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Reviews
Nefarious (2023)
I was so excited...
I really anticipated this film because I am a fan of psychological thrillers! I thought the possession would add some spice to the plot, trying to determine what the reality is... unfortunatley, this film really failed to deliver much. As a film with mainly one setting, I was interested to see how they would keep things visually interesting despite the smaller set. The answer is that they did not. Not much thought is put into the audiovisual apects of the film, and the sound design was noticeably off in places.
This film also has a strong religious undercurrent that I did not expect based on how it was marketed. I expected some discussion of religion because this is a film featuring demonic possession, but it fails to make things interesting and just leads to a bland plotline. Any assertations about religion are unchallenged in this movie, which I think could have made it more interesting, for both religious and atheistic viewers. Instead, it ends up being a long, one sided conversation. The protagonist is very weak willed and is completely toothless when talking to Nefarious. He acts more as a placeholder for the audience that our other character just speaks at.
I got answers to questions I never asked, but no answers to any of my questions. There were no details given about the murders or Edward's background. We do not learn anything about Martin either, other than what Nefarious tells us.
Overall I think the energy put towards the flimsy religious message should have been put literally anywhere else. The film does everything in half measures. It wants a little religious drama, but it does not show any meaningful discussion. It wants psychological thriller, but shows very little in the way of Martins' mental state altering, and never explains what happened with Edward. The dialogue is a weak point of the movie, which is too bad because that is almost the only thing that happens in the movie.
I am not a fan of media with a religious bias because it takes away a lot of immersion with its heavy-handed inclusion in stories that do not develop it well or introduce it naturally. At least with 'Evil,' a show that ended up being religiously biased, there was a precedent for discussions based on religion. Furthermore, things actually happen in the show.
Three stars for me means that this film irked me a little bit and I would not watch it again. I do not find this film offensively bad, but it certainly is not worth the time or money. I do not like that this film had an agenda that was not made clear going into it. Overall, this is an air sandwich of a movie and I am not sure why so many people rated it so highly.
Men (2022)
Does not succeed at what it tries to do
I had been really excited to see this movie, I had seen the trailer and it seemed pretty scary! I think there is real merit to the non exploitative portrayal of womens' experiences with men. There is a lot of organic fear there, because women have a good reason to fear men a lot of times. Seeing a good portrayal of these concerns is good and realistic.
This movie, however, only captured that a little bit. I think the first parts of the movie are pretty well done and that is what the four stars are, because the rest of this movie is something that genuinely annoyed me severely.
I will start with the things I liked, and then expand on the things I did not. The scene with harper and her partner was an attention grabbing start to the movie and I think it was well done. The scenes with the man from the forest were really scary and well done. Seeing him chase her and then lurking outside of her house triggered my fight or flight response. I was on the edge of my seat for these scenes. Overall the film was competently made and well acted.
Now on to the things I was not a fan of. As expected of an A24 film there were several scenes where nothing happens and there is music playing, or in this case, characters singing. It really adds an awkward break in the pacing of the movie and makes it a lot harder to stay interested.
I also cannot help but mention the plethora of vagina imagery. Vaginal imagery does not make your movie 'deep' and It does not make your film any better. And with a film like this where it is so common and the overall theming, it is actively detrimental to the film's themes. Equating vaginas to the experience of womanhood is objectifying. A woman's experience and how she is treated and how she fits in to a society does not have much to do with her genitals at all. Not all women even have vaginas, so reducing what it means to be a woman to that is lame and I really hope filmmakers can see that in a lot of cases, adding this to films is a poor choice.
The reduction of women to a body part is indicative of a larger problem of this film. The social commentary it makes feels very hollow and poorly done. Characters behave out of character in order to create a story that covers as many aspects of sexism as possible. It feels like rather than them being fully realized, they exist to check a box on the script and it makes the movie come across as formulaic and makes it hard to care about any one of the characters. I do not know how many women were involved with this production so I can not say for sure that this is true, but this film feels as though it was written by an outside observer of sexism as opposed to someone who has the greater understanding of sexism that comes with experiencing it firsthand
Lastly I must discuss the final scene. I don't think many people liked it. It once again reduces womanhood to genitals and birth. It also is gross but not in a well done way, the sequence looks bad. Lastly, it really means nothing and makes the overall viewing experience feel like a waste of time.
Found (2012)
Not a pleasant viewing experience
I really wanted to like this movie. The premise sounds pretty interesting, I think there are many ways that could be explored that are interesting. And for a lot of this movie, I felt like it did! So why have I rated it so low?
This film takes things too far. I would not call myself particularly squeamish, i really like a lot of horror movies that are gory or even have some hard to watch scenes. However, something about the way this movie deals with things leaves me truly repulsed.
