Everyday Evil: A Horror Analogy - Powerful and Frightening Visions of the Human Beast

 

The horror genre is by far the most welcoming domain of cinematography when it comes to bold and unusual visions. After the relative slump of the Hollywood-style teen slashers that marked the 1990s, the 21st century brought about a true renaissance of this filmmaking domain, and now, Patrick A. Albright has added another fantastic film to the same body of artistic work. 

The film created by this award-winning black photographer and director is called Everyday Evil: A Horror Anthology, and from the first shot, it beckons the viewer into what seems like a beautiful and very ordinary world, but one that also hides unspeakable horrors behind it. That way, it will turn out that Albright is actually telling us about our real world.

The anthology covers six separate stories told from a first-person perspective. In all of them, the common theme is the notion of evil itself, but not as some grand, majestical, and even attractive force. Here, instead, it is something more similar to a deep-rooted but ultimately randomly dispersed energy that does not come with a complex backstory or detailed explanation. To the horror of all of us, it simply exists. 

Visually, the film does an amazing job with a very minimal budget, mostly by using a lot of natural lighting and liminal locations that in themselves offer a note of terror. From empty parking lots to desolate roads and green fields with odd, out-of-place details, Albright finds ways to boost the sheer quality of photography in the film to a level of a much bigger film production. The same goes for ambient sounds and the film’s soundtrack, which also enhances the experience through these stories. Generally, it’s tough to find independent films that do their sound right, and especially those that blend it with music that is neither overused nor underplayed. Everyday Evil manages to do just that, creating a balancing act that was clearly worth the substantial effort in post-production. 

There is no doubt that this film shows the value of having a powerful vision and employing it to the maximum effect, regardless of the size of the production’s budget. Everyday Evil: A Horror Anthology and Patrick A. Albright created a marvelous sequence of films and brought them together into one of the best independent horror films of this year. Be sure to watch it now on Fawesome.tv, where you can be impressed and terrified in equal measure.

Film Review: Jujji (2024) - Gripping Pakistani Thriller on the Demons that Haunt us All

The world that Jujji presents immediately pulls the viewers deep into the dark, silent, and violent space. From the first shot and the slow, tension-building monologue of an apparently random street vendor, the film shows that it can more than handle its central mystery. 

The premise of this Pakistani thriller centers on a serial killer pursued by two police officers. One officer is young and motivated. However, despite the fact that he's driven by his sense of justice, he is fighting his own demons from the past and many somber realities of his country. His partner, on the other hand, is an older and more morally flexible police veteran, who provides a completely different perspective not just on the case, but life itself, and their role as officers of peace. 

Jujji is masterfully directed by Habib Shahzad, who does wonders with the photography of the film. Each frame is crafted almost perfectly and uses the most out of natural lighting. The same rings through in both day and night scenes, along with the fact that Shahzad never forgets about its characters. This is best seen in the flashback story near the end of the film, which shows a tragic rescue of a kidnapped girl. The entire muted sequence is a small masterpiece of atmosphere and suspense. 

Through this relentless focus on characters, each setting or situation, Shahzad still manages to revert to the people in it. This approach remains steadfast, regardless of whether they're the main characters or someone like a poor passerby who stumbles upon a lifeless body. 

Finally, it is amazing to see that Jujji manages to do so much with a film based on a true story in just under 80 minutes. This too is the testament of the directorial skill of Shahzad and the natural storytelling talent, which is why he never loses a single beat in the film. The same makes the film one of the best Asian thrillers in recent years and should place Pakistan on the international map of all cinema goers. 

Film Review: A House of Dynamite (2025)

Don't fear the nuclear reaper is what most of the characters in A House of Dynamite are constantly trying to say to one another. At the same time, they're doing it through bewildered, terrified, or tearful eyes, continually trying to phone someone in the government or their uknowing family members. 

All of this is taking place as a single nuclear missile is traveling towards the continental US, which is a cycle of about 20 minutes that the film shows three times. In each of those, the director Kathryn Bigelow presents a different set of individuals making decisions around the same launch. The first group tries to intercept it, the second to understand it, while the last, spearheaded by the President of the county, should react to it - in a nuclear fashion, naturally. 

