Category Archives: Movie review

Movie review: What Josiah Saw (2022)

02 Tuesday Aug 2022

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At first glance, there’s enough interest gathered from the cast of What Josiah Saw alone, with two of the top-billed actors Robert Patrick and Nick Stahl, and even Jake Weber in a supporting role. Each of them do a fair amount of  heavy lifting on screen, pulling out all the stops to generate interest out of their characters and not isolate them to two-dimensional representations. The premise is also one that further builds intrigue, placing a family reuniting at their farmhouse, after a lucrative offer is placed on it, but why have they become so estranged from one another? And what secrets do they hope to remain buried?

Each member of the family is awarded their own chapter of the storyline before the afore-mentione coming together at the farmhouse. It starts with the father, Josiah (Patrick) and his son Thomas (Scott Haze), the latter appears to be trying to look after the upkeep of the abode, but there is something aloof about the way the two engage with one another that doesn’t quite fit, which becomes all too apparent by the films’ conclusion.

The middle chapter and possibly the most intriguing has another son, Eli (Stahl) who is caught up with questionable characters and is charged with two other guys to visit some gypsy folk; a moment that comes to a whole heap of trouble for Eli.

Lastly, we’re introduced to the daughter, Mary (Kelli Garner) and her partner, Ross (Tony Hale), who have been struggling to have children of their own and are in the throes of finalising an adoption process.

As each chapter unfolds, serving as a means to build up and embellish each character, but these windows into their lives so far trudge along at a snail’s pace without any clear direction or purpose. Other than to allow the final moment to unfold. For what it’s worth this final moment when it arrives is well placed and with a powerful punchline, but it’s a damn painful ride to get there. For some, they would have tuned out long before this takes place. 

The Prognosis:

There is plenty of promise set up in What Josiah Saw, with a solid cast and a definitive approach to the storytelling.

The problem arises through its slow interplay as it tries to develop the characters, ordinarily a good thing, but this is painfully slow and interest wanes quite quickly.

A shame, as the last scene is a decent and dramatic conclusion.

  • Saul Muerte

What Josiah Saw is streaming on Shudder ANZ from Thu Aug 4th.

Pennywise: The Story of IT Documentary review

29 Friday Jul 2022

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For some, the year 1990 would prove to be just your average year. Some were still spinning out from the decade before with its acid wash jeans, video rentals, and big hair.
Some though, like me, were having their minds filled with the wild imaginations of Stephen King and this year would prove to be the year that Pennywise entered our homes.

Such was the wildfire of nightmares born out of the miniseries written by Lawrence D. Cohen and Tommy Lee Wallace (the latter also taking on directorial duties), that it spread a combination of love and fear into the school playgrounds, and fuelled the flames deep in the heart of this reviewer.

It’s little wonder that a worthy documentary would surface at some point to please the minds of those that were so shaped by this two-part serial. The bewilderment may be more from the fact that it took so long for someone to actually get it greenlit. Thankfully an Indiegogo project was set up which would see director Chris Griffiths team up with producers John Campopiano and Gary Smart to bring the project to fruition. 

Pennywise: The Story of It is exactly what you would hope from a 2 hour documentary dedicated to the making of the mini-series, with Wallace and Cohen cast their thoughts and views, looking back at the time and the impact that it had on popular culture. He’s not alone to appear of course, as we have the great Tim Curry (Pennywise), along with other cast members Richard Thomas (Bill), Seth Green (Richie), Dennis Christopher (Eddie), Adam Fairazi (young Eddie), Tim Reid (Mike), Brandon Crane (young Ben), and Emily Perkins (Beverly), to nam but a few. Plus special effects makeup artist Bart Mixon among others that were behind the scenes.
There were some notable absences from the Losers club, but none more heartfelt at their loss than Jonathan Brandis (young Bill) and John Ritter (Ben) who both respectfully are acknowledged for their input into the movie from both cast and crew.

The passion is clearly shared by those involved in the making of the miniseries, in the way that they are so animated about it in their interviews. It was incredibly warming to see such dedication to the miniseries being laid out and reviewed retrospectively from a team that were united with the same passion that I share for the miniseries, even to this day. 

  • Saul Muerte

Pennywise: The Story of IT  is currently screening with a 30-day free trial of Screambox, available on iOS, Android, Prime Video, YouTube TV, Comcast, and Screambox.com.

