The Blackcoat’s Daughter churns away at the soul and the psyche with a slow and effective grind that resonates deeply.
Osgood Perkins directorial debut which he also penned may not be for everyone with a pace that is so slow you’d be forgiven for that thinking that you were positively stationary.
What lifts this above most standard fare is the performances of Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) who continues to show a level of maturity that belies her age and Emma Roberts (Nerve), who is also carving a strong career path with her film choices.
Told in two separate timelines that isn’t revealed until the climax, we initially follow Shipka’s Kat, a freshman who is waiting for her parents to pick her up from a prestigious boarding school for the holidays.
Surrounded by snow in a wintry climate that is reminiscent of Let The Right One In, Kat becomes increasingly more aloof and her behaviour more peculiar as a result.
Her sense of isolation is further exasperated as she fails to connect with the nuns at the school and the only other student on the premises, Rose (Lucy Boynton) who is herself too consumed with her own pregnancy that she fails to see Kat’s shrinking from the world and inner turmoil.
Meanwhile, Roberts’ Joan is making her own journey towards said boarding school where she is offered a lift by two parents grieving for the loss of their daughter.
The father seems sympathetic to Joan’s plight as if he recognises hisown daughter within her. The irony being that she is far from it and actually the perpetrator of his daughters death.
The struggle of human connectivity or lack thereof is front and centre of this film as the characters are minimal on number and those that we do see are so trapped in their own world that it’s no wonder that Kat is drawn to the darkness that surrounds us all and bows to the whims of a being that lurks beyond our own existence.
Perkins first attempt in the directors chair certainly impresses and it will be interesting to see what he does next as his vision feels like a strong one and for that he’s made a fan from this writer.
Xx is released on Blu-ray and DVD today, so I thought I’d write this review and share my thoughts.
Warning: contains spoilers for those who’ve not seen it yet.
I soooo wanted to like this movie.
So long now, women have been forced into the shadows unable to have a voice (with a few exceptions) so when I heard that four female directors would team up to deliver a collection of short horror stories for a feature, I was beyond excited about shifting that ‘male gaze’ with a much-needed feminine skew.
I have to say though, I was let down, although only marginally.
Features that contain short stories rarely work in my opinion.
Some come out stronger than others and the overall feel of the feature as a whole is a little unbalanced as a result.
Unfortunately, the weaker of these stories occur at the beginning of the movie.
So, let’s scrutinise this further by examining the shorts in question.
First up we’re presented with…
The Box
…which was also written by Jack Ketchum, who has 4 Bram Stoker awards to his name, so he is no stranger to the dark world, but with all due respect to him, I was kind of hoping that these collections would be 100% female orientated.
Not just with the writing but with the writing too and his addition mars this ever-so-slightly.
The Box presents a mysterious story centred around a mysterious red box that a guy is holding on a train.
A boy, Danny asks what’s inside and when he peers in an eerie transformation occurs, where he won’t eat anything anymore.
One by one the other family members succumb to this strange ‘virus’, all except the mother played by Natalie Brown (Channel Zero: Candle Cove).
The family end up starving to death, and the mother is left wandering the tubes in search of the man with the box and an answer to the mystery to no avail.
The Box has a cold heart at its core, and whilst it’s interesting enough leaves the viewer feeling a little empty and therefore struggles to pick up any energy moving forward, which it does attempt to do with the more light-hearted….
The Birthday Party
Which stars the wonderful Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures) and it’s refreshing to see her on screen again.
Here she plays Mary, a housewife struggling in a troubled relationship
With her husband, David.
When she finds her husband dead on his home office, she struggles to hide this from her daughter, who just coincidentally is having her birthday party that day.
A sort of warped version of Weekend at Bernie’s, The Birthday unfolds with a comic lilt and is great insight into the vapid world of the social elite told from a mother struggling to keep up with the Joneses and all appearances to be pristine.
Written and directed by Annie Clark from St Vincent, this short feature would be best served as a single entity rather than absorbed in this group.
It’s certainly not a horror film despite it shedding light on a much heightened side of society, but by sitting alongside its fellow shorts here, it feels and makes the complete picture incredibly disjointed.
Next up…
Don’t Fall
Written and directed by Roxanne Benjamin, the third instalment feels like a nod to old school horror, and is quirky enough to stand out here, but rather than push the feature on in a stronger direction, it limps towards the finish line.
