Best and Worst of 2019

Top 10 Horror Films of the 2010's - 31 Nights of Horror Reviews Year 6

As the decade comes to a close, we’re beginning to close another chapter of cinema history as well. People are starting to recollect on the films that have left a lasting impact on them since their first viewing, and no better has that been demonstrated than with the horror genre. This decade has had quite the mix of iconic horror films, from the supernatural haunted paranormals, to the gruesome slasher genre revisited, and some that are in a genre that somehow resignates more with audiences than expected. Sometimes it can spark word of mouth because of the marketing, a controversial moment, a gripping metaphor, or even awards buzz.

That’s what we’re focusing on today: we’re looking over what I consider to be the most frightening horror films of the decade, taking into account how they were directed, written, and how they left an impact as a whole. I’m not picking remakes, or any follow-up films in the series, because that’d be a whole other list onto itself.

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#10: Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010) - The common stereotype of rednecks in horror films has mostly portrayed them as crazed swamp land owners that aren’t quite right in the head, but this film takes that stereotype into something truly twisted and new. Tucker and Dale (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine) are two brothers taking a vacation out into their cabin in the woods. Along the way, they scare off a group of teenagers on Spring Break, where one of them secretly has a past about hillbillies in his family. The film gets crazier with each minute, and as you would probably expect, the main humor comes from these teens exaggerating their demise and making it worse themselves. Tudyk and Labine have excellent chemistry with one another, playing off the dimwitted, but not too lost, personas nicely; but the one who steals the show is Chad (Jesse Moss). This guy chews the scenery with every passing line he has, and it is delightful; the lengths he goes just get his kill on against these guys both cartoonish and, at times, pretty intimidating. 2010 was a bit of a dormant year for original horror films, with a few gems here and there, but this one managed to play more to my kind of humor, and I can’t ignore it for that.

#9: Trollhunter (2011) - As much as I dismiss the found-footage genre, mostly because almost all of them are in the horror genre, but it’s always nice to find one exception every so often, and this film is one of them. And considering the kind of secrecy they’ve been putting on the project while filming and during the Sundance promotion, it keeps the sense of surprise in tact. In this Norwegian mockumentary, we follow a couple of college students documenting the life of a bear poacher, who turns out has actually been hunting trolls that have been roaming about out the lands. The found-footage style works excellent to its advantage, giving us the perspective from their view as to how they deal with these trolls throughout, and seeing the size comparison is frightening. And with set in Norway where the legend of trolls originates, it manages to capture the unsettling and realistic atmosphere that films like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project failed to emulate. While the found footage genre still has its ups and downs, this would at least be the one I’d feel good about recommending.

#8: It Follows (2015) - You ever asked why slasher villains are mostly known for being slow walkers or only attacking people that have sex? Well, then David Robert Mitchell will bring up those question in this movie, about a girl who after sex with her new boyfriend, contracts a demon that follows her to kill her, unless she passes it on to the next person. Being shot in Detroit, the film looks hauntingly beautiful, and the expansive framework in each scene adds a lot of open space, meaning you had to keep your eyes peeled for any figure that could be following our protagonists any second. John Carpenter was definitely a big influence on this movie, especially with the chiptune soundtrack by Disasterpiece. And while some of the acting can get hokey, it still fits the tone of the dilemma at hand. I mean, how WOULD you think or communicate, knowing you’re being hunted by something you can’t explain. The biggest problem I have is that they never really do address what the creature actually is or why it acts like this. I know the whole point of is to keep it in mystery as much as possible, but even details like that, some hint of an answer would have helped, as opposed to just leaving everyone scratching their heads at the ending. Mitchell has expressed interest in a sequel, and I may sound crazy for saying this, but it might be for the better. Sometimes it’s fine to have a movie that does leave speculation up to the audience, because that intrigue does make them yearn for more and possibly inspire them to create stories of their own that have universe rules set themselves. Whatever your interpretation is, this is one campfire story that won’t bore you.

