Genre: Thriller

Hell or High Water (2016) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

From the writer of ‘Sicario’ and the director of ‘Starred Up,’ ‘Hell or High Water’ is a tense crime film which feels like more a traditional western on first watch, mostly through its great use of its cast, fantastic original score and classic setting. The film is a heavy slow-burn for the most part, as the story builds up for most of its runtime, eventually leading to its intense climax, which despite being short, does feel satisfying to watch, the entire film overall is truly a brilliant example of a modern-day western.

Plot Summary: A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family’s ranch in West Texas. Robbing as many banks as they can all across the county while remaining one step ahead of the authorities that are hunting them down…

On my first viewing, the film felt very similar to the Coen Brothers’ ‘No Country for Old Men’ (which the film seems heavily inspired by), as the story is very engaging and surprisingly also has a nice blend of dark comedy mixed in with a lot of drama and tension. Not really focusing on action, the film spends more time building up tension and atmosphere. Near the end of the runtime, however, we do see some action, which is relativity well done and does feel very grounded.

Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges and Gill Birmingham all give fantastic performances here and keep the audience engaged throughout the runtime, which is even more impressive when you look further into their characters, as I personally feel their characters could’ve done with a little more development, as they do get bits and pieces but nothing really major, and the lack of any kind of character arc for Chris Pine’s character; ‘Toby Howard,’ really irritated me. However, the rest of the writing here is pretty great for the majority of the film.

The cinematography by Giles Nuttgens is one of the film’s better aspects, truly utilising the location of Texas for its isolation and beauty. Usually then switching to more chaotic hand-held camera movement during the few action scenes, which I think works effectively. However, I do feel the cinematography could be improved, as there weren’t a large number of shots I was incredibly impressed by throughout the film. Interestingly, even though the story is set in Texas, not a single scene was actually filmed there, aa due to State Legislature removing tax incentives, the film was actually shot in New Mexico.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are responsible for the original score, which is possibly my favourite element of the film, really adding to the modern western feel the film is going for, as well as backing up many of the more emotional or tense scenes. The soundtrack here is definitely one of my favourite elements of the film, the film however also makes great use of various songs. Having a variety of country songs play over different scenes throughout the film, quickly setting the tone and establishing the story’s setting early on.

In summary, ‘Hell or High Water’ is a compelling crime thriller and neo-western, for any classic western fan I would say this is a definite watch. As for more casual viewers, I could see the slow-burning pace being a bit of a turn-off, despite it being used to build tension effectively. Backed-up by its great cinematography and original score, the film makes up for its lack of character depth and exciting action in the long run. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Truth or Dare (2018) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Blumhouse Pictures is a well-known production company, they mainly focus-on producing cheap generic horror flicks that appeal to younger audiences, and although there is the occasional gem in their collection, such as ‘Sinister’ or ‘Get Out,’ it’s definitely few and far between, with ‘Truth or Dare’ being one of their most recent entries, and easily one of their worst to date.

Plot Summary: After a group of young friends play a harmless game of truth or dare during their trip to Mexico, they soon discover their game has turned deadly when someone (or something) begins to punish those who tell a lie or refuse to do the dare they are given…

This now-dull concept has been seen a thousand times before, as the idea of a group of teenagers playing an evil game is nothing new, as films like ‘Ouija’ prove. As the story plays out almost exactly as you would expect, making it extremely predictable throughout its runtime. The film is also one of Blumhouse’s least scary entries to date, focusing entirely on jump-scares without any attempt to build tension or create an eerie atmosphere. The film also chooses to use a ‘terrifying’ CG smile effect on the character’s faces to replicate them being possessed, and due to the low-budget of the film, this effect looks laughably bad.

Unfortunately, the characters and cast that portray them are no better than the cliché narrative, as the entire cast of Tyler Posey, Violett Beane and Sophia Taylor Ali are extremely bland, as all the performances throughout the film feel like nothing more than attractive models attempting to be afraid, with Lucy Hale as ‘Olivia’ being the obvious standout here, purely by elimination, which is more than likely why she was cast as the main protagonist to begin with.

