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taira2032
Reviews
The Vigil (2019)
Good on its own terms
Jewish mythology is full of fascinating things that can be turned into pretty decent modern suspense/horror, pity films like this are so rare. I've seen probably another 2-3 so deep in it like this at most, and they've all been good.
Liked very much how it wasn't too "Americanized" with relying on jumpscares and effects but rather on the introspective of guilt, grief and regret combined with some unsettling religious folklore (even if a bit simplified and some things weren't exactly accurate, my husband is of Jewish descent). An overally calm film but with enough suspense and thought-provoking elements giving it value. Pretty tricky balance and I think it did well with it.
Hearing some good Yiddish very much adds to it, for me at least. Loved it! And I definitely recommend it if you like "cozy", minimalistic, sort of down-to-earth and just.. human, suspense. 8/10.
Nati morti (2021)
Hey it's pretty decent if you look at it the right way
Okay so I kind of feel some need to defend the film since I'm seeing it a little unjustly slandered. If you've come across it looking for a horror/thriller in the traditional sense, with the typical gore, plot etc., yes, honestly won't be your thing, for similar weirdness but more traditionally "movie"-ish better go watch Ben Sombogaart's 2011 "Isabelle". But if you're ok with theatre, arty stage plays and alternative subculture, you'll appreciate it, or at least some elements and the atmosphere.
First off, it was definitely made by alt people, a small circle, haha maybe even a bunch of This Eternal Decay fans; didn't take me long to understand that the moment I saw the main character's short fringe/bangs, the dress style of the victim lady as well as Clizia's fashion and makeup later on, and mostly the whole theme and feel of the set, the death and taxidermy fascination and the storyline itself - certainly more or less hailing from a bunch of mature darkwave/alt/gothy people. As one myself, this immediately made me feel right at home and the film got my attention.
The story is rather unusual and original and it's not often to find a well-executed motif of one sad psycho finding a perfect match another one haha, those are always interesting and somewhere in the deep dark corners of the heart even a bit relatable and "aww". It has its flaws, surely, for example when you find dead/severely injured people in the forest you call the police or an ambulance or something, you don't just drag them home lol but hey, what horror film doesn't have that key sillyness, otherwise there would be no film you know. Then another thing that would be a big flaw for those looking for a "normal movie" is the setting - it is more like stage play, the places, the lighting, everything, it's not movie-level, it's much more like a theatre stage and I can see how that can be easily misinterpreted as simply "bad production". Another thing you'll either totally love or hate are the practical effects, I liked them - although not some big production level, were good and I liked how they took care on the detail of the colour of blood being different at different body parts and stages of decay and oxidation - that was pretty smart, not just having the same red paint sploshing everywhere.
In the end if you can forgive it the cons, the pros are certainly there. Good, fair effort from an obviously tiny crew with probably even tinier budget, acting was decent and the characters aren't "bland", they do have some depth, the atmosphere is strong and the "Europeanness" of the whole thing adds a different and unique feel to it. I liked it and actually some things in it did impress me and stuck with me and I found it strangely even memorable.
Antichrist (2009)
Don't watch it with your boyfriend..
..or maybe do. Ok even as a general von Trier fan, this film took me nearly two years to make up my mind to see it, with everything I had read about it, I got very much the impression some things in it would really rub serious salt in some pretty deep insecurities of mine to the point of overwhelming anxiety ending up always procastinating. Ohbrother how wrong I was! Believe me it's really not as shocking and graphic as everyone is engorging it to be for some reason. Weird, yes. And yes, there are some strong 'godmode-realism-in-your-face!' punches but they're short, and made in such a way that the aestheticness and the psychological theme are really balancing them out to the point in the end you're left with a unique, maybe liberating, or even some may say beautiful, in some super weird way, experience. It's just very well made. Not only I wasnt apprehensive or scared to see the film anymore, I even ended up liking it and appreciating it as a objective piece of art. Worth it! One good warning though - spare your pity for her. In the beginning you certainly feel for her and their drama as a family but somewhere halfway and onwards in the film, you WILL start hating her as sincerely and as much as he loves her. Honestly, that was some bloody ungrateful woman :/
On a side note, if I may put it this way, if "Antichrist" is the 'female', then Shinya Tsukamoto's "A Snake of June" is the 'male' to it. It's few years later production but somehow those two films go very well together. Make sure to watch "A Snake of June" before or after too. You'll understand what I mean.