I think this film was edgy but really veered away from what could have been a good story line for the sake of adding a level of disturbing content that did not really strengthen the story or the scariness of the movie.
The last scenario of this film was upsetting to me independent of the film's verissimilitude because I could not help but worry about how ethical the whole production was. This actor is a kid. I just really feel it is inappropriate to put a child in those conditions, no matter if it is for a movie or not. Some lines should not be crossed.
Other than that, which generally soured my feelings towards this movie, I had really liked the beginning moments. The acting was pretty good. I hope nothing that happened ended up being upsetting for the kid actor.
The Burning (1981)
I did not like this movie
The title says it all, but I plan to elaborate as to why I feel this way. It seems this has become a bit of a cult classic in the horror movie community and I can not for the life of me understand why. That is not to say this film is without merit, everyone is welcome to their opinions and likes, but my opinion is that this movie borders on unwatchable.
I am a fan of slashers and am always looking for some good ones to watch. This was highly suggested by many a horror website so I had to give it a shot. This revenge flick was derailed by the filmmakers' desire to show boobs onscreen.
A prank gone horribly wrong left Cropsy permenantly scarred. He wants to get back at the people who took away his health, his sense of normalcy, his ability to exist in normal society. And yet, upon getting out of the hospital, he goes to a sex worker and murders her without provocation. Cropsy seriously lacks focus on his plot for revenge. He has many chances to kill the boys, or even scare them a little to prolong their torment, but instead he goes for the topless girls who were not involved in the prank and have done nothing to provoke instead of the actual target of his revenge. One can only imagine what would lead someone to write the repeated and unprompted murder of female characters while, and this is VERY important, wearing as little clothing as possible. The motive is transparent and makes for an uncomfortable viewing experience. Instead of the vibe being "Oh my gosh Cropsy has killed this girl while she was naked and vulnerable, how horrifying!" The vibe is far more like "We do not think people will find our plot compelling enough so instead of writing something better, we will throw in some boobs to keep their attention. She is getting brutally murdered. But hey, her boobs look nice, right fellas?"
There are a number of ways this could be fixed. One, Cropsy would need to kill these ladies to stay hidden. He was stalking the targets of his revenge but gets discovered and has to dispose of the person before they blow his cover. Furthermore, Cropsy could be driven by resentment of women because of the multitude of harsh rejections and derision he had directed towards him after his injury. Lastly, maybe Cropsy had a history of violence towards girls before his disfigurement. Even though Cropsy is a key part of this film, not much attention is given to who he is. His characterization as a cruel stickler for rules is given far after the prank and after his first series of murders. I think this film would benefit from a scene added in the beginning showing how Cropsy interacted with the kids. They could have even learned about his inclination to violence which could in that scenario be motive for why they tried to scare him. We do not even get any lines from him, and his nonverbality is never addressed. Essentially, we see a prank on a random nonverbal man with no context given about anyone in that situation.
My next problem is with Alfred. This character is one of the most annoying characters I have ever seen. He is boldy perverse, but his pathetic groveling earns the pity of Todd who keeps him from facing any actual consequences. The scenes with him are frustrating and I really feel as though he only exists for me to resent Todd. I do not think this was the filmmakers' intent.
The last thing that I will mention is the score. In the final act, dizzying music is played. Combined with the shaky camerawork, I had to take several breaks because I started getting nauseous. I have heard of filmmakers putting upsetting frequencies in their soundtracks to get a stronger audience reaction. I will never be a fan of this. It makes the movie actually physically damaging to watch. Needless to say this will not get a rewatch. Regardless of if it was intentional, it made me miserable. Generally this is not the emotion I want to feel when watching a movie.
All in all, I cannot reccomend this film to anyone for any reason. If you enjoyed it, I am glad you could find value where I could not.
Daniel Isn't Real (2019)
Wierd but enjoyable watch
I had mixed feelings about this film after seeing it. When I watch a film it is hard for me NOT to look for flaws. And this film had plenty I will discuss a bit. However, I still ended up enjoying it and thinking about it for a while after. I feel as though the standout performances of Robbins and Schwartzenegger are what make this movie a good watch.
First, I will discuss negatives, then I will finish the review talking about what I liked. Even if there seem like a few negatives, I did enjoy this movie, I just want to be thorough discussing what I thought.
Firstly, I felt the tone had some issues. The movie has some funny moments in it and it also is pretty dark at times. These two can work together, but where things get a bit odd for me is when fantastical elements are brought into the serious moments. The serious moments come off campy when combined with the fantastical elements, whether it be the special effects being somewhat subpar or general tonal dissonance.