For more thoughts on the original miniseries, you can also listen to the SOH team’s alternate commentary below:

IT Mini Series – Part 1 (Surgeons commentary)

IT Mini Series – Part 2 (Surgeons Commentary)

Movie review: The Reef: Stalked

27 Wednesday Jul 2022

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Australian Director Andrew Traucki certainly has a taste for aquaphobia with his breakout feature hits Black Water, and The Reef. Back in 2020, he decided to revisit his croc shock feature with the sequel, Black Water: Abyss. Now is the turn of the shark, with a delve back into the reef with a twist in the tale for The Reef: Stalked.

His hook is in telling the story of Nic (Teressa Liane), who is still in the breaches of surviving the trauma of her sister’s murder. Nic tries to reconnect with the world by submerging herself into an old pastime on a kayaking adventure with her younger sister, Annie (Saskia Archer), and her two friends, Jodie (Ann Truong) and Lisa (Kate Lister). Before long the predator of the ocean makes its presence known and begins to hunt them down without backing down once it latches onto their scent.

The topic of trauma is a gripping one and presents and interesting premise for Traucki to grapple with and I applaud him in dabbling in this terrain to weave together an incredible story about survival against the odds and placing it in a shark horror feature.

The premise, and the topic may have been a stretch too far to blend them together with a sense of ease, as too often the focus shifts on the unrest between the two siblings rather than the fear itself. It’s a tough balancing act, because you want to establish a connection with your audience by building on the characters’ exchange with one another. Unfortunately I felt that the dialogue and performances were waning; a crying shame as Traucki has proven up to the task before, especially in his feature debut, Black Water, thrusting his female protagonists played by Diana Glenn and Maeve Dermody through the ringer, with grit and determination. 

The lack of grit is all too evident here, and the leads spar off each other from one scenario to the next without too much substance to wade through.

So what of the shark? 

When it appears there are flashes of images to spark fear in the audience but it never comes across as sinister enough and murky as a result. The one moment where your heart spins for a moment, is when some children are caught in the mix with their life in the hands of fate. In this instance, you are willing for them to survive and here Traucki shows his hand at playing with the audience’s heartstrings. A sign that he still knows how to play that card and its not completely lost at sea.

The Prognosis:

Shark movies are always a tough gig to sell, and Andrew Traucki does his best to repeat his formula from his 2010 feature, The Reef with a notable and worthy attempt at looking at the impact of trauma.

I really wanted to like this film and champion homegrown Australian cinema but despite some notable moments, the result is a stretch too far with performances and dialogue not weighing up to the potential that a strong subject like trauma deserves. 

  • Saul Muerte

The Reef: Stalked is released in Australian cinemas from Thursday 28th July.

Movie review: Moloch (2022)

18 Monday Jul 2022

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Having established a cornerstone of horror through what is commonly termed as nordic noir, it’s about time that another European country should stake a claim with that dark, folk storytelling. So, the Dutch step forward with something lurking in the peat bogs in the north of the Netherlands.

The entity in question seems to be honing in on Betriek (Sallie Harmsen) and her family, or those that she comes in contact with, suggesting that there is more than meets the eye to this mysterious presence that up til now has lain dormant. The last time it arose was when Betriek was a little girl as presented in our prologue sequence when something is heard above the room that she is playing in, only to then see blood seeping through the cracks aloft.
It also seems that an archaeological dig has unearthed the being known as the titular Moloch, and now anyone that stands in her path will succumb to torment.

Admittedly this film is a bit of a slow burner, but director Nico van den Brink (Sweet Tooth) is able to craft enough intrigue and mystery to the tale, fuelled with some great performances, well structured characters that you actually care for, and the added mark of something that feels like an age-old story.
The narrative ducks and weaves like a crime thriller, with our lead protagonist denying yet puled into this mystery that plagues her family. Just how far she is willing to dig, will determine their fate.

The Prognosis:

Too often, when European folk horror is presented with a slow burn, the content dries up and becomes pale. Moloch though is a cleverly crafted tale with strong characters and enough twists to keep you on tenterhooks. A surprising and comforting darkly Gothic story presented from a welcome new source.

  • Saul Muerte

Moloch will be streaming on Shudder ANZ from Jul 21st.

