A young woman and her estranged father fight to survive after being stranded on a remote mountainside during a winter storm.
Frost is a very dull and sluggish survival movie that shoehorns some horror elements during the final act, Devanny Pinn really tries her best with such a forgettable script. The best thing about this movie is the poster, it brings the impression you are going to watch a killer animal movie in this case a wolf but that’s really not what you get here. The movie only starts to get interesting right when it’s 10 seconds away from wrapping up, if you have seen a survival movie before you have already seen this one.
Frost is available on all VOD platforms.
1/10 F
A man and his young daughter can’t believe their luck when they inherit a sprawling mansion on the same day of their eviction. Upon arrival, they soon discover a cute little ghost that has been trapped in a mirrored prison for 50 years.
Ghoster is pretty much if Hallmark decided to make a Casper ripoff, despite it not being a Hallmark movie it definitely has the atmosphere and feel of one. It plays out exactly how you would expect, there’s a lot of terrible dialogue, really poor CGI used on Ghoster that makes the CGI used back in 1995 for Casper seem far more realistic. Not much else to say here an overall bad movie.
A young woman must confront the sadistic, supernatural forces behind an enigmatic puzzle box responsible for her brother’s disappearance.
The Hellraiser series is one of those horror series that went completely downhill after the first two movies and never regained the quality it once had…until now. Hellraiser (2022) is the eleventh film of the franchise it serves as a reboot and when I mean reboot I mean a HARD reboot. It changes quite a lot from the original it keeps a lot of the main idea of the series but changes it into a more slasher like film (sure it can be argued that the series is a slasher series but this one there’s no denying it is) which the film completely nails. First off Odessa A’zion is absolutely fantastic here, she gives such a strong and hard hitting performance that really builds her character quite well, Jamie Clayton gives a hauntingly beautiful performance as Pinhead, she takes the character and makes it her own while keeping the haunting atmosphere that Doug Bradley’s version of the character had, she truly steps up the series and brings back the atmosphere of the character that’s been missing in the last several movies. David Bruckner does a wonderful job in the director’s chair the same techniques he used to make The Night House so haunting as well as beautiful are applied here, he truly knows how to create an atmosphere that’s both haunting and beautiful, while making the characters matter a lot more. It’s a night and day difference between the characters in this film and the ones from the last several movies. The ones in this movie have development and are actually very well written (outside of Nora), they have goals and character arcs as well. The characters in the last several movies are just there to be killed off or aren’t very interesting at all. Riley (Odessa A’zion) is such a well written character that there are a handful of scenes that are genuinely touching. The cinematography although at times is a bit too dark, is for the most part very well done and again captures the atmosphere of the original film. Overall Hellraiser (2022) is not only the best film of the franchise since the first two movies, it’s a genuinely really strong film that I do hope we see a follow up soon!
A writer’s perfectly crafted New York City life starts to unravel when a true-crime documentary forces her to confront her harrowing high school history and question the choices she made as a teenager.
Luckiest Girl Alive has the right material to be a really interesting movie on some very heavy subjects but the way the movie is crafted leaves it very disjointed. Mila Kunis does a really great job it’s definitely one of her best performances in awhile, the movie taking on subjects such as rape and school shootings comes as a surprise from this movie. On the surface it seems like it’s going to be another Netflix mystery movie that falls in line with what they usually release. But when these subjects do come up and are shown it comes as a shock, when the film does tackle these subjects it does a pretty good job of nailing down the point. However mixing these important subjects with a very subpar story is when the movie starts to fall apart, the cutting from the past and present is very messy plus it does not give the viewer nearly enough time to fully digest what exactly happened despite being almost two hours long. Lastly the movie juggles way too many ideas at once, between trauma, the mystery element, school shooting and rape it does well with certain ideas but leaves a lot more to be desired about others. Luckiest Girl Alive isn’t a bad movie it’s just a disappointing one that could have really been a home run.
West Point cadet Edgar Allan Poe and four other cadets on a training exercise in upstate New York are drawn by a gruesome discovery into a forgotten community.
