behind this premise.

A journalist goes to Veracruz, to follow up a story Don't enter the caves, she's told, coz it's no-go territory Nevertheless, good reporters will go where it's forbidden And next thing you know, she's possessed by a demon So she's shackled up in a bungalow, where they exorcise the evil Alas, this thing's primeval, and hungry for some weasel But all they have is goat milk, so offer that instead At this, the demon goes red, turns into pinhead, and curses like a right-wing skinhead Needless to say, our beloved quartet are less than happy It was, after all, meant to be a homely ceremonious party For you see, the journalist had returned to her ancestral home And so far, the demon was just being a pain in the colon So they revert to the old ways Which ends in a blaze Then they live happily ever after In a house full of laughter.

Everyone in this is just so content.

A quiet and somewhat poetic little movie, and retaining a stable decibel level throughout it's duration; even, impressively, when there's a dramatic outburst in a bar with a man and a gun. So it's a good movie to sleep to, for those who actively participate in dozing off on the couch in front of the TV.

Now personally, I don't tend to only enjoys films where stuff happens. I'm often happily entertained with very little going on, so long as a film is very character driven, pretty to look at, or music to my ears. Sadly, this didn't deliver much on that front, but I guess I appreciated it anyway?

I'm glad someone finally saw beyond Jillian Bell's sidekick-funny-gal act and cast her in a proper leading role, because she can carry a movie just fine and has proved to be more than the funny supporting character.

In what might seem like a lighthearted romcom soon turned earnest and true to life. Because just when I thought things were going great for our protagonist, after dumping her fake friend and hooking up with a decent enough guy that respected everything about her, it all turned sour and I got bummed out. I just wanted her to be happy! But all of that should have been expected, considering it's loosely based on a real person.

Maggie Gyllenhaal delivers an astounding performance in the portrayal of this middle-aged middle-class mother and wife, who's young creative streak and passion fell to the wayside as life took over. She's not quite broken when we're first introduced to her, but quickly unravels once she discovers a boy with a rare gift within her midst. That is when she wakes up to the realisation that life has just passed her by, any dreams and aspirations she may have had in her youth having faded, merely existing within her own shadow, rather that separate from it. A zombie life; much like most of us. But most of us are content with that. Most of us are just happy being in good health, keeping a steady job and have a family that's more or less fine and with a roof over our heads.

But for Lisa, the kindergarten teacher, this is suddenly not enough. So much so, that it's worth risking her job, marriage and way of life in order to protect and nurture the gift of a (very) young prodigy. However, this goes beyond rational thinking and behavior, as it quickly devolves into disastrous obsession. Which makes me question this person anew. It seems like such a shocking turn of events for someone that seemed to keep their head on straight for - presumably - their entire life up until that point. And that's the reason why I simply can't give this film a higher score. It's too far fetched for me to believe that this woman, a responsible kindergarten teacher, suddenly does all these things that will so obviously get her in trouble - with everyone. That she would not be smart enough to think things through before acting them out seems unrealistic to me; especially because this is a film that bases its story and characters in the real-life world we live in, and not an imaginary one.

To note a few things: Singling out one of the kids to take them out for a private chat during nap-time, and not once, but at least three times from what we are shown on screen, is sure to raise some red flags with your colleagues. But at no point did this teacher think this would be an issue to worry about. Taking someone's pre-school kid to a late night poetry reading, full of profanity and all, which also happened to be a bar, without the parent's permission, is downright wrong. But the cherry on top was not returning him back to his parent(s) that same night and then getting upset when said parent was furious about it. And the biggest, the one that would indefinitely bury everything she worked for throughout her life, was the kidnapping she so blatantly followed through with, which was planned beforehand.

I simply couldn't believe that this person's newfound obsession would take over her life so completely, to the point of self-destruction that she would have been fully aware of.

Gosh, I really really wanted to like this. I wanted to be blown away by it even. I hate it when I go in with high expectations, because it leaves me so vulnerable to overwhelming disappointment.

My initial mistake was comparing this to the initial impression the original Suspiria had left on me. And despite the possibility of discovering to have a different view of the original if I were to re-watch it today, one thing will remain intact, and that's the original musical score by Goblin; which permeated throughout the movie in sinister fashion, like a wicked demon, its slithery reptilian tongue caressing the back of your neck and unnerving your senses. It was occultish in nature, satanic even; perfect for a tale about a witches' coven.

Whereas the new Suspiria chooses to tread a more 'realistic' approach by keeping the musical score to a minimum, relying instead on developing tension by natural means. Except it doesn't quite pay off, because nothing here ever truly comes close to creepy or frightening. And the running-time... sweet devils, there's no justification for this to clock in at two and a half hours. If it had given us a more in-depth character development on the malevolent nature between the school's Madames, or focus more on deepening the relationship between the new girl (Dakota) and her friend Sara (Mia Goth), then maybe that would warrant a longer version. As is stands, it's a bit of a slog; and that's me being polite.

Thing is, I love a good arthouse horror and I'm no stranger to lengthy quiet dramas where nothing much happens. But those types of movies rely on raw realism, a slice of life so real that when something does happen, it can be devastating or moving. You'd think that taking that approach and adding the element of eerie mystery, witches and grisly content would elevate this above all else. But sadly, the elements were lost on me. Or rather, they never materialised in a manner that would instil any sense of excitement or make me care about any of it.

I heard beforehand about the final act so I held off until then, expecting it to really amp the sheer horror of what this coven was all about. The infamous Sabbath. The awakening of Mother Suspiriorum. Well, it turned out to be quite a spectacle. Unfortunately, it was a laughable one. Am I alone in thinking how Mother Markos resembles Jabba the Hutt from 70's Star Wars? It's basically Jabba the Hutt's little sister - with sunglasses. And why does she need sunglasses? I understand if sunlight or bright lights would give her a migraine, but she's underground in poorly lit environments!

Now I fully respect Tilda Swinton playing three different roles in the film. If you like a slice of Swinton, then you get a fair share of her in this. But it was totally unnecessary and not as good as it could have been. I knew there was something off with the Dr. Klemperer character the minute I laid eyes on him. The make-up was just too much, giving away the fact that someone else, much younger, was hiding beneath that mask. I was unable to immerse myself in the movie every time this character made an appearance.

There's so much more I could add but I'm already boring myself going on about how disappointed I was with this.

Everyone brings their A game here, but most notable, is the ever-so-natural relationship between Bridges and cop partner Gil Birmingham. Bridge's character is full of endearing racial insults, which his partner is either content with or indulges in the banter in equal measure. And that's true friendship right there. And when his partner gets shot at the end, damn.. I felt that loss. And the shock and sorrow was written all over Bridge's hard edged face as if it were real, with a dishevelled manner and appearance shortly after the incident only solidifying the performance as a whole.

Also includes one of the better ending for this type of film. Instead of leaving us with a predictable gun-firing last showdown, we have a mild and civil conversation between the two remaining protagonists (rivals) - one retired and mourning his friend and partner, the other mourning his brother and racked with guilt. Both now have nothing to lose. Both willing to avenge the death of someone they were close to. It's a possible future showdown that we, the audience, don't need to witness.

I love a film that's this good which can also surprise me along the way.