Thriller
The King Tide
Newfoundlander director Christian Sparkes (Hammer) seems as though he dipped into A24’s back catalogue to draw inspiration for his effective east coast chiller The King Tide. While there may be stylistic similarities to David Eggers’ work (The Witch, The Lighthouse) and Ari Aster’s movies (Hereditary, Midsommar), Sparkes’ ominous dramatic thriller doesn’t necessarily resemble Canada’s usual output. At least, not since Denis Côté’s Ghost Town Anthology.
Some Other Woman
Some Other Woman doesn’t tell us much about its psychological thriller of suspicion and distrust, but the audience believes they’re witnessing a ritual.
Orah
By: Trevor Chartrand Lonzo Nzekwe tells a very personal story in his gritty revenge-thriller, Orah. Having lost his brother at the hands of an alleged corrupt police officer in Nigeria, the filmmaker has admittedly helmed this movie as a sort-of revenge fantasy; with his characters exacting justice in ways he never could. As the film’s writer and director, Nzekwe’s ambitions are noble and empowering but, as a film, Orah is ultimately a messy series of…
The Seeding
The Seeding may be the first great horror movie of the year and, yet, it’s a tough recommendation.
Blood in the Snow 2023: ‘ROMI’
ROMI is the artificial intelligence system that assists a fancy-schmancy smart home in Robert Cuffley’s horror-thriller of the same name. Young hit-and-run fugitive Maddie (Alexa Barajas of TV’s Yellowjackets) has been assigned to stay at the exclusive house to maintain her cover while her politician mother runs for election without any controversies. Maddie’s getaway is also assisted by the home owner Hertig (Pavel Kriz of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) and programmer extraordinaire Barkley (Juan…
Dangerous Waters
Dangerous Waters may be an over-the-top thriller, but it’s also unpredictable with every twist and turn. That ought to right some of its wrongs…right?
Toronto After Dark 2023: ‘The Deep Dark’
Nobody “phones it in” for Mathieu Turi’s subterranean thriller The Deep Dark, although their efforts are for naught; simply because this movie isn’t a good fit for their work.
Fair Play
In Fair Play, Emily (Phoebe Dynevor of Netflix’s Bridgerton) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich of Solo: A Star Wars Story and Cocaine Bear) are financial analysts who are discreetly dating but individually on the offence at the workplace. The hedge fund they work for is highly competitive, but unprofessional when dealing with internal matters. An open promotion heard through the grapevine makes everyone more sharp and vicious, but it’s Emily who is eyed for the position….