Movie review: Men (2022)

18 Monday Jul 2022

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“I wouldn’t recommend that film to my worst enemy”

What a tantilising phrase to hear someone say coming out of a movie. An older woman also in earshot took the bait and asked the couple, “I’m sorry, but what film is that?”.

“Men”.

Alex Garland, famed novelist of The Beach and writer of many Danny Boyle films of the 00’s has become one of the most interesting writer directors working in genre Film & TV.
As a creator he takes wide swings and Men may be his widest swing yet.

After the death of her husband a woman (Jessie Buckley) retreats to the countryside to process and heal this unimaginable tragedy but as she settles in her airb&b she is confronted by the deepening details of the death as well as the ratcheting pressure, looks and unsolicited opinions of the local men of this quaint little English town.

All of the men, bar the deceased husband, are played by Rory Kinnear. I had expected for a slew of different characters, a real scenery chewing showcase a la James McAvoy in Split, and there is a little of that. Kinnear has plenty of fun in parts but the film’s scale actually feels very small and focused. We never really get a good sense of the community which is often one of the key points of any folk horror story. The grandest display of the community as a whole would be one scene in the local pub. An almost uncanny valley sense of dread follows us when there’s more than one Rory Kinnear in a scene.

Jessie Buckley plays our protagonist, and we are so deeply with her throughout the entire film, watching her and her grief unfold. Buckley has been riding a wave of interesting and deeply introspective roles in the last few years (The Lost Daughter & I’m Thinking of Ending Things). She carries the film because she is our only consistency.

The film is gorgeously shot by Rob Hardy, Garland’s previous collaborator on Annihilation and Ex Machina, images of ponds and fields remind you of a Monte. We begin with an apple being plucked from a tree, and landlord of the rented house joking about forbidden fruit. The symbology plays centre stage in Men. The red walled interiors of the home, the apple tree out front, the abyssally long decommissioned train tunnel in the woods and the bald naked man running out of said tunnel. Daffodils in particular are a strong motif which starts, mids and ends the film, these weeds with the potential for explosive spreading, a true meme, self replicating toxicity.

Men is in fact so drenched in symbology that I honestly missed most of it in the moment, lost in the surreal dream of the tone and pacing of the film. It feels like a half-formed thing, filled with intent but without the hallmarks of classic storytelling that can make something like this more digestible. There is no mistaking that Garland had no intent on being easily digestible with Men. The closest experience I can liken this to is Aranoski’s Mother. Garland seems to be more and more interested in this kind of territory, with the last 15 minutes of Annihilation and most of Devs springing to mind.

The ending of the film is becoming something of a filmic legend already which is always impressive and I won’t spoil it here but its pretty horrific and truly one of the most bizarre sequences in a “mainstream” feature film that I’ve seen in a very long time.

The Prognosis:

This sadly ranks at the bottom of my Alex Garland list but I’m happy to have a filmmaker like him making interesting, weird and original works that I can watch in a dark movie theatre with a bunch of strangers losing their minds. 3/5

  • Oscar Jack

Movie Review: The Black Phone (2022)

14 Thursday Jul 2022

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Crafted from the short novel by Joe Hill (Horns), The Black Phone has been given the feature length treatment from a screenplay by Scott Derrickson and C. Thomas Cargill. The novel itself is only 45 pages long, but the writing duo manage to expand on this to produce a descent film that embellishes the characters on display with great success/.

Derrickson (Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose) also takes on directing duries and with this weighty script, manages to accentuate some cracking performances from his lead cast, two of whom are child actors. It is an area often remarked as problematic when working with young actors, primarily in capturing natural performances, but Derrickson shows no such obstacles in the final product.

Mason Thames deserves high praise for his portrayal of 13 year old Finney; a boy who falls into the shadows of American suburbia, often bullied reducing his frame further still. Finney isn’t completely invisible though, and there are those who are aware of his kind-hearted nature. Chief among them is his sister Gwen (Madeleine McGraw, another fine performance) who also has a supernatural and psychic gift. She is even more than a one note mystique though as Gwen is a strong, defiant, physical and yet comical character, providing Finney with the crutch he so needs to survive. The question is whether he can survive when Gwen is not physically there to support him. Their relationship and this paranormal link between the siblings  is integral to the movie, championing their individual strengths and providing the heart of the film, which beats steady and strong throughout hte narrative.

