Film Reviews by NP

The extent of initial brutality in this silent film is pretty shocking. There’s something deeply unpalatable about watching the early days of Gwynplaine’s (Conrad Veidt) tragic and troubled life, and the grotesque theatricality of the players only reinforces that. Truly, you needed to be made of stern stuff to watch this kind of film back in the silent era.

Silent films are very much an acquired taste, but I would suggest this is worth anyone’s time. My score is 8 out of 10.

This is a lacklustre title for a nice horror drama, in which the lack of budget is only occasionally betrayed by some of the effects. The three main leads (Richard Harmon as Rodger, Echo Andersson as Jordan and Sara Thompson as Beth) are refreshingly witty and endearingly silly – at least before ‘bad things’ start happening.

I admire writer/director BJ Verot for trying something different with this story, but if I’m honest, I would have preferred it without its subsequent straying into sci-fi territory. The problem is, despite the best attempts of the smoky CGI, it isn’t scary – not even a little bit. If it had confined itself more to the horrors of events, that would have been more satisfying than the unfocussed events, especially toward the finale.

Up until that point, I’d been suitably invested – after which, not quite so much. Even so, this proved to be an enjoyable way of spending 90 minutes. My score is 7 out of 10.

This is a ‘Wrong Turn’ clone, but with less blatant and gratifying horror trappings. The teen crew we meet after the prologue are possibly the sulkiest bunch I’ve ever come across. Whatever relationship breakdowns there might have been prior to events here, this bunch can barely even look at each other, and conversations are restricted to the barest minimum. The ‘butchers’ of the title, when we first meet them, are far more communicative and personable – even if it’s all just enforced jollity to detract from their villainous ways. Whereas in ‘Wrong Turn’, we fell afoul of a group of mutant inbred hillbillies we never got a really good look at, here the antagonists are big lads with beards – who may be comparatively well spoken, but their manners aren’t much improved. There’s also something horrible lurking in the shadows.

Other than undeniable similarities, this is a good, well-paced, violent and brutal horror film. My score is 7 out of 10.

This atmospheric horror film begins well, with a man Ben (Noah Huntley) concerned with the treatment his autistic daughter Sarah (Skye Bennett) is getting at the hospital at which she is being treated. Her doctor is played by Philip Bretherton, who I hoped would have a more substantial role, but sadly this was not the case. Other characters we meet are Tobias (Ronald Pickup), who again I thought would have more to do, and Security poser Rick (Leon Herbert). Apart from growling his lines so deeply as to be virtually incomprehensible, Rick contributes little also – and herein lies my ongoing problem with the film.

The story involves the gang emerging from the hospital elevator to find themselves in a deadly alternative dimension where, for the rest of the running time, ‘things’ happen. The characters are secondary to the story, and that’s a shame, because there’s not much of a tale being told.

Instead, we get frequent attacks from the monsters of the piece, played by members of Finnish death metal outfit Lordi. The main man, Mr Lordi, not only plays the lead monster (a kind of Predator/Klingon hybrid) but co-writes this. There is also a handful of leering CGI faces which, I’m sorry to say, fail to impress. The ending fails to end things on a high, which is a shame. My score is 5 out of 10.

A group of young friends are searching for MacKenzie’s (Hattie Smith) missing sister; mercifully this gang is reasonably free of the usual empty-headedness that often affects such groupings, with the exception of the sole English character Gerrik (Michael Peter Harrison) – clearly designed to be comedic but remarkably annoying. The others laugh at his overplayed snarkiness. I’m surprised they don’t dump him.

The ideas, that verge on creepy sci-fi, are possibly too ambitious for this production, but there are some nice moments where it appears events are contracting out of the control of the group, and Taylor Edwards as Edgar in particular displays some fine acting. My score is 6 out of 10.

I like slow-burning films; the idea of being given enough time to really live in the movie you are watching really appeals to me, often more so than faster-paced, spectacular projects. I also like arthouse films; the atmosphere and characters can often be just as engaging, if not more, than a traditionally linear storyline. Thing is, you need to have at least the semblance of a storyline in a film, otherwise, it’s like buying a loaf of bread and finding no bread in it!

