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Dead Northern 2024 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

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Dead Northern 2024 Events

Dead Northern 2024 – Early bird tickets available now!

The Dead Northern Horror and Fantasy Festival is coming back in 2024 – Expect a huge line up of new feature films, classic feature films, short films from some of the worlds best up and coming horror film makers, Q&A’s, live music, awards and our signature HORROR THEMED LIVE EVENTS.

Dead Northern is a Film Festival that pushes the boundaries and puts the FESTIVAL in the Film Festival! VIP Weekend Passes, day passes and individual screening tickets are available.

Details of the full line up released August 2024, limited VIP tickets available at a discount until 31 May 2024.

Grab your tickets here…

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News Reviews

Review – Late Night with the Devil (2024)

Late Night with the Devil sees the excellent David Dastmalchian as Jack Delroy, a 1970s host of the late night chat show, Night Owls. Desperate to gain viewers back after a tragedy in his personal life, Jack themes his latest episode around occultism, however, the broadcast goes horribly wrong when a possessed guest unleashes a world of hell. 

The directing duo, Colin and Cameron Cairnes delivers a menacing and mischievous feast brimming with hocus pocus trickery that constantly deceives and takes the viewer on a  rollercoaster of havoc as we see a talk show spectacle turn into a cinematic rendition of satanic-panic-like mayhem. Late Night with the Devil’s wacky, yet utterly malicious narrative takes shape due to its clever filmic development; the film immerses itself into its vintage layout, with the frame taking on a surprising found footage arrangement, but not how one would generally expect it to. In other words, instead of a small handheld camera capturing POV’s, the found footage lens is of a ‘lost tape’ that has been discovered by a group of current documentary filmmakers. It’s a unique breaking of found footage codes, shaking colloquial storytelling and providing a level of exciting mystery. 

Shadowing the film’s fresh take on the diegetic lens is its meta-esque feel, thanks to the late night lost tape appearing as a live broadcast. Immediately, bells ring to the likes of Ghostwatch (1992), WNUF Halloween Special (2013) and Haunted Ulster Live (2023) all of which utilise an almost forbidden feel, watching realist-coded footage gone wrong. Late Night with the Devil joins these witty displays of interactive filmmaking that have created an intriguing and entertaining cinematic discussion surrounding participatory viewership.

Whilst it is certain to say that presenting the moving image as an unplanned, charged, live piece aids in the fright factor and immediacy of it all, what is not to be underestimated is how the film’s performances equally contribute to the overwhelming impact of it all. Dastmalchian shines on screen, taking the already fantastically written character and making the role come to life with his portrayal of a broken man attempting to redeem some form of oomph back into his career, only for it to all come crashing down in a great calamity. Further to this is the film’s ability to conjure a scare or two. It is also worth mentioning how the film does not solely rely on brief and rapid ineffective jumpscares to entice a shriek, instead, the scenes are crafted in a way that allows for slowburn reveals that act to chill rather than shout ‘boo!’. 

Since the film’s premiere at 2023’s South by Southwest Film Festival, reviewers have raved about Late Night with the Devil, commending its distinctive atmosphere and novel style, yet there has been some commentary regarding its use of CGI. Despite the beloved (and deserved) reputation of practical effects, the use of computer-generated imagery is not the devil, it can in fact be an effective tool. However, there are some pretty obvious, and poor uses of it within Late Night with the Devil, particularly involving scenes featuring lightning, which feels quite out of place and inauthentic when compared to the rest of the film’s stylisation. 


In short, Late Night with the Devil oozes appeal, whether that be through its enthusiastic medium that the exciting story is told, or through its riveting storyline that unfolds, convulses, twists and turns until it reaches an almighty, and showstopping revelation – whichever way, Late Night with the Devil is a must-see horror.

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Reviews

Review- The First Omen (2024)

In the world of remakes and sequels, few franchises (if any) have escaped their fair share of criticism, many of which comments involve leaving the ‘original’ entry alone and stopping with the rambling continuations. One series in particular whose successors have fallen flat is The Omen. With a talented cast including Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy and Nell Tiger Free, along with a generous budget and an adequate storyline, it seemed that The First Omen had everything in its favour. However, does the sixth instalment in the franchise live up to its grave potential…

The First Omen introduces us to Margaret (Tiger Free), a young novitiate who begins her probation before becoming a church sister. She travels to Rome to begin her service at an orphanage. During her quest, a series of events unfold, leaving her in the middle of a conspiracy between the church and the Antichrist. With the film encompassing Margaret’s discoveries and the subsequent chaotic journey of truth-seeking regarding a colossal conspiracy, the entire narrative situates itself around her both psychically and emotionally.

This prolonged exposure to a character requires a fully dimensional persona to be written, which writers Tim Smith, Keith Thomas, and director Arkasha Stevenson brilliantly do. Margaret’s complexity is where the figurativeness of the film shines. It captures a level of humanness which makes character study-based films excel. Take, for example, Saint Maud (2019) and Pearl (2022), both of which utilise emotional resonance to conjure a complex study of how a tainted psyche escalates situations. The First Omen joins the likes of nuanced horror films, capturing the intricacies that develop when one is in duress. Margaret is not written as a prop for which jumpscares thrive; she is a ‘real’ person whom we can imagine a backstory of, sympathise with her journey and feel the full force of terror when it comes her way.

