Category Archives: Movie review

Movie review: The Retaliators (2022)

08 Thursday Sep 2022

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In The Retaliators, Directors Samuel Gonzalez Jr, Michael Lombardi (who also stars), and Bridget Smith paint a world consumed with hatred, where all the characters are intoxified by fear, rage, and an array of negative emotions.
Its one bastion of hope comes in the form of the local pastor (Lombardi), a man who is continuously put to the test throughout the film to push his character to the limits of his saintly demeanour.
His world already squashed in this unforgiving landscape, living as a single parent, raising two daughters and hanging onto lifes thin line, becomes further frayed when his eldest daughter, Sarah (Katie Kelly) is brutally killed by one of humanity’s epitome of sin, Ram Kady (Joseph Gatt).

As the trailer teases, what would you do when posed with the option to spend one minute with your daughters’ killer? How far across the line of transgression would you be willing to take yourself in the name of vengeance? And how will this affect your own character or sense of morale, when you do choose to take this path? Our pastor is presented with just this kind of opportunity by brow-beaten and world-weary detective Jed (Marc Menchaca) and with it a wake of carnage and mayhem ensues.

The Prognosis:

Despite its vengeful premise, The Retaliators is a pot-boiler of a movie, allowing time for our protagonist to go through the wringer of emotions, building up his character in a tormented world before unleashing his full fury at this demented place. Quite rightfully, this allows the audience to seep into the purification of the setting and forces us to identify with the protagonist’s plight before embellishing in the justification of his actions. The turmoil is angst-ridden and repeatedly questions the merits of a good man, one who is without sin, when choosing to cast the first sinful stone in the name of revenge. Is the ‘Eye for an eye’ token grounds for vindication when the world is filled with sin and the deprecation of sinners?

This is a great conundrum to set the tone of the film, and when the fury is unleashed, the audience (who in no doubt have come to witness the carnage) are gifted with their own cathartic release. It helps that the soundtrack is seriously kick ass, fueling all these emotions in a bottleneck of rock from the genre’s key players.

  • Saul Muerte

The Retaliators is screening in cinemas nationally on the 14th and 16th September 2022 with a streaming release from the 21st October 2022.

Movie review: The Invitation (2022)

07 Wednesday Sep 2022

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The lure of Dracula entices moviegoers to the cineplex once more with this latest adaptation of Bram Stoker’s tale. This time the setting has a modern approach with the idea that the notorious nosferatu has been living all this time and set up his abode in new Carfax Abbey.
The wheels that turn in order to pull us into the narrative are a little slow and cumbersome, placing our focus on orphan,  Evie Jackson (Nathalie Emmanuel) who resides in New York, struggling to make ends meet in the catering business, when she receives the result of a DNA test through a new software programme. This leads to a connection with an estranged cousin and his family who live in England, and the promise of another life with wealth and romance to entice her further into their world. So Evie and her streetwise ways land her in prominent society into the path of Walter De Ville (Thomas Doherty), the charismatic lord of the manor. Behind the visage though is something more sinister with old world rules at play.

Australian director, Jessica M. Thompson does well to craft this new vision of an age-old Gothic tale for her sophomore feature length outing, but it has to be said that the writing is clumsy and falls prey to cliches all too often. There are bold attempts at providing this fresh spin, but in doing so, there are choices made that leave one groaning in response. Perhaps I am showing my age, but The Invitation succumbs to modern trappings, where some of the details and depth are glossed over for the sake of image, but this comes at the destruction of the story’s essence. As such, one is more likely to fall into a sense of lull as we are guided through each of the steps towards the film’s climax.

The ending even feels a little mismatched too, as if trying to force a potential franchise out of this. The way it is handled makes no sense whatsoever. If it were not for Emmanuel’s performance, who is once again showing that she is a force to reckon with on screen and more than deserves the lead status here, this film would be positively dormant with no hope of resurrection throughout. 

