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

Operation Finale: The Harshness of a 122 minute runtime, done badly

Operation Finale is a historical drama about the hunt for and, eventual capture of infamous Nazi Adolf Eichmann by Israeli Mossad agents; based somewhat on the memoir of Peter Malkin.

The premise for this film is intriguing there aren’t that many films detailing the fallout of World War 2 or, the hunt to capture the remaining Nazi officers who fled. So this one feels unique. However, despite the novelty of the film feeling like something I hadn’t seen before, it still came across as uninspired.

Once the film gets going and, we see the agents in Argentina hunting down and, capturing Eichmann there is a fantastic sense of dread and, tension as if you know something bad is going to happen; with every second before they get on the plane feeling tense.

This is greatly helped by Kingsley’s performance as Eichmann, Kingsley perfectly captures the role flirting with both desperation and, intense malice at times. There is something about Kingsley’s performance that makes your skin crawl.

However, the rest of the cast are so bland and, forgettable, you can’t remember a single one of their names after the credits roll, dragging down the film as a whole. Oscar Issac as Peter Malkin is serviceable, but not in any way good, anyone could have played that role and captured the same lifeless performance that Issac gives and, we know he is capable of giving a good performance. On top of this, we have Nick Kroll, of Uncle Drew and Big Mouth fame, as Rafi Eitan, in this film he plays it straight; he is not the comedic relief. This serious turn from Kroll is in a word jarring: because a lot of the time his performance doesn’t match that of the other actors as he can’t quite land the serious delivery.

The most offensive thing about Operation Finale is its runtime of 122 minutes; which feels oppressively long. The main story of the film might take up about an hour and a half at most; the rest of the film consists of subplots, that I suppose are intended to develop the characters and, their motivations, but instead just drag on and on. Ultimately that is the crux of the issue with this film, it can’t make the audience care about its characters, they remain tepid and, non-substantial throughout the film.

Despite my issues with the film, I am glad it got made as it is an important film and it is nice to see these brave men and women get their moment in the light, however they deserved better than this bland cookie-cutter historical drama treatment.
2.5/5

Knives Out: It’s All About The Doughnut Hole

Knives Out is a murder mystery film, which positions itself as a fresh take on the WhoDunit genre. The plot follows a family gathering that goes off the rails when the Grandfather is found dead; was it foul play? That is what we need to find out.

Rian Johnson, of The Last Jedi and Lopper fame, writes and directs this film and, he does both well. Johnson’s signature subversion of expectation is in full effect here, however unlike in the Last Jedi where it feels out of place and almost deliberately antagonistic, in Knives Out Johnson uses this technique to enrich and enhance the mystery to great effect.

Nothing is straight forward in this film, which makes it a good mystery film, the trailers paint a very different film to the one you get. Furthermore, throughout the film, you will think the story is going one way only to have it veer off drastically in another direction. Most of the times this works really well, keeping you guessing, bringing more and more tension; however, some of these twists seem a little far fetched and seem like just an effort pad out the plot, which doesn’t help pacing.

The wider cast is not as involved as the trailer suggests them to be, with Knives Out instead really focusing on Ana de Armas’ Martha, Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc and to an extent Chris Evan’s as the Grandson Ransom. The rest of the cast each get their moment to shine, but other than that all have very little screen time. Knives Out is extensively a film about Martha, a character who is forced to go through a lot and do a lot, the film explores whether a change in financial standing can change a person, or if they will still be the same good person.

The master detective Blanc is Craig’s finest performance to date, he fully loses himself in the role, elevating it to an unforeseeable level. Craig goes fully manic towards the end of the film and, it is one of the best scenes I’ve seen all year; when you see it you will know which scene I mean.

Evans’ doesn’t have the biggest part, and the only reason I bring him up is that this is his first performance outside of the MCU in recent years and, it does very little for me; this does not make me think that Evans’ has any real acting talent, as his role could be played by anyone.

My only strong negative of the film is that there is a scene where all the characters gather together and discuss politics, this scene serves to show where on the political spectrum each character falls. To me there was no need for this scene as it felt preachy, it took me out of the film and felt like I was having headlines read to me; plus as someone who is not from the USA, I have very little interest or, care in American Political matters and, this scene left a sour taste in my mouth.

Overall 90% of this film is good if it wasn’t for some poorly written weak characters and, some needlessly forced politics, then I would give it full marks, but alas I can’t change what it is.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Good Liar: Magneto In Retirement

The Good Liar is a crime thriller, based on the book of the same name. The plot sees Roy Courtnay, played by Ian McKellen, a con man, start a relationship with Betty McLeish, played by Helen Mirren; all as a ploy to rob her blind.