With this being said, it is worth tipping the hat to Tiger Free’s formidable performance, with her execution of a troubled, fearful, yet powerful young woman being a cinematic delight. Further to the film’s benefit is the scoring orchestrated by Mark Koven, whose previous soundtrack credits include The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse(2019). The score is grim and foreboding, with harsh crescendos which jolt the senses without replicating a clashing metallic sound. This delicate balance of sinister atmospheric strings, along with the softer moments of choir vocals showcasing a blend of baritone lows and alto highs, is what makes The First Omen’s haunting aura swell. 

In all of the film’s prominence, one thing must be said: the narrative is rather predictable. Foreseeing every story beat, big or small, can have quite a negative effect due to its revelation of transparent twists, which, more often than not, will be guessed by many viewers by the time the first chapter has ceased. This does not necessarily take away from the film’s magnitude and evident prowess, but it does mean that allure and a sense of heightened suspense are stripped back. Due to its prequel nature, meaning that we already know of the following events, and considering the film’s association with countless films it was an easy pitfall for The First Omen to tumble into.

Concluding on a positive note, Stevenson’s directorial capabilities must not be overlooked by any means. With all of its merit, it is easy to forget that this film was a feature debut from the director, with her background being in television, namely season three of the anthology series Channel Zero (2018). Stevenson’s vision stands tall against the rest, executing some pretty graphic scenes (warning for those with sensitive eyes come ‘the birthing scene’!). It is this precise flare of intensity that horror fans will truly appreciate, particularly considering how many mainstream scares tend to censor gory potentials due to a barrage of rules and regulations. The First Omen breathes fresh air into the lungs of 2024’s horror, notably because of some of the releases this side of the year has seen. Is this prequel as good as Richard Donner’s The Omen (1976)? Not a chance. But is it a great standalone film incorporating a plethora of fantastic filmmaking elements? Indeed it is!

Want more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..

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Retrospectives Reviews

Twenty Years On – Shaun of the Dead (2004)

Believe it or not, it was a whole twenty moons ago that one of the best horror comedies graced the screen—(yes, 2004 really was that long ago). Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead is a bonafide classic whose edgy humour, offensive charm, and bloodied zombie mayhem have cemented its zealous reputation all these years later. 

Wright’s prized status began in the early 2000s thanks to his directorial efforts in Spaced, a British comedy series starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Jessica Hynes, all of whom feature in Shaun of the Dead. It was from Spaced where Wright and Pegg conceived the idea of their soon-to-be horror hit. It is based on an episode titled ‘Art’, which features Pegg’s character hallucinating a zombie invasion after a prolonged session playing Resident Evil 2. With the pair both being major appreciators of the genre, the duo took their idea of hilarious zombie antics to Film4 before the studio eventually overly condensed the budget and, therefore, broke down certain crucial plot points. With a dream in mind, Wright refused to quit his zombie feature and pursued various studios over a two-year period before Working Title Films finally invested.

The project soon gained traction, casting major names in comedy from television series such as Black Books and The Office. Actors included Peter Serafinowicz, Dylan Moran, Tamsin Greig, Martin Freeman and Lucy Davis, alongside major names in feature films such as Penelope Wilton and Bill Nighy. The star-studded lineup also included a mass of extras playing the ghouls, nearly all of whom were part of fan communities for Spaced that were contacted on their online threads to be a part of a production from the makers of their favourite TV show. With a solid cast and crew, the nine-week filming process began before wrapping up and premiering at a whopping 367 cinemas and staying in the box office top ten for a total of five whole weeks. 

It’s safe to say that audiences went wild for this raucous zombie flick, with its reputation only growing stronger yearly. As it nears its twentieth anniversary, Shaun of the Dead is still making waves, dominating the discourse of satirical horror and creating conversations in the landscape of cinema. In the world of scholarly research and film readings, Shaun of the Dead has dipped its toes into many analytical waters. A popular take is how the film joins the barrage of apocalypse-themed releases from the mid-2000s in response to world events that were becoming frequent in the home with the increasing access to media and news. 

Others suggest that the film is a poetic example of transnational cinema which is commonly found within the UK. The leading players of zombie cinema primarily originated from across the pond, with the likes of George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) dictating the direction that zombie media followed for years. On the flip side, in Britain, there has been a constant ode to men in comedy who can’t help but make a fool of themselves as they go about gallivanting and making a ruddy nuance of situations – think the likes of Monty Python, Dad’s Army, Only Fools and Horses etc. The combination of Americanised scares and dramatic monstrous ghouls with two-bit but still chucklesome characters makes Shaun of the Dead attract an admiration that many budding filmmakers admire to achieve one day. 