The concept of the film is gripping, and its stellar cast makes good on the script's promise to keep us glued to it until the very end. But, there's also a rational and realistic void in there as well. We're never really in the mind of anyone for long, while some characters, like Cathy Rogers, a FEMA official with the Office of National Continuity Programs, make no sense whatsoever.

The best way to perceive A House of Dynamite is likely to understand it as a deep dive into the US nuclear doctrine by a top-notch reporter team from an outlet like The Guardian. It's incredibly well-researched, somewhat liberal-leaning, and intensely smart, but doesn't allow for any feelings nor does it linger very long after you read the final, cautionary sentence. 

Film Review: Sinners (2025)

The kinetic force behind the film Sinners is a tangible type of energy that you feel in your rib cage. Like a muffled baseline in a club, it reverberates with you but does not hamper you in any way. Besides, it doesn’t force itself upon you, asking for your unwavering attention. It simply grooves, and you grove with it. The film that Ryan Coogler created works like that, allowing the audience to jump into as deep or as shallow as they like. All who do leap will get immersed in a world completely in tune with Coogler’s vision, which is a space of music, culture, danger, and endless injustice. 

The film places the viewers in the Mississippi Delta in the 1930s, where a pair of criminals and twins, both played by Michael B. Jordan, set up a speakeasy. Their efforts to make an underground club for the downtrodden African-Americans face numerous hurdles, which include both the oppressive white figures and the local black population. However, Elijah "Smoke" and Elias "Stack" Moore won’t take no for an answer and make their vision happen. The first night of the club, however, a stranger from Ireland enters the same vision and quickly turns it into a escalating, bloody nightmare. 

Even though Sinners, like another modern vampire movie, From Dusk Till Dawn, is broken into two substantially different parts, it still works as a unified work of art. It tells its viewers about the pain and the suffering of the black US population and how music was and continues to be a way not just to endure, but to thrive and prosper. In its tale, the film presents so much pain and suffering, but still remains eternally hopeful that things can and must get better. The notion of the main antagonist and his background in the downtrodden Ireland works perfectly alongside this, following it as a form of backup singer who can still steal the spotlight when needed.

Many already label Sinners as a modern masterpiece that goes a long way further than a good horror action film. However, the cultural influence that the film could have in the coming years is even bigger. With the proper mindset of the future viewers who enjoy it - and learn from it - Sinners could become a crucial element of the Black US culture that was created in our lifetime. Presently, the movie, along with the incredible Weapons, is the best horror film of 2025.

Film Review: Monkey Man (2024)

The directorial debut of Dave Patel is pouring its heart and soul into the film’s energy. The work, even though ultimately a finely-crafted and dynamic film, still fails at the same time precisely because of the insanely high energy it provides. From the sights and sounds to even the dense music soundtrack and the nearly-tangible smells of modern India, Monkey Man keeps relentlessly pushing and pushing.

But it feels like Patel, who is starring in the film at the same time, tried hard to bring across a more poignant and deeper message about the state of the biggest democracy in the world. The story of a downtrodden boy who grows up into a man thirsting for vengeance is easy to understand, though hard to empathise with. The reason for this is that in the film, somehow, everyone seems to be suffering. That plight turns into a series of individual spaces from which no one can escape. 

This applies to the ritual character of Kid, but also to the beautiful women trapped in the glorified brothels of the upper floors of glamorous hotels. It applies to the corrupt cops on the street and to their commanders as well, whose hands are forever bloodied by the deeds they had or wanted to commit. Still, throughout all of this, castes are never mentioned, which is an odd blind spot for a film with these topics and societal context.

Chances are that for the film’s investors, it’s much more appealing to see a scenario where everyone is sort of bad in their own way instead of fully focusing on the powers that be. The main antagonist of the film could have played that role. But the script seemingly pulled away from pushing into the societal space where money is pouring in and very little pouring out, just like it has been for millennia.

