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Cinema, horror, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW- ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024)

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CINEMA REVIEW – ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024)

Directed by Fede Álvarez

Written by Fede Álvarez & Rodo Sayagues

Based on Characters by Dan O’Bannon & Ronald Shusett

Produced by Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss, Walter Hill etc.

Main Cast: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn and Aileen Wu etc.

Cinematography by Galo Olivares

*** CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

Did we need another Alien film? Prometheus (2012) was a box office success while the entertaining, if bland, Covenant seemed to have killed off any possibility of more bleeding chest-bursting. As original director, Ridley Scott, concentrates on the unnecessary sequel Gladiator 2 (2024), Fede Alvarez helms unnecessary prequel, Romulus (2024), set some time between the classic original and one-of-the-best-sequels-ever, Aliens (1986).

The franchise is renowned for its blend of horror, science fiction, and action, with iconic elements that have become staples of the series. To create a successful prequel within this franchise, it’s essential to incorporate certain tropes and thematic elements that resonate with fans while expanding the lore in a meaningful way. So, while it is very entertaining and directed with fine energy, Romulus (2024), is essentially one of the biggest budget fan films ever.

As the script for this film seemed to be written by ChatGPT, I ask you to enjoy a game of Alien: Bingo with me. So, when you watch Romulus (2024), take this list with you and check them off.

  1. Ancient Alien Ruins: Introduce ancient, mysterious structures or artifacts related to the Engineers or other ancient civilizations, which hint at the origins of the Xenomorphs.

  2. Uncovering the Unknown: The protagonists should gradually discover the horror of their situation, with an escalating sense of dread as they uncover the truth about the Xenomorphs.

  3. Weyland-Yutani Corporation: The presence of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, or its precursor, should be central, with their unethical practices and obsession with the Xenomorphs for profit and weaponization playing a key role.

  4. Corporate Deception: Characters may be manipulated or deceived by corporate agendas, often leading to their doom.

  5. Body Horror: Incorporate the visceral, gruesome body horror elements that are a signature of the franchise, such as chest-bursters, acid-for-blood, or other horrific ways the Xenomorphs reproduce and evolve.

  6. Mutations and Experiments: Show early experiments with the Xenomorphs or other creatures, emphasizing the grotesque consequences of tampering with alien biology.

  7. The Alien Xenomorph: Introduce early forms or ancestors of the Xenomorph, exploring how they evolved into the perfect killing machines.

  8. Bioweapon Origins: Delve into the origins of the Xenomorphs as potential bio-weapons, being exploited by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

  9. The Engineers: Expand on the lore of the Engineers, their culture, technology, and their role in the creation of the Xenomorphs.

  10. Claustrophobic Settings: Use isolated, claustrophobic environments like derelict ships, alien worlds, or underground facilities to enhance the feeling of dread and helplessness.

  11. Slow-Burn Suspense: Build tension gradually, with a focus on atmosphere, sound design, and visual storytelling, allowing the horror to unfold slowly.

  12. Synthetics (Androids): Include synthetic characters (like Ash, Bishop, or David), exploring their complex relationships with humans and their potential hidden agendas.

  13. Small, Vulnerable Crew: Focus on a small group of characters who are outmatched by the alien threat, emphasizing their vulnerability and the high stakes of survival.

  14. Foreshadowing: Include subtle nods or direct connections to the events or characters of the original “Alien” films, creating a sense of continuity.

  15. Iconic Imagery: Use familiar visual motifs like the Xenomorph egg, facehugger, and the bio-mechanical aesthetic associated with H.R. Giger’s designs.

As well as a superb dirty industrial look and striking cinematography, all of the above tropes and more are present in Romulus (2024). The cast are mostly bland, notably the young Ripley clone portrayed by Cailee Spaeny. Having said that, David Jonsson as Andy, brings tremendous depth and humanity to the character of Andy. Once again, ironically the android character is the most interesting aspect of a recent Alien offering. Jonsson is destined for a great acting career and rises above this often thrilling, if highly generic, horror film.

