Frills and Fright

WARNING: This review contains spoilers Us is a chilling film that will be a timeless classic in the horror genre. The movie is about a family of four on summer vacation. The mother, Adelaide played by  Lupita Nyong’o, experienced a traumatic event in her childhood at the same location her and her family are now vacationing at. Their first night, they are suddenly startled by the arrival of a family in their driveway, their doppelgängers!  The cinematography and soundtrack are fantastic. In particular I liked the ballerinas scene because it was so haunting and powerful to the story’s message. It was very reminiscent of Black Swan. Lupita Nyong’o is an amazing actress in that she had to play two completely different characters. The children in this movie were also shining stars in the film.  While I greatly enjoyed the first two thirds of the film, I have mixed feelings about the last third. The idea of suppressed doppelgängers in an experiment gon...

“I get this ache, and I thought it was for sex. But it’s to tear everything to fucking pieces” Made in 2000, Ginger Snaps is about two angsty teenage girls who deal with the horrible life transition of puberty, including menstruation, sexual interest, and turning into a werewolf. Puberty at its finest! A hybrid of The Craft and Goosebumps television series, this film has outcast teenagers in long plaid skirts, chunky shoes, and one-liner comebacks. It’s not only a werewolf movie, it’s a 90’s teen movie that is so over-dramatic you can’t help but keep watching. The special effects and creature makeup are not great, but they fit in with genre of its time. It’s especially fun to see how as one character transitions into a werewolf, she gradually gains white streaks and better makeup looks. The two main characters are enticing to watch as they have charisma and a strong sisterhood. The shy character Brigitte is played by actress Emily Perkins, also acted as Beverly Marsh in Step...

A psychedelic, exploitation thrill ride. Mandy is one of those movies that haunts you days after viewing, where you think “what in the hell did I just watch”?! It stars Nicholas Cage as Red, a lumberjack who lives with his girlfriend in a secluded cabin in the woods. These two are adorably in love, and the simple everyday moments like talking in bed display that. A Charles Manson-like cult rolls into town, and changes the couple’s lives forever. The first portion of the film is slow paced, and filled with trippy, engrossing, colorful shots. The second portion of the movie is a revenge exploitation film, that has Nicholas Cage blood soaked. There’s a reaper scythe, a chainsaw fight, and LSD addicted demons (who are reminiscent of Hellraiser’s cenobites). Nicholas Cage plays his usual over-the-top performance, which is perfect for this type of film. The scene of him in the orange 70’s styled bathroom where he drinks and pours booze  all over his wounds is one of the memorable ...

Bird  Box is an intense apocalyptic horror movie. It is based on the premise of a worldwide invasion of creatures who once seen, will induce its victims into a trance and commit suicide. A real life boggart if you will. Sandra Bullock plays a pregnant survivor, and shows her journey to stay alive along with the various people she encounters. Like A Quiet Place, this film plays on intense situations that allows the survivors to prevail without using one of their keen senses, in this case eyesight. The film has nail biting situations and found it to be well done, but I was left wanting more.  (Spoilers Ahead)  I had hoped for a creature reveal, or more background on the monsters. Were they aliens, or just highly intelligent creatures? Why were some people able to see them with the naked eye? Was there a purpose for this? How was the blind facility able to avoid these people? Overall this was an entertaining movie that could have had more depth in terms of cha...

This eery drama is about a family plagued by a haunted mansion. The show alternates between the 1990’s when the Crains lived in Hill house, to present day where now the Crain children are adults. Like Steven King’s IT, the Hill manor still haunts the Crain children, and something us pulling the children to return to the house. The magnificent character development is able to be achieved through the one hour long episodes. The viewer gets to know each character, both their childhood and adult world views. If you have kept up with my film reviews, you know that I am drawn to dysfunctional family drama plots, and this one surely delivers. The best aspect of the show is the non-linear storytelling. Like a good mystery, the show gives the viewers small hints and leaves you wanting more! The actors, both children and adults, are exceptional. There is not a lot of gore or cheesy jump scares. The scares are disturbing, and usually perfectly timed out. Plus, there hidden Easter egg g...

