Review Category: Movie

by Rich Cross

Not to be confused with the 2018 ‘stalker’ TV movie of the same name, director Erik Bernard’s new domestic thriller focuses on the highly topical themes of artificial intelligence, mental health resilience and hi-tech home security. But if writers Elisa Manzini and Sara Sometti Michaels deserve credit for taking inspiration from contemporary social concerns, it’s disappointing to see them produce a story that feels anything but groundbreaking.

In the aftermath of the murder of her sister, artist Julie and husband Marcus move into an isolated rural homestead equipped with the latest in AI and surveillance technology. When Marcus is called away on urgent business, a mentally fragile Julie is left alone with only the disembodied digital assistant Hera for company. Managing her anxiety with prescription medication (and contra-indicated booze), Julie finds the isolation and the behaviour of visiting tradesmen unsettling. Remote reassurance from Marcus and others does nothing to calm Julie’s growing distress, as she becomes convinced that someone else is in the house.

Fans of the post-apocalyptic space drama The 100 may be attracted to I’ll Be Watching by the presence of real-life husband and wife Eliza Taylor (Julie) and Bob Morley (Marcus). Most screen time is spent with Taylor, rattling around her home alone and only conversing with others online and on her phone. It’s all quite pedestrian, with only the final, inevitable home invasion conjuring up any sense of peril. Given its importance to the plot, it jars that the ‘character’ of the AI Hera is so little explored. And like any new film that tries to imagine the near future of artificial intelligence, this feels immediately outdated by the game-changing emergence of ChatGPT.

I’LL BE WATCHING is available now on streaming platforms in the US.

by Vicky Lawrence

The resurgence of ‘80s-type media in pop culture is clearly on the rise; with the likes of Stranger Things bringing back iconic tracks and films, we can see that the slasher genre is also back. She Came from the Woods is an ode to those summertime, camp-side slashers that we saw so many of, with its setting and nod to the classics that we know and love (heads up, Friday the 13th, lovers!). Erik and Carson Bloomquist have revived a well-loved concept and given it a modern twist – the story of the jilted woman cursing a campground and the demise of those who dare to call her back, a Bloody Mary moment, if you will. Though this type of story has been done to death, the Bloomquists manage to bring it back without it being oversaturated and boring. We have a decent variety of character tropes, some great kills and SFX moments, and great nods to the classics that introduced us to the slasher genre. It features the likes of Cara Buono (Stranger Things) and William Sadler (The Shawshank Redemption) – and Erik Bloomquist himself appears, setting things up to be one crazy ride.

The main thing we drew from this film was that there is nothing quite like some creepy kids to really send a chill down your spine. Couple this with a decades-old curse of a sinister nurse plaguing the campgrounds and some teens that really don’t want to follow the rules of not summoning her, and we get an entertaining story, to say the least. A curse shrouded in family secrecy was bound to create some form of chaos, both figuratively and physically. Buono plays Heather McAlister, the head camp counsellor who knows the secrets behind the curse, alongside her father, Gilbert (Sadler) and her sons, Shawn (Tyler Elliot Burke) and Peter (Spencer List). It appears that the whole family knows the secret behind Nurse Agatha, apart from Peter, who plays the irresponsible one out of the two. It is through Peter that the rest of the camp counsellors summon Agatha as a joke initially, but to their horror, they conjure up a bucket of pure evil they didn’t realise existed. With the kids acting as Agatha’s murderous henchmen after she is summoned, the teens need to figure out a plan to escape her grip without dying. It’s here that we start to see chaos ensue and counsellors getting picked off one by one. We see some incredibly gnarly kills and, with Agatha’s character design as well, this is definitely one for those SFX lovers.

The first half of the film feels incredibly fast-paced, drawing you in with the story and the carnage of the children enacting Agatha’s will, but just after the halfway mark in the film, there feels like there is a small lull that seemed to last a bit too long. This was clearly used to give a nice split between the murderous moments and to give the audience some context of who Agatha actually is and why this curse exists, but it just felt a bit too long, personally. Here we find out the true reason for Agatha’s curse and the reason she is attached to Camp Briarbrook – the very classic story of a woman being wronged by a man, portrayed as monstrous and murdered for her wrongdoing (was it really her wrongdoing, though?) and thus cursing everything attached to the man who wronged her. The backstory of Agatha is quintessential of these Bloody Mary-like curses and definitely harkens back to those ghost stories you had at sleepovers or around campfires. With this in mind, the last act of the entire film is filled with blood and gore as the battle against Agatha commences. We see some incredible twists and turns throughout the entire sequence; you will find yourself shouting at the screen to try to warn our team of camp counsellors. With a good ending, bringing the story of the McAlisters full circle, we get some laughs right at the end when the carnage stops.