Two things before we get into the review, firstly there will be spoilers here, to talk about this film and give my thoughts I need to discuss the twist. Secondly, I haven’t read the book the film adapts.

Straight from the off you know that there is more to Helen Mirren’s character then there appears to be, she is clearly not the clueless old women we are supposed to believe she is. So when it turns out that she was playing Roy all along, literally no one the audience will be surprised.
However, though the twist is obvious, the incredibly dark context behind it isn’t. The reason why Betty turns on Roy is because he isn’t actually Roy Courtnay at all, and Betty McLeish isn’t who she claims to be either. Roy swapped identities with a British soldier during the final days of World War 2 after said soldier was killed hunting down a Nazi war criminal. Roy’s real name is Hans Taub, a German man who had raped Betty, really name Lili, shortly before the war. The whole events of the film had been a setup to pay back Hans/Roy for the sins of his past.

The twist works incredibly well in this context because it is so shocking and dark. The film up until this point had been relatively light and, so this twist greatly shifts the tone and ramps up the tension for the final stretch of the film. Russel Tovey’s Steven does this masterfully, Steven is the grandson of Mirren’s character and, we learn from the beginning that he is mistrustful of Roy. Then when he shows up on their Germany trip and takes them to an abandoned house, you know something is about to happen and, you’re gripped with suspense.

Mirren and McKellen both do fantastic jobs, they really masterfully lead this film showing why they’re both industry giants. McKellen especially is fantastic as he can go from a likeable old man to a harden bloodthirsty criminal in a split second, in what can only be described as a masterclass.

The Good Liar is a fantastic mystery film with a marvellous sense of suspense. Both of its leads are electric, and it’s nice to see elder actors headlining films. If you’re looking for a mystery that will keep you guessing right up till the end then look no further than this. The obviousness that Mirren’s character isn’t all shes meant to be, does somewhat ruin the surprise, so I can’t give this film top marks.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

In the Tall Grass: Getting Lost in the Weeds

In the Tall Grass is a supernatural horror film based on the work of Stephen King and his son Joe Hill. The plot follows a brother and sister who get lost in a field of tall grass and go missing. Then the boyfriend of the sister shows up to try and find out what is going on.

If the plot sounds uninspired, that’s because it is, it takes elements from a lot of other science fiction and, horror films and blends them into something that didn’t need to be made. King’s work is currently in demand, with all of his novels and novellas getting the big-screen treatment. However, as the saying goes, “they were too busy thinking about it they could they never thought about if they should”. This film proves that and then some.

In the Tall Grass seems like something that could work well as a 20-minute short film, but there isn’t enough material to stretch it to feature-length. As such we get long drawn out sequences of the characters in the tall grass just roaming around, not doing much of anything, these are supposed to be tense, but they feel like padding.

When watching the film, you can’t help but compare it to other films that have similar concepts, but that have used them in much better ways. An example of this is the idea of time loops, which is a third act twist. In the Tall Grass uses this Science Fiction staple in the laziest possible way, with everything from Groundhog Day to Happy Death Day using it better.

Most tragically of all is while watching this film I kept being reminded of King’s infinitely better film The Children of the Corn; which I would say plays heavy influence here. The issue with this is you can’t help but, think how much better that film is than this; it is not a favourable comparison.

What’s more, the acting is abysmal being so bad that I can’t remember a single character name or, motivation. They’re incredibly one-note and generic being little more than dull, fleshy characters who run around aimlessly and scream at things to remind us they’re scary. How this film managed to sign Patrick Wilson, of The Conjuring fame, onboard is anyone’s guess; this film is a blemish on his otherwise pretty stellar filmography.

Finally and perhaps worst of all, the film isn’t scary. When you watch a Stephen King film, you expect a certain standard of creepiness and scares; King has written some of the most chilling novels of the 20th and 21st century, but that doesn’t show here. The real terror of In the Tall Grass is just how boring, dull and repetitive it is; that is enough to keep anyone up for weeks.

Further proving the low standards Netflix has when it comes to green-lighting projects, In the Tall Grass is a bargain bin horror/ thriller, along the same lines as Sharknado or, other trash; though In the Tall Grass is somehow worse than these films. Another Netflix film to avoid.

1/5
Reviewed by Luke

Doctor Sleep: The Sequel King and Kubrick Wanted!

