Month: May 2024

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Reviews Top Horror

Top ten underrated horror movies from the 2000s

1- Exhibit A (Dom Rotheroe, 2007) 

Exhibit A is a bleak, depressing exercise into nihilistic terrain as the film follows the King family, whose patriarch spirals after failed promotions and financial burdens. The film’s timely release circa the mid-late 2000s speaks to the detrimental economic climate the world was experiencing at the time. In this sense, Exhibit A delivers a cold, callous look into the societal landscape of the era, but with the guise of horror, adding a gritty, affective touch of dramatisation to the mix. Found footage has been around for decades (and then some more), and it seems that Exhibit A goes continuously unrecognised on a larger scheme, donning this chilling feature as an underrated gem. 

2- Alexandra’s Project (Rolf de Heer, 2003) 

Although Alexandra’s Project’s labelling as a ‘horror’ might be pushing the lines for those with strict definitions of the genre, it is undeniable that this Australian thriller makes for a horrifying watch. The film chronicles the breakdown of a man who seemingly has it all: a stellar career, adorable children and a supposed loving wife. However, the bliss is soon interrupted when he comes home one day and finds a barren house with a mysterious tape waiting to be played. The particularities of the film are a deliberate conundrum as the convoluted, non-linear, layered story unravels with such complexity, eventually breaking down everything you thought you knew about the world of this disturbing film. 

3- Taxidermia (György Pálfi, 2006) 

Describing this Hungarian horror comedy as anything less than bizarre, obscure, and a grotesque circus ride would be a disservice. This surrealist film embodies a chaotic fever dream that follows a parodic yet utterly unnerving retelling of Hungary’s political, cultural and social journey from WW2 to the contemporary period. The overtone of reciting the landscape of history may sound fairly intriguing, making for a potentially complex and possibly informative watch; however, Taxidermia offers a whole lot more than what its synopsis purports. The film is rife with some of the grossest body horror cinema has to offer; think if Cronenberg, Lynch and the whole of Troma Entertainment colluded to create one of the gnarliest visions they could ever conjure. 

4- Subconscious Cruelty (Karim Hussain, 2000)

With a title as brazen as Subconscious Cruelty, it is rather obvious what to expect throughout this extreme art house horror. This film is on the borderline of being quite difficult to sit through, what with the frame constantly being filled with graphic violence and torture that rivals the likes of the August Underground trilogy and the controversial and lovingly named Slaughtered Vomit Dolls (2008). The categorisation of Subconscious Cruelty, an anthology horror, bodes well to complement the twisted and maniacal nature of the content, offering the film somewhat of a layered aesthetic that allows some viewers to view the visuals in a more philosophical light. For instance, in each segment, aspects of nature, mother earth and religion are explored under the costumery of horror. Whichever opinion is formed after watching, one thing is certain – Subconscious Cruelty is completely thought-provoking. 

5- Creep (Christopher Smith, 2004) 

While the title Creep may immediately ring bells for fans of the 2014 Patrick Brice film, in this case, the ‘creep’ proprietary belongs to the 2004 British horror directed by Christopher Smith. The film follows a woman trapped with a monstrous humanoid on the London Underground after falling asleep, leading to a barrage of bloodied antics in the fight for survival. Although it may seem like a detriment, Creep is not necessarily a trailblazer in the genre, but it most definitely is a blast of frightening fun to watch, akin to that of nostalgic cinema where one can expect plenty of gory buffooneries and a tense battle to the death. 

6- Visitor Q (Takashi Miike, 2001)

Takashi Miike is no stranger to horror, with films such as Audition (1999), Ichi the Killer (2001), and One Missed Call (2003) lining his filmography. Nevertheless, as with any creator whose titles surpass 115 directorial credits, there is bound to be an entry that is a hidden treasure – for Miike, this feature is Visitor Q. The film details the lives of the Yamazaki family and their truly disorderly attitudes to life, graphically exhibiting depravity in the most vile ways possible. This standout Japanese horror is not for the faint and not to be missed. 

7- The Hamiltons (Michael Altieri and Phil Flores, 2006)

Michael Altieri and Phil Flores, also known as ‘The Butcher Brothers’ mid-2000s horror film The Hamiltons thrives on the dark secrets beyond the walls of Hamilton’s family home, with the film taking a gradual approach in revealing the big mystery as to why the brood feels a little strange. Whilst the intrigue around what skeletons lie in the closet best remains a secret for potential viewers, what can be commented on is the film’s rather emotive approach to what is quite a grizzly flick. The Hamiltons rides the waves of uniqueness, often going against the grain within its subgenre and offering a refreshing yet visceral journey into the plentiful frenzied events. 

