Tag Archives: thriller

31 Days of Horror: No One Will Save You (2023; PG-13; 93 mins.)

Posted on October 24, 2023 | 3 comments

No One Will Save You

If you are looking for an atmospheric, creepy/eerie, sci-fi horror movie, look no further–No One Will Save You has it all and brains to boot! With an incredible performance by Kaitlyn Dever (as Brynn), which is not always easy with so little dialogue and working with special effects, this Hulu-streaming movie sucks you right in and never lets up. And as Stephen King himself said after its release, it’s “brilliant, daring, involving, scary…truly unique.”

Brynn is an anxious young woman living alone in a rural farmhouse, basically exiled from the nearby town after an undisclosed event involving her childhood best friend. Nevertheless, she works as a seamstress, and has a rich inner life and unique throwback style. One night, an invader enters her home, and she soon disovers it is an alien. She is able to fight it and flee, only to discover her neighbors weren’t so lucky and have been possessed by the aliens. As Brynn tries to escape, fight, or outsmart the increasingly scary invaders, her past returns to intertwine with her present in unexpected ways.

  • Top Scare: First Invader
  • Heartbeats: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Recommended For: 13 and up

3 Comments

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, aliens, Entertainment, Faves, Halloween, haunting, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Outer Space, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Television, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: The Conference (2023; TV-MA; 100 mins.)

Posted on October 20, 2023 | 1 comment

the conference

I was looking for something humorous, and saw this Netflix movie from Norway (dubbed in English), so I decided to give it a try. Well, maybe the humor just didn’t quite translate (were they going for dark humor?), because I didn’t laugh once and found it mind-numbingly boring and over-the-top gory as well.

In The Conference, a small group of municipal employees are off to a woodsy conference center for team building, and to prepare for an upcoming groundbreaking ceremony for a project they have been working on which includes a controversial shopping center. Not only are the employees ineffective at their jobs, they are led by an odd duo with suspicious motives. Soon, one employee who has just returned from an unexplained absence–Lina–begins to question the project, various other employees, and how the group should proceed. Meanwhile, a mysterious figure has begun picking off the skeleton staff at the conference center one by one. The killer then swipes the large head from the project’s creepy “mascot” and continues its gruesome rampage in an oh, so bloody, manner.

Will Lina convince other employees to join forces with her to fight the company’s greed and corruption? Will the murderer get to all the employees, or just the weirdest ones? Will Lina save the day by figuring out who the murderer is and why they are doing this? Will any viewer still care after the first twenty minutes? Alas, all good questions, but I forgive you if you don’t care to find the answers and pass on this one for your 31 Days of Horror.

  • Top Scare: Jonas
  • Heartbeats: 1 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up, due to gore, violence, nudity

1 Comment

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

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Killer Book Club (2023; MA; 89 mins.)

Posted on October 7, 2023 | 2 comments

killer book club

This Netflix original-filmed in Spain and dubbed over in English-had me at “book club.” Throw in a killer clown, multiple characters with dubious motivations, and a twisty plot and I even forgave the beauty, youth, and vitality of the university students at the heart of the story. Heck, I even overlooked all the bad reviews I saw online before watching!

Eight students, all fans of the horror genre, have formed a book club at university focused on this shared interest. When one of them is accosted, the group forms a revenge plan featuring a clown costume per their latest read. However, the plan goes awry and a fatal accident occurs. Making a pact to remain silent, the group soon begins to receive chapters from a new horror book, written and sent from an anonymous stalker who knows about their secret, and who threatens to pick them off one by one. As mistrust builds among group members, people start and continue disappearing thanks to the stalker turned killer, who is wearing the same clown costume the group had worn.

Who is this killer? Why are they doing this? Is it someone who saw what the group did? Is it someone in the group? How can they make the killings stop? These are all good questions, and as the movie twists and turns, with plenty of blood and a few nice jump scares, you’ll learn the answers. If you’re a fan of Scream, you’ll like this movie too. Don’t worry about some bad reviews. I loved this movie and am glad I watched it for my 31 Days of Horror.

  • Top Scare: Library
  • Heartbeats: 2 3/4 out of 5
  • Gore factor: 3 1/4 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 or 17 and up due to nudity, sexual situations, violence, and gore

2 Comments

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Blood, Entertainment, Faves, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Killer Book Club, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Scream, Streaming, Television, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: The Watcher (Netflix Limited Series; MA; 2022; 5 hours, 32 min.)

