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Film reviews, Music Box of Horrors 2022

Music Box of Horrors 2022: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

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The film is monotone, and its silence is surreal with terror. The subject of a vampire is deadly. It is vicious with lighting that is engrossing. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a horror experience that is unique and chilling. Its structure is blending vampire horror with a western feeling. Its black and white cinematography is where the terror lures beyond many forms of direction in terms of horror. The crazy part about A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is that it is focused on one vampire. That individual vampire haunts the screen with unexplained tensions and dangers which are invigorating.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is proper in its pacing. The film keeps its audience on edge. The film contains minimal dialogue. That factor is one that keeps the flow of being scary surreal. As I had my experience with A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, I knew there was darkness that was only going to become more treacherous. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night develops its characteristics of its individual vampire. Its development has chills and jump scares in the many unexpected fragments throughout the film.

In A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night the film takes place in a small town of Iran. One that is described as an Iranian ghost-town. A town with a generous amount of poverty, depression, and many individuals who are in a bad place. The solitude and sad life for many though gets a lot more harrowing. That is because the city has a lurking vampire. The Vampire is played by Sheila Vand. The targeted man is Arash (played by Arash Mandi). Arash is a young teen that struggles at home. He has a father that is a drug addict Arash suffers all kinds of emotions due to his troubles at home. When he meets the girl vampire, both feel there is a sense of light and happiness. The issue though, is that the vampire may not be able to prevent herself from biting. With her tendencies of craving people who deserve to suffer for bad behavior, Arash may or may not be a target of hers.

What I love about the film is all its form of noir. Noir blended with vampires is a catchy vibe and direction. It also drives the chances of fatalities from the Girl vampire. A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night grows its darkness as the lighting keeps its negative colors in many of its moments. It is unpredictable and exhilarating.

The moment that spoke to me the most was also the most terrifying I have seen in a vampire flick. When the vampire starts a conversation a boy that is creepy, and she asks him, “Are you a good boy?” My heart started pounding. That is because from there, I realized the vampire’s sweet tooth for flesh are bad people. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night lays out its foundation of who is to suffer from vampire deaths.

At the Music Box Theatre, this was one of the most exhilarating experiences I have had. It also had me festive wanting more scares. The Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night will enthrall its audience with powerful evil. If there are fans of scary movies, this one is one that is essential. That is because it does vampirism right. Three and a half stars for The Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night.

Film reviews

Amsterdam Review

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David O’Russell is a director who delivers unique and brilliant aspects to his directing style. With Amsterdam, O’Russell brings a strong narrative with a variety of characters whose backgrounds are genius, who relate well, and who add pros and cons to the film’s central conflict. Amsterdam also has an inviting, catchy plot. But my issue with Amsterdam is that it’s less exciting than O’Russell’s previous films. The storyline is on par with its conflict, but the presentation just seems a bit mediocre. Despite the mediocrities, though, Amsterdam’s narrative remains concise.

Among Amsterdam’s impressive lineup of characters is Burt Berendsen (played by Christian Bale), Valerie Voze (played by Margot Robbie), Harold Woodman (played by John David Washington), Milton King (played by Chris Rock), Detective Hiltz (played by Alessandro Nivola), and other big names in the film. Of all these amazing characters, I would give Bale credit for the most brilliant acting. And not only is his characterization and performance unique, but he does the narration in many parts of Amsterdam. Burt explains his relationships with many of the other actors, and how they all go way back. O’Russell shows in Amsterdam that he knows how to keep background as a steady focus while staying in tune with the present focus.

The time frame in Amsterdam is the 1930s. For those who find the film’s characters sketchy, many of the characters have an odd background, making the film even sketchier. Three of the characters— nurse, a doctor, and a lawyer—witness a murder, and they end up being framed for the murder. The incident spawns all kinds of political and other underlying issues due to the racism of the times.

I felt like O’Russell was trying to take almost a Wes Anderson approach with this film. His narration felt at times like a version of The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), one of my favorite Anderson films. At other times Amsterdam felt like a lighter version of O’Russell’s American Hustle (2013). And even though Amsterdam is less exciting than O’Russell’s other films, the much-detailed background from the narrative is vibrant.

So unlike some of O’Russell’s other films, don’t expect to jump from your seats much with Amsterdam. Again, the film has an inviting narrative, but it’s just not very exciting. It’s quirky, but not so much with the suspense or danger. In my view, Amsterdamjust lacks enthusiasm. Two and a half stars for Amsterdam.

Film reviews

God’s Creatures Review

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God’s Creatures is a film that is about protecting the ones we love most. It is also about irreparable consequences, that can sometimes come with being protective. In the film’s approach, God’s Creatures is dark and ominous. The film starts out with some positivity. That would be among family, friends, and those that reconnect after harsh times. The happiness does not last though with God’s Creatures. The tension only grows as more conflicts or deceit begins to be realized.

The setting is set in Ireland, in a fishing village. The cinematography is brisk in its unsettling continuity. With being shot in a negative format of 35 mm projection (with Kodak), the lighting is more natural in the film’s gloom. The web of deceit and dishonesty awaits. The technicality only keeps fading to negative tones.  Emily Watson is a mother, and Paul Mescal plays her son. Both are at the center of what is wrong in God’s Creatures. The small town is one that is hard to hide secrets in, and God’s Creatures is set for destruction among relationships.

In God’s Creatures, Watson plays Aileen O’Hara. She is a mother that has a job working with catching oysters. They go through distribution in the fishing village she lives in. Her life though, comes to a dramatic change. Her son Brian (Mescal) comes home. He has been living in another country for a while after a rough past. He decides to come back home. He hopes to have a fresh start after his previous troubles. He starts to pick up some shifts back at home in the fishing village. Aileen tries to keep hope in herself for Brian’s improvements. This all changes though when the authorities reach out to Aileen. They tell her they believe Brian is a criminal for a crime. As a mother, she wants to protect her son. Aileen lies for Brian. Her lie though begins to add fuel to the fire for her friends, family, and worst of all Brian.

As Aileen must face the reality of her choice to protect her son, she must also understand how it can impact her life as well. With Brian’s importance to her, she believes there is faith. It will require more drastic decisions though. As Aileen says, “We’re all God’s creatures in the dark.” Aileen wants to know her son will be ok. It is not guaranteed though, especially since she is dishonest for him. God’s Creatures paints a clear picture of the consequences for lying and the choices one’s made to protect their children.

In the film, the world of happiness and peace comes to a halt. God’s Creatures is a film where the title speaks for itself, and it does so with its breathtaking cinematography. It also does so with its mesmerizing performances by Watson and Mescal. God’s Creatures is destructive by cinematic and artistic nature. The underlying issues are enigmatic and engrossing.

God’s Creatures is not an uplifting film. It is realistic though. The harshness is clear as to why it is happening. The tough love is in-depth, and the light is hard to find. With the fishing village though, the answers may be around many fragments of the film’s setting. Three stars for God’s Creatures.