Monkey Man is a stand-out action thriller that does both thrills and action really well. Yet, it is no White Tiger when it comes to its ability to address the current state of India’s wealth disparities. It does, sadly, just as little in showcasing what the future course of this unique but troubled nation could be.

Late Bloomer - Award-Winning Short Film on (Very) Short Relationships

 

Meeting new people is never easy or simple. In the case of Late Bloomer, this process is not only daunting but sometimes even ends up in utter failure. In a matter of only five minutes, this short film jumps headfirst into the subject of finding intimate relationships out of thin air. However, unlike most Hollywood cliche romantic flicks, Late Bloomer takes a very somber, although hilarious, approach.

The film opens up with an apartment where two people, Selma and Kane, played by Erin Fleming and Merrell Molly, are waking up. The film quickly showcases the fact that they only recently met at a funeral and immediately after that hooked up. Now, in the aftermath of the same fling, they are both awake and presumably sober, which allows the harsh reality to set in for both of them. 

Directed by Robert Murphy, Late Bloomer is incredibly fun and engaging for a work of art that is barely five minutes long. Even as a short film, it managed to capitalize on the chemistry between the characters, especially that notion of both Kane and Selma feeling that the thing that they had is close to something tangible and long-lasting, but at the same time, it's just not there. Of course, Kane is more than happy and willing to keep it in the same space, but the prospect of that happening seems very slim. In this setup, Molly does a great job in particular, making his character thread a fine line between being desperate and charming, all the while providing a great sense for comedic timing. 

Sharp and witty, Late Bloomer once more shows that a good cast and a wholesome script that avoids both overreaching and underdelivering is a great formula for a compact cinematic work of art. Using that approach, it paints a picture of interpersonal relationships that is very modern and speaks of our contemporary world, but at the same time provides a timeless snapshot of an encounter. This encounter might end as Henry Longfellow's poem describes it, ships passing in the night, but that being said, the same fictional night still provided us with a fantastic short film.

With so much going for it, it’s no wonder that the title has already received critical acclaim. The film won the Best Micro Film award at Cal Film Festival 2025, along with other recognitions. You can watch the entire Late Bloomer right here - if you like it, don’t forget to share it with your film-loving friends as well!

Film Review: Weapons (2025)

 

There’s a recent tendency in filmmaking, especially those circles that gravitate more towards the indie scene than the modern Hollywood approach, to explore the boldest topics through horror. It Follows is now more than a decade old, but it grappled with the topic of STDs probably better than any film since Kids. More recently, Oddity delved into loss and mourning with stunning effectiveness. Now, Weapons has come along and, in my view, immediately became a future cult classic.

The film’s creator, Zach Cregger, grabbed the movie-going world’s attention with the quirky and unexpected Barbarians. In his latest creation, however, Cregger found a way to take that potential and blast not just out of the park, but out of the stratosphere. The story of the film is eerie, strange, yet very familiar beyond its surface – a classroom of children simply disappears one night by running out of their homes and into the darkness. In the same class, only one boy remains, clueless about what has transpired. From that point, a frantic series of individual tales ensues, overlapping and intersecting, which all show a unified epic of fear, determination, survival, and hope, which all stand against an utter, soul-crushing hopelessness.

The cast of the film works marvels with a great script that is laden, somehow, with very effective dark humor. Here, Julia Garner, Cary Christopher, and Josh Brolin shine through in particular, along with what is likely the best role Austin Abrams has had in his career. They all complete their roles spotlessly throughout a film where at least a dozen different facial and cranial injuries occur, many of which result in gruesome, gory deaths. But, even these merge into the bigger whole, along with subtle and not-so-subtle references to one of the biggest collective dreads in the mind of modern America.

A masterpiece of social commentary, nail-biting horror, and out-of-place humor, Weapons is definitely not a film that comes around very often. Cregger already proved that he has a brilliant and remarkably different kind of mind, which is appreciated by everyone who loves art. Weapons show what can be done if the stars (human and metaphorical) align for people like him, and we need that alignment to keep going even stronger!

