A Serbian Film

I couldn't find this very controversial film at Netflix, or on any mainstream platform, but I was able to finally seek it out and watch it. First thing - this isn't a horror film. The things that happen in this film are horrible and deeply disturbing, but this is a drama/thriller, not horror. Second thing - this film is deeply philosophical. I wondered why it was simply called "A Serbian Film", but now, having finally seen it, I see it couldn't be called anything else. It examines the culture of violence in Serbia, and when it became almost incidental to see or be a part of violent acts. It delves deeply into the nature of victimhood, of when you can blame someone for committing violence on others, and when forgiveness can be possible. These moral questions aren't subtle, but straightforwardly asked, and the escalating violence of the movie compels the viewer to decide when what they are seeing is too much, and when they feel they must, in good conscience, look away. I imagine not many viewers make it too the end, which is sad, because the final minutes of this movie are so profound and affecting I was stunned by them. Honestly, even given the horror of what I watched (and, to be clear, this is easily in the top five most disturbing films I've ever seen), there's nothing about this I would have changed. It's brilliant, it truly is. 5/5

A Serbian Film is not available on Netflix

The Poughkeepsie Tapes

I don't know how I've never seen or heard of this film before. I'm frankly not even sure how it got on my queue, but boy, was this a revelation. Super low budget horror, more often than not, goes horridly wrong, because it become hard to suspend disbelief when the acting or the filming is done poorly. However, the Dowdle brothers took a micro budget and made an utterly real and completely believable world that was convincing enough I had to check Google to find out if what I was seeing was real or fiction. It was such a masterful film is every way - I was on the edge of my seat the whole movie trying to guess what was coming. Given the budget and time constraints of filming, it's amazing to me how great this was. I loved it, truly. 5/5

The Poughkeepsie Tapes on Netflix

The Collection

I only recent saw "The Collector" and was impressed by it quite a bit. I was interested to see if the sequel would live up to the standard the first did, and, by and large, it did. I somehow missed this when I watched the first film, but these two movies are written and directed by team that wrote the last half of the "Saw" franchise, Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. They even got Charlie Clouser to score "The Collection", so it seems like the "Saw" team may be back together for a new franchise I was also very happy to see Josh Stewart back in the lead role, as his solid acting really helped sell the first film. The direction and pace of the film were excellent again, but I will say I wish this film had a bit more meat to it. I wanted to know a little more about The Collector before this film ended, but, just from the final scenes, this won't be the last we see of him. A solid film, and I hope to see more in the future. 3.5/5

The Collection on Netflix

The Collector

If I'm being very honest, this is pure torture-porn with a premise I've seen before. However, this is some of the best high-violence horror I've seen in a while, and, given how much horror I watch, that's serious praise. Marcus Dunstan's direction is high-octane and creative, with shot-composition and lighting I don't see often in horror. Josh Stewart's acting was pretty damn solid for horror, as was most of the cast. Jerome Dillon's score was exceptional and kept the energy high. The traps were better than the similarly-themed "Saw II", and the premise better executed than in "The Hoarder" and "Don't Breathe", which are also similar plot-wise. I was thoroughly glued to my screen by this - a very impressive film. 4/5

The Collector on Netflix

Wake Wood

I feel like this stylish thriller missed the mark a bit. It's waking the same ground as "Pet Cemetery", but with far less emotional impact. The main characters felt very underdeveloped to me. I didn't feel like I knew them well enough to truly connect with them and their struggle. The biggest miss is that we never get to know the daughter before her death, and not having that point of comparison seriously injured the chances of this film having true emotional impact. The acting was understated, but could have used more passion from time to time. The direction was lovely, but I felt there wasn't enough meat for a proper story. This was just okay for me. 3/5

Wake Wood on Netflix

Eden Lake

I really did not expect this to be as brutal as it was, but I appreciated the reality of the violence. Most films that depict human suffering tend to either show as little as possible, or go over the top with the gore. This film had the guts to show violence as it would truly be, and the realism of it made the film more impactful to watch. I also liked how the gang of teens weren't all massive sadists, because, in reality, that would be a truly rare occurrence. Instead, we saw how a brutal gang leader can take a flock of misguided sheep and lead them all to a slaughterhouse. The acting was solid, and the direction was tight and well-paced. I really liked this horror thriller. 4/5

