House on Haunted Hill

Tags

1950's, Alan Marshal, Carol Ohmart, Carolyn Craig, Elisha Cook Jr, Horror, House on Haunted Hill, Julie Mitchum, Richard Long, Vincent Price, William Castle

The delightful Gill and Barry asked me to take part in a blogathon celebrating the career of Vincent Price. I naturally obliged and decided to write about the devilish horror with a mischief loving edge, House on Haunted Hill.

A campy and creepy horror movie from William Castle that may show its age but is still rightfully entertaining due to some clever sleight of hand trickery and scintillating script, House on Haunted comes highly recommended from me.

Eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren(Vincent Price) invites five people to a haunted house party and promises to pay each $10,000 if they can stay the night there. The doors will be locked from midnight with no discernible way out. The house has been the sight of many a grisly event since it was built centuries before.None of the people invited really know one another, the only thing that links them is a need for money. They are rugged test pilot Lance Schroeder(Richard Long), ageing newspaper columnist with a gambling problem, Ruth Bridges(Julie Mitchum), psychiatrist who specialises in hysteria Dr. David Trent(Alan Marshal), the worried worker at one of Loren’s companies, Nora Manning(Carolyn Craig) and the owner of the property Watson Pritchard(Elisha Cook Jr.), who is scared stiff of the place and drops ominous warnings about ghosts. Loren’s wife, a mysterious and beautiful woman named Annabelle(Carol Ohmart)  is supposed to be the one who wanted the party, but we see that her union with Loren is toxic and constantly involved in a game of oneupmanship that once turned near fatal with a poisoning. With the guests assembled and a little confused as to why they would all be invited, the night starts. Soon enough, creepy things start to happen around the spooky dwelling; there’s a nasty surprise in the cellar , Loren’s seductive wife drops hints that her life is in mortal danger from her jealous husband but could be up to something and  with everyone locked in, deception stats to set in. But just who will make it through to morning and is there really a haunting going on?

William Castle was adept at churning films like this out with great success. He even used a gimmick of a floating skeleton in the cinema screenings for mimic one of the ghosts in skeleton form for novelty value. The effect is pretty neat here( obviously it doesn’t come off the screen), if a little showing it’s age in terms of effects and retains a somewhat kitsch appeal. Still there are genuinely creepy and twisty moments that reveal that House on Haunted Hill is rather clever at fooling us beneath the slightly goofy and campy surface. It’s akin to a dangerous cat and music game of Cluedo, just infused with a good deal of menace. Creepiness and campiness abound here with neither winning out as overruling the other; rather settling for a compromise that’s at times tongue in cheek and others atmospherically fun to watch. There’s a certain sense of impishness and skullduggery to events here that more than compensates for dated areas. The script is the main source of greatness here, playing events out as tongue in cheek and loaded with suspense. Vincent Price sinks his teeth into many a darkly amusing one liner and has a great moment of speaking directly to the audience. The score is pretty impressive, with the repeating sounds of a haunting and distorted voice signifying something very sinister bubbling away.

Now we come to the man of the hour, the one and only Vincent Price. Using his well cultured and spine chilling voice yo great effect as well as darkness and devilish charm , Price is the cherry on top of this film. You can sense he’s having a lot of fun being so devious, naughty and slithering in sinister nature and it shows in a very entertaining performance from the horror icon. Vincent Price is at some of his most charming and yet chilling here. Carol Ohmart makes an impression as the vampy wife of Loren; her deep voice and dazzling eyes suggesting someone passionate and scheming but maybe afraid. Elisha Cook Jr seems born to play the timid owner of the house who is as twitchy as a mouse in a room full of hungry cats. His character is the main introduction to their possibly being ghosts afoot, though its left ambiguous as is his integral character. The rest of the cast are serviceable enough, but the film ultimately belongs to Vincent Price.

So while creaky in places, House on Haunted Hill is still a good old-fashioned horror mystery laced with dark humour and Vincent Price on sinister and urbane form.

Black Christmas

Tags

1970's, Andrea Martin, Black Christmas, Bob Clark, Doug McGrath, Horror, John Saxon, Keir Dullea, Lynne Griffin, Margot Kidder, Marian Waldman, Olivia Hussey

A Yuletide chiller that is generally seem as one of the first slashers ( predating Halloween by a few years), Black Christmas has become a cult classic thanks to its setting up of genre trademarks( plus some breaking too), supreme atmosphere aptly set during a holiday known for cheer and general feeling of patient but unnerving terror.

Its Christmas time and the girls of a sorority house are getting ready to either visit family or stay for the holiday season. At the house there is the rational Jess(Olivia Hussey), extrovert Barb( Margot Kidder), cheerful Phyllis( Andrea Martin) and the timid Clare(Lynne Griffin) . They are watched over by the elderly head of the sorority, a woman with a fondness for booze called Mrs. Mac( Marian Waldman). The main party is winding down when a phone call interrupts things. It’s not the first of these calls, but it is the most alarming. A crazed man on the other end uses a variety of strange voices, yells obscenities and does his damn best to unnerve them all. The girls try to brush it off but are understandably freaked out. What they don’t realise is that the man on the phone is actually in their attic, watching them and waiting to strike. The innocent Clare is the first to meet death by his hand, though the sisters think she has simply gone missing when she doesn’t meet her father for her travels. News spreads of another girl being murdered and the police finally take notice, headed by the dedicated Ltd Fuller(John Saxon). Meanwhile, Jess is grappling with the fact that she’s pregnant with the child of her intense pianist boyfriend Peter( Keir Dullea) . He wants to keep the baby and marry, but she wants an abortion which puts them at odds. But as the uneasiness rises and bodies turn up, it falls to Jess to survive as the killer closes in on her at the most festive time of year. 