Set in remote desert, four campers encounter a creature that kills them one by one.
It has its funny moments of banter in the dialogue, but the care factor for the characters are low and because of this lack of engagement it’s hard for the viewer to empathise with their plight.
With more room to breathe and a possible feature in her hands, director Benjamin could still be someone to look out for as it does feel that she has more to say, and there’s enough in her writing that makes me willing to listen.
Onto the final instalment…
Her Only Living Son
Thank God for Karyn Kusama.
Just when it feels like XX is dying out with a whimper the director of the brilliant The Invitation comes along with the final offering and you can certainly see that she owns her craft and her skillet is a lot higher than her female counterparts.
Her Only Living Son is a glorious tale of a mother who soon discovers that her suspicions about her son being the spawn of Satan are true.
I have to commend the performance from Christina Kirk as the matriarch caught between the love of her son and knowing that she must prevent the evil from seeping into the world before it’s too late.
It feels like Rosemary’s Baby told from the view of the baby reaching adulthood and that despair of being caught between doing the right thing as painful as that decision may be.
Thankfully Kusama’s story elevates Xx back up to a semi-decent level.
It’s not the best of features and it certainly struggles in places, but it does have its strong points too and by the very nature of its existence, it will have an important place in horror film history.
STRAIGHT OFF THE BAT, I should declare that I’m not a big fan of found footage horror.
Don’t get me wrong, when it’s done right, it can be executed really well ala [REC], or The Tunnel, but more often than not, it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me.
And i’s fast becoming a stale genre in my book.
Despite this, Unfriended falls strangely on middle ground.
I have to commend the movie for pushing the horror genre into a contemporary setting and placing it where the current generation spend their time – through social media.
By using this format, we are introduced to a small group of friends and our intended victims.
What I also found intriguing and bold about this movie was the subject of this movie too, cyber-bullying.
A modern concept that had its fair amount of repercussions in an environment that has proved hard to police.
As the film opens up, we are given an indication of the movies intent as our protagonist, (If you can call her that) Blaire surfs the net for the death/suicide of Laura Barns, before Blaire then embarks on a cyber chat with her friends, Mitch, Jess, Adam, Ken, and Val.
However, somewhere along the way, someone has hacked into the chat room and from there on in, a series of games come about which antagonises the group and we slowly learn of their involvement in Laura Barn’s downfall, through the cyber-bullying that they played out on her.
One by one the friendships unravel and they are picked off with gruesome and bloody outcomes.
Who is behind these attacks?
Is it one of them, or could it be the spirit of Laura Barns out for revenge?
As I detailed in my intro, my verdict of Unfriended is that it lay in the middle ground and here is my reasoning.
Whilst it does push the horror genre into new and untested territory, and it certainly delivers a clever and insightful approach to this world, where it falls short is in its characterisation.
As we learn more about the friendship group and their secrets and true personalities rise to the surface, the less likeable they become.
Yes, this does make their comeuppance a deserved and relatable one, the preverbal fly in the ointment is that the audience is left not really giving a shit about what happens to these characters.
A massive flaw in my opinion.
You need to have a character that the audience can identify which otherwise the story falls flat and that is where it left me… Deflated and uninterested.
But its success in the box office and pending sequel seems to say otherwise.
HATS OFF to The Autopsy of Jane Doe for attempting to contain the entire movie within the same “four walls”.
The exception being the prologue, (when the body is discovered) and the epilogue.
This is testament to the acting prowess of the films leads in Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch, who most of the scenes involve just the two of them, so they have no choice but to carry the story.
Thankfully, we’re in good hands as they take on the roles of Father/Son team of the Morgue in which the film takes place.
Tommy (the father) has resigned to his role as the town coroner, much like his own father and takes pride in his position.
In some cases it would seem at the expense of forming a solid relationship with his son, especially with the absence of a mother figure.
Austin (the son) has spent most of his life trying to fill the chasm between his himself and his father.
He becomes a medical practitioner and studies under his father’s guise, but with one eye on the outside world, whilst feeling forever entombed.
The beauty of this film comes with the arrival of the Jane Doe, and the beginning of their dissection, when supernatural elements begin to occur.
The deeper their investigation goes, the more scars that appear in their lives, and the darker their domain becomes.
