movie review

Movie reviews for horror fans; from gruesome bone-chillers to dark horror thrillers, a showcase for frightful films that seek to entertain and to terrify.

Critiquing Horror Cinema
Movies for me have always been an escape— to enter a world you wholly fit into as an observer, immersed in the story, following the point of view of the camera as you enter this world at first as an outsider your relationship processing as you become another character fitting neatly into the space created. At least that’s my connection to film, to watch until you're lost in the vision that was created for you until you feel that the world is entirely real, something you’ve experienced first hand. At a young age I was introduced to horror films, perhaps a bit too underage for such stories, I fell deeply attached to the genre, watching movies like Carrie, Candyman, Friday the 13th and Rosemary’s Baby I was enthralled by these characters falling victim to their surroundings as I too felt preyed upon, elements of the things I fear being portrayed to me.
By Alice Monstera5 years ago in Horror
The Conjuring Universe
The Conjuring Universe is considered one of the greatest horror series of all times. Being loosely based on the real life cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, James Wan has proven to be a master at the art of making horror movies. As great as the series is as a whole, not every movie in the franchise is as scary as the last. For my first project, my goal is to rate each movie of the series from the not so scary to what I consider to be the scariest movie of this iconic franchise. Before I begin, I will state that there may be a few spoilers ahead, especially for the newest addition to the franchise.
By Skye Moon5 years ago in Horror
‘A Quiet Place Part II’ Movie Review. Top Story - June 2021.
In director John Krasinski’s sequel to the 2018 runaway horror hit, the now-widowed Evelyn Abbott (Emily Blunt) and her three children, oldest Regan (Millicent Simmonds), middle child Marcus (Noah Jupe), and infant (unnamed and unattributed), find a reluctant ally in Emmett (Cillian Murphy), an old family friend turned expert survivalist. When the kids figure out that there are people hiding out on an island that’s supposedly uninhabited by the monsters, they find a glimmer of hope. But it turns out that the killer alien creatures aren’t the only adversaries they’ll have to face.
By Will Lasley5 years ago in Horror
The Lodge - A Movie Review
We have to figure out a way to get out of here before we freeze in this cabin. The Lodge is a 2019 film. After the death of their mother, two siblings are not fond of their soon-to-be step-mom. Believing he should get his children better acquainted, they go to a remote cabin for the winter holiday. Only, frightening occurrences happen, testing relationships.
By Marielle Sabbag5 years ago in Horror
The Nightmare Before Christmas Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review all the movies I watch. I saw this movie for the first time a couple of years ago on Halloween. At that time, I probably would have given it a solid 3.5 stars. The animation was fantastic and the design of the Oogie Boogie scenes was enough for me to say that it was worth watching, but I felt that the character arcs were incredibly underdeveloped. I felt that the chemistry between Jack and Sally was forced, I felt there wasn't enough backstory given, and I was ultimately disappointed by the way this movie told its story. Now, however, I see all of the small nuances of how they built each of those arcs up. I see how the filmmakers weaved in Sally's desperation to escape, which is so strong that she is willing to poison her captor/creator multiple times in order to do so. I see the way that Jack's enthusiasm for Christmas makes sense given how many times he's had to do the same exact thing for God knows how long, and I see all of the other little story elements that ultimately build to the final crescendo being set up so much better. They're subtle, but they are absolutely there, and I actually kind of love that about this movie now.
By Jamie Lammers5 years ago in Horror
A Quiet Place Part II Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I review every movie I see. If the first Quiet Place is a tense, suspenseful thriller, the second one is a visceral, action-packed thrill ride in the best way possible. It's strange having seen the first film only a couple of days before seeing this one, as I felt like that first film straddled the line between intriguing concept and setting up characters for the sequel. That being said, if a setup movie can be as good as the first Quiet Place was and result in a movie as utterly fantastic as this, I won't complain about it in the absolute slightest. A Quiet Place Part II is the perfect example of a brilliant continuation of a film, picking up the story right where it left off while also expanding on everything that wasn't quite clear in the first film.
