• A Floresta das Almas Perdidas / The Forest of the Lost Souls (2017)

    The Forest of the Lost Souls is a Portuguese psychological thriller that mixes arthouse cinema with slaughterhouse passages. Shot in black and white and featuring few dialogues, the movie revolves around a young woman and an elderly man who meet in a forest that is known for its elevated number of suicide cases. The film focuses on the consequence of their fateful chance meeting.

    On the positive side, the film oozes with atmosphere. The images in black and white, the lack of dialogues and the isolated natural landscapes complement one another very well. The acting performances are strong enough to get you interested in the main characters and their background stories. The movie gets more violent in the second half but the transition is coherent, precise and tense as it never feels rushed. The numerous allusions to different works of literature give the film a somewhat intellectual touch that suits its overall style very well.

    On the negative side, this movie is particularly short with a running time of only seventy-three minutes. The fact that this movie is sold for nearly forty bucks in Canada is quite outrageous. In addition to this, the film has numerous lengths. The opening ten minutes offer an exposition consisting of shots introducing the natural landscapes and the main characters before any noteworthy action unfolds. The final ten minutes offer a resolution consisting of shots from a music festival and a short conversation on a cell phone that don't add anything to the film. If the director had gotten rid of the unnecessary exposition and resolution as well as of lengthy shots portraying natural landscapes, then the whole story could have been told in less than forty minutes without leaving anything out or rushing any elements. The script should have been much more elaborate as the promising premise isn't exploited to its entire potential.

    In the end, The Forest of the Lost Souls is a psychological thriller with mild horror elements that convinces with its strong atmosphere, sinister cinematic elements and promising premise. However, the movie is very short and nevertheless includes numerous lengths. The Blu-ray of the movie includes some very short looks behind the scenes, one minute of deleted scenes and a short film entitled St. John that has a length of one minute and a half. Apparently, director and writer José Pedro Lopes likes to keep things short. If that's your kind of thing as well, don't hesitate to give this independent flick from Portugal a chance.

    Partager via Gmail Delicious Technorati Yahoo! Google Bookmarks Blogmarks Pin It

  • Summer of 84 (2018)

    Summer of 84 is a Canadian coming-of-age drama that slowly develops into a thriller and ends as a grisly horror movie. Even though the five lead characters are all teenagers, I would not suggest to let minors watch this film. The movie should rather appeal to young adults and might even traumatize youngsters with its shocking ending.

    The story revolves around four teenage friends who suspect a neighbouring police officer to be a serial killer. Davey is a curious kid with slightly awkward behaviour who believes in conspiracy theories and aliens and who has a huge crush on his childhood friends whose parents are in the process of separating and who is about to leave the seemingly idyllic smalltown for a college in the big city. Woody is his best friend who is very warm-hearted despite being particularly tall and heavy as can be witnesses when he takes care of his exhausted and often absent mother. Eats also has a few problems of his own because even though he claims to be more mature than the others and shows an obsession for sexual intercourse, his parents are constantly fighting and his stupid older brother doesn't offer much help either. Curtis is the group's voice of reason as the youngster is calm and careful and rather interested in literature and science than in girls and conspiracies. These four friends hear of the Cape May Slayer who has recently sent an anonymous letter to a local newspaper that claims responsibility for fifteen murders, including thirteen teenage boys. Davey starts suspecting neighbouring police officer Wayne Mackey when he coincidentally sees a teenage boy in his living room whose picture later appears on the back of a milk carton as a missing person. His friends are initially doubtful and reject Davey's vivid imagination but the youngster insists on investigating their neighbour. When the quartet discovers that the police officer purchases huge amounts of gardening tools, has a secret self-storage room and has a blood-stained shirt in his arbour, the four friends start to believe that they might be onto something.

    This movie convinces on all levels. The suburban settings suggesting a fake idyllic neighbourhood are very realistic. The clothes, music and settings bring the eighties back to life with numerous clever details. The acting performances are absolutely believable. The shift from coming-of-age over thriller to horror is perfectly fluid as the movie intensifies as the story progresses. The final twenty minutes or so feel surreal, nightmarish and menacing. The movie's conclusion might leave you speechless and offers food for thought and room for debates.

    Again, don't underestimate this movie because of its teenage characters and actors. This movie is creepy, intense and at times shocking as it will send shivers down your spine. Remember that even though the movie takes place in Oregon, this is actually a Canadian film and most certainly doesn't have a Hollywood ending. Even the recent film adaptation of Stephen King's It feels like a cheerful walk in the park compared to this gloomy grower. If you are looking for a sinister film with profound characters, twisted plot and unforgettable scenes, give this movie a chance and spread the word about this underrated masterpiece.

    Partager via Gmail Delicious Technorati Yahoo! Google Bookmarks Blogmarks Pin It

  • Piercing (2018)

    Piercing is an experimental thriller based upon Ryû Murakami's novel of the same name. The same author also wrote Audition which was made into a successful, memorable but controversial movie by veteran director Takashi Miike. Piercing has many similarities to Audition but doesn't manage to be as hypnotizing, profound and shocking. Nevertheless, this movie is unique and entertaining but will be controversially received as well.

    Piercing revolves around married family father Reed who is obsessed with ice picks. He goes as far as phantasizing about murdering his baby with that weapon. In order to prevent that from happening, the nervous, meticulous and organized psychopath plans on murdering a prostitute in a hotel room. Her name is Jackie, she lives alone and gets insulted by her employer. When Reed is about to murder Jackie, things suddenly spiral out of control and a deadly cat-and-mouse game ensues.