Mark: 7 out of 11

Cinema, New Releases, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW: TRAP (2024)

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CINEMA REVIEW: TRAP (2024)

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Written by M. Night Shyamalan

Produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock, M. Night Shyamalan

Main cast: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Night Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill, Jonathan Langdon, etc.

Cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom

*** CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

If you’re into mysterious and suspenseful genre films, M. Night Shyamalan’s most recent works Old (2021) and Knock at the Cabin (2023) left a lasting impression on me. Both movies dive deep into the human psyche, exploring themes of time, fear, and the unknown, and I really enjoyed them. Old (2021) combined Shyamalan’s signature twisty narrative with a meditation on the passage of time. Sure, the ending was over-cooked but I thought it was a brilliant Twilight Zone infused ensemble suspense twister. Meanwhile, Knock at the Cabin (2023) was a compelling claustrophobic apocalyptic thriller finding a family faced with making a horrendous sacrifice. While he is not everyone’s cinematic cup of tea, I for one have enjoyed Shyamalan’s recent output.

His latest high concept B-movie thriller is called Trap (2024). It stars Josh Hartnett as a loving and attentive father, Cooper Adams, who takes his teenage daughter, Riley, to see Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan) in a huge concert venue. Obviously, musical-based films such as A Star is Born (2018), Purple Rain (1984), and Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) feature gigs as part of their genre conventions. Here in Trap (2024) the concert becomes much more than that. Because Cooper is in fact a serial killer, and acting on a tip-off, the authorities and FBI profiler, Dr Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), mobilize to turn the location into a means to ensare him. Thus, the whole concert becomes a living, breathing trap, a maze with which Cooper must avoid capture while ensuring his daughter, and the law, do NOT discover his evil dark side.

What follows is a dynamic series of situations where Shyamalan asks the audience to identify with Hartnett’s ‘Butcher’ and see if he can escape the law as they close in. As the music blares and the lights flash, you’re drawn into the tension of a manhunt. The ‘R and B’ pop music, while not my thing, is actually pretty decent as performed by Shyamalan’s daughter, Saleka Night Shyamalan. Can ‘the Butcher’ outsmart the law and vanish into the night, or will he be caught in this electrifying game of cat and mouse? The script certainly answers that in a thrilling set of scenes and confident twists. Of course, it’s all highly improbable and preposterous, but I found all the contrivances incredibly entertaining.

Trap (2024) has some dark and crafty humour in there too, notably in Hartnett’s committed performance. At times I almost thought he was going to speak to the audience directly. I love it when you can see an actor reveling in their performance and Hartnett has so much fun playing this OCD-controlling-complex-double-life-leading family man and serial killer. Thematically, the film is strong too as Cooper is locked in a psychological and emotional struggle against powerful matriarchal figures who inhabit his world. These are represented by his deceased mother who haunts his thoughts and the very-much-alive, Doctor Grant, the psychologist charged with stopping him.

While Trap (2024) requires the audience to swallow a huge piece of “suspend disbelief” pie, Shyamalan infuses Hitchcock levels of suspense – think Rope (1948) on steroids – that had me gripped all the way. It isn’t meant to be taken too seriously and does contain some massive plot-holes you can drive a tour bus through. But I didn’t care as Trap represents another chunk of thoroughly enjoyable genre cinema from M. Night Shyamalan.

Mark: 8 out of 11

Cinema, horror, Netflix

NETFLIX REVIEWS: HORROR!

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NETFLIX REVIEWS: HORROR!

As regular readers of my blog will know I am a massive fan of horror films. So much so I will often theme my monthly viewing around the genre, then consolidate the reviews in one post. Here are two of the most recent posts:

HORROR OBSCURA FILM REVIEWS – HALLOWEEN 2021 SPECIAL!
13 HORROR FILMS FOR CHRISTMAS – Some alternative festive reviews!

For the month of June and bleeding into July, I solely focused on horror films streaming on Netflix. So, here are short reviews of the many films I watched that are currently available on Netflix!