Posted on October 27, 2022 | Leave a comment

Because I’d heard of the real-life case this show was based on, and had been fascinated and horrified by it, I was eager to watch this seven-part Netflix series, hoping for tingly vibes and slow-building tension. However, what I found instead was the tiniest kernel of the true case applied to a much-too-long storyline where weird townspeople abound, eyes are wide shut, and so many suspects emerge you stop caring which one it is and just want it all to be over. In addition, in the end I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be watching a horror show or a horror comedy, with several characters drawn so large they resembled bad sitcom characters from the 80s.

When Dean and Nora, along with their children Ellie and Carter, decide to move from the city to the burbs, they discover the most amazing home and MUST have it. So Dean puts every single penny they have into the enormous home. But wait…they still have enough to go ahead and renovate the kitchen, drink great wine, and hire a local contractor to install security cameras around the entire property after they start receiving unusual letters in the mail from “The Watcher.” These letters praise the home and say this Watcher is one of a long line of Watchers. It also lets the family know they need to care for the home, and how happy the home is to have young blood in it.

Obviously Dean and Nora are creeped out and are determined to discover which neighbor is sending the letters. There is quite the cast to choose from, but no spoilers here! Nora’s friend and realtor who sold them the house begins to suggest they should sell and, how convenient, she could help them! (This continues for the next several episodes.) Also, the police commissioner is hiding the fact that the previous owners were receiving similar letters, and refuses to help them. He does, however, suggest a private investigator type who might be able to, and they hire her (with their extra funds, hmm) to look into people and events. As the letters continue to arrive and become darker while other more dangerous things happen inside their home, and everyone around them gets weirder by the episode, their lives spin out of control until The Watcher is finally revealed (unlike in real life). But don’t reach for that remote yet! The show goes on, and on, and on for another hour or so at least. The question is, will anyone still be a WATCHER?

  • Top Scare: Scene with Carter
  • Heartbeats: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 15 and up due to sex and mature content

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Ghosts, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, mystery, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Television, The Watcher, Thriller

Tagged , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: Train to Busan (NR; 2016; 118 min.)

Posted on October 18, 2022 | Leave a comment

With a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes, I was eager to give this South Korean zombie-fest a go despite my laziness with subtitles of late. I am so glad I did! Train to Busan is a bullet-train of a ride–with fabulous acting by Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, the young Su-an Kim, and many, many others–as well as great suspense and special effects all combining to make a top-notch zombie movie I rank right up there with World War Z.

Gong Yoo is Seok-woo, a business-driven father in Seoul whose has custody of–but little time for–his daughter, Soo-an. All Soo-an wants for her birthday is to spend it with her mother in Busan. Reluctanly, Seok-woo agrees to accompany her on the bullet-train for her birthday visit. The timing is both very good and very bad: outside, a new infection causing people to turn into white-eyed/pop-locking/blood-sucking/fast-running zombies is spreading like wildfire; inside, an infected woman has managed to board at the last second. Both occurences are unbeknownst to those on the train.

But soon, word spreads via media outlets about the zombie apocalypse in Busan, and the train riders are both shocked and relieved they are safe. We get to know many of the key passengers: a pregnant woman and her snide husband, a teenage baseball team and a young woman who is infatuated with one of the players, two elderly sisters, a homeless man who has made it onto the train, an older, egocentric businessman, and three of the train’s crew. But, of course, the riders aren’t really safe: the infected woman on the train only needs to infect one more before the train cars become crazed blood baths. Father and daughter are soon fighting for their lives along with their fellow passengers…some of which are new friends; some, new enemies.

With plenty of twists and turns, suspense, non-stop action, full-on emotion, and an ending that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, this movie was a fantastic addition to my 31 Days of Horror. Don’t let the subtitles scare you away!

  • Top Scare: Fellow Passengers
  • Heartbeats: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 2 3/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 15 and up, mostly for gore

Leave a comment

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

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: The Trip (MA; 2021; 113 min.)

Posted on October 31, 2021 | Leave a comment

Billed as a Comedy-Horror-Action-Thriller out of Norway, I decided to include this in my 31 Days of Horror thinking it might be the lighter fare I was looking for. I truly cannot decide if I laughed more or cringed at the gore more thoughout, but I am so glad I found this gem and can honestly say it’s a new favorite.

