Black Swan (2010)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
Cast: Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis, Barbara Hershey, Winona Ryder
Running Time: 108 minutes

 

Nina Sayers is a young ballerina working in New York City. She is competing for the dual roles of the White and Black Swan in a production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. She is the perfect choice for one of the roles, but the production wants the same ballerina to hold both roles. As she is trying to find the darker side of herself, Nina slowly descends into madness.

With Aronofsky’s adept direction and Natalie Portman’s incredible performance, this film remains a must see. Wow. And the rest of the cast is also very, very good. I had seen it years ago, and revisiting it again made me realize how great this movie is.

Rating: «««««

The Monkey (2025)

Genre: Horror Comedy
Directed by: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Theo James, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien
Time: 98 minutes

 

Twin brothers Hal and Bill Shelburn are twin brothers that had their lives turned upside down by an evil drum-playing monkey toy that caused multiple deaths in their entourage. They had etched a plan to get rid of it, but, years later, it is back causing more damage.

This film is based on a short story written by Stephen King. I absolutely loved the tone of this movie. It was a cool mix of horror and comedy that kept me wildly entertained all the way through. It was over-the-top, it was gory, it was fun.

Rating: ««««

Heretic (2024)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
Cast: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East
Running Time: 111 minutes

 

On a trek to find new converts, two young Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, enter the home of Mr. Reed, a recluse Englishman. Soon after entering his home, they realize that he might not be as nice of a man as they first thought.

I enjoyed this psychological horror movie very much. It is very effective in setting a mood and stirring up emotions in the viewer. And the dialogues are also well done. All the chatter about religion and beliefs is quite thought-provoking. It dragged in a few places, but, overall, very well done.

Rating: ««««

Smile (2022)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Parker Finn
Cast: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher
Running Time: 115 minutes

 

After witnessing the bizarre suicide of a patient while at work, therapist Rose Cotter starts experiencing the same supernatural presence her patient was complaining about before killing herself.

This supernatural horror film does a very good job setting a mood and an atmosphere. It almost lost me there towards the end, but, still, all the way through, I was hooked. Good acting and good directing.

Rating: ««««

Speak No Evil (2024)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: James Watkins
Cast: Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNarry, James McAvoy, Aisling Franciosi
Time: 110 minutes

 

Louise and Ben Dalton are an American couple now living in London with their young daughter Agnes. While vacationing in Italy, they meet another family, Paddy and Ciara, with their son Ant. Paddy and Ciara invite the Dalton family to visit them at their secluded farmhouse in rural Britain, after the vacation is over. After a brief hesitation, they accept. Shortly after arriving there, they realize that something might be severely wrong with their hosts.

This remake of a 2022 Danish film of the same name is a thrilling ride of a horror movie. It keeps you hooked and wondering what will happen next. The strongest element here is James McAvoy’s performance. He is brilliant as Paddy. The rest of the cast is also good, but McAvoy really steals the show.

From what I hear, the ending of the original was changed to make it more Hollywoodian. That is unfortunate, but, nonetheless, I loved this movie.

Rating: ««««

Beetlejuice (1988)

Genre: Horror / Comedy
Directed by: Tim Burton
Cast: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Micheal Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara
Time: 92 minutes

 

Barbara and Adam Maitland are a married couple planning to spend their vacation decorating the country home they love so much. On their way home from a shopping trip to town, they get into a car crash. As they walk back into their house, they realize that they are now ghosts unable to leave their home. The house is sold, and with the no always desired assistance of Betelgeuse, a charismatic ghost, they try to find a way to get ride of the new owners.

This film is the epitome as what has come to be known as the Tim Burton style. It is creepy, it is funny, it is colorful. Michael Keaton just shoots off the screen here. He is at his most maniacal and charismatic. I would even have taken more of his character, really. The rest of the cast is also good, but Betelgeuse steals the show.

Beetlejuice was fun to revisit, as a sequel is coming out soon.

Rating: ««««

Longlegs (2024)

Genre: Horror / Thriller
Directed by: Osgood Perkins
Cast: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood
Running Time: 101 minutes

 

Lee Harker is a young FBI agent who is tasked to help solve the case of a series of murder-suicides that have been happening for decades within families in the
Oregon area. An occultist is suspected to be involved in the crimes without being present at the scene, and the case brings Lee Harker back to her own childhood.

First off, kudos to Nicolas Cage for the comeback role. He is amazing here. He is almost unrecognizable at first. Maika Monroe is also very good. Osgood Perkins was also very efficient in creating an atmosphere that surrounds you and never lets you out until the movie is done.

