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Grave (2016)
Horror at its finest
As stated many times, there seems to be a resurgence of horror films. Horror, for some time, had fallen into a sense of being generic, with no smart horror films being released. Big budget horror films reigned for some time before found footage became the new wave of horror. This phase has lasted for many years now, but horror is shifting. Rather than big budget films, independent horror films are the hottest films on the market, producing the best horror films at the moment. There are a couple of big budget director like James Wan that really are doing horror justice in the major studios, but independent horror is where the genre is thriving.
Sitting hidden in these independent horror films is Raw, a film that was brought to notoriety when it screened and patrons were reported to have passed out while watching it. A film with a history like this is always going to garner attention, which seems to have passed now that it is out of the festival scene. While this film may not have the same publicity that it did when it premiered, this film certainly is not a film that is to be ignored. With smart horror films being a rare find, even with many smart horror films finally being released, Raw is definitely a film that needs to get attention again.
Described by many as a cannibalistic feminist horror film, Raw proves that contemporary issues can be present in horror films, building off of these issues. Gender roles and the idea of feminism run through this film, motivating some characters to do actions, while examining these in a new light. College hazing was another very interesting aspect that was examined, as there has been several other films that deal with hazing that have been released within the past several years. Raw takes a more gruesome approach to hazing, but nonetheless shows the process of hazing and the effects that it has on new students. The film was centered on these contemporary issues, making the film as relevant as ever.
For many horror films, the horror aspect of the film is blunt. Torture porn is the best example of blunt horror, where the intention of the film is to show violence, there is no other reason for the film to exist. This tactic does work for certain sub-genres of horror, but blunt horror would not have been as effective with Raw. Rather than bluntly displaying horrific images, this film embraces subtlety, a feature that many well-done horror films follow. While there are many horrifying images portrayed throughout the film, the true horror lies beneath the surface. Horror comes in many different forms and Raw shows that societal issues can be just as horrifying as spirits or gore.
It seems that many of the well-done horror films have been directorial debuts, with Raw being another one of those great first films. Julia Ducournau's direction in the film feels like it is coming from a season director, rather than someone directing their first full-length film. She has an understanding of the horror genre, clearly displaying techniques that many other horror directors have used before, like doing dramatic close-ups on faces. Ducournau uses a very distinct palate, consisting of many shades of blue, but also utilizes many other colors during certain scenes that make the film have a very unique look. It really is baffling to think that this is her directorial debut, since it feels like she's done at least a couple other horror films before this one.
Raw is a film that has a reputation to live up to, since several people reportedly had to leave due to the gore. As a seasoned viewer of horror, the gore wasn't a bother, but the scenes with the animals were the scenes that were the most difficult to watch. Many of the scenes that had gratuitous amounts of gore in it were brutal, but the scenes involving animals really were the hardest to get through. As someone who never wanted to become a veterinarian, these scenes were awkward and hard to watch, just because the procedures were so foreign.
Horror really is starting to go into interesting places, with Raw showing just where horror is capable of going. There are many modern horror greats, with this film raking high among those great horror films (ranking among films like The Witch and It Follow). It's rare to find a social critique in a horror film, let alone a film that discusses feminism and gender roles, so it is refreshing to find a film that manages to be terrifying, yet still is smart. Raw lives up to its reputation, being one of the most gruesome films to have come out recently.
Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
Sure to repel viewers, but is true art
The latest incantation of Twin Peaks is divisive, a whirlwind of surrealist art that many may find difficult to take. Fans of the original series may be turned away, due to the lack of familiarity within the first several episodes, but may find that continuing watching will pay off. This series is unlike any other television show currently, creating a world that is based on Lynch's distinct surrealist vision that makes the show so unique. Back with familiar faces and an ensemble of new ones, this show manages to surprise at every turn, whether it be from a character reveal or shocking twist. Fans of Lynch's previous work will see his vision is similar to his other projects, especially his earlier shorts. A bleak and harrowing version of the original lighthearted series is sure to turn people away, but is an auter's masterpiece for sure. This is Twin Peaks like it has never been seen before, at its most surreal, and most artful yet.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
Nostalgic, but not the quality of the originals
Definitely the weakest of the series, On Stranger Tides adds more supernatural elements to the mythology of the series. Mermaids and zombies are new additions that weren't necessarily needed, but were very interesting additions. Without a majority of the original main characters, the film did feel off, like it wasn't a part of the original series. This film rather seemed to be more of a spin-off of Jack Sparrow, rather than be a film included in the series. It wasn't a boring film at all, with the action sequences still being just as good as those in the original films. The plot was the biggest problem with the film, with the ending having resolution for the story, but still leaving a hole in the plot with the ending of At World's End. Rob Marshall was an interesting director, especially with Chicago being one of my favorite films, where it just felt like he was out of place to direct an epic pirate adventure tale. Altogether, On Stranger Tides is a decent addition to the franchise, but really offers nothing much to the original story, which was believed to have been a direct sequel to the original series. It is an entertaining film, but is much more flawed than the original series was.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Worthy sequel, iffy plot
Curse of the Black Pearl opened in white, shrouded in deep fog. Focused on whites and Earth tones, the opening was ominous and brooding. That is not the case for Dead Man's Chest, where it opens in blues and greens. Sadness and horror both are the main focus of emotion for the opening sequence. Opening with a dreadful wedding day, that sense of dread is heightened past the first couple of minutes when the real horror begins. Dark, dreary, and truly horrifying, the prison scene really sets the mood for what is to come. Dead Man's Chest is dark in a literal sense, but not so much in the story. There are many points throughout the film where it does explore some dark themes, especially with the introduction of Davy Jones' character. This character seems to be the main focal point of the darkness, which he brings throughout the entire film. The rest of the film is much lighter than the first, still maintaining to throw in some jokes, even during the darker parts of the film. The CGI is remarkable, especially with the film's release date. 2006 was when CGI really was starting to get good, and this film shows just how good it was able to be. Seeing the images before the computer images were introduced are remarkable, with the artists doing a beautiful job creating the characters that are part of Davy Jones's crew. Even the kraken does look realistic, especially with the first introduction. It's remarkable to see where CGI has went, and this really is one of the first films that I can recall that shows just how good Disney's animation was at the time. The biggest problem with Dead Man's Chest wasn't anything with the plot, but rather, the focus of the film. The focus of the film was very broad, as it introduced many characters. Out of all of these new characters, there is one the stood out the most, which would be Davy Jones. Throughout the film, any scene with this character was amazing, which is due to Bill Nighy's electric performance. This one character outshone every character, especially the returning characters. The focus should have bee more aimed toward the characters that were the main characters, not the new villain. Dead Man's Chest may not be as good as Curse of the Black Pearl, but it is still an amazing adventure film. This is the weakest film out of the original trilogy, mainly due to the introduction of so many characters, where the focus seemed to shift from Jack Sparrow and crew to Davy Jones and crew. Nonetheless, this film still is a fun pirate adventure that was a landmark for CGI.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Finally, the movie we deserve
The opening sequence to these films are the most important aspect of setting the mood for the film. The first two had extremely memorable opening sequences, but At World's End had the best of the whole series. While watching it, the only thing that was going through my mind was "how did Disney get away with a gallows opening sequence? How did Disney somehow get this dark?" The opening sequence for this film is truly haunting. It's rare to find an opening sequence that is as well done as this one, with the only sequence that seems to rival it being the introduction for Watchmen. This is one of the greatest opening sequences for film, hidden in many people's least favorite Pirates of the Caribbean film. At World's End is similar to the epics of old. With grand sets and a massive ensemble, this film truly had a lot to tackle. With the introduction of so many new characters, there was a fear that this film was going to be like the previous film, where the focus was aimed toward one character, not the main characters of the film. Luckily, the film seemed to get ahold of this and keep the focus on the main characters, while still creating some amazing new characters. As said, this film seems to be more similar to epics instead of the modern adventure film. There was so much that the film needed to get through without seeming rushed, which the film was able to beautifully get through. The thing to note the most about this film is the sets, The sets are absolutely gorgeous. The best set out of the entire film was in Shipwreck Cove, which also happened to be the best scene in the film. While the epic climax of the film was heavily done through CGI, the rest of the film still kept a realistic image throughout. This installment into the series felt the longest to watch, especially because of the long exposition. It took a considerable length of time to actually get the film going, establishing what was happening and where the film was going to go. It wasn't necessarily hard to watch, since all of these films are extremely entertaining, they just took more time to get things going, compared to the other films. The length of the film used to seem like a hurdle to get over, but upon this watch, it actually went by extremely quickly. It's more entertaining than the second film, with some of the best shots within the series. With new villains, better death scenes (Cutler Beckett's death scene is honestly one of the most memorable scenes of all time), and an epic scope, At World's End seemed to be the perfect ending to a series. It left questions that many wanted to be answered, which many found out would not be answered with the next film in the series, but still maintained a solid ending that made it easy to not make any more sequels. But, seeing as how profitable these films were, it's not a surprise that they continued to make more films. Still At World's End still is one of the best films in the series thus far.