She Came from the Woods is the perfect summer horror flick, bringing back those feelings of warm summer nights and murderous destruction that we got from watching the likes of Sleepaway Camp and The Burning. It has everything you would want in a film like this: creepy kids, panicked teens, a wicked curse and, of course, brutal kills. The entire cast gives a great performance as the panicked camp counsellors and the possessed kids will definitely send a chill down your spine. This film is not without its funny moments; you will catch yourself giggling at the smallest things – they’re simply done but incredibly effective. We’d highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good ghost story horror, slasher fans, and those who enjoyed Fear Street 1978. Special effects fans, this is one for the watch list as well; there are some great moments that will have you asking yourself how they managed to do it. Though it had its slow moments, the Bloomquist brothers have brought back the camp-side slasher genre in an innovative way, giving the film a fresh feel but still giving us that cheesy ‘80s feel to it, without oversaturating it with all of the typical tropes. Gather your friends around one summer night and pop this film on to get the best immersive effect, but the question is…. will you say her name?

Blue Finch Film Releasing presents She Came from the Woods on digital from June 26th.

by Rich Cross

After picking up a slew of awards on the film festival circuit, writer-director Joe Bartone’s darkly humorous study of the disastrous life choices of a trio of amoral slackers will find an appreciative cinephile audience as a word-of-mouth movie-on-demand. Bartone, who also produced the film and wrote its immersive score, constructs his screenplay with more than a nod to Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, Alex Cox’s Repo Man and even David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. The result is an impressively distinctive film, more concerned with its ensemble of oddball underachievers and focused on the disappointments of their precarious existence than with advancing a traditional plot.

In the fringes of Los Angeles, feisty young woman George ekes out an existence through hustles and petty criminality. Together with her partners in crime, Renka (a sparky street skater) and Kai (an easy-going stoner), they live day-to-day by relying on scams. Reluctant to make the effort to try for a better life, they prefer the comforting pleasures of drugs, booze and sex. But when an ill-conceived burglary ends in a householder’s death, their rootless existence is thrown into even greater chaos. Worse still, George is now haunted by an ethereal, judgemental ghost.

Bartone uses the backstreets and parks of LA to frame the inconsequential interactions of his characters in ways that bring the city to life. He depicts them as individuals lost in an endless, anonymous urban sprawl which suffocates aspiration. The script is careful not to romanticise these hapless, self-sabotaging protagonists or to excuse their sometimes cruel and nihilistic behaviour. And despite the film’s upbeat title, there’s as much tragedy and loss as there is hope in Bartone’s unformulaic and rewarding tale.

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE IN THE END is available to stream in the UK on Prime Video.

by Martin Unsworth

Will (Zach Villa) is an average kind of guy, working as a potter (which allows for a twisted take on that Ghost moment) and enjoying life with his partner Luke (Devon Graye). Except he was abused and almost killed by his mentally ill mother (Marlene Forte), and now the trauma is coming back to literally haunt him. His mom is leaving messages on his phone telling him not to trust Luke, he’s envisaging anthropomorphic wolves everywhere, and he’s convinced he’s got a physical ailment. The doctors, however, believe it’s all in his mind. That doesn’t stop Will’s body from failing him as his mental health also spirals out of control as he relives the trauma at the hands of his mother.

Where some films claim to be based on true stories, Hypochondriac is apparently ‘based on a real breakdown’, and that feeling is conveyed perfectly, with astonishing frankness and disturbing accuracy. Writer/director Addison Heimann has crafted a film that, while fantastical in places, is the embodiment of a mental breakdown. The wolf motive manifests into a Donnie Darko-style element of Will’s fears that appears at inopportune times. He’s constantly told that stress can manifest in physical ailments as if knowing that would cure all. For all the intense visuals and the engrossing, disturbing subject matter, it’s the performances that make Hypochondriac work so well. The struggles seem real, and Zach Villa makes us want him to win against the demons that have plagued him from his troubled and violent upbringing. Mental illness – even that of his mother – isn’t demonised in an exploitative way, even when the film descends into full-blown horror movie territory.

While it’s not an easy watch, Hypochondriac is a superb film that takes no prisoners in its depiction of mental issues.

Hypochondriac is available on digital.

by Vicky Lawrence

Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares is an in-depth scope into the life of the incredible Robert Englund, from his budding love for theatre at a young age to the legacy he has created with the horror icon that is Freddy Krueger. Made by the Fangoria Chainsaw Award winners Chris Griffiths and Gary Smart (who won best documentary this year with Pennywise: Story of It), it’s a heartwarming feature about the impact Robert has made in the industry and on his army of fans. Throughout this documentary, we learn about Robert’s life, not just as an actor but as a friend and colleague to a multitude of people. We get a beautiful insight into his personal life, from his childhood to his current marriage with Nancy, and simply ends with what is to come from the man who haunted the dreams of thousands.

