Malignant (Quick Take)
Trying something new here. This is a short, two-paragraph review. A longer analysis will follow.
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The Night House
The premise of The Night House, that suicide irreparably damages the lives of the survivors, is a compelling one for a horror movie. For Rebecca Hall’s Beth, her husband’s death understandably leaves her an emotional wreck, unable to control her anger at work and her despair at home. The night brings no solace, with Beth possibly being haunted by her husband’s ghost. After an engaging first act, the movie shifts our attention to the mystery of Beth’s husband’s death and the secrets he kept from her. Was he having an affair, or affairs? Why was he reading books about the occult? What do all those strange architecture diagrams mean? One twist gives way to another, and then another, until the movie lays on a heavy dose of the supernatural in a strained attempt at tying everything up. The final reveal is logical, but nagging questions remain unanswered. Hall delivers a compelling and convincing portrayal throughout, possibly a career highlight. David Bruckner’s naturalistic direction gives the movie a disarmingly creepy vibe, at least until the final confrontation. Recommended.
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Don’t Breathe 2
A blood-soaked horror movie that asks us to choose the lesser of two really evil characters. Unlike the original movie, suspense is built wile we wait for the next gory beat-down. Recommended, but proceed with caution. Continue reading Don’t Breathe 2
The Tomorrow War
The Tomorrow War is a variation on the much better Tom Cruise vehicle Edge of Tomorrow. Pratt plays, Dan, a high school biology teacher sent to battle aliens in the future. Those aliens are mean and nasty, but they are no match against Dan and his plucky family. Even though this movie is completely redundant, the movie is entertaining enough to justify a viewing, particularly if you already have Amazon Prime. (You’re already paying for it, so why not?) Chris Pratt acts convincingly, no matter what the movie throws at him, and proves himself a worthy heir to Bruce Willis. Recommended.
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Zola
Zola is a neon-tinged adult nightmare, featuring pole dances, hard core rap, violent pimps and sex work that goes from pitiful to dangerous. The movie is a darkly funny road trip, starting out innocently (!) enough as a way for Zola and her BFF Stefani to earn thousands of dollars dancing in strip clubs in Florida. Zola, the movie’s heroine quickly becomes ensnared by her Stefani and her pimp in prostitution. Zola keeps her cool, hopeful that she’ll be unharmed and free to go at the end of the weekend. The movie is an entertaining, if frustratingly superficial, ninety minute dance on the wild side. Recommended.
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Werewolves Within
Werewolves Within is a throwback to the werewolf-comedy movies of the Eighties, where classics like The Howling and An American Werewolf in London unabashedly combined macabre humor and gruesome killings. Based on a video game, Werewolves Within is actually a mashup of two genres: werewolf-movies and murder mysteries, with some romance thrown in for added seasoning. I enjoyed the horror-comedy and the quirky romance between the leads, but found the mystery uninteresting and unnecessary. Overall, the movie is a solid B-movie. Recommend for the parts that work and gratuitous use of Ace of Bass.
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Ready or Not (2019)
“The rich really are different.”
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Detroit Cineaste 