Category Archives: Thriller

31 Days of Horror: Things Heard & Seen (MA; 2021; 121 min.)

Posted on October 24, 2021 | Leave a comment

Set in 1980 and starring one of my faves, Amanda Seyfried, the spooky premise of this movie snagged my attention and had me hoping for a good old-fashioned haunted-house/possession story similar to Amityville Horror. Did it deliver? Yes and no. While the premise was good and the movie started nicely, midway through it fell down the what-were-they-thinking rabbit hole and spiraled from there into a Dexter-esque ending that had me groaning and shaking my head.

When teacher George Claire relocates his artist wife Catherine and young daughter Franny to the Hudson Valley and into an historic farmhouse “with good bones,” the family members acclimate in different ways. While George is building his ego and stepping out as Professor Claire among the co-eds, Catherine notices aural lights and strong smells and poor Franny has a ghostly visitor and deals with a flashing lighted toy at night. Catherine  begins to explore the house’s history with the help of locals and George’s seance-holding boss, but does so secretly because George is growing more deceitful, controlling, and disturbing by the day. As tensions mount, deaths begin to add up, and ghosts make themselves known, we wait to find out who–or what—will be left standing in the end.

  • Top Scare: Spirit-related
  • Heartbeats: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 15 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Paranormal, scary movies, Streaming, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Malevolent (MA; 2018; 89 min.)

Posted on October 22, 2021 | Leave a comment

There’s nothing quite like a spooky orphanage set in the misty countryside and featuring a dark past to set the stage for a good horror movie. Right? Well, let’s see…

When brother and sister Jackson and Angela, who secretly run a ghostbusting racket, are called upon to quiet the incessant noise the headmistress still hears from the girls slaughtered in the home’s violent past, what can possibly go wrong? Could Angela actually have some of the “gift” like her dead mother for communing with spirits? Might she see three young lasses, lips stitched shut, running about giggling, luring her into an unused wing of the mansion? Will Jackson’s money troubles cause him to ignore all warning signs and put him, his sister, his girlfriend, and friend in danger just for a big payday? Might the true horror still be lurking, willing to stop at nothing to keep the secret close to home? And most of all, will any of this be played out with decent acting, good suspense, jump scares, and a spine-tingling conclusion? Well…it’s not the best orphanage/ghost/sinister secret movie I’ve ever seen, but if you’re okay with a slowish plot, an overly annoying character (Jackson), and no true big scares, go ahead and give this one a go.

  • Top Scare: Car Scene
  • Heartbeats: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Ghosts, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Orphans, Paranormal, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Nobody Sleeps in the Woods Tonight (MA; 2020; 102 min.)

Posted on October 15, 2021 | Leave a comment

Sticking with my forest-set, foreign-movie-dubbed-over-in-English theme, I couldn’t pass up this Polish slasher-fest homage to the 80s. And while I’m not usually one for gore–and trust me this one has a very high gore rating–the gore is handled in a kind of “ewww gross but I can’t help laughing” kind of way.

It’s present day, and we know that for sure because a big group of teens has just arrived at a camp to help them break free from their addiction to technologies such as cell phones, gaming, computers, and social media. After being broken into smaller groups, each with a leader, they set off to hike and camp in the woods. We follow one group of five as they get to know each other, and yes, there is the standard lot of: brain, slut, gay person, virgin, and loner. Meanwhile, we also are discovering the story of a nearby mutant superhuman man who had been chained in his mother’s cellar his whole life, feeding on the animals she slaughters for him and feeds him raw. That is, until he manages to escape. Hmmm. Wonder where he can find more fresh meat to feed his unique appetite? As the teens and counselor are picked off one by one in incredibly grotesque yet unique and–wait, did I mention grotesque–ways, we are left to wonder if anyone will be left in the end to post, tweet, or text about what they did on their summer vacation. And great news! Some late twists and turns to the story add not only more chances for the special effects team to work overtime, but also provide the perfect setup for that requirement of all 80s slasher flicks: a sequel (releases 10.27.21)!

