Horror

Reviews

Countdown

Make no bones about it: writer/director Justin Dec’s contemporary cyber horror Countdown has been influenced by the Final Destination series, a franchise that toyed with ideas of existentialism and then devolved into outrageous collections of gruesome spectacles.

Reviews

Little Monsters

Little Monsters is a common zombie movie that’s been inspired by contemporary horror comedies (especially Shaun of the Dead’s slacker humour).  The reason it doesn’t fall into obscurity among the wash of other copycats is because the film stays light and merry while balancing morbid laughs.

Reviews

Wrinkles the Clown

When I hear the names “Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K. Walker” attached to a project, I drop everything I’m doing.  These two filmmakers are showcasing outstanding work in the documentary genre.  Their doc Welcome to Leith, about white supremacists targeting and flipping a small town into their own personal basecamp, was a terrifying look at the escalation of evil.  At first glance, their latest film Wrinkles the Clown looks to be as scary.  Their…

Reviews

The Lighthouse

After wowing audiences with his feature-length debut The Witch, writer/director Robert Eggers takes a big swing with The Lighthouse – a film with more specifications and fewer actors.  His latest film connected with many (our own Shahbaz Khayambashi loved it at TIFF), but it didn’t work for me.  I can appreciate the dedication of Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe (which translates into their memorable performances), but the actors are wasted on a movie that’s too muddled…

Reviews

I See You

Adam Randall’s thriller I See You is so good, it hurts.  Seriously though, because I’m biting my tongue.  I want to gush about this fantastic movie so much, but talking about it in detail would be a disservice.  The film dishes out so many surprises and they all stick a miraculous landing.

Festival Coverage

Toronto After Dark 2019: Shorts After Dark

The biggest strength of Toronto After Dark is, and always has been, the importance given to short films.  Shorts are given their own programs, but they also play before features.  Due to genre cinema’s specific limitations, shorts are both useful as a way to make a name for oneself and as a storytelling medium.  As such, it’s important to look at what is happening in that world.  Let’s take a look at the good, the…