8-  Bug (William Friedkin, 2006)

Despite having the legendary William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist (1973), at the helm of Bug, the film has gone under the radar over the years. This psychological horror presents the story of a couple who become convinced that their entire beings and surroundings are infected by bugs that have been deployed by the government to infest and infect as spies. The maddening concept is only the tip of the iceberg. Friedkin exacerbated the terror by incorporating a claustrophobic atmosphere into the film and enlisting brilliant and powerful performances from the leads, Michael Shannon and Ashley Judd. 

9- In My Skin (Marina de Van, 2002) 

French horror, particularly that from the New French Extremity reign, has come to be known as an entirely engrossing yet nauseatingly brutal and bloodied division of genre cinema. Marina de Van’s independent film In My Skin is no exception to this rule. As a baseline, the film follows de Van as the lead character who develops an obsession with self-mutilation, which eventually escalates into autocannibalism. In My Skin has received a cordial reputation amongst many, but it has yet to receive the wide acclaim and recognition that it so desperately deserves. 

10- Session 9 (Brad Anderson, 2001)

Session 9 defines itself as one of those horrors which can only be described as bone-chillingly unsettling, with the aura and atmospheric tone completely taking over the film and commanding a formidable power over the viewer. Not too heavy on jumpscares and boding its tension through engaging frights is a film which follows an asbestos cleaning crew who are faced with a job in an abandoned mental hospital, only to discover that the building’s poison runs far deeper than anyone could ever imagine. Session 9 thrives on the premise of isolation and eerie loneliness within the self, both through the film’s impressively intimidating setting and through the compelling performances from David Caruso, Stephen Gordon, Josh Lucas and Peter Mullan.

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Reviews

Review – The Strangers: Chapter 1

When Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers hit theatres in the spring of 2008, not many could guess that this fairly low-budget feature debut would become the iconic home invasion thriller that it is. Years later, the chilling hit was met with another sleeper success with The Strangers: Prey at Night (2018); now, 16 years later, horror fans have been met with the third and latest entry – The Strangers: Chapter 1. However, does this new housebreaking horror have what it takes to stand alongside Bertino’s brilliant original? 

Chapter 1 follows Maya (Madelaine Petsch), partner to Ryan (Froy Gutierrez), who together decide to up and move to the Pacific Northwest for a fresh start. Stranded after their car breaks down in the insular town of Venice, Oregon, they settle in for a night at a remote Airbnb. However, it is not long before the lodge is descended upon by a trio of formidable, masked intruders. 

The story itself is not necessarily groundbreakingly original, but there is a reason why the saying “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” exists; it is precisely this reason why Chapter 1 is granted some initial praise. Home invasion horror exudes an air of terror. The fear of safe spaces eroding and the threat of ruin where vulnerability thrives is what makes the subgenre so effective. Even in its most stripped-back form, the invasion trope is terrifying. Chapter 1’s take on this well-oiled subject is almost applaudable. Essentially, it ticks all of the boxes: rural location where no one can hear you scream, plenty of windows where the seeker has the advantage, and the most crucial point; the film showcases a long-running, frenzied cat and mouse chase. 

Sustaining the momentum is the film’s overall composition. The appearance itself, from the lighting to the set design, is measurably effective, with the cabin aesthetic creating some interesting crevices for the killers to hide, as well as honing in on that quintessential atmospheric quietness that projects from remote chalets. Still, the merits soon halt as the rest of the film suffers at the hands of its own unclear direction. Chapter 1 was largely marketed as a prequel, with even the trailer blasting the promise that the film would provide the chance to “witness how the Strangers became the Strangers”. Yet, any watcher of Chapter 1 will retrospectively state that the film is actually a relaunch of the original movie. 

Lionsgate has revealed that Chapter 1 is the first in a new ‘Strangers’ trilogy, with the other two films being shot concurrently with the first entry. The strategy behind the upcoming series is to launch the lore of The Strangers to new audiences. Whilst a level of excitement is owed at the thought of a new franchise development, it might’ve been worth creating a new, original string of home invasion horrors rather than rebooting a film which was made less than twenty years ago. Nevertheless, Hollywood prevails…

It is at this point where Chapter 1 shrivels. Indeed, the aesthetic and thematics of its subgenre stand tall and pack an effective surge of thrills, but other than the sequestered semantics, Chapter 1 does not offer anything necessarily innovative or worthy of imminent discussion. Instead, it is best to take the film for what it is: a fun, jumpy popcorn movie that bears nostalgia to the amusement of 2000s horror, but not enough to owe significant enthusiasm towards. 