When it comes to the filmmaking, sadly there’s no improvements here either, as each shot from cinematographer Jacques Jouffret is boring and uninspired, with the editing also being very quick choppy at points. All alongside the original score by Matthew Margeson, which is easily the most disappointing element of the film for me, as the soundtrack amounts to nothing more than your usual horror score, with the film’s composer having worked on many great films in the past, such as ‘Kingsman: ‘The Secret Service’ and ‘Eddie the Eagle.’

Of course, it probably goes without saying that the majority of the writing within the film is dreadful, with the screenplay being overflown with cheesy dialogue, over-the-top scenes and stupid character decisions. One character I hated, in particular, was ‘Brad,’ portrayed by Hayden Szeto, as this character was purely built around his homosexuality. Without giving him any further development beyond this, which could not only be seen as pandering to some, but also just simply poor writing.

Another issue I have with the film is the extreme lack of violence due to its low age rating for a horror flick, as the film constantly shines away from graphic violence, always cutting to another shot to avoid showing barely any blood or gore. This is a huge mistake for a horror film like this in my opinion, as although implying violence can sometimes be more effective. In a film about a group of unlikeable teenagers getting killed off, having some creative deaths is at least a great way to satisfy your audience.

In summary, ‘Truth or Dare’ is one of the worst films of 2018 for me, this overdone plot with annoying characters has little charm or entertainment to offer, as it’s bland execution and overall lack of anything interesting feels as if the film is truly nothing more than a complete cash-grab for Blumhouse Pictures. Overall, I’d definitely recommend you give ‘Truth or Dare’ a miss, as I honestly believe any viewer would find paint-drying a more enjoyable experience than this one. Final Rating: low 2/10.

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Chappie (2015) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Neill Blomkamp has always been a director I’ve admired, famous mostly for his smash-hit; ‘District 9’ in 2012, shortly then followed by his second film; ‘Elysium,’ which split many sci-fi fans down the middle, Blomkamp has always managed to impress me through his incredible use of CGI and explosive action set pieces. However, I’ve always found his narratives to be somewhat lacklustre, and this is definitely where the main issue lies with his third film; ‘Chappie.’

Plot Summary: In the near future, crime in the city of Johannesburg is patrolled by a mechanised police force created by the company, ‘Tetravaal.’ But, when one police droid, nicknamed; ‘Chappie,’ is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first machine ever with the ability to think and feel for himself. Leading ‘Chappie’ to eventually realise the chaotic world he has now become a part of…

I find the initial idea very interesting, coming-off almost as a mixture between ‘RoboCop’ and ‘Short Circuit,’ I personally feel the film could’ve been very entertaining if they would’ve chosen to explore these ideas of synthetic life vs. actual living consciousness. Strangely, however, this is not the direction the film actually goes, as we see ‘Chappie’ enter the world of crime alongside a criminal gang, making the film less of an interesting sci-fi with themes of artificial intelligence and more along the lines of a straight crime-thriller, now with a less likeable protagonist.

Sharlto Copley, Deon Wilson, Hugh Jackman and Sigourney Weaver all give decent performances in the film, and while I would’ve preferred Sigourney Weaver to have a bigger role in the overall narrative. I feel Sharlto Copley as ‘Chappie’ and Hugh Jackman as the antagonist, ‘Vincent Moore,’ were both great in their respective roles. However, in easily one of the worst decisions of the film, members of the hip-hop band; ‘Die Antwoord,’ portray the film’s protagonists (with their real names for some reason) and ignoring from their mostly poor performances, they also come off as very unlikeable characters throughout, ensuring the audience roots for the criminal gang even less than before.

Trent Opaloch handles the cinematography in the film, which is pretty great for the most part, yet similar to the rest of Blomkamp’s films, there is far too much use of hand-held camera techniques. Although this approach is fine when it comes to the action sequences, when the pacing slows-down and the story focuses on more dialogue-heavy scenes or crucial character moments, I find it very distracting. The CG effects, however, are gorgeous throughout the film, as every visual effect has enormous weight to it, truly feeling as if it is part of the scene, this is especially clear with the CG effects on ‘Chappie’ himself, as the character interacts with every location, prop and character flawlessly.