The Prognosis:

The Invitation is a bold attempt at reinventing an old tale for a modern audience. Its delivery however leaves you wanting, missing the mark on numerous occasions. Nathalie Emmmanuel shines in an otherwise lacklustre narrative that rests too easily on its laurels, failing to drive the direction into a riveting new place.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Who Invited Them (2022)

30 Tuesday Aug 2022

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Having watched Shudder’s latest exclusive and original feature, Who Invited Them, I was immediately struck with how much I dig Ryan Hansen as a performer. Here he plays Adam, one half of a couple who have recently bought well into an influential neighbourhood. Now wanting to show off this asset, Adam and Margo (Melissa Tang) throw a housewarming party to celebrate with friends and who they consider to be the social elite from their contacts. 

Beneath this affable exterior however is a more sinister and unsettling characteristic that they both share, and it is this that writer, director Duncan Birmingham, along with the mysterious “neighbours” Sasha (Perry Mattfeld) and Tom (Timothy Granaderos) wish to expose.

Once the party has settled, Sasha and Tom hang back and slowly work together to find the cracks and flaws in Ryan and Margo’s world to break them. At first, they tease and play with their would-be victims, like predators toying with their prey. Soon, they begin to dial up the trauma and crank up the tension between them all.

The Prognosis:

It’s fairly slow-paced, but Birmingham’s exposure of society under the lens of a wealth facade is delicately tweaked out to a macabre and destructive end.

Where it mars a little, it’s in some of the forced performances that at times don’t ring true (Hansen excluded) and this jars the flow of the dialogue in places. There are some nice comical moments in the mix of the lurid lamentations. It leans heavily into the unbelievable by the films’ end which some may embrace and others will turn away from.

  • Saul Muerte

Who Invited Them? is steaming on Shudder from Thurs 1st Aug.

Movie review: Crimes of the Future (2022)

27 Saturday Aug 2022

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For a director considered one of a kind, and creating a unique vision for film with the birth of venereal horror, it seems interesting that David Cronenberg should return to the horror genre having been absent from the scene for 23 years. And yet, his latest entry, Crimes of the Future, (which shares the same title as his 1970 feature, but there the similarity ends) bears all the hallmarks of these earlier films in his canon of work combined with his more recent and psychological ventures. Where Cronenberg built his name through the physical and sensual characteristics of humanity, his other fascination in the metaphysical realm and human psyche has risen to the fore. 

There are familiar themes at play here with the advancements of humanity through biotechnology in this instance, but still the harbouring of infectious disease to remind us of our own frailty. The twist though is that infectious disease has been eradicated and humankind has been left with pushing the boundaries of morality without the risk of harm that can come about through surgical measures. These actions are now considered an art form; Cronenberg’s playground, a balance of art and physical horror with an intellectual bent, firmly in the mix. Confrontation is always at the heart of Cronenberg’s features, his curiosity to look at the way we shift and squirm a prime scrutiny of his work. In the opening scenes Crimes of the Future forces us into the realms of discomfort when a mother smothers her child with a pillow because she believes him to be inhuman.

In the film’s journey, we primarily follow Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), who has an accelerated evolution syndrome, where he can develop new internal organs. This leads him to perform live surgical procedures carried out by his partner Caprice (Lea Seydoux). Much like Max Renn in Videodrome, Tenser is driven by his pursuit of truth and this exploration spirals deeper into a loss of control and a fatal resolution.

Tenser weaves his way through an investigation that sees him employed by a governmental agency to infiltrate a group of radicals. This sees him rub shoulders with the National Organ Registry where Timlin (Kristen Stewart) and Wippet (Don McKellar) work. Timlin is immediately enamoured by Tenser and is sexually drawn to him. 

There’s also Lang (Scott Speedman) who is the father of the afore-mentioned boy killed by his mother. Lang’s story is also a tragic one, driven to investigate his son’s condition that allowed him to consume plastics with no detriment to the human body. 

All these avenues intertwine into one complete examination of the human soul, immersed in a world where the physical is no longer a barrier. With no obstacles in place, what does it mean to be human? A question that continues to guide Cronenberg’s pursuit.