On a similar note, I feel as though there was not enough precedent for Luke's inner workings to look like the stormy and surreal palace. I was sort of hoping it would look more like the dollhouse, I think that could have been a fun visual to play with that also was thematically tied to Daniel and Luke's childhood trauma. I realize this probably comes off as splitting hairs, but I feel like in a film that plays with unreality, simplicity is a strength that keeps viewers' attention. Simply put, I think this film lacks the consiceness that a film like this needs, and adds in elements that are not properly set up or resolved. For me, this is just exemplified by the internal workings of Luke's mind in the 3rd act.
I had an issue with the performances of some of the side characters, because Robbins and Schwartzenegger gave such strong performances, any awkward line delivery truly stuck out and undercuts the verisimilitude of the film. It sort of feels like Daniel and Luke are the only people who are deeply tied to the reality of the film, and other characters seem very two dimensional. This may have been a conscious stylistic decision because of the themes, but it is not something I like personally.
My last negative would have to do with the themes. This is a lot more personal, so I do not expect everyone to see this as an issue. I have grown tired of seeing movies about someone slowly going insane. I knew what this movie was coming into it, and I definatley think it is one of the better iterations of this genre, but because I have seen this so many times, I am quite attuned to this. Understanding that this is a horror movie, I do not expect the ending to be sunshine and rainbows. That being said, I have quite frankly had enough of the dark and edgy 'suicide is the solution' messaging. I think it can be a thoughless way to finish a movie with an apparition tied to a person. There are also the concerning implications. As someone who has had enough experience pertaining to negative mental health, both from myself and people in my life, it makes it sort of a slog to watch. I do not feel comfortable showing films like this to my friends because this sort of ending can set off a hopeless spiral in someone who is not prepared or is in a fragile state of mind. I understand this trope and why it exists, but I definatley have a bias against it and will call it out when I see it.
After my gripes, I want to explore the things about this film. As mentioned before, I do have an overall positive opinion of this film. I look for faults but if you do not read as far into it, these flaws can definatley be overlooked for a fun viewing experience.
On paper, the good hearted antisocial kid and his confident friend with questionable morals is nothing new. That being said, in this case, the formula works. Even if something has been done before it can still be effective, and this is a great example of that.
I am a fan of Robbins, and I definatley think his performance was excellent. He played the innocence and awkwardness realistically, instead of sort of 'quirkiness' that some media opts for. I think showing the less 'cool' aspects of antisocial behavior makes Luke a lot more realistic and sympathetic of a character. Robbins also did a good job playing Luke when Daniel is in control. His demeanor and body language change in a way that is authentic to Scwhartzenegger's Daniel. The attention to detail is what makes this character work so well to me. I want to see him succeed! Too bad that he died at the end. But you cannot win them all I suppose.
Schwartzenegger's performance also was a key part in the success of the film. Despite Daniel's cockiness, he is played in a way that doesn't make him come off as a greasy fuckboy. Given the material, it very easily could have gone that way. The smugness of his character is undercut by his obsessive need to control Luke's every move. This fear motivated behavior keeps the character grounded in my opinion.
Lastly, I enjoyed a lot of the visual aspects of this film. Sure, there were some misses, but I think there were a greater number of stylistic choices that paid off well. The depiction of imagination, especially when Daniel exists within Luke's imagination as a schizophrenic delusion, was an interesting mechanic. The final face off between Luke and Daniel showed both how Luke's imagination has dichotomously been weaponized against him, but can also be used by him as a weapon. A lot of the added stylistic filters also accentuated a dark and whimsical feel in the first and second acts.
Overall, this movie was not perfect, but despite that was truly saved by standout performances which made it a worthwhile viewing. Also it is worth mentioning that while I have grown tired of the 'person goes crazy slowly' plot arc of films, of the ones I have seen, this is one that is pretty good in comparison to most.
My Bloody Valentine (1981)
Pretty Fun
First and foremost, I must mention that I saw this version before it got chopped by the censors, so I really cannot say how that version is. All in all, I think this movie is a pretty fun watch. I wanted to watch this because I am an Ice Nine Kills fan and liked the song they wrote about this movie (take your pick on the album welcome to horrorwood) I am glad I gave it a watch.