The original score by Hanz Zimmer is phenomenal as per-usual, combing a typical sci-fi soundtrack alongside a more gritty crime score. Fitting the film perfectly, and really adding tension to many of the scenes throughout the runtime. I was also very impressed with the sound design throughout ‘Chappie,’ as although most sci-fi flicks usually have decent sound design, I felt ‘Chappie’ really used its sound design effectively to add to the film’s gritty feel.

More than likely just a personal issue, but I also feel the song choices within the film were very poor, as a large number of songs from ‘Die Antwoord’ are used throughout the film, all of which don’t fit with the pacing or tone of the film whatsoever. In addition to this, the fact that their characters share the real life names as the actors portraying them as already mentioned, just makes the entire thing very confusing.

In summary, I’m still not entirely sure what I think of ‘Chappie,’ as whilst it definitely has many flaws and is easily Blomkamp’s weakest film, in my opinion. The film still has certain elements I really enjoy, as some of the cinematography, action scenes and CG effects still impress me to this day, and all display that this director still has a keen eye for visuals. But, his storytelling really does need to show improvement in the future. Regardless of this, I hope Blomkamp gets another shot at directing again. Final Rating: 5/10.

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Looper (2012) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

The first major-hit for director Rian Johnson, a filmmaker who would later go on to direct ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi’ in 2017, one of the most divisive instalments in the entire ‘Star Wars’ saga. ‘Looper’ is a unique time-travelling thriller blending some brilliant performances with exciting action and plenty of interesting ideas, and whilst I don’t think the film will become one of the most iconic sci-fi films ever made in the next few years, the film is certainly worth a watch or two.

Plot Summary: In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past where a hired gun awaits them. However, when the mob wants to ‘close the loop’ on the hired gun, they then send an older version of themselves back for assassination…

Any plot involving time travel always has the risk of a potentially messy story. However, Rian Johnson actually manages to avoid many of these issues by having time travel simply be the framework of the story, with the characters and their actions really being the main focus. Focusing mostly on the tense chase throughout the film, the film’s quick pace gives the audience an easy to digest thriller with plenty of substance still underneath its surface, although not completely free of small plot holes in regards to the time travel aspects, the film definitely makes use of some of the ways criminals could abuse the power it gives them.

The protagonist; ‘Joe,’ portrayed by the underrated Joseph Gordon-Levitt, delivers a great performance as a man going through life with little direction, as we see a standard day through his eyes before the story truly begins, giving us a clear understanding of how the future functions and his job as a hired gun within it. Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt also have large roles in the film, as Bruce Willis takes on the role of an older version of ‘Joe,’ whilst Emily Blunt takes on the role of: ‘Sara,’ a farmer who soon becomes wrapped-up in ‘Joe’s business. Jeff Daniels also appears in the film as a surprisingly intimidating villain, this is also helped by the writing, however, as we explore each character piece-by-piece alongside the film’s version of the future.

The decent cinematography by Steve Yedlin and great editing by Bob Ducsay both help give the film a great visual appeal, as many of the beautiful shots back-up the film’s memorable scenes very well. Composer Nathan Johnson also lends to the atmosphere of the film through his brilliant original score, which combines the soundtrack of traditional action flick with a unique science fiction vibe, resulting in a score that’s both indelible and dramatic. What’s interesting, however, is that Nathan Johnson isn’t just any composer, but is actually Rian Johnson’s cousin, having penned scores for all of his films, excluding the previously mentioned ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi,’ for which legendary composer, John Williams, returned.

Many of the action scenes throughout the film are also quite well done, as the film truly puts Bruce Willis’ action skills to the test in one particular scene set within a warehouse, which was an absolute joy to watch for me. However, this is actually where one of my criticisms of the film comes in, as sometimes in the film the balance between futuristic and modern-day can become a little unbalanced, especially in one action scene on ‘Sara’s farm. Another issue I have with the film is the element of telekinesis in the story, despite its small relevance near the end of the film’s runtime. I simply felt it doesn’t fit into the world being explored, and was definitely an element that could’ve been cut.