#7: The Cabin in the Woods (2012) - Ever since Joss Whedon made news of directing and writing the first Avengers movie, other projects he had his name linked to were starting to finally get off the shelves of studios and out into the public. Directed and co-written by Drew Goddard, it’s about a group of teens who go out to a spooky cabin in the woods...but it’s actually an annual government experiment to satisfy the depths of hell (wait, what?!). What made this film such a thrill was that it was one of the first films I didn’t see a trailer for before seeing, so every twist it had, every plot point, and the characters all had me on the edge of my toes or laughing uncomfortably. The idea of a government handling horror movie scenarios and essentially deadpooling what kills who, feels very twisted like if the SyFy Channel produced The Truman Show for horror fans. And with the way this movie ends, it leaves you agasp at just what you’re witnessing; but at the same time, the ending might also be something that will divide people, depending on which way you look at it. Either way, it’s chaotic, but we love it for it.

#6: The Conjuring (2013) - Out of all the horror movie franchises that we’ve had this decade, this one has definitely left an impact that’s made its mark worth remembering; and at the same time, goes further into the backstory and cases from a previous horror franchise. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play Ed and Lorraine Warren, the real life investigators of The Amityville Horror events, as they investigate the hauntings of the Perron family in 1971, where the mother is latched onto by an entity. What James Wan was able to bring with Insidious, he manages to find a perfect balance with this film and its sequel. In an era where jumpscare packed remakes or the same old zombie film recycled from Redbox, this movie takes you back to a time where the suspense and atmosphere were what truly scared you. The pacing takes its time to truly get settled in with this family and house, and to let you figure out how bad things truly are, by living here. It also helps that you’ve got a great cast of actors who really bring it to life, but the biggest standout was Joey King. Coming off of films like Oz: The Great and Powerful and Crazy Stupid Love, she finally gets a chance to prove what she could do as a young new actress. And thanks to Marvel Cinematic Universe, it helped pave the way for The Conjuring to build itself as this new horror anthology series; although, that could be for better or worse, depending on how you feel about the film outside the main series. Needless to say, the 2010’s wouldn’t be the same, without recounting some 60’s to 70’s ghost stories.

#5: Get Out (2017) - This is one of those movies that I feel like a complete idiot for not giving the full appreciation it deserved, but considering my first time watching was when I was sick, I told myself this needed another chance. Chris Washington is a New York photographer, who goes with his girlfriend to visit her parents, down in the suburbs where everyone seems a bit too friendly with Chris. This was written and directed by Jordan Peele, who much like John Krasinski and Joel Edgerton, have mostly been known as either comedic actors or known for smaller roles in comedy, and able to dissect both the humorous and horrible in almost any situation. The best aspect of this is the script and all the present themes of inclusion and oppressed racism in jealousy are constantly noted, even right down to the little details of the story, such as who knows where Chris is and why. Analyzing through points like those, it’s no wonder Peele’s script won an Oscar and went on to produce his own Twilight Zone. However, if there was a problem I had with the movie, still present from my first viewing, it's that Peele's directing wasn't as strong as the script. His themes and writing are disturbing as hell, and while I like him as a director, it wasn’t exactly as scary as it could have been, which is interesting, because his follow-up film, Us, had slightly better direction, but the tightness in the script wasn’t as met exactly. Regardless, it’s clear that Get Out has set a bar for how much of a mind-well horror can get.

