Dethcharm

THE UNTAMED is that rare horror film that actually brings something different to the table. Very different. On its face it's a drama about a married couple, filled with domestic strife and violence. But, at its heart, it's a tragedy, playing with themes such as loneliness, unfulfilled love, and addiction.

It's also a Lovecraftian nightmare.

Alejandra (Ruth Ramos) goes through the motions of her marriage to her vile, pig of a husband, Angel (Jesus Meza). Her life is a stale, deadening existence. One day, through strange circumstances, Alejandra meets a friend of her brother, named Veronica (Simone Bucio), who takes her to a place where she will be changed forever.

Of course, This is no fairy tale, so, things take a turn into the bizarre, and the disturbing.

Yes, there is nudity, as well as a few - somewhat - graphic sexual situations, but they are essential to the plot, and used in ways that are far from titillating.

If you lament the fact that there just aren't many original ideas anymore, this movie might restore your confidence...

Directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury take us back in time, to the 1950s-60s. Those days of innocence and... the Sawyer family.

LEATHERFACE is a prequel that shows what led up to the horrific events of Tobe Hooper's gruesome masterpiece. While nothing can top the original TCM, this movie does unveil a believable backstory. There's plenty of obligatory gore, and some rather twisted scenes, including a disgusting "threesome" in a trailer. The splatter-rich finale will satisfy true gorehounds.

Special mention must be made of the great Lili Taylor as the relentless Verna. Her "motherly love" will send a shiver up the stoutest spine! Stephen Dorff is also good as the vengeful Sheriff Hartman.

Bloody great cinema for the carnage connoisseur...

THE SOUL EATER opens with two police Detectives, Gardiano and de Rolan (Virginie Lodoyen and Paul Hamy), who are investigating the same brutal crime scene, a double homicide that raises more questions than answers. The facts of the case defy any logic or sanity.

Directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury keep things mysterious and foreboding, using folklore / local legend to add an overall sense of creeping dread. When we're shown what is really going on, it's a complete surprise.

There's a good mixture of police procedural drama and horror, culminating in a finale with an unexpected twist.

While not the Directors' best movie, it is a satisfying offering, and worth watching...