*** CONTAINS PLOT SPOILERS ***

A CLASSIC HORROR STORY (2021)

Italian shocker that echoes Midsommar (2019), Scream 3 (2000) and The Ritual (2017). The script is meta-clever and there’s some decent gore, but overall it lacks emotional empathy for the characters. More of a knowing film satire rather than being proper scary. Mark: 6.5 out of 11

BAGHEAD (2023)

Suffers in comparison to the far more energetic and thrilling Talk to Me (2022) – which is also on Netflix. Aside from the opening with the always brilliant Peter Mullan, who sets the scene, monster and horror rules, the film contains slight characterization and low stakes when the lead protagonists enter the shadowed fray. Mark: 5.5 out of 11

BLOODY NEW YEAR (1987)

Genuinely one of the worst horror films EVER made, that somehow still has some memorably crazy moments and monsters. Watch and cry with laughter about how bad this Brit-shocker is though! Mark: 2 out of 11

CAM (2018)

Madeline Brewer is fantastic as the narcissistic Cam-Girl who finds her identity is cloned, with the added stress of a killer being on her trail. Cleverly and wittily plotted, this brilliantly directed satire rises above its exploitative material to deliver a thematically rich horror film full of suspense and shocks. Mark: 8.5 out of 11

CREEP 2 (2017)

Mark Duplass gives another strikingly weird performance as the serial killer who loves the slow-burn taunting of his victims. Both this and Creep (2015) actually make the found footage filming trope work really well. Mark: 7.5 out of 11

EMELIE (2016)

What if your babysitter isn’t the person you think they are? An incredibly chilling character study designed to give every parent sleepless nights. With a committed performance from Sarah Bolger, this has so many twisted scenes involving the kids that disturbed me and feared for their safety. A horror film that really burrows under your skin throughout. Mark: 7.5 out of 11.

FANTASY ISLAND (2020)

Taking a 1970’s high-concept drama series and turning it into a horror film is not the worst idea, especially as the original series had its darker episodes often involving cautionary tales of morality. However, the script they delivered for this misfire feels as though many, many writers have tried desperately to resuscitate it from within the cold morgue draw. There’s some drive and energy from the cast and I actually enjoyed some of the set-pieces, but it feels ultimately like over-stuffed mush. Mark: 5 out of 11.

HAUNT (2019)

An incredibly generic set-up finds a group of teenagers drawn to a haunted house at Halloween, only for crazed killers to lock them in a slash them down. Benefits from some imaginative villains and kills, plus an empathetic lead characterization by Katie Stevens as the grieving Harper. Lastly, directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods show excellent control over tone, style and suspense. Mark: 7.5 out of 11.

RED STATE (2011)

Kevin Smith goes ‘Grindhouse’ with this gnarly horror film where a group of horny teenagers are lured into a deadly trap that threatens their existence. Starts strongly exploring themes of religious mania and family values culminating in an incredible monologue delivered by Michael Park’s charismatic church leader. Latterly descends into a chaotic siege thriller shoot-em-up with crazy cultists versus the American authorities led by the always excellent, John Goodman. Smith’s trademark chitty-chatter dialogue is good, but kind of gets in the way (monologue aside) of the drama and humanity-as-horror of the piece. Mark: 7 out of 11.

THERE’S SOMEONE IN YOUR HOUSE (2021)

Extremely well written, directed and acted film which gets stuck between the rites-of-passage and slasher tropes, serving neither of these genres satisfactorily. There’s some alright kills, but overall feels like an inferior photocopy of Scream (2000) with little of the wit or meta-brilliance. Mark: 6 out of 11.

