Tag Archives: Mystery

The Watcher Introduces Us To Plenty of Red Herrings in Welcome, Friends

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Ryan Murphy is back. Again. Love his work or not, there’s no deny the writer, director, and producer stays busy. The American Horror Story already topped the Netflix streaming charts this month with the Dahmer series. Now he’s back on top again with the highly anticipated mini-series, The Watcher. A psychological mystery and thriller in the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock, The Watcher actually takes its story from a real incident. Murphy has adapted a true account from New York magazine, which detailed the mysterious harassment of a New Jersey family after purchasing their ‘dream home’. Not surprisingly, Murphy’s premiere episode, Welcome, Friends, takes plenty of liberties with the source material.

Welcome, Friends Introduces to the Brannocks and Several Red Herrings

As Welcome, Friends, kicks off, The Watcher introduces us to its picture perfect family, the Brannocks. Naomi Watts (Goodnight Mommy) and Bobby Cannavale (Blonde) are Nora and Dean Brannock, respectively. And they’ve brought their adorable children – teen daughter Ellie and Carter – along with them. In Murphy’s brightly lit, almost dreamlike scene, we’re introduced to the admittedly gorgeous heritage home and several immediate potential suspects before the first ominous letter even arrives. First, there’s Jennifer Coolidge’s realtor and Nina’s former high school friend. She’s showing the house and Murphy immediately establishes that she’s envious of Nora, an aspiring artist clearly in a position to buy the house.

In these scenes, Murphy stumbles over himself to contrast the Brannock’s normalcy with the over-the-top oddball neighbours.

At the open house, the Brannocks bump into a strange man wandering the halls. Is he an interested buyer? Though he never asks about the selling price he does oddly inquire about whether servants built the home. In addition, Mia Farrow turns up as Pearl, the president of the local preservation society along with her adult mentally disabled son, Jasper. They’re both entirely fascinated with the home’s dumbwaiter. In these scenes, Murphy stumbles over himself to contrast the Brannock’s normalcy with the over-the-top oddball neighbours. But there’s little in the way of substantive character development. Following the open house, Dean convinces his banker to finance the purchase despite the fact that the Brannocks are totally overextended. And six weeks later, the family settles into the American Dream – owning a home you can’t afford.

The Watcher’s Dream House is Situated Amongst a Lot of Bad Neighbors

No sooner than the Brannocks have unpacked and the first letter arrives. If you’re unfamiliar with the basic story, an anonymous stalker referring to themselves as only ‘The Watcher’ sends a series of increasingly creepy and threatening letters to the family. Like with his other productions, Murphy swerves between melodramatic mystery and psychological horror to occasional camp. But the two letters that arrive in Welcome, Friends, are genuinely chilling. Of course, the letters are very real so they should be scary. Not surprisingly, the local police aren’t very helpful, chalking the whole thing up to a prank. Somehow the joke is lost on Dean who immediately hires a young, inexperienced security technician to install a bunch of cameras.

But the two letters that arrive in Welcome, Friends, are genuinely chilling. Of course, the letters are very real so they should be scary.

Shortly thereafter, Dean gets into a pretty nasty confrontation with next door neighbors, Mo and Mitch. In addition to complaining about Ellie’s piano playing – despite the fact she hasn’t touched the grand piano – the neighbors are harvesting arugula that’s migrated onto the Brannock’s yard. It’s a Ryan Murphy show so Mo and Mitch are eccentric and things get heated quickly. Amongst the threats hurled at Dean, Mo makes sure to warn him that they’ll be ‘watching him’. Could they be ‘The Watchers’ sending the mystery letters?

Welcome, Friends Finds Murphy Laying On The Hitchcockian Mystery Pretty Thick

Maybe Mo and Mitch are prime suspects. But Dean and the Brannocks also run afoul of Pearl later in Welcome, Friends. After Carter finds Jasper hiding in the house dumbwaiter, Dean roughs him up and tosses him out on the front yard. Pearl takes offence – apparently it’s perfectly normal to let your adult son play in the neighbor’s house. In addition to making a reference to ‘watching’ the family, Pearl babbles on in such a way to ensure you know she’s not quite right.

Other strange things happen in Welcome, Friends. Someone kills Carter’s pet ferret in the middle of the night. Earlier in the episode, Ellie finds lipstick that doesn’t belong to her or her mother. That unhelpful local police officer knows the Brannocks are financially in over their head. Nora’s old high friend and realtor, Karen, drives by the house late at night – Murphy makes sure we see her ‘watching’ intently. And the young security technician takes a pretty keen interest in teen daughter, Ellie. So there’s plenty of red herrings by the end of The Watcher’s first hour.