In summary, ‘Looper’ has always been a personal sci-fi favourite for me, as the film really is a brilliant time-travel story juggling a large number of genres that somehow manages not be cluttered. Giving the audience more of a simple narrative with interesting characters, all with a well-crafted sci-fi world backing it up. The attractive cinematography and editing alongside the fantastic score make the film a very pleasant watch. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

A strange, violent, and very unpredictable film, Dan Gilroy director of one of my all-time favourite flicks; ‘Nightcrawler,’ works all his charm and creativity into this horror/drama/mystery/black comedy? It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what the genre of this film is. Alongside this, similar to some other films I’ve reviewed, I’d say this is definitely not a film for everyone. But for those to who it will appeal, you will surely enjoy yourself.

Plot Summary: Following the discovery of a series of foreboding paintings by an unknown artist, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art…

‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ is mostly built around the shocking deaths throughout the film, as various characters get killed off in different ways. Leaving the rest of the characters in a state of confusion and panic, this allows the film to delve into bits and pieces of characterisation (granted not a lot) in addition to exploring various ideas of what ‘art’ actually is and we criticise and commercialise it, and despite the film not going incredibly in depth with these ideas, I did still find many of them and the themes of greed and ego interesting.

Jake Gyllenhaal is essentially the main protagonist of the film: ‘Morf Vandewalt’ a very eccentric and strange character who seems to be a parody of over-the-top art critics. Rene Russo, Zawe Ashton, Toni Collette, Natalia Dyer, and John Malkovich also all lend their talents to the film. Along with the decent writing, their great performances really help give each character a distinct personality. Unexpectedly, however, Zawe Ashton is a true stand out of the cast for me, only really knowing her from Channel 4’s ‘Fresh Meat,’ here she portrays a very different character than ones before.

The cinematography by Robert Elswit also gives the film a very clean look, utilising many different shots throughout. I still think the film could’ve done more with the camerawork, however, especially when compared to Dan Gilroy’s previous films. The does also combine cinematography well with the beautiful sets and locations, giving the film a great visual appeal. The original score by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders also lends its hand to the creepy atmosphere at multiple points throughout the film, yet can also change to more calming or light-hearted when it needs to.

Although the tone can vary throughout the film, it never comes off as unbalanced. Comedy is used at points during the story but never to the point of ruining the eerie atmosphere or character moments. However, when the film does shift into full on horror, we get easily my favourite moments of the film, as it’s these moments we get some interesting CG effects and unique visuals, as well as a great build up of intrigue and tension, with the eventual death at the end of the scene usually being very creative, despite not always being very gory.

My main two issues with the film resolve mostly around the pacing of the film, as the film can come off as very slow and can drag the story down at points, as well as the use of John Malkovich’s character, ‘Piers,’ as this character appears in the very first scene of the film and then again later into the runtime. However, he doesn’t really have any impact on the narrative, and felt to me like the film was just using his bland character to fill up screen-time.

In summary, I couldn’t decide as to what I thought of ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’ upon my initial viewing of the film, and I’m still not entirely sure now, as whilst the film does suffer from a fair amount of problems and isn’t the incredibly entertaining piece of gory fun I was hoping it would be. But, I still partially enjoyed myself due to its weird atmosphere and interesting ideas, and it is a film I could maybe see myself returning to at some point. Final Rating: 5/10.

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The Girl With All the Gifts (2016) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

‘The Girl With All the Gifts’ released in 2016 and based on the novel of the same name by M. R. Carey, is another zombie story, this time attempting to focus more on young children and how they would cope with an infection wiping out all of humanity, as well as leaning more towards the ‘fungus’ side of infections when it comes to some of the film’s visuals and ideas, and while I appreciate the attempt to turn this narrative into a film. I don’t think it was incredibly successful in the long-run.