Lisa and Lars are married, but their marriage is dysfunctional at best. They plan a weekend away at a remote family cabin, each with plans to knock off the other while there. But no sooner does one get the jump on the other than roles are reversed and new pains are inflicted mercilessly in an effort to find out the answer each seeks to “Why would you want to kill me?”. As the two taser and duct tape their way to the answer, they are interrupted by three escaped convicts who have been hiding in the attic all along. Suddenly, the couple must work together to survive and try to escape, with massive injuries ensuing all around, creative methods of causing bloodshed, and hilarious plans for revenge on both sides.

Not for the squeamish, this gory romp is a love story at its heart about a dark weekend trip gone awry, with great characters, some fun twists, and a delightful ending.

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

Leave a comment

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

Tagged , , , , , , ,

31 Days of Horror: A Quiet Place Part II (PG-13; 2020; 97 min.)

Posted on October 30, 2021 | Leave a comment

As a HUGE fan of A Quiet Place, I was eagerly awaiting this next installment. I wanted to be back in that world, as dismal and scary and AAAHHHH! as it was. And I wanted to see how Evelyn, Regan, Marcus, and the new baby are faring after (SPOILER ALERT!!) losing Lee so horribly, and after discovering a way to defeat the monsters. That I got to step back to Day 1 first, to see how it all began, was even more than I could have hoped for, and I have to say, the highlight of this sequel which, though still full of jump scares and a couple of interesting plot developments, was not as amazing as it could have been.

Yes, Day 1 brings us back to normal life and how quickly it can change. The Abbotts are all together at a little league game when a weird thing appears in the cloudy sky. En masse, the crowd all decides to head home, but does so casually. Um, okay. What happens next is a masterful sequence of horror movie magic, full of jump scares, suspense, edge-of-your-seat thrills, and fantastic special effects. Then, when we emerge, we are right back where the first installment left off (literally). Having defeated the immediate threat, Evelyn and the kids leave their burning farm in search of other survivors. We are forced to accept a coincidence designed out of convenience or mysogynistic scriptwriting or–benefit of the doubt–necessity for the next installment. As monsters lurk, bad decisions are made all around, injuries add up, other not-so-nice survivors are encountered and dealt with, and finally, a glimmer of hope is discovered, suspense does build, though nothing like it did in QP1.

Bottom line: the storyline kind of stalls (Will there be a QP3? If so, this was not much of a set-up for it); the Abbott actors—kids included—are all excellent; I was still hoping for more (I think what was missing this time around were the up-close personal almost-attacks a la the birth-in-the-bathtub scene from QP1); and finally, you should still see it. Just don’t scream out loud.

  • Top Scare: Monster-related
  • Heartbeats: Beginning: 4 out of 5; Rest: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 13 and up

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, A Quiet Place, aliens, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, scary movies, Streaming, Thriller

Tagged , , , , , , ,

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: The Invitation (NR; 2015; 100 min.)

Posted on October 23, 2019 | Leave a comment

A bit horror, a bit, mystery, a bit drama, this movie could be a bit ho-hum in the suspense department. But it’s not, and those who don’t like the usual horror fare might dip their toe in with this slow-burn.

Two years ago, Will and Eden’s son died tragically, the couple divorced, and now Will has received an invitation to a dinner party at Eden’s house (where they used to live as a family). The story unfolds slowly over the course of the evening, as Will, his new girlfriend, and several old chums meet Eden’s new guy David and the couple’s friends, and are also introduced to Eden’s new positive outlook on life. Will begins to feel some very weird vibes from the situation and events, soon suspecting there is more than a simple dinner party on the agenda. But his hold on reality is often tenuous at best due to his still raw grief over losing his son and returning to the house where he once lived. Is Will just being paranoid? Why is he so suspicious? As the clock ticks by, Will must decide: was this really just an invitation to a dinner party, or should they all have RSVP’d NO?

  • Top Scare: a friend of David’s
  • Heartbeats: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

 

Leave a comment

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Horror Movie, scary movies, The Invitation

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: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Suspense Factor: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up, due to gore, nudity/sex, and disturbing scenes

 

Leave a comment

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

Tagged , , , , ,