sfairgrieve-908-872509's Reviews

Hagazussa (2017)

8/10

If you liked "The Witch", here's something even slower.....

29 April 2019

Apparently, "hagazussa" means roughly "witch" in Old German, which is appropriate since this film feels a lot like Robert Eggers's "The Witch", set in the Austrian Alps instead of New England. Both tell the story of an isolated young woman struggling with her sexuality, in a paranoid and superstitious world where people believe God and Satan are actively fighting for the souls of humans.

The films are stylistically and tonally similar, using slow and quiet pacing, dark tones, a beautiful but harsh environment, (and even some creepy goats), to tell a story filled with dread and ambiguity. It's all topped off by an outstanding soundtrack by the Greek drone masters MMMD.

Many people criticized "The Witch" for being slow and boring, and "Hagazussa" is even more so (there's maybe 50 lines of dialog), so this film will leave most viewers cold. But if you like your horror slow, moody and creepy, with some art house touches, then you should check this one out.

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Satan's Slaves (2017)

9/10

Minimalist horror done right

5 December 2018

This is a gem of a low-budget horror movie from Indonesia that I saw on Shudder. Using a minimum of gore, effects, and CGI, it manages to tell a surprisingly effective ghost story.

It's set in a creepy old house in the woods next to a cemetery. How many times have we seen that before? Yet the movie sets the perfect atmosphere as it takes its time developing the characters and unfolding the story. The scares are well-earned and innovative, the story is engaging, and the performances are solid. The ghosts were very well done. The black-clad Satanists with umbrellas were great. But the horde of zombie-like creatures at the end were a bit too much for me. That being said, this is still an exceptionally well made film that will likely be in my top 10 horror movies of 2018.

Note: Shudder has two versions of the movie: subtitled and English dubbed. I watched the subtitled version, and then watched some key scenes in the dubbed version. I definitely recommend the subtitled version. It takes more work but you are rewarded by retaining more the crucial tone and atmosphere.

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Dogged (I) (2017)

6/10

British folk horror

14 July 2018

At about the halfway point of this movie, there is a quick cut to the TV in our protagonist's bedroom, and there's a DVD of The Wicker Man propped against the TV. That's director Roundtree's acknowledgment of his influence, and the influence is strong - a person from mainstream society comes to an isolated community after one of them dies, encounters some very odd characters, and, through persistence, learns that the society is hiding a dark and deadly secret.

Consistent with the folk horror tropes, we get lots of shots of the bleakly beautiful countryside and seaside settings. It's a slow burn that creates unease and builds dread. And it introduces a secretive group that practices ancient, non-Christian rituals.

Those are all positives, but the film stumbles a bit, mostly in its execution. It's a low budget, independent release, so I cut it some slack, but I felt that the editing at times was a bit clunky, and there was too much use of shaky handheld cameras, odd angles, and extreme close-ups that obscured what was happening. The story, as stated above, is not particularly original, and some of the acting was sub-par.

All of that being said, though, this is a promising directorial debut, and an enjoyable contribution to the folk horror sub-genre.

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Dark Beacon (2017)

8/10

Classic psychological ghost story

5 May 2018

This on one of those suspense/horror movies that divides people into two camps, because the pacing is slow, it relies on atmosphere and tension instead of jump scare and gore, and it leaves you with more questions than answers.

Many of the reviews of this film I have read are in the "boring and confusing" camp. I am in the other. To me this is a slow burn ghost story in the classic tradition. The plot builds deliberately to a climax, with little revelations along the way that put some of the pieces of the puzzle together. As the plot develops, an atmosphere of tension and dread is built to a climax that ends the tension but doesn't provide all the answers. Is there something supernatural going on, or are we seeing people struggling with mental illness (and, in one case, alcoholism)?

My one knock is that the story is fairly routine in the psychological ghost story genre. If you've seen many similar movies, as I have, you're not going to see much that seems fresh, but there is still enough here in the plot, cinematography, and acting to make it well worth a watch.

