totalovrdose
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Pete Davidson - in a horror movie? Well, yes, apparently. The Home is very different than what I had expected, which is both a positive and a negative. It's a film that is a touch of Banshee Chapter, a sprinkling of Get Out and a pinch of The Taking of Deborah Logan, whilst also being something else entirely.
Pete Davidson is Max, a young man who is given an ultimatum after living a troubled life: spend four months working at an old folk's home as the caretaker, in some form of community service, or go to jail. As Max will find out - jail was probably the better option.
First up, this is a film that is juggling a lot of mysteries, creating subplot after subplot that causes a townful of questions. We have fringe experiments; ritualistic cults; obscure markings; investigations into bizarre deaths - and just when you think you are going to start getting some answers, you instead get even more questions! Although everything is miraculously packaged together at the end, this is one of those films where the mystery was more satisfying than the payoff.
Moreover, one issue with the narrative is its repetitive sequencing. Half of the film involves Max working during the day; interacting with the retirement home's patrons; cleaning and doing maintenance; and then going to bed at night and experiencing a nightmare. Unfortunately, a lot of the horror, and occasional jump scare material, are in these dream sequences, and although these are later contextualised, I've never appreciated horror films that were over-reliant on nightmares. It means the characters are not under any actual threat, and they do become tedious when over-used.
As for the characters, Davidson does a decent job as the film's protagonist. Although he can come off as mechanical during moments that require empathy, he fulfills what is expected of him. Any issues could be related to the script, which is paper thin at best when it comes to characterisation.
Max is a troubled young man because his brother died when he was young. Lou (John Glover) is a patron at the retirement home who loves the arts. Norma (Mary Beth Peil), another patron at the home, is upset because her son died. Juno (Mugga) is a moody nurse. Les (Adam Cantor) is a by-the-books, distrusting employee. Doctor Sabian (Bruce Altman) is a doctor who seems a touch on the suspicious side. All the characters are only ever one thing, which makes knowing them, and feeling an attachment to them, difficult.
As an aside, there is a surprising amount of gore in the film, which was effective, though this also became a crutch the film leaned on, with the violence ultimately becoming the main source of horror as the film continued. If you have an issue with people been impaled on spikes or tearing off their skin and dancing around in nothing but their bones and muscles (Hellraiser 2 style), this may not be the film for you.
I personally am not sure how to feel about the violence. On one hand, I feel the movie could have leaned into it further to be more horrifying. On the other hand, I think it detracts from the more serious aspects of the feature. After all, the film only briefly depicts some of the negative treatment that can take place behind the closed doors of retirement homes and had an opportunity to really say a lot more on the matter.
Moving on, the score composed by Nathan Whitehead was especially great at creating a foreboding ambiance. In the vein of Trent Reznor, it was less music and more an otherworldly soundscape. That said, it seemed to be doing more for the film than the film itself, with the soundtrack being one of the creepiest aspects of the movie.
Ultimately, The Home is a film that seems to be doing TOO much, and because of that, doesn't have the time to really give quality substance to any one thing. It is not particularly scary for a horror movie, however, the thrilling mystery was well executed, and genuinely unpredictable, although when answers were provided, I was left feeling 'meh!' Despite occasionally feeling fresh, it likewise feels to be treading similar ground, lumping other film's ideas together into a strange horror movie smoothie. The Home is a film which is watchable and will keep you engaged but is equally forgettable upon the credits rolling.
Pete Davidson is Max, a young man who is given an ultimatum after living a troubled life: spend four months working at an old folk's home as the caretaker, in some form of community service, or go to jail. As Max will find out - jail was probably the better option.
First up, this is a film that is juggling a lot of mysteries, creating subplot after subplot that causes a townful of questions. We have fringe experiments; ritualistic cults; obscure markings; investigations into bizarre deaths - and just when you think you are going to start getting some answers, you instead get even more questions! Although everything is miraculously packaged together at the end, this is one of those films where the mystery was more satisfying than the payoff.