  • Top Scare: Lakeside
  • Heartbeats: 3 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 3 1/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Malignant (R; 2021; 111 min.)

Posted on October 10, 2021 | Leave a comment

From previews, I was looking forward to this super-scary horror movie, saving it to watch on just the right rainy, dreary October day. The first half hour was fantastic and did not dissappoint. Then, this movie turned into something very, very different. And while it was not necessarily a bad different, it was a weird, creepy, gory, and, did I mention WEIRD, different. Horror movie lovers of many sub-genres will definitely be delighted.

Madison and her POC abusive husband live in an enormous old house. When he is killed in what appears to be a home invasion (but is so scarily carried out by a hooded figure seemingly floating from room to room), Madison begins to have visions of the horrific, gory murders that are happening around the city which are also being committed by this hooded figure. As her sister joins in her efforts of figuring out her visions, her past of being adopted as a young child comes into play. 

Directed by James Wan (The Conjuring), this roller coaster ride of a horror movie flips, rolls, and jerks, offering stomach-drops here and heart-thuds there. It’s unpredictable and more than a bit crazy, but for true horror fans, worth every WEIRD moment.

  • Top Scare: Hooded Figure
  • Heartbeats: 3 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 2 3/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (NR; 1962, 82 min.)

Posted on October 18, 2020 | Leave a comment

What a joy it is to stumble upon a classic horror film chock full of not only monsters real and imagined, but terrible writing, poor editing, lapses in continuity, and a deliciously crazy concept!

When Dr. Bill Cortner’s fiancee Jan is decapitated in an automobile accident, Dr. Cortner decides to use his ill-gotten skills of re-attachment of human body parts to keep her head/brain alive on a hot female body. But Jan doesn’t want to be any part of this experiment.

“Is it a crime to want to keep you alive? Is it a crime for science to jump ahead by years? This kind of thing must be done!” Bill explains.

“Let me die! Let me die!” Jan keeps reiterating.

Bill begins sleazing around town looking for just the right, um, parts (he’s such a catch apparently that a cat fight ensues at one point along with the requisite MEOW!). But Jan, the brain that she is, enlists the help of a mutant monster locked up nearby to help her with her devious plan to escape and to put an end to the good doctor’s experiments once and for all.

  • Top Scare: Bad Acting
  • Heartbeats: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 2 3/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Midsommar (R; 2019; 147 min.)

Posted on October 22, 2019 | Leave a comment

Very rarely do I happen upon a horror film that leaves me both baffled and disturbed (I’m looking at you, The Human Centipede), especially one lasting nearly 3 hours. But, alas, Midsommar is one such movie, and my head is still reeling from its effects. My recommendation is to take a hard pass on this drawn-out head-shaker and have a nice picnic this weekend instead.

When college student Christian and his buddies are invited to a new friend’s remote Swedish village (one with a fondness for shrooms, no less) in order to experience its rarely seen midsummer festival, Christian’s longtime girlfriend Dani decides to come along as well. Having suffered a tragedy recently and sensing a breakup is imminent, Dani is happy to find the villagers are welcoming, the setting bucolic, and the customs quaint, though unusual. As the nine-day festival kicks off, the group begins to discover not everything is as it seems with the people, their motivations, and their happy smiles. In fact, each day of the festival features traditions more odd, creepy, gory, and freakish than the last. As the sometimes disturbing scenes unfold, the viewer is left to hope the friends will wake from their dazed participation and make their escape before it is too late.

  • Top Scare: Villagers
  • Heartbeats: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up, due to gore, full nudity/sex, and disturbing scenes

 

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, horror, Horror Movie, Midsommar, Movies, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Get Out (R; 2017; 104 min.)

Posted on October 30, 2018 | 1 comment

get out

I like when my horror movies also have a bit of humor and maybe even use that humor to make a point about the world we live in. Get Out does this expertly, with a look at racism through the lens of relationships and affluence, all while keeping its wry tone and dark themes afloat.