Doctor Sleep is a supernatural horror film, based on the Stephen King book of the same name. Doctor Sleep follows on from the events of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film the Shining and follows an adult Danny Torrence, (Ewan McGregor), who has been scared and broken after the events at the Overlook Hotel; the ghosts still haunt Danny, both literally and figuratively, and he has all but, stopped using his ‘Shine’.

The Plot follows Danny as he tries to come to terms with what happened to him and move past it, it does to a degree until follower Shiner Abra Stone, (Kyleigh Curran), bursts into his life. Abra is the target of a group of beings who feed off the souls of shiners, with her powers drawing them ever closer.

First thing first I loved his film, and I will get to that, but I want to talk about the one negative that bothered me about the film. Said negative is the de-aged characters, through the film, there are several flashbacks to the events of The Shining, but the original cast don’t reprise their roles. This change in actors did distract me and take me out of those scenes; with them being more than a bit jarring.

That said everything else about the film is a triumph, Doctor Sleep manages to be a sequel not only to the Stanley Kubrick film but also to Stephen King’s The Shining. Both of these version of the story are very different, with some people liking one more than the other. However, Doctor Sleep manages to do both versions justice and be a worthy follow up.

Furthermore, it’s nice to see how the events of The Shining affected Danny, and see how he has lived with his abilities since then. McGregor does a great job showing us this, as we can see just how damaged he is, but he is still sympathetic and believable as the hero. It’s nice to see him take on a mentorship role to Abra, just like Dick Holloran to him.

Carrying on from that one of the best things that Doctor Sleep does is build the world of The Shining, it highlights what the shine is and what it can do, and how different people have a variety of shine based abilities and use them for varying odds and ends. Danny’s shine was always the most interesting part of the original narrative and, I’m glad to see it explored in more detail here.

Finally, the best part of the film is Rebecca Ferguson’s villain, Rose. Rose is the leader of True Knot, the evil group hunting down Abra. Ferguson plays this evil manic pixie girl to perfection, easily being one of the best and most memorable antagonists of 2019. She is a scene stealer.

Overall, Doctor Sleep is a worthy follow up to one of the all-time horror greats, which is no mean feat. The narrative fits perfectly into the ending of The Shining and makes it feel like required viewing, which if you like horror films, Ewan McGregor, or Rebecca Ferguson it is.

4.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Terminator Dark Fate: A Dark Day Indeed

*Spoilers

Terminator Dark Fate is the latest film in the Terminator series. Taking place in a world where Sky-Net was defeated, but the future threat still lingers in the form of Legion, the new evil machines.

To get the thing I hated the most about this film off my chest first, before I get into the review, the first ten minutes of this film kills off John Conner. Conner has been a staple of the franchise since Terminator 2 and is a favourite fan character. The death is such a massive slap in the face, as it makes all the previous film redundant and removes a beloved character simply to drive the plot forward; if they were going to handle it like this, they might as well have killed him off-screen.

We get a new hero in the form of Dani Ramos, (Natalia Reyes), who is everything John Conner was, which makes the need to kill him off seem even more needless. Dani, for the most part, is bland and inoffensive, she doesn’t induce any form of reaction good or, bad she’s just there. She is out shadowed by nearly every other member of the cast. Furthermore, and this isn’t a problem unique to this film, it baffles me to see these characters beat up villains twice their size and weight; it is as though no thought has been put into it at all.

The returning cast of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, as the T-800 and Sarah Conner respectively, are the best part of the film; despite only being brought back to encourage fan nostalgia. It is nice to see where Sarah Conner is mentally in a world after Judgement day. With Schwarzenegger being the life and soul of the film, much like he was in Genesis; proving that ultimately these are his films. The ending tries to send his character off on a high note but, ends up feeling more than a little inspired by the end of T2

The new protector Grace, (Mackenzie Davis), is also great. Her backstory is well done, and she provides an insight into what life in this post-apocalyptical world is like. Her character greatly upstages Ramos, which is a shame as they’re so tied together. I genuinely believe Grace would have been a better protagonist.

Overall this film has its moments, but nothing can make up for the decision to kill John Conner. Dark Fate is a nice if unnecessary epilogue to the series, it should not start a new trilogy if anything it should end it. It’s not the worst film in the series, but also far far away from the high point. Depending on his involvement in this, Dark Fate makes me actively worried about James Cameron’s Avatar sequels; if this is the sort of film, he releases these days.