TIN & TINA (2023)

Featuring motifs relating to religion, fascism and family values, this interesting chiller ticks all the themes present in many Spanish horror films. As Lola (Milena Smit) and Adolfo (Jaime Lorente) suffer the tragedy of a lost child, they try to redeem their grief with the adoption of two blonde, shock-haired orphans raised by nuns. Driven by their naivete and religious fervour, Tin and Tina end up committing many questionable acts which threaten to send Lola over the edge. Beautifully filmed and scored, the director also builds an impressive sense of dread throughout, yet the film is ultimately denied a higher mark by the glacial pace and disappointing ending. Nonetheless, it is thought provoking with both the creepy kids and Christianity contributing to nail-biting scenes of high anxiety. Mark: 7 out of 11

Articles, Cinema, New Releases, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW: FURIOSA – A MAD MAX SAGA (2024)

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CINEMA REVIEW: FURIOSA – A MAD MAX SAGA (2024)

Directed by George Miller

Written by George Miller & Nico Lathouris

Based on characters by George Miller & Byron Kennedy

Produced by: Doug Mitchell & George Miller

Main Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, Lachy Hulme, Angus Sampson, etc.

Cinematography by Simon Duggan

*** CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

George Miller’s fifth entry of the Mad Max series is Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024). Given the meaning of the word ‘saga’ is defined as, “a long story of heroic achievement, especially a medieval prose narrative in Old Norse,” it’s an attempt by Miller to connect the Mad Max films to mythical storytelling and folk lore, yet paradoxically set such ye olde yarns in the future. Conversely, while being part of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi sub-genre, there is certainly more than a suggestion of marauding and pillaging Vikings within the freakish characters of the radioactive Aussie wasteland.

Of course, the hi-tech and vehicular monsters smashing up and down the ‘Fury Road’ render the action far from the medieval, replacing long boats for super-charged two, three and four-and-more-wheel souped-up demons driven by mutated future humans. The gigantic rock, bullet, fuel, and scrap metal designed bases of ‘The Citadel,’ ‘Bullet Farm’ and ‘Gas Town’ inhabited by these tattooed ravagers, while rough in exterior represent humanity’s industrial survival and base-building instincts par excellence. So much for the imperious nature of Miller’s world-building, what of the narrative?

If one is honest, the screenplays for all four of the previous Mad Max films are the exercises in economy, with hard-cut structures, granite-boiled dialogue often spat out via twisted one-liners, and poetically yelled slang-speak. Introduced as a maverick cop, but loving family man in Mad Max (1979), Max Rockatansky (Mel Gibson) is essentially a cops-versus-gangs-meets-revenge exploitation thriller. By the time gangs have killed his family and nuclear war has destroyed the world, Max has become the Road Warrior (1981), in what is one of the greatest action films and sequels of all time. However well regarded the mayhem of Fury Road (2015), and it is incredible, The Road Warrior remains one of my favourite films ever.

Beyond Thunderdome (1985) was the slicker third film, and while the action was terrific, there was too much money and sheen in there, reminiscent of what they did with the glamoured cast in the last season of Game of Thrones. Plus, the script was broken in half, with an amazing first section set in Bartertown with Tina and crew, before giving way to a more philosophical, but less exciting kids-in-a-commune driven story. In comparison Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024) is certainly the most ambitious of all the narratives. It is set over several years, from the moment Furiosa (Alya Browne) witnesses her mother killed by Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) and his nasty marauders, to her rites of passage ascent toward gaining a vicious revenge.

Keeping the literary theme, the film is set over five chapters replete with headings to let the audience know what is about to occur. Easily the most impressive is – Chapter III – The Stowaway – where Furiosa comes of age in action during a brutal and mind-blowing action set-piece as the Octoboss, goes rogue and launches an air assault on the “War Rig” as it races along the ‘Fury Road.’ Here Furiosa also bonds with Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) and the two become partners, with George Miller throwing in an under-cooked romance amidst the petrol, dust, blood and fire.

It is great that Miller and his co-writer Nico Lathouris have strived for more emotional depth and epic storytelling within Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024). However, I felt that at times the rapid pacing and ramped-up action crushed any feelings I may have had about the characters of Furiosa and Jack. Plus, the film suffers a serious case of “prequelitis” where one is joining the dots of Furiosa’s backstory to connect with Charlize Theron’s characterisation in Fury Road. Yes, of course, we find out how she had her arm torn from her body, her drives and motivations, plus how she became a kick-ass future road warrior.  