The Prognosis:

Mortality is and always be the vessel of David Cronenberg’s interests, be it through venereal horror, metaphysical horror, or sensual and intellectual obsessions. His latest vehicle is a culmination of them all, and through his uniqueness Cronenberg manages to project potentially his most complete image of himself, but in doing so, some of that identity gets lost in this portrayal. Without the edges; Without the pointy edges of quirkiness; David Cronenberg, much like his own lead characters, Max Renn; Seth Brundle; Beverly and Elliot Mantle, become lost in his pursuits and finds his own personality engulfed into obscurity.  Yet I still find myself drawn by his vision.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: So Vam (2021)

24 Wednesday Aug 2022

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On face value, So Vam starts off as a tough watch due to its low budget restraints, but beneath its paltry appearance, there is an important and integral theme at play here.

At its core, the film is a stark and honest depiction of being ostracised by society as told from the LGTBTQ+ community. The tale is all the more stronger as its author and visionary is trans  filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay, who adds her own personal touch to finding her own community in an almost unforgiving world. Her directorial debut feature heralds a maturity that belies her age at 17 years, but her voice and position allows the truth of her experiences to shine through.

The scene is set in an Australian town where young gay guy, Kurt (Xai) feels he is constantly an outsider and often the victim of those who ridcule him for his identity. Kurt hangs onto the dream of one day becoming a drag queen, where he can showcase his talents on the stage and live in the big city. What he doesn’t expect is to find his tribe among the vampire kind.

When he is one day stalked and killed by a bloodsucker,  only to be brought back to life by a gang of rebellious vampires, hell bent on ridding the old world of bigotry and pain. It is here that he finds a kinship and with it a new found confidence. In finding his way though, he must equally find how his vampire ways must blend with his family and friendship ties. Can these two worlds exist or must he part ways with one over the other?

The Prognosis:

Director Mackay paints a perfect metaphor for transitions and change for a community trapped by their identity through the tale of vampire mythology. Despite its limitations, there is measure to be had here and a narrative that has been crafted with a learned voice. One that pays dividends to sit up and listen to, marking an exciting entry into the LGTBTQ+. With another film released this year (Bad Girl Boogey) Mackay clearly has plenty more stories to tell. It will certainly be interesting to see how she harnesses her craft further.

  • Saul Muerte

So Vam is currently streaming on Shudder Australia and serves as a great companion piece to Death Drop Gorgeous.

Movie review: Glorious (2022)

23 Tuesday Aug 2022

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For her first solo directorial feature, Rebekah McKendry has chosen a bold and interesting choice to play out her tale. Wisely the setting takes place primarily in one location which helps to keep budget to a minimum, but in doing so you are reliant on the talent on show. Thankfully, McKendry has the physical talents of Ryan Kwanten and the mental prowess of J.K Simmons on show to pull off the narrative.

Speaking of narrative, Glorious picks up with a broken and dishevelled Wes (Kwanten) after what appears to be a messy break up. Heavily hungover, he enters a public bathroom to shake off the blues and find a way back into Brenda’s heart, but what he doesn’t expect is to encounter the omniscient presence of Ghatanothoa (Simmons) coming from the adjacent stool.

This is no ordinary confrontation however; more one that was designed with Wes in mind to carry out a deed that Ghatanothoa relies upon. And with it, Wes is thrown into a world of torment and despair, forced to face his own failures and demons, to overcome them for the greater good. The question is, will he be able to prevail, or continuously struggle against it all and fail at his final hurdle. One thing is for sure Ghatanothoa won’t let it be easy for Wes, locking him shut in the public toilets, to literally sort his shit out.

The Prognosis:

There is a lot to pack into the short running time, but McKendry wrangles out some solid performances and makes the most of the meagre budget to pull out all the smoke and mirror acts throughout.

The effects are meagre but handled well with flashes rather than all out gore, and this again is a testament to McKendry’s ability to deliver a succinct film. 

  • Saul Muerte

Glorious is currently streaming on Shudder Australia.

