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Malevolent 2018 ★★★½
Malevolent is a well told haunted house story. With a good dose of comeuppance thrown in the mix.
Three friends run a scam where one of them, Angela, can supposedly communicate with the dead. At the start of the movie, we see her flex her “talent” at the house of a well meaning family, convinced by their performance.
We then get a few Hollywood tropes: Angela wants to quit because she saw stuff, her brother wants to keep on going because he is in trouble with sleazy types and needs money and then one more job comes along.
This old lady, however, sees right through them. And there turns out to be a lot more to this house than they could imagine.
The build up works well, though it might feel like a slow burn to some. Especially the second half picks up with a good cat and mouse game, revealing over time who is really in control. And some nice torture scenes for those that are into that.
The acting is overall solid. Especially Florence Pugh as Angela shows that she can carry a movie, but the overall acting is solid, with a specific mention for Scott Chambers as the lovelorn Elliott. Funny sidenote: Celia Imrie is your standard scary antagonist, but she does manage to make posh English sound scary.
Saw 2004 ★★★½
I have a strange relationship with Saw. The first time I saw it, I did not think that much of it. but on a second or third rewatch, I start to notice that it's growing on me.
I can perfectly see how the opening scene intrigued audiences on its release. The story is set up well and the flashbacks are not as confusing as some of the Youtube videos I saw on this film would have you believe.
Though they were on point about the music video style editing. Sheesh, why not have Marilyn Manson play the killer? And you could cast Josh Saviano as Tapp.
Is the acting great? Well, some of it is. Danny Glover is very good as the obsessed cop and Tobin Bell is excellent as Jigsaw. Career making performance.
If I could time travel, some of my destinations would include premiers of horror classics. See how people responded to, say, seeing the chestburster for the very first time. And you know what? After last night, Saw might just be one of them.
Don’t Come Knocking 2005 ★★★★
Wim Wenders produced a beautiful movie about reconciliation and making amends.
Sam Shepard plays a washed up actor named Howard Spence who turns out to have not just one, but two children he did not know about.
One is the country singer Earl, played by Gabriel Mann, who is confrontational in more than one way. In the process also confronting Howard with his past by being eerily/sadly like him. A case of the apple and the tree becoming awkward.
The other is Sky, played by the delightful Sarah Polley. Showing the softer, more contemplative side Howard seems to want to reach/show. I'm glad she chose these indie roles because she really excels at them.
It's a beautiful story about love and warmth and overwinning obstacles and regrets. Being well dosed at the same time. It does look into Howard's excesses without going into gratuitous detail. You see all that you need to see and you can piece together the rest. And the conclusion in my opinion more hopeful than it looks at first sight.
All of this is well performed by a great cast with amongst others Jessica Lange, Fairuza Balk and a small role for George Kennedy as a director who is both disgruntled and trying to patch things up. And Tim Roth is funny as the relentless insurance agent Sutter.
Worth checking out. Definetily.
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