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Reviews

Review – Abigail (2024)

New horror instalment from directing duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet sees a group of unscrupulous criminals brought together to carry out the carefully plotted kidnapping of a billionaire’s daughter and subsequent blackmail for ransom. The power play quickly changes however once the group discover that they are in fact victims of a game orchestrated by an unlikely puppet master.

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet are well known for their original horror concepts which combine vivid scenes of violence with a comedic overtone; to this, Abigail is no exception. The movie follows the group as they are plunged into a fast-paced game of cat and mouse and amongst the carnage, comedy and ballet, portrays a modern twist on the traditional vampire sub-genre.

(Screenrant, 2024)

One stand out element from Abigail was the homage paid throughout to Tchaicovsky’s ballet Swan Lake. Abigail (Alisha Weir) herself, whilst dressed in a feathered tutu, provides us with several dance sequences which are accompanied by the unmistakable Swan Lake theme; this is reminiscent of the white swan. However, despite the physical likeness to the beautiful and innocent white swan,

Abigail’s character is more implicative of the dark and manipulative black swan. When we first meet Abigail she presents a small and frightened demeanour – as expected since we believe that she has just been abducted from her family home. As we uncover more about Abigail’s character we see her transform into an evil and vengeful creature who only played the innocent in order to trap her believed kidnappers and lure them into her game. The choice here to mirror Tchaicovsky’s ballet allowed Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet to create a balance between the classy and elegant – two themes often associated with vampirism – and the graphic blood and gore.

(Variety, 2024)

Returning to the aforementioned modern twist on the vampire genre, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet were not only able to incorporate traditional associations with the mythology, but elevate them in order to entice a modern day audience and provide Abigail with its own, original vampire lore. One scene that we always expect -but is nevertheless enjoyable – is the sequence in which our characters try to decipher how to kill a vampire. We are treated to all of the classics including: stake through the heart, sunlight and a humorous mix up between garlic and onions. Here we are provided with all of the traditional mythology which without, you couldn’t possibly imagine making a vampire flick!

What struck me as the most innovative choice was the way in which the vampire legend was established within the narrative. Once the group realise that they have been trapped and are being picked off one by one, they recall a rumour that they had heard concerning one of Abigail’s billionaire father’s bodyguards, who literally tears apart his enemies like an animal. This was a clever way to maintain the vampire figure as an urban legend but update the way it is presented to our characters in order to uphold the mystery of their attacker, and raise the stakes once they uncover the truth.

(Bloody Disgusting, 2024)

Another important theme addressed in Abigail is the internal conflict of the human versus the monster. Right from the word go we understand that our group of kidnappers are monstrous enough to abduct an unsuspecting child for their own profit; it isn’t until later however, that we learn why each of them sign on to the job and can separate the selfish from the desperate.

Joey (Melissa Barerra) and Frank (Dan Stevens) are two of our criminals who are pitted against one another in order to convey this contrast. Joey is elected to watch over Abigail whilst she is locked up in the mansion they are holed up in, this allows us to see a more compassionate side to her; we also learn she has a son, her reason for participating in the crime in the first place.

Frank on the other hand is aggressive and abrasive in his attempt to lead the group suggesting that his true desire is power. We see Frank wrestle with his humanity and his loyalty to the group but he eventually succumbs to his own sense of self preservation resulting in a permanent embrace of the monster, both inside and out. In a final showdown we see Joey fighting – alongside an unlikely ally – to keep her promise to her son, and return home to her family. It is through Frank we learn it’s not just the curse of vampirism which makes someone a monster and through Joey that one can commit a monstrous act with the most human of intentions.

(CBR, 2024)

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillet have once again created a wacky and unique horror picture that audiences won’t soon forget as Abigail has taken theatres by storm and proven to be a thrilling cinema experience. This vampire-comedy uses the art of ballet to display some unforgettable scenes of violence whilst reminding us that a delicate, twelve year old dancer is the undoing of six hardened criminals. The success of Abigail will hopefully pave the way for more exciting genre experiments and unexpected hybrid horror films in the future!

Hope Lelliott-Stevens

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Events Reviews

Event special -The Moor Review

Epitomising looming doom amidst a backdrop of murky greys and even murkier secrets is The Moor, a new and unmissable horror directed by Chris Cronin and written by Paul Thomas. Weaponising the beauty and dread of slow-burn terror, combined with the dramatic performances and startling dark narrative, equips the film with mystery and intrigue, making it one of 2023’s Frightfest’s best screeners. 

