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cybartholomew
Reviews
Tusk (2014)
Will never watch it again... I recommend, though
As a horror fan, this movie has been on my watchlist for quite some time now. I came across it on one of my streaming services a couple weeks ago and decided to cross another film off the list! And part of me still wishes I hadn't. With this being a horror film, I expected some sort of scare factor, but in my opinion there wasn't any. Some psychological horror elements with the antagonist of the film were definitely there, but that was about it. I will try to keep this review as spoiler free as I can. If you are a fan of gore/body horror, this is a good movie for you. The scenes with the serious gore made me internally uncomfortable. This movie stayed with me, and still has, but I genuinely hated it.
I may have appreciated it more if the ending had been more satisfactory, but it made absolutely no sense, left me enraged, and was so insanely out of character for two out of three of the main protagonists. I can typically enjoy when a horror movie has a cruel ending, that's what horror is for, you're supposed to feel unsettled. And I guess in that sense, this movie nails it. But I couldn't even appreciate the ending with how much it angered me.
All in all, the acting is wonderful, special effects are believable and horrific in a good way, and the cinematography is well done. The base idea for the film has serious potential, but I feel like it could have been executed better.
So to end with an explanation for my title... gore/body horror fans everywhere should watch this movie, but I will never ever watch it again.
King Richard (2021)
I was quite unimpressed...
King Richard (2021) is a very well-made movie, that is just a fact. However, it is not one that I would choose to watch again. I was seriously shocked by Will Smith's performance! Yes, he did well, but it was nothing in comparison to what we know he is capable of. I had very high expectations for this movie based on Smith alone, and I believe I was mistaken for that. Although most- including I- can acknowledge that Will Smith is a highly talented actor, in my opinion this was not an Oscar-worthy performance. And perhaps this can be credited to the direction.
I will not get into all of my personal notes on the flaws, but I will end this review on the note that I was fairly disappointed.
Midsommar (2019)
...wow. Unexpected. Not for the weak of heart.
To get one thing across- this film is no perfect movie. But I find it to be a staple in the horror community.
Spoilers follow.
The movie starts and ends in complete tragedy. It follows our main character Dani, who lost her parents and sister due to a heart wrenching murder-suicide. And no, we as viewers are not spared the sight. Almost every death is graphic and can be upsetting. A Swedish student studying abroad, Pelle, invites Dani, her boyfriend Christian, and characters Josh & Mark to his community back in Sweden.
There is a LOT of death in this film, including everybody in the visitors' group except for Dani. They are all killed off during various times throughout the movie, and each death is incredibly wrecking to witness.
Dani and Christian's relationship is rocky from the beginning, with him wanting to break up with her, but refraining from doing so when the death of her family is announced. He emotionally gaslights Dani quite a few times throughout, and it's important to note that Dani has no way to express her emotions freely.
This is where there is quite a bit of controversy in the viewer community.
Content warning for the following, as well as another spoiler warning.
Christian is very heavily drugged in the last thirty-twenty minutes of the film and forced to have intercourse with one of the cult members. Dani witnesses this, and sees it as cheating- apparently, as do a LOT of the viewers.
This is just one of the many examples of cult mindset altering somebody's thoughts and morals. We as the viewers are, from the very start, are being manipulated with the cult mindset just like Dani is. We are led to believe there is safety or comfort for Dani in this cult, however there is anything but. The movie ends with Dani sentencing Christian to his death, and he- as well as the bodies of his friends and other cult members- are burned as a sacrifice. It is unfortunately a popular belief that this is a good ending, a "good for Dani" moment, but that could not be further from how it truly is.
I highly recommend this movie, no matter your views on it, it's incredibly deep and there are so many levels to interpret.
Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975)
Overall? Not impressed. Here's why.
While I can appreciate the message this movie is attempting to draw attention to, the movie itself is just totally unclear. I understand that there are different factors that come into play, such as funding, the time period, and equipment available at the time, but I truly have seen some very impressive films much older than this that have done fantastic. I give props to the creators, as it is an amazing feat to produce an entire film! And I won't lie, there is a lot of potential here. But unfortunately, in my opinion alone, it did not live up to the hype that had been built up before I watched it.
If you're looking for a disturbing old film? You have certainly found one. You may enjoy it more than I, but I personally would not recommend nor watch again.
Thank you for reading!
Hereditary (2018)
Incredible film, disgustingly disturbing.
Hereditary (2018) has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. A24 and director Ari Aster never disappoint in the horror genre, I can always expect something impressive.
Unlike many horror movies, Hereditary has no comfort and no false sense of security at the beginning. I feel this is due to the scoring all throughout the film. I decided to watch the movie without any idea on what I was getting into, I knew just about nothing of the plot. And that certainly had me shocked at every turn, just adding to the enjoyment. Expect plot twists upon plot twists!
My personal ratings are as follows.
Cinematography: 10/10
Acting: (no doubt a solid) 10/10
Scare factor: 5/10. I found myself more disturbed and surprised for most of the film, the "scare" part coming in towards the very end.
Disturbing: 9/10
Gore: 8.5/10, incredible work on the gore, as to be expected with Ari Aster, I just personally felt that I had seen worse in his other film, "Midsommar", and that was the only comparison I had made.
If you are looking for a true psychological horror, you have found the right film. Even after completing my watch through, I still have the question of whether or not this was all just the result of a genetic psychological condition, or a case of real haunting and possession?
10/10, would recommend!