The Raid: An Action Movie Masterpiece

‘The Raid’ is an Indonesian Action Film, written edited and directed by Gareth Evans. The plot follows a highly trained group of police officers who try and infiltrate a tower block owned and controlled by a ruthless drug lord. Amongst these officers we have Rama (Iko Uwais), who is our main character, Rama has gone to the tower block to try and convince his brother Andi (Donny Alamsyah), to come home.

‘The Raid’ is a beautiful film for a lot of reasons, but for me the main one would be the fight choreography. The fight choreography on display here is some of the best I have ever seen. The fights look brutal and real, you can feel the pain and exhaustion coursing through the performances. There is a hallway fight sequence that is better than anything I have ever seen before, said sequence sees Rama take on a large group of gangsters and with sheer force of will takes them all out; this isn’t like fake looking action movies like ‘the Transporter’ where the enemies attack one at a time, no here it is much more hardcore and realistic.

It makes sense now after seeing this why the ‘John Wick’ series hired the actors from ‘The Raid’ for the third film in that series, because they are incredibly impressive. The Wick series is the only other current Western action film that I would say is on par with this film in terms of its fight sequences.

The plot of ‘The Raid’ is also wonderfully complex as nothing is how it appears to be. Other than main character Rama, who is our moral compass throughout the film, the other characters flirt between the side of good and the side of bad, giving the film an excellent sense of moral ambiguity. This is shown through Rama’s brother Andi who saves Rama’s life, but decides to stay behind at the end and take over the tower block and be the next gang leader.

Overall, I think this is a must watch for everyone not just die-hard action fans, it is so beautifully done that is marvellous to behold. ‘The Raid’ has become prolific within action cinema and has gone on to influence a lot of films in the genre and I believe for a good reason: this film is fantastic and deserves to be seen!

Pros.

The Acting.

The Fight Choreography.

Maintaining The Balance Between Brutal But Not Overly So.

The Moral Ambiguity.

Making Character You Care About.

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Creep: Another Comedian To Horror Maestro Success Story

‘Creep’ is an independent found footage psychological horror film directed by Patrick Brice. The narrative follows Aaron (Played by Brice), as a camera man who answers an online ad, to go and film Josef (Mark Duplass) for the day. As the day plays out Aaron quickly realises that Josef is not who he claims to be, and things take a turn for the worse.

I had heard praise for this film for quite some time, but for one reason or another I hadn’t got around to seeing it and now that I have, I can tell you it is terrific. Found footage as a genre as been done to death, no argument can be made that will convince me otherwise, with the likes of the Blair Witch revival and the continued Paranormal Activity franchise, I believed there was nothing left in this genre that could shock or perhaps scare me, I was wrong.

The reason why ‘Creep’ is scary is all down to the writing and the characterisation of Josef. When we are introduced to him, we are told he is a sick man with only a few weeks to live, this get us to feel sorry for him, as the film progress we see that he is a little odd, but crucially we still like him. Even in the films third act when everything has become very manic Josef is still treated like a sympathetic character that’s why Aaron goes to see him one last time.

The complete shifts in mood that Duplass so perfectly brings to the screen wherein we see Josef go from Sad to Manic to Evil are chilling. With the final reveal showing us that Aaron is not the first victim, but instead one of many, making you as an individual, question how you could be so wrong about a character as for the most part of the film you thought he was a likeable sympathetic character.

As I have said before in other reviews, I find mental illness and the threat humans poses to each other and man-made evil, much more frightening than a demon or a ghost. I believe 100% that it is this focus on a threat that is very real, something that could realistically happen to any of us at any time, that makes this film so scary.

A genuinely shocking horror film that showed me there was still some life in the found footage genre.

Pros.

The Novel Approach To Found Footage.

Duplass.

The Excellent Tension And Scares.

Making You Question Which Characters You Trust In Future.

Cons.

It’s A Little Bit Goofy At Times When It Shouldn’t Be.

Uncut Gems: Sandler’s Standout

‘Uncut Gems’ is a crime thriller film directed by the Safdie brothers. The plot revolves around a jeweler called Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) who due to his gambling addiction get in debt over his head to a loan shark and has to rely on a precious gemstone to pay off his debts.