Moreover, one issue with the narrative is its repetitive sequencing. Half of the film involves Max working during the day; interacting with the retirement home's patrons; cleaning and doing maintenance; and then going to bed at night and experiencing a nightmare. Unfortunately, a lot of the horror, and occasional jump scare material, are in these dream sequences, and although these are later contextualised, I've never appreciated horror films that were over-reliant on nightmares. It means the characters are not under any actual threat, and they do become tedious when over-used.
As for the characters, Davidson does a decent job as the film's protagonist. Although he can come off as mechanical during moments that require empathy, he fulfills what is expected of him. Any issues could be related to the script, which is paper thin at best when it comes to characterisation.
Max is a troubled young man because his brother died when he was young. Lou (John Glover) is a patron at the retirement home who loves the arts. Norma (Mary Beth Peil), another patron at the home, is upset because her son died. Juno (Mugga) is a moody nurse. Les (Adam Cantor) is a by-the-books, distrusting employee. Doctor Sabian (Bruce Altman) is a doctor who seems a touch on the suspicious side. All the characters are only ever one thing, which makes knowing them, and feeling an attachment to them, difficult.
As an aside, there is a surprising amount of gore in the film, which was effective, though this also became a crutch the film leaned on, with the violence ultimately becoming the main source of horror as the film continued. If you have an issue with people been impaled on spikes or tearing off their skin and dancing around in nothing but their bones and muscles (Hellraiser 2 style), this may not be the film for you.
I personally am not sure how to feel about the violence. On one hand, I feel the movie could have leaned into it further to be more horrifying. On the other hand, I think it detracts from the more serious aspects of the feature. After all, the film only briefly depicts some of the negative treatment that can take place behind the closed doors of retirement homes and had an opportunity to really say a lot more on the matter.
Moving on, the score composed by Nathan Whitehead was especially great at creating a foreboding ambiance. In the vein of Trent Reznor, it was less music and more an otherworldly soundscape. That said, it seemed to be doing more for the film than the film itself, with the soundtrack being one of the creepiest aspects of the movie.
Ultimately, The Home is a film that seems to be doing TOO much, and because of that, doesn't have the time to really give quality substance to any one thing. It is not particularly scary for a horror movie, however, the thrilling mystery was well executed, and genuinely unpredictable, although when answers were provided, I was left feeling 'meh!' Despite occasionally feeling fresh, it likewise feels to be treading similar ground, lumping other film's ideas together into a strange horror movie smoothie. The Home is a film which is watchable and will keep you engaged but is equally forgettable upon the credits rolling.
If you enjoy the B-grade horror films of Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Lair) you might find something to like here in Osiris; a thoroughly predictable monsters versus soldiers movie that adds little to the genre.
The feature's opening credits depicts a space probe from 1977, launched into the void to find evidence of extra-terrestrial intelligence, the foreboding score and subsequent imagery suggesting that it was found.
We then flash to a high-stakes shoot-out somewhere in the modern day. Is it Afghanistan? Is it Iraq? Who knows. This is the kind of film that thinks information is overrated; where characters ask 'how do you know that?' and their comrade retorts 'I don't know, I just do.' Simply put, the film doesn't expect you to do much thinking.
Our protagonists are special forces. Why are they here? Your guess is as good as mine. The first scenes are there to show our crack team of soldiers are good at killing, as they are overrun by seemingly endless droves of enemy combatants, before been, quite literally, kidnapped by aliens.
A major issue, is the opening sequence possesses more tension than many of the subsequent scenes. There are only so many iterations of the same old corridor fight you can make before it becomes repetitive, and after watching humans on one side of a samey hallway, and aliens on the other, shooting at each other for the third time, it's already growing stale, and by the halfway mark, the film ceases to introduce anything new. This isn't helped by the film overstaying its welcome. At over a hundred minutes, the movie is not short for a product that has very little to say.
A second issue is the lack of personality amongst our protagonists. Kelly (Max Martini) is the leader. Reyes (Michael Irby, who rejoins Martini from the TV series The Unit) is his friend. Jax (Jaren Mitchell) is the guy who likes to sing 'California'. Rhodie (LaMonica Garrett) is the guy who gets the alien pew-pew gun to work. Nash (Linds Edwards) is the comic relief. Together, they exhibit about as much chemistry as a line of ants you might see in your backyard.
