Hello dear reader, I’ve been exceptionally bad at keeping up a regular posting schedule for boring work-related reasons, but also because I had a preventative mastectomy and reconstruction operation which thankfully went very smoothly. Post-surgery I had to carry around a bag of my own blood for a week, so really I’ve just been enjoying living in my own body horror movie (luckily with a happy ending!).
All my reviews are spoiler free.
Men (2022) 8/10
Alex Garland’s folk body horror is a powerful, visually-striking and haunting film about patriarchy, the cycle of toxic masculinity and coming to terms with grief. After experiencing a bereavement, Harper Marlow decides to treat herself to a holiday in a beautiful countryside manor in order to heal from her trauma. However, it soon becomes clear she is being stalked by a strange man and the inhabitants of the local village start to seem unnervingly familiar. Unsurprisingly for a movie called Men, it addresses how patriarchy functions individually and institutionally to make the lives of women (and men) utterly miserable and horrific. The film could be accused of being very on-the-nose, however it is clearly intended as allegory and Garland does a magnificent and chilling job of distilling the themes. Jessie Buckley is also currently one of my actress crushes (her performance in I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020) still pops into my head randomly all the time) and she absolutely nails it as the bewildered Harper. Rory Kinnear also excels as her bumbling, upper-class landlord et al. and manages to not stray too far into League of Gentleman territory. It features some great sound design from Geoff Barrow (of Portishead fame) and I’ve found myself greatly unnerving my husband by randomly singing certain parts. There’s also a welcome cheeky nod to Society (1989) which is gross/awesome. My main criticism is that I wished the film was just as terrifying in form as in theme as I don’t think Garland has quite cracked the horror set-piece timing yet. It also sags a bit in the middle and you could easily make the argument the story would’ve worked even better as a short film. Overall, a brilliant, thought-provoking movie which is a welcome addition to the British folk horror canon.
Fresh (2022) 7.5/10
Mimi Cave’s body horror is a witty and disturbing film about exploitation, the horrors of modern heterosexual dating and internalised misogyny. Twentysomething Noa is becoming increasingly disillusioned with dating when she randomly meets the charming Steve at a local supermarket. They hit it off and Steve invites Noa to his beautiful home in the rural countryside. Against the advice of her best friend Mollie, Noa goes to Steve’s place and soon discovers he has been hiding a secret. Fresh features a pretty funny script from Lauryn Kahn (who seems to write largely within the romantic comedy sphere) and some lovely cinematography from Ari Aster’s DP Pawel Pogorzelski. Daisy Edgar-Jones is excellent as Noa and fascinatingly there is real sexual chemistry between her and Sebastian Stan’s Steve (as a side note, in terms of overexposure I worry that Daisy Edgar-Jones is fast becoming the next Anya Taylor-Joy). However, I was disappointed that the film didn’t fully explore some of the more controversial and uncomfortable ideas it was presenting. There’s also a whiff of white/girl boss feminism about the whole thing which perhaps relates to my previous point. Ultimately it’s an assured and entertaining directorial debut from Cave that may leave you hungry for more.
X (2022) 8/10
Ti West’s folk slasher is an enjoyable thrill-ride about the nature of sexual liberation, youth and the art of film-making itself. It’s 1979 and a group of up-and-coming porn actors and film-makers decide to make a porn movie, The Farmer’s Daughter, at a rural, Texan guesthouse. However, the elderly guesthouse owners Howard and Pearl seem a bit odd and unfriendly, although Pearl certainly seems interested in what the young people are doing. Initially I feared the film would be utilising the recent trend of old people’s (especially women’s) bodies to signal the spectacle of horror and disgust, however I think the movie actually ends up critiquing this idea with some oddly poignant and emotional moments. Mia Goth is excellent as the would-be porn star Maxine Minx and Brittany Snow is also particularly charming as Bobby-Lynne, the titular star of The Farmer’s Daughter. The cinematography is also luscious and the film satisfyingly references 70/80s exploitation cinema through a somewhat Tarantino-esque lens. I think there are certain plot turns that don’t seem entirely believable, but there are also some genuinely scary, surprising and gory moments. Overall, this is a great return to form for West who delivers a really entertaining, classic slasher with thoughtful contemporary inflections.