Under  the Shadow takes place in Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980’s. Shideh is a stay at home mother who lives with her husband and daughter, Dorsa. She tries to be re-admitted as a student into medical school, but is ultimately rejected from her previous years as a student who partook in rebellious activities. Her husband is drafted, and she is to care for her daughter as the war’s missles slowly encroach their apartment building. As their surroundings become more hectic, the more supernatural things become. Are the ghostly Djinn (genie) figures real, or is it just their imagination?   The Djinn spirits take many ghastly forms, which are metaphors for the oppression that Shideh experiences in her own life. This includes her inability to be readmitted into medical school, the shrouding depression she feels from a recent family death, the loneliness of not having her husband around, and being arrested for not wearing a burka in public. She is dissatisfied wi...

Halloween 2018 takes place forty years after what happened in the first movie (yes, the sequels no longer exist in the story line). Michael Myers is locked away in the mental ward of a prison institution, and Lorie Strode is an paranoid gun-wielding hermit. In an attempt to move a bus full of the prisoners, Michael Myers makes an escape, and slays his way to find Lorie Strode.  Lorie’s high school granddaughter is also a large part of the story, who mimics the experiences Lorie had in the original film. This includes showing the experiences of teenagers in high school, and babysitting on Halloween night. The actor who played the boy Julien not only stole the show with comedic wit, but was also the smartest character in the film. The filmmakers were smart to use similar situations from the first film in this one. I loved the Easter eggs the filmmakers provided, as they paid homage to classic scenes from the entire Halloween franchise. There was even a quick glance of a couple...

Jordan Peele is the director of Get Out. You may know him as one of the lead actors from the hit comedy series Key and Peele. Like Key and Peele, this film focuses on the experiences of a young African American people. It displays the anxieties and traumas that many black men endure in today’s America. This includes topics of poverty, violence, interracial relationships, slavery, and the dehumanization and objectification of black bodies.  The story centers on Chris and his newly founded relationship with his white girlfriend Rose. Rose’s parents invite the two to stay with the family for the weekend at their cabin in the woods. On their way driving to the cabin, the couple accidentally hit a deer in the woods. As an omen of what is about to come, the meeting of the parents is anything but ordinary. The father is extremely interested in hunting, the mother is a hypnotist, and they have two black housekeepers who dress in uniform from the 1950’s. I really appreciate t...

Suspense. Mystery. Horror. Sci Fi?! This film has it all! It is connected to 2008 movie of the similar title “Cloverfield”. I have watched “Cloverfield”, and can honestly say that “10 Cloverfield Lane” can be enjoyed as a stand alone film.  This film is about a young woman Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who wakes up from a car crash chained to a bed in an underground bunker. The savior from her car crash, Howard (John Goodman) tells her that the world has come to an end. Is it really the apocalypse, or is Howard an insane conspiracy theorist? As the plot unfolds, secrets are revealed that change the course of the characters’ lives forever.  John Goodman, as usual, did a great acting performance. This movie really played with my emotions in that he usually plays a lovable character, I mean this guy played Dan Connor on Roseanne! But as the film plays out it is difficult for the viewer to realize if Howard is really trying to help Michelle, or if he has a dark...

Images and gifs have been circulating all over the internet of this creepy killer clown, so I figured I’d give it a shot! This film is a low-budget slasher film.  The main character of the film is reminiscent of Neve Campbell’s Sidney character in Scream, both in terms of similar physical appearance and character. The characters were all disposable, and the main focus is on Art the killer clown. While lacking plot and intense gore is not my taste, the best part about the film is Art’s random and creepy antics. Art is a mixture between a clown and a mime. His facial expressions can be quite funny, to just down right terrifying. If you’re too scared or don’t want to sit through the whole film, I definitely recommend you watch this scene in the pizza diner that is very memorable: https://youtu.be/H4doM2WQTXg Scoreboard: Gore: 5/5 Suspense: 1/5 Writing: 1/5 Creature Design: 4/5 Overall: 2/10

