Category: Film
Island of Lost Souls
The foreboding set piece complements the horrific story wonderfully, while Charles Laughton is genuinely sinister.
Osombie
Quite possibly one of the most lacklustre attempts at a zombie film ever made, Osombie is simply excruciating.
Dark Shadows
At first glance Dark Shadows is fun, but there is simply little story to be had, with a script that relies on just the one joke.
The Monk
An unusually restrained Vincent Cassel is a pleasure, but it's a drawn-out story that runs out of steam before a rushed conclusion.
Cassadaga
Enough strands are left to ponder to deem writers Bruce Wood and Scott Poiley as worthy of keeping an eye on.
Break
Deeply irritating; places far too much focus on stunted, badly-acted banter that is difficult to understand at points.
The Cabin in the Woods
A perfect introduction to the genre, accessible enough to reel folk in. The rest of us will go giddy counting the references.
Sometimes They Come Back
A painfully average film, its classic horror status somewhat baffling. Purchase to complete your Stephen King collection.
The Revenant
D. Kerry Prior's limited experience mostly lies in SFX, but you wouldn't know it from what is perfect comedy timing.
Dellamorte Dellamore
Its own bizarre entity; a curious commentary on the protagonist’s descent into madness as he combats love, loss and zombies.
A Horrible Way to Die
A non-linear approach wears thin, initial intrigue giving way to frustration as the story continually dances away with the cuts.
Evidence
There is probably a good film hidden somewhere in here, but the entire experience feels like a waste of time.
The Raven
John Cusack as Edgar Allan Poe is immensely watchable, but the story is downgraded to a bog-standard thriller.
The Shrine
Effectively creates tension to complement an overall creepiness, to deliver a climax that keeps the viewer in the dark.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)
Under the impressive visuals and solid cast there are genuine flaws, and it allows itself to surrender to cliché too easily.
Grindhouse Trailer Classics 3
Nucleus Films continue their mission to educate the masses on the concept of the grindhouse subgenre. Go purchase.
Rabies
The central story is drowned in subplot after subplot, red herrings running amok to the point of frustration.
The Human Centipede 2
Laurence R. Harvey turns in an excellent performance, but there is no escaping the knowledge of a rapidly hashed idea.
Snowtown
A truly effective film that will stay with you long after the credits roll; to have achieved this in a debut is quite remarkable.
Straw Dogs (1971)
This 40th anniversary edition, hosting a plethora of extras, is surely one of the year's most essential releases.
Straw Dogs (2011)
The dumbing down of the violence to tiresome torture porn, robs it of its parallel to David Sumner's psychological shift.
Evil Things
On the whole achieves its aim of imitating amateur home video, as director Dominic Perez steers the ship to a solid finale.
The Awakening
The raison d'être is ludicrous and sewn up in minutes, but the cast is very good, as is the cinematography and symbolism.
Season of the Witch
B-movie fluff at best, dull at worst, and not a patch on the films it tries to emulate. Fortunately, it doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
Not quite as funny as you’d expect if you have seen the shorts, the film plays it straight.
The Woman
An interesting statement on misogyny, albeit subtle as a sledgehammer — but then, this is from Lucky McKee and Jack Ketchum.
Buried Alive
A required watch for fans of Frank Darabont, creator of The Walking Dead, if only to see what a difference 20 years can make.
Death Bell
Believes itself brutal, when in reality a small number of strong images are tied loosely together with a basic story.
Evil Rising
The script really is slow, with nothing remotely interesting happening until the final few minutes. But what an ending.
Red State
A disappointing film with a script that is too basic for any kind of social commentary Kevin Smith may have been aiming for.
The Silent House
Florencia Colucci is superb, easily shouldering the film. Also impressive is some genuine creepiness courtesy of clever lighting.
Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated
Despite the odd flare of brilliance, the concept fails. For rabid collectors only.
The Rite
All a rather predictable outcome that doesn't offer anything we've not seen before, but Anthony Hopkins saves it.
I Spit on Your Grave (2010)
The cartoon violence on display here completely removes all sense of realism, shoving the film into torture porn territory.
Let Me In
The performances are faultless, but clumsy CGI removes the delicateness that had us so in love with the original.
Julia’s Eyes
A mixed bag and too ambitious for so early in a career, however Guillem Morales should be noted for the future.
5150 Elm’s Way
A confused affair that is a bizarre mishmash of clashing styles, with the barest of subplot revealed in just one line of dialogue.
7 Days
A masterpiece that will make the world sit up and take notice of what is the perfect portrayal of the psychology of a man.
Confessions
A cruel indictment on contemporary Japanese youth and their despondency, which unravels its cruel web satisfactorily.
Insidious
With huge jump scares and more subtle, creepy moments, this is a film which has mastered the whole spectrum of horror filmmaking.
Peeping Tom
A timeless and sublime masterpiece that presents an incredibly intelligent and moving picture of psychological struggle.
Attack the Block
Stands on its own two feet amongst the usual Brit comedy suspects, which is largely due to its cast of unknowns.
Wasting Away
This low-budget indie is a star turn, with a clever, funny script that shows life from the point of view of the zombie.
Dear Mr. Gacy
Low budget, not particularly well acted and with a basic script, yet somehow, this film manages to elicit goosebumps.
Re-Cut
A great example of how the first-person horror subgenre works its magic, but it also highlights some of its core flaws.
We Are What We Are
Deftly balances a horror premise with the politics of a family drama, marking Jorge Michel Grau as a filmmaker to watch.