Film Review: Brick (2025)

Back in 2005, Rian Johnson directed what is, in my view, one of the greatest neo-noir films of the 21st century. Twenty years later, Philip Koch also directed a film called Brick, but this one is neither a neo-noir nor a great work of art. Its plot is not about dramatic teens in a fictional drug trade. Instead, it zooms in on a building in Germany that suddenly becomes encased in a strange, brick-like material, trapping all of its inhabitants inside, and it's sort of a derivative M. Night Shyamalan tale.

Overall, it has a modest entertainment potential, which was geared to work with its modest run time (just under 100 minutes). The cast maneuvers within the film's premise the best they can, but they do not end up connecting to each other, nor do they connect to the audience. The central mystery also loses its appeal with each passing minute and tedious lifeboat-like situation.

Through this, the cast do what they can in a prolonged episode that ranks among the weaker Black Mirror stories and is just close to classic Outer Limits ones. The film struggles most at its climax and ending, failing at the same time to be smart and emotionally resonant. At the end, Brick tries hard to lay brick over its shortfalls and thus finishes as a big pile of bricks. It, like the film, is far from useless, but also just as far from appealing. 

Black Hills (2025) - Upcoming Swedish Action Thriller

 

If a person had to end up in a prison anywhere in the world, I'm pretty sure that most would choose a country like Sweden. Black Hills is an upcoming Swedish action thriller that tells a tale of one such location. However, in it, the prison is called Black Hills Correctional Facility, and it is a place no one would wish to be. Here, an inmate by the name of Marius will have to fight his way to reach freedom.

Check out the film's trailer right here!

Directed by David Anghel and written by Jussi Ruotsalainen, the film offers an action-packed tale of redemption and survival. If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, Black Hills will be out across the streaming and VOD landscape, but you can also catch it on Vimeo right now!

Film Review: The Order (2024)

Bleak US thrillers set in the contemporary political and social landscape often pleasantly surprised me over the last few years. These can have an implied political message, like The Standoff at Sparrow Creek has, or they can be dealing in direct, borderline activist commentary like How to Blow up a Pipeline. The Order is a lot less willing to dive into the clear politics of the white nationalist movement in the US, but it still packs an engaging punch when it comes to its characters.

In the film, led by Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult, an FBI agent begins to track and gradually dismantle a white supremacist group that is slowly turning into a terrorist army. Based on the notion of The Turner Diaries effects on the angry young men of the inner US, as well as its impact on the hate groups preparing for a race war, the film covers actual events from the 1980s and their deadly impact on numerous families and individuals.

Justin Kurzel, who directed the film, allowed much of the story to take shape through its main characters, played by Law and Hoult, who act as the main driving forces, but on opposite sides. Here, Law in particular managed to create a transfixing character as the rundown, tired, but endlessly determined Agent Husk. That, along with a tense, minimalistic cinematography, produced a fantastic and very balanced thriller, which doesn't lose any steam towards the end. Ultimately, despite its hands-off approach to modern politics, The Order's story is still very much relevant for the contemporary US political landscape. 

Predator: Killer of Killers

Intensity and energy are the main hallmarks of Predator: Killer of Killers. These elements shine through from the first moment and keep up relentlessly throughout the film. That's not an easy feat in any genre, let alone feature-length animated movies. It is also important to note that the director, Dan Trachtenberg, who previously made, among other things, 10 Cloverfield Lane, has diverse experience working on atypical projects. That helped him to keep both going even though the majority of the film's storyline is broken into three separate vignettes. 

Each of these covers a different warrior on Earth, each in its period. That includes a Viking clash, a violent political turmoil in feudal Japan, and finally the Pacific theatre of WW2. In each, a predator seeks to find the strongest prey, take it down, and become the killer of killers. At the same time, the clueless humans hang desperately to nothing more than the raw desire to survive. 

The vignettes come together in the crescendo of the film, erupting in even more action and bloodshed. But, these work together perfectly with rough but still defined characters, each from a different era and culture. Through a well-chosen style of animation, the desperate humans, just like the unwavering predators, managed to offer one of the best films in this franchise. Simply put, Predator: Killer of Killers is truly a killer movie (I had to go there).