Memoria is deliberately pitched at a snail’s pace. There isn’t a storyline as such, but rather a series of events, some of which we return to. Clearly, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who writes and directs, has a vision for this – together, one would presume, with his cast and crew. For the most part, it leaves me cold, and I find myself trying to imagine how Weerasethakul initially tried to communicate what he is trying to achieve here to his actors. I actually felt the makers were taking the mickey, daring me to stick with this when they have no intention of providing much reason to, or indeed any kind of pay-off.

Some will undoubtedly tell me I don’t ‘get’ it, and that’s almost certainly true, but I can’t honestly see that there is anything *to* get, because with the suspension of disbelief fully installed, all I see here is a group of blandly inoffensive people doing very little except having whispered conversations and being desperately polite to each other in front of an unmoving camera. There were times when I had to wait for someone to blink to convince myself the BluRay hadn’t frozen. This left me cold, I’m afraid. My score is 3 out of 10 for some nicely filmed locations.

This is a really enjoyable, strange, low-key horror film from Argentina. Many scenes are filmed in a sickly yellow light, and the horrific prosthetics are often *just* out of focus. When they are dwelt upon, they look truly horrific.

The story, as has been said elsewhere, comes second to the scares – which is acceptable for the most part, because the film *is* scary, both in terms of jump scares and the overriding feeling of unease, which is beautifully conveyed.

The narrative sometimes descends into a tumble, with it being made unclear which moments are being told in flashback, and which characters to invest in. Truth be told though, this might even be deliberate to enhance the delirium.

A terrific film; happily, both a remake and an Argentinean sequel appear to be in the works. My core is 8 out of 10.

This is a fairly uneventful ‘kitchen sink’ drama in which a married man has an affair with a 15-year-old girl. Very much of its time, it is still a surprise to see how his relationship with the young girl is treated so wholesomely as a romance between two very likeable people, while the unsuspecting (?) wife is equally appealing. Personable, funny, charming and generous - even the two young children are lovely – and as a viewer, you don’t want anyone to get hurt, which is inevitable considering the man’s pretty shocking behaviour.

The affair comes close to being discovered from time to time – whether it does or not, I’m not telling – but there’s no huge drama here as every eventuality occurs gently, which is rare for such a usually gritty ’70s genre.

The acting is what shines mostly here. Tom Bell is Len, the most flawed character, alongside his dad (Robert Keegan); Judy Carne is Len’s wife Joy, a happy and charming actress, and Olivia Hussey plays young Val, whose clear-skinned, wide-eyed appeal is far from the wanton temptress you may expect.

With no real villains to hiss, things could get a little dull from time to time were it not for the characters, but I enjoyed this. My score is 7 out of 10.

This is a slow-to-get-going home invasion slasher that may be light on gore, but racks up the tension nicely. The acting is decent throughout, but the star is the snowbound location that provides a bitter and unforgiving backdrop to the relentless killings.

The order in which characters die is a big surprise – those ear-marked for hero status shouldn’t be complacent; it seems there is no pecking order here.

There’s certainly a familiarity in events here, but perhaps that’s inevitable with so many genre films now released. I enjoyed this; it had a few good twists and a truly ‘meta’ moment from the killer, once he/she is revealed. Considering the circumstances, however, everyone’s clothes remain a little ‘clean’ throughout! My score is 7 out of 10.

This 2017 film is a remake of an earlier picture shot three years earlier, with this later version enjoying more of a budget. It’s good, solid stuff. Directed and co-written by James Klass, the cinematography treats us to many slow-moving establishing shots and interesting, often unsettling angles. It isn’t ground-breaking – the story has been done often before in various shapes or sizes.

I like the leads – they are very naturalistic and personable. Prolific actress Becca Hirani/Fletcher in particular, makes a good impression as cheery, dare I suggest sexy, Hayley, slowly affected by what’s going on in her new dream house. Images of a naked old man, possibly over-used, are nevertheless creepy: kudos to Tony Mendez as Elliot. Faye Goodwin as daughter Penny bares a passing resemblance to a young Linda Blair, and Andrew Hollingworth impresses as husband Eric.

Penny’s babysitter’s not much cop. She follows a recounting of the house’s grim past to Penny with a cheery, ‘Anyway … bed-time!’ Initially, I had a problem with the comparative tender ages of mum and dad to have a grown-up child, but this is explained.

‘Elm Lake’ is not without problems – the voice modulation is repetitive and overdone and the pacing is often sluggish. The messy finale in particular would have been far more effective with a little pruning. A mixed bag perhaps, but the good far outweighs the bad. My score is 7 out of 10.