Welcome, Friends, Mixes Fact, Fiction, and Red Herrings in Tonally Wild Episode

Traditionally, Ryan Murphy’s shows are hit and miss. Sometimes individual episodes vary wildly in quality. So it’s not really a surprise that Welcome, Friends is a mixed bag. At the heart of The Watcher is a creepy, Hitchcockian mystery-thriller and the letters are unnerving. Yet The Watcher immediately includes many of Murphy’s excesses in the fictionalized bits. In addition to some of these tonal problems, Murphy spends little time developing his characters. And Cannavale’s ‘Dean Braddock’ isn’t immediately likable. Still there’s plenty of promise in the premise.

Saloum a Gripping Mix of Western, Revenge Thriller, and Ghost Story

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As summer gives way to fall and Halloween quickly approaches, Shudder continues to platform a diverse range of horror movies. Everything from obscure old movies to international offerings, the mini-horror Netflix continues to distinguish itself as the best option for international horror fans outside of Screambox. Today, Shudder has released African horror movie, Saloum. From writer and director Jean Luc Herbulot, this stylish mix of crime thriller and horror has created some quiet buzz before its release. Critics are raving about this thriller so it’s certainly warrants a look.

Synopsis

In 2003, three mercenaries – the Bangui’s Hyenas – extract a drug lord from Guinea-Bissau amidst a bloody coup d’etat. While the extraction is successful, a damaged fuel tank cuts the escape short. With few options, the trio opt for an emergency landing in the Saloum region of Senegal. Their arrival at a remote resort raises suspicions – and points to a secret that may unearth hidden horrors.

Saloum Seamlessly Shifts From Genre to Genre

For about a third of the movie, Saloum may feel like an African version of Pulp Fiction. And this is no way intended to be a criticism of the movie. For its first act, Saloum feels like a hip, modestly-budgeted crime thriller that innovates, never betraying financial restraints, and quickly advances its story. Writer and director Jean Luc Herbulot and co-writer Pamela Diop slightly tip their hand early – there’s no mystery as to who has the secret amongst the trio of mercenaries. But that’s the only part of the story that feels obvious. As Saloum transitions the story to its secluded and eccentric resort, Herbulot finds subtle ways of increasing tension while also subverting expectations. Once the mystery reveals itself, audiences will initially think they’ve been watching a mix of western and revenge thriller.

As Saloum transitions the story to its secluded and eccentric resort, Herbulot finds subtle ways of increasing tension while also subverting expectations.

However, Saloum again shifts gears and introduces its horror elements in time for the third and final act. In addition to a clever use of its modest budget to visually represent its monsters, Herbulot and Diop’s story makes the horror elements a necessary extension of the story they crafted. Maybe the absence of a buildup to this shift into horror requires some subsequent exposition. Regardless the story fuses familiar folk horror, African mythology, and a very real painful history into a compelling finale. The thriller’s final 15 to 20 minutes are emotionally gripping and ensure that you won’t easily forget the movie.

Saloum Defined By Its Well-Crafted Characters

Both the character work and performances here are exceptional. Even with its trim runtime, Saloum meticulously develops its characters and their relationships without ever feeling like it’s slowing down. If the characters feel familiar or recycled Herbulot and Diop ensure that there’s an almost surprising amount of depth to each one. In particular, all three mercenaries – and the brotherhood they share – becomes very emotionally affecting in the third act. But even supporting characters feel like real living and breath people. For instance, a Senegalese police officer could easily have been regulated to the role of secondary antagonist. Instead, Saloum invests the character with their own agency against expectations and the result is far more engaging.

If the characters feel familiar or recycled Herbulot and Diop ensure that there’s an almost surprising amount of depth to each one.

Herbulot and Diop’s screenplay – and its attention to character – gets big assists from the performances. Western audiences wont’ be familiar with the cast but they’re uniformly excellent. In what should be a star-making turn, Yann Gael invests ‘Chaka’ with a balance of cool charisma and deep trauma and pain. Though her role is smaller, Evelyne Ily Juhen’s performance looms over every frame she occupies in the movie. Arguably, it’s Roger Sallah’s turn as one of the three mercenaries, ‘Rafa’, that offers the most surprises. Initially, the character seems like a familiar stereotype – the macho, shallow supporting character destined to add to the body count. Yet the third act flips the script and both the performance and screenplay allow the character a growth that only adds to the movie’s pathos.