Film Review: Conclave (2024)

 

Electing a new pope of the Catholic church is all about rituals, Conclave shows us. But, what ritual is more ancient and more sacred than the ritual of politics, where powerful players jock and muscle for the leading position? In the film, directed by Edward Berger, the process of choosing a new pontiff ebbs and flows with the internal politics of the Catholic factions. Will the conservatives take over the reins, or will the liberals prevail and move the dogma into a more inclusive and powerful chapter? 

The key element of those struggles is Thomas Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes, who presides as the dean over the College of Cardinals. Once they agree, the election of the pope is over and the new leader of the church will take his spot at its head. To the outside world, that is the moment when the black smoke above the Sistine Chapel turns white. 

However, Lawrence’s position begins to complicate as he comes into possession of new information about the wishes of his close friend, the recently deceased pope. With each voting cycle that fails to find the new head of the church, the doubts and fears of Lawrence intensify. As this happens, Finnes masterfully presents this emotional turmoil by embodying a person who otherwise seems like calmness and reason personified.

Gradually, here’s where the film makes its transition from a documentary-like feature to a political thriller. On that road, Berger avoids taking any paths that even hint at violence - despite violence occurring on a grander scale - and keeps the film about people, their ambitions, and their beliefs. This, as Conclave shows, is a much more complicated and self-examining issue than it first might appear. Through that process, the movie builds into an impressive feature about the nature of power and human needs that fuel it, even though the same tale is told through a lens of ritualistic but very brutal politics.

Film Review: Alien: Romulus (2024)

 

Well-made horrors usually tend to include some form of elegant simplicity. Recently, works like Oddity excelled in that regard. But, when you're dealing with a massive, world-famous franchise like Alien, it's a lot harder to keep things simple. Luckily for all fans of sci-fi and horror, director Fede Álvarez managed to pull this off with Alien: Romulus.

The simplicity begins with the plot - on a destitute corporate world where the Weyland-Yutani corporation turns workers into slaves, a group of young people wants to escape and find a better life among the stars. The way to do it is to reach a derelict space station and recover the necessary gear for their years-long journey. On the same space station, however, a xenomorph awaits.

The plot is simple, while the elegance of the film comes from the clever obstacles and dangers that the scavenger team tries to overcome, as well as some gorgeous cinematography. The cast is securely led by Cailee Spaeny, who echoes the collected composure of the much more famous Ellen Ripley. At the same time, the film does not suffer from injected nostalgia or oppressive homages, even though it does transplant (pun intended) one of the original characters into the plot.

The presence of that character, like everything else in the film, is ultimately very smooth. From start to finish, Alien: Romulus is probably the most worthy successor to the first film that was made so far, which is why both the cast and crew deserve a lot of praise.

Film Review: Heretic (2024)

 

Hugh Grant's transformation is truly a spectacular sight to behold. From a bumbling but very charming Englishman, through his career, Grant grew into something that can possess so many horrible human forms. Films like The Gentlemen and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre show a Grant that is sly, greedy, and selfish to the point of disgust. But in Heretic, he took his ability to inhabit unique villains to an entirely new level.

In this setup, he plays Mr. Reed, an elderly recluse who is visited by a pair of young women, acting as missionaries of the LDS Church. But, in his deceivingly humble home, Mr. Reed begins to question the church and their faith, slowly but surely putting them on a path of choices and terrible outcomes. As he does this, he remains both relatable and clearly driven, while each and every idea or question of his comes with a potentially sinister edge behind it.

The film, written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, navigates an interesting space that is brimming with social commentary - connecting things like versions of Jesus-like god throughout history with the Landlord's game - but remains a chilling horror tale that is constantly ratcheting up. The linchpin in all of that is Grant, of course, but both Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East do a great job of initially clueless missionaries engaging themselves in his web of choices and beliefs.

While there is a sense of constant danger that Heretic will slide into the tropes of other similar pawn-in-a-maze-like films, it dodges all of them and instead blossoms into a space neither too fresh nor too stale. Besides being a really good genre film, Heretic also convinced me that I can't wait for what new monsters Grant will create in his upcoming movies.