Bob Clark, who would later direct a very different holiday movie in A Christmas Story, directs with finesse by cranking the ambience and terror up gradually and letting us get to know the principal characters. Clark just ups the  This makes for very unnerving viewing as there are things the audience are aware of that the characters aren’t and then things we are purposefully kept in the dark about. Now while being termed a slasher, Black Christmas only has bits of blood in it. Not to say that the deaths in Black Christmas aren’t chilling( the first victim who is suffocated with a plastic dress bag then placed on a rocking chair in the attic will freeze your blood), but the fact that we only see parts of the acts makes the imagination run wild. I’m of the view that often what we don’t see can be more scary than actually viewing it. But it definitely qualifies as a slasher in many ways, most of which are very successful and indeed influential on the genre that followed in the ensuing years. The use of POV is inspired as it isn’t always clear cut; we see things from the perspective of the killer which is often at an angle or obscured by something. We sort of see events with the twisted way he does and the fact we aren’t really told what his motives are makes it all the more frightening for the audience.

There is also a welcome dose of humour in between the scares, which are mostly provided by either the naughty antics of Barb or the dumbfounded idiocy of the first cop in the case who really has no clue. Some may take Black Christmas for granted given the amount of films it has inspired with the genre tropes we know very well of, but that shouldn’t be held against the film. If anything, it is fascinating to glimpse these well known ideas and how they are used, which in the case of Black Christmas, is supremely well. Plus, it doesn’t always go by the formula either, slotting in neat diversions from the rules. For instance, in a lot of slashers, it’s the virgin who survives but here she is killed first. And it’s refreshing that the main characters actually have scope to them, rather than just cardboard cut out roles with no room for development. There is mystery to be found, stemming from the fact we never get a good look at the killer, who is mainly referred to as Billy. I enjoy slashers with mystery and Black Christmas ranks among them. A low key, ambient score is the cherry on top of an impressive cake; cloaking events when it appears in an ominous light.

The cast is largely impressive too. Olivia Hussey greatly heads things as the terrified but level headed girl grappling with her own turmoil while trying to stay alive. Although she’s frightened, Hussey projects a certain relatability and serenity to the role of Jess that is most refreshing. I liked her as a final girl it must be said as she seems like a proper person with a sense of resourcefulness and tenacity. A pre-Superman Margot Kidder excels as the foul mouthed sister who has an attitude and isn’t afraid to flaunt it. She’s very charming and often abrasively witty within minutes and her energy is hard to resist. Keir Dullea is effectively mysterious and unpredictable portraying the boyfriend of Jess, who may or may not have evil intentions. John Saxon is superbly stalwart representing the main cop on the case who takes his job seriously and isn’t messing around. Doug McGrath provides some comic relief among the horror as the dim-witted policeman, who is woefully bad at his job and constantly told it. He doesn’t take anything seriously which in turn angers his superior to no end. Marian Waldman gives other bits of humour as the often drunk house mother who isn’t as classy and respectable as she likes to think she is. Andrea Martin is suitably fine as another sorority sister feeling the stress under the horror. Lynne Griffin, though only seen alive for a short duration, takes the honour of having the most memorable image in Black Christmas. Her face locked in a stunned state of fright, wrapped with plastic on a rocking chair is the stuff of nightmares and will burn itself into your brain.

So if it is seasonal horror you are after, the chilling Black Christmas should be high on that list. Prepare for terror when you see this cult classic.

The Addiction

Tags

1990's, Abel Ferrara, Annabella Sciorra, Christopher Walken, Drama, Edie Falco, Horror, Kathryn Erbe, Lili Taylor, The Addiction

A vampire horror movie with a difference, Abel Ferrara gives us The Addiction. An allegory for the evil within humanity seen through the prism of being a night walker, it’s an incredible, cerebral and stylish evocation of sin, redemption and darkness.

Kathleen Conklin( Lili Taylor) is a young university student in New York who is studying philosophy. She’s recently been examining the evil of the world and the roles people play in it. Little does she realise it will play a big part in her existence sooner than expected. One night after class, she is walking back to her apartment. A seductive woman who we learn in the credits is called Casanova( Annabella Sciorra) greets her and then violently pulls her into an alley. She then bites a terrified Kathleen’s neck and then as she’s walking off drops hints of something dark and sinister ahead for the student. After being treated for her wound, Kathleen starts to act strangely. She begins to develop an aversion to sunlight, grows increasingly aggressive and starts to crave human blood. She soon realises she is becoming a vampire and attempts to stop her bloodlust, but it proves difficult as her affliction grows more prevalent . She runs into experienced vampire Peina(Christopher Walken) who gives her a lecture on how he’s managed to stave off the hunger for as long as he can. But can his wise words persuade a rabid Kathleen to submit and seek redemption for the bloodshed she is causing?