By Jamie Lammers5 years ago in Horror
V.C. Andrews' If There Be Thorns - Film Review
The third instalment of Virginia Andrews' gothic horror series is adapted for the screen for the first time. I really enjoyed this book, so I was excited to see the adaptation but also worried that it would be too different from the book as new writers and actors would be working on this film - Andy Cochran had replaced Kayla Alpert (who wrote the screenplays for Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind) and Cathy and Christopher's characters had been recast with older actors, but I went into this film with an open mind.
By Ted Ryan5 years ago in Horror
What makes a great movie? Some essential elements you must know
Every movie is supposed to be created to send a message to as many audiences as possible. To create a great movie that can be considered as a blockbuster, there are many things that need to be focused on. Perhaps every expert in the film industry will agree on two main things: it can provoke thought and it has the ability to incite emotion. However, those factors are not enough. So what makes a great movie to attract a lot of people? Let gogoanime.mom share it with you.
By Laurel5 years ago in Horror
A Quiet Place Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I write movie reviews like this for every movie I see. A Quiet Place is a concept film, through and through. If the concept is executed inadequately, the film is going to fail. The idea behind this film is genius -- a family needing to stay quiet in order to prevent themselves from being attacked by merciless creatures in the woods. The kicker is whether or not the screenplay delivers on the potential of that premise. In my opinion, it absolutely does. This film is an hour and a half thrill ride from start to finish, recognizing that while there isn't necessarily a lot of character depth to be built from this story, there is just enough to make you care about the characters while being entertained. The best part of this film is the sound editing, simply because it draws your attention to whatever sound is present in the moment. A good 85% or so of this film is completely silent, making whatever sound is heard narratively important. Whether it's the background noise of the environment this family lives in or Marco Beltrami's intense score or actual noises made by the family, intentionally or not intentionally, every single sound in this film has a narrative purpose, and that requires meticulous attention to detail.
By Jamie Lammers5 years ago in Horror
The Witch Review
This review comes from my Letterboxd profile, where I write reviews like this for every movie I see. So, funny story before I get into this review, in order to watch The Lobster, I had to sign up for a 7-day free trial of Showtime through Amazon Prime. You better believe I'm utilizing those 7 free days to the best of my ability, so you're gonna be seeing a spike in reviews from me over the next couple of days as I skim through Showtime's catalog to see what I've been wanting to watch for a long time and now can because of this free trial. Man, to think all of this started because of my confusion over a Dua Lipa music video (check my previous review if you want to read what I'm talking about). Okay, enough funny business, on with the serious review.
By Jamie Lammers5 years ago in Horror
6 Mystery Movies That You Wouldn't Miss
“Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (Philip Kaufman, 1978) Philip Kaufman’s 1978 spin on “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” abandons the B-movie armature of Don Siegel’s 1956 original (as glorious as that film may too be) to wade in the waters of oozing 1970s paranoia. With a script from W.D. Richter, this one fits snugly alongside the films of Alan J. Pakula like “The Parallax View” and “Klute” as a ‘70s slice of Cold War chilliness. It’s rounded out by a terrific cast including Donald Sutherland as a cooly collected scientist, Jeff Goldblum as his dweeby pal, plus Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, and Veronica Cartwright. The gelatinous set pieces and alien pod bodies that seem to bloom are an icky delight, but the film also evocatively captures the Bay Area, as a rare reminder of how great a 1970s movie set in San Francisco could look. —RL
By kingkart5 years ago in Horror
The Devil Made Me Do It!
Hey, everybody! Who loves a good, spooky true story to go with a horror film? I, for one do. So tonight I bring you the true story of the possession of David Glatzel & the trial of Arne Johnson. The case was known as "The Demon Murder Case". There was an episode from the paranormal show "A Haunting", and the episode entitled "Where Demons Dwell" (Filmed in 2006) featured both Debbie Glatzel & Arne Johnson. We are also are going to be talking about the new film The Conjuring 3- The Devil Made Me Do It, adding a little movie review into the mix!
By Tori Montani5 years ago in Horror