Movie review: Day Shift (2022)

19 Friday Aug 2022

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On face value, Day Shift should be one of those movies that could hook you in with its premise that is essentially a spin on the buddy cop movie, but with vampire hunters instead of cops. It also boasts an intriguing cast with Jamie Foxx and Dave Franco as its leads and with a notable supporting role from Snoop Dogg. The style would try to tap in worthy horror comedies from the 80s but the result is a strange mix of genres that never quite mesh together and seem right,

Down-on-his-luck Bud Jablonski (Foxx), has been serving as a vampire hunter for the last few years in San Fernando Valley. All this time his wife and 10 year old daughter have been led to believe that he is a pool cleaner, and that his odd behaviour has started to take its toll on their relationship. Having already been thrown out of the Guild of vampire hunters because of his unorthodox approach, Bud is forced to go back with his tail between his legs and beg for another chance. Thankfully he is aided by his friend and renowned hunter, Big John Elliot (Dogg) who holds some sway with the company, but there’s a catch. Jablonski must team up with wet-behind-the ears Seth (Franco), a desk clerk who plays everything by the book and is employed to catch Jablonski breaking the rules, so that he can get kicked out of the Guild for good.

The extra barrier and darker threat to Jablonski finding his feet is that he has upset one of the head vampires of the valley, Audrey, now intent on bringing him down and ruining him.

The action sequences throughout the movie are nicely played, so hats off to director J.J. Perry who has crafted his work as a stunt coordinator for a number of high profile flicks including John Wick 2. His knowledge in perfecting stunts on screen really paid off with his delivery for his debut feature in the directors chair. 

The issues arise in the lack of chemistry trying to be perfected by Foxx and Franco, but in their defence, the dialogue and screenplay lets them down a little and often misses the mark in the final product. Often it feels like it is all too content in resting on the sizzle of other movies, that it neglects to have a personality of its own.

The Prognosis:

This is a middle of the road action comedy horror, that offers plenty of bang, but not enough substance to really have any lasting impact on its audience.

  • Saul Muerte

Day Shift is currently streaming on Netflix

Movie review: The Long Night (2022)

13 Saturday Aug 2022

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Fear the darkness inside you.

This is the bold tagline that director Rich Ragsdale and his creative team wish to instil fear into their audience with for his feature debut behind the lens. 

In order to evoke any sense of trepidation however, you must first look at two essential ingredients; chemistry and atmosphere. Both of which are sadly lacking here. 

It takes a full 30 minutes of wading through our two leads Grace (Scout Taylor-Compton – Halloween) and her boyfriend Jack (Nolan Gerard Funk – Truth or Dare) struggling to connect on screen. 

Grace is driven by the quest to find the parents she has never known. Following an ominous lead, the couple end up at a remote house surrounded by curious totems, shrugged off as a Southern thing and there’s no sign of their host. 

It’s not until Jeff Fahey’s cameo however as local Wayne, that things heat up and some gravitas is brought to the screen. It’s brief but enough to shake Taylor-Compton’s performance a little and give her more substance to the character. 

It is not quite enough though to ground this movie and propel the action forward despite the sinister looking satanic cult that have encompassed the property. These figures seemingly rely on their menacing presence and the odd mysticism to generate apprehension, but beneath their outer shell is a vacant entity; a symbol of the film as a whole.

Having said that, the movie does boast some nice imagery in places, a signature of Ragsdale’s eye for detail from his days as a cinematographer. It also has a worthy snippet from Deborah Kara Unger, who is always a welcome addition.

The Prognosis:

The Long Night offers a painfully slow descent into a nightmare that struggles to find its roots in terror.
There are moments of promise but all of this is squandered by lack of substance or flair.

  • Saul Muerte

The Long Night is currently available on DVD and VOD (iTunes, Google Play, YouTube Store, and Fetch TV) and released by Eagle Entertainment Australia.

Movie review: Nope (2022)

10 Wednesday Aug 2022

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Jordan Peele ventures forth with his third outing behind the camera following success with Get Out and Us, with a nod to the B-horror science fiction movies of the 50s. Set in an isolated part of inland California, siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood witness the death of their father when random objects fall from the sky. This prompts them to capture evidence of an unidentified flying object and probable cause of the strange happenings but may lead them to an unnerving discovery.