Though I had a great time watching and rewatching this movie, I think a lot of people are put off by its tone. I went into this movie expecting campiness and this film delivered indeed! Maybe even a little too much. The acting is not always the greatest, and there is plenty of joking around in some of the scenes. Somehow I feel as though the awkward acting and lighthearted tone somehow ended up working together to better the film. Similar to how you might miraculously solve a math problem by making a series of mistakes that cancel it out. This is a very rare case. Any wrong move and this movie could be pretty bad. And yet, I feel as though the film is largely competent and pleasantly surprising. The tone shifts rapidly between some genuinely brutal kill scenes and some goofy townsfolk running around and setting up a Valentine's day party. Rather than seeing this as tonally dissonant, I felt it created something more akin to a juxtaposition. Instead of clashing, these two seperate ends of the spectrum built off of each other. As far as the awkward acting goes, it does not bother me too much. Somehow the antagonist's manic overacting created a more uncanny and genuinely disturbing character. Similarly, one character's hysteria in reaction to a death feels strange in a raw and realistic way. The grief leading them to make counterintuitive descisions and continued inability to process the events. All in all, I feel like this movie encapsulates what I appreciate in a good slasher. This movie also avoids too much exploitative material, save for the cold open. Past the low brow appearance is a movie that has a number of good scares, disturbing moments, and has some pretty impressive practical effects.
Probably one of my favorite things about this film is the unique setting. A mining town. A Valentine's day party. Despite having no correlation, this film ties the two together in a memorable way. The setting of a mine is something I rarely see utilized fully in horror beyond cartoons. The layout of the rooms leading into the mines, the mazelike twists and turns, and of course, the claustrophobia and constant danger of cave ins. Though it seems like a small thing to mention, I think that mining gear as a slasher costume is pretty effective, and I have not seen it used before. The gas mask adds a diagetic wheezing sound that makes the killer's presence known in an unsettling way that also is practical. For me, it adds just a touch more immersion in the whole thing.
What kept me thinking about the film was how deeply troubling the antagonist was. The final minutes of the film are very well done and despite knowing what happened at the end, I found myself shocked when watching it. I am not sure how the antagonist as as an actor overall, but he delivered a memorably chilling performance. The one scene of the characters climbing the ladder had him climb past, giving a frame or two of a very unnerving sadistic expression that you could miss or mistake as physical strain. Somehow, this really stuck out to me as very creepy. His backstory is very underdeveloped, and I would have loved to see a bit more behind WHY he reacted to his life's traumatic events of his life the way he did.
Overall, I would reccomend this movie for a fun night in. I really think this could benefit from a remake or sequel that is faithful to the original (not the one that exists, I did not like that one). This film has a strong base and has not yet been expanded upon, and I would love to see that in the future!
Jennifer's Body (2009)
I want more
I am a fan of this movie. I will say that some of the more negative reviews of this movie have very different interpretations of the themes and purpose of the movie, and I hope I can give a sufficient explanation of my thoughts and why I interpret it the way I do.
First of all, I think it is important to go into this movie with the right expectations. This movie is not straight horror. It is not a serious movie. I find that this has a similar feeling to mean girls. If you go in expecting a serious thinkpiece, you are not going to find what you are looking for. Despite the more shallow tone of the movie, I think it is still able to make some statements about some heavier themes.
The relationships between the characters are a strong point in this film in my opinion. I felt as though the depiction of a love-hate toxic friendship with some romantic tension was pretty well written. The way Needy goes from frustrated and knowing Jennifer is not treating her well to loving exasperation at her friend and wanting to protect her is played pretty well. I also think that Needy and her boyfriend have a relationship that somewhat realistically depicts two people who care for each other but have a lack of deeper connection. Because Anita is so preoccupied with Jennifer, it reads as her having feelings for Jennifer that she has not been able to process. Because of her feelings, she cannot connect with her boyfriend in the same intimate way as she can with Jennifer.
I know that the scene with the girls kissing is very divisive amongst the audience. From what I understand the marketing for this movie did feature it in a more fetishized way, which really sucks. However, seperate from that and just viewing this movie without that bias in mind, the scene read entirely different to me. I saw this as a very genuine moment between the characters. The intimacy of the scene comes from the preestablished tension between them and in my opinion, shows Needy with her gaurd fully down. I can understand someone being skeptical of this point of view especially due to the sexual themes of this movie, but this scene is shot differently from the other sexual scenes in the movie. Everything seems to stop for a second. This is shot a lot more languidly than the other scenes, which gives it a sense of gentleness that the other scenes lack. There are not too many cuts and the focus is placed equally on the girls as opposed to the girl OR the boy, as it is shot in the other scenes. Based on this cinematography, it feels as though this is depicting an intimate moment between two equals. This is just my interpretation though, I think regardless of your opinion it is worth looking into the differences in filming styles, not just in this movie but in general. It is one of the ways a director can suggest things to the audience.