Abel Ferrara crafts The Addiction as his own beast and refuses to compromise with expectations of what people necessarily want to see. The film is definitely a horror film but at its heart has a lot more to say. Horror and drama coalesce in this urban and existential study of  dependency and the very concept of evil, mostly driven home through the many instances of philosophy being discussed or heard throughout. Ferrara is clearly a maverick film maker who takes risks and plays by his own set of rules. In my book, it’s refreshing to see a director really bring their vision alive no matter how strange or startling the content. I mean, using black and white in a contemporary setting plus a hip hop soundtrack doesn’t sound like something you’d think of for a movie about vampires. But in my view, it works in modernising these creatures and placing them in a real world setting with real world topics being reckoned with. The Addiction argues that humans are in essence drawn to evil and resistance can be used, but can be futile if you’re not strong enough. This is glimpsed by Casanova’s speech to Kathleen about telling her to go away instead of biting her. Kathleen later uses this on her victims as a sort of reverse psychology and power base. Ferrara and his frequent screenwriter Nicholas St. John are more interested in reinterpreting the vampire lore we think we know( and less in constant gross out horror) and their efforts add depth and oddness by equating vampirism with drug addiction and even saying that evil sin is something we are all capable of. This is showcased in a number of scenes in which Kathleen’s lecture looks at the atrocities like the Holocaust and the My Lai Massacre. It’s startling for sure but it really encapsulates the notion of brutality and evil being all around us and having been there since the start of time.

The horror aspects are extremely well handled, being brutal and startling yet with a purpose to back it up rather than just for gratuitous violence and blood letting. It’s impressive how much Ferrara manages to pack into a film that’s little over 80 minutes, but he does it. It must be stated that The Addiction isn’t going to be a film for everyone. Some of it is undoubtedly confounding and many will see the allusions to philosophy as pretentious which isnt entirely wrong in some parts. But The Addiction weaves a certain spell on you of you let it and boy does it hey The black and white is an inspired stylistic choice from Ferrara and aided by the hypnotic cinematography of Ken Kelsch, New York becomes a dark, eerie but entrancing place of shadows and brutality. It’s almost another character in the film that’s how much of an aura we get here with a debt to noir being evident. The aforementioned hip hop/ rap music featured further establishes the urban atmosphere and impaired with a slithering score that rises and falls like the eponymous affliction. Both play a big part in keeping us watching and being engrossed in this horror drama with a lot more on its mind that just gruesomeness.

Lili Taylor, of petite stature and interesting eyes, is an unusual but spellbinding presence as the student turned bloodsucker. She plays Kathleen as someone who is idealistic and curious, but after her bite, turns quite cold, aggressive and dangerous. In between craving blood and completing her thesis, Taylor explorers the characters outlook on life through philosophy and how it morphs once she sees the world in a transformative way. Her frustration and desperation, coupled with an unsettling stare and rabid hunger are all accounted for and played wonderfully as Kathleen has to come to turns with what she has been changed into. Taylor has always been a reliable performer and she doesn’t disappoint here, in what is one of her best roles that requires her to really dig into the darkness and craving of someone hooked on the taste of blood. It’s quite a subtle performance in parts( Kathleen and Taylor herself look very innocent to the untrained eye), but that only enhances the dichotomy of her even more and adds layers to the later brutal acts she commits with full on force in order to feed her thirst for blood. Simply stated, Lili Taylor is the anchor of The Addiction and haunting in the best sense of the world as the victim turned bloodthirsty predator. Christopher Walken appears in what is essentially an extended cameo, but it’s well worth it and he makes the most of the time he’s on screen. His strange, sagacious demeanour, coupled with lashings of sarcasm at the state of his existence. He’s a vampire cutting down after all so he’s philosophical like a guru and sardonic in equal measure. It’s all in a way only the talented Walken could pull off. Annabella Sciorra, all slicked hair and dangerous appeal, wonderfully acts as the instigator of Kathleen’s transformation and though seen on in a handful of scenes near the beginning and end of the film, makes her mark felt. Watch out for early roles from Edie Falco and Kathryn Erbe as unsuspecting victims.

A very different take on vampires by a director with his own unique way of telling a story, The Addiction is well directed and acted horror/drama that won’t be to all tastes. But for those looking for a film that will make you think about it’s existential themes, it’s hard to go wrong with this most unusual film.

When a Stranger Calls

Tags

1970's, Carol Kane, Charles Durning, Colleen Dewhurst, Fred Walton, Horror, Tony Beckley, When a Stranger Calls

A rightfully iconic horror, especially for its opening 20 minutes of mounting terror, When a Stranger Calls is often just lumbered with that description. But the middle section is quite fascinating, even if it doesn’t match the opening or the final reel. It’s the atmosphere, creepy music and acting that truly makes When a Stranger Calls a very good exercise in terror. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s influence is hard to dispute.

Jill Johnson( Carol Kane) is a teenager who is babysitting the children of a local doctor, while he and his wife attend a swanky dinner. What seems to be a quiet evening soon turns into something terrifying when Jill begins receiving constant phone calls. Some are silent, but eventually the caller keeps asking her whether she has checked the children. The calls become more frequent and even though she thought they were a harmless prank at first, Jill becomes increasingly frightened. Eventually contacting the police, they trace the call to inside the house. Jill exits in terror and it’s here we learn that the caller and now killed had been in the house the whole time and had brutally murdered the children hours prior. We flash forward seven years and the detective who was on the case, the determined and upstanding John Clifford( Charles Durning), is summoned by the doctor after word gets to him that the killer, whose name is Curt Duncan( Tony Beckley) has escaped from his stay in a psychiatric hospital. Now a private investigator, Clifford is asked to find Duncan.  It seems Duncan himself is struggling to adapt to life in the inner city, constantly at odds with his grim surroundings. He becomes enamoured with Tracy (Colleen Dewhurst) a lonely woman who drinks frequently, though she is skeptical of him at first due to his awkwardness. Once she shows him kindness, he becomes obsessed with her which alarms her deeply. Meanwhile, Clifford is on his track and his anger has boiled into thoughts of killing the murderer he is searching for as he feels justice wasn’t properly served. Later Duncan discovers a now older and more prepared Jill through a newspaper article. He decides to repeat what he started but can he be stopped before he kills again?