Taylor-Joy is striking in the all-action role of Furiosa, but a little anorexic on screen to really dominate. Gibson and Hardy are a hard act to follow! Tom Burke stands out amidst the support ensemble, while Chris Hemsworth treats us to another revved-up messianic lunatic. With the character of Mad Max on hiatus, the true stars of this show are Miller and his impressive production, camera, editing, driving, effects and stunt teams. They have once again produced cinematic carnage of the highest order.

Mark: 8.5 out of 11

Articles, Cinema, New Releases, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW: CIVIL WAR (2024)

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CINEMA REVIEW: CIVIL WAR (2024)

Directed by Alex Garland

Written by Alex Garland

Produced by Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich, Gregory Goodman

Main Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman, etc.

Cinematography by Rob Hardy

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

Alex Garland has an impressive literary, cinema and televisual curriculum vitae. He gained acclaim as the writer of the novel, The Beach, before moving onto screenwriting duties with fine films such as: 28 Days Later (2002), Sunshine (2007), Never Let Me Go (2010), and under-rated Dredd (2012). He made his directorial debut with Ex Machina (2014), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. His second film, Annihilation (2018), garnered further acclaim, so much so, FX bypassed a pilot and went straight to series for his science fiction TV narrative, Devs (2020).

While I am a massive fan of Garland’s work, I wasn’t too enamoured of Annihilation (2018). I found it brilliantly made with some fantastic concepts and incredible moments, yet overall it was too slowly paced. With eight superlative episodes of Devs (2020), Garland delivered a story which really connected with me by merging a compelling technological espionage plot to an intelligent exploration of philosophical thought and human behaviour. Where Devs (2020) presciently examined the impact of artificial intelligence, Garland’s new political thriller, Civil War (2024), prophetically imagines an apocalyptic America in the throes of war between combined California and Texas state rebel forces and the current President’s (Nick Offerman) retreating army.

With the ‘January 6 United States Capitol attack’ in mind, Garland opens up a “what if” narrative where the whole of America is conflicted and consuming itself from within. At the heart of the violence is the war photographer, represented by Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst) and Reuters journalist, Joel (Wagner Moura). Their journey to Washington to photograph the President reveals confusion, destruction and further bloodshed. Generically speaking, a road movie meets dystopian thriller, Civil War (2024) contains thought-provoking themes and incredible cinematography, but with shaky writing in places.

Films about war photographers and/or journalists can be problematic for me. Such characters lend themselves to heroic and the anti-heroic. The writing has to be right because I can lose empathy between such crusading journos and the narcissistic adrenaline junkies looking to deflect their own loathing and self-destructive tendencies. Civil War (2024) struggled to get me onside with the lead characters, although Dunst’s characterisation of Lee Smith is superb. However, her mentor-apprentice relationship with Cailee Spaeny, Jessie Cullen, was under-developed. Spaeny’s “innocent” being used more as a suspense device as opposed to learning the true horrors of humanity and war. Perhaps Garland intended for her to be a sociopath without depth just looking for blood? She finds it!

Moreover, Jessie’s journey from a political perspective was weak as there was no real sense of development in her character. That’s where the decision not to overtly take political sides causes a lack of sociological depth. War films such as Salvador (1986) and The Killing Fields (1984) are more successful as Civil War (2024) loses political impact by not choosing precise sides. But I guess whether they are Democratic or Republican is the whole point. Garland is saying that political parties are all as bad as each other, with human beings their own worst enemy. Politics, like football, gender, sexuality, and religion, are propellants for humans to fight each other.

For a film about photographers, the images on show are incredible and Rob Hardy’s work is genius. Fire, blood and war have never looked so brutal and aesthetically impressive. As well as Dunst, Wagner Moura and Stephen McKinlay Henderson are terrific in their respective roles. Further, there are some nail-biting and suspenseful scenes, notably one involving a film-stealing performance from Jesse Plemons. However, many of the characters’ decisions were weakly written for me. This is surprising given Garland’s prodigious literary and screenwriting talent. Civil War (2024), however, remains another stunning addition to his oeuvre and for all my perceived script weaknesses, the hell of war has never been so artistic and artful.