Stepping away from the formalities, Shaun of the Dead thrives in its thematics and ideologies. Shaun of the Dead has a monotonous, gritty quality that takes a slice-of-life approach to an apocalyptic situation, reminiscent of the ‘Keep Calm and Carry on’ motto burned through the British mindset. It was through this niche characteristic that the film’s lampoon-like comedy was able to shine through. As a case in point, whilst writing the script, Wright took inspiration from his own sardonic attitude at times; after having his own late-night gaming session being immersed in the world of horror video games, he took to going for an early morning walk where it could be imagined that half of the public was either coming home dazed from a late night out, or exhaustively treading along, gearing up for the morning shift at work. It’s a scene of mundanity at its finest. With Wright’s brilliant, dry humour at hand, he couldn’t help but think how on Earth Britain would, with all of its chaos and caustic disposition, react if their early morning shenanigans were interrupted by a plague of flesh-hungry undead creatures. 

Discussing Shaun of the Dead without mentioning a certain dessert-named cinematic series would be criminal. This zom-com is the first entry into the acclaimed and fantastically named ‘The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy’, followed by the ‘great er good’ Hot Fuzz (2007) and the sci-fi-esque The World’s End (2013). Ironically, the coining of the Cornetto only came to fruition long after Shaun of the Dead’s release; It was during the promotional stages of Hot Fuzz, where Cornetto’s were given as an aperitif, that led to Pegg and Wright wanting to include the beloved ice cream treat into further films. It may seem akin to a superficial, silly joke, yet the rambunctious nature of developing inside jokes led to the trilogy, particularly Shaun of the Dead, retrospectively developing an intriguing interpretation. The films are all comprised of out of their depth individuals tackling a massive issue at hand and growing as people, but not necessarily (and comedically deliberate) maturing in their adolescent-like ways.  

The development of Shaun of the Dead includes a comic strip titled ‘There’s Something About Mary’ for 2000 AD, the applauded comic magazine. Following this was IDW Publishing’s several-issue adaptation of the horror, with drawings from Zack Howard and writings by Chris Ryall. That’s not to mention the various special edition physical media releases and collectable action figures. Alongside this was Clark Collis’ book ‘You’ve Got Red on You: How Shaun of the Dead Was Brought to Life’ (2021), which details interviews with cast and crew, storyboards and behind-the-scenes insights.

Even just a few years back, the humble humour of Shaun of the Dead shone once again during the lockdown periods in the UK, with Shaun’s iconic ‘plan’ becoming somewhat of a motto for folks at home. For reminder’s sake, Shaun comes up with a simple action plan to tackle the ole zombie issue: “Take car. Go to Mum’s. Kill Phil-“Sorry”-grab Liz, go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over”. The short, snappy and quintessentially British dialogue resurfaced via Pegg and Frost themselves as they put a modern spin on the plan by putting emphasis on staying home (avoiding the Winchester this time).

Shaun of the Dead’s legacy speaks for itself, with nearly every ‘best of horror’ list devoting a spot to this must-see film. This immeasurably hilarious take on a monster movie still garners a laugh-a-minute reaction from viewers, no matter how many times they’ve pressed play on this unmissable, culturally significant, and pivotal piece of cinema.

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Reviews

Review – Immaculate (2024)

(Deadline, 2024)

Spring’s new psychological horror feature ‘Immaculate’ sees Sydney Sweeney star as Sister Cecelia, a devout nun who finds herself trapped in a secluded convent in the Italian countryside. Fighting for her life, Sister Cecelia finds herself subjected to experiments orchestrated by the church in an attempt to bring about the second coming.

‘Immaculate’ explores themes of isolation, misplaced faith, and the duplicitous nature of the seemingly beautiful. Sweeney provides an electric performance that encapsulates the tipping point between sheer terror and blind rage, carrying the audience with her through a dark and at times gruesome journey of Sister Cecelia’s self discovery and relationship with her faith.

Sister Cecelia, a young, fresh faced religious girl, embarks on a new chapter of her life as she travels to Italy to work as a carer providing end of life care for old, sick nuns. She found her faith after a near death experience in her childhood; she now follows God as she believes that he saved her that day to serve a purpose, but she is yet to discover what that purpose may be. Upon arrival in Italy, Sister Cecelia detects an unsettling atmosphere which shrouds the convent.

After blacking out on her first night she soon discovers that she has become pregnant through a seemingly Immaculate conception. Sister Cecelia was guided to the convent by her faith in God and was consequently expected to put her trust into his representatives on earth. However, after it is discovered that she is the subject of a cruel and inhumane experiment, it is clear that Sister Cecelia’s faith was misplaced, not with God, but with those who follow him and twist their beliefs to justify their own heinous agendas.

(Variety 2024)

We learn early on that Father Tedeschi – the Priest who summoned Cecelia to the convent in the first place – devoted two decades of his life to the field of biology before he found his own place amongst the church. It isn’t until later that we discover Father Tedeschi was shunned from the profession due to conducting unethical experiments.

Once we learn the truth behind Sister Cecelia’s pregnancy it is clear that the purpose which Father Tedeschi and the rest of the convent serve is not in fact God’s but their own. They attempt, in the name of God, to engineer a biologically perfect replication of Christ and believe that he will be their saviour and wash away their sins. The convent firmly believes what they’re doing is for the greater good because, as stated by the Cardinal, “If this is not the will of God, why does he not stop us?”.