This film has more in common with a tragedy than anything else, things always seem to go from bad to worse for Howard and though he is a despicable character in a lot of ways you still want to see him win- even if it is just once. As the film progress, Howard becomes a pathetically sympathetic character and you can’t help but root for him; this makes the abrupt and depressing ending both heart-breaking and unexpected.

‘Uncut Gems’ is a testament to Sandler as an actor. Yes, he is often the butt of the joke, but this film proves that when he is trying and has something good to work with, he can deliver a magnificent performance. Sandler loses himself in the role and other than one moment with a brief crass joke, that didn’t fit the tone, I viewed him as the character rather than Adam Sandler the actor playing a character.

Some sequences in this film possess a hypnotic dreamlike quality to them, which feels like something from a Nicolas Winding Refn film, whenever we get a sequence like this we are in for a treat. These sequences add a sense of very light fantasy to what is otherwise a deeply gritty film; they hint at a higher mythology.

The greatest asset of this film is its ability to create tension which it uses often and to great effect. There are some scenes where you will be on the edge of your seat, to use that rather trite bit of hyperbole. You will feel yourself tighten up as you know something bad is about to happen it is just a matter of what and when.

Overall, this film is a triumph of filmmaking, it is a damn shame it wasn’t nominated for anything at the Oscars as this film is truly deserving. Hopefully, this film will convince Adam Sandler to dedicate more of his time to serious film project rather than films where he talks about poo; admittedly these can be good look at ‘Big Daddy’, but they are also typecasting him as an actor. I think this film should be seen as it is a joy to watch- prepare to cry at the end though.

Pros.

The Direction.

The More Dreamlike Sequences.

Sandler.

The Great Sense Of Tension.

The Heart-Breaking Ending.

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

True Romance:A Story Of Love and Crime

‘True Romance’ is a romantic crime film, written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The plot follows an ex call-girl called Alabama (Patricia Arquette), and her husband Clarence (Christian Slater), as they go on the run from the mob after Clarence accidentally steals a large amount of cocaine from Alabama’s ex pimp.

This film feels very Tarantino esque despite only being written by him, all the hallmarks by which we would come to know his work are all present here; much like all of his pictures this film is glorious. Yes, my thoughts on current Tarantino have been noted in previous reviews, I don’t think he has made a film that was of the same caliber as his early works since ‘Django Unchained’ back in 2012; I think he is on the decline as a director.

The tone of the film again is familiar to Tarantino fans as it has moments of extreme darkness and moments of levity, it has moments of gritty realism and moments of fantasy oddness. One such odd detail which also happens to be one of my favourite bits of the film is how Clarence has Elvis (Val Kilmer) as an imaginary friend; a lot of these wacky details add to the film’s manic sensibilities.

That said the film also pulls off slow meaningful moments well, there are a lot of scenes between Alabama and Clarence that have genuine warmth and emotion to them. The relationship between the two grows throughout the runtime of the film in a real and organic way; you can feel the love they have for each other.

The performances in this film are also excellent, Slater and Arquette do a great job as the leads, but the supporting cast also give great turns. The late James Gandolfini is terrific as a mob hitman called Virgil, though his character isn’t in it a huge amount he shines with what he has. There is a brutal fight scene between his character and Alabama and the monologue that Gandolfini delivers before and during it can only be described as chilling.

Christopher Walken is also instantly memorable as Don Vincenzo Coccotti. Though Walken’s character only has a scene he brings such a presence to the screen such as sense of gravitas that he is immediately captivating.

Overall, this film is phenomenal it a testament to Tarantino as a screen writer as it is a film that features a lot of characters, but each one feels unique and special.

Pros.

Tarantino Magic.

Great Leads In Slater And Arquette.

Gandolfini Is A Scene Stealer.

So Is Walken.

Cons.

A Little Slow At Times.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Cam: Often Extreme

‘Cam’ is a psychological horror film about cam girl Lola_Lola (Madeline Brewer), who one day finds that her account has been taken over by a girl who looks like her, a double: she then races to try and regain control of her account and stop the damage the double is doing to her life.