I found the premise of the movie interesting, since the whole inciting incident occurred because Jennifer felt the need to lie about being a virgin to be more appealing to the lead singer. Though not thoroughly overt, I think this film sort of depicts girls' sexuality in a thoughtful way. Jennifer is both praised and shamed for her experience. She gets into a dangerous position because she feels pressured to conform to an idea of herself. Even the fact that she goes from glowing and powerful to lifeless and weak shows the difference in how Jennifer is treated and views herself based on her ability to gain sexual validation.
I am fully aware that a lot of people may think that my analysis of the themes in this movie are a bit intense for what this movie is. I think that this is a movie that can both be enjoyed thoughtlessly and picked apart and examined as well. The attention to detail by the director indicates that although this is a fun little movie, the themes are still considered and woven throughout the film for anyone looking for them.
My more surface level review of this film is that it is a good watch and the universe of this movie is fun enough that I want it to continue somehow. The absurdism, the comedy, the nostalgic feeling, all make this film just an absolute joy to watch. I really wish there were more films like this.
No One Lives (2012)
Fun movie
This movie is a fun watch in my opinion. Is it a GOOD movie? I would say yes and no. I will start with what I feel like the movie could have improved upon and finish it with what I think it did well.
First of all, the acting is not the greatest. Personally I can look past some of the campy acting and awkward line delivery but I understand why it could be a dealbreaker for somebody. I feel like Emma and Driver are probably the actors who are the most in character, even if some of their lines read as kind of edgy.
If you like gory movies, this is a pretty good one in my opinion. There are some creative kills and a truly brutal antagonist. Some of the gore is a bit much in my opinion, or the logic is set aside to maximize the impact or severity of the kill.
Most of the characters act at least somewhat intuitively, with one character being the one who creates a lot of the problems. I feel like the character writing for him is not sufficient to justify his impulsivity. My last gripe is the cgi bag. I really do not like the cgi bag.
Now that I have discussed the weak points, I will talk about what I thought this movie did well. First of all, I do not think the flaws are bad enough to write off this movie. I would not call it high art, but not every movie has to be that way.
I think this movie is incredibly watchable. It does not drag, and any slow moments are very short. This film will keep your attention in the way a lot of slashers fail to. Despite knowing how severe the gore is, I find myself wanting to give it a rewatch when I am looking to throw on a movie. This is a good movie to watch with others. The entire runtime is full of enough tension and action that you will not see your friends looking bored halfway through.
I really like the characters of Driver and Emma. Driver makes a villian who has a frightening mentality and genuinely is so singularly focused with intensity that makes him very mysterious and scary, seeing how he became so fixated on a seemingly very average girl for no obvious reason. Despite his intensity and extremely violent behavior, the actor manages to play the character with just the slightest hint of charm, which I think adds a lot to the watching experience. Emma is a good foil to Driver. She is strong but still shows the signs of how her captivity has negatively impacted her ability to form relationships.
All in all, this is a short and sweet movie that is good for a thoughtless watch.
X (2022)
Has heart that I was not expecting!
This is a pretty good movie!! I think there are a few things that hold this movie back from meeting its full potential but first I want to discuss what I found very good about the film.
Based on the premice and my knowledge of slasher tropes I was really worried that this would in some way condemn the main characters for making porn or make it seem like some sort of moral failing so the villian felt justified. This is thankfully not the case! This movie has a more realistic view on sex work and sexuality in general that is refreshing in a genre that so many times falls into some variation of sexism and purity culture. The porn stars in this movie are not treated like degenerates, and they arent treated like martyrs who fell victim to the sex industry. They are people with their own autonomy who have their own reasons for doing the work that they do.
Another thing I liked is similar to the first, but it was interesting to see the unique way sexuality is shown in the film. As opposed to being written to be a shallow, shameful act, it is written as an integral part of a person's self worth. It isn't supposed to be overly profound or pretentious, but it is somethin that the characters feel strongly about without that aspect of themselves being shamed.
Other things that were done well were the attention to cinematography and the subtle foreshadowing in the first act of the movie. I feel as though the tension was built sufficiently and there are some genuinely scary moments beyond the expected jumpscares.
Aside from that, I would say that this is a pretty standard slasher. It delves into its themes in a thoughtful and unique way, but it still follows the formula you would expect. Likeable characters and a simple story. It had a scene or two of dead space filled with dreamy music which is par for the course with A24 films. I am personally not a fan of this, but I do not think that it is of much detriment to the film.
If you are comfortable with violence and sexual content, give it a watch! It is a good film.
Erufen rîto (2004)
I did not like this show
I undersrand that this show is very nostalgic for some people and I do not want to diminish that. I do not have that perspective so I wanted to share my opinion having watched this as an adult who is a fan of horror.
