kajacobs-76432 Reviews

Monsterland (2020)

Won't keep you up at night, but will keep you thinking for days

[6/10 · 5 October 2020]

Monsterland advertises itself as blurring the lines between black and white. While traditional horror always punished the obvious sinner, what Monsterland does well, is make their protagonist more human. The characters range from distraught teenagers, to a billionaire, to middle class families. Even if you can't find your exact socioeconomic status in this eight-part series, you can be sure you'll relate to one of their stories.

In some episodes, the monsters are debated, they may be hallucinations or normal facts that everyone accepts. In other episodes it's obvious that humanity is the monster, a recurring theme throughout all genres. What Monsterland does well though, is that it makes you wonder what is real and what isn't. What is a representation of something the author and producers wanted to portray, or what is bonafide supernatural entities.

What I loved about Monsterland is that it portrays the true horror. While there is no shortage of blood and gore, there are no jump scares. This series will not keep you up at night; however, it will make you think about humanity. There are 7 billion people, each living their own lives with their own darkness. Monsterland offers brief illuminations into that darkness that threatens us all, without relying on gore, jump scares, or monsters. It's an honest look at how anybody, of any race, any financial status, any orientation, can have a difficult time with life.

Each show is a slowburn. There are very few moments that I would consider my "favorites". In each episode, you must understand the characters and their blights before understanding the monster, whether it is real or imaginary. Because of this, some episodes fall flat, some are intriguing, and the only genuine episode is the series finale. Monsterland takes you on a journey that will not leave you sleeping with the lights on, but will make you think that the characters in each episode are not so different between you and I.

The Mimic (2017)

The Spot Between Not Great, Not Bad, but Watchable

[6/10 · 16 August 2020]

I have a soft spot for Asian horror films. While the movie does move at a slow pace, it does continually build suspense. Sure, there are some clichés in the movie, but a positive benefit is that the movie is without jump scares. Some viewers might find the ending to be "infuriating" as it defers from a traditional feel good ending, but let's be honest here. Most horror movies involve regular people dealing with grief or trauma while simultaneously battling supernatural entities. The movie is ultimately about a woman dealing with grief and trying to keep her family together. The main characters household is charitable to a deadly fault. Ultimately, the woman's grief defies all rational logic as she is continuously warned about the impending perils she's facing. The concept of a mimic, an entity that mirrors the voice of a loved one, may not be the most innovative monster. However, the movie portrays the creature in an interesting way. If you're a fan of Asian movies that deal with human trauma and the supernatural, this may be a good watch for you. One word of caution, this is a horror movie and horror protagonist always make dumb mistakes. The cinematography was great, the acting was believable, but there were no memorable scores or music to really drive it home. Ultimately, I think it's worth a watch if you don't mind a slow build up.

The Lodge (2019)

Interesting Concept that falls flat due to clichés

[6/10 · 25 July 2020]

So, I'm a big fan of Hereditary, and even though I had some grips with Ari Aster's second film Midsommar; I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. For reference, I have also seen VVitch, The Ritual, and any other movie in this genre where people seem to claim you need a high intellect to follow and understand. The movie is a psychological thriller with religious zealotry and mental illness to move the plot along. The film runs for an hour and 48 minutes, and once the hour mark had passed, I found myself checking several times to see how much more I had to subject myself too. If you're looking for a good movie to watch, I would pass this one. Spoilers below.

The movie is a slow burn; however, the opening act catches your attention. A mother brings her two children to see their father and the younger daughter hints at the current situation by asking "is she going to be there?" So, you already know that this family has its troubles and there is another woman involved. Once the trio reaches the father's house, he dismisses his kids to talk to his wife privately. He mentions that he wants to finalize a divorce and marry a woman who (moving a bit ahead here) is the sole survival of a destructive cult whose members all died from suicide. This prompts the woman to end her own life. Sadly, this is the highlight of the movie and it is a slow descent to boredom afterwards.

Six months later, the father wants his two children to spend Christmas alone with his soon to be wife. Understandably, the kids blame their father for their mother's death and show no interest in getting to know their soon-to-be stepmother. To add insult to injury, the son refers to her as a psychopath, but father of the year is having none of this.

Instead, he decides to leave his fiancée (who is obviously hiding secrets from him) alone with kids in a cabin during the dead of winter. For reasons only the directors know, he decides to give this mentally unstable woman a weapon for As the story progresses, things begin to become unhinged and the descent to madness begins. At this point, the characters seem more like stock characters than actual human beings. Then the story begins to heavily rely on overused thriller/horror tropes where any avid/casual/ or even passing fan of the genre will be left pulling their hair out, yelling at the TV and wondering if the movie will have some ending that makes them at very least satisfied that they spent 2 hours of their life watching. Spoiler alert, it doesn't.

The power in the house dies (because of course it does), their phones are dead (because of course they are), the fiancée loses her meds (because of course she does), and the children are frightened for their lives. Even more so when the woman comes up to the attic, where they're hiding from her, with a weapon in hand. Worst father of the returns, to find the woman's dog dead in its bed, and his frightened children behind the armed woman. He attempts to talk her into releasing the weapon, and she shoots him point blank. The children then run outside to their father's car and attempt to flee. However, the car won't start (because of reasons). Let's suspend disbelief here, that a man who owns a house and a cottage for winter vacations has car troubles. Anyway, when the children finally start the car, it's stuck in the snow, because once again, OF COURSE IT IS. What happens next is predictable.

There, I just saved you 2 hours of your life. Ignore the pompous reviews.