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Shewattsi
Reviews
Shadow in the Cloud (2020)
Silly wartime action film with great cinematography
I loved this film! Outlandish, lots of action shots, great soundtrack, great visuals, and yes it is very feminist. But hey, if you can enjoy any of the rocks action films with only a slightly raised eyebrow then you can do the same for this.
Spoopy Movie Time (2020)
Skip the episodes and just watch the films
I'm aware that this may have just have been someone's lockdown project, so I'm not going to be super negative about it.
I settled down with a friend expecting lots of commentary and some silliness/weirdness. I think I can count the number of comments on one hand, and they missed some great opportunities for jokes! I think next time we'll skip the series and just watch the weird old films directly, we found plenty to laugh about in the very long gaps between hearing from our hosts.
Inuyashiki (2018)
My favourite superhero film
Two things stand out for me in this film. The first is the acting, excellent performances from all involved but especially our hero Inuyashiki and anti hero Hiro. Inuyashiki himself is a mistreated older man, quite a unique angle vs the usual beefed up offerings cluttering up our cinema screens.
The other is just the amount of feeling and heart present in the film. That is in large part down to the above mentioned performances, but there's also character development and a storyline that's straight forward and hangs together properly. Again, quite novel vs anything coming out of Marvel or DC.
My review hasn't done this film any justice at all, but if you get the chance to watch it then do!
Locke & Key (2020)
Thoroughly enjoyable
I both started and finished season 1 of Locke & Key today, that's how much I enjoyed it!
It was the perfect Sunday show, a family moving in to a grand and creepy old house, magic and mystery, and characters that I thought were well acted. It might be the lockdown talking, but Locke & Key was exactly the kind of escapism I needed today.
La Révolution (2020)
Loved it
What not to love? A fantastical 'what if' loosely inspired by the French Revolution, strong characters, gorgeous visuals and fashion that's inspired me to dig out my stompiest boots and don a tonne more earrings.
Knocked off two stars as the twist in the last episode could have had a little more planning, but I really hope they make a second season.
Possessor (2020)
An internal struggle taken to a new level
This is my second Brandon Cronenberg film, I watched Antiviral a few weeks back and have to say I'm enjoying his work.
Possessor takes the grotesque theme of humans enmeshed with each other and machinery and spits out a simultaneously slow paced yet nail biting sci-fi film. Both lead actors play the idea of possessor and possessed fantastically, in the latter half of the film I was genuinely on edge trying to guess which character had won the fight for supremacy.
The ending (I won't ruin it) felt like a punch to the gut, so emotionless which made it all the more horrifying.
At under two hours long, I would recommend this to anyone wanting a film that merges the boundaries of sci-fi and horror, and does so in the least flashy or blockbuster was possible. A big tick from me.
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
If you watch with the right expectations it's a great film
I went to see this film knowing that I dislike all three mashed up genres; Christmas films, musicals and zombies (although I do love horror) but my expectations were of a low budget Shaun of the Dead esque production with singing, and I wasn't disappointed! The songs are great, several years on some are still firmly on my shower singalong playlist. The acting isn't Oscar worthy, but it doesn't need to be. What it does have though is a shed load of heart. If you're looking for something slick and big budget this isn't for you. But if you want something fun with an emotional edge and some seriously catchy songs this is the one for you.
The Oak Room (2020)
Atmospheric and effective
I saw The Oak Room recently at a local film festival and am very pleased I had the opportunity. This film is set in a bar at closing time during a snow storm. One character tells the other a story, and we go from there.
Now whilst some of the acting is a little over the top or unconvincing in places, on the whole this was very well done. The setting of the bar and the snowstorm was done so well that despite being indoors and properly dressed for October, I was cold! The film made me feel cold! The tension was built over the course of the film, with a twist that I wasn't fully expecting.
I knocked a couple of stars off as despite fully understanding the plot and twist, things were introduced towards the very end that weren't given proper context. It didn't ruin the film at all, it just felt like a few loose ends. Overall I really enjoyed The Oak Room.
Saint Maud (2019)
A gripping watch
This is a fantastic film about a woman suffering from escalating religious delusions. I won't give any spoilers but the plot is pacey and often takes an unexpected turn, which is what kept me guessing and gripped throughout. The ending was really satisfying, Rose Glass thankfully doesn't pull her punches. And to top it off it's under 90 minutes long. I've seen several new releases recently that all come in under 2 hours, and I dearly hope it's a trend that sticks.
I'd recommend this to anyone looking for an original horror.
Scare Me (2020)
A gem of a film
I've fallen foul of the films recommended by Shudder before (Confessional, just awful) so was sceptical of this one. However, at under 2 hours long it was a real gem.
'Scare Me' has a very small cast, and for the bulk of the film features two writers of varying success telling each other scary stories during a storm. As an aspiring horror writer (a lockdown hobby with no intent to publish) watching these characters conjure monsters and devils with such ease and style was really fun and inspiring.
The last 10 or so minutes were is where the film really did get scary. One half of our duo is confronted by the other, that very real and dangerous creature of a man who can't deal with his own mediocrity. It wasn't the ending I quite expected, but it pushed this film from maybe a 7 to a 9 for me.
Host (2020)
Short, effective horror
Considering this is only an hour long and shot during lockdown, I would call it a success!
I would describe Host as a blend between corner of your eye 'what was that' type horror and jump scares. The performances were good and I don't think anyone over-acted, some of the scare scenes later on were very effective and somewhat original.
Would recommend if you have an hour to fill.
1917 (2019)
Some truly icon cinematography, acting fell a little flat
I really wanted to love this film, and I do feel guilty rating it at 6/10. All 6 points are for the cinematography. Visually it was a stunning film, the scene with George MacKays character running through the ruined town was breathtaking, a real triumph. But in my opinion the acting from the two main characters let the film down. Both were just a bit flat, and when things happened to each it was difficult to connect and empathise with them.