Film Review: The Bikeriders (2023)

There's so much true star power in The Bikeriders. People like Tom Hardy, Austin Butler, and Jodie Comer lead the cast in the main roles. Supporting roles are filled with names like Norman Reedus and Michael Shannon. With all of those people, you'd think anyone would have a hard time making a bad movie. That's true when it comes to The Bikeriders, but its director, Jeff Nichols, did not manage to make a great movie either.

The fault isn't in Nichols - he too is a brilliant artist, who made excellent films like Mud or Midnight Special. His scope and interests are extensive, which is why he chose a proto-bike gang story as his main theme for this film. Set in the middle of the 20th century, The Bikeriders tells the tale of the older Johnny and the younger Benny as they ride their beloved bikes, drink beers, and slowly turn into a violent criminal venture.

Now, there's a lot of space in the public imagination when it comes to outlaw bikers. Sons of Anarchy created a pop-culture niche all on its own. But, The Bikeriders feels most similar in my view to Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga. This book was written by Hunter S. Thompson and also shows an interesting but deeply unsettling look into the world and minds of bike gang members. Comer's female perspective was likely a way to make the film more appealing and unexpected in its narrative delivery, but it didn't move it far from its basic premise of complicated dudes on powerful bikes.

In Thompson's book, just like in Nichols' film, there is a sense of authenticity and the stories of characters do grip the audience, but only as individual vignettes. As a whole, The Bikeriders doesn't resonate as a documentary piece, while as a fictional tale, it drives the viewers around but in the end, doesn't take you anywhere. I guess some films are about the journey, and not the destination.

Film Review: The Crow (2024)

It's hard to deny that the new rendition of the The Crow murder & revenge story is not stylish. The tattoos, the dark lights, the janky spaces - all of it fits into The Crow's neo-gothic iconography. However, in the clash of style versus substance, director Rupert Sanders found very little substance. Because of that, the result is a bland retelling of the film that back in 1994 had so many macabre vibes going for it, even though a bit of that came from the tragedy of Brandon Lee's death.

In the 2024 version, yes, there is a lot of fictional, violent death as well and loads of goth visuals too (not on the level of the brilliant Nosferatu, but still sufficient). But, the chemistry that should either bind characters in eternal love or place them on a path of bloody vengeance is missing. Bill Skarsgård does well as the torn Eric but fails to get it on with FKA twigs. Danny Huston is always interesting to watch, but as the main antagonist, he simply fails to make his character have the kinetic force of evil that is needed here.

Sanders is by no means an inexperienced director, but with The Crow, so much stuff simply falls through the metal mesh floor that should have been the film's foundation. I'm certain that the same foundation in this case has to be the characters, but there's just too much room between all of them, allowing for so much void space. The same sense of pretty emptiness is what the film ends up providing to its viewers.

Hi How Are You? (2023) - Meditative Journey into the Heart of Love

Having a feature-length movie recorded on nothing but iPhones and doing so primarily in selfie mode might sound like a strange idea. However, the movie Hi How Are You shows that ultimately, like ever, the substance overcomes the format. In this romantic drama with a strong undercurrent of science fiction, two souls reconnect with each other when a hangover Lou, who is in Paris, decides to call Mani, a rock star from Iran who's in New York. At the same time, a celestial body called MX6292 apparently sets itself on a collision course with the Earth. 

Through conversations ranging from video calls between friends to amateur scientists calling into news channels, the unusual video format works well. The film includes many characters that slowly revolve around Lou and Mani, while at the same time, something much larger is taking place in the endless void above. Interestingly, the film also uses plenty of VFX and superimposed elements in its shots, like billboards and other details in external locations, which all work surprisingly harmoniously with each other.

The film was written and directed by Clemy Clarke, who is a French filmmaker living in Los Angeles. Clarke brought an interesting blend of sensibilities to the film, showing something hard to pinpoint geographically, both literally and metaphorically. However, the film's overall ambiance and sensitivity to a changing, interconnected world, which can still feel so lonely, is incredibly poignant.