Plot Summary: In a dystopian future where humanity has been ravaged by a mysterious fungal disease, humanity’s only hope is a small group of hybrid children who crave human flesh while still retaining the ability to think and feel. But when their base is later attacked, a teacher, a scientist and a group of soldiers must embark on a journey of survival with a special young girl…

Directed by Colm McCarthy, the idea of a group of characters going on a dangerous journey is a pretty standard outline for an apocalyptic story, sadly however, ‘The Girl With All the Gifts’ doesn’t manage to improve much on this structure as many of the decisions throughout the film were pretty strange, to say the least, as the film flips back and forward between horror and drama rapidly within some scenes (sometimes even implementing comedy as well). As a result of this, the film’s tone is very inconsistent, and can really take the viewer out of the story at points. Even the name given to the zombie-like creatures within the film; ‘The Hungries,’ I personally found a little too-ridiculous.

Sennia Nanua portrays the main character of the film; ‘Melanie,’ a young girl with the abilities of ‘The Hungries’ that still retains her human mind, and while I think her character is definitely interesting, I don’t feel her performance is up-to-par here. As she was only thirteen during filming, many of the emotional scenes with her feel very unbelievable. Alongside this, there are a variety of scenes with her character acting like a wild animal as her hunger continues to grow, most of which I found unintentionally hilarious. Perhaps if she was a little older when filming began this could’ve been avoided, although the weak writing also doesn’t help. The supporting cast do redeem this somewhat, however, as Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine and Glenn Close are all fairly excellent within their roles.

The cinematography by Simon Dennis is easily my favourite element of the film, as there are many stunning shots throughout the runtime, as every shot really lends itself to many of the film’s more impactful or beautiful scenes, with the brilliant make-up effects and great set design also adding toward this, which is especially surprising considering the film’s budget, which was actually a lot smaller than many other zombie flicks. This does, unfortunately, affect the CG effects throughout the film, however, as a variety of shots throughout the story have some very out-of-place looking CG visuals.

The wonderful original score by Cristobal Tapia de Veer is another element of the film I also really enjoyed, as the soundtrack is very atmospheric and really adds to many of the tense scenes throughout the film, very similar to the composer’s other scores, with Channel 4’s ‘Utopia’ and Netflix’s ‘Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency’ being some great examples, with the tracks; ‘Gifted’ and ‘Pandora,’ being my personal favourites purely for how unique they sound. 

In summary, ‘The Girl With All the Gifts’ isn’t the worst zombie film I’ve ever seen, as the story does have some interesting elements and the cinematography and original score are pretty on point throughout the film, but sadly, the poor writing and laughable main performance combined really drag the film down for me. Final Rating: high 5/10

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A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

This modern remake of the classic Wes Craven horror flick; ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street,’ unfortunately lacks any of the charm or creativity of the original as Samuel Bayer’s bland direction and Jackie Earle Haley’s eerie but not incredibly memorable portrayal of the beloved horror icon leaves much to be desired.

Plot Summary: A group of suburban teenagers all share one common bond, they are all being stalked by ‘Freddy Krueger,’ a horribly disfigured killer who hunts them in their dreams. As long as they stay awake, they stay alive…

Whilst the film definitely isn’t the worst remake I’ve seen in recent years, it most certainly is one of the most forgettable, as the film never really does anything interesting of note to give a reason for its existence (other than the production company wanting to make a large profit of course), as everything from the cinematography, to the acting, to even some of the CG effects, all come across as something from your average, low-budget slasher.

As mentioned previously, Jackie Earle Haley’s version of the ‘Freddy Kruger’ character is most certainly one of the better elements of the film. Although definitely not as memorable as the original (as Robert Englund will always be the true nightmare, in my opinion), Jackie does a respectable job of delivering his own take on the iconic character, making him more menacing and extremely creepy when on-screen as opposed to constantly cracking jokes. Freddy does still make the occasional quip every so often, however. The rest of the cast aren’t as quite as entertaining due to their limited direction and weak characterisation (as well as the poor screenplay), meaning Rooney Mara, Kyle Gallner and Katie Cassidy have very little to work with.

