Movie review: Totally Killer (2023)

07 Saturday Oct 2023

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There’s nothing more engaging than a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve, and for Director Nahnatchka Khan it’s clear from her work on writing and producing American Dad and Fresh Off The Boat that she has a fingers permanently on the comedic pulse. There’s a fresh energy to be found and along with the nostalgic vibes that she is going for in her latest outing behind the camera, Totally Killer. 

Starring Kiernan Shipka (The Blackcoat’s Daughter) Totally Killer is a warped cross between 80s teen slasher and Back The Future of which there are continuous references throughout. There’s even a salute to the works of John Hughes and especially Molly Ringwald. The movie already speaks to my heart being a kid who grew up with all of these elements and more, infusing my love for the celluloid art.

Thirty years ago, “The Sweet Sixteen Killer” known for the amount of times he stabbed his victims, went on a killing spree in a smalltown, and was never caught. Now in the present day, Jamie Hughes (Shipka) is an ungrateful, cooler than cool teen, who’s Mum, Pam (Julie Bowen) is killed by someone carrying the same M.O. as the infamous killer, and is pulled off in a Screamesque way, ala Drew Barrymore, by offing a notable actress in the first reel. Thankfully though, Jamie’s best friend, Kelcey (Amelia Creston) has invented a time machine in the form of a photo booth. When Jamie tries to unearth her mother’s killer, she has to fight for her life, leading her into said time machine and then transported back to… you guessed it 1987 and just before the original killings began. She now has the opportunity to rewrite history, find and stop the killer, and save her Mum. 

The Prognosis:

There have been some notable comparisons stated online between Totally Killer and The Final Girls, which on paper is understandable, but this Blumhouse produced flick has a very different energy about it, namely due to Shipka’s performance and the script which zings along at a highly infectious and engaging pace. Shipka is also supported well by her fellow cast members, namely through her teen Mum, Pamela Miller, played by Olivia Holt (who is herself moulded through the House of Mouse, starting with the kids’ series Kickin’ It). While some of the beats do misfire on occasion, it is the heart of the movie that lifts you up and guides you through an enjoyable whodunit.

Totally Killer is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Movie review: V/H/S/85 (2023)

04 Wednesday Oct 2023

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Having secretly shot the latest instalment in the V/H/S/ franchise back-to-back alongside V/H/S/99, Bloody Disgusting are set to release V/H/S/85 on the streaming platform, Shudder. This time around sees one of the pioneer directors of the franchise David Bruckner (The Ritual) with his segment Amateur Night return to add more flavour to the proceedings. It’s clear that Bruckner is going from strength to strength in his storytelling with a bent towards science fiction, evident with bringing Hellraiser before a contemporary audience. Bruckner’s V/H/S. Segment Total Copy is peppered throughout the feature and follows a group of college teachers pushing past their skillset into untapped territory. In doing so, they venture into a domain that slowly spirals out of control. 

Joining Bruckner is a team of bold visionists, each with their own unique style spilling forth into an eclectic union of enterprising stories. My own personal liking leans towards Scott Derrickson’s (Sinister) segment Dreamkill; which is a psychic-bending, slasher frenzy that twists and turns delightfully towards a gripping climax. For fans of Derrickson’s work, there is an easter egg in there which arcs back to one of the characters from The Black Phone. Another segment I enjoyed was No Wake, directed by Mike P. Nelson (Wrong Turn) who feels as though he is in his element with his traditional found footage tale set on a lake retreat. We follow a group of teens who get more than they bargained for when they are slowly being picked off by a hidden assailant, and then pick up the tale further into the feature when we see the story complete from the assassin’s point of view. The other two entries are just as compelling with Natasha Kermani’s segment TKNOGD; following performance artists tackle technological gods and Gigi Saul Guerrero’s (Bingo Hell) segment, God of Death, taking you to the depths of Mexico in the wake of an earthquake which has awoken a once dormant God.

The Prognosis:

For its’ sixth entry into the franchise, V/H/S/85 is arguably the most diverse and compelling. It allows each director to spin their tale using their individual voices, without the detriment to the final reel. Enjoyable and fragmented to create a blend of disturbing, visionary narratives.