Saloum a Contender for Best Horror Movie of 2022

From its stylish opening to its crushing emotional finale, Saloum instantly stands out as one of the better horror movies of the year. One could nitpick that Herbulot’s sudden shift into horror territory comes without the ground work being laid. But that’s a pretty minor issue to take with a story so fully realized. What Herbulot accomplishes on a modest budget and in under just 90 minutes is noteworthy. Simply put, Saloum is simultaneously heartbreaking and disturbing with fleshed out characters and a folk horror narrative with an African twist. Aside from being an impressive outing on its own merits, Saloum is the case for the importance of diversity in filmmaking.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: A

Who Invited Them Invites You to Stay For a Nightcap

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What’s worse than a guest overstaying their welcome? How about someone showing up uninvited? Hollywood has played the guest who would not leave for laughs (Madhouse, What About Bob? You Me, and Dupree), suspense (Windfall), and horror (Funny Games). On horror streaming platform Shudder, writer and director Duncan Birmingham moves from short films to a feature-length debut, Who Invited Them. It promises to mix dark humor and social commentary alongside some genre thrills. While it’s a slightly under-the-radar release, critics who have seen it seem largely impressed with the results.

Synopsis

Young married couple Adam and Margo are moving up in the world. They’ve just moved into a posh new home right in Hollywood Hills. And they got it for a ‘steal’. To celebrate their new digs, the couple throw a party for friend and Adam’s business clients. But when the party ends and everyone leaves two guests linger for more drinks and music. There’s only one problem – neither Adam nor Margo remember inviting these strangers.

Who Invited Them Builds and Builds … But Has Nowhere to Go

For nearly a third of the movie, Who Invited Them sets up an intriguing, if not entirely novel, premise filled with promise. Writer and director Duncan Birmingham efficiently ‘sets the table’, so to speak, he introduces us to Xennial couple, Adam and Margo. There’s Adam, just slightly consumed with social status and eager to show off their swanky new home. In contrast, Margo feels uncomfortable with their wealth and success, in part perhaps because her own personal growth has been stifled by her husband. Birmingham quickly introduces these tensions and then proceeds to exacerbate them with an awkward house party. What follows in these early scenes is some well-written biting commentary on classism and social mobility.

Though there’s some intermittent creepiness, it never rises above mild discomfort and rarely feels like it’s escalating.

However, once the party ends and Adam and Margo’s uninvited guests linger, Who Invited Them settles into a stretched holding pattern. An increasing game of manipulation fills the movie’s second act wherein ‘neighbors’ Tom and Sasha chip away at the insecurities of their hosts, fully exposing the cracks revealed earlier. Two problems quickly emerge in the second act. Though there’s some intermittent creepiness, it never rises above mild discomfort and rarely feels like it’s escalating. This ‘flat suspense’ in part stems from the overall familiarity of Birmingham’s story. Too many thriller tropes pop up amidst some pretty generic jabs at upper-middle class culture. Simply put, Who Invited Them feels pretty familiar.

Who Invited Them Has Likable Performances in Largely Unlikable Roles

Once Who Invited Them reveals all of its cards, Birmingham finally ratchets up the action. It’s a somewhat underwhelming sequence of events disrupted by a subplot of another friend and party attendee trying to return to the couple’s home. Not much really happens in the climax and what does happen ends too abruptly. It also doesn’t help that the thriller’s reveal isn’t that surprising. Another problem that emerges from the climax is that it doesn’t feel all that connected to themes carefully laid out earlier. Without delving into spoilers, the ‘uninvited guests’ don’t connect to Tom and Margo’s home in a way that addresses the classism Birmingham was targeting previously.

Not much really happens in the climax and what does happen ends too abruptly. It also doesn’t help that the thriller’s reveal isn’t that surprising

In the absence of nail-biting suspense and a consistent social commentary, Who Invited Them is left with four characters who aren’t particularly likable. All of the performances are excellent. Rather the problem lies with Birmingham’s screenplay, which fails to flesh out the characters beyond broad strokes. Both Timothy Granaderos (13 Reasons Why) and Perry Mattfeld (Shameless) are creepy enough as the ‘uninvited guests’ but neither conveys any serious menace. Inevitably, Birmingham brushes off the characters as fairly straightforward psychopaths. As the slightly douchey Adam, Ryan Hansen (Friday the 13th) handles the more comic bits quite well. Similarly Melissa Tang (The Kominsky Method) charms as the more frazzled Margo. However, younger Millennials and Gen Z’ers may struggle to connect with characters whose biggest problem is that they could afford to buy a house.

