Spook Out! Day 28 ~ Session 9 (2001)

IMDb Says...

"Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back."

I Say...
Not just "seems"...

Horror Type...
Psychological Horror, Thriller

Main Players...

Peter Mullan as Gordon Fleming (The Boss)

David Caruso as Phil (Second in Command)

Stephen Gevedon as Mike (Curious Cat)

I liked...

• the writing, acting, use of space, and lighting--excellent
• that, even though it's a bit of a slow burn, it's engrossing and well-paced, and kept me eager/anxious for the big reveal
• how it masterfully builds the dread, creepiness, and suspense factors
• the intricacies of, and tensions within, the men's relationships with one another
• that it's hard to know whom to trust/believe, and
• that it's hard to know what's real
• the nephew character, what a sweetie (I heart Oreos too, kid!)

The Meh...

• The motivating force behind...things is left somewhat ambiguous. I hate ambiguity, boo!
• Though the creep factor was high, the scare factor was not. A few jumps would've seasoned the movie nicely.

Would I recommend it...?

Yes, it's a clever little thriller for the Halloween season! Sensitives will enjoy that the violence is more implied than shown (mostly) and that there's not much gore, really.

Miscellany...

• Session 9 was filmed on location at the former Danvers Lunatic Asylum in Massachusetts.
• Peter Mullan (Gordon) also co-stars in this wonderful Britcom called Mum and plays just about the sweetest gruff guy you can imagine. The show's about loss, grief, picking up the pieces of your life, and finding love when you thought it impossible to love again. Oh, it's also about annoying relatives. It may not stream for free right now (I watched it on an Amazon channel to which I subscribe, BritBox) but can be rented or purchased outright--and it's so totally worth it! Highly recommend.

Ratings...

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=64%, Audience Score=63%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Session 9 on Netflix (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 28 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

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Spook Out! Day 22 ~ The Lodge (2019)

IMDb Says...
"A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her fiancé's two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations begin to thaw between the trio, some strange and frightening events take place."

I Say...
"Village" implies there are other folks nearby--there aren't. And as far as I could tell, relations never really thawed or perhaps things might've gone a bit differently...

Horror Type...
Psychological Horror, Thriller

Main Players...

Riley Keough as Grace (Childhood Trauma Survivor)

Jaeden Martell as Aiden Hall (Tech-Savvy Big Bro)

Lia McHugh as Mia Hall (Sweet Lil Sis)

I liked...

• the acting, which was phenomenal--really excellent work done by all (including Alicia Silverstone in an all-too-brief cameo)
• how the tension's at an "11" from the jump and doesn't let up and,
• that, though this is a slow-burn, I was engrossed straight away and throughout
• the atmospheric setting of the titular lodge

The Meh...

• The dad is a self-absorbed, unethical, thoughtless, irresponsible, selfish prick, and a disgrace to fatherhood. His fate was too good for him. Richard Armitage did such a great job in this role that he's almost put me off him completely.
• At one point we see Grace emerge from the shower, and she wraps a towel around her waist but leaves her breasts exposed. Gratuitous much? There was absolutely no need for that kind of exploitive bs.

Would I recommend it...?

I've lost count of how many podcasts I've had to listen to in order to process the ick The Lodge dredged up. This movie is bleak, y'all. Buh-LEAK. Abandon all hope if you choose to watch it, or prepare to be robbed of it. I found this film utterly unnerving; my shoulders were constantly up around my ears and arriving at the end did not lower them. I was left with a sick feeling in my gut that's not yet dissipated fully.

This is an excellent movie. It's a study of PTSD, the need for present parents who are active in their children's lives, and a dire warning of what happens when people aren't given access to the care they require. As a horror movie, it ably did its job without any of the trappings expected of the genre--and yet here I am, thoroughly horrified by it.

Horror fans into jump scares and gore may find this a bit toothless. The faint-of-heart should exercise extreme caution in approaching it. Trigger warnings for: a suicide (shown as it happens), footage of mass suicide victims (after the fact), children in peril, an animal death (after the fact), cults, and gaslighting.

Miscellany...

Riley Keough (Grace) is the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, and the eldest granddaughter of Elvis. Like her ma and grandpa, Keough is not only attractive but has a lovely singing voice (which she displays in the movie, to chilling effect).

Ratings...

My Grade: A-

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=74%, Audience Score=51%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched The Lodge on Hulu (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 22 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

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Spook Out! Day 19 ~ The Invisible Man (2020)

IMDb Says...