– Saul Muerte

V/H/S/85 is screening on Shudder from Friday 6th October.

Notable links:

Movie review: V/H/S/99

Movie review V/H/S/94

Movie review: Elevator Game (2023)

30 Saturday Sep 2023

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Having already placed a haunting, psychological tale in a public convenience, starring Ryan Kwanten in Glorious, director Rebekah McKendry has established that she conveys stories from the most unusual setting. Her latest venture to hit Shudder, chooses to relocate to an elevator. The substance of the movie lays ground in an online phenomenon where people play a specific game to test their fears and the spectral myth that once you have ridden any elevator whilst stopping at a set order of floors, to invoke a ghost. The trick is to not open your eyes when you reach the fifth floor, or end up haunted to your own death by the female phantom.

Told from the perspective of high school graduates who run an online series debunking similar urban legends. They fall down on their luck when their sponsor threatens to pull the plug unless they can turn around a successful show by the turn of the week. Thankfully, or maybe not?, the team meets Ryan (Gino Anania) who presents them with the afore-mentioned game. The hook, or catch in this instance is that not only is the urban legend real, but Ryan’s sister may have been a victim and he believes the team are also responsible. Fuelled by vengeance and the search for truth beyond the known world, Ryan will go to all costs to seek it out.

The Prognosis:

I’ll be honest here. The thought of yet another social media horror feature immediately halted my need to watch this film, but it is markedly better than a few i’d like to mention.. Ahem Countdown or… cough Unfriended. Elevator Game does unfortunately share one characteristic though… unlikeable characters, so yes that in itself is part of the game, to watch these deviants get their comeuppance, but in this instance it comes at the cost of the film.

It’s fairly obvious who will end up in the finale, such is the predictability on show, but it’s still a fun ride. It also misses some of the humour present in Glorious too. Mark this up as a missed opportunity to elevate her career, but still promise that she may still reach the penthouse suite if McKendry keeps producing solid outings.

– Saul Muerte

Movie review: Saw X (2023)

29 Friday Sep 2023

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Upon its 10th instalment, the Saw franchise poses an interesting timeline for John Kramer (Tobin Bell) and his devoted followers in order to continue the journey through the various physical and psychological traps that the numerous victims have had to endure. I realise at the time of writing that the Saw film series has become an essential entry into the horror genre with its iconic visual conundrums, and a serial killer with a mantra to cleanse the world of the mistakes we make and thereby absolving humanity through an excruciating ordeal. Besides perhaps Scream, there hasn’t been a horror film series through the 2000s that has had the kind of impact and idiosyncratic themes that lure its audience in. There are some that may say that the franchise has strayed a little from the initial premise, getting lost within its own compendium of complexities focusing on the elaborate persecution devices. The last instalment, Spiral: From the Book of Saw starring Chris Rock promised to take the series into a whole new direction, and expand the metaverse while keeping the mystery and brutality of the original at its core. It also posed the first in the franchise not to star John Kramer in its fold, so it is somewhat surprising that the latest venture, Saw X marks a return of the serial killer and some other notable faces to boot. Although Rock’s multiverse vision was thwarted by lower than expected box office return, which could be why Twisted Pictures and Lionsgate Films chose to jump back into the realm, and pull into what made the series so great? That question probably speaks for itself, but let’s delve a little deeper.

The most prominent decision was to try and add a little empathy towards our loveable villain, a tricky concept to execute when we’ve spent eight stories of the macabre which does exactly the opposite. We love Kramer’s exploits because of his cold-hearted and callous approach to retribution. So, to try and fill a back story into his plight and facing the cancer demon that threatens his life, sits as an uncomfortable juxtaposition to his exploits. It is for good reason, but we’re treated to some meaty exposition to Kramer’s personal ordeal as he is conned by a group of experimental medics who promise a false dawn in treating his brain tumour. There’s even some tongue-in-cheek quips on his road to supposed salvation. One the half an hour / forty minute rug is pulled from under his feet, Kramer pulls out the WD-40 and oils down the elaborate machinery and sets to work enacting revenge on those who wronged him and the twisted fun truly begins. One thing’s for sure… never piss off John Kramer. 