Eden Lake on Netflix

It Comes at Night

This is a gorgeously directed psychological horror film that reminded me in tone and feel to "The Witch", which I found spectacular. The acting is solid, and the script is doled out very slowly and carefully, creating a sense of tension that was almost palpable. I admire post-apocalyptic films that never show the apocalypse, but rather leave that horror in the past and unseen. I also have to mention there was an interesting visual trick that happened slowly over the course of the film. I didn't notice it until the end, and I actually started the film again and advanced through it slowly to see if I was right in what I saw, which I was. I've never seen it done before, and I'm not going to spoil it for anyone who rents this, but, if you do rent this, just keep your eyes open, and if you miss it, start it again immediately. You'll see it. Kudos to this film, I definitely enjoyed it. 4/5

It Comes at Night on Netflix

Hunger

Here's the thing. If you're going to make a movie about trapped people who have gone weeks without any food whatsoever, you might want to do something to make sure your cast looks like they've been losing weight. You know, as you would, if you haven't eaten anything for weeks. Like... I don't know.... things like make up, prosthetics, progressively baggier clothes.... anything. Also, don't dress one of your female cast members in pajama bottoms and a tank top, because then it's really easy to see she's lost no weight at all. Which doesn't make sense, if your characters haven't eaten in weeks. So... yeah. Not good. 2/5

Hunger on Netflix

Annabelle

When I first saw "The Conjuring" I was supremely interested in the Annabelle doll and it's story. I had hoped that eventually we would learn more about the doll, so when I heard that this movie had been released I was really happy. The good news is that this film really looks and feels like like it belongs in the "Conjuring" universe, and that's a compliment. Although not directed by Wan, this film had a similar tone and pacing to Wan's films, and I appreciated the attention to detail. The acting was fairly good, but I felt let down by the script, which felt very by-the-numbers to me. Plot-wise there wasn't much to this film, and atmosphere alone will only take a horror movie so far. In the end, this was good but not great, but I do hope for more films set in the "Conjuring" universe. 3/5

Annabelle on Netflix

Patient Seven

#FTRQ "Patient Seven" - I would like to take the group of seven writers of these short horror films and force them to read psychology textbooks until they stop making idiotic mistakes. For example:
1)  There is no condition named "anorexia bulimia". Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are two separate and distinct conditions.
2) A person would never be diagnosed with both bipolar disorder and depression comorbidly. Depression, like any other emotional lability, is diagnostically necessary to have bipolar disorder and thus would not be comorbid.
3) A person cannot be sentenced to be confined to a psychiatric facility "for the rest of their life". One can only be confined until one is no longer a danger to oneself or others, and then they must be released.
Some of these shorts were fun, but most were just annoying. Honestly, had I known this was an anthology film I would have skipped it, as I generally don't like them. This was no exception. 2/5

Patient Seven on Netflix

Death of April

The DVD I was going to watch tonight stopped playing halfway through, so I found this indie horror film on Amazon streaming and watched it. It's the kind of film I tend to like, but, really, I've seen pretty much this same film several times over. There was nothing new at all about this film - if you've seen "Paranormal Activity" or anything like it, you've seen this film. The other big problem was the acting, which was really weak across the board. I do understand this was an IndieGogo funded project and thus made for barely any money, but these type of films almost entirely hinge on me believing the characters are believing what's happening to them, and I just didn't. I'm sorry, but this really didn't work for me, although I will give them points for trying. 2/5

Death of April on Netflix

To Jennifer

Up front, I have to say it, the "twist" is so obvious it's kind of ridiculous. About ten minutes in, if you know anything about modern psychiatry, you know something is up, and it's not a big leap to figure out what it is. Having said that, for a movie that appears to be shot, acting in, produced and directed by four people for about $20, it's not a bad effort. I certainly give them points for trying, but, end of the day, this isn't a great movie. 2.5/5