Yet, the fact that Father Tedeschi uses eugenics to force the creation of a Messiah opposes the Christian belief that Christ will rise again at the right time. We can also then see how the title, ‘Immaculate’ serves two meanings: firstly, it denotes the idea of an immaculate conception and secondly, it represents the attempt to design a genetically perfect foetus carried by the perfect vessel – Sister Cecelia – destined to become a faultless religious figure.

(Screenrant, 2024)

The setting of ‘Immaculate’ is another important element of the film as it embodies one of the main motifs – darkness masked by beauty. We are provided with a plethora of shots both inside and outside of the convent, depicting both the architectural and natural beauty of the Italian scenery. These shots however are lengthy and linger in certain rooms and corridors. This gives us the foreboding impression that there is something lurking in the convent, a malevolent force or motive hiding amongst the picturesque dressing of this religious building.

Similarly, when Sister Cecelia first arrives at the convent she is sweet, innocent and devout. However, once under threat she is capable of embracing the darkness emanated by the convent and doing whatever it takes in order to survive. Finally, a bible quote hidden on the wall of Sister Cecelia’s bedroom – “And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” – foreshadows the duplicitous nature of Sister Cecelia’s baby suggesting that it has the potential to be a force of evil, disguised as a miracle.

(Discussing Film, 2024)

‘Immaculate’ provides a thrilling cinematic experience bringing audiences along for a ride full of gut wrenching twists and abhorrent revelations. The film emphasises the idea that a person’s faith is uniquely their own; a relationship with God should be an individual experience, not dictated by anyone or by an alternative motive. Sydney Sweeney perfectly captures Sister Cecelia’s journey in discovering that God’s purpose for her is to choose her own path. ‘Immaculate’ is a must-see new horror flick and a perfect combination of a harrowing conspiracy and the prevail of a person’s faith in themself.

Hope Lelliott-Stevens

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Curiosity Corner

Director profile – Rob Savage

British horror cinema continuously delivers fantastic films and filmmakers alike, with countless classics rising from home soil; whether that’s folkloric nightmares, Hammer Horrors, gritty zombie fests, satiric parodies or creature features, Britain is a motherland of talent. One of these standout contributors to the genre is director Rob Savage. In the past couple of years, Savage’s work has traversed the land of short films, indie features, and major Hollywood debuts, with each picture delivering a unique, distinctive slice of terror for audiences to devour. 

Savage’s efforts to captivate his audiences can be traced back to his pure passion for filmmaking, which began early in the award-winning director’s journey when he made his first short film at the young age of 13. For a budding teen, his debut short, Sex Scene (2009), tackled quite the earnest storyline of two young individuals trying to navigate the world of intimacy. Following his first taste of creation, Savage continued to wield a camera and direct, edit and write a bundle of independent short stories such as Act (2010), Sit in Silence (2011), and I Am (2012).  

By the time Savage hit the later years of adolescence, it was clear that the young man with a movie camera would be bound to a career within the industry. Throughout the following years, Savage’s hard graft and drive for creation would yield significant results, being a testament to contemporary horror cinema.  

Strings (2012) 

Savage’s first feature-length film was a pure grassroots venture, and the filmmaker has since expressed the opportune nature of its production. Straight out of school, Savage used all his university savings to create a film, which he made off a borrowed camera and was filmed at his college. However, just like many great directors, Savage did not need the expensive thrills to produce a standout debut. 

String’s warm reception is mainly owed to Savage’s emotive take on a tender yet dramatic coming-of-age story following four teenagers who vow to spend their last summer together before venturing into adulthood. The film is thematically reminiscent of the series Skins (2007) and visually remindful of the likes of Fish Tank(2009), with the film’s microbudget adding to the close, personal feel where the narrative is given the chance to hone in on the character dynamics. 

The film went on to win the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards before being procured by Vertigo Films for distribution. Upon this triumph, Savage went on to create a streak of short films, one of which, Dawn of the Deaf (2016), co-written by Jed Shepherd, would foreshadow the pair’s success in the horror genre. 

Host (2020) 

Savage’s second feature is the sensational Host, an unforgettable film that not only catered to many horror hounds’ frightful tastes but also invited an influx of new fans to the genre due to its rapid, viral success. Much of Host’s achievements come from how the film weaponizes its desktop setting to initially familiarize, drag the viewer in, and then torment them for long after watching. Its authentic coding also spoke to the film’s timely release. 

Filmed and distributed during lockdown was Savage’s full-length version of a prank gone array. Savage revealed in an exclusive interview with Dead Northern that he kept up with social outings during lockdown via Zoom meetings to catch up with friends; however, when he began hearing strange noises in his attic, he knew that he could play the ultimate joke on the unsuspecting crowd. With the idea of a laugh in mind, Savage arranged a call with pals to provide emotional support as he scoped out his supposedly haunted attic, only for him to edit the live call and insert a jumpscare of a zombie lurching out from the dark from the Spanish found footage movie Rec (2007). The subsequent screams and panics got the viral treatment from the internet, making studios desperate for Savage to extend his one-minute idea into a feature-length desktop horror. 

