A displaced orphan escapes into the city: he wants to go home. An Angolan version of Oliver Twist after a fashion, set in the early 1990s in the context of civil war. Offers a ground-level perspective, though struggles at times to balance narrative with didactic elements. Impressive, nevertheless, and worth investigating.
No trailer online, though a subtitled version of the film is here
A therapist and colleagues find that the old house being renovated as a facility has a demonic secret. Straightforward sub-Hell House / Hill House horror, a notch above TV movie production standards, happier with clumsy bodycount than its Twilight Zone-ish payoff. Two great Buddy Joe Hooker fire stunts though.
Here’s the trailer.
A new care facility worker believes that one of her service users is under malign influence. Impressive low-budget horror with a Dogme-ish aesthetic. Plays its cards a little close about how much is in the protagonist’s mind or otherwise, but this is still exhilarating genre filmmaking. Recommended.
Here’s the trailer.
An alcoholic teacher in a run-down former mining community is concerned a student is being abused. Stately wendigo horror with allegorical intent: doesn’t quite link between first peoples’ famine, monsters, and opioid-depressed communities, but there’s a quiet professionalism at work, even if Cooper’s tendency to ponderousness dulls the piece at times.
Here’s another view.
And here’s the trailer.
A woman is traumatised by visions of murder linked to her childhood. A schlocky prologue aside, this takes ages to get going, but when it does there’s loads of fun to be had in an Argento / Woo / Raimi mashup kinda way. A surer script and this would be a classic, but there’s still plenty to relish here.
Here’s the trailer.
In 2018, Michael’s rampage continues: events have links to forty years earlier. The middle part of the new trilogy suffers from a need to keep its leads safe for part three. As a result, there’s little plot: effective and plentiful kills, fan service, and nods to survivor guilt and mob mentality don’t a complete movie make.
Here’s another view.
And here’s the trailer.
A woman comes to believe that her murderous comatose estranged mother is the victim of possession. Lacklustre SF horror with some okay if secondhand ideas (flicks like The Lawnmower Man, Brainstorm, and Dreamscape are touchstones). However it’s awkwardly plotted, silly rather than scary, and with a daft-looking demon.
Here’s the trailer.
The Torettos and friends search for a codebreaking device. More of the increasingly-interchangeable series: 150 minutes of soapy sentimentality, decent stuntwork, and terrible physics-worrying spectacle. Director Lin does what he can with the material tho, and there’s some fun moments from seasoned character actors like Shea Whigham.
Here’s the trailer. And here’s another view.
An ex-con sociopath attending his brother’s wake defends a remote island from attackers. Messy action thriller with black comedy elements. It doesn’t hang together, but there’s neat moments throughout, plus a strong if mismatched cast each in their own movie.
Here’s the trailer.
A failed MMA fighter, a desperate cop, and drug dealers converge on a building set for demolition where’s there’s cash stashed. It takes ages to get going, but there’s enough lo-fi action in the last 40 minutes to keep Adkins fans happy. The premise isn’t maximised, but there’s a sense of blue-collar necessity driving matters.
Here’s the trailer.
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