The traps themselves are delightfully disturbing albeit primitive when compared to the lengths that we’re used to. Then again, this fits nicely into the timeline, presumably set between Saw and Saw 2. It is however, the reintroduction of Amanda Young (Shawnee Smith) that adds heart to the piece as she is being taken under Kramer’s wing and we’re not only reminded of her tragic story arc yet-to-come but also of Smith’s performance range, which has been much missed in later additions to the series. She also counter-balances Kramer’s personality who is consumed by his mantra. The moments of inner conflict that Amanda experience throughout the torture sequences is fundamental to hanging the false integrity that pilots Kramer, and the problematic stockholm syndrome facet that Amanda is presented with.

The Prognosis:

This latest instalment of the Saw franchise plays out like a love song to what made the series so great. While it never quite reaches the height of the macabre and twisted delights of the original trilogy, it does paint the story with a familiar trait, rekindling our love for the world of Saw with John Kramer and his cohorts. If you can be patient enough to sit through the opening act, fans of the series will be treated to some dark fun and relish in Kramer’s disturbing approach to retribution. 

– Saul Muerte

Movie review: Violett (2023)

19 Tuesday Sep 2023

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Having already established an impressive turn in Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism, Georgia Eyers turns out another remarkable performance for Steven Milhaljevich’s sophomore feature, Violett. The scene is set in harrowing circumstances as a series of child disappearances have dominated a small, local town. Sonya (Myers) is a tormented mother, who lives in fear with the local community, consumed by the shock and turmoil that these events have taken. For Sonya, who we learn is struggling with an undefined mental illness, struggles in a constant state of paranoia that her 11 year old daughter, Violett (Valentina Blagojevic) will be snatched away at any given moment. 

Drifting through life in this perpetual frenzy that has left her stagnating in the world, dormant to the life around her and disconnected from her husband, Stan (Sam Dudley – The Dustwalker). It is through her mind snap that Sonya starts to suffer from visions that confound and complex her understanding and the lines of reality are blurred. Is there more to be uncovered from this affliction that she has come to endure? Can she really trust herself? And is there greater danger in exposing the truth?

The Prognosis:

Milhaljevich encapsulates what it means to wallow in grief and trauma, enhancing this emotion and draining away all other sentiment. His vision is all the more intensified through Eyers representation of a mother on the brink of sanity and existence; and Shane Piggot’s cinematography, which perfectly embodies the spirit of the piece and emboldens the surrealism.

All of these components lay weight to an experience that leaves its mark on the audience and demonstrates that Milhaljevich has a unique voice, and one that presents itself with a clear identity; one that will highlight any future ventures with decisive interest.

– Saul Muerte

Violett is screening at A Night of Horror International Film Festival on Sunday Oct 1st at 6.45pm,

Plus Q&A with writer/director Steven John Milhaljevich and actor Georgia Eyers 

It also screens with short feature, The Undoing.

Movie Review: The Nun 2 (2023)

18 Monday Sep 2023

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Here’s the thing with James Wan and the Conjuring Universe. The credo “if they don’t care, they
don’t scare” runs strong with him. For Wan & co, scares are good, but tension is better.

Which instantly tells you, they think about their films. And by that, I mean, they seem to air-check.
them. Especially new ones they enter into their franchise.

What evidence do we have to support this? Three off the top of our head, Annabelle Creation, The
Conjuring 2 and Insidious 2. (Although before you get up in arms, YES we know technically
Insidious isn’t part of the TCU, but spiritually it is – pun intended)

So, what do these movies have in common? Answer: they are all better than their chronological
predecessor. (Although I’ll also admit this is a bit of a stretch with The Conjuring, as that was a pretty
decent first outing. But its sequel is arguably at least as strong). And back to the point at hand, re:
the other 2 films, as far as Annabelle (blah) and Insidious (paint-by-numbers) is concerned, their 2nd
instalments are magnitudes better.