This lacking comradery is on full display when their comrades die, the soldiers constantly remaining stoic and silent, demonstrating little in the way of emotion. It becomes hard to care for the characters when they hardly seem to care for each other.
Furthermore, lines of dialogue between the soldiers are very stiff and mechanical - think a low budget video game - and when the film tries its hand at comedy, lines like 'I believe in Jesus Christ and Dolly Parton', offer a chuckle, but never reach the highs of Hudson from Aliens.
Not long after waking up on board the alien craft, the soldiers meet Ravi (Brainna Hildebrand), who is the traditional tough-as-nails Russian, and has been surviving on the ship. Disappointedly, as the film progresses, it finds less and less things for her to do. In addition, despite the marketing focusing heavily on Linda Hamilton, we don't meet her character, Anya, until an hour into the film, and even then, her role is not very large. Despite that, Hamilton shows she's still one of the coolest women-bad-asses, whilst pulling off a neat Russian accent.
The movie tries its hand at themes, including anti-war, parenthood and loss of home, but these are given the exact same depth as the characters. In fact, despite the repetitive nature of the action scenes, you often cannot wait for the short-lived conversations to be over, just so you can get to the next mediocre corridor fight.
The film borrows the lighting from Alien Vs. Predator Requiem - that is to say, the film is often in darkness, with creatures and characters hidden in shadow. When you do see the aliens, they look decent (but do keep your expectations in check). Think the monsters from The Lair or the Locust from Gears of War, and you're on the right track. As an aside, the occasional special effect (the use of a hologram, or an energy shield) looks not half bad.
I did find the dialogue was not very loud, and needed to have the subtitles on, whereas the other sounds (example, gunfire) were perfectly audible. The gunfire is better than a low-budget stock soundtrack, but not by much. Similarly, the music is functional, but at the same time, forgettable.
That word, forgettable, is one that comes to mind when describing my experience with the film overall. I like me a schlocky creature feature as much as the next guy, but despite Osiris' premise, and it's entertaining opening act, it begins to fall flat as it continues, and the film's final scene, that is clearly meant to shock, left me instead rather 'meh!'
The feature's opening credits depicts a space probe from 1977, launched into the void to find evidence of extra-terrestrial intelligence, the foreboding score and subsequent imagery suggesting that it was found.
We then flash to a high-stakes shoot-out somewhere in the modern day. Is it Afghanistan? Is it Iraq? Who knows. This is the kind of film that thinks information is overrated; where characters ask 'how do you know that?' and their comrade retorts 'I don't know, I just do.' Simply put, the film doesn't expect you to do much thinking.
Our protagonists are special forces. Why are they here? Your guess is as good as mine. The first scenes are there to show our crack team of soldiers are good at killing, as they are overrun by seemingly endless droves of enemy combatants, before been, quite literally, kidnapped by aliens.
A major issue, is the opening sequence possesses more tension than many of the subsequent scenes. There are only so many iterations of the same old corridor fight you can make before it becomes repetitive, and after watching humans on one side of a samey hallway, and aliens on the other, shooting at each other for the third time, it's already growing stale, and by the halfway mark, the film ceases to introduce anything new. This isn't helped by the film overstaying its welcome. At over a hundred minutes, the movie is not short for a product that has very little to say.
A second issue is the lack of personality amongst our protagonists. Kelly (Max Martini) is the leader. Reyes (Michael Irby, who rejoins Martini from the TV series The Unit) is his friend. Jax (Jaren Mitchell) is the guy who likes to sing 'California'. Rhodie (LaMonica Garrett) is the guy who gets the alien pew-pew gun to work. Nash (Linds Edwards) is the comic relief. Together, they exhibit about as much chemistry as a line of ants you might see in your backyard.
This lacking comradery is on full display when their comrades die, the soldiers constantly remaining stoic and silent, demonstrating little in the way of emotion. It becomes hard to care for the characters when they hardly seem to care for each other.