I am going to start with things I enjoy about this show. The animation, especially in the fighting scenes, is very smooth. It gives the impression that Lucy totally eviscerating someone is so easy she does not even have to think about it, which adds to the horror of how powerful she is. The opening is always interesting, its unique and sets the show apart. There are some more domestic scenes, particularly with Nana and Mayu that felt genuinely touching. There were also some scenes, especially pertaining to abandonment by parental figures, that felt truly heart wrenching. To tell the truth, I did not enjoy much about this show, but I can aknowledge the parts that were well done.
Now onto my criticisms.
Personally I do not see this as high art. The opening is probably the closest thing to that this series offers. But if we were to set that aside, this show does not offer the depth and thoughtfulness I would want for my 'deep' media. I have said it time and time again: nudity and female suffering do not make something good and they do not make something art. Can something with those elements be of artistic value? Absolutely. But far too many times people mistake those motifs for being inherently profound. These dark themes do not have any substance behind them. The nudity and specific repeated maiming of young girl characters honestly makes this show bordering on unwatchable. Instead of feeling like the nudity or violence have some sort of affect on the plot or the chatacters, it feels like fetish content and it makes me thoroughly uncomfortable.
Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I must discuss the other flaws of this show. There is severe tonal dissonance, which makes the viewing experience jarring, but not in an intentional way. I will reference Higurashi Ni Naku Koro Ni as media that does the tonal juxtaposition well. What that show does well is using the light and happy moments as a disarming tactic. Seeing the characters who were so friendly slowly but surely shift into horrifying antagonists makes the show all that more terrifying. The cuteness is used to heighten the horror. There is a clear decay of character from friend to enemy, and seeing the music and settings change with them makes for a very satisfying viewing experience in my opinion. I do not think Elfin Lied does this well. Despite Lucy having extensive backstory, no real explanation is given for why she formed a second personality, and what about her past made her have the necessity for such a childlike innocent and nonverbal persona? I think even a cursory indication of how her mind seperated two sides of her into seperate entities could be very beneficial to the show. Maybe Lucy is extra violent because she feels the need to shoulder the trauma and protect Nyuu, who is sensitive and innocent. Maybe Nyuu being threatened or witnessing something that reminded her of the past would be the cause of Lucy coming into control. Instead she switches when she gets sufficient head trauma which feels not only like a cop out, but also a far less interesting and complex explanation. There is no development of Lucy and Nyuu as two halves of a whole, it is just shown as a switch flipping, and it fundamentally means nothing for Nyuu or Lucy as characters. Essentially I find the light and dark elements to be at odds with each other. Instead of the peaceful daily happenings being used to heighten the inevitable introduction of heavy themes, the clash of the two weakens the show as a whole.
Another gripe I have is with the lore of the dicloniuses. It is shown that a significant number of higher ups in the facility imprisoning and experimenting on dicloniuses are indeed dicloniuses themselves. My question is what does this mean for the story? What motivation do the dicloniuses have to perpetuate the idea that their species are harmful? And the organization does significant work in damaging the diclonius population, shown by their attempt to exterminate diclonius babies. Seeing as the motivation of many of this species is world domination, what does it say that one such person with that goal is doing everything in his power to systematically weaken his population? These revelations of secret dicloniuses are really only able to illicit a second or two of shock at the plot twist from the audience. It does not actually make any sense and it does not really even effect the story. If there had been some explanation of the director as to why he wanted that extermination, it would be different. It could be that he has grown to love humanity and knows of the power his people have to destroy. Or maybe he wants fewer powerful beings competing with him for world domination. There are many explanations that could offer plot twists that actually recontextualize the actions of the organization.
One of my more minor gripes is that the characters are incredibly unrealistic. This is a minor gripe because in a fantasy horror anime I would imagine there is some stretching of what would constitute realistic behaviors. But it remains that the characters do not have complex motivations. A lot of things seem to happen with the specific intent to move the plot along, not because it is something that seems in character or makes sense. The cruelty of the children towards Lucy and her dog is not properly built up. What specifically made the bullies so violent? To that point, it could be more realistic if the kids were trying to bully Lucy and ended up hurting the puppy unintentionally. With the kids acting like this, it just seems like Lucy was severely unlucky to be placed in a facility solely inhabited by incredibly violent children with serial killer tendancies. A certain amount of Lucy's brutality can be explained by the amount of violence she herself was subjected to. Even so, her violence towards Kouta's family seemed out of place. She wanted Kouta to like her, and she knew how people reacted when she killed people, and yet she kills Kouta's family in the most purposeful way, right in front of him. I would think there are a number of ways this could be remedied. She could have tried to kill Kouta's family without anyone noticing. She also could have lost control of her powers, killing Kouta's family accidentally. That way, her shock and sadness at Kouta's rejection of her would make a lot more sense.