Through many languages, covering English, French, and Farsi, Hi How Are You? tells a very natural story of relationships that forever change and evolve, but which still yearn for that essential connection and the love that lies behind it all. Because of that, the element of the mysterious celestial body works so well on focusing the otherwise very loosely threaded story. The film's tragic and powerful culmination, which is fully steeped in music, is, in the end, all about that human connection.

In a very shrewd manner, Clarke bridges so many of these surface ideas of what it is to be alive in this strange and modern world of ours. She then funnels them all towards the core of the film - which is a love story, told from such a strong, universally human, perspective. In the end, the tale of this touching film shows us that it really is all about - love.

Watch Hi How Are You? on Amazon Prime today!

Film Review: Nosferatu (2024)

The wholehearted dedication that director Robert Eggers provided to gothic horror during the making of Nosferatu is mind-blowing. This director, who has so far been somewhat of a mixed bag for me - The Lighthouse, for example, was a thoroughly unenjoyable experience - went above and beyond to do justice to its source material. In this case, this is not the Bram Stoker novel, but its unauthorized German adaptation from 1922, called Nosferatu.

The film, today iconic for its visuals but unknown to many, did slight adjustments to the story of Count Dracula and Eggers decided to focus on that rendition completely. Besides that, he also stayed true to the dramatic and often tragic concepts of gothic horror and romanticism in general, providing a script that must have been read in a very odd and offbeat way. Finally, Eggers managed to mix into that a lot of pan-Slavic, pagan-rooted notions and rituals, focusing on Eastern Romania and the region of Transylvania. For the making of the film, this brilliant director even found inspiration in art like the Yugoslav TV movie The She-Butterfly, an obscure work of Balkan filmmaking.

The cast fully embraced this brilliant script. Bill Skarsgård, Lily-Rose Depp, and Nicholas Hoult are top-notch in their lead roles, while Willem Dafoe is simply mesmerizing in every scene he appears as the wise and learned Albin Eberhart von Franz (Van Helsing, in the original tale). Throughout the film, breathtaking cinematography follows the storyline to the heartbeat, even with its drastic changes in scenery and settings, covering castles from high mountains, strange ships on high seas, and beautiful salons from high German society. Even the ending, which will disappoint many who are looking for regular vampire horror tropes, is a tiny masterpiece in its own right.

Many stated for some time that Robert Eggers is one of the leading film directors of his generation. I can honestly say that I didn’t fully see things the same way for a long time, despite many hints and glimmers of that greatness. Then, I watched Nosferatu and so should you.

Film Review: Carry-On (2024)

Jason Bateman is a versatile actor, but Carry-On puts a lot of weight on his shoulders as key bad guy of Carry-On. Like in any action thriller, the bad guy is just as important as the main protagonist, here played by Taron Egerton. But, sadly for both of them and the audience, the film never manages to find the right formula between their interactions and the subsequent anticipation, where this tale of Novichok ends up - ironically - very lacking in the department of on-screen chemistry.

Instead of something that will be the new version of Die Hard 2, the film sends us into the grotto of the Transportation Security Administration or TSA in a huge Los Angeles airport. Here, Ethan, played by Egerton, has a day from the depths of hell when the mysterious Traveler pulls him into a web of lies, deceit, and mortal danger. In the heart of it all is a case with the Novichok agents that the Traveler needs to put on a plane at LAX, no matter the cost. Ethan, on the other hand, has to stop him and still keep his life and the life of his pregnant girlfriend, or trade these for countless victims of the deadly compound.

The entire Carry-On could have been somewhat improved by shortening all of its phases, as well as taking out the completely redundant sequence in the luggage facility. It feels incredibly laden with CGI and ultimately serves no purpose other than to try and chase (pun intended) some relatively novel action thrills. However, the sequence, like the entire film, needed a bit of afterthought from the director Jaume Collet-Serra, as well as some cutting down of runtime. This wouldn’t have turned Carry-On into a masterpiece of action cinema - that ultimately lies in the lacking dynamic between Bateman and Egerton - but would have made it a bit more compact and appealing.