Edgar Allan Poe horror movies aren’t a new concept, they have been around forever but often times it feels like the filmmakers want to do way too much with the subject rather than tell a simple story that scares the viewer or make a eerie atmosphere. Raven’s Hollow tries to do way too much, while there are some strong folklore horror elements as well as the setting becoming a bit haunting due to the atmosphere. The characters are very one dimensional and have very little to no character development, the creature itself is pretty neat and there’s some surprisingly gruesome deaths. But there really isn’t anything of substance to the movie, the movie actually reminds me of a weaker version of The Cursed a movie that came out earlier this year that I wasn’t a huge fan of. But at least that movie used it’s elements in more creative ways, Raven’s Hollow is just another Edgar Allan Poe movie that does nothing to standout.
When Clawdeen begins attending Monster High, she discovers a devious plot that would not only destroy her school, but it would also reveal her half-human, half-werewolf identity.
Oh man what is there to say here? I’m clearly not the target audience and I’m sure there’s kids out there who will like this fine enough, but this whole movie seems like Nickelodeon saw what Disney was doing with The Descendants and Zombies then tried to be exactly like that. Even though Monster High is based off of the fashion doll franchise from Mattel, it comes off as a horrible Descendants and Zombies clone. The only positive I can really give this movie is the cast were at least trying their hardest with what they were given, everything else from the songs that aren’t particularly memorable, the writing and the shoehorned villain makes for a bad kid’s movie that is a chore to sit through.
Monster High: The Movie is available on Nickelodeon and Paramount+
The counsellors at Pine Hills Summer Camp are getting the grounds ready for the upcoming summer season.
It’s sort of a shame how Don’t Fuck in The Woods 2 turned out, I actually enjoyed the first movie which came out in 2016. It was one of those so bad it’s hilarious movies that was quite entertaining, this one just sort of does what the first movie did only worse and nowhere near as funny. The first 40 minutes are nothing but painful jokes that don’t land at all, then the movie remembers it’s a horror movie and starts actually being one. There’s a few moments here that are quite hilarious but those are so far and few in between, it’s a very cliched straight to VOD slasher movie that really doesn’t amount to anything interesting or entertaining. There was definitely love put into the movie as the cast do seem like they had a blast, but that’s not enough to really keep the movie standing.
Don’t F*ck in The Woods 2 releases on October 11th on all VOD platforms.
1/10 F
A series of supernatural events reveals a dark truth behind a tormented teenager
Kind of amazing that Odessa A’zion is in one of the best horror films so far this year and also in one of the worst ones both of which came out on the same weekend. Outside of A’zion there is absolutely nothing here that stands out, the filming is hideous, the acting from everyone else is dreadful, the characters are poorly written, the writing is horrible with plenty of plot holes popping up every five seconds and the direction is very poor.
The Inhabitant is available on all VOD platforms.
1/10 F
A couple on the rocks are pulled along by absurdly wealthy strangers for a wine country getaway that turns into the most unhinged weekend of their lives.
Outside of Britt Rentschler’s performance this is a very empty comedy movie about rich people, it doesn’t say anything new or insightful about people’s fascination about rich people. It’s more of just a collection of unfunny jokes mixed with some very okay dramatic moments that really don’t take the story anywhere, the rest of the performances are mostly on the dull side as well as the characters not being well written at all. Had this been better written I definitely think something could have worked here, as it stands it’s very forgettable.
Pretty Problems is available on all VOD platforms.
A fictionalized chronicle of the inner life of Marilyn Monroe.
I do want to start this review out by saying that this film is not for everyone, which should be a given considering a lot of what the film contains. It’s a very depressing and dark film that really doesn’t hold back some of which I will be getting into. Also I want to point this out now because it’s not being said enough, Blonde is NOT a biopic it’s based off a book of the same name that came out in 2000 written by Joyce Carol Oates. It’s also a fictionalized take on Marilyn Monroe’s life and career. Although sadly some of the stuff in the film aren’t far from the truth such as the abuse she went through, to start off Ana De Armas is absolutely incredible as Marilyn Monroe, she truly captures a lot of Monroe’s actions, her voice and her overall personality. Which ultimately makes the film that much more tragic down the road, the use of black and white, cinematography and the editing are all quite fantastic. They create this nightmare inducing film that really hits the viewer harder and harder as it goes on. Each of the three create hauntingly stunning scenes that capture a lot of dread, tragedy and depression, from the very first scene the film establishes the tone and that the film isn’t going to sugarcoat anything. We see Norma Jeane Mortensen as a child and how the film sets up it’s start into a huge nightmare. As the film progresses we see a lot of abuse, many people treating Monroe like she isn’t human and so much more. Ultimately what Blonde is showing is a tragedy of someone who wants to make it big, how fame is truly evil and how the industry uses it’s actors or actresses. It’s to the point where it becomes a horror film about fame and how it can damage someone who simply just wants fame and to star on the big screen. The ending is truly depressing and wraps the film up as terrifying as it can be, Monroe was someone who did not have an easy life at all and there is much to this day we do not know about her and quite frankly we may never will. It’s a truly dark film that is going to stick with me for a very long time.
