The Invitation – Film Review

Posted on August 26, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Jessica M. Thompson

Writer: Blair Butler and Jessica M. Thompson

Starring: Nathalie Emmanuel, Thomas Doherty, Stephanie Cornelissen, Alana Boden, Courtney Taylor, Hugh Skinner, and Sean Pertwee

Rating: ★★★½

If you take a Jane Austen Novel, add some Gothic horror to it, then you get The Invitation. Directed by Jessica M. Thompson, who also co-wrote the script with Blair Butler, the film is a slow-paced horror romance that blends a lot of familiar elements to make something that feels fresh.

Set in the modern day, Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) is plucked from her downtrodden life in America, after completing a DNA test and finding out that she’s a member of a rich English family. She’s invited to a family wedding, which she reluctantly agrees to attend. Evie finds herself in an English manor that’s filled with dangerous secrets and a mysterious past.

Before we meet Evie, the opening of the film shows an unknown woman committing suicide in the manor that Evie will later be staying. It’s a chilling scene, and one that leaves a lot of questions to be answered. It sets the tone without giving anything away. After that the film turns into a more Austenesque romance as Evie, who is stuck working in catering while wanting to be an artist, finds out she is part of a larger family. Her mother has recently died of cancer, and this leaves her without any family, until Oliver (Hugh Skinner) appears in her life, and offers her an alternative. Once she arrives in England she meets the Lord of the land, Walter (Thomas Doherty) and the couple start to fall in love.

While their romance is full of whimsy, the film never tries to trick you into thinking that this is a period drama. Evie, when going to get water at night, witnesses a strange ritual with the cleaning staff, there’s a dark and foreboding atmosphere even before we get to see what’s actually happening. There are short scenes of the servants being killed by shadowy figures, that hint at the later revelations. Combined with a few jump scares, you know there’s something more sinister beyond Walter’s charming persona.

The big reveal is really great and it’s both obvious and a surprise. Sadly, afterwards the film feels really dragged out and loses all the terror it was building. It’s not a scary film, beyond a couple of jump scares, but the atmosphere up until the ending is tense and haunting. Once it’s revealed that’s lost. There’s a pointless scene where Evie tries to escape, which only serves as a nod towards Bram Stoker’s Dracula as she finds characters named Jonathan and Mina Harker who she thinks will help her. Apart from being a nice reference, it pads out a film that’s bordering on being too long by that point.

All of the build up in The Invitation is superb. There’s a great sense of growing terror, and the mystery plays out nicely. The ending just doesn’t quite make the landing into greatness.  

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Trauma – Film Review

Posted on August 25, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Dario Argento

Writers: Dario Argento, Eibon Klein, Ruth Jessup

Starring: Christopher Rydell, Asia Argento, Piper Laurie, Frederic Forrest

Rating: ★★★

The 1993 film Trauma was co-written and directed by Dario Argento and was also the first full film that Argento made in America. At the time it was poorly received, both critically and commercially, and is seen by some as the beginning of Argento’s critical decline. Watching it now, it’s no where near as bad as the legacy it holds. It may not come close to the heights of his earlier work, but it’s still a decent thriller with some great gore and effects.

Trauma is also notable for being the first time that Asia Argento starred in one of her father’s films. Asia would go on to star in many of his future films, including The Stendhal Syndrome, Mother of Tears, and this year’s Dark Glasses. In this film the younger Argento stars as Aura, a teenager struggling with anorexia (which was inspired by Asia’s half-sister), who witnesses the horrific murder of both of her parents. Not wanting to return to a psychiatric hospital, Aura seeks shelter with David Parsons (Christopher Rydell), who works in local news. The pair team up and start following the clues, trying to figure out who the murderer is.

The set up is classic Argento, where someone witnesses a murder and then going off on their own to solve it before the police do. It works quite well here, with some good twists and a good pace. The film length is around one hour and forty-five minutes, but it flies by. As it progresses the film does get sillier and sillier, with things like talking decapitated heads, which does undercut some of the tension but it still has its moments. It’s funny with some unintentional moments, as well as some music that feels like it should be from Home Alone whenever the kid who lives next door the murder is on screen.

Besides that the mystery is pretty good and keeps you guessing to the end. Even if the answer is a little over-the-top, it’s still a good journey to get there. The gore and violence is amongst the best of Argento’s work, with effects from Tom Savini that still stand up today. Funnily enough, Argento wanted to tone down the gore compared to his previous films, but it’s still very much a part of Trauma. The opening sequence shows someone being decapitated by some kind of garrotte device, that was created by Savini. The murderer uses this device throughout the film, with some grizzly gore to go along with it, especially some of the later scenes. It’s bloody and messy, but what more can you want from an Argento thriller.

The acting is very hit-or-miss and feels very typical of a 90s low-budget horror/thriller. There’s nothing so offensive that it’ll take you out of the film, but you’re not going to be blown away by any of the performances either. It has that charm that 90s films do, and if you’re a fan of stuff like Scream then you’ll feel very much at home here. What is a let down is the music, aside from the aforementioned childish theme that is really out of place, there’s nothing here that is memorable at all. Originally Argento’s usual collaborator’s Goblin were going to work on the score, but the studio turned them down which is a real shame. Instead we’re left with a generic score that doesn’t add much or make it unique in anyway.