This is a very slow-moving, character-based post-apocalypse horror. The pacing isn’t as big a problem for me as the sound levels. The dialogue in the first half of this film is frequently inaudible buried, as it is, under the atmospheric mood music – the second half is fine and infinitely more enjoyable.

The direction, locations and acting from the small cast is impossible to fault. When incidents do occur, they are well staged and brutal – they are just very few and far between.

‘The Living Dead’ won’t be for everyone – even less will stick with it due to the early sound issues, and that’s a real shame. My score is 7 out of 10.

Caveat starts off as a really good film, promising much horror weirdness. You can just about accept down-on-his-luck Isaac (Jonathan French) taking a job for about five days, in an isolated area, effectively babysitting his landlord’s disturbed niece Olga (Leila Sykes). You can entirely understand his anger when he finds out the location is actually an island – even that he has to wear a harness that prevents him from reaching other rooms, even if it leaves him at the mercy of the unstable girl – and as it turns out, her crossbow! You can allow yourself to just about believe in all this because, with that premise, the story looks to be beautifully directed and should be justifiably brilliant.

Sadly, after a strong start, while the atmosphere remains rich and beautifully muggy, and the acting convincing, the story becomes a repetitious mish-mash of scenes that make less and less sense. Also, Sykes is undoubtedly a good actor, but lacks any kind of sense of threat, even when she is armed.

I enjoyed Caveat, but only up to a point. When it ends on a typically odd note, I found myself in need of a certain amount of clarity to appreciate what I’d just watched. My score is 5 out of 10.

Occasionally touching, breathtakingly filmed, occasionally disturbing but mainly a seemingly disconnected series of set-pieces, Sator emerges as a bit of a chore. Perhaps I’m missing something, but I would have liked more of an actual storyline, or at least some progression of events to match the undisputed wonderment of the production.

I appreciated the film a lot more when I read how virtually every aspect of its production and direction was handled by writer Jordan Graham. June Peterson (Nani) was Graham’s grandmother, and her musings on screen are the results of her obsession with Sator led her to being committed to a psychiatric hospital. She passed away shortly after the film was released.

Although my view of the resulting film has not changed, it was clearly a highly personal and commendable labour of love for the director. My score is 5 out of 10.

Remakes, eh? Little is so divisive. Regarding this remake of Stephen King’s legendary novel – forty years have passed since the original, highly regarded film, so in principle, reminding people of the story, is a good thing. There are a few tweaks made here, so even those who have fond memories of the 1989 film will have something new to discover. But – is it any good?

I’m going to try to put the original out of my mind and review this as a film in its own right. Directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer have turned in a stylish, richly atmospheric film with plenty of creepy moments, and no unnecessary jump-scares.

The cast portraying the initially wholesome all-American family are excellent and believable throughout. The juveniles, who can make or break a story, especially when – as here – they play such large roles, are terrific. Little Gage isn’t required to do much (wisely, given his age) and Hugo Lavoie is genuinely appealing and wins our sympathy. Jeté Laurence as Ellie is wholly convincing, as is Jon Lithgow as neighbour Jud. Jason Clarke as Louis and Amy Seimetz as Rachel are great – never too saccharine, as can sometimes be the case with fictional families in jeopardy. Tell you what – let’s name Leo, Tonic, Jager and JD, who all play versions of cat Church as well. All are excellent.

So yes, this is good. Very good in fact. Not a slavish recreation of the original, but true enough to satisfy the die-hards (at least, you’d think so). It does stray perilously close to farce during the tweaked ending, but I’d say it just about succeeds in its very appealing ideas. My score is 8 out of 10.

This is a middling horror, without much in the way of scares. Inhaling the ‘cremains’ of the former patients of a mental asylum, three out of four students find they are possessed by the spirits of the inmates. The fourth, new girl Emma (Inbar Lavi) has to try and save them.

I’m going to be absolutely honest and admit that Gabby (Holland Roden) kept me watching. The others were nowhere near as obnoxious as teens often are in this kind of film, but not hugely interesting either. Emma’s telepathic sympathy with the former inmates is a way of getting into the story, but like the creepy lone security guard, that plot line comes to nothing.

A reasonable flick then, without ever approaching greatness. The location is very effective and nicely shot; A.D. Calvo’s direction is often very effective, with many moody establishing shots of the various locations – but it never quite lives up to its powerful opening sequence. My score is 5 out of 10.