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
A landmark film for Disney
Arguably one of Disney's greatest films to ever be released, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl captures pure adventure, romance, and horror into one tightly knit film. With a love for this film from the first viewing, Curse of the Black Pearl was one of the first films that I grew to love, and continue to love to this day. Curse of the Black Pearl is one of Disney's most ambitious films. Seeming to go darker than they ever had before, this film pushed the boundaries of what Disney could get away with. It's really surprising to see that this is a Disney film, since it does have its moment where it gets frightening, especially for a younger audience. The scenes involving the Pearl's crew showing the effects of the curse really are frighteningly realistic, which could easily scare little kids. The violence also is surprising, since there are many deaths throughout the film. This really started to push the dark side of Disney, but still kept a spirit of adventure. While Curse of the Black Pearl has its dark moments, there are so many moments throughout the film that leave you breathless. The scene that most stands out is where the crew of the Black Pearl go for their walk underwater, it's a completely unforgettable scene in an unforgettable film. With some surprisingly beautiful cinematography, this film not only is highly entertaining, but it really is a stunning film to watch. It's an effort that really ended up paying off in the end to create a beautiful film about pirates, that happens to be a Disney film. Curse of the Black Pearl is a perfect beginning to a franchise. It's the best film of the series by far, as well as the most memorable. This film is one that really started getting me interested in watching film for fun, since it was one that was so much fun to watch. It's amazing to see Disney produce an epic film like this, which they have tried to do with films like John Carter and Prince of Persia, which sadly didn't live up to the expectations, but this film certainly exceeds expectations. Simply put, it's one of Disney's best films to date.
The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)
A completely new experience in the horror genre
Horror has been having it's highs and lows as of recent. There have been some fantastic film, like It Follows and some duds, such as last year's Dark Summer. Luckily, out of the dark waters of big budget horror comes spectacular indie horror films that defy the genre. The Witch defies what horror has been and what it will be.
The Witch is one of the only films to rattle me to the core. I found myself alone in the theater, luckily being the only one to watch this film. I had nobody else there to watch with, feeling just as isolated as the characters in the film. I had to tell myself that this was just a movie several times throughout, as I became so invested in the film that I forgot it wasn't real. Being alone, I was fully able to immerse myself into The Witch, a feeling that I never will forget.
This film is beautiful. Not only is the script perfect, the score is absolutely beautiful. It is absolutely haunting, creating the perfect atmosphere for the film. The score was perfect, coming in at the right times, causing so much more tension when there could have been some just from the film alone. This film, as many others films could have been, relies heavily on its soundtrack, as it puts forth even more dread than presented in the film. Without the soundtrack, this film would have felt extremely empty. But, the score needs a great movie to work efficiently. And Robert Eggers directing the film makes the film worthy of such a fantastic score. His camera work seems like he has had years of experience, while this is his debut feature. He had control over all aspects, as well as a clear goal that he wanted to achieve. His choice of color palate also was fantastic, as the cool blue tones had the feeling of dread, which is constantly present throughout the film. There were some scenes that were extremely dark and hard to watch, but this makes the film even more mysterious and it makes you even more uncomfortable than you were before. If this film were directed by another person (many other horror films are like this), the film could have been an absolute trainwreck. But in Eggers' hands, The Witch is able to prosper and become the film that achieves its full potential.
The acting was superb as well. These performances felt extremely pure, since it seemed as if I were watching something filmed during the time the movie was set in. The standout, of course, was Anya Taylor-Joy. Her performance was the most genuine, where Ralph Ineson gives the most powerful performance. Both actors together had fantastic chemistry, creating the tension and bond needed for the film to succeed. Katie Dickie also was fantastic, being able to completely become a grieving mother. This cast was honestly just stunning.
I can say that The Witch is not for everybody. I've read countless reviews claiming that this is the worst movie that they have seen. I feel that this film should not have had a wide release, as the general public won't, and hasn't, enjoyed the movie at all. If this film was released in independent theaters, I think that there would be a whole other reception from the public, as not everyone would be going and seeing it. Nonetheless, The Witch is absolutely an amazing film.
While 2016 doesn't seem like it will be the year where many quality horror films are released, The Witch absolutely makes up for the movies that won't be coming out. While this film may not be for everyone, it should be taken with a grain of rice and should be at least considered, as it is a fantastic film. I can say that this may be one of the best films of the year, as well as one of the greatest horror movies to be released.