Fred Walton excellently ratchets up suspense and horror right from the get go, before settling into a strangely deep and reflective middle half. Though the first half is justifiably celebrated, the middle area is as well directed just in a different way. Walton had a hand in writing the script and he knows how to scare without being bloody. In fact, there’s nary a drop of blood shown, which makes events even more terrifying as your mind fills in the blanks. That opening 20 minutes is seriously some of the most tense and frightening as ever you’re likely to see, as the house that Jill is in becomes even more confined and the phone takes on a haunting life of its own. The whole lighting scheme is haunting too; as blue covers a lot of it, making the most out of illuminating the leading lady and highlighting her ordeal at hands of a mad man. I can’t praise this opening highly enough with its wide array of angles, spooky atmosphere and palpable feeling of unease. I could speak about the opening part for days, but sadly I have to concentrate on the rest of the film.

As aforementioned, When a Stranger Calls is regularly given the description of the opening and last parts are the best, while the middle section drags. While some of that is true( I mean the opening is simply stated a hair raising workout in mounting suspense that is still tense), I think the middle section has its moments, despite it not living up to the expectations set by that opening. It morphs from horror into a cat and mouse thriller with the private detective searching for the killer. While there are spots that feel too stretched and out of place, the middle of When a Stranger Calls provides an unusual insight into a killer and his situation. We almost feel pangs of sympathy for him as we glimpse his lonely existence, then we are reminded of his horrendous crimes and we snap back to reason. One part of When a Stranger Calls that is in need of deep appreciation is the sensationally spooky score from Dana Kaproff. He has supreme command over rising strings, sinister bass and odd percussion that just fits this movie like a glove. I can’t give it any more praise than just saying, it’s splendidly atmospheric and just adds so much to the creep factor in innumerable ways.

The acting is also pretty great in this film. Carol Kane, with her alert, large eyes and whispery, quivering voice, is an ideal bit of casting for the main lady in the horror of everything. She’s got the vulnerability down and terrified to a T, but when we later see her(after a break from the mid section), she’s definitely changed quite a bit in the long run and grown up. She’s still terrified by what happened but is more resilient and resourceful than before, almost as if her past experience has rightly made her more wary of danger and anything alarming . All in all, Carol Kane is pretty great as the central girl who bookends this chiller with quiet force and conviction. The always entertaining Charles Durning is on hand as the detective who takes up the bulk of middle section. He has a certain affable way about him but a grave and solemn loyalty to the law that’s in evidence. That’s why it is intriguing to watch him think of murdering for what he has done; you wouldn’t expect it from him but you can certainly grasp some of his reasoning. Durning got turns in quality work that stands up. And speaking of standing up and standing out, the late Tony Beckley is the glue that holds the mid section together with his portrayal of a killer. Considering he was very ill and died just months after the premiere, put a lot of hard work into the part that you’d never know he was tragically sick behind the scenes. his weary, almost pathetic character is at first glance someone you wouldn’t think capable of murder, but his intense eyes say so much of the brutal inside of him. Colleen Dewhurst rounds out the cast as the boozy woman who doesn’t quite realise the repercussions of befriending Duncan. She’s pretty excellent here I must say.

Well directed and acted, along with being pretty creepy in the long run, When a Stranger Calls may show its age but while overall not the best horror movie ever, it’s still very influential and very suspenseful. Don’t watch it alone!

Movies with Horror/Supernatural or Creepiness Coming Soon

Tags

Horror, Supernatural, Thriller

As Halloween is approaching and horror/thriller movies are a favourite genre, here’s what you’ll see reviewed around here. The films will be either horror, thriller or have a certain level of creepy atmosphere to them. It won’t all be horror, but that will feature heavily. I may not see all of them before Halloween but I’ll definitely watch them all and review them.

• The Seventh Sign
• The Addiction
• Saw
• Night of the Living Dead
• Carnival of Souls
• When a Stranger Calls
• Wait Until Dark
• Prom Night
• Terror Train
• 30 Days of Night
• The Believers
• Children of the Corn
• Dead of Night

Midsommar

Tags

2010's, Ari Aster, Florence Pugh, Horror, Jack Reynor, Midsommar, Psychological Horror, Vilhelm Blomgren, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper

Ari Aster follows up his creepy and startling debut Hereditary with Midsommar; an ambitious, head-spinning horror that builds to a stocking finale, while supplying tension, tiered meanings and an immensely dedicated performance from Florence Pugh.