The Northman 5/10
Robert Egger’s folkloric epic is a visually spectacular but largely quite pedestrian movie about masculinity, destiny and being a bit too obsessed with your mother. Amleth is a young prince in awe of his father King Aurvandill, who is brutally murdered by his brother Fjölnir. Their village is subsequently massacred and Amleth’s mother Queen Gudrun is kidnapped by Fjölnir. Amleth escapes on a boat swearing to avenge his father, kill Fjölnir and rescue his mother. As a huge fan of The Witch (2015) and The Lighthouse (2019) I had high expectations although I attempted to temper them with the fact I knew this wasn’t going to be another horror movie. The film has some visually striking moments and clearly there is a lot of attention to detail, however compared to his previous movies’ inventiveness and strangeness it all feels very uninspired. I guess to get a bigger budget Eggers had to rein in his idiosyncratic directorial style, but given he is not an epic/action director we’re left with something that doesn’t quite satisfy either horror or action fans. Alexander Skarsgård is physically impressive as Amleth and Eggers captures his powerful physicality extremely well, however beyond that I didn’t really give a shit about his quest for vengeance. I’m always up for films about masculinity and why men do daft things, but given Amleth’s narrative is so archetypical you need to bring something new or unexpected to the plate and that just didn’t happen for me. For example, The Green Knight (2021) did a much better job of capturing those misty, legendary epic tale vibes whilst making it seem quite fresh and daring. Sadly, Anya Taylor-Joy is completely wasted in an under-written role with a dodgy accent and Nicole Kidman as Queen Gudrun is bizarrely campy. Usually, I’d be totally up for this, but it’s completely out of step with the rest of the movie and ends up being quite amusing for all the wrong reasons. Criminally, the magnificent Björk is also deployed largely ineffectually. Additionally, there is a final sequence which was a huge missed opportunity for seeing the elusive screen penis we all deserve. Unforgivable.
Hellbender 6.5/10
The Adams family’s coming-of-age occult horror is an inventive and fun movie about adolescence, the desire for autonomy and female power. Due to her mysterious medical condition, teenager Izzy is living in happy isolation with Mother in the rural woodlands. However, one day Izzy accidentally strikes up a friendship with local girl Amber which sets in motion a journey of self-discovery and the unleashing of a dark power. Hellbender is a family affair with film-making couple Toby Poser and John Adams and their daughters Zelda and Lulu Adams directing and starring in the film. This autobiographical dimension (apparently Zelda Adams is also home-schooled by her parents) creates a spicy dynamic as they act out their familial psychodrama on screen. Perhaps that’s why the depiction of Izzy and her adolescent growing pains/desire for autonomy feels very authentic. Hellbender’s mythology is also super intriguing and I wish the movie was a bit longer so we could’ve explored these ideas fully. However, given that it was made on a serious micro-budget, it is quite visually striking and the special effects actually don’t look too hokey. Additionally, Mother and Izzy’s rock funk band (also called Hellbender) is pretty rad and they have some great Kiss-inspired costumes. My biggest issue was that some of the acting eventually gets quite ropey which does take you out of it and the final act feels a bit unearned. But overall, it’s a decent and entertaining coming-of-age tale that definitely has sequel/prequel potential.
Amulet 7.5/10
Romola Garai’s supernatural horror is a creepy, powerful and challenging movie about the nature of evil and justice, misogyny and trauma. Disturbed ex-soldier Tomaz lives in a derelict building in London with other refugees but, after a random fire he is befriended by Sister Claire who offers him shelter and employment in a dilapidated townhouse. Magda and her dying mother also live there, and Tomaz starts to develop feelings for Magda whilst suspecting something strange may be afoot in the house. First-time writer and director Garai creates a wonderfully grimy and claustrophobic atmosphere which keeps you unnerved and in a constant state of dread. There is a lovely slow burn quality which reminded me of Ti West’s House of the Devil (2009) and Rose Glass’ Saint Maud (2019). Imelda Staunton is reliably class as Sister Claire, a very dodgy Good Samaritan, and as Tomaz, Alex Secareanu (of God’s Own Country fame) is brilliant. To be honest there are definitely some on the nose moments which grated a wee bit and I’m not totally sure the finale successfully comes together, but ultimately it’s a strong start for Garai and I’m looking forward to seeing her future projects.
So what did you think of these movies? Did I get it right or am I talking rubbish? I feel like a lot people enjoyed The Northman way more than I did! Let me know in the comments below or send me a cheeky email.
Let's Scare Lauren to Death 