‘Cam’ is an uncomfortable watch that is the best way to describe it. It has many scenes that will make your skin crawl and will repulse you. There is a scene in the film’s third act where Lola, or Alice as that is her non-cam name, repeatedly hits a table with her face breaking her nose: there are minutes in this sequence where we can see her nose literally hanging off her face. I am not opposed to gore in any way, I love the work of Eli Roth, but there is something about this part of the film that made me feel sick. That is my main complaint with this film, it often goes too far.

The same can be said with the cam scenes themselves which again sometimes go a little far and border on soft-core porn. I understand that the writer of this film was a cam girl herself at one stage in her life and wanted to originally make this film a documentary, but even still.

Brewer plays both of the personas really well; I mean both Lola and her double as well as Alice and Lola. Throughout the course of the film you start to care for her and fear for her as she is in real danger. The threats in this film aren’t always what you would expect them to be: this isn’t a film like ‘US’ where the double try and get rid of the person, rather the threats come from the world of the cam girls. By that I mean the people who are paying them, some of Alice’s clients become quite threatening towards her and it makes you think about what would drive someone to willingly put themselves in danger like that.

As strange as it might be to say about a film revolving around cam girls, this film really makes you think. The interesting thing for me is that the double isn’t the antagonist of the film not really, the real antagonist of the film seems to be the clients and the world of camming which for me makes the film far more interesting. This is not an easy film to watch, but if you do manage to sit through it there are some fascinating ideas being floated around.

Pros.

Making The World The Threat.

Brewster.

A Great Sense Of Tension.

Some intriguing Ideas Being Explored.

Cons.

A Little Too Graphic For Me, In Multiple Regards.

The Lighthouse: Descend Into Madness

‘The Lighthouse’ is a psychological horror film: the plot follows two lighthouse keepers Ephraim (Robert Pattinson), and Thomas (Willem Dafoe), who become stranded on an island and slowly begin to question reality and descend into madness.

‘The Lighthouse’ is a hard film to review, I’ve seen it a few times now, and I still don’t understand what is going on. To some, this will add to the joy of the film others will say that is pretentious and up its own arse; I personally would live by the rule if you liked the ‘VVitch’ you will like this. Personally, for me, the ‘VVitch’ is in my top 3 films, and I like Eggers style I like how there are multiple layers to his work that you can sit and think about after the credits roll. I think he is very novel in his approach to not only horror but, cinema as a whole as well.

That said, while I think this film is strong, I don’t think it is as strong as the ‘VVitch’. Eggers first film to me was the perfect storm then right cast, the right setting and the occult and witches are always a great mix. However, this time around something is missing that I can’t quite put my finger on.

It certainly isn’t the setting as I found the bleak deserted island to be haunting which made for a very oppressive atmosphere. I don’t think this film is scary, at least not in the traditional sense, but it is unsettling and creepy throughout; which I enjoyed. A lot of the answers that you can draw from some of the films moments certainly suggest a lot of scary things. Also, what is more, frightening than the idea of madness slowly creeping into your mind?

It isn’t the performances either as both leading men give it their all. Pattinson plays the quiet loner type well and, can also be suitably threatening when the time calls for it. However, his manic performance is upstaged in near every way by Willem Dafoe. Dafoe’s Thomas is a man obsessed with the light, what he sees in the light is never revealed, as such his crazed performance is both captivating, but also somewhat endearing. It is strange as the film devolves into both men being antagonist towards the other and then trying to kill each other, the only one I was rooting for was Dafoe.

The horror themes explored is where I find myself preferring the ‘VVitch’, I think. This film explores the ideas of obsession, isolation and Sea Legends, so things like Mermaids. While I think these are good, they can’t seem to top the ending of Eggers debut film with the devil appearing to tempt Thomasin.

Overall this isn’t the sort of horror film that will have mass appeal if you liked Eggers other work you will like this. A very hard film to score indeed.

Pros.
The Novel Approach.
The Acting.
The Atmosphere.
The Creep Factor.