With Shudder eventually pinning the release, Host became the most talked about film of 2020, and to this day, Host still holds a 99% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes against a whopping 99 reviews! 

Host’s stellar outcome is largely owed to its gritty natural tone, where the character’s actions do not feel forced but genuine, forcing the fear to become palpable. The film’s immersive structural format is a consequence of how the entire cast and crew knew each other prior to filming and were only given loose scripts and action commands by Savage, along with co-writers Shepherd and Gemma Hurley. Host is far from rigid. It feels as if the footage from this haunted Zoom meeting really was just happened upon. It would be easy to compare Host to the likes of fellow desktop features such as Unfriended (2014) and Searching (2018), but instead, Host is a film unlike any other. 

Dashcam (2021) 

After the victory that was Host, the rumour mill reported that Savage had entered into a deal with Blumhouse Productions to create three features under their wing. The first entry to stem from this exciting collaboration was Dashcam, a screen-life horror surrounding the contentious musician Annie (Annie Hardy) as she treks through one hell of a wild night. The found footage boom is undoubtedly alive and well throughout the film, with the firsthand footage originating from dashcams, live streams and phones. 

What ensues for the next 76 minutes is a bundle of mania, including but not limited to MAGA-endorsing protagonists, lockdown conspiracies, possessed elderly women, abandoned amusement parks, car wrecks, chase scenes, occult symbols, stabbings, and an oddly entertaining but rather vulgar spew of songs carolled from Annie as she goes about this disastrous night. 

The rambunctious expedition, joyously accompanied by all of the conundrums and quirks is what makes Dashcam feel like a hazardous fever dream, where you will most definitely be left thinking ‘what on earth have I just witnessed?’ But nevertheless, in the best way possible. Dashcam is a valiant film from Savage and returning co-writers Shepherd and Hurley. It is not a movie that has been previously accomplished, and it is unlikely that cinema will get a film as provocative and brilliantly feral any time soon. 

The Boogeyman (2023) 

Savage’s latest film, The Boogeyman, saw the director take an alternative approach to horror than his previous feats, with the film taking a more traditional filming approach and swaying away from found footage altogether.

The Boogeyman comes from a 1973 short story of the same name from the one and only Stephen King, which chronicles a grieving family tormented by the Boogeyman. The film’s primary forte is the deadening atmosphere that trickles through every ounce of the film, covering the screen in a dreary, raw, and authentic mood where the sombre emotions of grief washes over every moment, alongside the peaks of haunting scares provided by the titular antagonising force. 

The film wields a commendable balance of brief ‘got ya!’ scares amidst its layers of more sincere horror which comes from both the stunning performances from Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, and Vivien Lyra Blair and the film’s aesthetics. The final act is brimming with these scenes of great visual capacity, where giallo-esque lighting and colourful hues fuse with the horrific imagery and the omnipresent vibe, providing a feeling that urges you to believe that evil really does lurk. 

The cinematic cherry on top, if you will, is The Boogeyman’s official seal of approval from the King of Horror, with Savage describing that King had openly praised the film and stated how it lingered with him after watching, just as a horror film should. 

Savage’s next move in his booming career is a further step into the land of horror, with it being confirmed that he is to adapt the graphic horror novel Night of the Ghoul, which follows a father and son duo as they search for the truth surrounding a long-lost horror film. However, as they unearth the secrets, they discover that this cursed film was left hidden away from the masses for good reason. What propels Savage to be one of the contemporary greats is how his love for the genre is palpable within his filmography. Horror fans make the best horror movies, and Savage’s works precisely proves this time and time again.

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Reviews

Imaginary (2024) review

Imaginary is Jeff Wadlow’s latest collaboration with Blumhouse Productions, following from their previous combined projects, Fantasy Island (2020) and Truth or Dare (2018). Like every production house, there are filmic expectations, whether that be the dizzyingly raucous films from Troma Entertainment or the moody existentialist slow-burners from A24. And whilst Blumhouse has produced some utterly fantastic horrors such as The Bay (2012), Creep (2014), Get Out (2018), and Soft and Quiet (2022), the studio has more often than not come under fire for spewing out banal, cliched movies that lack any air of originality. Unfortunately, their latest venture, Imaginary, has hit screens with an overwhelmingly negative response thanks to its underdeveloped, muddled storyline and humdrum attempts to scare. 

Generically, Imaginary follows Jessica (DeWanda Wise), a children’s author who returns to her childhood home with her stepdaughters, Alice (Pyper Braun) and Taylor (Taegen Burns). However, chaos ensues when Alice discovers a stuffed teddy bear named Chauncey. 

