Review Category: Movie

WHAT JOSIAH SAW

Following years away, twins Eli (Nick Stahl) and Mary (Kelli Garner) along with younger brother Tommy (Scott Haze) are forced to confront the horrors of their childhood, and the buried secret that binds them, when they are all drawn back to the family farm. And it is likely you may never see a more dysfunctional family than the one at the centre of Vincent Grashaw’s Southern Gothic drama What Josiah Saw.

To say Grashaw’s film is a slow burner would be to understate somewhat. It is ponderously paced at times, the final act a reward for perseverance as much as is a disturbing resolution to the story. Yet What Josiah Saw is never less than engaging, the siblings’ current lives playing out as if a kind of purgatory for the as yet unknown events of their youth. Split into four chapters the contrasting stories are laid out, and while secrets are inferred, you’re never quite up to speed, Grashaw’s considered direction of a well-crafted script maintains a wary distance.

The performances add to the aura of unease. Robert Patrick is carving out something of a niche as an oppressive patriarch, retaining a hold over his children even as they grow into adults and Stahl and Haze balance their characters delicately on a line over which insanity likely awaits. It is Garner who impresses most, however, inhabiting a character permanently in distress, ever on the verge of emotional breakdown.

While perhaps requiring a tighter edit, What Josiah Saw is nevertheless an effectively unsettling, often uncomfortable watch, and the tense, shocking finale will linger long after the film is over.

What Josiah Saw streams on Shudder from August 4th,

KNOCKING

Molly (Cecilia Milocco) has been discharged from the psychiatric ward, where she has been treated. She moves into her new apartment, hoping to start afresh from the trauma that landed her in the hospital. At night, she’s disturbed by a knocking coming from the flat above. The owner denies making the noise and hasn’t heard anything. A couple has a violent argument on the street, but when she gets the police involved as she fears for the woman’s safety, they refuse to acknowledge anything. Is she cracking up, or is something more sinister going on?

This Swedish psychological drama directed by Frida Kempff is a stifling, claustrophobic nightmare, particularly for those of us who have rarely seen outside our houses in the past year. As Molly leaves her hospital for the first time in a while, we see her reticence to leave the shadow of the building, unsure of what lies out there. The film is shot with a similar sense of nervous tension. Close-ups dominate, and small details like the graffiti in the lift, sweat on a brow, and flies buzzing near windows become a focus. The clammy heat burns through the screen. It’s oppressive before anything happens. When it does, we’re never sure if she’s a victim of gaslighting or we have an unreliable narrator.

Knocking does remarkably well to put us in the unsure shoes of someone struggling with their mental health. Much like Polanski’s Repulsion, there are many layers to unpick, and Milocco’s performance is impeccable. She expresses the character’s self-doubt and anxiety but is not afraid to do the right thing if she thinks something wrong happens. It’s a smouldering slow-burn of a movie that will linger in your mind for some time.

FrightFest Presents and Signature Entertainment release KNOCKING on Digital Platforms and is available to stream on Shudder.

INFRARED

Watching Infrared, the found footage film written and directed by Robert Livings and Randy Nundlall Jr, you get a distinct impression there are two conflicting forces at work. On one side, you sense the intention was to make a tongue-in-cheek film, a parody perhaps of previous movies featuring a ‘fake’ television show struggling to investigate something spooky and supernatural. On the other, you have an attempt – and an occasionally successful one – at creating something genuinely scary. The result is a film in which the frights, including the effectively chilling finale, are undermined by flimsy characters and unconvincing interactions that provide neither humour nor interest.

While making the pilot for his paranormal television show – in which he exorcises demons in just five minutes flat by asking them politely to leave – Wes (Jesse Janzen) and his semi-estranged psychic sister Izzy (Leah Finity – the best thing in the movie) investigate an abandoned school with a grisly past. And it goes badly.

And when it does go badly, in the paranormal sense that is, the filmmakers prove they know how to build the required tension in order to give the audience a scare. But sadly, Infrared goes badly in other, less intentional ways, with long periods that are at best dull, and at worst downright annoying, with one character Geoff (Greg Sestero) presumably working from an entirely different script altogether, the tone of his performance clashing with anything anyone else is doing.

Disappointingly, Infrared is a middling entry into an already overcrowded genre that, despite a couple of good moments, you’ll likely have forgotten about in no time.