Who Invited Them is ‘All Hat, No Cattle’

While it’s certainly watchable and occasionally darkly amusing, Who Invited Them feels like a missed opportunity. After a setup that hits most of the right notes, Birmingham settles into what feels like more extended setup. That is, Who Invited Them plateaus quickly into ‘soft buildup’ mode before underwhelming with its abrupt climax. It’s never quite as dark, funny, or suspenseful as it wants to be. None of the characters are particularly likable and neither antagonist rises above ‘creepy’. The end result is a horror-comedy that’s perfect fine way to pass some time, but not particularly memorable.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: C+

YellowBrickRoad a Fairy Tale Horror Movie Brimming with Untapped Potential

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The idea of a horror movie with connections to The Wizard of Oz is a concept that should have limitless potential. Though it initially seems counterintuitive, there’s plenty of creepy material to mine in Oz. And YellowBrickRoad – anchored by a legend of an entire town gone missing in the woods – feels like something ripe with potential. It was an under-the-radar horror movie that snuck into a film festival or two but failed to snare much of an audience. Those critics who screened and reviewed the movie were split down the middle.

Synopsis

In 1940, the entire town Friar, New Hampshire, walked into the neigbhouring forest along a trail and disappeared without a trace. Years later the government has finally declassified all information on the tragedy including the coordinates of the trail itself. Obsessed with the legend, filmmaker Teddy Barnes assembles a crew to walk the trail and uncover its secrets. But their bid to discover what happened to the people of Friar may lead them to the same fate.

YellowBrickRoad Brims With Potential in Its First Third

On the surface, YellowBrickRoad and its premise shares some DNA with found-footage classic The Blair Witch Project. Both movies revolve around a film crew chasing down a legend into the American wilderness and getting more than they bargained for. Yet that’s where the comparisons end. Writer and directors Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton kick off their horror movie with a unique premise that shares a connection with The Wizard of Oz that instantly hooks you. And the movie’s prologue – detailing Friar’s disappearance – seemingly capitalizes on this premise.

Writer and directors Jesse Holland and Andy Mitton kick off their horror movie with a unique premise that shares a connection with The Wizard of Oz that instantly hooks you.

Following some obligatory introductions to our characters, Holland and Mitton appear ready to kick things into gear. It doesn’t take long after our film crew ventures into the woods to unveil the movie’s horror elements. Like The Blair Witch Project, YellowBrickRoad starts with more subtle scares – big band music inexplicably playing throughout the forest. But then Holland and Mitton take their movie in a different direction with a surprising act of visceral violence. Several scenes later YellowBrickRoad includes an absolutely disturbing image – a demented twist on the scarecrow. After a third of the movie passes, despite a lower budget, there’s a wealth of potential on display.

YellowBrickRoad Runs Out of Ideas and Steam Pretty Fast

Yet in spite of all this potential YellowBrickRoad ultimately spins its wheels. Whereas The Blair Witch Project methodically ratcheted up its tension, Holland and Mitton rapidly escalate things and then subsequently fail to capitalize. If there’s a problem with YellowBrickRoad it’s that it runs out of tricks and steam really fast. Nothing about this movie needed more than 90 minutes. As a result, audiences are left with long gaps of nothing or just the same recycled scares from earlier in the movie. Simply put, YellowBrickRoad doesn’t have many more tricks up its sleeve after the big band music kicks in. There’s just too many long pauses in the movie.

If there’s a problem with YellowBrickRoad it’s that it runs out of tricks and steam really fast.

And this brings us to the movie’s bigger problem. That is, the line between ambiguity and underdeveloped story is pretty thin. In spite of all its potential, YellowBrickRoad falls into the latter category. While The Blair Witch Project had a simple premise, it made sure that every scene included bits of story that served the larger purpose of crafting a compelling mythology. Comparatively, Holland and Mitton show no interest in adding to the unique premise they introduce at the start of the movie. They offer no context for their scares and, as a result, the movie ultimately means nothing. Even when it’s final scene feels supremely creepy, the long-term effects are null. Today, we still remember the final scene in The Blair Witch Project in part because of what it means in service of its larger story.