To Jennifer on Netflix

The Tunnel

HOLY SNOT THIS WAS SCARY!!!! I get creeped out a lot, disturbed by some things, and grossed out only now and again, but I'm rarely actually scared watching a film. I'm such a avid watcher of thrillers and horror that there isn't much that actually affects me in that way. But, after watching this, I don't think I'm going to sleep well tonight. I really felt that this was the true inheritor of "The Blair Witch Project", which, as regular readers know, I feel is the scariest film I've ever seen. "The Tunnel" took all the lessons of "Blair Witch" and made a solid documentary style film that isn't just found-footage, but something far more, and reminiscent of the TV documentaries that preceded the release of "Blair Witch". If you are a fan of that type of horror, you have to see this. Loved it.  5/5

The Tunnel on Netflix

Triangle

I did not expect this movie to be this good. I'm pretty stunned right now with how this movie just got better and better with every passing moment. I have to agree with a lot of the reviewers on Netflix - it's impossible to discuss the plot without giving key things away. All I can say is that Melissa George, who I *LOVED* on "In Treatment" on HBO, was just fantastic in this. Give this film time to start to unfold. Trust me, it's worth it. 4/5

Triangle on Netflix

Goodnight Mommy

I was unsure about this film for the first thirty minutes or so. The eerie blend between reality and fantasy, between waking and dreaming was visually beautiful, but left me a bit confused from time to time. As the film continued and the plot intensified, I grew utterly transfixed, I couldn't look away. And then the last ten minutes happened, and I sat in slack jawed amazement repeatedly whispering "oh my god" over and over again because I was so stunned. Despite what some reviewers said (and please don't spoil this film for yourself by looking around before you see it), I never saw it coming. Not for a second. I loved this, truly. 4.5/5

Goodnight Mommy on Netflix

The Hallow

Well, this film just upped the ante on being suspenseful and scary as hell. I did not realize going in how bone-chilling this movie was going to be, but it hooked me fast and the nearly relentless action kept me totally enthralled. The creature effects were some of the best I've seen in years - they were truly outstanding. But it all comes down to the devastating choice the mother must make at the end. It reminded me of the ending of "The Good Son" in a lot of ways, which is a compliment coming from me. I'm glad this got recommended to me, I really enjoyed it. 4/5

The Hallow on Netflix

#Horror

This film tries so hard to be edgy and cool and just misfires at every crucial point. The rapid edit style made this hazy and convoluted plot more confusing, and I was never clear about what "game" these girls were supposedly playing. To top it off, the dialogue is about as unrealistic as it gets. I will say that, when the film settles down at points, the visual composition is excellent. I think Tara Subkoff has real talent that was hidden in this - I will be interested to see new work from her. 2/5

#Horror on Netflix

The Gallows

I rented this film solely on the strength of the very simple yet utterly terrifying trailer I saw. Let's just make this simple. This is a short found-footage horror film very much in the style of "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity". If you didn't like either of those films, you won't like this. The acting is somewhat bland, the direction by-the-numbers for found-footage. The plot was fairly straightforward until the end, which I really loved - hence the extra half star. It's a solid film and I was very compelled by it. I enjoyed it - if you like found-footage horror you will as well. 3.5/5

The Gallows on Netflix

The Blackcoat's Daughter

This movie is the very definition of ominous. It reminded me very much in tone and style to "The Witch", which is high praise coming from me. This psychological horror film is the latest from Oz Perkins, who also wrote and directed the wonderfully creepy "I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House", which I just loved. Both films are very atmospheric, driven by haunting and discordant scores, and feature strong performance from the female leads. Be warned that this is a very slow film that leaves very much to the viewer to unravel, so make sure you are paying attention while you watch it. But do watch it, it's a lovely thriller and very well made. 4/5

The Blackcoat's Daughter on Netflix

Pet

I really thought I knew where this horror film was headed. It seemed so obvious. Inevitable. Boring even - that's how predictable it seemed. And then, about half way through, the film took a HARD left turn and became something very different and far more interesting than I ever expected. The ending was spectacular. This was surprisingly good. 4/5

Pet on Netflix