Mark: 8 out of 11

Cinema, horror, Reviews, Shudder, Television

SHUDDER REVIEW: LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (2023)

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SHUDDER REVIEW: LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL (2023)

Written and directed by Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes

Produced by Mat Govoni, Adam White, John Molloy, Roy Lee, Steven Schneider and Derek Dauchy

Cast: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri, Georgina Haig, and Josh Quong Tart

Cinematography: Matthew Temple

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

Some years ago I wrote an article about how I dislike the found footage sub-genre and that article can be found here. Occasionally, found footage is used well such as in Creep (2014) with Mark Duplass or REC (2007) or Chronicle (2012). Now you can add Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes, Late Night With the Devil (2023) to that list of found footage films I actually enjoyed.

Technically, one could argue it isn’t really found footage and it negates such films often “amateurish” filming methods, with a truly stylish rendition of 1970’s television chat shows. However, we are asked by the narrator to view “never-before-seen” images and sounds from a previously unreleased and infamous TV chat show presented by ‘Night Owls’ host, Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian). So, found footage it is!

David Dastmalchian is absolutely fantastic in his role as ambitious but desperate to be number-one chat show host, Jack Delroy. Often cast in supporting roles he now grabs the chance to become much more than that scene-stealing character actor. Delroy is not unlikable, but his arrogance and ambition dominate his personality. So much so, and despite his grief at losing his wife to cancer, he is prepared to allow all sorts of creepy and inappropriate situations unfold in his desperate search for TV ratings.

Delroy pits a dubious psychic Christou (Fayssal Bazzi) against skeptical former magician Carmichael the Conjurer (Ian Bliss), before asking parapsychologist author June Ross-Mitchell (Laura Gordon), and her subject Lilly D’Abo (Ingrid Torelli) to contact a demonic presence called ‘Mr Wriggles,’ live on television. Even after Christou is rushed to the hospital and Lilly contorts and spits out growling obscenities, Delroy decrees the show must go on. The Cairnes Brothers then continue to ratchet up the tension and horror to a deadly and shocking ‘Night Owls’ televisual denouement.

With echoes of the recent Inside No. 9 (3×3 quiz show episode) and BBC show Ghostwatch (1992), and of course The Exorcist (1973), Late Night With the Devil (2023) is one of the most enjoyable horror films I have seen in sometime. The 1970’s period setting and TV studio location is impressively recreated by the fantastic production team, especially on a relatively low budget. Arguably, the plot, once you dig down into it lacks emotional depth, however, the pacy and darkly funny screenplay more than compensates for this. Overall, the film’s style, design, direction and a commanding performance from Dastmalchian ensure Late Night With the Devil (2023) is essential viewing for all horror fans.

Mark: 9 out of 11

BFI, Cinema, Reviews

BFI PLAYER FILM REVIEWS: THE BEASTS (2022) and THE QUIET GIRL (2022)

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BFI PLAYER FILM REVIEWS: THE BEASTS (2022) and THE QUIET GIRL (2022)

I watched DUNE: Part II (2024) at the cinema but was not drawn to write a review of that masterly sci-fi-behemoth and technical marvel, such was the life-draining and utterly emotionless lack of reaction on my behalf. Instead, for my latest reviews I have chosen lower budget films, in comparison, which offer compelling characters and drama which made me feel and think something.

THE BEASTS (2022)

Directed by: Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Written by: Isabel Peña and Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Main Cast: Denis Ménochet, Marina Foïs, Luis Zahera, Diego Anido,
Marie Colomb etc.

Multiple Goya award-winning drama The Beasts (2022) is an intelligent and muscular drama that reminded me of the equally compelling Jean de Florette (1987) and Only the Animals (2019). The latter also starred the sizable talent that is Denis Ménochet. Here he inhabits the character of former teacher, Antoine Denis, who along with his wife, Olga (Marina Foïs) have taken to renovating properties and farming eco-vegetables in the area of Galicia, Spain.