This movie was not so much a horror movie as it was a thriller drama. A teenage girl goes missing, and her dad must uncover what happened to her through searching her laptop. This film is unique in that it is framed from the perspective of a computer monitor. The audience watches as the characters are texting, emailing, FaceTiming, and browsing the Internet. It was a fascinating experience, and the director utilized this platform to its full extent to unfold the mystery. I especially like how the beginning of the film showed how far computer and cell phone technology has grown since the early 2000’s, and how it has become ingrained in our everyday life. With family pictures, videos, instant messenger, popular game sites, YouTube, etc. A part of ourselves and our fondest memories are located on our computer or cell phone.  Whether it’s writings, photos, or important documents. It was nostalgic, and was very important to building the background of the characters.  T...

If you can’t tell already, my new goal is to watch ever A24 horror movie. This one caught my attention on Netflix as I love actress Aubrey Plaza from watching her on the television series Parks and Recreation . This horror-comedy takes place when a young man’s ex-girlfriend and love of his life suddenly passes away. After attending the funeral, he goes to Beth’s parents house to grieve where he sees Beth in the house! Is he going nuts, or did his ex-girlfriend just return from dead?  Though I love all the actors and cameo appearances including John C. Reiley and Molly Shannon, this movie can be a bit clumsy and slow. I think it had more potential to go full dark-comedy horror like Shaun of the Dead , or go the warm love-zombie romance route like Warm Bodies . I also wish this movie would have expanded on the unexpected zombie apocolapyse that begins towards the latter end of the film . This movie had a few funny parts, though I don’t think I would watch it again.   Sc...

Suspiria is a ethereal horror film from the 1970’s that is about a young American woman attending a ballet academy in Germany. Like many films from this time, the dialogue and sound can be quite clumsy and silly for today’s standards. But the plot and colorful sets make up for it. The set designs are exquisite, with intricate shapes and gothic detail in every room. I read on IMDB that the director specifically wanted the colors from Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to be imitated for the film! Like Snow White, the main character Suzy is a sweet soul who wants to learn the art of ballet, but is inconvenienced by her school mates and teachers. On top of the trials and tribulations of school, there’s a murderer on the school grounds! As Suzy begins to dig deeper into the school’s history, grim truths emerge. All in all, I can see how this film has been a pioneer for today’s film and television. For example, there’s a scene where someone is trying to escape the killer ...

Hereditary is an independent horror movie released by the movie studio A24, which has produced other amazing indie horror films including The Witch .  This film is a thrill ride with twists and turns at every corner. It has a deep level of emotion in that it touches on the distressing impact of death of a family member, and how numbing life can be in the days that follow. I have not felt the same level of depression and apathy in a movie since The Babadook . The other portion of the movie is supernatural chaos. As I have mentioned in other posts, I am always a fan of films in which you are not sure if the characters are dreaming or awake. This movie made me feel uncomfortable and on the edge of my seat the entire time. The star that shines in the movie is Toni Collette, who plays the main character Annie.   Toni Collette is a fantastic actress in that she is able to display a full range of emotions within seconds. Her facial expressions, voice changes, and body movement i...

The Ritual is a Netflix original film about five middle aged men who decide to reconnect their friendship a year after a tragedy effects them all by going hiking in the wilderness. If this storyline sounds familiar it’s because The Descent is the SAME principle, but with women, a cave, and some naked bat-man hybrids. The Ritual is haunting in that the woods feel like a character of its own- like something out of Wonderland. Sometimes reality doesn’t make sense, and for me that can be the most frightening thing of all. It’s psychological in that the woods/creature are able to tune in to each characters’ fears, and is able to control what they see when they’re dreaming and awake. The scenes where you’re not sure if the characters are alive or awake are very effective! Lastly, the creature design is one of the most unique, beautiful yet disgusting things I have ever seen in a film. The movie is worth watching just for the creature reveal! Scoreboard: Gore: 2/5 Suspens...