It’s as if the Wan production ethos is to sit down and say “Ok. I know we made money off these.
films, but where can we make them better? And what mistakes can we eliminate?”.

If this is true, it’s a very egoless way to run a production company (very rare in real life).
And regardless, the results speak for themselves; for whatever you think about the Wan cinematic.
universe, you have to admit there is something to the formula he and his team have developed.
Sure, their flicks are slick and therefore overtly “Hollywood”, but they are successful, and they are.
not afraid to develop & improve within their mainstream constraints.

So, it was with this framework I went into the Nun II a little keen. After all, even taking OUT the
above elements as a factor, the first film was so excrementally ordinary the filmmakers could have
got an Ai bot to write the script (YIKE! Uber sensitive topic at the time I’m publishing this – be
interesting to see how that all plays out, eh? Saul Muerte?) and it would have been better by a factor of 11.

Anyway – The Nun II picks up a year (We think…? It’s never really stated) after the first movie and 2
of our main leads are still with us. Taissa Farmiga’s Sister Irene, and Jonas Bloquet’s Maurice
(Frenchie).

The 3rd lead from the first film – Demian Bichir’s Father Burke – we soon learn has died off camera.
between movies. An accident? Or tactical foresight by Bichir? Maybe the demon did it…

For those of you who remember how we left it at the end of movie 1, The Nun was beaten, BUT
Frenchie was exorcist style infected by it. So he’s like a bad guy now….

And this new film doesn’t forget that, but they also go the route that Frenchie doesn’t control the
Nun possessing him; so he’s back to being a good guy, trying to stop the Nun from doing….what
exactly?

Well, it turns out she needs him to kill a bunch of people who are protecting an artifact macguffin
that will give her super-duper powers (or something) although the exact same artefact can inversely.
destroy her (natch).

Sister Irene is then pitted along with a new sidekick Sister Debra, played by Missing’s Storm Reid)
to take on The Nun in a school that is built over a deconsecrated monastery. (Frenchie works as a
caretaker in that school, you see).

Cue jump scares and what not.

The main cast is mostly female – yet more fuel for anti-woke men to lose their shit over… oh won’t
anybody think of the men!?? – with Narnia’s Anna Popplewell in the mix in a role thoroughly
underwhelming for her talent.

For you see, the Wan sequel formulae has failed this instalment big time; to the point I’m having a
hard time disbelieving he sat down in front of his team and said “Hey – in the spirit of switching
things up, how about we make this one worse?”.

It had such a low bar to jump over, but the Nun II is not only ordinary, it commits the unforgiveable
sin of not being scary. Like… at all. The movie at best has about 2 to 3 creepy moments, and that’s it.
The plot is holey (geddit) and internal logic wise, it just makes no sense. Even down to who the Nun
actually is. At several points she seems to appear in several guises at once as her nun avatar and its
original demon form Valek; but if it has the ability to be in more than 2 places at once in multiple
forms, then why does it even bother? By definition such power makes it impossible to beat, as she
can be anywhere she wants to be, yet it seems to go out of its way to not kill anyone (unless it’s a
random character we don’t care about – see 2nd sentence of this review) and its ability to appear in
different forms at different (or the same) time have no logical consistency at all.

Tassia Farmiga is utterly charmless (which is partially the fault of her character. But even if she is an
unworldly emissary of God, she can still be funny, or witty, or steely or something! Instead, she
presents as older and boring-er than she was the first-time round). Plus, several other characters
make some truly idiotic decisions.

The Prognosis:

Not just disappointing, it’s completely pointless. And to prove this with facts, it’s box office return is
already TRIPLE its budget. In an age where the inmates run the asylum, what further proof do you
need? Nun.

  • Antony Yee

Movie Review: Saving Grace (2023)

17 Sunday Sep 2023

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Saving Grace is an example of what Australian filmmakers do well; embellish the natural beauty of the landscape, whilst exposing the hidden dangers both in topography and in the psychology of those who walk the country. 