#4: The VVitch (2016) - When it comes to period pieces and folklore tales, this movie manages to truly bring back a classic sense of horror we haven’t seen in a long while. In 1630 times, a family is banished from Plymouth Colony due to their religious differences, where they try to start their lives over again; however, after the eldest daughter loses the newborn to a witch in the woods, the family slowly goes mad from the torment brought upon them. Robert Eggers shows his dedication for accuracy, and while that might be a turn off from some (due to the dialogue being a little hard to understand), the feeling of dread is universal. I like how in the beginning, you’re not quite sure what was really going on, and if what we saw truly was real or a trick. This was the film that also introduced us to Anya Taylor-Joy as the eldest daughter, Thomasin. You truly empathize with the struggles that she has to endure daily, especially with the guilt that she carries with losing her baby brother. That desperation to try and make things right, yet no one can seem to let go of that grudge, you definitely feel for her throughout the course of the film, that you don’t blame her for what choice she makes by the end. Being also released under A24, it was beginning to be the start of their rise within the film industry, especially since later that year they won the Best Picture Oscar for Moonlight. That sly come hither stare, must be VVitch-craft.

#3: The Babadook (2014) - The film to introduce Jennifer Kent as one of the next generation of horror uprisings, we get an experience about mental health that I have rarely felt. A widowed mother is struggling to cope with her wild son and the untimely death of her husband, as a storybook her son finds ends up becoming too real. What truly makes this haunting is how depression and mental exhaustion are handled in such a realistic manner. Essie Davis gives one of the best performances I have seen this decade, allowing the dread she's going through to truly sink in. If anyone has attempted to live with someone that acted that way, even for a day or two, you can empathize with her hard on this. The encounters that she has with the Babadook are all too memorable and frightening, but even the scenes where we don't see him, she manages to go from empathetic to downright terrifying. And while Samuel, the son, can get on some nerves, I think anyone can find a kid that age annoying somehow. As the creature itself, I absolutely love the design of it; like a mix of Freddy Krueger and Jack the Ripper. I also love the choice of not letting us see the creature as much, not only making on screen appearances scarier, but it adds onto another question as to if this is all a manifestation of the mom's depression, and I love that this film was bold enough to dive into that kind of territory, to THAT degree. Also, for some reason, this film has gained a massive fanbase within the LGBTQ community, and...I may not get it, but hey, if it helps promote good horror films, who am I to complain?

#2: Hereditary (2018) - In this film, Toni Collette plays a mother, who after her mother passes away, feels as though the grip she had on them nor the pressures and anxieties haven’t left. This leads to another death in the family, as well as some spiritual help from a family friend. In my list of the best films of 2018, I mentioned that this film was a contender for the scariest film I had ever seen, and I would have put it at #1, had it not been for another film. Regardless, this movie was able to make a definitive stance for A24, especially in the horror genre. Much like with Eggers and Kent, Ari Aster knew the scariest thing to truly tap into was empathy, and when it comes to this film and his follow up, Midsommar, you feel that empathy hard. I've already talked about this film plenty, so I'll keep this one short. The last thing I'll say is, how Toni Collette wasn't nominated for an Oscar, I will never understand.

#1: mother! (2017) - I have seen films that have made me jump. I have seen films that have made me scream. I have even seen films that made me squirm uncomfortably in my seat, sick to my stomach, and remember images that will never be scraped out of my brain; but no movie has made me shudder at the thought of even witnessing another frame of it, than Darren Aronofsky’s film, mother! The film centers on Javier Bardem and Jennifer Lawrence as this couple in the countryside, who suddenly begin having frequent visitors, despite Lawrence’s protests. What it leads to is one of the most foreboding experiences you will ever witness brought to film. It’s as if Ingmar Bergman was asked to direct Suspiria. You get the simple, but somehow thought-provoking conversation, accompanied by a sea of imagery that is so unsettling, you’ll be trying desperately to keep your heart in your chest. Disobedient towards the host, disrespect of property, family fighting, purposeful antagonization, war beyond belief...and all of it to symbolize what an outsider’s view of a religion would be. What’s baffling is that there were people trying to trash this to the point where it was up for the Razzies; but you know what I think? If a film is that disturbing, yet respectably symbolic enough, to keep you from revisiting, as advertised and executed to do so, then the movie did it’s job right. mother! is downright horror to sit through; the visuals are disturbing, the themes are haunting, the performances are chilling, all that and more earn this film the spot as the #1 horror movie this decade!

