Horror film plots do not fare well under scrutiny. There’s a willing suspension of disbelief as soon as one buys a ticket and sinks into their theater seat armed with popcorn and the hope of being scared out of one’s wits. Longlegs is a low-budget film that defied box office expectations. It is chilling in terms of atmosphere and quite stunning in the performances of its actors. The story is a few notches above the standard horror flick, owing to stylish homages to two of the great ones: The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Se7en (1995.) Unlike those suspense classics, Longlegs segues into supernatural territory thereby teetering on the ludicrous. It is to writer-director Oz Perkins’s…

Recently, I went to the multiplex to see the horror film Stopmotion. It is wonderfully artistic, has some excellent performances, and an intriguing premise concerning an adult daughter being controlled by her celebrity filmmaker mother. The narcissistic mother suffers from acute arthritis in her hands which makes her unable to finish what will likely be her last stop motion film. She therefore requires her daughter to be literally hands on to complete the film, but satisfying a demanding artiste proves demoralizing and untenable. Those intense interpersonal dynamics and gripping stop motion visuals appeared to be laying the groundwork for potentially riveting psychological horror. Unfortunately, the movie veers into the standard clichés…

Holiday malaise is common, and we search for antidotes. Or just anything that begins with “anti.” For those of us with a perverse sense of humor, the film Poor Things is the perfect way to celebrate the end of the season. The movie is provocative, ribald, wry, wise, feminist, and satiric. Emma Stone attains giddy new heights portraying Bella, a creature that would warm the heart of Mary Shelley. Not coincidentally, Bella’s creator/father figure (played with surgical precision by Willem Dafoe) is named Godwin: the surname of Mary Shelley’s father. But enough (God)winking at clever literary references. Let’s get to the meat on those reconstructed reanimated bones. Poor Things is based on the…

Renfield tanked at the box office. And that’s too bad. It is an irreverent horror-comedy that gleefully satirizes support groups and the loopy nature of vampire lore. Clocking in at a sensible hour and 33 minutes running time, the movie doesn’t suffer from tired blood. As the eponymous protagonist, Nicholas Hoult gives a layered performance. He’s got the winning Hugh Grant twitchy quality that is endearing. Then adds on the Woody Allen persona of sophisticated neurotic. And in the wonderfully choreographed fight scenes, goes full on Keanu Reeves in John Wick mode. Energized to the max by consuming insects, his Renfield is major league badass. But enough about “the familiar,” as…

Foodies with a taste for horror and warped humor will revel in the film The Menu (2022.) The movie is deliciously subversive, feeding on the absurdities of haute cuisine and the performance art aspect of fine dining. It is a scathingly biting satire that is performed with straight-faced brilliance by a superb cast led by Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy. Carnivores and carnage aficionados will have their appetites satiated in this irreverent take on restaurant reverence. Fiennes portrays celebrity chef Julian Slowik. Chef Julian’s obsession with minutiae and perfection dominates his kitchen. His creepily loyal staff follow his commands to the letter, bunking on the premises since his renowned restaurant…

The Cursed (2021) is a visually stunning film with fine acting. Yes, there is a “but” coming. Like so many horror movies, the plot doesn’t gel. Even cursory analysis of the narrative reveals this weakness. While I admire the brilliant cinematography and actors who endow their performances with gravitas, inconsistencies in the story detract from what could have been a superb genre film. But then plot consistency has always had a rather tenuous relationship with horror. The tale begins during World War I, and scenes of carnage and dismemberment. One of the injured soldiers has bullets extracted from his torso, the third bullet looking very different from the previous two. It…