Furthermore, lines of dialogue between the soldiers are very stiff and mechanical - think a low budget video game - and when the film tries its hand at comedy, lines like 'I believe in Jesus Christ and Dolly Parton', offer a chuckle, but never reach the highs of Hudson from Aliens.
Not long after waking up on board the alien craft, the soldiers meet Ravi (Brainna Hildebrand), who is the traditional tough-as-nails Russian, and has been surviving on the ship. Disappointedly, as the film progresses, it finds less and less things for her to do. In addition, despite the marketing focusing heavily on Linda Hamilton, we don't meet her character, Anya, until an hour into the film, and even then, her role is not very large. Despite that, Hamilton shows she's still one of the coolest women-bad-asses, whilst pulling off a neat Russian accent.
The movie tries its hand at themes, including anti-war, parenthood and loss of home, but these are given the exact same depth as the characters. In fact, despite the repetitive nature of the action scenes, you often cannot wait for the short-lived conversations to be over, just so you can get to the next mediocre corridor fight.
The film borrows the lighting from Alien Vs. Predator Requiem - that is to say, the film is often in darkness, with creatures and characters hidden in shadow. When you do see the aliens, they look decent (but do keep your expectations in check). Think the monsters from The Lair or the Locust from Gears of War, and you're on the right track. As an aside, the occasional special effect (the use of a hologram, or an energy shield) looks not half bad.
I did find the dialogue was not very loud, and needed to have the subtitles on, whereas the other sounds (example, gunfire) were perfectly audible. The gunfire is better than a low-budget stock soundtrack, but not by much. Similarly, the music is functional, but at the same time, forgettable.
That word, forgettable, is one that comes to mind when describing my experience with the film overall. I like me a schlocky creature feature as much as the next guy, but despite Osiris' premise, and it's entertaining opening act, it begins to fall flat as it continues, and the film's final scene, that is clearly meant to shock, left me instead rather 'meh!'
You might be looking at that 8/10 review and thinking what year I had my lobotomy - but bear with me. Despite its faults, Ice Road Vengeance is a movie that doesn't try to pick off more than it can chew. It is a simple, by the numbers B-grade action film that ends up feeling better than the sum of its parts, because everything is used to its fullest.
At just over a hundred minutes, the film doesn't waste time, though, by the same metric, only attempts the simplest of narratives and characters. I will say I've never seen the original Ice Road, though that didn't stop me from understanding its sequel.
Mike (Liam Neeson) is introduced to us in Tom Cruise M:I 2 fashion - climbing a massive rock wall without a rope. But, as we will come to see, Neeson often remains as gangly and awkward as he has in previous action outings, despite the deep, guttural action-man voice. In short, if you never believed Neeson was an effective action dude, yeah...this film is not going change your mind.
The late Gurty (Marcus Thomas), Mike's brother, has requested that his ashes be delivered to Mount Everest, his dream to conquer this natural wonder been a task that falls to his remaining family. To help him with the task, Mike hires Dhani (the always beautiful Fan Bingbing) to be his guide - though as we will come to see, helping foreigners tour Everest is only one of her many skills. The costume and make-up use on Miss. Fan remarkably give her the look of a third world villager, and the accent she adopts is also commendable.
Mike happens to arrive at a time when the local village is under threat. The Rai family - father Ganesh (Shapoor Batliwalla) and son Vijay (Saksham Sharma), who peacefully preside over the village, have had their leadership challenged by Rudra (Mahesh Jadu). Rudra is a typical, moustache twirling bad guy if ever there was one, the script however, offering him little else to do than glare menacingly and do bad things because, umm, he can, I guess?
When Vijay escapes Rudra's goons, he just so happens to board the Kiwi Express, the same tour bus Mike and Dhani are on, operated by Spike (Geoff Morrell), who offers the film a good dose of humor and charm.
Joining them on the bus is a foreign government official, Evan Myers (Bernard Curry), who is investigating the oppression happening in the region, whilst holidaying with his daughter, Starr (Grace O'Sullivan). Very convenient, don't you think? Now, all stuck together, and hunted by the same antagonist, this unlikely group of holiday-makers are the only thing between the bad guys, and total control over the region.