Honest and hardworking the Denis’ are unfortunately considered outsiders and a threat to the locals, notably the brutish Anta brothers, led by the menacing Xan (Luis Zahera). The conflict is exacerbated as Xan blames them for losing his family money when the Denis’ blocked the sale of land to a wind energy company. Luis Zahera provides a formidable performance as the intimidating bully who begins by poisoning their water before moving onto even more vile and threatening acts.

The theme of city academics versus rural folk is explored with intensity, at times evoking Sam Peckinpah’s more exploitational film, Straw Dogs (1971). But rather than containing an explosive and violent ending, The Beasts (2022) delivers a more slow-burn, riveting and moving denouement. Superbly directed, filmed, and acted throughout, this is a fine work of cinema, only let down for me, by a final act which could not deliver on the highline suspense and tension established in the first two.

Mark: 8.5 out of 11

THE QUIET GIRL / An Cailín Ciúin (2022)

Directed by Colm Bairéad

Screenplay by Colm Bairéad – Based on Foster
by Claire Keegan

Produced by Cleona Ní Chrualaoí

Main cast: Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Catherine Clinch, Michael Patric, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh etc.

Not only is this 1980’s set Gaelic drama about a quiet girl, it is very much a quiet film that is quietly devastating in mood and emotion. Centred around nine-year old, Cait (Catherine Clinch), she is a neglected outsider, and one of many siblings to a pregnant-again mother and horrible father. Worried about being able to cope, her mum “fosters” Cait to distant cousins, Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley) and Sean Kinsella while she is in the latter stages of pregnancy. Thus begins a meditative forming of a heartfelt relationship between the girl and the Kinsellas.

Initially the film’s narrative unfolds very slowly, being light on pace and exposition, but deft in mood and feeling. There is a certain poetry in the lighting and framing against the beautiful countryside landscapes. The Kinsellas and Cait, while reserved on the outside, are hiding strong emotions and even more powerful secrets. Colm Bairéad’s confident screenplay slowly reveals certain enigmas, but still plays his story cards close to his chest. Yet, the warmth of the leading characters and the interpretive dramatic subtext expertly pulls you into their lives, rather than distance you from them.

The Quiet Girl (2022) broke box office records for the opening weekend of an Irish-language film and became the highest-grossing Irish-language film of all time. Further, it received 11 nominations at the 18th Irish Film & Television Awards (IFTAs) in March 2022, and won in seven categories. It’s no surprise given the quality of the writing, photography, acting and direction that the film has achieved such accolades. Indeed, Catherine Clinch as Cait is a phenomenon. By the end I defy anyone not to be moved by the heart wrenching final scenes, as the film ultimately proves less is most certainly more.

Mark: 9 out of 11

Articles, horror, Short films

INFERIS (2024) short film POSTER and STILLS

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INFERIS (2024) – A new horror short poster and stills.

After a few years gap I finally managed to get back into the short filmmaking process last year with INFERIS (2024).

I wrote and produced it as a very low-budget psychological horror proof of concept short.

It was filmed at Raindance Film School in August 2023 and post was completed in February 2024.

Here’s the poster:

Here are some stills:

If you haven’t seen it, the trailer is here:

INFERIS (2024) – Production Details

Tagline – “They make you work like hell!”

Logline – Recent prison leaver, Joseph Mann, begins a new job at Inferis Security. Hoping for a fresh start he finds himself drawn toward a mysterious door that leads to god knows where.

Cast and Crew

Director: Philip Wolff

Writer: Paul Laight

Producers: Paul Laight and Philip Wolff

Cast: Shaun Rivers and Julia Florimo

Cinematography: Toma Iaramboykov

Sound: Delbert Grady

Camera Assistant: Jackey Limbu

Lighting Assistant: Max Wronka

Editor and Post-Production: Gary O’Brien

Music: Premium Beat & Lord Oscillator

© 2024 A Fix Films and 21st Century Wolff Production

horror, Short films

INFERIS (2024) – A new short psychological horror film trailer

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INFERIS (2024) – A new horror film trailer

After a few years gap I finally managed to get back into the short filmmaking process last year with INFERIS (2024). I wrote and produced it as a very low-budget psychological horror proof of concept short. It was filmed at Raindance Film School in August 2023 and post was completed in February 2024.