Not worth watching at the cinema unless you’re a huge Terminator fan, wait for it to come out on streaming if you must see it. It is a dark day in the series, but not the darkest possible Fate for it.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Day Shall Come: Behold Your Messiah Is Here

The Day Shall Come is a dark comedy thriller, written and directed by Chris Morris, of Four Lions fame. The plot follows Moses Al Shabaz, (Marchant Davis), as a preacher who hates the way society does things and voices idea of rising against the Government. Throughout the film, we are shown that Moses thinks he is on a divine mission and believes that God is on his side; though everyone else thinks he’s delusional. The events of the film begin when Moses community centre is closed, and his landlord asks for radioactive materials to keep it open. Meanwhile, the FBI is looking for new targets, people they can lock up for terror charges, and they set their sights on Moses thinking him unstable.

The beauty of a Chris Morris script is that even though Moses and his crew do things that would make anyone else the villain in the narrative, like buying guns off Isis, here we see it twisted. Moses and his friends think they’re getting one over on both sides and it’s all one big trick. Because of this, we still root for Moses throughout, because, in his own manic way, he is incredibly likeable.

On the flip side of this Morris criticises the processes of the FBI showing how they would go to any length to arrest someone for terrorism so that they can get a promotion; even literally giving them a nuke. The FBI character we follow is Kendra Glack, (Anna Kendrick), who unlike her superiors starts to see throughout the film just how ridiculous the whole process is.

If you have seen Four Lions or, any of Chris Morris’ other work you know that he likes to cover important real-world topics and draw out the absurdity in them. Taking narratives that would otherwise be very dark and heavy and making surreal comedy gold.

Davis does a fantastic job making Moses likeable and sympathetic despite being a terrible person; we can see his good intentions. He is equally as terrific delivering serious dialogue as he is having a conversation with his horse; that he thinks can talk.

Kendrick, on the other hand, plays the same character she always does, you can picture in your head what I mean, but she is still likeable all the same; if a little bland. A lot of her FBI colleagues outshines her, particularly her boss Andy Mudd, (Denis O’ Hare), who gets all the best lines and steal the last third of the film.

Overall this isn’t a film for everyone. Some may not like its subject matter. Some might not like its breed of comedy. However, if this film appeals to you, then it is a blast of surreal comedy at its finest and the stuff of indie filmmaking legend. You won’t see anything else like this I can guarantee you that.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Official Secrets: What Is the Price of the Truth?

Official Secrets is a docudrama film, based around the life of whistle-blower Katherine Gunn, (Keira Knightly). The plot follows Katherine as she leaks secret government documents in an effort to stop the invasion of Iraq, and the after-effects following that decision.

Official secrets makes you question a lot of things, your ability to see right and wrong, your love of country, the very nature of whether all truths should be made public knowledge. The answers it gives aren’t good; they’re if anything troubling. This film shows that sometimes you need to take a stand and do what you think is right even if it puts you and your loved ones in danger; even if it makes you a traitor to your country.

The film and Knightly’s performance do a great job of investing you in Gunn’s journey; you root for her in this seemingly hopeless situation. There is even one incredibly well-crafted sequence that uses the tension of unannounced deportation so masterfully you can’t tear your eyes away.

What’s more, the film acts as a commentary on the state of the modern world, where governments can no longer be trusted and actively hold back the truth from the public, whether for good or, ill reasons. This film is significant as it shows how one person can stand up to a seemingly colossal institution and come out on top in the end.

Knightly’s performance isn’t the only excellent bit of acting on display in Official Secrets, as it also features a who’s who of famous British actors. Everyone from Matt Smith, of The Crown and Doctor Who fame, to Rhys Ifans and Ralph Fiennes bring something to the table; adding to the talent on hand. The performances of all four of these actors are great, but Smith and Ifans are the ones who stood out to me. Smith’s Martin Bright brings some levity to what is otherwise a very dark film, and he is also very likeable and a well-deserving secondary protagonist. Ifans’ Ed Vulliamy steals the scenes he is in, bringing a presence and charm that is hard to forget.

Overall the film is very timely and relevant, with the likes of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden, sometimes other lesser-known whistle-blowers slip through the cracks. So it is essential to watch this film and realise what Gunn sacrificed for us all, she stood up and tried to stop something she thought was wrong, and that is commendable and something we all should do in this modern world.

This is an important film made all the stronger by an engaging narrative and superb acting throughout. Very much a must-see.

4/5
Review by Luke

Ps. Remember,” The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”.