"When Cecilia's abusive ex takes his own life and leaves her his fortune, she suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of coincidences turn lethal, Cecilia works to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see."

I Say...
I listened to part of a podcast where one of the hosts complained that the movie was about a battered woman, not the invisible man, and to some extent he's got a point--I agree that this movie's more "about" her than it is "about" him. But, to paraphrase one of his co-hosts (a woman), the invisible man made himself felt in every frame of this movie--and I agree with her as well. Anyway, it's a reimagining, not a remake, of the 1933 film by Universal Pictures.

Horror Type...
Psychological Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Main Players...

Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia Kass (She Gets Knocked Down but BOY, Does She Get Back Up Again!)

Oliver Jackson-Cohen as Adrian Griffin (The Titular Prick-Weasel)

Aldis Hodge as James Lanier (Hunky AF SFPD Detective)

I liked...

• Elisabeth Moss' award-meriting work. DANG, GIRL!!!!! We're not shown what her character's boyfriend did to make her drug him so she could leave him in the dead of night, but she conveys PTSD so successfully that we don't need to see the abuse to believe it was brutal
• how the movie starts with off-the-charts tension and doesn't let up till...well, it just doesn't let up!
• that, though there's not really a lot of humor in this, there's one memorable line that made me bark a laugh, for which I was grateful
• how cleverly Cecilia went about proving the improbable, even during moments of great duress
• that they don't try to make a romance happen btw a woman recovering from an abusive relationship and the fella whose home's currently serving as her safehouse. They're good friends, and nothing else--well done!
• Aldis Hodge's arms--they should *totally* get their own credits...

The Meh...
This sucker's, like, two hours long and--with respect--though there was tension throughout, after Cecilia left Adrian at the start of the movie, it kind of dragged for about an hour...till a *very* memorable restaurant scene (gave me chills!), after which the paced picked up and spanked along till the end. Still, that first hour!

Would I recommend it...?

It's a great thriller (after that first hour!) with a satisfying ending, but probably extremely triggering for anyone who's been stalked and/or in an abusive relationship. There are a few bloody bits, but they're quick. 

Miscellany...

...but did I mention Aldis Hodge's arms???

Ratings...

My Grade: B+ (the + is for Aldis Hodge's arms)

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=91%, Audience Score=88%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched The Invisible Man on Amazon (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 19 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE

Spook Out! Day 17 ~ I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)

Netflix Says...

"Nothing is as it seems when a woman experiencing misgivings about her new boyfriend joins him on a road trip to meet his parents at their remote farm."

I Say...
Yes. And no.

Horror Type...
Psychological Horror

Main Players...

Jesse Plemons as Jake (Diligent)

Jessie Buckley as Young Woman (Cerebral)

Toni Collette as Mother (Manic)

About the movie...

I can't tackle this movie as I have the others I'm reviewing this month, I'm Thinking of Ending Things defies the simplicity of stating things I liked vs things I disliked. This is a new kind of horror movie (to me), although for a good portion of it, you'll find that numerous horror movie conventions play out. After a while you begin to wonder if you've fallen asleep and are in a nightmare, or if someone spiked your drink, bc "WTF did I just see/hear and what does it all mean???"* becomes a common refrain in your mind as you watch. With apparent time shifts, weird coincidences, nonsensical name and wardrobe changes, as well as the dour, uncomfortable mood and creepy vibes, you question the very basis of reality in this movie world. And "What's really happening here?" is a good question. The key to arriving at an answer (that I didn't fully realize I had, until I listened to a few podcasts about the movie) is to ask, not what is this film about, but whom.

*But, at least, not like a WTF you'd ask watching the movie mother! 

Would I recommend it...?

Welp...if you like fiction that utterly messes with your mind, sure. If you like working out weird little puzzles, you bet. If you're not a super-sensitive type who cries during, like, long-distance phone service commercials, yeah. BUT if you're a cream puff (as I am) or suffer from any kind of depressive symptoms (as I do), maybe don't watch this, bc the horror here isn't solely psychological but existential, and the bitter end is sad af. If these latter conditions apply, please see if you can watch the movie with a good pal, someone you can go out for dinner/drinks with after, with whom you can dissect what you've just experienced.

There aren't any jump scares, and the acting is excellent across the board--but it's hella quiet and over two hours long, so it may have a pronounced soporific effect on you (yes, as it did on me, ngl--had to rewatch about the last 30-ish minutes or so bc Zzzzzz...). In a way, I'm kind of angry at this movie, as I feel the horror aspects are a bit bait and switch. On the other hand, in terms of how the story's told, it's rather genus genius.