The only fault I can find here is in the promotion. Many sold this film as the scariest thing ever made. I mean, it is creepy and very entertaining. But, the scariest thing ever made? Not so much.

Rating: ««««

The Woods (2006)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Lucky McKee
Cast: Agnes Bruckner, Patricia Clarkson, Bruce Campbell
Time: 91 minutes

 

In 1965, a troubled teen named Heather Fasulo is sent to a New England all-girls private school located in an isolated wooded area. Soon after her arrival, Heather realizes that there might be this terrible hidden secret in this establishment and in the woods surrounding it.

Thinking back, I am trying to find a redeeming quality to this particular film, and I cannot find it. The plot is slim, the acting is horrible, and it just feels like 90 wasted minutes. There was nothing to hook me and pull me in.

Rating: «

Once Bitten (1985)

Genre: Comedy / Horror
Directed by: Howard Storm
Cast: Lauren Hutton, Jim Carrey, Karen Kopins
Time: 94 minutes

 

Mark Kendall is high school student whose biggest wish is to lose his virginity. He has a girlfriend, Robin, but she is hesitant to do the deed, as she wants it to be special. While out at a Hollywood nightclub with his two best friends, Mark is seduced by a blonde Countess. Unbeknownst to him, she is a centuries-old vampire who needs three doses of blood from the same virgin before Halloween to stay young.

This is the first leading role for Jim Carrey in a feature film. The plot is silly, but the film does not seem to take itself seriously, which gives it some charm. The acting itself is okay. There are some funny lines here and there, and we can catch a glimpse of the antics that would later make Carrey famous. There are some scenes of facial mugging in a store and a dance scene that are particularly worth seeing.

Rating: «««

Let the Right One In (2008)

Genre: Romance / Horror / Foreign
Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
Cast: Kare Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar
Time: 114 minutes

 

Oskar is a meek 12-year-old boy living with his single mother in a suburb of Stockholm. As he gets constantly bullied in school, he dreams of fighting back. One evening, as Oskar dreams up his latest revenge, he meets Eli, a mysterious child his age living in his apartment building. The two strike up a friendship that brings them both on a rollercoaster of emotions.

This film is based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist. In spite of the fact that this is a Swedish film subtitled in English, the story was quite easy for me to get in. The storytelling was very intelligent, and the acting was solid. The pace felt a little slow at times, but, overall, a good horror film. Not overly scary, but it sets a mood that is quite efficient in keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Rating: ««««

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron
Time: 144 minutes

 

Kevin Lomax is a brilliant young defense lawyer who has gained a reputation for never losing a case, no matter how guilty some of his clients may seem. He is recruited by a big New York City law firm to help with jury selection in a case. After the case is won, Lomax is offered a permanent job with this firm, so he moves to The Big Apple with his wife. As Lomax’s wife is more and more haunted by crippling nightmares, Kevin Lomax realizes that his new boss, John Milton, could very well be the devil.

Stylistically, this film is very well done. It is visually interesting. Some of the material is overly cheesy, but that aspect of it is greatly helped by some of the acting performances. Al Pacino is particularly convincing in this over-the-top role. This is a fun film. More funny than scary, but still entertaining.

Rating: «««

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: James Wan
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Frances O’Connor 

Time: 134 minutes

 

After completing their investigation into the Amityville murders, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren are called upon for another case in Enfield, England. The couple travel to the London suburb to investigate the matter of a potential poltergeist affecting the lives of the Hodgson family in their council house.

While not as fresh of a film as its predecessor, this sequel is still an effective paranormal activity story told on screen. The acting is solid enough and the story pulls you in. While I do not believe in that sort of thing, I can still find stories like this interesting when told by talented folks.

Rating: ««««

The Conjuring (2013)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: James Wan
Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor
Time: 112 minutes

 

Ed and Lorraine Warren are a couple who together as paranormal investigators. As part of their work, they come to the assistance to the Perron family, who just bought a farmhouse in rural New Hampshire and who are experiencing increasingly frightening bizarre events inside their new home.

This film is inspired by events that supposedly happened to real people. I remain skeptical of paranormal activities, but, as a horror film, this is really well done. The acting is very good, and the storytelling on screen is solid. Many psychologic horror devices are effectively used here, keeping the viewer on the edge of his seat. I enjoyed this one very much.

Rating: ««««

A Little Bit Zombie (2012)

Genre: Comedy / Horror
Directed by: Casey Walker
Cast: Kristopher Turner, Crystal Lowe, Shawn Roberts, Kristen Hager
Time: 87 minutes

 

Shortly before his wedding, Steve takes his fiancée Tina, his best friend and best man Craig and his sister Sarah to the family cabin to spend some quality time. Things go awry when Steve gets bitten by a weird bug that is slowly turning him into a zombie-like human that craves flesh.

This film is quite a bit on the lighter side of things, but the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously is part of its charm. It was also a treat to see Acadian wrestler Robert Maillet have a small role in this thing. Overall, this was fine for what it was.

Rating: «««

Jigsaw (2002)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Don Adams and Harry James Picardi
Cast: Barret Walz, Aimee Bravo, Mia Zifkin
Time: 78 minutes

 

A group of art students are working on a project where they each decorate a body part from a disassembled mannequin. They gather at a local bar with their teacher to put the pieces together and share personal stories. As the evening goes on, they get drunker and decide to set fire to the assembled mannequin. Unfortunately for them, it ends up coming to life and hunting them down for their body parts.

I came upon this film by mistake when I mistook it for the installment in Saw franchise while reserving it blindly from the library. I decided to watch it nonetheless. This was just a stupid horror movie with not much merit to make it passable. The characters are uninteresting, the story is pointless and the acting is bad. Maybe a bit more filth would have helped, but this was pretty clean, all things considered.

Rating: «

House on Haunted Hill (1999)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: William Malone
Cast: Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs
Time: 93 minutes

 

A sadistic amusement park mogul invites a group of strangers to a party in an abandoned insane asylum for his wife’s birthday. He intends to have them play a game for his own amusement, but he might be less in control than he actually thinks.

This was a putrid supernatural horror flick. The story is stupid, the acting is horrible and the whole thing just feels like a total waste of time.

Rating: «

Saw X (2023)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Kevin Greutert
Cast: Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Synnove Macody Lund
Time: 118 minutes

 

John Kramer has advanced brain cancer, and he is told by doctors that he only has a few months to live. He then learns, from a fellow support group attendee, that there is an experimental Norwegian treatment that may be able to cure him from his medical death sentence. Kramer travels to Mexico to take part, but he finds out after the fact that it was all a scam. Out for revenge, Kramer sets up a deadly game, with the help of his assistant Amanda, for the people involved in swindling him.

This film serves as more of a prequel to the original, and it is clearly the best movie of the franchise. They got it right. Here, the focus is clearly on the John Kramer character, as it should have been from the start. Tobin Bell offers quite the performance, and the movie has a lot more depth than the first nine. It is more than blood and guts, there is a story here, and it is a compelling one.

Rating: «««««

Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Darren Lynn Bousman
Cast: Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Samuel L. Jackson
Time: 93 minutes

 

Detective Zeke Banks has earned the ire of many of his colleagues after snitching on a fellow cop who killed a man on duty years before. Now, people involved in that case are falling prey to an evil mastermind mimicking the Jigsaw Killer, and Banks clearly wants to get to the bottom of this case.

This is sort of a spinoff serving as the ninth installment in the Saw franchise. The presence of such people as Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson brought some freshness to the mix, but the ending fell kind of flat to me.

Rating: «««

 

Jigsaw (2017)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: The Spierig Brothers
Cast: Matt Passmore, Tobin Bell, Callum Keith Rennie
Time: 92 minutes

 

While a group of people are locked in a barn and forced to take part in a series of deadly games to ensure their survival, the authorities start their investigation into a resurgence of murders inspired by the infamous Jigsaw Killer, who has been dead for about 10 years.

This was a revival of the Saw franchise, after Saw 3D, which was presumed at the time to be the final chapter. It is fine for what it is. The acting is decent, so is the plot. It offers the usual nastiness and gore. Nice plot twist at the end. Not bad.

Rating: «««

Train (2008)

Genre: Horror
Directed by: Gideon Raff
Cast: Thora Birch, Derek Magyar, Gideon Emery
Time: 94 minutes

 

A US college wrestling team are taking part in a championship in Eastern Europe. Following a night of partying that turns rowdy, they arrive late to catch their scheduled train to Odessa. They are convinced by a young local woman to board another train, where they will all become the targets of a group of torturers looking to take organs from tourists to sell them off to buyers who needs them.

I saw the preview for this title ahead of another film and decided to give it a chance. What a boring piece of cinema this is. The only way these slasher films can be made palpable is if they go full-on with the exploitation, be it with gore or with sex. Here, everything happens in the dark shadows and through various subterfuges, so as to suggest rather than show. And most of the acting is pretty bad. The end was somewhat fun, once we see a bit of light, but, other than that, very forgettable.

Rating: ««