With this in mind, the narrative has ample potential to be something eerie and dark, a tale of childhood frights and how they seep into the psyche. Yet, one of the film’s significant downfalls is how the ‘could-be-great’ capabilities are lost in all of the hullabaloo. In a nutshell, Jessica’s repressed childhood has unknowingly clouded most of her life and affected her more than she could have ever imagined; there is an unnecessary backstory surrounding Alice and Taylor’s troubled mother, which is joined by yet another subplot of this underground-like world called the ‘Never Ever’ that Chauncey unleashes. The story is further complicated by the fact that Chauncey’s physical materiality is a fabrication of Jessica and Alice’s minds, making frequent appearances to others somewhat confusing. Imaginary really outdoes itself because it cannot make up its mind, with underplots, lore, secondary storylines and tangled conclusions all fighting for attention for the entire film. 

The oversaturation is not offbeat or theatrical, where the excessiveness plays off as humorous or loveable enough to create a fanbase, as seen in the likes of 2023’s M3gan. Alternatively, Imaginary’s capacity to grasp its gratuitous plot and develop any sense of charm is completely missed. 

Furthering the vapidness is the almost nonsensical dialogue that features throughout. The lead actors, particularly Wise, are equipped with all the tools to make the film excel, yet the robotic script dulls any sparkle and makes not just the character’s physical actions confusing but also makes every monologue and essential piece of exposition fail. Take the character of Gloria (Betty Buckley), Jessica’s neighbour, whose sole purpose is to be an exposition provider. It is not uncommon for films to dedicate a scene for the lead to decipher the origins that are plaguing their situation. However, Gloria’s delivery of the backstory is akin to that of a wiki article. It’s a monotonous speech that reels off a PowerPoint presentation to Chauncey’s motives.

The singular hook that barely keeps Imaginary in the loop is the creature design of Chauncey when he enters beast-mode. His small teddy bear frame becomes towering, with his eyes shedding the shiny plastic beads, becoming bright red, and his sewn-shut mouth ripping open to reveal gnarly fangs. What makes this all the more impressive is that Chauncey’s form was created mainly using practical effects and animatronic tricks. These effects were created by none other than Spectral Motion, an effects design team that is known for their brilliant work on the likes of Stranger Things (2016-). If Imaginary had featured more of Chauncey’s dark side and beastly form, then the film’s overall themeatics would have had the opportunity to materialise. 

The film could have utilised its undertones and portrayed the manipulation of reality, how psychological illusions and repression lead to the destruction of the self. Chauncey’s villainy could have propelled the film away from its continuous jumpscare tactics and led the way with a more piercing take on the human condition if the script had been stripped back and allowed the effectiveness of its story beats and antagonist to shine.

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Curiosity Corner Reviews

Horror in the High Desert is the ultimate found footage film – review

Bumps in the dark and strange creatures are brilliant devices used by many filmmakers. Nevertheless, it is often rare that there comes about a film that employs these facets with such power that it will leave you not just fully engrossed in the on-screen magic but also enthralled by the sheer capacity to frighten. Dutch Marich’s Horror in the High Desert (2021) and its equally haunting sequel Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva (2023) is an exercise in visceral found footage cinema that deserves to be registered as one of the greats. 

The first entry chronicles the disappearance of hiker Gary Hinge (Eric Mencis), who went missing in the summer of 2017 after hiking in the Great Basin Desert, Nevada. For the first time since the tragedy, family and friends are interviewed, recalling the horrific events and the terrifying conclusion of what happened in the high desert. 

At first glance, Horror in the High Desert’s stylistic choices may seem to emulate the found footage storytelling device as seen countless times before. However, the complexity Marich exerts throughout propels the aspect of the first-hand camera into new and exciting territory that imposes an awfully stringent omnipotent force. The film takes inspiration from the authenticity of documentary filmmaking, featuring interviews and archival footage, and presents its facts on screen as if learnt in real-time whilst editing a supposedly real documentary on a genuine case. It is an intoxicatingly fascinating approach to horror that has been excellently handed in the likes of The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Lake Mungo (2008), with the product having an undictated tonality, where the events unravel in real time, making the finished content much more authentically coded and therefore tenfolds more terrifying. 

With all these hyperrealist intentions, exploring the film’s visual aesthetics is crucial. Night vision is a potent aspect that Marich amalgamates to extradite a deeply intrinsic fear held within us. What we can’t see is always scarier; the dark figures hiding behind pillars and the whispers of entities are more often than not more startling than the constant exposure of the antagonising force. Marich heavily enlists this ‘less is more approach’ during the film’s final act, which shows the last footage from Gary shoots on his camcorder. Supposedly alone in the dark heights of the isolated desert, Gary captures a deserted cabin surrounded by sparse trees, all washed in total darkness, naked to the human eye, except for the camera’s night vision capabilities. 

Fear is survival. It is a preservation instinct that keeps us alive. We become near defenceless when we are denied light and are steeped in the darkness, unable to see the predatory threats. Horror in the High Desert, throughout its conclusion, calls upon this evolutionary cycle to enhance our senses and thus force us to look at the screen, taking in every frame to see where the monstrousness lies, pay audible attention to every branch stepped on to determine how close menace is to our surroundings and ultimately force us to watch on as the gruelling events unfold. In tandem, the close bond developed by the first-hand diegetic camera thrusts our perspective to be at one with Gary, fully and brutally immersing us in his position throughout this bone-chilling sequence. 