Infrared is available on digital in the US.

THE REEF: STALKED

According to a pretty definitive list on Letterboxd – the online film community – there are in excess of 170 shark-related films and adding to that list is The Reef: Stalked, an indirect sequel to 2010’s The Reef. From the same writer and director Andrew Traucki, Stalked follows Nic (Teressa Liane) as she struggles to come to terms with her sister’s death from domestic abuse by joining friends on a sea kayaking trip. And, of course, they encounter a shark.

The Reef is one of the better shark films of recent years and with Stalked Traucki proves again he understands how to build tension. The key seems to be following the rule that less is more, with the watery setting used expertly to provide both an oppressive atmosphere and sense of forlorn hope. And one dodgy CGI scene aside, the shark action itself is convincingly brutal.

Equally, the performances are good, the sense of jeopardy suitably uncomfortable, and the decision-making understandable. And yet, there is the unavoidable issue that plagues shark films almost without exception. How do you maintain all that built-up tension? Once the shark is in play, as soon as you’ve had a kill or two, there is an inevitable calming of the waters. Show the shark too much and you’re drifting into monster movie territory, ignore the nasty fish altogether and what are you left with apart from characters simply floating around in the ocean? It’s a challenge Traucki doesn’t entirely overcome.

That said, aside from a middle-act slump and the slightly underwhelming finale Stalked is a solid entry into already infested waters.

The Reef: Stalked is on digital from July 29th and DVD August 8th.

THE DEER KING

A grand tale of timeless conflict between the Zol and Aquafa people rages on whilst a deadly disease known as “Black Wolf” fever is spread by wolves. Aquafa resistance fighter Van, mourning the loss of his wife and daughter is bitten by the rabid creature but instead of succumbing to its effects, is granted the ability to alter the earthly nature around him in The Deer King.

Based on the novel by Nahoko Uehashi, the story centers around Van and his developing bond with the young Yuna after she is left orphaned following a tragic attack on the wolves with Black Wolf fever. The film is helmed by Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji of Production I.G and supported by other legends of the old Studio Ghibli days and that flair that made Ghibli so special is definitively on display here. However, even though the relationship narrative is heartfelt and the animation gorgeous, the lengthy source material bogs down the film’s runtime because of how much it has the explain in a short space of time. Various moments are ruined by heavy exposition but thankfully that core thread of Van and Yuna keeps the whole films head just above water.

Whilst The Deer King boasts great traits such as a gorgeous art style and grand-scope world-building, the sheer magnitude of the complex story is hindered by its two-hour runtime and would have possibly been better suited for a 25-episode TV show run to allow a lot of the more intricate details of the characters and history to be explored in greater detail.

THE GRAY MAN

The Gray Man, directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and based on a novel by Mark Greaney, boasts an eye-watering $200m budget and was clearly designed to be seen on the biggest, loudest possible cinema screen. Yet it finds itself on Netflix (with a very limited theatrical run), which is fair enough as it’s a Netflix production but it’s hard to imagine not only how it can hope to recoup its budget (with Netflix lately admitting that they’ve lost over a million subscribers in the last few months) and, more importantly, how it can hope to become the new action movie franchise it’s clearly intended to be. It’s a puzzle, for sure, but that’s something for Netflix’s bean-counters to ponder. In the meantime, we can just sit back and revel in a big, brash, unsubtle summer blockbuster that leaves James Bond in the dust and is hot on the heels of Mission: Impossible’s Ethan Hunt and co.

The Gray Man isn’t big or clever but it’s huge fun. Ryan Gosling takes on an uncharacteristic action movie role as a convicted murderer freed from prison on the condition that he works for the CIA as an undercover assassin. He takes on the codename Sierra Six – or Six for short (“007 was taken”). Months later we’re in Bangkok where Six is tasked with assassinating a target suspected of selling off security secrets but in doing so he’s informed that his target actually worked under the name Sierra Four and has information on an encrypted drive (of course!) that details the corrupt activities of CIA high-up Danny Carmichael (Bridgerton heart-throb Rege-Jean Page.) When Carmichael realises that Six is in possession of the evidence that will expose him, he dispatches psychopathic former CIA agent Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans in a comfy summer T-shirt, sporting a magnificent and mesmerising moustache) and the stage is set for a string of magnificently choreographed, globe-trotting action sequences – Prague is virtually demolished – as Hansen dispatches his disposable troops in hot pursuit of Six and fellow agent Dania Miranda (Ana de Armas).