The film begins in ‘God’s Own Country’, also known as Yorkshire, in 1996. Youngsters Claire (Billie Suggett) and Danny (Dexter Sol Ansell) hatch a plan to steal sweets from a corner shop, with Danny distracting the shopkeeper whilst Claire fills her bag. Claire successfully leaves (treats acquired); however, Danny never leaves the shop. A compilation of archival footage and newspaper clippings show that Danny’s disappearance was only a notch in the belt of a long line of child abductions in the area. Now, 25 years on, the man supposedly behind the tragedies is set to be released from prison, leaving Danny’s still distraught father, Bill (David Edward-Robertson), hellbent on finding his son’s remains to close the situation once and for all. With the help of Claire (now played by Sophia La Porta), her podcast, and a curious crew, they set off into the Yorkshire Moors to decode this grand mystery once and for all.

The complex backdrop is rife with a pitch-black horrific context of missing persons, death and unresolved trauma, making for a sorrowful feature that is reminiscent of the plague conjured by grief and heartbreak. Although all of these intense emotions speak to the film’s ability to tug on the affections of viewers and their own fears of losing someone, what is perhaps the most stringent element to diffuse from the fantastic smorgasbord of thematics is The Moor’s exhibition of the ‘unknown’. Much of the film toys with the mystery of what is dubbed as the Summer of Fear, the year that all of these strange disappearances happened. Despite the perpetrator’s conviction, there are too many occurrences that do not sit straight, which catalyses the primary storyline of Bill and Claire, uncovering the dark truth behind it all. 

Little is known, and little is revealed until the very end, leaving the viewer sat in trepidation, stewing at the thought, and imagining a plethora of horrid scenarios; essentially, Cronin employs our dark imaginations and forces us to manifest horridness throughout the film. In keeping with this ‘thiller-ific’ psychological torture is how The Moor captures and presents its melodic meaning on screen. The cinematography takes advantage of the rural British countryside and all of its folkloric, haunting discourse to showcase not just visually captivating shots of foggy greenery and daunting skies but also intimate shots of the characters as their psyches are ripped apart and shattered by the horrors of The Moor. 

All of the carefully composed mayhem throughout would not be the same without the showstopping performances from the cast, particularly from the characters of Claire and Bill. They each embrace the cryptic tone of the film, carefully expressing immense emotions to pair perfectly with the big reveals. Their emotions are consistently raw and authentic, managing to not fall into the trap of being caricatures of grief.

Adjacent to the stellar staging is the film’s homegrown feel that amplifies the effective eerieness cultivated throughout British horror. The actual Moors residing in the north of England are home to a barrage of lore, with the lush, heathered Moors being at the centre of many ghost stories and legends. Cronin’s clever use of fabled trickery forces us, especially those familiar with the Moor landscape, to re-examine the depth and capabilities of those horrific tales that keep you up at night – does something unexplainable truly lurk amidst these strange disappearances…?


How The Moor bares its true bones is akin to a smouldering fire, delivering an impactful thwack of an exposition but then turning down the heat and letting it simmer and bloom until it reaches a scorchingly shocking end. This film is a gem that commands captivation and promises a visceral and uncanny journey into the great unknown.

We’ll be screening Chris Cronin’s incredible feature THE MOOR, which has wowed festival audiences worldwide since its debut at Frightfest in August. This is one of the final opportunities to experience its haunting beauty in cinemas, so don’t miss the chance to see one the best UK horror films of the past few years on the big screen.

Chris will also be attending to have an intimate Q&A with horror fans after the screening – GRAB YOUR TICKETS HERE

Categories
Retrospectives

Retrospective: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

To say that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) helped shape the horror genre as we know and love it today would be an understatement. The film essentially tore through the screen and cascaded its way into the veins of genre cinema and aided in its stellar, magnetising and polarising reputation. Although its 50th anniversary is on the horizon, its reputation as a solid classic has never been more significant. 

The man behind the camera, Tobe Hooper, first conceived the idea for the film in the early seventies whilst he was working as an assistant director at the University of Texas at Austin. Enchanted by the mystery of rural isolation, darkened woods and the macabre nature of the human condition, Hooper took to sketching out film plots. His narrative would mould into shape over the years, but one focus that he kept true throughout was the aspect of real horror. One essence of storied evil came from the crimes by serial killer Ed Gein, whose reign of mutilation and murder gripped the nation since his attacks began in 1950s Wisconsin. 