The directing, writing partnership of Gareth Carr and David Sullivan work well together in slowly drawing out these concealments of character, ebbing away at the exterior to expose the true intentions.

Sarah (Kirsty McKenzie – Magic) is a live-in care worker, who discovers her patient has passed away. Seeking a chance for change, Sarah abandons the chaos of city life to take up residence in a serene, idyllic location to look after an elderly lady (the titular Grace). Grace is incapacitated and mute, so requires 24 hour care as a result. 

Surrounded by waterways, Sarah seeks refuge during her downtime, but the remote setting is shared by the resident gardener, Albert (Gary Boulter – Skinford), a man who’s friendly demeanour warrants closer scrutiny, as does his tale of Grace’s past. 

This is only part of Sarah’s concerns though, as she begins to have dark visions, forcing her to plough headlong into ominous terrain where every choice is questioned, and suspicions heightened.

The Prognosis:

Kirsty McKenzie is profound in her portrayal of Sarah, twisting and turning through every decision she makes, as the narrative equally flitters in an unpredictable way. It’s a compelling approach by the film makers, allowing for our trust to reside in the characters and the land in which it is set. Trust though, is the very thing that we, the viewer, can not rely upon. Beauty is only skin deep and just as our eyes rely upon what we see, this can be deceptive, allowing Carr and Sullivan to play with our senses, and our securities, before veering us into a entrancing-yet-disturbing direction.

– Saul Muerte

Saving Grace is screening at A Night of Horror International Film Festival on Saturday Sept 30th at 5.10pm,

Plus Q&A with writers/directors Gareth Carr & David Sullivan and actor Gary Boulter 

It also screens with short feature, Nightcap

Movie Review: Puzzle Box (2023)

16 Saturday Sep 2023

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When Jack Dignan launched his directorial debut feature, After She Died at A Night of Horror International Film Festival last year, it came with a bold, well-structured, pot-boiler of a movie that etched out the pangs of grief with minute detail. It was enough to make one sit up and take notice, eager to know where Dignan would go next in his creative celluloid venture.

This year, he has chosen to serve a familiar tale woven through the theme of a broken psyche. Choosing to self-rehabilitate at a secluded house in the woods (always a troublesome sign), a young drug addict, Kate (Kaitlyn Boyé – The Furies) is accompanied by her older sister, Olivia (Laneikka Denne) to aid her through the process, As the night unfolds, and they unpack the shared and isolated trauma that the siblings have gone through, the inadvertently fall through the cracks of time and dimension, trapped in a continuing vortex of sequences, fighting to find their way out of their turmoil.

The Puzzle Box is a metaphor for the predicament that the sisters find themselves in as each door within the remote house opens and slides different sections of time and dimensions, in a convoluted vessel of complexities that will force the pair to search deep within themselves and solve the paradox.

Dignan hones his visual prowess in this film, choosing to use a found footage approach to the narrative through his cinematography to convey his concept. The result is an unsettling, and nauseating feel to the final product to deliberately set the viewer off kilter. To double the sense of dread, we’re also presented with a screaming, ‘banshee-like-woman’ (Gotta love a good banshee!!) to hound and barrage both Kate and the audience in a relentless pursuit, that seems to have no end. 

The Prognosis:

Jack Dignan comes out swinging for his sophomore feature and delivers a haunting and harrowing journey into a paranoia filled rabbit hole. The shifts and turns are deliberately jarring and part of Puzzle Box’s charm is the unsettling way he drags the viewer down and pulls you along the disturbing pathway into a perpetual void.

– Saul Muerte

Puzzle Box is screening at A Night of Horror International Film Festival on Friday Sept 29th at 7pm.

Plus Q&A with writer/director Jack Dignan and actors Kaitlyn Boyé, Cassandre Girard and Laneikka Denne 

It also screens with short feature, Merger

Movie Review: Devil’s Work (2023)

15 Friday Sep 2023

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Ursula Dabrowsky has been slowly crafting her Demon Trilogy to continue her fascination with demonic possession and the fragility of the human mind. Where Family Demons (2009) and Inner Demon (2014) fostered the fears and anxieties that unfold through isolation and complexities of a disturbing or unsettled ménage, her third instalment, Devil’s Work grounds these ideas and gradually shifts the sands of perspectives in an almost seamless single take.