Miscellany...

Both Jess-es/ies (and David Thewlis, who plays Jake's father) are Fargo (the TV series) alums; Plemons from season two, Buckley from the current fourth season, and Thewlis from season three. They're all brilliant, as is the show in all its particulars--truly prestige TV. I've yet to meet with a season I haven't loved. Highly recommend!

Ratings...

My Grade: B+

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=Not Available, Audience Score=Not Available

Details, Schmeetails...

Watch I'm Thinking of Ending Things on Netflix

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

I'll also link here the podcasts I listened to, to gain clarity on the movie. Spoilers abound, but these helped me shake off the jittery, uncomfortable vibes I had after I finished the movie.

npr pop culture happy hour: We're Still Thinking Of Things In 'I'm Thinking Of Ending Things'

Slate Spoiler Specials: I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Filmspotting: #791: Tenet / I'm Thinking of Ending Things / Feels Good Man

This concludes Day 17 of

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Spook Out! Day 15 ~ The House That Jack Built (2018)

IMDb Says...

"The story follows Jack, a highly intelligent serial killer, over the course of twelve years, and depicts the murders that really develop his inner madman."

I Say...
I'm not sure I buy the "highly intelligent" bit, but otherwise it's an accurate summary.

Horror Type...
Psychological Horror, Serial Killer, Art Film

Main Players...

Matt Dillon as Jack, aka "Mr. Sophistication" (Architect of Destruction)

Bruno Ganz as Verge (Framing Device)

I liked...

• that there were five distinct "incidents" (murders) which Jack discussed with Verge, to explain how he evolved in his "art"
• the dark, mordant humor in the first two incidents, and that it reappeared for the fifth
• the acting, all around, especially Matt Dillon (definitely award-winning work)

The Meh...

• The framing device of Jack's (unseen) conversation with "Verge" often went off on long-ish tangents on such topics of art, poetry, Nazis,icons, and quite frankly I did not give a carp about any of that--especially since...
• This movie's two and a half hours long! The time-consuming philosophical discourse could've easily been done away with, without injuring the film (but then I guess it wouldn't be a von Trier film? I dunno, this was my first.)
• Spoilers ahead, double-click the dark to read :: It's true that serial killers may have a particular type of victim to which they're drawn, as in Ted Bundy (after whom Jack was largely patterned, it seems) who preyed upon young women with long dark hair. Here, though Jack tells Verge he's also killed men, we're shown more than 4 women being murdered (and, actually, some children) and only one man (in a kind of self-defense, so, not for pleasure). Toward the end, Jack's got about five men awaiting his cold-blooded mercies but their fates are left unknown--we're not shown Jack delighting in their deaths, as he does in those of the women, it's not even clear whether he kills them. So in this particular case, the killer didn't only target women--so why not show us how (if!) he murdered those five men??? I am just so fucking sick of women and children being disposable targets for men's bullshit. von Trier, and other male directors/writers/etc., have never had to worry about their tits being sliced off and made into wallets and it shows. ::
• One more spoiler :: During some of Jack's conversations with Verge, we're shown a younger Jack mutilating an animal and some footage from concentration camps. Some other points, we see the horrible things Jack's done to the corpses in his walk-in freezer. There may have been further grotesqueries but I must've blocked them out. Frankly, I can't wait for this flick to evaporate from my memory. ::

Would I recommend it...?

The House That Jack Built is no traditional Hollywood horror movie, but it is filled with gruesome horrors that could probably turn all but the most cast iron of stomachs. It has some funny moments, but the humor is very dark indeed. If you dig the severely twisted, this movie's for you. Otherwise, you may wish to consider viewing the serial-killer mockumentary I reviewed last October: Behind the Mask: the Rise of Leslie Vernon.

Miscellany...

Uma Thurman was great here, as the first (and most annoying) victim we're shown. I also enjoyed seeing the fabulous Siobhan Fallon Hogan reunited with Dillon, fellow alumnus from the creepy af Wayward Pines series.

Ratings...

My Grade: B

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=59%, Audience Score=65%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched The House That Jack Built on Hulu (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

WARNING:

This trailer contains disturbing scenes of violence, actual and implied.

VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED

This concludes Day 15 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

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Spook Out! Day 1 ~ 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Crackle* Says...

"After getting in a car accident, a woman is held in a shelter with two men, who claim the outside world is affected by a widespread chemical attack."