With a rough idea in mind, Hooper enlisted his friend and fellow film creator Kim Henkel to flesh out what would soon be a titular force in the world of horror. Upon the trials and tribulations of funding, eventually, the pair eventually produced the film for around $140,000. Due to the scope of the project and the somewhat limited budget, the film developed an all-hands-on-deck mentality where the cast and crew gave themselves to a gruelling filming schedule and journey. With a dream of developing a contentious project for the time, the relatively unknown cast was deployed to Texas where they took over a farmhouse and its land where the southern humidity reached temperatures of 43°C; keep in mind that the shooting schedule consisted of 16 hour days, 7 days a week! 

In keeping with the authenticity of it all, the various horror paraphernalia seen throughout the film such as the copious amounts of blood, bones and gore were more often than not real. The blood seen splashed up against the walls in the dreaded farmhouse was real animal blood obtained from slaughterhouses. To further aid in the genuity of it all, the crew would often traverse the local gravel ways of the area to scour and collect the decomposing remains of roadkill and dumped cattle carcases to decorate the set. As if that wasn’t enough, a few scenes refrained from practical effects and opted for unstimulated violence, for example, during one scene a tube was supposed to secrete blood, however, due to technical malfunctions the tube failed, therefore, the lead actress, Marilyn Burns, and Hooper decided it would be best to instead slice her finger open with a razor blade to achieve the desired finish.

 Despite all the antics and devilment that ensued onscreen, the film managed to pull in a successful run at theatres, becoming the twelfth highest-grossing film of 1974. It has been reported that a large part of the film’s success and consequential issues with censorship regimes were owed to its misconception of factuality. The opening title crawl recounts that the film is a real account, based on a ‘true story’, leading to plenty of lore regarding its origins amongst cinemagoers. Eventually, the UK’s classification board, the BBFC, banned the film, citing that it advocated for “abnormal psychology”. It was not until the early 1980s that the film was released on video, however, due to the 1984 video nasties panic, the film was once again removed from public access. 

As the years rolled on and the censorship on horror loosened, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre became one of the most iconic pieces of cinema to exist. Featuring on nearly every ‘best film of all time’ list and garnering a protected and beloved status amongst all, Hooper’s once sordid feature has become a renowned classic. Many readings have circulated about the film, particularly surrounding the final girl philosophy, ‘urbanoia’ hysteria, and how the film spoke to the socio-political landscape at the time. Traversing back to the film’s title crawl – “the film you are about to see is true”, serves great significance in its diegesis. Hooper cites that the falsified warning was reminiscent of the misinformation of truth being spread to civilisation during the 1960s/1970s.

Hooper commented on how the news surrounding the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War led to many believing whatever agenda the press wanted one to believe, with society often overlooking the hidden atrocities at the time. In a similar vein, he also took to explaining how the horror in the film was of man’s creations, not a make-believe creature, again, taking aim at humanity’s own deadliness. As it stands today, fifty years on, this undertone of commentary still remains potent, with the film’s explorations of the transgressive speaking to many of the world’s events as of now. 

Moving onto a more creative framing, the film has served as a baseboard for the slasher genre. Many filmmakers have explicitly stated their inspirational admiration of Texas Chainsaw’, such as Rob Zombie’s Firefly trilogy. One rather obvious locus of devotion to Hooper’s classic is the film’s franchise expansion. The franchise boasts a whopping nine films, along with a successful video game spin-off, comics and books, leading to the series joining the likes of cinematic universes such as Halloween and Friday the 13th. Although some entries remain more successful than others, such as the brilliant Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), the original remains the undefeated champion. 

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s contemporary reception is living proof of its indefinitely popular reception, with the film even being admitted into the Horror Hall of Fame (1990), serving as a recognised exemplary piece of filmmaking. Even aspects that seem elemental in the film still hold great traction after all this time. Think of the iconic character of Leatherface, the great force of antagonism. His character has been under the spotlight for years, with his psyche being analysed and relayed multiple times. Many see his villainy as being a product of his environment, where his actions do not necessarily come from a place of banality, but from a place of misunderstanding. Regardless of his ethos, what stands for many is how he is at the root of much of the film’s stunning aesthetic.

The film’s concluding scene shows Burn’s character, Sally, fleeing from the farmhouse, escaping on the back of a truck whilst Leatherface breaks chase with his chainsaw flinging in the air. There is something so intriguing about the sunset tones and his gruesome mask made out of flesh, along with the understanding that although Sally has escaped, Leatherface and everything he stands for still goes on thriving.

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