The End of the F***ing World is a Netflix mini-series that is dark, witty, and comedic. The show centers on the cynical teens Jame and Alyssa, two social outcasts who begin to fall for each other, and cause havoc along the way. James and Alyssa are no ordinary teenagers. James is a quiet wallflower who believes he is a psychopath, and wants to desperately know what it is like to take the life of another human being. On his first encounter with Alyssa, he decides that she will be his victim. Alyssa is angsty, curses like a sailor, and is emotionally unstable. Fed up of their home lives, the two decide to run away together. At first I was not sure if I was going to enjoy this show. A teenage boy who grew up killing animals, and now wants to kill his love interest? However after watching the first episode you realize that there is more to both James and Alyssa’s story than meets the eye. The show did a great job to display what is like to experience flashbacks of a traumatic experi...

Raw is a French horror film from 2016 that revolves around a freshman veterinary student beginning her college career. As someone who has dealt with disordered eating in the past, this movie was at times very uncomfortable to watch. There are several instances in the film in which purging and thinness is glorified, and for me that's something that definitely turned me off. I know that the filmmaker possibly wanted to use that as commentary on how young college girls are, how casual pro ED talk is, and the juxtaposition between indulgence and abstinence for the main character. However, along with the gross hazing practices (was I the only one confused by the fact when the older students poured blood on the freshman, and the freshman went to class, not a single teacher made commentary on this? The kids are covered in blood in the classroom!) and the weird subtle sexual tension made between the sisters made me not enjoy this film. I do appreciate the rawness and grossness of the f...

The film takes place in the USA during the 1960's Cold War, where mute protagonist Elisa works at a government research facility as a cleaning maid at night. She befriends the amphibian sea creature, who is on the verge of being killed in order to be dissected by scientists. Most of the characters in the movie are delightful and charming, but the actress who plays Elisa (Sally Hawkins) absolutely steals the show. She is able to convey her emotions so beautifully with sign language and facial expressions. I definitely hope to see her nominated this movie award season!  I greatly liked how the movie paid homage to old Hollywood television and pop culture. For example, Elisa and her neighbor watch television programs that include Mr. Ed, Betty Grable, and Shirley Temple. Later in the movie there is a dream sequence where Elisa envisions herself as an old Hollywood ballroom dancer, like Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. The old Hollywood musicals of the 30’s and 40’s were dreaml...

As a fan of the book and television series, I highly anticipated the remake of Stephen King's IT . After reading the book, I saw how much the television mini series missed their mark, including the storyline and overall horror. The 2017 remake of IT does not disappoint! Pros: Acting: The acting performances of the children in this movie are outstanding- they're very believable and they're all lovable characters. I particularly enjoyed the heartwrenching performances of Beverly and Bill. Storyline: Like Stand By Me and Stranger Things , this film is about a group of underdogs whose friendship aids them in overcoming monsters, such as Henry the school bully and Pennywise the clown. This movie takes place during the 1980's, unlike the book and television series that's set in the 1950's. I like how the setting was revamped, and was also kept nostalgic. I also liked the balance of comedy and horror. Richie was given the sailor mouth, quick witted spotlight ...

We Are What We Are is an independent horror film that is ominous, grotesque, and surprising.  I had no idea what this film was about- other than my partner suggest we watch it.I loved how unexpected We Are What We Are is, especially in terms of the last ten minutes of the film. At first I had no idea what was going on (“Is this a dream sequence?! Is this literally happening?!”), but I felt that the ending was right. It could have ended with the expected, with the good guys getting their way- but it did not. I also like how it tied back with the sisters wishing that they were different- that they did not enjoy the strange ways of their family. The ending represented the title of the film- that although the sisters did not feel like what their family did was right- they ultimately gave in to their impulses and allowed their id to succumb them.   This film is also by the same group of folks that directed, wrote, and starred in Stake Land . Both films are v...