Throughout the entirety of this documentary, we get a great balance of Robert’s side of the story with the opinions and highlights from his friends and colleagues. The directors choose to format the documentary chronologically, starting from Robert’s childhood and how he got into acting, inevitably ending with the roles he has done today, such as his portrayal of Victor Creel in Season 4 of Stranger Things. Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares boasts an insane cast who have worked and interacted with Robert, such as Mick Garris (director of Critters 2), Heather Langenkamp (Nancy in A Nightmare on Elm Street), Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees in Jason X) and Eli Roth (director of Hostel), just to name a few but the list goes on. They all bring an incredibly personal insight into who Robert is behind the mask, sharing personal stories about how incredibly helpful and caring he is. He’s, in fact, not the monster we see on screen, but a kind and gentle man with a love for the arts.

If you’re a big fan of the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise and, specifically, a Freddy fan, you will love this documentary. It has a huge amount of behind-the-scenes footage and stories that have all come from the making of the Elm Street films. There is amazing footage of all of the SFX designs that went into all the films, showing how they made some of the prosthetics, for example. You will, however, learn the struggles that Robert endured by being confined to such an iconic role – it’s common knowledge that there is no one that can play Freddy as well as Robert can, but this obviously took a huge toll. But with the ever-growing Freddy fandom, there was only one way to combat this, embrace the monster that everyone fell in love with. Freddy became the poster child for counterculture in the ‘80s/’90s and thus was cemented in pop culture as one of the most iconic faces ever to grace the screen.

The personal stories that are peppered throughout really give this documentary a different dimension. It’s through learning how he met Nancy and other incredible personal moments that we grow to love Robert even more than we did before – he is not just the monster that haunts the dreams of the teens of Elm Street but, in fact, a loving husband and friend. While narrating his life experiences, he doesn’t fail to pay homage to some of the latest and greatest of the industry that he has worked with, such as Sid Haig (Captain Spaulding in House of 1000 Corpses) and, of course, the ingenious Wes Craven, that kicked off Robert’s ascension as an icon. Showing his appreciation to the masters of his craft. On top of all this, you will learn that if it wasn’t for Robert, some of the icons we have in the film world might not have even had the chance to reach the same heights without his help. You’ll learn that many actors, directors, etc., have accredited Robert for their success (but it’s up to you to find out who they are!).

All in all, even if you aren’t a Freddy Krueger fan, this is a must-watch for any enthusiast of film. Robert’s life has spanned such a broad selection of practices that it is so clear he has lived a life any of us would be envious of. With his life winding down, this documentary is a beautiful insight into everything Robert has done and where the legacy of Freddy has taken him – he will always be known as an icon because of the standard he works at. This documentary will leave you feeling incredibly warm inside, almost joyous, because you got to have this incredibly personal observation of Robert’s life. And if you don’t come out of this documentary wanting to watch every single Elm Street film again, then you are missing out. Hats off to the man behind the mask, whose clawed glove and green and red sweatshirt are ingrained in our minds forever.

Love him or hate him, Robert Englund will always haunt your dreams.

HOLLYWOOD DREAMS & NIGHTMARES: THE ROBERT ENGLUND STORY is available to stream on Screambox in the US.

by Rich Cross

Dutch-made, English-language thriller Black Lotus is intended to be the breakthrough vehicle for champion kickboxer and relative movie newcomer Rico Verhoeven. He’s a muscular and brooding presence throughout the film and commits to the crisply choreographed fight sequences with the requisite physicality. Verhoeven is predictably less comfortable in those aspects of the film that explores his character’s emotional and psychological makeup.

When a hostage rescue mission goes tragically wrong, Dutch special forces operative Matteo (Verhoeven) blames himself for causing his partner John’s death. Guilt-ridden, Matteo resigns his commission and finds a new life as an itinerant construction worker. Returning to Amsterdam, he visits John’s widow Helene. Despite his determination to remain emotionally closed off, he’s soon adopted as an unofficial uncle by Helene’s young daughter Angie. Matteo is unaware that her new husband, Paul, an accountant for the super-rich, is embezzling money from the local mob. When his duplicity is uncovered, crime boss Saban orders his muscle to kidnap Angie. An incensed Matteo sets out to free her, whatever the risks and however much the odds are stacked against him.

Plot-wise, this is the kind of rescue-and-revenge flick that Liam Neeson currently signs up for every few months. This is a film without a single original story beat, but many viewers choosing to stream Black Lotus will likely judge it more on execution than on originality. The action sequences are competently shot, making decent budget-constrained use of real-life Amsterdam landmarks. A final four-way rooftop showdown is the highlight of the combat sequences and the movie’s strongest moment. But such derivative fare is unlikely to lift Verhoeven to the next tier of cinematic action heroes.

BLACK LOTUS will be released on UK streaming platforms on June 19th.