A young stepmother-to-be is isolated one Christmas with her partner’s children. Well-sustained psychological horror, strong on atmosphere. Kinda goes where you’d expect, and there’s some clunky exposition initially, but gets credit for pushing its core idea to an agreeably nasty limit.
Here’s Xussia’s perspective.
Here’s the trailer.
An LA slacker investigates a neighbour’s disappearance: he soon spirals into a web of conspiracy. In the overlap of the Hitchcock / Pynchon / Paul Thomas Anderson Venn diagram, this 2011-set shaggy dog neo-noir is more a vibe than a movie: there’s indulgent pleasures along the way, but don’t expect a cohesive story.
Here’s the trailer.
An Ohio family is linked in different ways with a series of tragedies and crimes. Splendid adaptation of the Donald Ray Pollock novel; a brooding back country gothic noir meditating on faith and violence. Not for everyone, but there’s strong work from all concerned here. Recommended.
Here’s the trailer.
A hunt for a child snatched by wolves is more complex than it first seems. Hugely impressive wintry contemporary Western, with perhaps a touch of the supernatural. Doesn’t give up its answers easy. Highly recommended.
A family hides in the woods after a disease outbreak. Sombre and effective post-apocalyptic horror, more focused on survivors’ paranoia than on raging zombies and the like.
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