Cons.
It Can’t Best The ‘VVitch’.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Veronica: The Devil Is In The Detail

‘Veronica’ is a Spanish supernatural horror drama film based loosely off the 1991 Vallecas Case, in which Estefania Guitierzzez Lazaro died strangely after using a ouija board. The film follows the standard possession storyline with the entity growing in strength over time and gaining more of a grip over the girl.

The film is not based 100% on the case as the lead girl is instead called Veronica (Sandra Escacena), and a lot of the events are played up to increase the potential of the scares. However, the case is used as a means to frame this film with a sense of realism.

I had heard a lot of people talking about this film before I saw it, they were all saying good things not just about ‘Veronica’, but about Spanish horror as a whole, which is a rising force in the genre. While this film might not be the scariest film of the year, it is certainly unsettling. This is in large part a result of the style of the film which is quite unlike a lot of other possession films I have previously seen. Whatsmore, the design of the spirit or demon is surprisingly refreshing; it looks both creepy and original.

The scares in this film strong, especially as when it focuses on the Mayan influences and the ideas surrounding the eclipse. When ‘Veronica’ is at its best is when it is being original and novel. The issue with this film is that these bits are few and far between. A lot of this film is very generic and predictable- the story of a girl being possessed by a demon after playing with a Ouija board has been done time and time again. Though this film has creative aspects, it simply isn’t enough to disguise from its average whole.

The acting is mostly good, Escacena is likeable enough and you want to see her beat the demon. Her relationship with her siblings is endearing and the final sacrifice not only makes sense but has emotional weight. That is the best bit about this film; the ending. It chooses to have the protagonist lose which is in keeping with the actual case, but it is still a brave move and one you don’t see coming.

Overall, this film has some moments of real inspiration and has some genuinely good scares, but it is not enough to get over the very average premise that has been done thousands of times before. Still worth checking out.

Pros.
Originality.
Creature Design.
A Good Lead Performance.

Cons.
Average Premise.
It Is Bound By The Fact That It Is Based on True Events.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Ring: Remaking The Japanese Classic

‘The Ring’ is a supernatural horror film serving as a western retelling of the J Horror masterpiece Ringu. The film stars Naomi Watts as Rachel Keller, a journalist who investigates a killer videotape that supposedly kills you in seven days; the more she dives into the mystery surrounding this tape the more she learns of the ungodly activities that made it in the first place.

Before we get started, I just want to say that I didn’t find this film scary. No, it isn’t because I think the horror elements are weak rather that when I was young, I use to watch the hell out of the ‘Scary Movie’ films and, the third film serves as a parody of this film and, I can’t unassociate the two in my head; I can’t think of one without thinking of the other, so it isn’t scary for me.

There will be a group of people who won’t like this film, not because of its quality, but because they see this after yet another remake of a foreign language horror film and, that we don’t need this film when we have the fantastic Japanese original that we can all watch. To that, I would say both are good, the original the better but, this film still has great moments.

The horror elements are strong, I especially love the inescapable capture of the curse itself; even at the end of the film when Rachel thinks she’s beaten it, she hasn’t. Thus the futility of the characters’ struggles makes this film far more interesting to me.
Moreover, the mystery aspects of the film are also surprisingly strong, you come for the creepy ghost girl scares, you stay for the gripping mystery behind the tape that leaves you with more questions than answers.

The actors all do a serviceable job but, their characters are left weak and, underdeveloped; they fall prey to what is extensively the crux of the horror genre, the decision to either focus on the characters who are being scared or, the scares themselves. A lot of horror films this one included decide to focus more on the monster, to establish them, this can lead to some incredibly memorable villains: but the heroes are usually left flat. ‘Sinister’ a film that is quite similar to this is a great example of what I’m talking about: the film spends a lot of time telling you about Bughull and, his mythology but, then tells us very little about Ethan Hawke’s protagonist aside from a few details about his family and, that he is a true-crime writer.

Overall this is a very good western adaption of a Japanese classic, the scares and, mythology are fantastic and, add many extra layers of detail to the film. The one fault is that the protagonists who you’re supposed to root for are as blank as a piece of paper.