YellowBrickRoad Frustrates With Untapped Potential

Somewhere in YellowBrickRoad is a damn good scary movie. Regardless of some overlap with The Blair Witch Project, the premise of being lost in the woods has plenty left to mine. And YellowBrickRoad boasts a handful of disturbing images. Even if the ending isn’t narratively satisfying, it’s an unsettling scene hinting at the movie’s untapped potential. Too bad ‘untapped’ is the key word. Holland and Mitton introduce a couple of good ideas, but there’s not nearly enough here to sustain more than 90 minutes. Scary moments are sparse and there’s no mythology in which to invest.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: C+

On The Third Day Strives for Poignancy, Settles for Middle-of-the-Road

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Following on the surprisingly good Virus: 32, Shudder recently began streaming another Argentinean horror export, On Third Day. As its title implies, the thriller’s mysterious story revolves around some religious cult or conspiracy. Aside from its basic premise, which involves a mother’s son who goes missing after a car crash, On The Third Day comes with very little advance hype. Unfortunately, the only version that seems to be available in North American includes English dubbing in place of subtitles. And the small handful of critics who weighed in on the movie so far have been underwhelmed.

Synopsis

Fleeing an abusive ex-husband, Cecilia grabs her son, Martín, and drives off in the middle of the night. But a moment’s distraction leads to a car crash with an eccentric priest hauling mysterious cargo. Three days after the crash, police find Cecilia wander the same stretch of road alone and confused. She has no memory of the past three days and her son is missing. As she desperately searches for Martin, Cecilia’s path crosses with a detective investigating a series of brutal crimes and the same priest from the accident who’s now fixated on finding her.

On The Third Day An Often Visually Impressive Horror Movie

With its title and the associated religious connotations, On The Third Day brims with potential. Director Daniel de la Vega effectively sets the religious thriller’s premise in motion. In spite of its relatively smaller budget, de la Vega makes the car crash that sets things in motion look brutal. It’s one of a handful of well-orchestrated scenes that impresses. In fact, On The Third Day strikes an effective – if somewhat inconsistent – atmosphere across its 85 minutes. Occasionally, de la Vega even gives his thriller a surrealist vibe that coalesces with the nightmarish world into which Cecilia finds herself.

In fact, On The Third Day strikes an effective – if somewhat inconsistent – atmosphere across its 85 minutes.

As for its moments of more overt horror, de la Vega finds even more success. When the story focuses on its rogue priest On The Third Day delivers some of its more disturbing and unsettling images. Other elements of the movie don’t always mesh together. When we follow Cecilia’s search for Martin, the supernatural thriller stylistically diverges from other scenes, tapping into similar vibes as surrealist 70s horror movies like Don’t Look Now. But de la Vega conjures up a handful of effective scares and the climax is almost edge-of-your suspense before things end rather abruptly.

On The Third Day’s Story Loses Focus on Peripheral Characters and Story Threads

Despite early promise and several well-crafted moments, de la Vega’s overall effort feels mixed. If there’s a primary culprit, look no further than Alberto Fasce and Gonzalo’s screenplay. For such a short movie, the story sidetracks far too often to peripheral characters and unnecessary subplots. There’s an earnest doctor who’s keen on helping Cecilia. And in the most needless bit of storytelling, On The Third Day wastes too much time on a dogged police detective who feels like a cliché taken straight out of an 80s action movie. Neither of these characters nor their time on screen add much, if anything, to the movie. Worst of all, they distract from far more interesting ideas that feel untapped.

For such a short movie, the story sidetracks far too often to peripheral characters and unnecessary subplots.

Another consequence of perhaps trying to do much is that the movie often feels convoluted, particularly in the early going. It’s not always clear what’s happening or why. As de la Vega narrow the focus for the climax, this narrative cloudiness matters less but it’s a recurring problem. To be fair to the writers. some questionable editing may add continuity problems. And the English dubbing detracts from what might otherwise be very compelling performances. Yet a bigger concern is that much of the movie hinges on a twist that ultimately underwhelms. After spending so much time wondering what happened to Martin – and what the priest had hidden on his truck – the movie’s twist just kind of falls flat. It feels a bit like a case of diverting from expectations simply for the sake of doing so. And it feels somewhat incongruent with the themes that de la Vega spent most of the movie building on.