The film’s cinematography by Jeff Cutter is generally passable, as while not as impressive as his work on ’10 Cloverfield Lane,’ for example, is it most certainly not painful to look at throughout most of the runtime. However, one aspect of the film that is visually repellent, is the horrific colour palette the film goes for, as the film utilises an oversaturated blue and orange colour palette similar to that of a Michael Bay blockbuster, which doesn’t fit with the style or tone of the film at all.

Even the original score composed for the film by Steve Jablonsky, is a remarkably bland horror soundtrack with nothing really interesting about it, even with the classic “Elm Street Jingle,” in the background, the score really doesn’t add anything to the already boring atmosphere. The only element truly fresh to this remake is the enormous amount of jump-scares throughout the narrative, which is pretty much to be expected from any modern horror, nowadays.

As technology and filmmaking techniques have greatly evolved since the release of the original ‘Elm Street’ film in 1984, I was really expecting the film to get extremely creative with the ways ‘Freddy Kruger’ can invade people’s dreams and slaughter them, similar to the way they did within the sequels to the original film over the years. Sadly, the film pretty much recreates many of the iconic scenes from the original film almost exactly, without much thought or creative effort put into it. I did personally enjoy the new look for ‘Freddy’ though if I had to focus on a positive element of the film.

In summary, I was very disappointed with this remake, even after going in initially with very humble expectations, as aside from a few interesting CG effects here and there, the film simply isn’t memorable in the slightest. Employing the ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ title without understanding what actually made it such a popular and iconic franchise in the first place, leaving the film feeling like nothing more than a lethargic cash grab. Final Rating: low 3/10.

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The Cabin in the Woods (2011) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

A personal favourite horror classic of mine, Drew Goddard (Bad Times at the El Royale) directs his first feature film with this creepy yet hilarious original story. The plot alone is enough to watch this film, as without spoiling anything, it near enough becomes impossible to predict where this film is going. The more ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ unravels, the more interested you become, and by twenty minutes in I found myself incredibly entertained.

Plot Summary: A group of teenage friends all fitting the stereotypes of typical slasher victims, head-up to an old cabin deep in the woods for a weekend of partying. But, things soon turn-out to not be what they seem, as it appears someone, or something, is manipulating events…

‘The Cabin in the Woods’ is basically a dissection of horror films and the clichés that come with them, whilst also being a horror film at the same time. However, although the film does build-up a decent atmosphere throughout, the horror aspect of the film is easily its weakest element, as I always found myself laughing far more at its comedic scenes, rather than finding myself on-edge over during the tension-filled ones.

Being a typical horror story like this, however, always comes the risk of using young unknown actors for the teens, with the exception of maybe Chris Hemsworth, of course (who was mostly unknown at this point). Yet, I think the entire cast did a phenomenal job, especially Fran Kranz as ‘Marty,’ who got many laughs out of me and completely nailed the ‘Stoner’ type attitude, mostly as a result of the extensive prop and behaviour training he went through before filming in order to further fit his character. Richard Jenkins from ‘Step Brothers’ and ‘The Shape of Water’ is also great within the film as ‘Sitterson,’ as for his role in the story, I’ll leave that a mystery for now…

Many of the visuals in the film come off as your usual standard horror flick, alongside the cinematography by Peter Deming, which, of course, is nothing special. But, there is the occasional pleasing shot, or even a throwback shot to classic horror film every so often, with ‘Friday the 13th’ being the most noticeable. However, the actual design of the cabin set itself, as well as many of the creatures throughout the film, is easily one of my favourite elements, as the costumes are nothing short of incredibly detailed, and help give each creature it’s own distinct look and feel.

The original score by David Julyan is your standard horror film soundtrack, further playing into the idea of a dissection of the genre, and despite being rather bland it does back-up many of the eerie scenes regardless. The editing is also nothing phenomenal, but with a narrative this original and the writing being as hilarious as it is. I’m willing to give them a thumbs-up. Especially when you consider the last twenty minutes of the film, which is probably some of the most fun I’ve ever had watching a horror flick.