Dani( Florence Pugh) is a young woman who’s just experienced a gut-wrenching trauma. Her bipolar sister committed suicide via inhaling carbon monoxide and killing her parents as well. Broken by this, Dani turns to boyfriend Christian( Jack Reynor) , who is not exactly helpful and more interested in himself. Their relationship was precarious as it was and now Dani leans on him for support which he is unable to supply her with. A few months pass and Christian, who is studying anthropology for a PHD, is invited by his Swedish friend Pelle(Vilhelm Blomgren) to a festival in his Nordic homeland. He is to be joined by fellow students reasonable Josh( William Jackson Harper) and obnoxious Mark(Will Poulter). Dani finds out and Christians reluctantly asks her to come with them, to which she accepts. She’s still reeling from her trauma and suffering with depression and anxiety, but the trip sounds like a good getaway for her. Touching down in Sweden, they go back to nature among the wide fields and mountains that are populated by a commune. Dani and the others are soon witness to the ways in which they celebrate and their intriguing but slightly off kilter ways of ritual and worship. At first, the practices seem odd but just slightly different and nothing too serious. There’s dancing, ingestion of strange ingredients with hallucinogenic qualities and the fact that everyone does things in a group which while weird doesn’t really give the impression of anything dark or macabre. Yet with growing horror, events get ramped up and grisly horror ensues for the visitors, most of all fragile Dani. What started out as a sojourn to a festival with a difference slowly morphs into a waking nightmare for Dani as things just get more and more intense, impacting on her already tenuous mental state.

Ari Aster proves Hereditary was no fluke with this electrifying and bizarre blend of psychological folk horror and a meditation on trauma. He goes for the creeping approach, peppering in shocks and even snippets of humour at the start then slowly bubbling away at the uneasiness mounting like a fit to burst volcano. Grief seems to be a subject with which Ari Aster is familiar with and Midsommar continues in that vein but from a more surreal and grander scale. The most obvious comparison to Midsommar is The Wicker Man. Both films feature a community that’s pagan religion deviates from what is deemed traditional and most of the action takes place in sunlight. References can be seen and are well done( for me it’s a high comparison with a classic), but Midsommar is its own film with a hallucinogenic sensibility and layered drama. While very much a horror film, Midsommar functions as an exploration of reaction to trauma, purging the soul and toxic relationships. The last mentioned point on relationships is especially true as things continue to go downhill for Dani. The horror hits home more for that very reason and then some. I believe Midsommar is the type of movie that is rewarding upon watching again. Pockets of information are scattered often in plain sight but make more sense once the whole picture comes together with frightening force. You’ll be left thinking about the film no matter how you feel about it that’s for sure and certain.

On a visual level, Midsommar is an assault on the senses. From a flipped shot that goes upside down in arresting fashion to the houses the commune live in that are decorated with telling murals, you can’t escape the sensory overlord and beautiful cinematography. The use of wide shots and aerial shots captures the surrounding in majestic form, fleshing out the setting that is as breathtaking as it is unsettling. Bathing events in a mostly bright sheen, horror plays out against flora and fauna in a most peculiar way. The setting is alive, quite literally in some parts as you’ll no doubt be witness to if you venture out to see Midsommar. One of my favourite touches is Dani among the ladies dancing around in circles, adorned with a flower headdress. It’s a scene that overlaps images to a dazzling effect and perfectly sums up the unusual stance of this movie. It’s spellbinding even when outrageous and stomach churning festivities are taking place, making sure you never quite look away from what’s presented to your eyes.The use of sound is exemplary, from the unusual rhythms and punctuated noises to the eerie sense of silence and stillness. It compliments the atmosphere of something being very sinister and extremely horrifying to come.

At the heart of everything is the promising Florence Pugh. Over the last few years she has impressed me with her versatility and she doesn’t disappoint with her performance  in Midsommar. She’s contained and crumbling under the burden of grief, constantly attempting to stifle her feelings. When it all comes out, Pugh nails the anguish and the sense of release, coupled with the slow and crushing sense of falling deeper into horror( or is it something else?) Her eyes are fascinating at profiling her internalised emotions that eventually reveal themselves with shocking intensity and surprising depth. Put simply, Florence Pugh impresses throughout with her surrender to challenging material. Jack Reynor nails it as the conceited boyfriend who gets put through his own horror and Reynor shines in the horrifying last act. Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper and Will Poulter flesh out the other men of the movie who experience the terror unfolding, with Will Poulter the most memorable as the guy obsessed with getting sexy action and getting a lot more than he bargained for. As good as the guys are though, Midsommar belongs to the exceptional Florence Pugh who is for my money, going places.

Horrifying, hypnotic and hard to forget, Midsommar is one of the most unsettling films I’ve seen in a while. But like it’s predecessor, once you’ve viewed it, you can’t shake it. Ari Aster is shaping up to be a major league director and Florence Pugh is fast becoming a prominent and talented actress to watch.

Hereditary

Tags

2010's, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd, Ari Aster, Gabriel Byrne, Hereditary, Horror, Milly Shapiro, Psychological Horror, Supernatural Horror, Toni Collette

A visceral, emotionally haunting and horrifying psychological horror from the debuting Ari Aster, Hereditary plunges you into grief, family secrets and the terror of what we might inherit from our relatives.

Annie Graham(Toni Collette), a miniatures artist, is mourning the death of her secretive mother. She is joined in this by her therapist husband Stephen( Gabriel Byrne)and their two children; bored and dejected 16-year-old son Peter( Alex Wolff) and unusual tomboy daughter Charlie( Milly Shapiro) . The thing is Annie was estranged from her mother and various things in her past impacted their tenuous relationship. while young Charlie, who was her Grandma’s favourite, begins acting even more strangely than usual. Soon enough, a strange force begins plaguing the family. Though she secretly visits grief counselling for guidance, Annie believes she sees her mother again, Charlie also sees visions of this along with unusual phenomena. Peter buried his feelings in smoking pit and trying to get girls but tragedy brings him back around. Stephen is the main point of attempted calm in a powder keg situation that slowly starts to unravel. It all pertains to the deceased Grandmother, but how does it? As grief and tragedy plunge the family further into turmoil, Annie starts to lose her grip on her sanity and events descend into a waking horror for the Graham’s. Matters aren’t helped by the arrival of Joan(Ann Dowd), a mysterious woman who ingratiates herself into Annie’s life with shocking results.