On The Third Day a Decent, But Mostly Mixed, Effort

Certainly, On The Third Day isn’t lacking for style. Though some scenes occasionally betray its lower budget, by and large, Shudder’s latest release boasts a handful of visually impressive moments. And de la Vega wrings a few scares against a fairly consistent surreal atmosphere. But Fasce and Ventura’s story is an absolute mess including an unnecessary, hackneyed subplot about a hardnosed detective. Too much of the story also invests in a twist that underwhelms. Bad English dubbing – which seems to be the only version of the movie available here – just exacerbates the thriller’s downsides. Still at 85 minutes On The Third Day may look good enough for horror fans to pass some time.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: C

The Overnight Forgets To Include Scares With Its Turndown Service

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If you read enough Yelp or TripAdvisor review, just about any hotel can seem scary. One of two new releases on VOD platforms this week – including Unhuman – The Overnight checks into a familiar horror setting. From The Bates Motel to The Overlook, plenty of horror movies have turned up the scares alongside the turndown service. There’s not much in the way of upfront buzz about The Overnight. And so far, critics haven’t weighed in on this release yet.

Synopsis.

En route to a weekend getaway, famous blogger Jessie and her boyfriend, find themselves stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire. With few options, the couple finds an old hotel in a small, seemingly empty town. Their host, Salim, promises them a comfortable stay in a vintage locale. But each passing hour makes the couple increasingly uncomfortable. The other guests, the owner, and the hotel itself – something doesn’t feel right. Is it too late for Jessie and David to ‘check out’?

The Overnight Can’t Bring Together All of Its Plot Elements

In spite of its promising, if not familiar, premise, The Overnight weighs itself down with a lot of problems. First and foremost, Mel Hagopian and Richard Harlost’s story feels a bit all over the map. There’s its haunted hotel setting, complete with creepy kids a la The Shining, alongside a time loop premise. That’s an idea we’ve seen in the Happy Death Day movies and more recent indie efforts (6:45, Triangle). But The Overnight also includes a mystery about its hotel owner and his family as well as a demon on the premises. Maybe. Throw in a creepy fan that seems to serve no purpose but to get our couple to the hotel and yet turns up later anyways and The Overnight feels overbooked.

…The Overnight lacks any kind of internal logic.

Arguably, what worse is that these disparate story elements never coalesce into a coherent plot. You’ll find inklings of interesting ideas that go undeveloped. Yes, a certain amount of ambiguity fosters atmosphere and suspense. What we don’t know is usually scarier than the known. Not everything requires an origin or lengthy exposition. But there was at least a semblance of ‘rules’ that bound the events in The Overlook Hotel, for example. Comparatively, The Overnight lacks any kind of internal logic. Things seem to happen for no better reason than that it’s a horror movie and something eerie needs to happen.

The Overnight Forgot to Stock The Minibar With Scares

For a movie that boasts a stalker, demon, death time loops, mysterious owners, and a haunted hotel, The Overnight isn’t particularly scary. In fact, there’s few scares than horror clichés here. Directors Bobby Francavillo and Kevin Rhoades slow burn the story in it first act. We get to spend a bit of time with our couple, David and Jessie, before they arrive at the hotel. Upon their arrival, The Overnight spends a bit more time establishing that something isn’t quite right. All of this unfolds in the absence of atmosphere or suspense. From that point onward, Francavillo and Rhoades set a sluggish pace that makes The Overnight feel every bit of its 90 minutes.

All of this unfolds in the absence of atmosphere or suspense.

As for the cast, The Overnight’s ‘guest list’ doesn’t include any recognizable faces. Neither Zebedee Row (David) nor Brittany Clark (Jessie) light the world on fire but they’re at least believable as a couple. Once the movie hits its third act and dials up the horror elements, Row and Clark feel stretched in their roles. Likewise Rajeev Varma is suitably mysterious as ‘Salib’ in the early-going, but doesn’t quite convince as the story becomes more demanding. However, the movie’s villains, played by James Lorinz and Justin L Wilson both give wooden performances that drain any potential for tension when it’s needed most.