Identifying an immersed spectatorial experience and the discharge of all-consuming darkness that entices a haptic touch towards the film translates to Horror in the High Desert’s corpus that stimulates folkloric-based rhetoric. This idea of lore and mystery is presented heavily throughout the sequel, Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva. Featuring a similar outline and based in the same context, is a secondary disappearance story focusing on the geological researcher Minerva Sound (Solveig Helene), who relocated to a rural trailer amidst the desert where she documented a string of strange occurrences. Accompanying this are various subplots of other people’s experiences with the ominous area, including the case of the young mother, Ameliana Brasher (Brooke Bradshaw), who goes missing along Highway 50. This is followed by the bodycam footage of Luke Wells (David Nichols Jr.), an EMT who was part of the initial search party for Ameliana. 

Minerva’s story unravels slowly, featuring video calls between herself and loved ones concerning the discoveries she has made inside the trailer, such as discarded home video tapes featuring chilling visuals that play out as stalker-like footage, reminiscent of the recordings in The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007), but with a more covert, suspenseful tone. However, the most macabre discovery is of an unidentified person creeping around the trailer, breathing sluggishly and grunting, “he’s comin’ in..” and “I got one for ya”. It is an eerie sequence enough on its own, yet the true bite comes from its suggestion that whatever wreaks havoc among the high desert is something that is far more sinister than a lone wolf, a night stalker, but instead, an uncanny force that is bigger than us all. 

Deepening this are the performances above from the likes of Ameliana and Luke, whose experiences with the land are both utterly perplexing and strikingly frightening. After driving from Las Vegas, Ameliana’s car breaks down, but not to fear; her family has a strategy for this long abandoned stretch of highway; if they do not get home at the specified time, the stranded must wait outside the car until rescue appears. Marich makes brilliant use of the surveillance style of found footage by inserting clips from Ameliana’s dashcam. Details will be spared to avoid spoiling the unforgettable (and frankly nightmare-fueled) surprise. What can be noted is how Marich bravely takes the time not to rush the sequence of Ameliana’s fate. It’s a torturous slow burn that makes the viewer wait in pure fear and trepidation, knowing that Ameliana’s blisteringly gruesome fate will occur at any given moment. 

One final punch to the gut is Luke’s bodycam footage, which is an extract that horror filmmakers spend their entire careers learning how to craft, as Marich has done. Again, specifics will be spared in a bid to ‘keep mum’ on the finale. By this process, take heed of this: Luke enters a stranded mining facility in the pitch darkness, having broken his flashlight, unable to see that he is always nearly mere feet away from bumping into a disfigured, unexplainable figure capable of ungodly terror. 


Marich has discussed Horror in the High Desert becoming a multi-entried horror series, with the film’s official website confirming that the third edition, Horror in the High Desert 3: Firewatch, is coming soon. Given the excellence of the original and its equally distinctive sequel, Marich is certainly becoming a signature figure in the found footage world, causing waves and creating overwhelmingly smashing cinema.

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Curiosity Corner Reviews Top Horror

Top ten mind-boggling horror movies

1- The Wolf House (Cristobal León and Joaquin Cociña, 2018)

Kicking off this mind-twisting list is the Chilean stop-motion film The Wolf House. Directed by Cristobal León and Joaquin Cociña and co-written by Alejandra Moffat, is the animated, surreal fairytale that takes the viewer through a mirage of labyrinth-like settings and worlds in a desolate house. The film’s visual incoherence is a guise that shelters and replicates the intense and complex meaning behind the story—inspired by the troubling Colonia Dignidad, a colony established in Chile post WW2 where various acts of torture were committed. The Wolf House’s myriad of madness is captivatingly gruesome, with each scene being near impossible to decode at first glance; for instance, as the meaning behind the house unravels within the story, the bones of its foundations experience a metamorphosis where objects become people and people become animals. 

2- Possum (Matthew Holness, 2018)

Akin to the backwards world of British TV series The League of Gentlemen (1999-2002) and infused with a touch of Ben Wheatley’s Neo-folk filmmaking style is the utterly fantastic and incredibly dark Possum. From the mind of director Matthew Holness is the story of a child puppeteer, Philip (Sean Harris), who returns home where he is confronted with his past trauma. The film was adapted from Holness’s short story of the same name that was influenced by the works of Sigmund Freud. Considering this, Possum is brimming with the uncanny, whether that be through the offensively disturbed arachnid puppet that features throughout, or the cold, dismal world that the film takes place in. Possum is one of those films that may be watched a dozen times before one can truly get to grips with every single detail of great emotional significance that seeps throughout every frame. 

3- House (Nobuhiko Obayashi, 1977)

House is a kaleidoscopic fever dream that emulates psychedelia with a pungent extremity, with its ethereal quality coming off as both haunting and unreasonably excessive. The hallucinatory facets within House derive from director Nobuhiko Obayashi’s wanting to create a film that goes beyond human understanding, or more accurately, adults’ understanding of the logical world. In creating the script, Obayashi enlisted his daughter’s help where he observed that a child’s imagination conjures the most fascinating of concepts that traverses far beyond the mundanity of what the mature mind summons. With this, House takes aspects of childhood nightmares of colourful monsters and nonsensical scenarios to create a film that is wildly ambitious and genuinely startling. 