Ari Aster marks himself out as a director with a future. He’s clearly a guy who loves his  spine-chilling, psychological horror and Hereditary is a testament to that. He’s got a fantastic handle over pacing; slowly dropping crumbs of information and things you think are just accidental, but are intentional. It’s a slow burn that’s punctuated by moments of shock horror and extreme situations, while still examining the ups and downs of grief in a bubbling way. Then when we get to the heart of things, all hell breaks loose and Aster unleashes chilling moment after moment. Be warned, the last half an hour is some intense stuff that will make even the most seasoned horror viewer sit up and be freaked out.

You’ll be left with images of great horror and of an unsettling nature once you finish Hereditary. And with good reason as they are plentiful and a credit to the visual team and the exploration by Aster. From slowly zooming camerawork to a mastery over sound( the sound of a tongue clicking will haunt your dreams as will Colette’s roars of grief and an intense dinner scene) , it’s a movie for definite horror fans. The claustrophobic atmosphere, heightened by the abundance of scenes within the family’s large house, helps us ruminate in how grief can isolate is and how familial ties are not always . This film isn’t full of cheap scares as it has more on its mind. Take for instance when Annie believes she sees the ghost of her mother. Most horror films would feature a sudden reveal, not here. Instead, Aster uses a wide shot and gets the audience to really pay attention as to see whether it was real or not, as if daring us not to trust our eyes. I admired Hereditary for the fact it didn’t have to resort to throwaway scares. Hereditary is certainly not for everyone, but for those with a penchant for dramatic scares and unusual imagery, this should be a treat. A rumbling score is the cherry on top of the cake as murmurs, low electronic humming and unusual instances of cacophony blend hauntingly.

One of the finest things in Hereditary is the committed performance from Toni Collette, who turns in some of her finest work. She’s put through the wringer of emotions and just displays them all so convincingly and vividly. From grieving daughter to mentally unstable and all that’s in between, Collette doesn’t miss a beat and often conveys varying feelings within seconds of each other. One can’t stress enough the sheer full throttle force with which she acts here. It has to be seen to be believed and experienced. Gabriel Byrne provides solid support in a role that could have been boring, but rises above such worries. He’s the non believer trying to keep his family together but failing as times passes. Alex Wolff gets the alienated and confused state of mind for his character just right, going between moments of escaping pain to enduring intense suffering that makes no sense to him. Rounding out the family is young Milly Shapiro, who sends shivers down the spine as the daughter seemingly most affected by her grandmother’s death. You never quite know what to make of this little girl but she is damn important to the story. In a small but pivotal role, the ever reliable Ann Dowd exudes an uneasy sense of niceness that is tempered with something that tells you that you can’t trust her as far as you can throw her.

Super unsettling, packed with ideas and thematic value, plus boasting impressive acting and an atmosphere of never ending dread, Hereditary is definitely for those who appreciate a slow burn and a searing drama within a horror movie.

The Girl with All the Gifts

Tags

2010's, Colm McCarthy, Drama, Gemma Arterton, Glenn Close, Horror, Paddy Considine, Sennia Nanua, The Girl with All the Gifts

A horror drama with ethical and provocative questions at its core, The Girl with All the Gifts finds new life in the zombie horror genre with fine acting, scares and a surprising intelligence.

Some time in the future, most of mankind has been overrun by a virulent fungal disease that turns the sufferer into a flesh craving zombie. These people are known as “hungries” by others. In a secret underground army base, a second generation of these creatures in the form of young children are taught. Unlike their savage relatives, these kids can think and learn, but also have a craving for flesh. Humans have a certain blocker gel that masks the smell of human flesh, but that is still no long term guarantee. The story mainly focuses on one such child known as Melanie( Sennia Nanua), who is immensely gifted, polite and eager to learn. The growling Sergeant Parks( Paddy Considine) keeps things running in a brusque way, while head scientist Dr. Caroline Caldwell( Glenn Close)experiments on the zombie children in a search for a cure to the disease. Although most see the children as just mere monsters, teacher Helen Justineau( Gemma Arterton) treats them with respect and compassion which puts her in opposition with both. Just as Dr. Caldwell is making some breakthrough, the facility is attacked by hungries. In the confusion, Melanie, Justineau, Caldwell and Parks survive and head for what they hope will be safety. But as tensions mount and Melanie is fought over, it becomes clear that there is no easy answer to what’s going on. But is Melanie the salvation of destruction of mankind in the grand scheme of things? And just how long is she to be trusted as the world around her crumbles and slips into a worse state than it already is?