The scare and thrill factors are secondary to the humanity that is on show, which some horror fans may be disappointed by, but there is enough gore and blood on show to rise this psychological, supernatural horror above the level of most its recent counterparts in the genre and is a gem of a movie as a result.
IF YOU’RE ONE of these people that is tired of the lack of original movies coming out of Hollywood and are constantly searching afield to the foreign section of the movie industry, chances are you may have already stumbled across this movie.
If however, you’ve not yet come across this Iranian movie, Under The Shadow, I sincerely recommend that your make the effort to put this at the top of your list.
Beautifully shot and set in war-torn Tehran in the 1980’s, the film’s choice of timing and location is no mere accident.
We’re thrust into a world that is literally being ripped apart by outside forces and is a scary place to be, but it’s what lurks inside that you should really be afraid of, and this is where writer and director Babak Anvari, really comes into his own.
Following the story of Shideh and her daughter Dorsa, as they face the demons or in this case Djinn that resides in their apartment building.
It is in part, the setting that allows for these trepidations to play on the mind, that you are left pondering whether or not the danger that faces them is inherently of their own imagination or an actual entity intent on destroying their souls.
The performances are incredibly strong, particularly by Narges Rashidi who plays Shideh, and delivers a compelling portrayal of a mother struggling with her place in the world.
She’s been ostracised from the medical world following her political protests.
And she also struggles in her relationship with her daughter Dorsa, finding the need for compassion lacking and constantly questioning her own worth and comparing herself to her husband, Iraj, who seems naturally gifted in this field. Dorsa recognises this too and often turns to her father for comfort.
So when Iraj leaves to aids the military in a heavy conflicted area, Shideh and Dorsa are forced together under trying circumstances and conflicts arise as a result.
It is however, the unquestionable love that Shideh has for Dorsa that is tested and the attention paid on their relationship that proves to be the real winner in this movie.
I cannot recommend Under The Shadow enough. I found it so rewarding to watch a movie that was intelligent, strong and impactful, much like the performances that were on display throughout.
And it’s a front runner for best movie of 2016 as a result.
You delivered fine horror vehicles with Wolf Creek 1 and 2, and even croc shock horror movie, Rogue pulled some pretty deft punches in the genre.
But The Darkness leaves is decisively under par in comparison.
You have a strong A-Lister in Kevin Bacon and equally strong actress Radha Mitchell alongside him and yet the movie fails to deliver any scares or thrills.
My hunch is that this is perhaps down to a stark difference between McLean’s previous movies and The Darkness.
The previous films rely on exteriors and the external threats to our protagonists (which is no easy feat to convey so hats off to McLean on these previous outings) and how they deal with these attacks in order to survive.
The Darkness has to rely heavily on the internal struggle.
The audience must see the plight of the family and the fractures between them already that the Djinn can then exploit and take advantage of.
In other words the foundations need to be set in play before the troubles can really begin.
Instead, we see the family on a trip to the Canyon where they disturb a sacred ground.
In doing so, the demons follow them home and then start to ebb away at their flaws.
If enough focus was shone on their weaknesses beforehand there would have been more elbow room to play with here.
Instead, when the chances arise to cause a rift between them all, it feels too forced and contrived.
And in some cases, it feels like an after-thought to be tacked on after the plot line has been put together.
“Oh wouldn’t it be great, if we revealed that he has an affair?”, or “What about if we reveal that the daughter has bulimia?”
It would be one thing if the performances themselves were believable but they’re not and your left with one big mess, where nothing really ties together because of it.
It’s a real shame as I do like McLean’s work and hope this is just a momentary blip in his career. Based on the trailer for his next movie, The Belko Experiment, there’s hope that this might be the case as it does look promising.
To celebrate the release of Rings, Surgeons of Horror along with Paramount Pictures are giving you the chance to WIN 1 of 5 double passes to see the film.
Want to submit your entry? It’s simple, just send us an email to surgeons.of.horror@gmail.com with all your details and simply tell us which iconic villain is set to return and scare for this much-loved franchise?
To keep up to date on all of our latest giveaways, just like our Facebook page here and keep an ear out for our film podcast sessions.
Please read all the rules and T&Cs at the bottom of the page before entering.