4- Begotten (E. Elias Merhige, 1989)

Back in the mid 1980s E. Elias Merhige developed an idea for a piece of experimental theatre where live music and dance would be performed against a story of mythology, religion and the disgrace of humanity. Whilst traction was aligned with the project and the concept blossomed, Merhige realised that the production as a live piece of theatre would be too costly, leading to his concept becoming a film. With the knowledge that Begotten’s corpus derived from experimental theatre, it becomes easier to mentally digest the final product, which is by all intents and purposes a complete deluge that resembles a total exodus of reality. The  hellish imagery consists of the self-disembowelment of God whose mutilated remains gives birth to Mother Earth before conceiving the ‘Son of Earth’ and going on a surreal, nauseating path of destruction and discovery. Take this rambunctious idea and now imagine it paired with the film’s obtrusive score that runs throughout which features nothing but insect-like squirming noises over a ‘thu-dum’ heartbeat sound. Begotten obliterates normality and acts a sporadic experience from beginning to end. 

5- Koko-di Koko-da (Johannes Nyholm, 2019)

Koko-di Koko-da is another Groundhog Day story that chronicles a grieving couple that are stuck in a time loop by nursery rhyme characters. The complex and structurally intricate storyline deliberately never makes sense or fully acknowledges its strangeness, it is just accepted by the cinematic universe, making every confused and disjointed emotion extracted from the viewers all the more disturbing. Paired with the absurdity of the events, there is an overall aggravation towards the antagonising characters. The beings terrorising the couple strive through with a morbid happiness that seems whimsical until we are reminded that this is very much a horrific story. 

6- Uzumaki (Higuchinsky, 2000) 

Based on the Junji Ito manga of the same name is Uzumaki, a film where atmosphere, aura and an unhinged narrative take over to create a boggling adaption. Uzumaki has received a decent share of criticism over time, partially due to its off-kilter humour that sporadically features throughout, which seems quite out of place. However, it is this strange placement of slapstick comedy that pierces the tension and makes the film an untamed watch where the entire direction of the film is consistently unprecedented. Adding to the peculiarity is the film’s central focus surrounding the spiral pattern and how it essentially drives the characters to the brinks of their psyche. The Fibonacci spiral hysteria twists and turns the story in the most unexpected of ways, leaving for the most memorable of watches.

7- Society (Brian Yuzna, 1989)

The magnificence of body horror is forever in debt to Brian Yuzna’s Society. Yuzna’s epic exploration into the potentials of depravity is an exercise in the brilliance of cinema that doesn’t take itself too seriously, with plenty of amalgamated bodies that fuse flesh to flesh and limb to limb to create a gigantic creature formed by body parts. The aspect of anthropomorphism plays a large role in Society with the monstrosity of the final act being a repulsive feast for the senses. For fans of excessive gore and stomach churning terror, this film is not to be missed! 

8- Resurrection (Andrew Semans, 2022)

Despite the brilliance of the leads, Rebecca Hall and Tim Roth, Andrew Semans Resurrection is criminally underrated. Whilst many absurd films tackle obscene comedy to further the surreal nightmarish quality of mind-boggling horror, Resurrection takes a much more gloom-ridden route where the calamitous nature of the film shines alongside the unearthly and bizarre plot points. Whilst the story is best left as an enigma for first time watchers, what can be revealed is that Resurrection follows the disciplined business woman Maggie (Hall), whose life implodes when a strange figure (Roth) from her past comes back to haunt her. The words brutal and cold rings strong throughout this relentless shocker. 

9- Visitor Q (Takashi Miike, 2001)

Hmm… where to begin with horror legend Takashi Miike’s Visitor Q? Not for the faint hearted and certainly not a family film is this utterly barbaric and gut-wrenchingly twisted tale of nihilistic dread following the perverted Yamazaki family as they fall apart at the hands of their own lewdness. Themes of incest, voyeurism, sadio-masochism, torture, necrophilia, coprophilia, lactophilia (and copius other ‘philia’ related terms) all take centre stage throughout the film, leaving any seasoned viewer affected, let alone an unsuspecting spectator. However, whilst there is a lot to be said about its extremity, Visitor Q is a fascinating watch, particularly due to its stylistic output. The film mimics documentary footage with the camera acting as a fly on the wall for most scenes, creeping up where you’d least expect it and bringing us uncomfortably close to the experimental action. 

10- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1920)

German expressionism roots its origins within Berlin circa 1920s as a reflection of the turmoil during that era. Notable films from the period include the likes of Nosferatu (1922), Faust (1926) and most importantly in this case, Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The film is renowned for its graphic style and striking aura that is straight from the dark underbelly of horror thematics. The set’s were purposefully built to create a dizzying effect where the walls were angled and floors were tilted, where featured trees would appear diagonal and staircases would be spiralized messes. It was a radical decision to portray such a frenzy that still pays off over 100 years later. 

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