Once Derrickson spends quality time in allowing the audience to identify and connect with these characters, including a overbearing, drunk father (Jeremy Davies) who is struggling with his own demons, the rug is pulled from under our feet, as swiftly as Mason is swept into the back of a black van by child serial killer nicknamed The Grabber (Ethan Hawke) disguised as a part time clown. There are indicators here that Finney isn’t going to go quietly however, as he manages to cut The Grabber’s arm with a toy rocket.

Hawke is magnificently haunting as the antagonist, pulting out all the stops in making The Grabber a menacing figure. This is further supported by the manner in which he hides for the majority of the movie behind a sinister mask, designed by the great Tom Savini. Underneath his guise, he also harbours a fractured personality; a combination of sombre, playful and destructiive. This range needs to be in the hands of a master for the threat to have any nearing on Finney, and Hawke plays the fearful tune with heartfelt integrity.

When Finney awakens, he finds himself in  a soundproofed basement, with just a mattress, a toilet, and the titular black phone. The master stroke to the narrative is through the twist in the tale. This is not a straight forward drama, but one firmly entrenched in a spiritual nature, as Finney soon learns that he is not alone in the basement, but is accompanied by the presence of The Grabber’s child victims. One by one, they make themselves known to Finney, providing him with the ammunition he may need to overpower his kidnapper, and maybe, just maybe win his freedom along the way.

This journey is filled with tension and hope, a balance that Derrickson flicks the audience between, sometimes with some much-need humour to juxtapose the weight of the situation. It is this dalliance that is Derrickson’s gift, keeping his audience hooked until the end. 

The Prognosis:

Scott Derrickson once again proves to be a master of the macabre in his latest outing.
In weaving together a spiritual tale about finding your inner strength in order to overcome aversity, with some incredible performances from its lead cast, he has produced one of the greatest films of the year.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Good Madam (2022)

11 Monday Jul 2022

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It is clear from the offset that this psychological thriller is a heartfelt commentary about the post-apatheid impact on South Africa. Director Jenna Cato Bass, who grew up in the troubled country, weaves together her insights into her homeland with a mystical feel that could very well be drawn from her study of magic.

The story unfolds through the eyes of Tsidi (Chumisa Cosa), who is forced to move in with her estranged mother, a woman who has lived a life of servitude, tied to the domestic lifestyle, enslaved to white empowerment.
The madam in question is virtually catatonic for most of the movie, and is symbolic of how in spite of how tides have changed in South Africa, the presence and long lasting effect that this gruelling oppression has on Black Africans and widening the race divide. 

This trauma is not one that can easily be vanquished and will be passed on from generation to generation, scarred from what transpired and stuck with this demon that resides in the consciousness, tearing apart your mental wellbeing.

The more entrenched that Tsidi becomes in her mother’s lifestyle again, the more embroiled she becomes to the torment and enslaved to suffering. Cosa portrays this anguish with great pose and dignity, fuelling our own heartache as she fights tooth and nail to resist or overcome what is inevitable. Resolution can only be found in unity, but can Tsidi find kinship with her mother and brother, or is the weight of history too overbearing?

The Prognosis:

Good Madam is a slow burn psychological commentary on trauma and oppression. It weaves a delicate balance of torment and hope, slowly dialling up the tension to a dramatic conclusion.

The pace may turn people away but for those who like to be emotionally churned up with a steady transgression, they will be gifted with a well crafted tale.

  • Saul Muerte

Good Madam will be streaming on Shudder ANZ from Thu Jul 14th.

Movie review: Lieutenant Jangles

10 Sunday Jul 2022

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Lieutenant Jangles is one of those movies that you seriously have to take with a grain of salt. Like an infection boil, it may be tempting to squeeze out the pus and rid the unsightly presence, but its best to let it grow on you and succumb to the natural cause of events.

The writing, directing partnership of Nic Champeaux and Daniel Cordery may on face value feel like a bastardisation of good taste, but between them they have created a lovesong to 1980s Ozploitation action movies. They even set the film during this archaic time, where crime was at an all time high and rules were firmly out of the window.

It’s great to see Brisbane get a bit of lovin’ too on screen, and setting it in the heart of Queensland allows the warm sunshine glows to juxtapose the dirt, ridden and gritty streets that provides the tale of the film.

Our rogue-ish, protagonist and titular character is not the easiest to warm to, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever other than to get the job done, no matter what the cost.