That’s pretty much it for the plot really; it’s bog standard mind-off espionage stuff with Six protecting a handy Mcguffin that Carmichael and, especially, Hansen, will stop at nothing to retrieve. But we’re not here for a finely-tooled, thought-provoking plot – we’re here for gun battles, car chases, punch-ups and the odd wisecrack. Gosling is a pleasingly deadpan hero, short on words but handy with his fists and a pistol. Chris Evans is clearly having great fun as the obsessive Hansen, a lunatic so determined to get his man that he’s even able to hold his own in a ferocious fountain fist fight with half his hand shot off. Classy. Ana de Armas, who made a real impact in the last Bond outing No Time To Die, struggles to make her mark here but she offers solid, breathless support to Six as he systematically demolishes most of Europe dodging mercenaries, missiles and machine guns.

The Gray Man is absolute nonsense and there’s really nothing wrong with that. The Russos have long since proven that they know their way around a good action sequence and they deliver the goods time and again in this likeable, muscular, high-octane thriller that you’ll remember for its chaos and carnage rather more than its generic serves-its-purpose storyline.

The Gray Man is streaming now on Netflix – watch our interview with the directors here.

SHE WILL

Alice Krige plays Veronica, an ageing film star who has come to a remote, new age-style Scottish retreat with her nurse, Desi (Kota Eberhardt), to recuperate following a double mastectomy. The area is situated where medieval witches were burnt at the stake, their ashes said to have permeated the peat, which makes the water look less than appetising. Initially resistant, Veronica begins to find a peace in the region, with the essence of the soil prompting vivid nightmares and memories of working with an abusive director (Malcolm McDowell) when she was only 13.

She Will is a mix of genres; it opens as a character study of a diva-esque actor in her twilight years and develops into a horror picture, with supernatural revenge against patriarchal systems front and centre. Director Charlotte Colbert’s feature debut (which she co-wrote with Kitty Percy) keeps Krige’s character the pivotal focus, allowing the message to be hammered home without being too heavy-handedly. Her physical pain gives way to psychological, as she ‘finds’ herself amongst the embers of tortured women of the past. The re-emergence of the director who both made her famous and ruined her childhood tips her over the edge, but the spirits of the area help her find her inner strength to face her tormentor.

The relationship between the patient and nurse is handled wonderfully by the two leads, and Jamie Ramsay’s eerie cinematography adds the creepy atmosphere needed. Colbert incorporates the historical abuse of the patriarchy with the modern #MeToo era well, but lets the story lead the way instead of moralising. Having Dario Argento’s name attached (as an executive producer) might lead people to expect something more explicit, but Colbert has crafted an impressive and moody horror film that takes swipes at the guru types (played here by Rupert Everett, no less) who offer salvation at a price and the media that will defile a woman for aging but praise an abuser for longevity.

She Will is in select cinemas now.

FRUITS BASKET: PRELUDE

“Before Tohru and Kyo, there was Kyoko and Katsuya”. Serving as a prequel (of sorts) and Final Chapter to the 2019 remake of the hit show Fruits Basket, the story in Fruits Basket: Prelude follows series protagonist Tohru Honda’s late mother Kyoko and her journey from juvenile delinquent to loving parent. Yet, as interesting as that sounds for fans of the overall story, the narrative structure and tone of this “film” is an unmitigated disaster.

Firstly, we say “film” as by the conventional sense of the term and with a runtime of 87 minutes it is a feature film. However, when 32 minutes of that time is devoted to a recap or the entire show (which in the grand scheme, you need to have seen before to watch this prequel), you are left with just 55 minutes of Kyoko’s story meaning everything feels rushed. The pacing is lightning quick with so many jumps in time that even fans of the show will struggle to keep up. It genuinely feels like more of an extended episode or OVA than a film.

Whereas Kyoko’s story should be compelling to see how she went from troublemaker to loving mother, the immersion destroying element of her journey is how she met her husband Katsuya and – most shockingly, their age difference. When they meet, Kyoko is in middle school and Katsuya is a student teacher – so as an audience member you can’t help but feel a bit taken aback by this revelation. Even more so when it tries to convince you that Kyoko and Tohru’s romantic journey shares parallels.