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The Lodgers (2017)

8/10

Impressive Gothic ghost story

3 March 2018

This is a traditional Gothic ghost story, and if you found movies like The Innocents and The Others slow and boring, then you will have a similar reaction to The Lodgers. But if, like me, you loved those earlier movies, then you will find much to like in this film.

The Lodgers has the tone and atmosphere that are essential for a proper Gothic ghost story. It is set in a decaying, creepy mansion that feels like the one in Crimson Peak. (It also shares that film's uncomfortable theme of incest, but more explicitly.) And while The Lodgers pays obvious homage to the Gothic dramas that preceded it, I never felt that it was simply re-treading its influences.

The story is original enough to take its own place in the Gothic tradition. It's about having to live with the sins of the past, and how those sins will follow you, like a creepy black raven, if you try to escape them. If you love a dark, bleak, and perverse ghost story, then The Lodgers is definitely one to check out.

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Lord of Tears (2013)

8/10

Impressive debut

6 February 2018

This movie has many of the elements that I love most in horror movies - slow burn, beautiful rural setting, atmospheric as hell, vengeful ghosts, and a theme based on ancient folklore. All those boxes are checked in Lawrie Brewster's debut film. So this movie drew me in from the start and I was really pulling for it to blow me away.

Yet Brewster stumbles a bit in execution, reminding the viewer at times that we're seeing his first feature. Plot developments are ham-fisted at times, the dialog is often unnatural and awkwardly expository, and the editing is occasionally dodgy. Yet those minor negatives did not detract much from the fact that he has given us an engaging and creepy ghost story that evokes the classics of the 1940s to the 1960s.

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The Unkindness of Ravens (2016)

8/10

Worth seeking out

6 February 2018

A well done independent movie, beautifully shot in the Scottish Highlands, that blends the horrors of PTSD with the fascinating Celtic legend of the "raven warriors". Atmospheric and unsettling, with its low budget only revealed with some dodgy CGI.

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Sweet, Sweet Lonely Girl (2016)

8/10

A slow burn Gothic ghost story

2 January 2018

Warning: Spoilers

I love a slow burn Gothic ghost story, and this is one of the more impressive ones I've seen lately. Director/writer AD Calvo did a nice job of setting the tone and atmosphere, which is essential for this kind of story. The cinematography is flowing and immersive, and you get so many little images that set the mood - the dark old house, the fall New England setting, the creepy figurines, lots of moths, and you hear crows in the background almost constantly. All of this is set in 1980, and they nailed the era, from the music to the Quaaludes to the fashion (dolphin shorts and knee socks!). This is a filmmaker with attention to small details.

There is one scene where Adele and Beth are doing chalk rubbings on grave stones - an obvious homage to 1971's "Let's Scare Jessica to Death", which was undoubtedly an influence on this movie. As in "Jessica", we have a fragile young woman who is either being assaulted by supernatural forces, or is becoming emotionally unhinged (or some combination thereof). As in all good ghost stories, this movie is short on answers and leaves a lot open to interpretation. It's possible that everything that happened in the last act can be blamed on the Quaaludes.

I read some reviews where people were really confused by the ending. A lot is left open, but I think you can piece much of it together. Here's my take:

Closing credits rolled on a picture of young Dora and Beth. It's clear, then, that Beth is a ghost of someone from Dora's youth. Something traumatic happened to Dora to make her such a recluse, and maybe it was the death of this friend (lover?). Beth involves herself in Adele's life to tempt/test her. At one point we're shown a bible verse about forsaking earthly treasures. All the little things that Adele does to provide money for herself are harmful in some way to Dora, much of it at the urging of Beth. What ultimately kills Dora is the substitution of the cheap over the counter "heart medicine" for the expensive prescription (with Adele pocketing the difference in cost to buy herself new clothes).

When Adele completely gives in to temptation, Beth becomes the avenging demon, scaring her to the point that she becomes a reclusive basket case like her aunt. Fast forward to the final scene - 15 to 20 year in the future. You now have Adele occupying Dora's room, and her much younger sister is now taking care of her. (Adele's mom is pregnant at the beginning, and she said she was going to name the child Dorrie. Dorrie is the young girl who knocks on the bedroom door at the end.)

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