For me, labelling Nope as a horror film is akin to saying that fish and chips is a healthy eating option. Sure, Nope has jump scares, and blood, and people die, but nothing, and I do mean nothing, about this film makes it a horror flick.

That’s not to say that you won’t have a good time watching it-Daniel Kaluuya is the undisputed king of understated, brooding acting, and Keke Palmer is 100% joy on screen.
Personally, I was thrilled to see Michael Wincott again. As if his frankly ridiculously beautiful speaking voice wasn’t enough, he nails the role of ‘surly but genius cinematographer.

Speaking of cinematography, Hoyte Van Hoytema is behind the lens for this one (he’s they guy who shot Tenet, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Ad Astra. He’s practically Christopher Nolan’s go-too-guy) and holy smokes does he bring each location to life.
Truly stunning work.

The Prognosis:

I am by no means an edge lord gatekeeper of horror films – I still can’t watch the Thriller video without needing a hug afterwards, but don’t go into Nope expecting to be scared out of your mind.

There’s plenty of questionable plot holes, and I wanted to see much more from Steven Yeun’s character ‘Ricky’, but it’s still a fun watch, and worth seeing at a cinema purely for the sound design alone.

  • John Turnbull

Nope is a homage to classic B movie sci fi horror, but it is NOT made in the usual cookie cutter paint-by-numbers way. It is powered by a unique vision only achievable by Jordan Peele

Antony Yee

Movie review: Prey (2022)

06 Saturday Aug 2022

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For the fifth instalment of the Predator franchise, Director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) and co writer Patrick Aison (Wayward Pines) have decided to reach into the folklore set by the Raphael Adolini 1715 flintlock pistol that was gifted to Lieutenant Mike Harrigan at the end of Predator 2.

This moment always stirred by interest about how a conflict between humanity and a Yautja would come about, and the notion of primitive representations of both these species coming head to head in the 18th century.

Trachtenberg and Aison present this tale through the eyes of a Comanche tribe, in particular that of Naru (Amber Midthunder – Legion) in her pursuit of becoming a great hunter, but is constantly in the shadow of her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers).

Among the sibling rivalry and respect storyline that pays dividends to the weight of the performance on screen, there is also a nicely handled touch on gender diversity with Naru trying to break the mould of traditions past. Women are deemed the weaker sex, when this assumption is exactly what leads to their strength when coming up against any foe.

On the hunt for a mountain lion, Naru notices that there are some strange things afoot, such as skinned snakes, and unusual bear-like prints in the mud. She suspects there is something larger and a bigger threat in the wilderness, but her tribe neglects her warnings.

The threat of course is our central predator figure (Dane DiLiegro), a much more leaner, and sleek design from the Yautja that we have come to know and love from previous movies, but this version needs to present in a different fashion as it would be another 200 plus years before they would come to Earth again, and advancements in evolution would naturally occur. Initially, I didn’t respond to this look but I soon warmed to it by the film’s end.

The confrontations and slow build up between the predator and Naru are well handled, showing insight into the predator’s curiosity over finding the top of the food chain and crowning itself the apex. It moves from snake to wolf, to bear, before discovering humans’ position in the chain.
Naru’s journey also goes from one of becoming the best hunter to prove herself to the tribe, to one of using all her guile to survive the game. 

The Prognosis:

It’s a deliberately slow and insightful build, which allows the predator to become the prey and vice versa here. The performance from Amber Midthunder is to be commended as she shows her versatility in Naru’s character to become our protagonist and champion for the human race.
The predator is a slick, killing creature, so fans won’t be disappointed in the manner that he eviscerates all that he encounters. There are also great nods to previous ventures throughout this feature, which was a nice touch.

The decision to place the arena in the heart of the Comanche tribe’s own will to survive in the face of white settlement is also to be commended and is handled with respect and dignity, fulfilling Trachtenberg’s intent to do things with the franchise that hasn’t been done before. Depending on the film’s success, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see further instalments come out of the jungle. Especially as it is left unclear as to how that flintlock pistol gets back into the Yautja hands again.

  • Saul Muerte