When we’re first introduced to Jangles, he is in the throes of having an actual pissing contest with his partner. Only for the jokes and macho bravado to come to a painful end when his comrade is fatally killed in a gangland shootout.

From here on, we see the rise, fall and redemption of Jangles vengeful pursuit to bring down those responsible. Along the way, we witness crass toilet humour jokes, comedy that could be viewed as incredibly non PC, but to see it through this lens would miss the point of this venture 

Lieutenant Jangles wears its heart on its sleeve, and doesn’t shy away from its vision. It gives you all the usual ropes; the hot-headed chief; the buddy cops; the unusual camp, European villain; and the love interest.
All these elements play off one another with heightened virosity, amping up each of them to the extreme.  

The Prognosis:

It may not suit everyone’s tastes but Lieutenant Jangles does not excuse its position, thrusting the audience headlong into a world where action, law, and order has no rules. All of this is abandoned for balls to the wall entertainment. 

You’re either gonna dig it or not, but if you stick with it and embrace it, you cant help but be enamoured by the charm of LJ.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: On The 3rd Day (2021)

05 Tuesday Jul 2022

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Daniel de la Vega’s latest feature, On the 3rd Day finds its place on Shudder’s Exclusive and Original platform. While it does serve up some fairly predictable choices, there is certainly some appeal in the manner that de la Vega chooses to weave his tale.

The centrepoint of catharsis stems from the moment when Cecilia and her son Martin are involved in a car accident. Cecilia was in the throes of escaping her abusive husband when the catalyst occurred. The story picks ups three days later with Cecilia trying to piece the puzzle along with now trying to find her son; absent since the car crash.

Who was responsible?

Who is this mysterious elderly religious man, hellbent on his own quest and the other party in the collison. Is this coincidence or divine reckoning that has brought these two together only to counter against one another towards the film’s climactic reveal?

The further Ceclia digs into her lost days, the more of the past she uncovers with brutal truths exposed.

The air of intrigue that hangs in the air of Cecilia’s character is the main draw card here and Mariana Anghileri’s portrayal of our protagonist is a big draw card as she delicately dapples with strength and vulnerability. It is this balance of emotional range that allows the audience to play along with the poetry of the piece and despite its obvious movements, is captivating all the same.

The Prognosis:

On the 3rd Day treads a foreseeable trail but in this case it’s not the destination that is its selling point but the journey it takes us on.
Celia’s plight and dedication to find out the truth of the mystery carries our own intrigue with careful deliberation to hook us in and deliver a satisfying tale.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: The Retreat (2021)

25 Saturday Jun 2022

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The Retreat marks an important entry into the genre scene with its representation of queer scene without subjecting either of its lead characters to being a perpetrator, hellbent on revenge. Instead it flips this archaic notion by having the LGBTQi community the subject of eradication by a group of people who wish to rid them from society by means of gruesome torture. There are times I was guilty of second guessing the film’s direction expecting it to sink to predictability by having a twist in one of our lead characters that would reveal them to be the instrument of torment. Thankfully however, Director Pat Mills along with writer Alyson Richards play it straight down the line with the focus on the couples’ relationship and the test that they must endure in order to survive, united or doomed to failure.

The film however does fall foul of tripping over the usual tropes in its representation of our protagonist couple, where one has commitment issues and the other is hoping for more from her partner to cement their future together. Renee (Tammie-Amber Pirie) has some depth to her character as the more reserved partner, potentially harbouring some old wounds or trauma. As the story pans out there is intrigue to be found in her past with a hardened past that could also be her strength if she is able to overcome her demons. Valerie (Sarah Allen) however is a little two-dimensional at times with her optimistic outlook on life, which is set to be quashed if she is to endure the ordeal.

On a weekend getaway, Renee and Valerie set off for the idyllic retreat, only to find this bnb style hideaway is nothing but a trap to lure non-heterosexual people into a lair of uncertain return. The tormentors then inflict all kinds of pain and punishment on the victims while filming it for their own sadistic means.

The Prognosis:

The Retreat treads lightly in an all-too-familiar terrain, but is bold enough to place a queer couple at the helm of this survival torture horror.
The narrative is enjoyable enough, despite being content with a middle of the road affair.
It would have been interesting to go deeper with the characters and provide a more meaningful journey for them to take on their road of endurance.

  • Saul Muerte