Here is the trailer:

INFERIS (2024) – Production Details

Tagline – “They make you work like hell!”

Logline – Recent prison leaver, Joseph Mann, begins a new job at Inferis Security. Hoping for a fresh start he finds himself drawn toward a mysterious door that leads to god knows where.

Cast and Crew

Director: Philip Wolff

Writer: Paul Laight

Producers: Paul Laight and Philip Wolff

Cast: Shaun Rivers and Julia Florimo

Cinematography: Toma Iaramboykov

Sound: Delbert Grady

Camera Assistant: Jackey Limbu

Lighting Assistant: Max Wronka

Editor and Post-Production: Gary O’Brien

Music: Premium Beat & Lord Oscillator

© 2024 A Fix Films and 21st Century Wolff Production

Cinema, New Releases, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW: THE ZONE OF INTEREST (2023)

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CINEMA REVIEW: THE ZONE OF INTEREST (2023)

Directed by Jonathan Glazer

Written by Jonathan Glazer – based on The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis

Produced by James Wilson, Ewa Puszczyńska

Main cast: Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller, Imogen Kogge, etc.

Cinematography by Łukasz Żal

Sound Designer: Johnnie Burns

Music by Mica Levi

Jonathan Glazer is not the most prolific of directors, so when he releases a film it provides powerful cinematic coffee to wake up the cultural senses. His last film, the mesmeric Under The Skin (2013), is one of the most original of the century for me and once again with, The Zone of Interest (2023), Glazer has determined to take a provocative approach to cinematic form, style and themes.

I usually advise near the top of my reviews that the piece may contain spoilers. However, there is so little plot in The Zone of Interest (2023), that is difficult to give anything away. The depth of the story comes from the intellectual approach to cinematic form and the wartime setting, with a narrative based on Martin Amis’ novel about the Holocaust and specifically, the concentration camp, Auschwitz. But Glazer only hints at such Nazi barbarism as the point of view of the film is presented solely from the commandant Rudolf Hoss’ (Christian Friedel) and his family’s perspective. Glazer and his outstanding production team deny us sight of the death and torture from within the Hoss house and garden.

Glazer and his sound designer, Johnnie Burns, employ powerful aural style to incredible effect as screams, tools smashing, gun shots and shouting pierce the screen throughout. Mica Levi’s minimalist score also punches through to startle too. Further, as the Hoss family, notably his spoilt children and privileged wife (Sandra Huller) go about their everyday business puffs of smoke billow over their garden as they remain unimpacted by what is occurring outside. Glazer also uses negative film processing, gliding tracking shots and metronomic editing from multi-camera set-ups to stylistic devices to break the fourth wall and to reinforce the everyday routine where all is not what it seems.

One may argue Glazer’s film is experimental and anti-narrative. I rarely cared about the Hoss family and not enough of the Auschwitz inmates is seen to raise one’s emotions. Thus, The Zone of Interest (2023) is a cold and intellectual film to absorb. Yet, I would argue that it is not experimental because Glazer is so in control of the filmmaking process. His creative choices and results are delivered in an extremely confident way. Certainly I felt that the film was more anti-drama than anti-narrative or experimental. For those looking for a more conventional addition to the war film genre could be disappointed.

Ultimately, The Zone of Interest (2023) is a horror film with the barbarism hidden. As the murder and genocide are occurring, the Hoss family unit remain unmoved by such atrocities. From a safe distance the audience watch them attend parties, tend their vegetables, feed their children, eat their dinner, play games and sunbathe. Is Glazer asking if we as humanity are complicit in our privileged comfortable homes while horrors go on around us in the world? Is this Nazi version of the Garden of Eden a metaphor for the world as a whole now? Does a lack of action or inaction to known crimes make one complicit? There are no easy answers, but it gets you thinking. Just like this highly intellectual and expertly constructed work of cinema.

Mark: 9 out of 11