I Say...
This^ misses a critical element that makes for an effective tease in other summaries I've read--that the man who takes her there may be as much of a threat as whatever's happening aboveground.

Horror Type...
Psychological Thriller, Post-Apocalyptic, Creature Feature

Main Players...

John Goodman as Howard (Bunker Host)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle (Resourceful Heroine)

John Gallagher Jr. as Emmett (Goofball...?)

I liked...

• the phenomenal cast, very much indeed
• the tight plot, in which everything means something and will come into play
• how I repeatedly found myself holding my breath and on the edge of my seat
• how it made me work to decide for myself whether the antagonist was actually a villain or just super socially awkward (I'm not gonna spoil this for ya--you're going to have to watch for yourself to find out)
• how, bit-by-bit, the story teaches the heroine everything she needs to know to survive
• how the heroine's life passion literally helps save her life
• the surprise pops of dark humor that made me legit LOL
• that kick-in-the-pants ending!

The Meh...
We learn there's more to Howard than he lets on but I'd've liked more definitive answers regarding his past.

Would I recommend it...?

YES! I loved this movie, Goodman, Winstead, and Gallagher (who played the cowardly prick-weasel from Netflix's Hush!) deserve ALL THE AWARDS. This isn't so much a jump-scare type of horror movie, more a menacing slow-burn that combusts at the very end, to spectacular effect. I feel like even folks who aren't into horror movies can enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane without fear of losing sleep.

Miscellany...

It seems that the ending has polarized viewers, who complain that it came out of nowhere and ruined the film for them. I have to agree that it almost feels like we got one movie for the first, say, hour-and-a-half, and a completely different flick in the last ten-fifteen minutes or so. However, to me, those final, harrowing, action-packed moments totally make sense and absolutely fit with what came before (again, no spoilers, but do pay attention to all the squirrelly theories the fellas toss out).

Ratings...

My Grade: A

Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=90%, Audience Score=79%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched 10 Cloverfield Lane on Crackle* (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other streaming platforms)

Check it out on IMDb

Learn more about it on Wikipedia (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 1 of

Thanks for reading and come back tomorrow...

IF YOU DARE

*Crackle is a free streaming platform I'm just finding out about. As you may have guessed, it's free bc commercials--during this 1 hour 43 minute movie, I counted 7 commercial breaks, the first few lasting nearly 3 minutes, though spaced generously apart. As the film progressed, commercial break lengths went down to about 2 minutes but came along more frequently. I didn't mind it bc FREE (and also, plenty of "cable" TV channels do this.) (I'm looking at you, FX--and YOU ain't free! Why do I have to love your programming so much??? Ugh...)

Spook Out! Day 23 ~ The Invitation (2015)

Netflix Says...
"A man accepts an invitation to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife, an unsettling affair that reopens old wounds and creates new tensions."

I Say...
Look, just stay out of the Hollywood Hills. Bad juju there, man. Bad. Juju.

Horror Type...
Psychological, Thriller

Main Players...
Logan Marshall-Green as Will (Just-'Cause-He's-Paranoid-Don't-Mean-They-Ain't-Out-To-Get Him)
Tammy Blanchard as Eden (Dangerously Smiley Hostess)
Michiel Huisman as David (Creepily Insistent Host)

I liked...

• the focus on Will and how the film places the viewer right there with him in his grief, isolation, and worry
• the superbly-built atmosphere, which went from subdued sadness to disturbing to uneasy to dread-filled to WHAT THE FREAKIN' HECK?!?
• how the filmmakers trust the audience to pick up the hints they skillfully blend into the narrative, regarding backstory as well as what's fixing to go down
• the tension as the party vibe shifts from the alcohol-fueled banal to a sobering weirdness as people behave peculiarly and revelations are...uh...revealed
• the occasional moments of understated humor that let me catch a breath without taking me out of the story

The Meh...
Though it's a pretty successful slow-burn of a film, I reckon about ten minutes could be shaved off the 1 hour, 40 minutes runtime without doing any harm to the story.

Would I recommend it...?
100%, noting that most of the scary stuff is in the third act and not "horror-movie scary" until really the bitter end (and even then, not a jump-scare-type scary, but good old psychological horror).

Miscellany...

One of the most terrifying moments for me was flipping John Carroll Lynch's gently menacing delivery of, "You are out of line." Especially 'cause you get the feeling there's a LOT he could do to get you back in line and none of it's pleasant.

Ratings...