When it comes to characterisation, our cast are provided arcs with actual payoffs, which is a positive, however, these are largely predictable, and nothing you haven't seen before. Don't go in expecting any massive surprises or bewildering twists - this is not that kind of film.
Most of the sets are small, much like the Kiwi Express that a lot of the film happens around, but this is a perfect example of the feature knowing its limits (example, there is talk of a river and a dam project, but never are these shown), and working within those to focus on other areas.
The action set pieces are typical B-movie fare, though there is something gritty and impactful about them that keeps these entertaining (if you have been spoiled by the trailer, you would know a scene where Mike brilliantly uses the environment to his advantage). Furthermore, though protagonists shrugging off fatal bullet wounds is incredibly unrealistic, the explosions look impressive, and the accompanying score really heightens the tension.
Overall, go into Ice Road Vengeance with the right expectations. It is a largely generic B-grade action film, however the competent direction which helms the project guarantees it stands out amongst the others. It also has a 'ice ending, and who could possibly say no to that?
At just over a hundred minutes, the film doesn't waste time, though, by the same metric, only attempts the simplest of narratives and characters. I will say I've never seen the original Ice Road, though that didn't stop me from understanding its sequel.
Mike (Liam Neeson) is introduced to us in Tom Cruise M:I 2 fashion - climbing a massive rock wall without a rope. But, as we will come to see, Neeson often remains as gangly and awkward as he has in previous action outings, despite the deep, guttural action-man voice. In short, if you never believed Neeson was an effective action dude, yeah...this film is not going change your mind.
The late Gurty (Marcus Thomas), Mike's brother, has requested that his ashes be delivered to Mount Everest, his dream to conquer this natural wonder been a task that falls to his remaining family. To help him with the task, Mike hires Dhani (the always beautiful Fan Bingbing) to be his guide - though as we will come to see, helping foreigners tour Everest is only one of her many skills. The costume and make-up use on Miss. Fan remarkably give her the look of a third world villager, and the accent she adopts is also commendable.
Mike happens to arrive at a time when the local village is under threat. The Rai family - father Ganesh (Shapoor Batliwalla) and son Vijay (Saksham Sharma), who peacefully preside over the village, have had their leadership challenged by Rudra (Mahesh Jadu). Rudra is a typical, moustache twirling bad guy if ever there was one, the script however, offering him little else to do than glare menacingly and do bad things because, umm, he can, I guess?
When Vijay escapes Rudra's goons, he just so happens to board the Kiwi Express, the same tour bus Mike and Dhani are on, operated by Spike (Geoff Morrell), who offers the film a good dose of humor and charm.
Joining them on the bus is a foreign government official, Evan Myers (Bernard Curry), who is investigating the oppression happening in the region, whilst holidaying with his daughter, Starr (Grace O'Sullivan). Very convenient, don't you think? Now, all stuck together, and hunted by the same antagonist, this unlikely group of holiday-makers are the only thing between the bad guys, and total control over the region.
When it comes to characterisation, our cast are provided arcs with actual payoffs, which is a positive, however, these are largely predictable, and nothing you haven't seen before. Don't go in expecting any massive surprises or bewildering twists - this is not that kind of film.
Most of the sets are small, much like the Kiwi Express that a lot of the film happens around, but this is a perfect example of the feature knowing its limits (example, there is talk of a river and a dam project, but never are these shown), and working within those to focus on other areas.
The action set pieces are typical B-movie fare, though there is something gritty and impactful about them that keeps these entertaining (if you have been spoiled by the trailer, you would know a scene where Mike brilliantly uses the environment to his advantage). Furthermore, though protagonists shrugging off fatal bullet wounds is incredibly unrealistic, the explosions look impressive, and the accompanying score really heightens the tension.
Overall, go into Ice Road Vengeance with the right expectations. It is a largely generic B-grade action film, however the competent direction which helms the project guarantees it stands out amongst the others. It also has a 'ice ending, and who could possibly say no to that?