Another weaker aspect of the film is also related to the visuals, as the film was made on a smaller budget, the CG effects in many scenes is quite noticeable, and although it doesn’t completely ruin a scene, it can take you out of the film for a second or two. Thankfully, CGI isn’t used very heavily throughout the film. I also feel this smaller-budget might have had an impact of the runtime, as the film feels a little short to me and could’ve done with being slightly longer to further flush elements out.

In summary, I adore ‘The Cabin in the Woods,’ from the wonderfully crafted creatures to the way the story unfolds, to the various nods to previous entries in the horror genre. I think Goddard has made a flawless dissection of why we love horror films and the traits within them. Although not perfect, I’m still eagerly anticipating his next film and I really hope he keeps this trend of interesting filmmaking going. Final Rating: low 8/10.

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A Quiet Place (2018) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

John Krasinski’s directorial debut quickly puts him as one of the most intriguing upcoming directors currently working, as he directs himself, his real-life wife Emily Blunt and two very talented child actors, in this incredibly tense and original horror flick. Taking on a unique story that’s sure to spark an interest in any horror/thriller fan by its concept alone, and yet ‘A Quiet Place’ also manages to elevate itself over many other films within the horror genre through its attractive visuals and great sound design.

Plot Summary: In a post-apocalyptic world where noises can kill, a family of four must navigate their lives in silence after terrifying creatures that hunt by sound threaten their very survival. But, with a pregnant wife soon to give birth, now more than ever, the family must remain unheard…

Continuously throughout the runtime, ‘A Quiet Place’ builds on the concept of its story perfectly, focusing on the various ways the family has adjusted to their new way of silent life as everything from the family not using cutlery anymore, to the children using pieces of cotton pieces rather than wooden pieces for a board game, to even having the father place down paths of sand everywhere the family walks, all displaying the clear understanding John Krasinski has for this fleshed out world. Of course, with an idea such as this one, many of the film’s scenes can be nitpicked in small ways, but with a plot as unique and as engaging as this one is, I personally don’t feel these tiny issues take much away from the general experience.

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski both give amazing performances as ‘Evelyn’ and ‘Lee Abbott,’ with Emily Blunt being the true stand out of the cast, mostly due to her intense performance during one of the film’s most memorable scenes. In which, ‘Evelyn’ attempts to stay quiet whilst going through the agonising pain of childbirth, all the while one of the creatures stalks the nearby area. The two children within the film are also brilliant, being portrayed by Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe. Millicent Simmonds’ character; ‘Regan,’ is deaf, similar to the actress herself in real life, which actually benefited the rest of the cast enormously with helping them learn sign language as there is actually very little dialogue spoken throughout the film, due to the family’s restriction on making noise, so sign language is their main form of communication.

Charlotte Bruus Christensen handles the cinematography for ‘A Quiet Place,’ and does so extremely well, as the gorgeous shots really compliment the beautiful yet eerie and isolated locations of this new post-apocalyptic world, with a majority of shots containing large amounts of movement alongside the bleak yet still appealing colour palette of the film, which surprisingly allows more colour than many other modern horrors that rely mostly on dark greys and blacks.

Throughout the narrative, the film’s tense atmosphere never dies off, as Krasinski uses the fantastically unsettling original score by Marco Beltrami as well as the effective sound design/sound editing to their best extent, resulting in a compelling watch for any audience member, as the film almost feels as if it’s placing its audience in the position of the protagonists, dreading even the slightest sound. However, as great as the tension building is, the film does have quite a heavy reliance on jump-scares, similar to most modern horrors today, which does sadly drag down the film with how frequent they soon become.

Despite not having an enormous amount of screen-time, the creatures within ‘A Quiet Place’ are also quite memorable, as from even their first appearance, the film’s monsters are always both incredibly menacing and enthralling. This is not only due to the tense atmosphere they create whenever on-screen, however, but also due to their otherworldly design, which actually shares many similarities to the inside of a human ear, which is obviously very suitable for creatures that hunt only by sound. Interestingly, Krasinski actually portrayed some of the creatures himself whilst on set through motion capture, if only for a few scenes.