Colm McCarthy is a director who clearly wants to bring that something different to the zombie horror sub genre. And that he does with this film that is both eerily tense and reflective on thematic material. I like how things start out mysterious and gradually we begin to understand the horrifying vision of the future. And once it hits the half an hour mark, intensity reigns and the pace quickens considerably backing up the horror credentials. One can make successful parallels with 28 Days Later and with good reason, for both are exemplary entries into zombie horror with more on its mind than just action and blood. Not that there isn’t action or blood as is envisioned in kinetic style and blood soaked horror, like the standout sequence of the hungries attaching the facility with a ferocity akin to a war movie. These events sit nicely along with the deeper thematic value of the piece. Considering The Girl with All the Gifts wasn’t made with the biggest budget, it never shows as it’s a gorgeously and hauntingly visual film. This extends particularly to its version of London, one in which overgrown plant life has taken over like a vicious jungle of vines that will prove fatal to those who can’t survive. And lets just say there is plenty of meat to chew over( pardon the pun.) The battle between good and evil is blurred considerably and admirably. No one is clear cut bad or good, least of all the eponymous Girl who is a mixture of both. The Girl with All the Gifts asks us to feel sympathy for her but like most of the characters, keep a certain sense of worry about her true nature and whether it’s just a matter of fate that she becomes rabid. In fact, there’s a certain tragedy attached to Melanie. You witness that she wishes to be like everyone else but is cursed from it, Some might say some of it is typical zombie fare and while there are going to be some cliched moments in here( no one said it was flawless), but what the film accomplishes is something with more heart and smarts than your average flick in this genre. A shimmering and reverberating score should rightfully be praised. It hums and throbs with an alarming intensity and haunting aura.

As the titular Girl, Sennia Nanua is a revelation in her first main role. For such a young actress acting alongside more seasoned co-stars, Nanua shows no sign of nerves and turns in a layered performance that is at once sympathetic and menacing. And what a cast it is. Gemma Arterton, of pleasing, warm face and expressive eyes, beautifully portrays the teacher who treats her charges as if they were just average children. In her eyes, although they are dangerous, they still matter and it is a fine.y judged, emotional performance from Gemma Arterton. Glenn Close( a superb actress of the highest order) is once more on amazing form as the ruthlessly determined scientist who seems heartless but possesses some care within her. Close doesn’t make her a villain and although she’s questionable as a character, it’s that flawed nature that Close gets across so well. Paddy Considine is on hand for sarcastic, aggressive lines and action as the skilled soldier navigating a crew of at odds survivors through a hellish London.

A chilling, thrilling but also deep examination of moral dilemmas set against a world gone mad, The Girl with All the Gifts discovers inventive and astute ways to blend post-apocalyptic horror and sensitive drama about ethical and ambiguous questions on humanity, science and the complex link between good and evil.

Us

Tags

2010's, Elisabeth Moss, Evan Alex, Horror, Jordan Peele, Lupita Nyong'o, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Tim Heidecker, Us, Winston Duke

Director

Jordan Peele

Starring

• Lupita Nyong’o
• Winston Duke
• Shahadi Wright Joseph
• Evan Alex
• Elisabeth Moss
• Tim Heidecker

A sophomore horror from Jordan Peele after the success of Get Out, Us may not reach the heights of its predecessor but it undoubtedly has something to say and is bolstered by fine acting.

As a child, Adelaide (Lupita Nyong’o) was traumatised when she wandered into the hall of mirrors at the Santa Cruz boardwalk. She encountered what seemed like a doppelgänger but was never able to bring herself to tell her parents what happened. As an adult, Adelaide is now married to the affable Gabe Wilson( Winston Duke) and has two children, daughter Zora( Shahadi Wright Joseph) and son Jason(Evan Alex). They are visiting Santa Cruz once more so they can see the wine-swilling and discontented Kitty(Elisabeth Moss) and Josh(Tim Heidecker), both friends of the couple. Adelaide has never confided in anyone about what happened all those years ago and is unsurprisingly apprehensive. While there, Jason wanders off which really terrifies Adelaide as it brings back bad memories and they return to their holiday home. A series of other coincidences alarm Adelaide and just as she is confessing to Gabe about her trauma , an eerie sight comes into view. To the horror of the Wilsons, they discover the figures outside are their doppelgängers . Menaced by their sinister counterparts, they are thrown into terror. And it appears that doppelgängers are not just for the Wilsons, but for many others too. Desperate to survive and protect her family, Adelaide must attempt to outwit the doubles and figure out their origins before it’s too late.

Jordan Peele is clearly going for something more ambitious here and displays immense talent too. Not every decision he makes is good, but he is largely at home with this kind of work. In relation to the highlight that was Get Out, Us falls short. But Get Out set a very high standard that it would be impossible to reach that level of success. On the praise front, Us most certainly keeps you glued with an unusual rhythm and the fact that we aren’t spoon fed information and is open to interpretation. Peele has you sympathise and get to know the Wilsons before all manner of hell breaks loose, which is commendable especially in the case of Adelaide. I don’t think Us will be a movie for everyone as it’s horror but with a difference. I’m firmly in the middle as of now, but I think the positives are outweighing the negatives.

Once you settle into the groove of the movie, Us begins to reveal its themes and message. And while it bites off more than it can chew, I was impressed by the allusions it made to the oppressive nature of society and duality. This is backed up by symbolism that eagle eyed viewers will eat up as it all means something. The humour gets a tad excessive and I would have appreciated Peele reigning it in a bit more. I found that some laughs overshadowed what Us was going for and didn’t really help. But the horror and off kilter imagery stands out for a start and continues throughout Us. It has been more than a bit overhyped, but definitely has its merits more than its faults. I feel that Us is one of those movies that will improve when watched again as there is mystery there and I’m sure parts that we might have missed. So watch this space as my mixed opinion may change in the future as I think more on it. There is some chewing the cud to do that’s for sure and certain.The score is pretty stellar at conveying the overall eerie and downright spooky nature of Us, while a well chosen soundtrack is in full swing too with many a highlight of juxtaposition.

