Candyman is horror movie remake with forced social commentary that bores from start to finish.

First of all, the plot line isn't particularly intriguing. The story is very predictable, the minor twists and turns are unconvincing and there is a surprising lack of atmospheric and scary passages.

The acting performances remain unconvincing as well. Lead actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is lacking charisma and doesn't manage to make viewers empathize with his character at all.

The forced social commentary is getting more absurd as the movie progresses. The movie tries to be on the pulse of time but feels stiff, stereotypical and conservative in its desperate attempt to appeal to contemporary woke culture. The idea that Candyman eventually becomes a superhero that fights police violence and corruption is certainly bold but completely unfitting with everything that entity has done before in the movie.

At the end of the day, one might give the film a few points for walking off the beaten path with its social commentary but that sociopolitical component makes the film tough to digest. As a horror movie, this film isn't even remotely scary and very few scenes manage to evoke tense atmosphere. I like many works of screenplay writer Jordan Peele such as Get Out and Us but Candyman must be considered a disappointment.

Spiral is the latest and also the weakest instalment in the Saw franchise. The makers behind the movie try to tell you that there is a fresh approach to this film because it involves famous actors, takes place in the summer and includes a few comedic bits and pieces. The famous actors are however unable to shine in their flat roles as Samuel L. Jackson disappoints as exchangeable wise-cracking old man. The fact that the movie takes place in the summer doesn't change the atmosphere at all when the different traps can still be found in subway tunnels and basements. The comedic bits and pieces aren't even remotely funny in my book but that's a matter of taste. The addition of much profanity in the dialogues and gangster rap with an overuse of racist swear words doesn't make much sense either and gives the impression that the movie was imagined by some rebellious high school kids.

The plot is predictable. As soon as the character who would turn out to be the bad guy showed up, I knew right away that it was going to be him. The reason is that the script copies from numerous cop thrillers and horror movies of the nineties and early years of the millennium but doesn't add anything new.

The main reason why this film still got a good final grade is because it's entertaining from start to finish. It has an excellent length with ninety-three minutes. The film starts with a gripping trap scene in the key of its predecessors. The different lead characters are introduced smoothly and swiftly. The movie has great pace with occasional brief flashbacks and location changes. What starts as a dark cop thriller slowly turns into psychological horror movie. The plot thickens at the right moment yet again. Everything leads to an intense finale that doesn't overstay its welcome. The latter however leaves room for yet another sequel.

At the end of the day, Spiral: From the Book of Saw should be interesting for avid fans of the franchise as all the traditional trademarks are kept and told in an efficiently entertaining manner. Those who are expecting fresh ideas however will end up being disappointed. This is the most predictable entry in the franchise so far and that's why the movie only just qualifies as average.

A Quiet Place Part II is obviously the sequel to the successful science-fiction horror movie that became a blockbuster three years ago. This film is on the exact same level as its predecessor and should please fans of the original movie while not being able to introduce any new ideas and attract possible new fans.

The synopsis shall be kept as briefly as possible to avoid even minor spoilers. The film introduces the origins of the dystopian world presented in the first movie in the opening sequence before continuing right where the first movie ended. The surviving family members of the first film are looking for other survivors and meet a reclusive former friend who is hiding in an abandoned steel foundry. The group of survivors discover a radio station signal that might indicate that another group of survivors is hiding on an island. The reclusive man and the stubborn daughter go on an epic journey to find out more information about that island while the mother and her two sons stay behind and protect their hideout in the foundry.

This movie convinces on numerous levels. First of all, dialogues are scarcely used and employed with care, meaning and precision. Up next, the movie oozes with atmosphere due to excellent sound effects. The locations in this film are more diversified than in its predecessor and it's a wonderful visual experience to follow the recluse and the daughter on their journey to the island. The special effects are employed with care as they aren't overused which make the monsters even more mysterious. The acting performances are quite convincing and especially deaf teenage actress Millicent Simmonds is absolutely authentic and one of the greatest teenage actresses to be around.

There are very few elements that could be interpreted as minor flaws. The movie fails to summarize the events from the first film as it takes some time for viewers to remember what exactly happened. The scenes between the opening sequence and the meeting at the steel foundry might slightly overstay their welcome. This sequel leaves several questions unanswered which means that there is probably going to be at least a third movie in the near future.

At the end of the day, this movie is as great as its predecessor which means that A Quiet Place is one of the best contemporary science-fiction and horror franchises. This movie convinces with authentic acting performances, gripping atmosphere and an epic story that entertains from start to finish. My suggestion would be to watch the first movie right before discovering its sequel which would make for an eventful movie night with a few friends.

Willy's Wonderland is an absurd, creative and surreal horror movie with a few comedic elements. The story revolves around a nameless protagonist who gets stranded in an isolated town after a car accident. Since he cannot pay for repairs, he is given the opportunity to clean up an abandoned family entertainment centre for one night to pay his debts. What initially sounds like an easy task soon becomes a fight for survival since the animatronic mascots are possessed by criminal satanists who committed suicide.

This film convinces on several levels. First of all, the location of the abandoned family entertainment centre is quite sinister, intriguing and creative. The eight different mascots who turn out to be the movie's villains are also quite unique, memorable and distinctive. The light and sound effects add a lot of atmosphere to the film. The soundtrack meandering from country, folk and rock classics to creepy children's music also leaves its mark. Nicolas Cage convinces as tough protagonist who doesn't say one single word in the entire movie and delivers the goods with excellent body language and facial expressions.

On the negative side, the makers of the movie didn't quite seem to know what they wanted their film to be. It's not sinister enough to be a serious horror movie. The action scenes are too simplistic to make for a convincing genre entry. The humorous elements are too shallow to be considered funny. The movie meanders from one genre to another and back again without ever being truly convincing. The story is creative upon first contact but soon follows genre tropes and ends up being very predictable. The supporting actresses and actors are lacking charisma. Emily Tosta is the lead actress next to Nicolas Cage but her skills are exchangeable and forgettable.

At the end of the day, Willy's Wonderland is interesting for a party night with a couple of friends who want to discover a campy flick that walks off the beaten path. Especially fans of Nicolas Cage's more recent movies such as Mandy and Color Out of Space should appreciate this film for what it is.

There are movies that are terrible. Then, there are movies that are so bad that they are worth watching again for entertainment value. Finally, there are movies that are so dreadful that they cannot even be enjoyed for unintentional comedic value anymore. Gothic Harvest fits into the latter category. The movie revolves a group of friends who celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans. One of the ladies gets seduced by a charming young man but doesn't contact her friends again. They believe that something might have happened to her and start investigating.

This movie disappoints on numerous levels. First of all, the story is bland and predictable. It doesn't include any surprises or twists. A horror movie should be tense and keep you on the edge of your seat but this film might rather make you yawn and fall asleep before it has ended.

Up next, the acting performances are wooden and forgettable. It's tough to empathize with the characters since they are all rather annoying than sympathetic. This movie is promoted with the participation of veteran actress Lin Shaye but she keeps being typecast since the success of the Insidious franchise. Her performance is lifeless and she should do herself a favour and stay away from any horror movies for a few years to avoid being typecast into terrible low-budget productions.

Finally, this movie isn't even remotely scary. There are a few weak attempts at jump scares and the movie offers a few bloody scenes but those elements feel half-hearted and uninspired. Even an amateurish film school project would be executed with more intellect and passion.

At the end of the day, Gothic Harvest is really as terrible as its negative reputation indicates. It disappoints with a boring plot, lifeless acting performances and a lack of scary scenes. This movie isn't worth your time as even fans of bad movies for their unintentional comedic value won't find anything remotely interesting here.