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dazzmaniandevil
Reviews
Pressure (2015)
A riveting 90 minute deep sea escape for the viewer!
I went into this without much expectation, I had not read much about the film but had seen the not too bad not too promising average score of 5.6, but I've enjoyed some 4/10 films (even lower perhaps) on here so thought it was worth a try (it was!). I think 7 or 7.5 would be fair but I'm rounding it up rather than down.
As for the film itself, I don't want to give much away but it's full of palpable tension, a definite sense of dread and the massive weight of the ocean. This tension is well balanced with some interesting (and sometimes funny) banter between the crew members. Of course as their predicament worsens, with the clock ticking, the joviality all but vanishes, replaced by fear and bravado.
There were no real lags in the film for me, it's pretty much an intense ride from start to finish, I liked the inclusion of some flashbacks and dream/daydream sequences which really added extra weight to the spectacle without resorting to overly sentimental formulas often seen in Hollywood movies. This is a pretty grim film, such is the story and the situation in which the protagonists find themselves, the reality is probably even harsher but I believe the filmmakers did a fine job with this one, never going overboard (no pun intended) with special effects, gratuitous violence or syrupy sentimental themes.
Pretty powerful stuff and a great little watery escape for us safe and sound here on dry land.
Haunt (2019)
Disturbing, bleak & nail-biting horror-thriller.
This was a decent surprise for me, over the years I've become less of a fan of gory horror, certainly if it's gore (or indeed brutality in general) just for the sake of it. I'm of the belief that things are often better suggested, less is more. As such I'm not really a fan of movies which have had the involvement of Eli Roth, who produced this film.
Haunt does feature a few stomach turning moments of ultra violence but thankfully not too many with the focus being more on atmosphere, tension and suspense. The set-pieces in the 'Haunted house' are gleefully disturbing as well as quite ingenious along with freakish masks kind of resembling a new look and somewhat more trippy Slipknot (metal band).
I was surprised to read some reviews criticising certain decisions by the characters at various points in the film and feel that's just nit-picking. In almost every horror movie I watch I end up questioning a character's (often dumb!) actions! In Haunt I found the characters to be relatively well developed (for this kind of movie), the film also surprised me with several twists it took and the unnerving mood throughout with some sleek editing too adding to this.
It's ot a masterpiece for me as I doubt I'd really seek it out to watch again but it's a decent and menacing horror thriller. If you're in the mood to watch something vaguely along the lines of 'Hell Fest' but with an extra helping of weirdness then this is worth a shot.