The Overnight Stays Way Past Its Checkout Time

Though it’s tempting to give The Overnight a pass on the basis of its indie roots, it really doesn’t offer much for horror fans. The story manages to be both a collection of genre clichés and an often formless narrative lacking direction. And glacial pacing exacerbates these problems. None of the performances will turn heads – but some are pretty wooden. Don’t expect much in the way of scares or suspense either. Ultimately, The Overnight is a dull, unimaginative horror movie that stays long past its checkout time.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: D

A Banquet Can’t Bring Together Its Individual Strengths Into a Singularly Compelling Thriller

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On the heels of its 2021 Toronto International Film Festival premiere, British horror movie A Banquet arrived on VOD platforms earlier this year. Only a handful of horror fans would have had the chance to see this one in theaters. In addition to its limited theatrical run, A Banquet doesn’t have much buzz. Its premise promises an interesting twist on familiar supernatural tropes. That alone makes it a somewhat refreshing genre offering. But critics have been divided on the results.

Synopsis.

Following her terminally ill husband’s death, Holly is left alone to raise her two daughters. Youngest daughter Isabelle is an aspiring figure skater, while the eldest, Betsey, seems aloof about college and her future. At a party with her boyfriend, Betsey feels drawn to the woods and the blood-red moon by a force she can’t explain. When she passes out and later awakens, Betsey refuses to eat, claiming that her body is in service to a greater power th

A Banquet Heavy on Atmosphere, Low on Scares

From its opening scene, A Banquet promises an atmospheric, thoughtful, and potentially disturbing psychological horror movie. With her first feature-length movie, director Ruth Paxton immediately stages an uncomfortable scene that segues into a consistent feeling of dread. Everything about Holly’s family – the home, the relationships between mother and daughter – feels cold and detached. Justin Bull’s story offers an initially bleak look into the tolls of grief. And when A Banquet teases supernatural story elements, Paxton and Bull refuses to embrace genre expectations. Outside of the aesthetics, A Banquet rarely conforms to familiar tropes we associate with possession movies. Bull’s story remains intentionally ambiguous … until it doesn’t.

Its a storytelling problem exacerbated by a slow burn that burns too slowly for too long.

Two problems emerge near the movie’s halfway mark. When Holly’s mother, June arrives, it creates another interesting character dynamic. Yet it also narratively removes much of the ambiguity established in the first act. Beyond the initial shock of what comes from a conversation between grandmother and granddaughter, A Banquet suddenly becomes a more predictable. The conclusion – though still somewhat ambiguous in its final shot – seemingly confirms what most might have expected. Its a storytelling problem exacerbated by a slow burn that burns too slowly for too long. Too little happens for extended periods of time. No amount of atmosphere and close-ups can compensate for empty calories.

A Banquet Can’t Quite Bring Its Strengths Together into a Singularly Compelling Movie

If not everyone works, it would be wrong to accuse A Banquet of lacking ambition. Paxton and Bull could easily have let their psychological horror drift into into straightforward supernatural possession territory. Instead, the director and writer rely on subtle gestures to make audiences question what they’re seeing without giving away too much. As mentioned above, the ultimate story direction becomes more clear at a certain point undermining some of this subtlety. Nonetheless, the potential themes surrounding Betsey’s refusal to eat and the question as to whether its supernatural or something more real are intriguing despite not being fully realized.

…the ultimate story direction becomes more clear at a certain point undermining some of this subtlety.

In front of the camera, the cast is uniformly excellent. All of the performances in A Banquet are quietly compelling. Sienna Guillory’s (Resident Evil: Retribution) ‘Holly’ is on edge and barely holding it together at the start of the movie. As Betsey’s pushes and tests her even more, Guillory slowly allows her character to unravel. Though her screen résumé is a little more limited, Jessica Alexander’s (Betsey) is quietly affection. She convinces you that something isn’t quite right about her character without ever tipping too much in one direction. And Lindsay Duncan, as Holly’s mother ‘June’, tips the tense mother-daughter relationship as the ‘voice of reason’ in the room.

A Banquet is a Well-Crafted Thriller With Narrow Appeal

Ultimately, A Banquet is an affecting psychological horror movie that feels incomplete. With her debut effort, Paxton shows no shortage of style or grasp of her craft. But atmosphere alone isn’t enough to fill long stretches where not much of note happens. And Bull’s story shows early promise as it takes a familiar horror premise in an entirely fresh direction. There just isn’t enough shock or unsettling ambiguity here to justify the movie’s slow burn. Strong atmosphere and performances makes this a worthwhile watch for patient horror fans, but A Banquet will likely have limited appeal.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B

Homebound Houses Plenty of Atmosphere, But An Unfinished Story

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The latest British horror movie, Homebound, treads some familiar ground with its premise. From first-time director Sebastian Godwin, this thriller mixes bits of ‘creepy kids‘ horror with a remote, seemingly idyllic country manor. In spite of its mixing of well-worn tropes, critics have been generally impressed with Godwin’s effort. And Homebound wouldn’t be the first horror movie to resurrect new scares from old ideas.

