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 Attack

This Arabic drama manages to tell a very nuanced story about a incendiary topic, which is not an easy thing to do these days. We the viewers are never forced to take sides, and, because of that, we are allowed to feel the pain from all sides of this story. The acting is extremely good and is the glue that holds everything in this film together. I was captivated by this, and I definitely recommend it. 4/5

The Attack on Netflix

Dark Was the Night

So here's the big problem with this movie. It's set in a northern town that sits at the southern end of a great big huge forest. Nearly everyone in this town has livestock, is a hunter, or knows a lot about woods and the creatures in them. So when something large and predatory starts hunting the hunters in the town, you would think these knowledgeable people would make certain very very basic assumptions about what is after them, with one really basic assumption being the key thing. And when I say basic, I mean a really BASIC thing any child would know about animals. The entire end of the movie banks on the fact that no one in the town ever thought about this REALLY BASIC thing. The "twist" of this film requires both the viewer and all the characters in this movie to be idiots and never think of this extraordinarily basic thing which I figured out about half way through. I swear I got hoarse yelling at the TV about what idiots everyone in this movie was. This is a shame because this movie has some great acting and beautiful cinematography, but, I'm sorry, that gaping plot hole was just a bit much for me. 3/5

Dark Was the Night 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

House at the End of the Street

There was something here with this suspense thriller, but it just wasn't developed enough for me. The first half of the film was completely predictable and by-the-numbers. The second half had real promise as the details of the plot begin to unfold, but, ultimately, it failed to have the impact it should have had. I never cared about the characters enough to get invested in them, and the detail that would have made the "twist" really great was missing. This movie needed to both show and tell more than it did. Just okay for me. 3/5

House at the End of the Street 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

Project Almanac

I really don't get the hate in Netflix reviews for this, as I really enjoyed it. It's tough to do a time travel film that makes sense, and I thought this film was smart and well thought out. Yes, even I rolled my eyes at the found-footage aspect of it, but it really was the only way the story could have been told. The acting was fairly decent as well. As a bonus, there were a few alternate endings and openings on the disc, which I always enjoy. I liked this a lot, I recommend it to time-travel movie fans. 4/5

Project Almanac 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

Time Lapse

It's so rare when a sci-fi time-travel movie gets it right, and this film gets it SO SO SO right. The script is very tight, original, and detail-oriented. The direction was simple and yet extremely effective. One of the three leads was truly great, another on their way to great, and the last solid and good. This film kept me on my toes - I spent the film trying to guess what was next and delightfully failing every time. I greatly enjoyed this. 4/5

Time Lapse on Netflix

Removal

The script for this thriller was really excellent. It kept me fully engaged and I was pleasantly surprised at the turns it took. I also have to give the film kudos for making this film work on what was clearly a very small budget. The only reason I'm not giving this a higher rating was the acting. The film hinges on me believing the struggle of the main characters, and, I'm sorry, I just didn't. If this film had stronger lead performances I would have been happy to score it higher, but, as it was, it had to be only three. 3/5

Removal 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 River King

This looked and felt like a 80's made-for-TV movie, with all the mediocre trappings that go along with it. The plot was interesting but not fully developed. The characters were also only surface deep as well, which left me wondering about people's motivations for the things they did over the course of the film. This had the bones of an interesting thriller, but it just never really got there for me. 3/5

The River King 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