Pros.
Good Scares
Good Mythology
Well Adapted

Cons.
Focusing on the scares and the monster to the detriment of the hero.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Last Exorcism: A Preacher Heads Down To Louisiana

‘The Last Exorcism’ is a found footage supernatural horror film about Preacher Cotton Marcus, (Patrick Fabian), a man who has lost his faith in exorcism after reading about how a young boy lost his life during one, as a result of this Cotton tries to make a documentary film exposing the practice for the sham he believes it to be. While doing this Cotton meets Nell, (Ashley Bell), a young woman who believes she is possessed by the Devil.

‘The Last Exorcism’ is special, in a sea of possession film each more alike than the next this film stands out and, it is not just because it has a unique gimmick in its documentary-style as this was during the found footage craze, no no the thing that makes this film so good is that for a good 85% of the film you don’t know whether Nell actually is possessed or if she has been the victim of abuse and, as a result, is mentally unwell.

The horror sequences in the film are incredibly strong, Horror Master Eli Roth was heavily involved with the making of this film and, it is clear to see. However, this film does not suffer from Roth’s, often criticised, overuse of gore; instead, it builds its scares through character and, the atmosphere.

Said characters are well done mainly Cotton, Nell and, Nell’s father Louis, (Louis Herthum), are the ones I would single out for praise. Fabian makes for an excellent preacher as well as a conman he also delivers a masterful performance in the film’s third act when his faith is proven to be true; he makes for a thought-provoking lead. Bell does incredibly well in her portrayal of Nell capturing her childlike innocence but, also being a believable physical threat in the possession sequences being not only creepy but, menacing as well; which makes for a nice duality.
Herthum’s praise comes as a result of a sequence when he pursues Cotton and, co around the farm with a gun this one sequence is more tense and, nervewracking then all the possession scenes that follow; which isn’t to say they aren’t scary as well.

The ending of the film as well also helps to add a nice sense of hopelessness to the film, suggesting the idea that no matter what Cotton did it was always going to end the same way; which personally I greatly enjoyed.

Overall this is an underrated horror gem, often discounted by people thinking, “oh this is just another possession film”, but if you watch this film and, give it a chance you will see that it is one of the finest horror films of recent memory.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Black Christmas (2019): The Nightmare Before Christmas

‘Black Christmas’ is a slasher horror film, serving as the second remake of the 1970’s original. The plot follows a group of sorority sisters as they’re preyed upon by an unknown stalker.

I will say this before I get into my full review I hated this film, It may well be my worst film of the year.

My first issue with this film is that it is not a slasher film, it is misleading to call it that this is a social commentary film that has about 15 minutes of slashing in it. The film serves as a look into abuse culture, especially as it pertains to American fraternities and Universities in general.

The sexual abuse theme in this film is uncomfortable if it was handled with the slightest amount of subtly or, taste then ‘Black Christmas’ could really have advanced a much-needed conversation, but that is just it this film lacks any kind of subtly and, the way it chooses to handle this topic serves to make you uncomfortable and, want to leave.

What’smore I never have an issue with political agenda in film, but it is so offensively intrusive here that it can’t help but turn you off the film. It seems like every other line one of the paper-thin characters are saying something political and, feminist, which again would be completely fine if handled tastefully, but it is not. These lines of dialogue feel forced in for the sake of it without actually having anything to say, which if anything serves to weaken the ideas behind what they are saying. A lot of the time it is as though they are just shouting out talking points from the news which really take you out of the film.

The issue with the script is that it feels like a first draft, by that I mean it doesn’t feel like it has been refined at all, the needless politicalness isn’t as clever, or as poignant as the filmmakers clearly think it is; as I said before if anything films like this are doing a disservice to the causes and, the issues they’re trying to champion.

Blumhouse really needs to rethink its approach, they use to be one of the strongest forces in horror, but now they are putting out bomb after bomb, a lot of the recent Blumhouse films feel like they’re trying too hard to be relevant and, because it is so obvious it is offputting.

Ultimately this film feels like it needed more time in development it needed someone to rein in the creatives and, be like maybe don’t do that, but the worst thing about this film is it is misleading, it isn’t a slasher film and, if I had known what it was actually about I wouldn’t have gone to see this; let this be a lesson for Blumhouse.

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke