Thriller Archives - Page 2 of 3

Hush

Hush was made for under $75,000 usd but leaves us with the Hush product which is as scary as any high budget horror film. It’s a “thinking person’s scary” which some may prefer to the pure slice and dice variety, though there is certainly some of that here.
hush movie poster This film was directed by Mike Flannigan (Oculus). He co-write the film with Kate Siegel (plays the main character Maddie) who in real life shares a house with Flannigan. In fact, several sources indicate they wrote the screenplay with their home layout as a blueprint. She starred in Oculus.

“Hush” is a thriller and horror movie that features a deaf writer at her laptop being broken in on and attacked by a masked man. There are few casualties, few actors, and definitely a few gallons of blood spilled on scene. One original component that builds suspense is that the main character/victim is deaf. This is an ingenious idea as it allows for a few really spine tingling scenes requiring no cgi or music for that matter. The killer’s mask looks different from the standard ones we’ve seen in break-and-enter thrillers, for example presidents and Star Trek masks. In this case, it’s very carefully crafted. In some scenes it appears to be part of the attacker’s own face. This serves for another original, simple, scary element that probably didn’t cost much to create.

Another film that comes to mind that created massive scares on a low budget is Insidious. It’s being proven again and again we don’t need million dollar movies to be scared and thereby entertained. Through a series of slashings and “intruder” scenes, the deaf Maddie learns she doesn’t have to be a victim. She fights back. Everything is filmed in a dark setting outside and inside the house. This accentuates the revenge element that weaves throughout and leads us to an ending that is pleasing horror critics all over the internet.

The film screened at SXSW for a panel of industry “buyers.” It did very well there but somehow ended up on Netflix where I was fortunate enough to see it. Netflix needs more quality horror and suspense films like Hush. Frankly the category is small on the service and appears to be shrinking. I had a lot of fun watching this film and highly recommend it if you can catch it on Netflix or elsewhere. Imagine you have earplugs in and can’t hear a thing and you can’t hear anyone sneaking in the window either. This film makes the most of the simple scares. I think it would be great to see it on the big screen.

The Survivalist

A well-acted thriller set in post-apocalyptic foliage.

Most post-apocalyptic films focus on the water shortage (“Tank Girl”) or even gasoline (“The Road Warrior”. This film has famine as its hazard. It starts in a survivalist’s cabin that has food among starving people who don’t. As a result, conflict happens.

The Survivalist (2015)

Cast

Mia Goth

as Milja

Martin McCann

as Survivalist

Barry Ward

as Forager

Directed by

Stephen Fingleton

Written by

Stephen Fingleton

Other Info

Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated PG-13
1h 44min

An excellent film that captures attention with no emotion. The people we see here are shells of their former selves. Like “Mad Max” the world as we know it has been destroyed. People are scavengers making their way to survival. The “Survivalist” played by Martin McCann has fond a way to farm his own food. When I say food, I’m talking about things like leeks and radishes. It’s humble to be sure. Still, in a world that is starving, he is like a king. Furthermore, thieves would love to have their way with his produce and they are constantly trying to do so.

While the film starts out showing us nifty survival stuff, that passes. After that it is a subdued dialog between few drifters and most notably, an old woman and her daughter played by Mia Goth. Incidentally, in real life she is the fiance of Shia Lebouef. Once the girl shows up we see a lot of attempts at communication, mostly by the old woman, but we find that sex barter is the only thing that really allows them close to him.

I kept thinking about how it could get to this after an apocalypse. I mean, if we know no one can really do anything for us, do we continue being charitable? Is the Survivalist charitable? He comes close but I can’t say he ever is truly. Is this what we must become in order to survive? Is survival worth losing trust for anyone? These are the sorts of questions that came up for me.

The film has an eerie feeling to it and a surprising twist at the end. The events that precede that twist are important to recall. I’m not si sure U know what the twist really means. I have a hunch it’s more than I am relaying to you now. I will most definitely see it a second time but if you have any ideas, do tell! This kept my wife and I’s attention the whole time and for that reason I recommend it. Because it had no emotion, I felt it was somewhat lacking. Furthermore, there could have been more foreshadowing about the twist at the end. That’s why I took a star from the score.

7 Minutes

What happens in the span of 7 minutes is the result of a lifetime of choices. This is a bank robber movie that should win tons of editing awards for the amount of times it flashes back. Though imperfect and without accomplishment in some ways, the film uses a clever framework to tell the story of a bank robbery in staggering detail.

7 Minutes (2014)

Cast

Luke Mitchell, Zane Holtz, Jason Ritter

Directed by

Jay Martin

Written by

Jay Martin

Other Info

Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rated PG-13
1h 32min

This is a cinematic film produced by the “Starz” network. The immediate claim to fame is Jason Ritter, the late John Ritter’s son. He is part of a group of young men who feel so hopeless in their hometown the only way out they see is armed robbery.

The cool aspect of this movie that really sets it apart from other guns and crime movies is that it flashed back often to explain the origin of the particular event we are watching. We don’t just see 20-somethings robbing a bank, we see their life circumstances that brought them to their criminal mindset. We see behind the drama that caused the robbery. This is masterfully written, acted, and edited.

“7 minutes” has a lot of flaws but I still really enjoyed watching it. It’s as if they tried to accomplish too much of a “wow” with the story. I think a story that focused on just one of the main characters would have been more engaging. It’s been said if you aim at something, you may miss it but you will get closer than if you aim at nothing. The film lacks a clear focus and I was hoping for a standard shoot ’em up that wasn’t so complicated. After all, how much do we as the audience need to be shown to see that robbery is a really bad idea that will likely end us up dead? “7 Minutes” is a great crime movie that entertains despite trying to too much. I recommend it.

Son of a Gun

If you want to see Ewan Macgregor whoop some ass, you’ve come to the right place. If you want to see him steal some gold, you’ll get a twofer here. This movie was entertaining credits to credits.

Son of a Gun (2014)

Cast

Ewan McGregor as Brendan Lynch
Brenton Thwaites as Jesse Ryan “JR” White
Alicia Vikander as Tasha
Jacek Koman as Sam
Matt Nable as Sterlo
Tom Budge as Josh
Nash Edgerton as Chris
Damon Herriman as Wilson

Directed by

Julius Avery

Written by

Julius Avery

Other Info

Crime, Thriller
Rated R
1h 50min

There is so much going on in this film other than robbing gold. Still, I kept getting excited about the scenes where gold was involved. There’s something primal about that I think. What child hasn’t wondered what a gold bar is worth? What movie watcher hasn’t wanted to hold one. That may be why the director chose it.

My one issue with this move is that entirely too much is going on. In the prison scenes, the guards are all victims. Much of the cast’s background is only scantily explained. For this reason, it lost a star with me which doesn’t mean I disliked it, just that it could have been better.

We get to see Ewan MacGregor kick ass. He may become the next Liam Neeson after this one. He never struck me as a tough or even large man but when he steps on screen he commands the rooms, the fights, and all things in his way. This level is the best one to defend this movie on. MacGregor has never been better in a thrill I have seen him in. You could be perfectly justified going to see it on that aspect alone.

This film tells a story that involves jail, but it’s not a jail film. There’s a girl but not much romance per se. There’s a grand elaborate scheme but you don’t get too many details, and as I said earlier there is the gold. Just a little more backstory on the some of the characters would have helped.

I’m beginning to think gore in crime thriller is becoming required by the studios. There is a lot of blood and gross scenes. I’m waiting for the crime thriller that doesn’t lean on blod and guts unmercifully to tell a thrilling story about crime. Having said that, this is a really fun film and it contains many of the modern conventional approaches to ts genre. Ewan Macgregor is excellent and really commands the screen. I recommend this movie highly.

Dead Man’s Shoes

Revenge films can really be cathartic. I think it gets to our mortal core the same way some Shakespearean plays do. A big thanks to Emma and her excellent review that got me curious.

“God will forgive them. He’ll forgive them and allow them into Heaven. I can’t live with that.” Richard

Dead Man’s Shoes (2015)

Cast

Paddy Considine

as Richard

Gary Stretch

as Sonny

Toby Kebbell

as Anthony

Directed by

Shane Meadows

Written by

Paddy Considine, Shane Meadows, Paul Fraser

Other Info

Crime, Drama, Thriller
Rated R
1h 30min

Who hasn’t been wronged and dreamt of getting the perpetrator back? I think it’s essential human nature to enjoy a good revenge film. This is one of those. Richard is the elder brother of Anthony who is bullied and derided by a group of guys in the neighborhood. When Richard is away in the service, the jeering and mistreatment becomes more severe. This is revealed to the audience in flashbacks.

I like the rawness of this film. It was made on a shoestring budget and the actors are not well known in the US as far as I can tell. Paddy Constatine (Richard) has some work under his belt. It’s a film released in the UK so the cast may be more famous there. We find that Richard has developed skills akin to a mercenary fight while in the service. This is ample reason for the group who taunted and maimed to worry. Richard weaves his revenge slowly. I am reminded of the aphorism: “The wheels of justice grind slow but exceedingly fine.”

This is a film to see that will provide all sorts of discussion questions. After watching it, make sure you have time to get tea or coffee. It has a twist at the end that may not make sense at first and I certainly did not see it coming. It’s no Disney ending by any means. I think it’s well written and well made however, possibly more eloquent than Disney could ever make a revenge film.

I won’t watch this one twice, it’s a bit disturbing. Watching it once is a must for all movie fans but I think you’d have to be a bit twisted to watch this a second time. When you recover from a tidal wave do you hope for the next? There are many things here left open-ended about the perpetrators and even Richard himself. I think we are meant to play with the scenes in our head to put them into a sensible context. At the beginning we see Richard and Anthony together, in the middle we don’t and at the end there is a revelation altogether different about the time and what has happened since Richard left for the military.

There are some of the most heinous scenes in this. It wasn’t as bad as the “Snowtown Murders” but pretty close. Once threat scene is probably the most intense I’ve ever seen. Richard threatens Sonny, one of the perpetrators. The movie has some great scenes and that one is one of the best in my opinion. I pulled one star off because there could have been more character development and the time jumping around was a bit confusing for me. Other than that, this is among the best revenge films I’ve seen. I recommend it.

Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

A whole different concept than the first film and it worked on many levels to be what I feel is one of the strongest horror films of 2016.

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Cast

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Directed by

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Written by

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Other Info

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Like most horror movie fans, I was not impressed with the first Ouija film. It was flat and lacking in almost every aspect. For that reason, I didn’t plan to spend my hard-earned money on a prequel (this film takes place before the original). The surprise part of my story is that my daughters dragged me to see it and I really liked it. It was a whole different concept than the first film and it worked on many levels to be what I feel is one of the strongest horror films of 2016.

As with many horror films, it does take a while to really get going. In fact, despite some good scares and creepy atmosphere in the middle, the best scares are in the last 1/3. A story must be told so I get why they have to tell it calmly in the beginning. There are two daughters: an 18 and 9-year-old. They live with their mother and their father has died. The mother runs a psychic medium business out of a parlor in her house. She gets customers in touch with their dead ones and she knows what she does is a scam. She has no guilt because, as she tells her daughters, she is helping these grieving people. Her daughters know it’s all BS. I must mention this was directed by Mike Flannigan (Oculus, Hush) who I have tremendous respect for. He really made a good horror film here and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future. Spoilers ahead.

There is a rather intricate plot here which reminds me of recent horror films like The Conjuring 2 and Lights Out. In a way, it was too busy for me but I appreciated the story, it sort of came together and worked in the end. Again, it was very complicated. Does anyone miss movies like Halloween where horror is simple?

After one daughter gets seemingly possessed by a demon spirit and helps her mother do readings, the older one meets a boy and reports strange letters her sister wrote in Polish to the headmaster priest at their school. And, that priest is “sort of” dating their mother but not really because he made a vow he won’t break. See what I mean by complicated? It gets more complicated. Suffice it to say Nazi German history weaves in and … well, the ending is sad beyond what you normally would see in a horror movie. Bring your kleenex.

All in all, despite the convoluted, overlong plot, I really liked the scares and creepy atmosphere in this film. I would recommend it as a 7/10 for horror fans.

The Lesson (2015)

Being a teacher, I thought I wouldn’t like this dark gruesome tale. There’s however a license to savor things no matter how “out there” when seen in the horror genre. Don’t tell anyone but I dug this movie

“All of this could have been avoided.” -Mr. Gale

Let me start out by saying this is a horror film but not in the broad sense. It’s full of violence and only those who are fans of the violence/horror genre will likely enjoy this film. Just wanted to stress that up front. Considering that, I dug it!

The Lesson (2015)

Cast

Robert Hands

as Mr. Gale

Evan Bendall

as Fin

Michaela Prchalová

as Mia

Directed by

Ruth Platt

Written by

Ruth Platt

Other Info

Horror, Thriller
Unrated Contains scenes of extreme violence.
1h 37min

Minor spoilers ahead.

This is a great horror film from the UK. The story surrounds a group of juvenile delinquents an their teacher. He’s trying to teach them but they just won’t have it. There is a sie story going on but it really just detracts from the main story I have described. Fin, a 16 year old hooligan, lives with his big brother and the big brother’s girlfriend, Mia. His life at home is brutal and makes his existence as a hooligan make some sense. Still, everyone has challenges. What makes a 16 year old go over the edge and vandalize his teacher’s car with a knife? That’s what he does along with his hooligan buddies.

The editing and camera work is very well done, especially in bloody scenes. We get a feel for Fin’s neighborhood and school. Make no mistake, it isn’t cozy or warm by any stretch. The setting is Fin’s home and school. We get the idea very quickly he doesn’t want to be at either. I sympathized with Fin. He didn’t have a mom or dad to seek advice from and his brother is a class a d***. At any rate, he goes too far one day.

The rest of the movie is the concept of kidnapping and torture. In this case it’s by a teacher. Mr. Gale does a great job as the monster villain. He brings Fin and his counterpart to a secluded garage and commences “The Lesson.” It’s a bloody barrage of hammers, nails, even nail guns, intertwined with the lessons of government and human nature through recorded time. Teacher and students are at their best. Unfortunately for Fin, he’s not fast enough for the high school teacher. Mr Gale does a lot of stuff to him, I leave the rest for you to see for yourself.

There is something like a twist you may not see coming at the end. It’s well written. This film was especially cathartic for me being a teacher of course. While I’d never go this far, I’ve often wondered what it would take to get certain delinquent types to become more focused. We all know students like that think. Thankfully, I don’t know of any teachers like this. Mr. Gale is completely snapped, he has no remorse for what he does. It’s horror … remember that 2 word sentence before analyzing it, “it’s horror.” It lost a star with me for the home side story, I didn’t think it was necessary and it made the movie drag on a bit. Considering that, I gave it 4/5 stars. I recommend it to fans of the genre.

The Gift (2015)

Joel Edgerton is a great actor but in this it’s hard to remember he’s acting. His character is so stone cold evil. It’s rare I’ve ever seen a character as bad as he.

The Gift (2015)

Cast

Jason Bateman as Simon
Rebecca Hall as Robyn
Joel Edgerton as Gordo

Directed by

Joel Edgerton

Written by

Joel Edgerton

Mystery, Thriller
Rated R for language
1h 48min

The gift isn’t much of a gift at all. The gift to me was when I discovered Joel Edgerton is not only Gordo, the creepy stalker in the film, but also the writer/director of the piece. Wow! He certainly does a great job. Most directors might gravitate toward a role in their film that is endearing to the audience, Gordo couldn’t be any further from that sort of character. Things that go bump in the night can usually be explained away. If you were in Simon and Robyn’s case, you might find out your explanations are incorrect months or years later. So what were those creepy bumps for Simon and Robyn? Edgerton’s script shows they are part of a larger, much darker, horrific beyond an R rated gift. You’ll be surprised at the twist.

Robyn and Simon have just moved in to a posh 60’s retro home and are settling in as a married couple. They receive numerous visits from Gordo who says he knew Simon in High School. We get the feeling their relationship was more ominous in nature than it appears to Robyn, who Gordo starts to form a platonic relationship with. Through a course of events, the film becomes a typical stalker thriller but eventually sets itself apart as a very clever, well written, and telling “human nature” account of who everybody “really” is (not just Gordo).

I really liked “The Gift” because I enjoy psychology. As the tale unravels we actually see perspectives we aren’t meant to see. The obvious hero is far from it and the villain, while never a hero, becomes someone we can empathize with, though never fully. I thought the cast was amazing and the story really stays with you because of their performances. Jason Bateman does a great job in this thriller whereas he usually plays comedy parts. He can do a variety of roles. It’s a perfect thriller but I thought it did take too long developing the story. I think it’s over 2/3 of the way through before the typical stalker thriller stuff ends and you get into the genius of the film. For that reason it lost a star with me. Watch this creepy fun movie, I recommend it.

The Conjuring 2

From scares like a creepy toy that plays “The Crooked Man” to a phantom nun with yellow eyes, the Conjuring 2 will please horror fans many times over. Furthermore, I hope a third sequel gets made soon!

The Conjuring 2

Cast

Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe

Directed by

James Wan

Written by

Carey Hayes, James Wan, David Leslie Johnson

Other Info

Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rated R
2h 14min

Like its predecessor, this movie features a story about the Warrens. In real-life, Ed Warren was a WWII Naval officer who, after the war, became a self-taught demonologist alongside his wife Lorraine who is a self-described clairvoyant among other titles. They are highly documented investigators of the paranormal. Ed is the only non-ordained demonologist, or one who performs exorcisms, recognized by the catholic church. They have published many of their famous investigations and claim to have done tens of thousands of them. In the film, Patrick Wilson plays Ed and Vera Farmiga plays Lorraine. The movie is based on their experience with The Enfield Poltergeist.

Director James Wan is well known for scaring moviegoers. His Saw and Insidious franchises have netted hefty sums from the wallets of people looking for that thing they’ve never seen before. He’s a master craftsman of the horror genre. There isn’t nearly as much blood and gore in The Conjuring 2 as you will find in Saw movies. Still, there are well crafted scares throughout. A spinning toy that sings “The Crooked Man” is part of one scare that has stayed with me.

Vera Farmiga does an excellent job as Lorraine Warren. You can see in her eyes and movement she has such a profound love and respect for her husband. When he picks up the guitar at one point to bring some peace and music to the haunted place, she is just as captivated with him as the daughters are. It’s interesting how Ed in many ways is the hero of The Conjuring 2. When I saw the first film, I didn’t know he was a real person. Knowing a little about Ed Warren’s history helped me appreciate him immensely in the second film. There is a lot of info on the internet and the Warrens even have their own website that is still up today. Ed has passed on but Lorraine is still with us. She speaks about her paranormal experiences at various events. This film concerns the possession of a young girl and how her family saves her with the help of the Warrens.

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There is no doubt there will be another sequel since there are other stories about the Warrens that remain to be told. I think the first two in the franchise are both very scary horror movies with interesting real-life foundations. Because I was shocked and thrilled, The Conjuring 2 loses no stars from me. I highly recommend it to horror fans.

Below is a real treat, an interview with the Hayes Brothers, the writers of the 2 Conjuring films.

Dead Silence (2007)

Just after James Wan directed “Saw” he created “Dead Silence,” a creepy tale of a ventriloquist’s puppet.

Dead Silence (2007)
R | 1h 29min | Horror, Thriller | 16 March 2007 (USA)

A young widower returns to his hometown to search for answers to his wife’s murder, which may be linked to the ghost of a murdered ventriloquist.
Director: James Wan
Writers: Leigh Whannell (screenplay), James Wan (story) | 1 more credit »
Stars: Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg

A happy-go-lucky fellow and his girlfriend have recently moved into their new home. They find it to be everything they want, but then this puppet is delivered to them.

James Wan is a phenomenal Horror director who has now become a producer as well. One thing I can say with certainty is that James Wan can craft a scary movie. Even though it feels a bit like something is missing here, Wan has left us with a very scary horror movie from credits to credits. All horror fans will find it worth watching I think.

Furthermore about James Wan: H seems to include a scary prop of some sort in his movies. You see it in the little doll and the mask of Jigsaw. Here, you see it in this ventriloquist puppet hell-bent on terror. It works quite well for scares. I don’t think you can ever get too jaded to not jump when a puppet like that moves all of a sudden. It’s creepy and probably has been in film and stories way back to the early days. Speaking of props, think about the bear trap in Saw along with the many gadgets and machines engineered to kill. Wan is definitely a prop director.

The acting is fine, there is nothing spectacular. It’s worth noting that Donnie Wahlberg was in so Saw sequels and he plays the detective here in this film. Much emphasis is put on the puppet and as a result, not much else is developed in the story. So, even though I really like the premise and the puppet, it loses some points with me for not being as well rounded a film as I would have liked.

7/10