My Grade: A-
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=88%, Audience Score=70%

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched The Invitation on Netflix (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

The Invitation's IMDb Page

The Invitation's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes day 23 of

Spook Out! Day 7 ~ Ghost Stories (2017)

Hulu Says...
A man looking to debunk a series of paranormal events falls into a world of terror.

I Say...
If only it were that^ straightforward.

Horror Type...
Supernatural, Psychological, Thriller

Main Players...
Andy Nyman as Professor Phillip Goodman (Naysayer)
Alex Lawther as Simon Rifkind (Nervous Wreck)
Martin Freeman as Mike Priddle (Weirdly-Aloof-Father-To-Be-Kinda)

I liked...

• the actors' performances, which were excellent throughout
• the framing device's opening premise
• the jump scares that let you see long enough to understand what was happening

The Meh...

• the Mike Priddle character impresses upon the audience how much he wanted kids, but when his wife's in labor at the hospital, he's at home doing work (and given how rich he is, it doesn't seem necessary, so this just doesn't ring true for me)
• the jump scares that were too short to let you understand what you were seeing (which rather killed the second "ghost story" for me)
• about that second ghost story--there was a weird moment with the main character's parents that misdirected my attention, making me think they were a pivotal part of that story when they weren't (well, not in the obvious way)
• the framing device's "closing bracket" really pissed me off

Would I recommend it...? (Beware, thar be SPOILERS in this bit!)

Ugh. This one's hard. There's great talent in this, and the internal stories are pleasantly creepy. But as the "closing bracket" of the framing device thoroughly undoes the entire film, I just don't see the point of it. Well, I guess I do, as there's a conclusion to be drawn from how the thing ends (which is horrifying in itself). But I just generally hate this kind of--IMO--cop-out ending, so I can't recommend anyone becoming emotionally invested in Ghost Stories. On the other hand, lots of critics and viewers enjoyed the ending, so YMMV. All I can tell you is that it's been several hours since I watched it and I'm still simmering.

Miscellany...

• Enjoyed seeing Andy Nyman in this serious role, as I've only ever seen him being ridiculous(ly funny) in the excellent, original version of Death at a Funeral. (I think the American remake is excellent, too.)
• You may remember Alex Lawther from Black Mirror's third season Shut Up and Dance episode.
• And if you don't know the magnificent Martin Freeman from all the great things he's done, then what hope is there for you?

Ratings...

My Grade: C
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=83%, Audience Score=59% 

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Ghost Stories on Hulu (the Rotten Tomatoes page linked above provides links to other host sites)

Ghost Stories' IMDb Page

Ghost Stories' Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 7 of

Spook Out! Day 6 ~ Gerald's Game (2017)

Netflix Says...
"When her husband's sex game goes wrong, Jessie -- handcuffed to a bed in a remote lake house -- faces warped visions, dark secrets and a dire choice."

I Say...
^That about sums it up.

Horror Type...
Psychological Horror

Main Players...
Carla Gugino as Jessie Burlingame (Reluctant Wife)
Bruce Greenwood as Gerald Burlingame (Let's-Spice-Up-Our-Marriage-with-Handcuffs!)
Chiara Aurelia as Young Jessie (Survivor)

I liked...

• how Carla Gugino carried this movie--brava, lady!
• the way it depicts how our minds contain a lot more information that will help us out than we know
• the teensy bit of the supernatural sprinkled in, in the form of "The Moonlight Man"
• good suspense, satisfying resolution
• Roach, who played the feral dog Prince (who's a good doggie, isn't he? yes, he is! yes, he is!)

The Meh...

• the movie told us Gerald was kind of a jerk but didn't really show us--I saw a somewhat arrogant, condescending husband, but not a villainous one
• some of the practical effects could've been better
• Jessie seemed to devolve into a hot mess faster than I thought likely (not that I want to put it to the test myself, thanks)
• toward the end there was a huge info-dump, more telling and not showing, that I thought was a missed dramatic opportunity

Would I recommend it...?

I think folks who don't like darker horror flicks would be able to enjoy Gerald's Game, but I find it unlikely to impress a serious horror devotee. I mean, I think it's a good film, just not the most intense horror movie.

Miscellany...
Gerald's Game is based on the Stephen King novel of the same title.

Ratings...

My Grade: B
Rotten Tomatoes Scores: Tomatometer=91%, Audience Score=72% 

Details, Schmeetails...

I Watched Gerald's Game on Netflix

Gerald's Game's IMDb Page

Gerald's Game's Wikipedia Page (Contains Spoilers)

This concludes Day 6 of