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Film reviews

Wolf Man Review

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There is terror hidden below the surface that flows through the mountains of Oregon. The backdrop features misty foggy weather and gloomy lighting that makes the howling feel real. Wolf Man has a calm layer to its horror setup, and it is executed in a slow manner. Directed by Leigh Whannell, a transformation involving larger conflicts takes place during the film. Wolf Manis not a typical horror movie or scary flick. Instead, this storyfuels the humanistic side in which the one who is infected is also the one who is fueled.

The setting of the film is the present and focuses on a family. Blake (played by Christopher Abbott) and his wife Charlotte (played by Julia Garner) have a young daughter named Ginger (played by Matilda Firth). Blake and Charlotte are looking for a getaway. They decide to go to Blake’s father’s farm in the mountains of Oregon. Once they begin this journey into the mountains, bizarre signs start showing up in this secluded placewhere the forest has a haunted aspect to it. Then, a creature bitesBlake, and he slowly turns into a wolf man. However, he still has the determination to fight for his family, but his time may be limited.

The story of Blake becoming a monster while still trying to protect his family before his symptoms worsen is an essential part of the genius factor in Wolf Man. The way this storyline is handled in this film is not commonly done in other suspensemovies. It leads to a climatic ending and lots of fearful moments along the way. It is a two-sided danger because of the fear of what is dangerous in the forest as well as the limitations of Blake’s protection since he is infected and growing into a rising creature. The film is faithfully directed with the focus on the infection causing time to be of the essence. As the darkness lingers, the growth of a monster keeps evolving while theminutes to find a cure slip away. And there may not even be a cure, but instead they could be fighting for their lives in a forest with no resources or help. For Charlotte, the concern is that her husband Blake may not ever be able to be go back to normal. Can he save his family from the dangers encountered in the forests?

There are moments filled with gruesome scenes, yet the film is not as creepy or suspenseful as some may anticipate. Overall, the movie is classy and has qualities which make it a real gem. The story makes the audience think about what could potentially happen if certain measures are not considered. Wolf Man thrives due its suspenseful pacing which creates a surreal experience. The film is unique in the ways it stays on a path that makes itfeel realistic. It is not mesmerizing, but it does a stellar job of using a different track to create memorable intrigue. Three out of four stars. 

Film reviews

The Draft! Review-Fantastic Fest 2024

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This is one of those rare experiences in which the creative mind is boggled. The audience feels all the shifts of someonestruggling with writer’s block. At the same time, they are faced with all the terror that arise. The Draft! is part of Fantastic Festand perfectly blends comedy and horror in a flick that is fantastic! Directed by Yusron Fuadi, the film is set in Indonesia, a primitive setting where the scares are abundant in the writer’s mind.

The story takes place in a forest on a weekend getaway. There are five characters taking part in the adventure. They are Iwan (played Adhin Abdul Hakim), Wati (played by Anastasia Herzigova), Ani (played by Putri Anggie), Budi (played by Haydar Salishz), and Amir (played by Winner Wijaya). They are all staying in one getaway cabin that has some historic value. However, the characterizations and personalities begin to shift. Some of the characters begin to start injuring themselves andtalking strangely. When this happens, the film transitions back to its screenwriter occasionally. The switching between scenes of the getaway and the screenwriter is a reference to the movie’s title and plot.

The forest where the cabin is located puts everyone out in the open with no signal for calls, no signs, and no one in sight. The characters even talk like the danger they face is in a horror film. Ironically, they are, but the interesting part is the fact that thewriter is trying to put the pieces together along with the characters he created. This movie is a two-sided adventure of comedy and horror where the elements shift repeatedly in a fascinating matter. It is a classy film due to the many assumptions it raises. How dangerous is the situation in the cabin’s setting? Who has the worse writer’s block? The writer or the characters? The Draft! is an imaginative thriller from themind of the imaginative writer.

The movie is sparky with misdirection and blind corners which create a recipe for a mesmerizing resolution. What makes theterror effective is how grotesque scenes are highlighted forshock and entertainment value. The film’s screenwriting causes its audience to think. The thoughts generated are in tune with the parts of the film that include many horrific moments in The Draft!

The Draft! is a bit like Shaun of the Dead (2004) meets Parasite (2019). It is a tale where horror explores its roots and turns out to be more comedic than disturbing due to a clever case of poetic writing. Creativity emerges slowly and densely in The Draft! Three out of four stars. 

Film reviews

LongLegs Review

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LongLegs will terrify its audience. LongLegs will make moments of horror flash simultaneously in the heads of its audience. Nicolas Cage is LongLegs. He plays a sadistic killer with a mental health disorder of many. His performance is stellar, surreal, and breathtaking. LongLegs is a cult of scary moving parts that made me ache in fear. I was mesmerized by what was making me scared with LongLegs.

As one who loves investigative movies and TV shows, LongLegs takes the direction of killings and clues to a level with context. With a secluded setting where roads have no destination to go for miles, there are murders to happen. Writer and director Oz Perkins uses imagery (in many moments) to heighten the scare factor of LongLegs. There are moments when it feels like a strobe light attack. The audience feeling an impact is the definition of monumental with LongLegs.

The time frame around this horror flick is the 1990s. Filming was around Canada, British Columbia, and the United States. Its main character (the one put up to face the evidence of LongLegs) is Agent Lee Harker (played by Maika Monroe). Lee absorbs her head into all the crime scenes assigned to her. Lee is persistent and mentally compelled to solve the murders that have been happening in unexplained patterns. Her assistant is Agent Carter (played by Blair Underwood). Carter is a tenure agent who is just working to get paid. Lee takes on the case much more than Carter.

Lee’s discoveries are the first portion of the sparkling world of a cult in LongLegs. With killings happening at different times, they leave the symbol with the name LongLegs listed. There is also the added layer of killings that have occurred with items from inside the victim’s homes. Many questions are for LongLegs. Why is he killing families in a pattern that is like a triangle? Why is he killing people with items that do not belong to him? What motivates him? Who is next on the list? Time is of the essence as events happen unpredictably. The events will chill its audience to the bone.

It is not only the tactic of Cage’s terror that makes LongLegs spellbinding. There is also the mental health of Monroe’s performance as the detective in the case. In her role as Lee, Lee has a mixed dynamic with her mother for various reasons. Her childhood troubles fuel her rage and persistence in solving the puzzle. Her mother is Ruth Harker (played by Alicia Witt). Ruth has moments that are uncomfortable in many sequences of LongLegs. It is along the lines of questioning based on her characteristics. Could her characteristics correlate to the troubles of the puzzle with the disturbances of LongLegs? There is a treat at every door, in every character, and in every aspect of this phenomenon from Perkins.

I was in fear with LongLegs. There is a moment when Lee is asked by her mother, “Do you still say your prayers?” With that question, I knew there was more than what I was getting into with LongLegs. I felt I was seeing ghosts. LongLegs is a knockout in its sequences to horrify. It is a trail of clues, events, and characteristics that keeps on its invigoration. It is one of the best horror flicks of 2024. My rating is four out of four stars for LongLegs.