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The Nightingale, The Lighthouse, Joker - 31 Nights of Horror Reviews Year 6

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The Nightingale 

The second feature film from Jennifer Kent, we follow the journey of a widowed mother seeking revenge for her husband and baby, by the British Army she served. After The Babadook, Jennifer Kent became one of those directors I became eager to see what would do next; however, I had a difficult time watching it, due to the rape scenes in the beginning. While it isn’t handled done as disgustingly as I Spit on Your Grave, it’s still beyond uncomfortable to sit through and kind of ruins the rest of the movie for me. I felt like had this movie started where it landed at thirty minutes, then I think it would have been an easier sit through. I say this, because the rest of the film is handled exceptionally well, through the cinematography (that’s 4x3 instead of 16x9), the brilliant acting, and the story as you watch these characters on this journey. I do get the appreciation this film gets, but I don’t think it’s something I’ll be watching again. There are some things that just don’t need to be seen on film, especially in the beginning.

Rating: (skip the first thirty minutes) B+

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The Lighthouse

Following up with his previous film, The VVitch, Robert Eggers returns with his newest cinematic work that truly pays tribute to classic horror; and much like with Kent and The Nightingale, it’s filmed in a 4x3 ratio as opposed to the modern 16x9, and in black in white too. A timberman convict goes to work at a lighthouse, where he is working like a dog and abused by his manager, Tom. However, something about the light within the said lighthouse has some kind of hypnotic aura that this timberman, Winslow, can’t resist. Much like with his last film, Eggers has a true knack for period pieces and atmospheric horror; the pacing is heart pounding, as I never could figure out if all of this was real or some drunk hallucinations that Winslow and Tom were having. Robert Pattinson and Willum Dafoe have such great back and forth, and boy does it get crazy. Also, this film manages to tap into some greek mythology, not just with the mermaids, but also some of the imagery you see, like the last shot of the film, which I won’t spoil. It is a film that does cause a bit of anxiety, if you had one of those parents or bosses that made you work, so be warned going in.

Rating: A

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Joker 

In Todd Phillips’s Joker, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a struggling amateur comedian with mental condition that causes him to laugh uncontrollably when he’s nervous. As the world around him becomes more and more apathetic, he slowly embraces his deepest darkest instincts.

When this film was originally announced after Suicide Squad, I immediately turned my nose up to it, especially after going through films like Catwoman and Venom; I just didn’t see the point of making a solo villain movie, without turning him/her into an anti-hero who has to be good for once. It also didn’t help that Phillips said he was going for an original Joker origin story, which brought me back to Josh Trank’s talks about Fant4stic. However, after hearing it was keeping itself low-budget and being handled as a horror film, my interest spiked high and I’m glad I didn’t miss out on this one. Taking place in the 1980’s (where Gotham is like New York), there is garbage everywhere and everyone is on their own, even family. While it doesn’t specifically adapt any of the comic book origins the Joker has had, you can definitely get a vibe of The Killing Joke, particularly from the ‘failed comedian’ concept. With how empathetic and relatable he makes Arthur Fleck, it truly makes it one of the scariest things about the film: thinking that one day, this could be me if not careful. The longer the film goes on, you begin to realize along with him, just how much you’ve been lied to about your past and what you can or can’t do in society, even after everyone says they believe in you, you can’t help but feel bad for someone you SHOULDN’T be feeling bad for. Joaquin Phoenix gives easily the best performance of his career, and it looks like this might be his year, finally. That last scene of him hauntingly singing Sinatra sends chills down my spine. And being the first billion dollar horror film, I’ll be looking forward to seeing what Todd Phillips has next, if he does come back for a sequel.