Maybe my expectations were too high. I would never tell people not to watch 1917, I just can't imagine I'll go back for a second try.
Confessional (2019)
Was hoping for a decent indie film, unfortunately this didn't deliver
I finished watching this film about 10 minutes ago on Shudder and if I'm honest it was quite disappointing.
The basic plot is that after the deaths of two people, seven students are blackmailed in to a booth to confess something. It sounds pretty straight forward, but as the background for each character or the situation isn't properly explained it just ends up super confusing.
Each of the seven then immediately embarks upon a rambling diatribe, most of which are hard to follow. Several of them go from 0-100 in one step, which doesn't leave them anywhere to go performance wise for the rest of the film.
If they had reduced the number of confessors down to maybe 4 or 5 and used the time saved to add some extra context, I think this could have been a reasonable film.
Oculus (2013)
Very unnerving film, a must see for horror fans
I think Oculus is really underrated. I watch a lot of horror films, and unlike other haunting or possession themes films this one actually scared me.
It's hard to describe why this film succeeds for me where many others don't, but I think the main reason it that it relies less on jump scares and actually has a solid premise. Without giving anything away, there's a moment where the characters don't know whether they are in or outside of their house. This is just one of many confusing moments (for the characters) but it perfectly captures the horrifying concept of not knowing whether you can trust your own eyes or not.
There is some criticism that the film doesn't explain certain things enough, and I do see what those people mean. My recommendation would just be to go with it and enjoy.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
A solid film with great casting
Ted Bundy as a subject has (excuse the term) been done to death. But I think this film serves an excellent purpose, it casts an uncomfortable lens on this period of time.
Many people criticised the film (even before it came out) claiming that it would romanticise him and his horrible crimes. It doesn't, instead it shows us how perceptions at the time allowed him to get away with murder for so long. We know from documentaries that he was afforded freedoms many other wouldn't have been, that his trial was filled with young women fan-girling over him. No one believed that this charming young college boy would commit those kind of savage crimes. It's a concept that seems so alien to us now.
And in this sense I think that casting Zac Efron was a master stroke. They needed him to be played by someone considered attractive, and it evokes some kind of sympathy that when you realise you've been drawn in, you're disgusted. The film tries to help you feel how people did at the time, and for that reason I think it's done an excellent job.
Midsommar (2019)
This isn't a thinking persons horror film, but it is boring
I'll start by saying, this isn't a case of under appreciating the film due to a love of mainstream horror (or whatever the higher star reviews are calling it) I don't. The simple answer is, this film just isn't good. It isn't an intellectual film. The emperor isn't wearing any clothes.
Sure, it was beautifully shot with bright sunshine and bold colours. It was also unnecessarily long. I know the concept was to set the monstrous against a backdrop of smiling villagers and quaint customs. But the characters were flat, the acting unconvincing. Any actual progress in the plot was painfully spread out, and like those much maligned mainstream horror films still had to rely on outright violence and some shoe horned nudity.
I think it tried to emulate the wicker man and capture that creeping sense that somethings wrong, but it just didn't manage it.
Jennifer's Body (2009)
Great film that exists somewhere between horror and black comedy
It's great to see a film that, even though it's now 11 years old, isn't just full of the same old slasher cliches. It was refreshing to have two strong female leads, with the men serving only as minor characters and plot devices. It was great to see the typical 'pretty girl in underwear gets chased around and killed' theme reversed. And I love that the only actual sex scene was as clunky and unimaginative as nervous teen sex would be in real life.
There are a lot of negative reviews for this film, I think owing to all the reasons I liked it for. That and the fact that Megan Fox barely showed any flesh. To all those people, your loss! I though she (and Amanda) gave great performances, Megan especially managed to give Jennifer some depth and vulnerability whilst also playing a demon man eater and delivering some great one liners.
Little Joe (2019)
Interesting concept, terrible execution
I was excited to watch this, the concept of a modified plant taking over a persons consciousness sounded fascinating (if not wholly original) however it was awful. Both the acting and dialogue were wooden and clunky, to the point that scenes intended to shock were laughable. The soundtrack was so out of place vs the script it was jarring. It's not a long film so try it if you must, but it will be a waste of your 90+ minutes.
Bullets of Justice (2019)
Lodge your tongue firmly in your cheek and just watch it!
It takes a brave group of people to make a film like this, and the cast in Bullets of Justice really just go for it. It's a send up of all the post apocalypse hard man films, is firmly silly (but always with a straight face) and has plot lines and cutaways that just come out of nowhere and go exactly nowhere. It's brilliant and it'll make you laugh.
Daniel Isn't Real (2019)
Look past the boring title, this was genuinely scary
I saw this film recently at a film festival, wasn't really expecting much owing to the uninspired title and write up. However, I actually found this scary. This is a slow burn story of a young man descending in to mental illness. It's sinister and tense, it's main actors give excellent performances.
Joker (2019)
Didn't live up to the hype
I just came from a screening of Joker and if I'm honest, I really don't see what all the fuss was about. Did people really walk out of this?! I was expecting a multi-layered descent in to mental illness, instead this felt a bit one dimensional and just a rehash of the same old character. It's by no means a terrible film, its just not the Oscar bait it's been made out to be.
Ad Astra (2019)
This isn't the sci fi blockbuster you're looking for
There's a lot of negative reviews for this film and I can only imagine that people saw Brad Pitt and expected something similar to Gravity or Interstellar. Instead it's a visually beautiful, emotional and subtle drama that happens to be set in space. If you go in with the right expectations then it's worth the time and money.