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I’ll Be Watching 2023 ★★★
Of course, this one is not reinventing the wheel. If anything, it's a more subtle (and less funny) version of the treehouse of horror bit with Pierce Brosnan.
A woman best described as discount Allison Williams is left alone in an Alexa-like house where the house controls pretty much everything. Conveniently for the screenwriter, she has mental issues, so when she starts seeing and hearing all sorts of weird things, it's not that hard for the people around her to rationalise things, which of course only adds to her despair.
The acting is okay from the lead and her husband (1/3 Ben Wishaw, 1/3 young Jeff Goldblum and 1/3 Moss from the IT crowd). The story is kind of predictable, especially the fate of the cat. But the pacing is okay and overall, it is a well executed and an okay movie.
Good for one of those what-should-I-watch-on-Tubi kind of nights.
Malignant 2021 ★★★★ Watched 28 Oct 2023
James Wan delivers another solid offering, cementing his status as one of the finest genre directors of his generation. And certainly one of the most successfull.
We follow a monster escaping from a … hospital? Mental institution? My best guess: the same kind of place where Mulder and Scully would send the fluke worm guy. And at the same time a woman living in Seattle. Obligatory shot of the Space needle? You bet.
She's stuck in an abusive relationship, though that does not last long. Though what she's on to is not much better, since she and the monster are closer than you might think at first and though, it's clear how early on, I'm not going to spoil it just yet. More fun to you find out.
We get some pretty intense chase sequences, the gore looks pretty well (not sure wether it's practical or CGI, probably a mix) and the cast does a good job. All's well that ends well.
Four stars. One of the better recent releases. Makes your Netflix subscription worth its money.
Scream 2022 ★★˝
The last offering with Neve Campbell is a mixed bag.
Are there things to complain about? Sure.
The metaness is so out the wazoo it becomes annoying, even for me. There's hardly any scene that can go without an on the nose wink wink moment. The characters went from streetwise to smartalicky. It felt like a rehash of the original. And then people complain about Friday-sequels being cookie cutter. Not to mention the far fetched tie in with Skeet Ulrich.
And of course, the killers had to be toxic fans. Of course. Am I the only one who thinks these toxic fans are only a minority and that most fans are genuinely nice people? That “elevated horror” and rollercoaster rides can coexist the same way burger joints and fancy restaurants do?
Also, I am pretty sure there are people out there now who complain about movies with subtitles (I do nothing but read, I don't get to watch the movie) and yet, at the same time, are totally cool with watching a scene where about half of the dialogue is in text messages.
That does not mean it was all bad. The kills have good ideas behind them. The reveal of the killers comes suitably out of nowhere. The main characters are believable as a group of friends. And we get some touching moments between the Sidney, Gail and Dewey. And of course the dedication to its creator at the end.
For fans of the franchise who want to see everything.
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