Rating: A+

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Child's Play (2019), IT: Chapter 2, Zombieland Double Tap, Missing Link, The Fanatic - 31 Nights of Horror Reviews Year 6

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Child’s Play

A remake of the 1987 film of the same name, this film gives a modern take on a boy named Andy, and his encounters with Chucky the killer doll. However, unlike in the original where Chucky was a serial killer that used magic to transfer his soul into a doll, he’s now a reprogramed A.I. that reads into all your info.

I was hesitant on this one, after hearing how they made this behind the original writer’s back, but considering I wasn’t AS attached to this series as something like A Nightmare on Elm Street, I was tolerant enough to give this a chance. In an era where companies like Google, Amazon, Verizon, AT&T, and etc. have deeper access to our personal data (whether we know it or not, it happens), this film had some really interesting ideas to explore; while some of these themes have been handled better in episodes of Black Mirror, I have to give this film credit for how it’s executed. Aside from Chucky’s face, the film’s production and kills are well utilized; being an Orion production, they captured the look and feel of a traditional slasher film in the best way. Gabriel Bateman and Aubrey Plaza as Andy and his mom have good chemistry, even in the more dire moments. Mark Hamill is delightfully disturbing as the new Chucky, and definitely a worthy choice to take over for Brad Dourif. While nothing you need to immediately see, this is definitely a remake that I actually found not that bad in comparison to others.

Rating: B-

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IT: Chapter 2

IT: Chapter 2 follows the kids from the Losers’ Club, twenty-seven years from the events of the previous film. After frequent disappearances point to the return of Pennywise, and Mike Hanlon, the only member who stayed in Derry, Maine, calls up the others to help finish what they started long ago.

As someone who was enthralled with the first film from 2017, and I stand by that today. Stephen King has always done a good job with nostalgic stories of childhood friends playing together, and that was what people loved most about IT to begin; so to do a film entirely around those parts was a great idea, and I was interested to see if they would do the same here. Instead, what we get was this film being more of a direct remake of the mini-series from 1990, with a bigger budget and cursing; I do like how this film is structured to where you won’t be confused if you haven’t seen the first one yet, but it’s safe to say that this film’s not as strong. It does have a lot of redeeming qualities, especially with the cast of adult losers. Jessica Chastain and Bill Hader as Beverly and Richie were both picks by their younger counterparts, and they really make the most of their roles. James McAvoy, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, and James Ransone are all great as Bill, Mike, Ben, and Eddie, and I also love the casting choice of Eddie’s wife being played by the same actress who plays his mom (nice detail); Andy Bean is also a good Stanley, but I do still wish they utilized him more in the story, which was a complaint I had with the mini-series. Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise carries a whole new hunger and viciousness to him, and his kills are deadly; the mirror maze scene will definitely give me nightmares for a while. I also have to admit, the film does tend to drag (i don’t think this needed to be nearly three-hours), but definitely something I’d recommend, but only if you liked the previous film.

Rating: B

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Zombieland Double Tap

Ten years after the release of the first film, Zombieland Double Tap follows our four mains from last time, continuing to survive in the great apocalypse. After Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) runs away, Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and their new “friend”, Madison (Zooey Dutche), must search for the refuge dubbed “Babylon”.

Even after all my years of being burnt out from zombie movies, Zombieland Double Tap reminds me what I was missing from most of those films, and that’s enduring characters. Even though these people should not be together, you grow attached to them as they do throughout the movie. The first film was what introduced me to these four actors officially, and seeing them come back and still have the same passion they had last time is refreshing. There’s also a touching theme about growing up and when the right time for change should be, and it is handled very nicely, underneath all the zombie guts. Rosario Dawson as Nevada was a great addition, as well as being a good love interest for Tallahassee. My only real complaint would be Luke Wilson and Thomas Middlevitch’s lack of screentime. I thought these two were doing so well, I thought they would at least stick around until the climax at least (oh well, can’t all be winners).

Would I like Zombieland 3 to happen? Sure, if there’s room for one more.