With everything else being a complete mess, Fruits Basket: Prelude does have some good things going for it. As with the series, the animation and character design is consistently gorgeous to look at. Many of the shots are wall art worthy.

With pacing and narrative issues a plenty, Fruits Basket: Prelude is sadly a disappointing end to the Fruits Basket franchise that hit so many heights with the TV show. For newcomers and fans alike, this story is better left in the past and forgotten about.

THE LAST THING MARY SAW

Set in rural New York in 1843, The Last Thing Mary Saw is a moody, character-driven shocker that patiently takes its time revealing its secrets.

Mary (Stefanie Scott) is blindfolded, blood seeping from under the cloth over her eyes, accused of having something to do with a family death. She’s forced to recite The Lord’s Prayer, guns poised to bring her down if she’s unable to. We’re shown the tragic sequence of events that led to this in the form of ‘chapters’, each slowly revealing a little more of the tale. At the story’s heart is the forbidden relationship between Mary and the family maid Eleanor (Isabelle Fuhrman). The house is overseen by the matriarch grandmother (Judith Roberts), who dishes out punishment for sins against their religion.

The Last Thing Mary Saw is a stunning piece of cinema, beautifully filmed and seething with an oppressive atmosphere. Written and directed by Edoardo Vitaletti, this dark tale doesn’t fall into the genre’s trappings of seemingly similar entries. It’s less a story of witchcraft, supernatural, and more of feminine power and the power puritanical religion has to blind and control. David Kruta’s cinematography is much more important than the actors on screen; every shot is a thing of twisted beauty. There’s a palpable sense of dread and oppression as things unfold. The pacing is deliberately slow, almost painfully, but ultimately rewarding.

The Last Thing Mary Saw will be available on DVD from September 19th

TILL DEATH

Emma (Megan Fox) is trapped in a loveless marriage to arrogant lawyer Mark (Eoin Macken) and has been having an affair with Mark’s junior colleague Tom (Aml Ameen). As Emma and Mark reach their eleventh wedding anniversary Megan decides to end her affair and Mark takes her off to a remote house at the edge of a frozen lake in an attempt, it appears, to relight the fires of their relationship. Emma is nervous about the prospect but as the night wears on the two appear to be slowly closing the gulf between them. But Mark has some other surprises in store. Emma wakes to find herself handcuffed to Mark who proceeds to blow his head off in front of her. Trapped in the middle of nowhere Emma struggles to find a way to free herself from the corpse of her husband but, as it turns out, that’s the least of her problems. Mark, it transpires, was responsible for the imprisonment years earlier of a thug who brutally assaulted and stabbed Emma – she still bears the scars. But now the thug is free and Mark, aware of Emma’s infidelity, has arranged an act of dreadful revenge… from beyond the grave…

In many ways Till Death presents as a routine thriller with a distant whiff of the soft-focus ‘made for TV’ about it in its opening moments. The omens aren’t good in the first few scenes where Megan Fox – where has she been lately, by the way? – appears entirely disinterested and barely texts in her performance, much less phones it in. But when the film delivers its USP, she comes alive, as does the movie, and whilst her travails and troubles are ultimately fairly predictable, there’s a lot of fun to be had in watching the film play out its beats. We’ve seen this sort of thing many times before, of course, but Till Death, nimbly directed by S.K. Dale, ramps up the tension as Emma’s situation deteriorates from the bad – being shackled to a blood-drenched dead man with no easy way of breaking the bond – to the unbearable (if not slightly implausible) – hunted and terrorised by the man who brutalised her years ago and his cowardly, quivering brother. By the time she finally confronts her assailants, it’s clear that Fox is having a ball here and she’s delivering the best performance of her career, matching the sneery malevolence of her aggressors in a cat-and-mouse game of survival. Trapped miles away from nowhere in a hostile, icy location with a handy nearby frozen lake that pretty much signposts where the story will end up, her cell phone and car incapacitated, Emma’s forced to fight back using anything at her disposal as her situation becomes increasingly desperate.

We didn’t really expect much from Till Death, to be honest, and whilst it’s hard to argue that it’s not cut from very familiar and generic thriller movie cloth, it’s enlivened by a slick and taut script, inventive direction and, most importantly and most surprisingly, a gutsy turn from Fox. Enjoyable stuff.

Till Death is out now in the US.