In summary, ‘A Quiet Place’ is surely one of my favourite films of 2018, as the film manages to take its audience through a tense yet still emotional story of parents attempting to protect their children in a newly dangerous world, all whilst featuring some visually pleasing cinematography and scenes brimming with tension whenever it can. The film even manages to contain a decent character arc for a few of the family members, propelling the film even further forward over you’re standard horror flick, and although there is a bit of an overreliance on jump-scares, as well as the odd narrative nitpick that stops the film from being flawless, ‘A Quiet Place’ is still an excellent choice for anyone looking for a gateway into this genre. Final Rating: 8/10.

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Cloverfield (2008) – Film Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Personally, I’m not an enormous fan of found-footage horror films (especially when it comes to many modern horrors). However, ‘Cloverfield’ is a rare exception to this, as when this film was first announced, it was surrounded in mystery, as the images and clips that were released revealed literally nothing about the film’s plot. Now, years after its release, we know it’s a large-scale classic monster throwback, all brought-together with a dark atmosphere, clearly inspired by classic monster flicks, such as the original ‘Godzilla,’ ‘King Kong’ and ‘Gorgo.’

Plot Summary: After the U.S. Defense Department discover a videotape in the former Central Park, the located footage reveals a group of friends celebrating a surprise farewell party in the apartment of ‘Rob Hawkins’ in Lower Manhattan, that is until the footage continues on, and soon begins to show an event far more disturbing…

The film opens with a U.S. Defense Department logo, shortly followed by footage of our main protagonist and his girlfriend in bed. This blending of old footage mixed in with the new footage of the attack is a great way of giving some development to the characters, alongside breaking up the large amounts of chaotic action the film sometimes falls into. The film’s reasoning for this is explained early on in it’s runtime, as the current tape we are watching is recording over another.

Aside from Lizzy Caplan and T.J. Miller, the rest of the cast are mostly unknown. I would say they all did a decent job, as the majority of their screen-time is consisted of running and panicking as they make their way through the streets of New York, however. I really enjoyed Lizzy Caplan’s performance, in particular, as her character ‘Marlena’ gets thrown into an intense and painful situation later in the story. This also results in one of the most disturbing/memorable scenes of the film. Unfortunately, the characters aren’t given a huge amount of development, aside from a few short scenes throughout the film.

Being a found-footage film as it is, the cinematography within the film is almost entirely hand-held. Usually utilising a large amount of camera movement to block the audience’s view of the creature in the early stages of the film. Which does really help build tension and excitement, as well as add to the overall mystery that initially surrounded the film. However, the constant and aggressive shaking of the camera can sometimes become a little overwhelming, even if it does result in some thrilling action scenes. The film obviously also doesn’t have an original score due to its found-footage style.

Another element of the film I quite is the design of the monster, as the design seen throughout the film is very original and really gives off a powerful and intimidating feel, which does enhance the film’s visuals. However, one element of the visuals I don’t enjoy is the film’s colour palette, as it can make the film feel a little too much like a typical action blockbuster or cliché horror at points.

The film does also have plenty of memorable moments throughout, as the film’s narrative goes on, New York City becomes more and more destroyed. This allows our group of characters to make their way through the monster’s path of destruction, avoiding dangerous areas and making fantastic use of the large sets and CG effects the film presents on-screen.

In summary, I quite enjoy ‘Cloverfield,’ although it’s now become part of a strange almost anthology-like film franchise with the likes of ’10 Cloverfield Lane’ and ‘The Cloverfield Paradox.’ The initial idea of a simple found-footage monster film always intrigued me, and I’m happy to say director Matt Reeves, producer J.J. Abrams and writer Drew Goddard all did a decent job here, as even though weak characterisation and overly shaky cinematography do let the film down somewhat, great tension building as well as the film’s superb level of realism and some brilliant creature designs, keep the film interesting enough to enjoy. Final Rating: 7/10.

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