Rating: B+

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Missing Link

The latest film to come from Laika studios, Missing Link follows the story of Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman), an architect who wants to prove the existence of mythical creatures, in order to be apart of the Society of Great Men. His path leads him on a quest to find the Sasquatch named Mr. Link (Zach Galifianakis), who asks Lionel to find any other of his kind or where he does belong in this world.

This was Laika’s most expensive film at $100 million, but sadly ended up being the biggest animation flop in history, after Mars Needs Moms. It’s a shame, because I love how at the end of their films, they show behind the scenes work on some of their most difficult scenes, illustrating how they put a lot of time and effort into making this. However, when your stuck in a sea of superhero movies like Shazam, Captain Marvel, and especially Avengers Endgame, it smells like people set this up for disaster. It could also be that this film wasn’t quite as strong as their previous works like Kubo and the Two Strings or ParaNorman, being more of a friendly buddy comedy. It also is very cliche, and you can easily tell what plot points are going to hit, but what I liked was the execution (quite literally, at one point, no pun intended). There’s also some good lines of dialogue and the voice acting is nicely done too. Hugh Jackman and Zach Galifinakis have this Laurel and Hardy type of humor that they just balance off of very nicely (my favorite line being when they robbed a nun). Zoe Saldana is feisty as the former love interest, and the villains played by Stephen Fry an dTimothy Olyphant are over the top, but delightful in their quirky delivery. It’s not the best, but it’s not as weak as The Boxtrolls, which didn’t seem to resonate well with me. 

Rating: B

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The Fanatic

Fred Durst’s The Fanatic follows John Travolta as Moose, an autistic street performer on Hollywood Blvd. who is obsessed with the actor, Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa). However, after being denied an autograph, Moose becomes obsessed with the actor trying to make things right, but ultimately leading things down a worse path.

I’m not much a fan of John Travolta, especially since the last film I liked of his was Hairspray, but I was kind of surprised here. Being the father of his late-son who had autism, you can definitely see that he studied this performance carefully and this became a lot more of a personal role than I expected (no wonder he’s been campaigning himself for this role). And as someone who has Asperger’s (mild autism), I thought he managed to really represent that fairly well. It’s just a shame that the rest of the film doesn’t really go the extra mile that Travolta does here. Fred Durst just doesn’t do much with this script, other than make it an extended version of a student thesis film. I mean, being a film focused on an Autistic person’s obsession with movies, you’d think he would bring up talks about how one can have a hard time reading people, hence why they go to the movies to escape, but they don’t do something like that, until the very end, briefly. Then again, I’m talking about a film by the lead of Limp Bizkit, who just made his 3rd film. Didn’t think this would turn out disappointing.

Rating: D+ (The best part is Travolta’s performance, which deserved better)

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Glass, Us, Ma, The Perfection, Ready or Not - 31 Nights of Horror Reviews Year 6

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone! Sorry that I’ve been letting things be dormant for the past month or so, but recent life events (including my job) have been taking a strain on me lately, so I haven’t been very focused on my computer as much. There have been some films I had been meaning to talk about, but with how much time has passed since seeing them, I don’t exactly have the right time to truly put it into as much detail as I’d like, so if you will, allow me to get out MOST of the films that I planned on. Here’s the first five:

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Glass

Glass is written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and is the third installment of his Eastrail 177 trilogy, following Unbreakable and Split. A couple years after Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), aka The Horde, escaped at the end of Split, he ends up encountering David Dunn (Bruce Willis). The two are then arrested and placed in the very mental facility that David locked up Elijah Price, aka Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson).

After watching Split, discovering it was a sequel to Unbreakable, this ended up becoming one my most anticipated films of that year, but also one of my biggest disappointments. As much as I loved Sam Jackson and James McAvoy’s performances, Bruce Willis doesn’t seem as invested as they do; he’s fine for the most part, but it just feels like another one of his paycheck performances. Sarah Paulson’s character, if this was ONLY a Split sequel and not revealed to be in the same universe as Unbreakable, I wouldn’t mind what she was trying to do, but it does ruin some of the tension. And by the end, it doesn’t exactly feel like anything happened. It’s a shame, because it felt like Shyamalan was finally back on track of his early days; while nowhere near as bad as he was back at the start of this decade, but it’s still a letdown.