The cast do wonders, especially considering each is playing two people. Lupita Nyong’o is the biggest standout with two fantastic and very convincing performances. While Adelaide is frightened but eventually strong, her doppelgänger is sinister and unnerving. She finely judges both roles and it’s simply amazing how much she puts into both, from the fierce look in Adelaide’s eyes to the skin-crawling voice of her double. It takes a strong actress to convince as two very different characters, but Lupita Nyong’o is more than up to the challenge. Nyong’o deserves nothing but praise for her accomplishment here which is two completely different performances executed handsomely. Winston Duke injects a lot of humour into the role of affable father and husband, he does get some of the best lines and runs with them with fine comic timing. He also provides a hulking presence as his creepy double. Usually kids in horror movies fall into two categories; believable and annoying nuisance. Thankfully Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex are in the former category and hold their own against more experienced co-stars. In a small but memorable role, Elisabeth Moss conveys the dissatisfaction and vanity of her character with ease and commitment. Then she turns it up a few notches as a nefarious but strangely tragic double. Tim Heidecker supplies good support too as her husband.

A bit overly ambitious but nonetheless creepy and with many messages among the horror, Us gets by on atmosphere and excellent acting, particularly from Lupita Nyong’o.

Get Out

Tags

2010's, Allison Williams, Betty Gabriel, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Catherine Keener, Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out, Horror, Jordan Peele, Lil Rel Howery, Marcus Henderson

Director

Jordan Peele

Starring

• Daniel Kaluuya
• Allison Williams
• Bradley Whitford
• Catherine Keener
• Lil Rey Howery
• Caleb Landry Jones
• Marcus Henderson
• Betty Gabriel

An auspicious debut from TV comic Jordan Peele, Get Out is horror/mystery with a socially aware slant and provocative examination of race relations that is both chilling and

Chris Washington(Daniel Kaluuya) is an African-American photographer who has been dating Rose Armitage(Allison Williams) , who is white. Rose invites him to meet her parents, but Chris is apprehensive of their reaction. They live in plush surroundings in upstate New York and Rose eventually persuades Chris to come with her. Upon arrival, things seem to go well with neurosurgeon Dean(Bradley Whitford) and psychiatrist Missy(Catherine Keener). But although Missy and Dean seem to welcome Chris , their attempts at being friendly and not bothered by his ethnicity come off as very heavy-handed. This is despite the fact they claim to be open-minded people and ones of culture. There is something decidedly off about them that only continues in the ensuing days. Chris was warned by his best friend Rod( Lil Rey Howery) about the way the parents might react but he thought his friend was being overly paranoid and over thinking things. Adding to this deep unease is that two of the servants,  in the house are African-American and act very strangely towards Chris. Rose assures him that her family is cool with him, but Chris is unable to shake off the vibe that something sinister is underlying him stating there. As the feeling of paranoia and terror increases(though he attempts to pass it off as Rose’s parents being shocked she is dating a black man), Missy at one point hypnotises Chris without him agreeing to it, Chris soon realises that he is at the centre of something very twisted indeed. He was mainly worried about how Rose’s parents and social circle would reacted to him dating their daughter, but that’s the least of his worries in this creepy horror flick with something to say.

As first time director, Jordan Peele infuses Get Out with a building tension right from the start. He’s clearly well versed in horror as he is in comedy, which both featuring throughout. It’s the confidence of Peele as a first time director that stands out here and impresses with how he takes the time to set up the story and pull you in on the horror that unravels. You’ll probably never look at bingo or the chiming of a spoon on a teacup the same way again after viewing Get Out. While being a very disturbing horror film with oodles of atmosphere, Get Out is also at times laugh out loud funny. It’s got a snappy wit that is best embodied by Chris’s best friend. He says outrageous things but they are often not far from the strange truth st the centre of the film. Wit also appears in the form of satire at people who claim to be open-minded, when in actual fact are very much prejudice. Peele’s writing, which won an Oscar, lampoons this and blends it with the unnerving sense of something being very wrong with the family Chris meets. Get Out is the kind of film I can imagine revisiting again, in order to discover things I may have not noticed upon first viewing. And that’s a compliment at least in my movie viewing book. A dissonant music score keeps you constantly on edge with screeching violins and occasional choral chanting. Also pervading the heavy atmosphere is a moody cinematography that’s also extremely complimentary to the story.

Heading the cast is the talented Daniel Kaluuya. He possesses a kindness, skepticism and realisation as Chris that makes you relate to him. His look of bewilderment at the events often mirrors our own way of approaching the unusual catalogue of creepiness that takes form. Put simply, Kaluuya is an impressive lead who is clearly going places. Allison Williams is also very good as Rose; who might not be what you think when you first look at her and is a testament to the talent of Williams. Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener are sublimely excellent as the unusual patents whose privileged existence masks something extremely sinister. Both exude a certain level of menace but intelligence too, which is a dangerous yet effective combo. Further creepiness comes in the form of Caleb Landry Jones who has a very offbeat but worrying vibe to him, backed up by Marcus Henderson and Betty Gabriel who seem to have stepped out of The Stepford Wives and into the 21st century. Stealing the show in his appearances has to be Lil Rel Howery, who is an absolute hoot providing the social commentary and outrageous humour of the piece. He’s laugh out loud and heroic at the same time and I very much enjoyed his performance whenever he appeared.

Splendidly unusual, darkly amusing and topical in themes, Get Out succeeds as a very creepy and unnerving horror that stands out indeed and comes highly recommended from me.