Once again, Dabrowsky chooses a remote setting as her playground, following a couple, Charlie (Cassandra Kane) and Dustin (Mark Fantasia (Bad Girl Boogey) who plan a romantic getaway at a quiet cottage away from life’s ailments; only to be hounded by Charlie’s sibling, Linda (Luca Asta Sardelis – Storm Boy).

Dabrowsky delightfully unfolds the traumatic episode with ripples of paranoia, meticulously crafting a simmering storyline, ready to boil over at any given moment.

As the audience is tantalisingly told about Lindy by her sibling Charlie, we begin to paint the picture of a disturbed mind, who is on the brink of sanity, harbouring some ill feelings and terrorised by a darkness that consumes her. Once the scene is set or our predetermined ideas settle about Lindy and her deranged behaviour, the audience is then presented with a harrowing notion; Charlie and Dustin are not alone. Somehow Lindy has found out where they are and is about to rip apart any ideals of mystique that the couple had hoped would be born out of their weekend.

It is the solitude that will haunt them and determine if they are to survive their ordeal and the extremes that Lindy will put them through.

The Prognosis:

Every family has their ailments, but what if a sibling was so dangerously unhooked that a very real danger could threaten your world?

Ursula Dabrowsky is well and truly in her comfort zone, revisiting similar themes for her third feature.  Beneath this simple premise is a dark and disturbing tale that moulds itself around you and slowly consumes you.

Dabrowsky not only has the gift of piloting the voyeur through a disconcerting vision, but she is also ably supported by cinematographer, Maxx Corkindale to lure into a false trance, before subjecting us with Luca Asta Sardellis’ wonderfully fractured portrayal of Lindy.

These are how stories should be told to unsettle the soul.

– Saul Muerte

Devils Work is screening as the Opening Night feature for A Night of Horror International Film Festival on Thursday 28 Sept @6.30pm.

Plus Q&A with Ursula Dabrowsky and Cassandra Kane.

It also screens with short feature, Mother Tongue

Movie Review: Outpost (2023)

11 Monday Sep 2023

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Writer, director Joe Lo Truglio makes a curious choice for his feature length directorial debut.

We initially side with Kate (Beth Dover – Orange Is The New Black) a victim of domestic violence, but decides to remain head strong and vigilant in her recovery process.

Her decision is somewhat marred however as she ventures to a remote location to mend her wounds, which just so happens to be an outpost designed to spot fires in the surrounding woodland and alert the authorities to prevent widespread.

The issue is that by segregating herself from the world, albeit within range of a local town community, she not only is running away from her fears but is also doing so in a place where she is forced to live with her own thoughts, surrounded by the threat of danger, lurking at any moment. Naturally, Kate is on hyper alert at all times nursing herself through the aftermath of a traumatic experience.

All of this bodes well in theory and people seem to be bending over backwards to support her needs so that she can feel that sense of accomplishment, but things soon start to unravel as her paranoia sets in and her trepidation escalates.

It is from this point that there are clumsy choices that soon push the viewer from empathy to disdain, as gradually Kate goes from victim to  assailant, acting out her pent up aggression and unleashes on all who cross her path.

Whilst you can understand the transgression, the twists and turns she takes in order to get there are drastic, forcing the viewer to disconnect with our initial protagonist and abandoned without any sense of direction or where their loyalty should belong.

The Prognosis:

For a debut feature, Joe Lo Truglio goes bold, but fails to pull off his vision due to a lack of cohesion, nor depth in his skill set for it to land successfully.

A lot of promise, but ultimately stranding the audience without a solid ground from which to draw conclusions from.

– Saul Muerte

Outpost (2022) is available on major streaming platforms in UK & Ireland from September 11th and Australia & NZ from September 13th.

iTunes Link:  https://itunes.apple.com/au/movie/outpost-2022/id1700740637