Rating: C

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Us

Us is the second feature film from Jordan Peele, and stars Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke as a mother and father taking their kids on vacation, where they are stalked and attacked by their replicas, called “tethered”. The mother’s tethered, named “Red,” however, has a much deeper connection than you’d think, considering she’s the only one speaking perfect English.

I wasn’t too big on Get Out the first time I saw it, but after rewatching for one of my final college classes, I found myself finding a new appreciation for it. And after seeing this film, I stand by that I feel Us has stronger direction, but it seemed like Get Out had the better script (hence, it’s Oscar winning proof). The opening scene, or at least where it ends off before present day, kind of gives a little too much away, making the ending a little more predictable, but there are some really tense moments, and the death scenes had me rethinking of listening to the Beach Boys. Lupita Nyong’o gives one of the best performances of the year, dual role-ing as the mom and Red, and I’m glad to hear she’s getting the praise she deserves (and hopefully, the Oscars will recognize a great horror film performance). Winston Duke was also delightful to watch, as well as the two kids, but it’s clear that Nyong’o steals the whole film. While it’s not as good as Get Out, I’m definitely excited to see what Jordan Peele will bring about next.

Rating: A-

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Ma

Ma is a psychological thriller directed by Tate Taylor (Get On Up, The Help) and follows a group of teens who befriend a lonely woman (Octavia Spencer) into getting them beer and letting them party in her basement. However, she becomes too clingy, and it ends up becoming obsessive with the group and the people around them, leading to some dark secrets about this woman’s past.

Much like Us, the lead actress is the main reason to watch this movie; Octavia Spencer is downright brilliant in this film, as she truly gets under your skin with each passing day within the film’s world. Diane Silvers as the main girl, Maggie, is pretty good too, being her third film of 2019; she and Juliette Lewis have pretty nice chemistry together, but she’s the only one I remembered from the group. Some of the writing felt like it wanted to go into more touchy subject matter, such as when Spencer paints the black kid’s face white, but that could have been something added in when she was casted. While it is better than Tate Taylor’s last film, The Girl on the Train, it’s nothing groundbreaking.

Rating: B

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The Perfection

After a rising cellist student leaves Bachoff to take care of her terminally ill mother, Charlotte Willmore befriends the next star pupil in her place, with the intention of keeping her from making it to the same place as she was, but the motive may be different than you think.

While I think it’s an interesting premise on paper, I was either bored or grossed out by how generic everything felt. While Allison Williams (Get Out) and Logan Browning (Dear White People: The Series) do fine with what material they’re given, it just feels like the script drops the ball in the middle, only to have a climax of coincidences that aren’t satisfying. I get that they wanted to tell a story about how elite schools aren’t as worth it as you think, but it felt like the writers were stuck and looking for easy ways to go to a happy ending, and it ends up lazy. While Netflix has had worse films under their banner, this would not be one I’d recommend.

Rating: C-

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Read or Not

This film is about a bride who marries into a family of game lovers, and ends up picking the rare “hide-n-seek” card, where if she’s caught, she’s dead. Directed by the duo that brought you Devil’s Due, this movie managed to deeply impress me with how entertaining this was. It reminded me a lot of Tucker and Dale vs Evil, where the horror of being hunted by these people is there, but you can’t help but laugh at how absolutely incompitent some of them can be. This family, and how they can’t seem to kill our heroine, Grace, had me and my friend in shock and hysterical laughter. Samara Weaving (who I kept mistaking for Margot Robbie at times) gave one of the biggest breakout performances I had seen this year, and I hope she gets more work in films like this; with every kill she manages to get out, she just kicks ass in every direction. Not much to say else, except this was definitely worth a sit through.

Rating: A-

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