    This film convinces on several levels. The art decor designs add a beautiful artistic touch. The limited and spartanic settings blend in very well. The soundtrack recalls giallo movies from the seventies and oozes with atmosphere. The acting performances by Christopher Abbott and especially by Mia Wasikowska are stellar as they become one with their roles. The story is completely unpredictable and unconventional as it comes around with twisted surprises and mild shocks. The ending leaves certain questions unanswered and offers room for discussions and debates.

    In the end, Piercing isn't as great as Audition but certainly a creative psychological thriller with intriguing characters. Director Nicolas Pesce managed to add his own ideas and style fluidly. The movie oozes with atmosphere and includes quite a few details despite its slow pace. It offers food for thought and room for debates. The thin line between reality and imagination might at times be blurred and invites for multiple viewings. If you expect a traditional murder-mystery film with a Hollywood ending, then this movie certainly isn't for you.

    Partager via Gmail Delicious Technorati Yahoo! Google Bookmarks Blogmarks Pin It

  • Rites of Passage / Creepers (2012)

    Rites of Passage, also known as Creepers in Canada, is a highly entertaining thriller that is best enjoyed with a couple of friends and some drinks. The movie follows a group of students who are mainly interested in sex, partying and drugs. One of the outsiders in the group decides to organize a spiritual ceremony for one of their classes. Things get a sinister turn when some of the students and the unethical teacher get drugged during the ceremony. In addition to this, the hallucinating brother of one of the students plans on abducting one of the ladies to force her into marriage. As if that weren't enough, a crystal meth cook living nearby plans on murdering that very same lady because she accidentally killed his wife and child in an car crash. Soon enough, what started as an experimental class turns into a fight for survival.

    Many people have criticized this movie for its shallow plot, superficial characters and weak special effects. All these things might be true but the movie is incredibly dynamic, entertaining throughout and memorably grisly. After an introduction to the different quirky characters in the first thirty minutes of the film, the final seventy-five minutes become intense, creepy and breathtaking. The film kept me on the edge of my seat and surprised me until the very end. The movie is very violent but doesn't only focus on simple slasher elements but also on accidental deaths and suicide attempts. The different characters and their back and side stories are also developed fluidly throughout the film. Once the intense ride was over, I immediately felt like watching this movie again.

    In the end, Rites of Passage might not be a profound movie with a surprising plot or charismatic characters but it's an unpretentious, entertaining and dynamic thriller with extremely fast pace. The movie doesn't deserve its negative ratings because it excels in its slasher b-movie genre. The breathtaking, compact and intense Rites of Passage is certainly a better thriller or horror movie than overlong, plodding and pretentious flicks like Midsommar that are heavily overrated. Rites of Passage isn't for you if you only watch dramas nominated for the Academy Awards. This film is for you if you are willing to switch your brain off and have some fun.

    Partager via Gmail Delicious Technorati Yahoo! Google Bookmarks Blogmarks Pin It

  • The Invisible Man (2020)

    The Invisible Man is a psycho thriller that imagines a new version of the famous horror film character. Written and directed by Australian genre specialist Leigh Whannell who has brought us genre masterpieces such as Saw and Insidious as well as the science-fiction highlight Upgrade, this movie tells us the story of a young architect named Cecilia who finally has the courage to run away from an abusive relationship with a wealthy optics engineer named Adrian. She drugs him, escapes his isolated mansion and is saved by her resilient sister Emily. Cecilia still feels highly unstable and expects her abusive ex-partner to track her down and hurt her. She moves in with a family friend called James who is a cop and his daughter Sydney. Things seem to get better when Cecilia learns that her former partner has committed suicide. His brother and lawyer Tom even announces her that she will receive a generous sum of money on a monthly basis as long as she remains mentally sane and doesn't commit a crime. Despite the good news, Cecilia is unable to turn the page. Items like her keys mysteriously disappear from her new home. She collapses during a job interview. Someone sends Emily a hateful message in her name. Cecilia starts to wonder whether her former partner isn't dead at all and has come back to destroy her life or whether she is just imagining these things and slowly going crazy.

    This movie convinces on numerous levels. The acting performances are truly credible and especially lead actress Elisabeth Moss convinces as an unstable woman who desperately tries to get her life back on track. The idea to combine a historic horror film character with a contemporary setting of domestic abuse is courageous, fresh and inspiring. The movie builds up anticipation, atmosphere and tension that lead to a spectacular final quarter.

    There are some elements that could be improved however. The film certainly overstays its welcome with a length cracking the two-hour mark. It also features some tired genre tropes such as extremely clumsy behaviour by the lead character in the opening sequence and the fact that nobody believes her incredible story. There are also very few scares for a horror movie as this film rather qualifies as a mixture of domestic violence drama and psychological thriller.

    If you are willing to see a legendary horror film character in a completely new setting involving domestic abuse, you are certainly going to appreciate The Invisible Man. This movie has the very positive message to fight domestic abuse by any means necessary, get every help available and bring the perpetrator to justice. In a certain way, this movie combines social drama and psychological thriller. If you simply want to watch a great horror movie however, then this movie can be described as tense at best but is very rarely truly scary.

    Partager via Gmail Delicious Technorati Yahoo! Google Bookmarks Blogmarks Pin It




    Suivre le flux RSS des articles de cette rubrique