Le calendrier

This is more of a ghost story than a horror. It demonstrates how good storytelling can entertain viewers without the need for state-of-the-art graphics, stunts or other gimmicky distractions. This movie offers an intriguing story of mystery & suspense. The movie is well done in terms of likeable characters, good actors, good production quality. The one thing I did not like was the ending. It seems to be a trend in recent movies I've watched where the movie leaves some questions unanswered. It is my pet peeve about movies or series - where they don't solve all the mysteries at the end. I think it is the responsibility of the story teller to end the story with answers. No matter how hard that might be. Bottom-line: This is a mysterious, spooky story, akin to a ghost story and not a horror story. I recommend!

Advent Calendar (2021) is a new French horror film recently added to Shudder. The storyline follows a former dancer that is now a paraplegic. On her birthday her friend gives her a unique wooden advent calendar that each day she opens she gets a unique treat that impacts her life, sometimes for the better and sometimes for worse. One day it unlocks the ability for her to walk; however, death and misfortune for others is given with that gift. She will need to decide to keep walking or keep opening the doors on a daily basis.

This movie is directed by Patrick Ridremont (Dead Man Talking) and stars Eugénie Derouand (Inside), Janis Abrikh (Safari Park), Olivier Bonjour (Black Spot) and Sabrina Lopez Leonard (Black Spot).

First off this movie has the coolest advent calendar you've ever seen. There's some crazy dialogue in this in terms of how people talk to a paraplegic person and an even more crazy rap sequence. There's a bloody dog scene in here that made me smile and the "thing" behind the advent calendar is well done. The ending is even clever and well written.

Overall this isn't a perfect movie but it is unique and definitely worth a watch for horror enthusiasts. I'd score this a 7/10 and strongly recommend it.

We didn't watch any trailers or know what to expect, other than some of the reviews saying it's not really a horror movie.

Everything about this movie was surprising. My mouth fell wide open at least 3 times, which almost never happens to me. The movie gets all the predictable stuff out of the way in the first half, and then the second half is just amazing.

It's true that the movie builds little to no tension. But damn is it ever an interesting story that holds your attention to the end. There are some tonal inconsistencies here and there, which is why it fails to build any real tension. But it does succeed in keeping you *closely* engaged through the entire film.

The ending was also a surprise, although I can't say more about it.

The lead's performance is fantastic; you can't take your eyes off her, and i only noticed one misstep the entire movie, where it felt like she was an actress rather than a real character. The supporting acting is all top notch as well.

Some of the scene transitions were brilliantly executed. I felt the soundtrack was a little weak, and there were some intense scenes that I felt could have used a little bit of music. But overall the movie is solidly crafted, with some truly astonishing moments, and even a few cliches that are brought back to life in creative new ways.

The writing was really tight all around. It's impressive how much they managed to fit into this 104-minute runtime. I feel like this concept could easily have been spread out over an entire season of episodes. If anything, the movie felt a little bit rushed in places, especially in the beginning. But it settles into a solid mystery and delivers a satisfying ending.

What more can you ask for in a movie with a 6.6 rating?

The Advent Calendar was a pretty good little story. I don't think people looking for traditional horror will find it scary in the least. In fact, I really didn't think it built much tension at all, but it did draw me in and had me really wanting to see how it turned out. Another thing I will warn potential viewers about is that it is somewhat inconsistent in its storytelling. Much of it unfolds like a straightforward thriller (with some supernatural elements), but every once in a while, they throw in a moment that feels more surreal or symbolic. Finally, I want to prepare you for the possibility that you might feel like some things went unexplained. I personally didn't mind these minor nitpicks. I was just glad the whole thing didn't fall apart in the final act, like so many thrillers do. I was satisfied with what they gave me. While I will not give it a strong recommendation, being that it isn't all that shocking or visceral, my feeling is that it was an enjoyable enough ride that I don't regret sitting through it. A fun little holiday-themed offering.

Wow, I didn't expect this age-old tale of obeying an supernatural object or die to be this good. It partially reminded me of Monkey Shines and has that feel blended with a more tone downed Malignant. For a Christmas Horror, you can't go wrong even though I doubt it'll be a yearly viewing.