Synopsis

To celebrate his youngest daughter’s birthday, Richard arrives at his ex-wife’s countryside home, along with his new wife, Holly. Immediately upon their arrival, Holly senses something is wrong. The children’s mother -Nina – is nowhere to be seen. And Richard’s three children – hiding something about their mother – treat Holly coldly. As the children become confrontational and Richard’s behaviour grows increasingly strange, Holly fears that something horrible has happened to Nina – and that it may happen to her next.

Homebound Filled With Atmosphere, But Missing a Finished Story

In his feature length debut, writer and director Sebastian Godwin shows off a knack for the genre. Homebound is a stripped down horror movie that’s not reliant on effects, graphic violence, or a twisty premise. Instead, Godwin invests in crafting a foreboding atmosphere that carries throughout the movie. In part, Godwin accomplishes this mood by effectively using the isolated environment and keeping things moving at a bris pace. This is a relatively short affair, clocking in at just over 70 minutes. But Homebound also relies on familiar ‘creepy kid’ tropes. As the story unfolds, Godwin quickly escalates from an initially quiet and ambivalent response to Holly by the children to more openly hostile acts. And Nina’s continued absence alongside Richard’s odd behavior fuels some tension.

Arguably, Homebound’s worst offence is its abrupt and empty conclusion.

But Homebound ultimately feels like an effectively chilling thriller that’s one act short of a complete movie. Things quickly unravel into predictability in the final 10 minutes. Arguably, Homebound’s worst offence is its abrupt and empty conclusion. Much of Godwin’s suspense hinges on the mystery of Nina’s absence and Richard’s intentions. Is he a good father and husband? Or does he have more nefarious intentions? Unfortunately, Homebound ends before addressing these plot threats. It’s not an ambiguous ending that will spark discussion or ruminations beyond the credits. Rather Homebound feels like it lacks an ending. Godwin gives us some blood spatter, buzzing flies, and Holly’s terrified expression. And then it ends. The finale feels so abrupt that one would be forgiven for wondering if something was accidentally cut from the final reel.

Homebound’s Cast and Their Performances Often Outreach The Story

While its narrative is unsatisfying, Aisling Loftus’ performance as ‘Holly’ is noteworthy. Even as Homebound leaves plot threads and themes undeveloped, Loftus perfectly captures that initial feeling of being an ‘outside-on-the-inside’. As Richard and the children’s behaviour becomes increasingly strange, it’s Loftus’ reactions that sell the tension in the absence of more story. In particular, the contrast between what Homebound’s finale offers and what Loftus delivers is remarkable. The conclusion would feel morel like a rip-off if not for Loftus’ horrified expression that at least leaves you chilled.

Even as Homebound leaves plot threads and themes undeveloped, Loftus perfectly captures that initial feeling of being an ‘outside-on-the-inside’.

None of the other performances from the small cast are bad. In fact, all three child actors acquit themselves quite well. As the youngest, ‘Anna’, Raffiella Chapman (His Dark Materials) stands out giving exactly the kind of discomforting vibes you expect from ‘evil kids’ in a horror movie. Both Hattie Gotobed (Game of Thrones) and Lukas Rolfe are mostly regulated to silent glares. This once again speaks to problems with Godwin’s screenplay. Though Loftus’ performance is excellent her character is undeniably underwritten, lacking an sort of arc. Similarly, Richard’s children have nothing to do but play ‘creepy’. And Tom Goodman-Hill (Rebecca) has even less with which to work, often just appearing illogical.

Homebound Squanders Atmosphere With a Disappointing Narrative

There’s lots to appreciate in Homebound – Godwin’s debut feature shows off a natural grasp of horror aesthetics. But the storytelling ultimately falls short. There’s a fine line between an ambiguous narrative that chills as compared to dangling plot threads. Unfortunately, Homebound sort of introduces ideas and then ends abruptly. This is the rare case of a movie probably needing a bit more time. What’s present is all style with little story and not enough of a surrealist approach to justify it. However, while it’s not completely satisfying, the performances, short runtime, and atmosphere make it worth watching.

THE PROFESSOR’S FINAL GRADE: B-