Mini-Reviews

Ma (2019) – Mini-Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

“How Does It Feel to Be On the Outside Lookin’ In? – Sue Ann Ellington

The 2019 psychological horror Ma, directed by Tate Taylor (The Help, The Girl on the Train, Ava), follows an isolated veterinary assistant who generously invites a group of jaded teenagers into her home to party away from prying eyes, yet discreetly harbours a sinister motive for doing so.

While Octavia Spencer admittedly delivers a committed, unsettling performance, the film’s underbaked ideas, lifeless teenage characters and total lack of suspense keep it from living up to its simple premise. With futile scares and a superficial exploration of childhood trauma and revenge, Ma flunks as the chilling character study it so desperately wants to be. Rating: 2/10.

Host (2020) – Mini-Review

/ Joe Baker / Leave a comment

“Haley, Honestly, if I Die… I’m Going to Haunt You Myself.” – Emma

Co-written and directed by Rob Savage (Dashcam, The Boogeyman, Other Mommy), Host, released in 2020, transforms the isolation of the global COVID-19 pandemic into the perfect setting for a lean, nerve-shredding horror experience.

Filmed entirely over Zoom and following six friends whose online séance inadvertently unleashes a sinister entity, Host uses convincing performances, resourceful filmmaking and effective practical effects to fuel its relentless, real-time tension. It earns a place among the pandemic era’s standout releases while proving that strong imagination can outweigh a thin budget. Rating: 6/10.

Windfall (2022) – Mini-Review

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“Not Everyone Who Needs Help Is a Freeloader.” – The Wife

A restrained, slow-burning thriller that thrives on tension and dry humour, 2022’s Windfall uses its confined setting to build an increasingly uneasy atmosphere, centring on an amateur burglar whose plans to rob a wealthy CEO’s secluded holiday home are derailed when the owners unexpectedly arrive.

Anchored by compelling performances from Jason Segel, Jesse Plemons and Lily Collins, the film’s taut original score and Charlie McDowell’s Hitchcock-inspired direction keep the suspense simmering. Though its minimalist approach may leave some characters and ideas feeling underdeveloped, Windfall remains an absorbing thriller, in my eyes. Rating: 6/10.

Countdown (2019) – Mini-Review

/ Joe Baker / 1 Comment

“You Have More Computing Power in Your Pocket Than NASA Did When They Put a Man on the Moon, but You Use It for Mostly Texting and Facebook. This Is Why Humanity’s Doomed.” – Derek

Written and directed by Justin Dec (Rolling), Countdown, released in 2019, is an uninspired, jump-scare-reliant horror that continually takes itself far too seriously in spite of its ridiculous premise of an app that calculates how much time you have left before meeting your end at the hands of the ancient demon, Ozhin.

Lacking wit, suspense and pragmatic dialogue, Countdown plays on our modern-day fixation with smartphones and their associated apps without offering anything unique, frightening or thought-provoking, ironically encouraging its audience to disengage and simply scroll on their phones. Rating: 3/10.

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