Finally, I can not end my gripes without mentioning the relationship between Kouta and Yuka. For what reason are they cousins and also in some sort of will they or won't they relationship? Even the fact that they have some sort of 'societally forbidden' attraction to each other is hardly aknowledged. It feels like they were just written to be cousins because the author had a fetish about that sort of thing. I had thought when there was tension between them that it would be another tie in to a dark theme, but it is not treated that way and it is both confusing and horribly uncomfortable for me. Most people I have talked to who enjoy the show just choose to pretend that these characters are not written as cousins, and ignoring that, can enjoy it as a romantic relationship. I cannot overlook this personally.
In conclusion, I feel this show is often praised and has its flaws ignored because it goes so heavy with the dark themes and edgy imagery. To me, this makes the series feel more uncomfortable than thought provoking. I feel as though there are some very big plotholes that could have been easily remedied, and I also feel like there were some genuinely baffling character writing decisions that distracted from the good parts of the show. I would not reccomend this.
Yellowjackets (2021)
Good show
This show is really good! I was worried that this show would fall flat and end up being more drama heavy like pretty little liars or just not substantial enough to justify its runtime. I am glad I watched it, it is absolutely one of my favorite shows.
My primary interest in this show comes from the horror. This show is surprisingly brutal. This show incorporates teen and domestic drama elements without those obstructing the horror aspects of the show. If anything, I feel as though the steady strain on the characters' bonds adds to the tension. This show has bite. Its approach to horror is unique. There are multiple threats and it isn't always clear what force is causing the peril. Sometimes the victims of the threats are the very perpetrators. I also appreciate how paranormal and spiritual elements are introduced without trying to manipulate the audience's beliefs (for instance, the show 'Evil'). Combined with the degradation of the characters' mental state and desperation to find hope it feels like a realistic depiction of how someone might fall into such thinking in a time of weakness or need.
I appreciate how this show handles trauma as well. As adults, the trauma manifests in a variety of ways, some more obvious than others. I am glad that it does not make the survivors into one dimensional portrayals of victimhood because of what they suffered. When mismanaged, their symptoms are shown not only to be self destructive, but destructive to their relationships and other people around them. It shows the uglier side of trauma that a lot of media fails to address, that trauma is not contained to the victim and how they treat others. Their worse symptoms like obsessive behavior, escapism, dissociation, and at points violent tendancies paint a more realistic picture of the complex nature of deep seeded wounds and healing. This show neither excuses these behaviors nor blames the characters for what they have suffered. They allow all of the characters to be morally grey, up for the audience to decide whether or not they root for them. To me this helps with the immersive experience. You feel like you get to know the characters. Even with characters you personally dislike, you are intruiged to see what they do next. At its core I feel like this shows very different characters in terms of how they view the world and what they value, what experiences made them the way they are, and how different people have different approaches to the same problem because of their values and their past. As opposed to making a lot of the characters have the same values and moralities, the characters' tendancies to be prone to certain actions are all different. I definatley feel as though this show has very well developed characters with a variety of different perspectives that really brings the show to life.
On a somewhat related note, I appreciate how the gay representation is done. It does not feel like the writers thoughtlessly threw in a gay character or two just to say they did. The characters' identities are intrinsically tied to who they are and how they see the world without it becoming the entirety of their character. Something I rarely see in media that isn't made to be specifically lgbt media.
Though I definately feel like the character writing is the factor that makes this show truly special, that is not the only thing this show does right. The pacing keeps your interest. Though the overarching plot is a slow burn, each episode sees smaller arcs that only span those episodes, so even when the main plot is not being actively developed there is still enough action to keep your attention, and it is all purposeful and does not feel like filler, which i find unusual for horror tv series.
Finally, I must discuss the tone of this show. I mentioned that this show is brutal and also has a significant focus on trauma. Despite this, the show is able to be a fun watch. It is not too heavy and even in the more serious moments it does not feel like a slog. There is enough comedy and some lighter drama to keep things from being too dark, but they also do not feel like forced comic relief. It flows well. The atmosphere created is a building tension without it feeling like an anxiety attack. You can be engrossed in the high stakes and dark subject matter without sacrificing your own fundamental enjoyment.
All in all, great show. I generally do not call things 'masterpieces' because I feel as though it has been overused to the point of corniness. But to me, my overall consensus of the show is that it is, to me, a masterpiece. Not in a pretentious way, one of the good points of the show is its accessibility and watchability. Also rare in horror media in general. In conclusion, this show has good drama, comedy, horror, something for (almost) everybody! If you are thinking of giving it a watch I cannot reccomend it enough!
Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022)
I'm So Tired...
Film makers should not be allowed to write movies about 'kids nowadays' if they aren't actually going to write them like real human beings. I am in this age demographic and this movie struck me as very out of touch.
Watching this movie makes me cringe. Gen z people are actually people. Writing characters who have no substance and throwing in a few bits of slang you saw someone on twitter say does not make this realistic. Depicting a group of vapid people is one thing. But for it to actually mean something the characters have to actually have character traits. What makes them so disconnected from others? Why do they crave validation? What makes them act the way they act? None of these questions will be answered.
The second this movie came out it had aged poorly. Even the slogan bothers me. "This is not a safe space." What does that convey? That gen zers talk about safe spaces online? That genzers are so soft they would expect a murder house to be a safe space for them? The humor in this strikes me as "this character talks about bpd. People nowadays do that on the internet. These characters are using semi appropriate slang how kids nowadays do. This is someone speaking the way you would expect them to."
Rather than a commentary about class or fake people or anything else it seems like someone complaining about 'kids nowadays and their phones.' Improper use of slang shows a fundamental lack of understanding about what the words /actually/ mean or what they are used for.
Anyways I am hoping I articulated my points well enough to not come off as someone who is just offended bcs they depicted my generation unflatteringly. I believe that this writing shows a lack of care about the characters beyond some slang they use. I really did not enjoy this movie. Its one of many many movies that hit the exact same beats. I did not find the ending particularly surprising ot funny. There was no effort to do anything creative visually. Watching it actually irritated me.
The Exorcist (1973)
Disappointing
After watching this film I felt very surprised that this was what so many people considered to be the scariest film ever made. There are aspects about this film that I can respect, but overall it was a miss.
The film has a lack of atmosphere that makes the scary moments come across as campy rather than scary. I can appreciate some camp but since this movie is a horror movie and not a comedy movie i was left with a film that was not particularly funny or scary.
I must mention that there are a few confounding factors. This movie has been a very integral piece of horror media since its release. Some of the moments that may have been shocking at the time had been memed 10 times over by the time I got to it. I tried to go in with a clear mind but admittedly I had some expectations for this movie given its reputation. I maintain that a movie I would consider good would be one that is satisfying regardless of what you thought going into the movie.
It is also worth mentioning that technology has changed such that a lot of the practical effects do not hold up particularly well. I think one of the more effective ways to keep a film from aging is to really focus on the atmosphere and tension. Maybe showing some of the scariness and letting the viewers' imaginations fill in the parts that end up looking less good than expected. This film seemed to show all the goings on in full light and leaving nothing to the imagination and I think it ends up hurting the movie in the long run.
I am aware that I am quite in the minority and hopefully I articulated my feelings well enough to at the very least be understandable.
Wonder Egg Priority (2021)
It was going so well...
This show had so much potential. The writing was very good, the characters were so fleshed out. It was so nice seeing characters interact with one another, how they help and hurt each other, their motivations, their insecurities, all of it was there. I would give most of the show a 10/10
But I cannot do that in good conscience give this show a 10/10. Even if almost all the show was perfect, there are pretty glaring problems with the end.
As mentioned before, what made me interested in the show was the complex characters that you found yourself rooting for even with their at times gray morals. So when I have been seeing that for ¾ of the show, it makes it even more jarring when all that is dropped. Characters do not act how you would expect them to based on their past. The in story logic with the magical world and its relation to the real world dissolves. Suddenly the real world is completely foreign. Its a mess.
Genuinely a disaster. I loved it so much. I love 'dark magical girl' shows and this series seemed to take a fresh new approach to the genre. And then it just. Didnt.
Did not answer any of the questions raised by the show in the first half, answered questions I never thought of, and created more questions. I just want them to continue the show as if those last few episodes never happened. Seeing the jarring disparity in quality shows that these people CAN make a great show, but something stopped them from doing so this time.
Hot Bot (2016)
Sent me into a depressive spiral
Not to be dramatic but watching this film probably made me a worse person. I am an enjoyer of 'so bad its good' movies from time to time. This is not a so bad its good movie. 2 minutes into this movie I felt like it had greatly overstayed its welcome. I began to meditate on the filmmaking process. There are reviews of the scripts, directors to help the actors, test audiences to give ideas for improvement. And this film passed them all and existed in its raw form as something that inspired nihilism and hopelessness in me. I can enjoy a dumb movie. Sometimes it is nice to sit back and not think. This somehow had the opposite effect and made me think about the nature of art and what it means to create. To throw a piece of your being into an indifferent void. Anyways. I would skip this one.