Hours after the tragic death of their youngest brother in unexplained circumstances, three siblings have their lives thrown into chaos. When the unexplained circumstances raise questions among them, they go in search of answers.
Athena is one of those films where after you finish watching it you sit in silence just thinking of what you just saw mainly due to how powerful and striking the film is. Talk about a film that is aiming to be as raw as possible, after a kid is killed by the police everything completely slams down in France, particularly in Athena where chaos, protests and violence take place. The cast is truly fantastic for starters each performance is as raw as they can possibly be it genuinely feels like you are watching chaos happen in real time, the cinematography combined with the setting and atmosphere is truly top notch. The film immediately brings the intensity from the beginning of the film and keeps it for the rest of the film, combine that with such a striking beginning and you truly have a film that is one of the best portrayals of a huge rebellion. The direction from Romain Gravras is truly raw in every single way possible, there’s this huge factor to it that really blends in with the rest of the film. It’s truly hard hitting film that you must experience for yourself.
Ambitious artist Jabari attempts to balance success and love after he moves into his dream Manhattan apartment and falls for his next-door neighbor.
Entergalactic is one of the most beautiful films so far of 2022, I didn’t know what to expect going into this film but wow this definitely impressed. The cast does quite a fantastic job particularly Kid Cudi, Laura Harrier and Jessica Williams, they all put their heart and soul into their roles and really make the characters all the more interesting. By far what sticks out the most is the imaginative and beautiful animation, it feels like a hybrid of 3D and 2D animation but done in such a unique looking way. It makes the film pop out really well and adds quite a lot of flavor to it, there’s certain scenes that completely take you into the film’s own little dream like setting and invests the viewer with it’s visual style. Although the story itself is a very simple love story that has been done before, it still ends up being incredibly charming Kid Cudi’s character Jabari is a character that the audience could easily see themselves as. He’s an everyday citizen who goes through some quite beautiful arcs, the cast easily connecting with their character is what really makes the film standout, there’s truly something wonderful when you see how effortlessly the cast can connect to their characters and create a story that’s truly investing. Lastly there’s the music that just feels like a natural fit to the film the film actually serves as a visual companion piece to Kid Cudi’s album of the same name, which I have to give credit where credit is due. The film manages to standout on it’s own while also being a companion piece. Overall Entergalactic is truly fantastic despite some familiar love story elements the film is truly well done. Check this one out.
Three young women accidentally bring back the Sanderson Sisters to modern day Salem and must figure out how to stop the child-hungry witches from wreaking havoc on the world.
Hocus Pocus 2 finally releases after several years of the being on those “sequels that should have been a thing by now but haven’t” lists, there’s honestly not a whole lot to comment on here as Hocus Pocus 2 is about the same as the original. Which might be good for people who absolutely adored the first movie, I was never a huge Hocus Pocus fan it’s a fun little movie but that’s all it really was for me. Hocus Pocus 2 falls in the same line, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are still quite fantastic as the Sanderson sisters and are clearly having a blast, the entertaining atmosphere is still quite great and keeps a lot of the atmosphere from the first one, the flaws mostly come from the characters and the jokes really not being as strong, I get they wanted to put in the whole modern setting idea in the movie and at times it works. But other times it really mirrors what a lot of other movies do with this exact plot line, so it definitely leads to a lot of “seen that and it’s been done better before” type of moments. The overall message is charming enough and there’s some cute moments towards the end that did put a smile on my face, there’s definitely some level of charm that went into this movie that can be appreciated. It just falls a little short of being a little too identical to the first movie.
Jerome Reviews... 