Film Synopsis:
A new chapter in the beloved RING horror franchise. A young woman becomes worried about her boyfriend when he explores a dark subculture surrounding a mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he has viewed it. She sacrifices herself to save her boyfriend and in doing so makes a horrifying discovery: there is a “movie within the movie” that no one has ever seen before…
Only one entry will be accepted per person. Multiple entries from the same person will be disqualified.
Closing date for entry will be Feb 19 @ 8.30pm EDT. After this date, no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
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Surgeons of Horror also reserves the right to cancel the competition if circumstances arise outside of its control.We look forward to hearing from you.
THERE’S A SLIGHT change in this week’s surgery podcast as not one, but three movies go under the knife.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers, and Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers.
The reason for combining these three movies from the Halloween franchise together is due to the shift in focus for the movies.
The bold attempt to turn the franchise away from the Michael Myers storyline and launch it into an anthology series would prove to be way ahead of its time.
Halloween lll: Season of the Witch may have its core fans but ultimately it would fall foul of dumping its much-loved villain.
The people spoke and the producers listened.
Bringing Myers back was the easiest part in resurrecting the franchise.
The tricky part was to encourage its writers John Carpenter and Debra Hill back into production. A task that would be too great as no amount of persuasion could encourage them to do so.
Not only that but their lead protagonist, Laurie Strode aka Jamie Lee Curtis turned down the chance to return, citing other commitments.
Laurie would be written out (at this stage), killed in a car crash.
So what is an antagonist without its protagonist to hunt down and kill?
The writers would have to come up with something fast if the game of cat and mouse was to mount to anything on screen.
The answer was to bring in another Myers relative to continue the bloodline in the form of Laurie Strode’s daughter, Jamie Lloyd played in the next two installments by 8 year old, Danielle Harris.
The only trouble was that being a kid, Jamie Lloyd was no match for Myers.
So another nemesis would be brought back from the ashes, Dr Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance once again taking on the role) to outwit Michael.
The series owes a lot to Pleasance’s gravitas on screen – a legend in his time.
Throw in a cult and Paul Rudd and you have a mixture of twisted storylines to keep the beating heart of the Halloween franchise going.
But what do the Surgeons of Horror make of this round of movies in the franchise.
Does it take too many twists and turns on its journey?
Listen to the podcast to catch our thoughts and opinions.
Can The Blair Witch Project lay claim to this prestige or does the myth that surrounds it cloud our perception?
One things for sure, it was a landmark movie in not only the style in which the movie is delivered which effectively launched found footage horror to the forefront of the movie mainstream but also in the mode of establishing a new style of marketing that connected with audiences worldwide.
It had a pulse and substance to it that resonated on a massive scale and it was for this reason that USA Today went on record to state The Blair Witch Project was the first movie to go ‘viral’.
A trend was then set with numerous movies hoping to follow suit and creature a hit with a low budget feel.
What does that mean today though?
Does the movie still stand the test of time?
There have been books released, a rushed-to-production “unofficial” sequel released the following year in 2000 with Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2.
And just recently an “official” sequel has been released, Blair Witch, which all lend weight to the mythos of The Blair Witch legend for good or ill.
Join our discussions on The Blair Witch franchise in a Surgeons of Horror Special podcast below.
JOHN CARPENTER’S FOLLOW up to Halloween would come in the guise of The Fog.
Whilst it didn’t come close to success that Halloween would generate, it did generate enough of a following to push Carpenter’s career along and propel him further as a bankable director.
It would reunite him with co-star Jamie Lee Curtis albeit in a smaller role amongst a fairly strong ensemble cast.
Leading the way is Stevie Wayne played by the amazing and beautiful, Adrienne Barbeau pulling out a strong performance as the radio DJ ushering out the warning of the killer fog with those sultry tones……
Whilst on paper, this movie had a great premise and all the hallmarks of a classic horror, with the classic ghost camp fire story brought to life of ghost pirates out to seek vengeance on a community that did them wrong 100 years ago.
The Surgeons of Horror podcast team pay close scrutiny to the movie and delve into our fifth subject of The John Carpenter early years sessions to find out by asking all the important questions.
Does it live up to its promise and deliver a classic ghost story?
Can fog actually be scary on film?
And more importantly. Are you weird?
Listen to the podcast below to find out our thoughts.
Surgeons of Horror 