The story is of Rose, a young white woman, and her African-American boyfriend Chris. When they visit her family upstate for the first time, Chris begins to experience racist remarks and attitudes. Attributing these to Rose’s family’s nervousness about his interracial relationship with Rose, he carries on with the weekend plans. However, as strange events unfold and others arrive for a gathering, Chris soon discovers the horror he is feeling runs more than skin-deep.

  • Top Scare: Car Scene
  • Heartbeats: 2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up

 

1 Comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Get Out, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Relationships, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged ,

31 Days of Horror: The Snowman (R; 2017; 119 min.)

Posted on October 13, 2018 | Leave a comment

The Snowman

Based on Jo Nesbø’s book of the same name, The Snowman at first appears to be a nicely creepy horror movie. However, the only thing worthwhile about the movie is the breathtaking scenery of Oslo, Norway.

Starring Michael Fassbender as Harry Hole (no, I didn’t make that up), an elite investigator who spends much of the movie on one “bender” after another, the story tries to tell the tale of a sociopath who murders and leaves a snowman behind as his calling card. Hole is being taunted by the killer too, as he investigates a missing mother. A bunch of other people are somehow intertwined (it pulls together so loosely it’s sad) in the story, casting doubt on who is who is who. As more people go missing and snow continues to fall (the murders all happen when it snows), Hole discovers the killer might be closer than he realizes. Ho, hum. Save yourself some time, and buy a snow globe instead.

  • Top Scare: The Windchill
  • Heartbeats: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up

 

 

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, psychosis, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged ,

31 Day of Horror: Mama (PG-13; 2013; 100 min)

Posted on October 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

mama

When two girls, Victoria and Lilly, are found after being left alone in a cabin in the woods for five years, their uncle takes on the challenge of trying to raise them. With the help of a psychiatrist, he and his girlfriend begin to make progress, such as getting them to walk upright and stop eating cherries for every meal (or certain creatures, as eventually becomes the case). But it soon becomes clear that they weren’t alone in that cabin after all – Mama was with them. And Mama does not want to give them up quite so easily.

With an almost unrecognizable Jessica Chastain, and an adorable Megan Charpentier as Victoria, Mama has a solid, believable cast. The majority of the movie is suspenseful, quite scary, and a bit gruesome, thanks to some great special effects. I was disappointed in the surreal-type ending, however, and wish the movie had stuck more closely with its horror theme. All in all, a great scare for your 31 Days of Horror.

  • Top Scare: Any with Mama
  • Heartbeats: 4 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 14 or 15 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Paranormal, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: House at the End of the Street (PG-13; 2012; 101 min)

Posted on October 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

house at end of street

With Jennifer Lawrence, Max Thieriot, and Elisabeth Shue, I was happy to give this movie a try, and I’m glad I did. Though not the scariest of plots, it did have a few good jump-out-of-my-seat moments, some good suspense, and an interesting story. Plus, it had not just one, but two or three twists thrown in, and I’m a sucker for plot twists!

Teenager Elissa (Lawrence) and her wildish mom Sarah (an amazing-looking Shue) have just rented a house in the woods. They got it for a steal since the house next door was the location of a family slaying – a not-quite-all-there girl (Carrie Anne) had murdered her mother and father one night before disappearing into the woods to never be seen again. When they discover the girl’s brother, Ryan, has moved back into the abandoned house after many years staying with an Aunt, Elissa strikes up a friendship with him. As the friendship deepens, Sarah tries to put a stop to it, but Elissa is too clever for that.

Now, Ryan is a quiet, shy type of college kid, fixing up his family home in hopes to sell it one day. But as time goes on, we learn that there’s something very odd going on in Ryan’s house, something that involves Carrie Anne, who may or may not have disappeared for good on that fateful night. And just when you think you’ve figured it out – TWIST – you have to look at things differently. And as soon as you’re comfortable with that -TWIST – you have to figure it all out again. But it doesn’t stop there…you’ll be thinking this movie through right up to the very end!

  • Top Scare: In Ryan’s house
  • Heartbeats: 3 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 3 1/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 14 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, scary movies, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,