Category Archives: Movie review

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

Movie review: Revealer (2022)

24 Friday Jun 2022

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Luke Boyce has steadily been making a name for himself in the film industry behind the camera as a director or producer, namely in making promos for the big sporting teams of Chicago. His latest outing sees him in the Director’s chair for his first feature length movie and with a promising hook.

The premise has a stripper, Angie (Caito Aase) trapped in a peep show booth along with a religious protester, Sally (Shaina Schrooten) when the world is hit by an apocalyptic event. Oh and it has a retro fit of 1980s Chicago as a setting for good measure.

Unfortunately, the film struggles to meet these bold expectations, providing the audience with tired and two-dimensional characters for us to champion their desire for survival.

If you’re going to have a primarily two person feature to keep you captivated for 1hr and 26 mins, then you have to provide a weighty script with characters that have depth to their personalities.

All of this is sadly lacking and we’re left with a lacklustre narrative that is far from apocalyptic.

Our two leads manage to fight their way out of said phone booth when faced with a zombie, only to be tested further when they venture into a labyrinth of snake type nasties in an underground world. This underbelly of Chicago feels like a cheap attempt to replicate the upside down in Stranger Things. The effects are fairly good however, showing that there is promise in Boyce’s vision, and that hope may lay in his next feature, Revival.

For Revealer though, these tests of mental will and endurance seem pale and much like the story itself, on a road to nowhere.

The Prognosis:

There are nuggets of potential in this flick but too often the dialogue is weak and doesn’t offer enough to support a decent premise.

  • Saul Muerte

Revealer is currently streaming on Shudder Australia

Movie Review: Mad God

16 Thursday Jun 2022

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Described as the world’s pre-eminent stop motion animator, Phil Tippett has been harnessing his craft through such fine works as the original Star Wars trilogy; Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom; Robocop; and Dragonslayer. 

Such is the talent that he brings to his craft, a long dormant vision, 30 years in the making, has finally come to fruition, thanks in part to a kickstarter campaign to aid in the funding.

Mad God is a beautifully bleak dystopian tale filled with a blend of industry, machine-like creatures, in tune with the organic infestations that embody the landscape.

This outlook is something straight out of the insane mind of Dr. Frankenstein, with some of these creatures born out of assembled body parts, adding to its appeal.

Whilst I do love the artform of stop animation, it can deter in places and feel fragmented as a result. Mad God can feel like this at times when viewing which can be due to the production time frame. 

Weaving together these surreal images is The Assassin, shrouded in a jacket and a gas mark, who is charged with a mission to destroy the world as we know it. His journey of descent into an inferno of lust, power, greed, and the destruction of life is a cyclical and hellish one. It bears a light on the shadowy side of humanity, forcing the viewer to face its brutality.

The Prognosis:

Through all its fragments and destruction, is beauty and evolution at its core.
Director Phil Tippet is a master of his craft and his labour of love is a must see for all fans of stop animation. 

The dystopian landscape is a visually striking and harrowing masterpiece that captures the dark heart of humanity in a way that this style of art form and an auteur of his field can truly supply.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Offseason

16 Thursday Jun 2022

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Having launched into the film industry as an intern through hit or miss horror production studio, Blumhouse, Mickey Keating has now directed six feature films including Darling, Carnage Park, and Pod.

HIs latest outing, Offseason, now streaming on Shudder, much like his other movies is drenched in inspirational nods to the films of yester-year. Most notable here is 1973’s Messiah of Evil, a supernatural horror that follows the pursuit of a young woman’s lost father.

Similarly here, we journey alongside Marie (Jocelin Donahue) who receives a letter to attend to her mother’s grave, which has been vandalised on a remote island. Accompanying her is George, played by a criminally underused Joe Swanberg (You’re Next), known for his involvement with the mumblegore movement.
It’s important to stress this link because much like those movies a similar style is at play with a guerilla style improvisation in the dialogue that never quite hits the mark on this occasion. 

Once the couple brave the storm and cross the only bridge from the mainland, they encounter a strange and isolated town that strikes as if it was pulled straight out of Lovecraft’s The Shadow Over Innsmouth.
There are legends of a demonic creature from the sea, a cult that are ensnared by his command, and all this ties to a pact that involves Marie’s deceased mother.
Are these all figments of a deranged collective?
Or is there truth to it all, and Marie is part of a trap, lulled to fulfil a prophecy?

It is clear that Keating has a vision in mind with some stylistic set pieces that weave together Marie’s plight into a strange world.  There are moments of promise, but in his execution Keating fails to string together these moments of confusion to form any sense of clarity. We, like Marie, end up lost in the exposition, struggling to navigate our way towards the films conclusion with any sense of satisfaction.

The Prognosis:

Despite having a great calibre of actors to fill his cast, Director Mickey Keating struggles to harness any weight to this Lovecraftian inspired horror.

There are some promising set pieces but it fails to produce any cohesiveness and instead wallows in its narrative mire.

  • Saul Muerte

Movie review: Broadcast Signal Intrusion (2021)

27 Sunday Mar 2022

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The My Super Psycho Sweet 16 TV movie trilogy aside, Director Jacob Gentry has been slowly carving out credible genre movies that have been entertaining the On Demand platform audiences. His latest outing, Broadcast Signal Intrusion has tapped into the mainstream with its eerie psychological elements that has been likened to the works of Cronenberg the elder, notably Videodrome as both movies deal with underground conspiracies and the infiltration of what is now an aged medium, the video tape. The similarities end there however, as all due respect to Gentry, he ain’t Cronenberg and lacks the in-depth intelligence that the directing auteur brings to his work and the study of the human mind and the physical degradation/rehabilitation of our species with that of another entity.

Gentry is able to play a little on the psyche though, with this slow burner investigation into these mysterious and sinister pirate broadcasts that have infiltrated transmission stations. The trouble I found though is that the eerie and strange was set far better in Channel Zero’s Candle Cove. The masked presence in the videos does shock but fails to go deeper with the scares and flatlines with every other appearance. The 90s setting also helps to set the mood and provide an ample backdrop to the narrative, which sees video archivist James (Harry Shum Jr. – Crazy Rich Asians) driven by obsession to unearth the mystery behind these dissemations. 

James himself, plagued by his past, seems set on this Sisyphus-like pursuit and is damned by the consequences. He is heeded numerous times by those he encounters along the way but is hellbent in ploughing ahead regardless.

There are some choice decisions that James makes along the way that does make the audience question why he is so insistent in finding the truth and some of the reason behind this is provided to a degree but like the plot, it’s thinly veiled and lacks substance. This is in essence, the movie’s achilles heel; not enough smoke to hide the plots and twists of intrigue. And thus it falls short and struggles to keep our attention.

The Prognosis:

There is promise here from Director Jacob Gentry, but the psychological horror is left wanting, content to skim across the surface without delving to the darkest depths.
There is enough to play with the senses only to be let down by a fairly straight forward conclusion followed by an odd twist component.

  • Saul Muerte

Broadcast Signal Intrusion is available to own or rent from AppleTV, Microsoft Store and Google Play in Australia & NZ from March 30.