Acceptance is the Beginning - Crowdfunding Campaign for a Powerful Faith-Based Film

 

Stephen L. Satterfield is a true movie industry veteran, with over 30 films under his belt. He began his career back in 2017 and has worked as a producer, writer, and actor since then. Back in 2022, he wrote a script called Acceptance is the Beginning, and now, with the help of an Indiegogo campaign, he is working to turn it into a reality. Here's how Stephen describes his upcoming project:

Acceptance is the Beginning is truly about sharing the message and promises of Christianity. I do warn that the film has an unapologetically evangelical perspective, and I ask all to consider that when donating as I respect free will, too. The main character is depressed and without faith and hope. The main character also has an opportunity to unwittingly share his problems and his grief with an angel and demon.

The premise of the film looks really interesting and engaging, especially from the perspective of the Christian faith. At the same time, Stephen aims to produce his work where he also resides. That means that the film should be shot in the coming summer at a location in the US, more precisely in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Here's where the crowdfunding campaign comes in. Stephen is raising the first target of a very modest $500 in a flexible Indiegogo campaign and it is presently at 59 percent, with 28 days to go. If you'd like to see Acceptance is the Beginning see the light of a day as a finished project, consider helping Stephen either by donating directly on the film's Indiegogo page or by spreading the word about the campaign on social media!

Film Review: I Saw the TV Glow (2024)

As someone born in the 1980s, I too, just like I Saw the TV Glow, can attest to the power of great television. In my case, the shows of choice during my childhood include a narrow band of science fiction, mainly seen in The X-Files, Star Trek: Deep Space 9, and Star Trek: Voyager. In these shows, as a kid, I found almost total immersion, where I truly got lost in each episode into a very believable world that is so much unlike my own reality.

I Saw the TV Glow focuses on that mental and emotional space for its two main characters, Owen and Maddy. Both of them are growing up in the US suburbs and finding life incredibly challenging as teens in 1996. However, what also binds them together is The Pink Opaque, a fictional TV show that features two characters with a psychic connection who are fighting an ever-present, but subtle evil force seen in the form of Mr. Melancholy.

The film was written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun, who clearly also understands the power and horror of finding escape from both the real world and the physical bodies that inhabit it. The experience of watching I Saw the TV Glow is thus very odd, as it mixes tones of teen bonding and finding solace in each other's company, with a sharp sense of dread and despair, even utter horror. The latter come from the lifestyles that are to a point forced on the main characters, as well as their controlled and asserted perceptions of themselves.

Here, in this space filled with so many feelings, the fantastic musical soundtrack only enhances this unique experience of belonging and very much sticking out. Both main characters, played by Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine, do a great job in trying to communicate this sense of split self to each other and the audience, which is so hard to explain with words. That is why both of them, just like the film in its entirety, succeeds brilliantly in showing just a glimpse - but still a powerful one - of lives where people never belong, yet yearn so much to do nothing more than fit in somewhere.

Film Review: Immaculate (2024 film)

The traditional Roman Catholic iconography easily offers itself up to a range of horror genres and Immaculate is another fine example of that dark merger. In this case, the focus is on an approach that is best described as body horror, even though the film blends several other atypical elements into the mix, including faint echoes of Giallo filmmaking.

The plot of the film follows Sister Mary, a US nun who arrives in a remote Italian Catholic convent. At first, Mary, who is played by Sydney Sweeney, is greeted by a community of different characters, where her future fitting in could be a long and arduous process. However, soon after it is discovered that Mary is with child, even though her chastity remains intact.

Directed by Michael Mohan, Immaculate focuses on the idea of being entrapped by one's surroundings, by one's body, and by one's deepest faith. Here, Sweeney's interpretation of Mary is very striking, as she provides a very downtrodden and humble character, who still harbors a strong will to fight and overcome horrible situations. As the film progresses, these situations only grow in scale and frequency.

Ritualistic and visceral, Immaculate is a strong body horror that touches upon some very real issues of female reproductive rights and the ideation that this carries with it among the faithful. Unlike other horrors rooted in rituals, like Midsommar, the film does not get entangled in its religious source material but remains focused on its crucial entity - the character of Mary and her terrible experiences.