Trauma isn’t Argento’s best, but it’s far from his worst. It’s easy watching, has some good twists and a good amount of gore. If you’re looking for something a little bit different, then you can’t go wrong here.

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Bodies Bodies Bodies

Posted on August 24, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: Halina Reijn

Writer: Sarah DeLappe

Starring: Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson

Rating: ★★★½

Bodies Bodies Bodies is the English directorial debut from Dutch director Halina Reijn, with a script from Sarah DeLappe and a story from Kristen Roupenian. It’s a comedy/horror that satirises Gen Z, while at the same time reworking the slasher story with a new twist on the classic genre.

A group of twenty-something friends gather at David’s (Pete Davidson) family mansion in the middle of nowhere to have a drug-fuelled party in the middle of a hurricane. As the party gets started, they also decide to play a game of Bodies Bodies Bodies, where the lights will be turned out and one of them will ‘murder’ the others. Except, the game is taken too far after one of them turns up dead and the friends start to turn on each other.

The opening of this film is really slow, basically just showing the obnoxious group of friends partying, getting high and drunk, while also slowly welcoming the newcomers to the group. Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) has brought her girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova) to the party, who no one else in the group knows. They weren’t even sure Sophie was coming herself, especially since she’d almost disappeared completely after entering rehab. Bee is the obvious suspect when the bodies start to show, and it doesn’t take long for the rest of the characters, including Sophie, to turn against her.

After the slow opening, that isn’t quite as funny as it should be, the film does pick up massively. It’s brutally tense, with the characters being lit up mainly by their phone’s torches, because what would Gen Z be without their devices. You’re never sure who the killer is, as the first few deaths happen off screen, without any hint of the actual killer, and the twist reveal at the end works nicely. It could be any of them, old friends, newcomers or even Max (Conner O’Malley), who left the party the day before after a confrontation with David, and no one has seen him since.

The performances are all really great and feel authentic, adding to the tension of the situation, that runs really high throughout the film. They’re all believable as the killer. At the beginning of the film, the characters are all a little grating, but it settles down once the horror begins. Then there is a long moment where they start accusing each other, throwing around buzzwords you’d see online, like ‘triggered’, ‘gaslighting’, and the dialogue just comes across as a little clumsy, and not natural at all. It’s supposed to be satire, and the point is made, but not very well.

While this is billed as a comedy, for the most part there’s not a lot of laughs to be found. Mostly the opening, before the killing starts, and then a few towards the end. The actual trailer is funnier than the film, mainly down to how it’s edited. If you’re going into this thinking it’s going to be funny, then it’s going to disappoint. The tension and twists are the strongest points of the film.

Overall, this film isn’t a classic, but it’s a solid slasher and has some good moments. The satire falls flat, but it has some tense moments that make up for it.

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Only Murders in the Building – Season 2 Review

Posted on August 23, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Starring: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Aaron Dominguez, Amy Ryan, and Cara Delevingne

Rating: ★★★★½

The murder-mystery TV show, Only Murders in the Building is back with season two, and it’s just as excellent as their first outing. The first season was one of the best TV offerings of last year, and after that cliff-hanger ending it was a long wait for season two. Thankfully the season lives up to that ending and delivers another funny and captivating mystery.

This season picks up directly where the tease of season one ends, with the death of Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell), and it is looking like Mabel (Selena Gomez) is the one who did it. Anyone who’s watched the first season knows that nothing is what it seems on this series, so over the course of ten episodes, with an abundance of twists and red herrings, we get to the bottom of the case. This time it seems personal with the murderer leaving clues that point towards our main characters, trying to frame them. Each episode adds a little more to the puzzle, giving you just enough so you think you can figure it out, but it’s always just out of reach.

Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are all brilliant in this show, bouncing off each other as they solve their second murder. After Mabel is suspected of the murder, the gang reunites to record a second season of their now popular podcast as they solve the case. This leads to a lot of self-referential humour as fans of the podcast’s first season appear throughout the season, mentioning things like the slow progress on the case.

The murderer always seems to be one stop ahead of them, with the actual pieces of the puzzle falling into place very slowly, with a lot of this season made up with a lot of twists and turns that’ll keep you guessing right through to the reveal in the final episode. It’s not only about the mystery though, since this season dives further into the backstory of the main characters, and we get more of an understanding of who our heroes are. There’s some great backstory for all of the main trio and some great relationships and dynamics between them and their families and friends. There are a few flashbacks, with the characters pasts coming back to haunt them in different ways, which is always interesting. The main trio are just such great characters, that it’s entertaining to watch them together. If they actually made the podcast from the show, it would definitely be worth listening to.

There are some surprisingly heartfelt moments mixed in the comedy, especially between Charles (Steven Martin) and his step-daughter, as well as Oliver (Martin Short) and his son. Overall, if you liked the first season, then the same tone and comedy is kept up in this season. It’s easy-watching fun, where the stakes never feel that high and the jokes are plenty. On top of that there’s a fair few cameos, although none quite as funny as Sting’s appearance in the first season.

Out of this season one of the better episodes is an episode that follows Bunny around on her final day alive. It does a great job at building her character, and making you feel sorry for her, instead of her just being the victim. It really adds another element to the series. On the other-hand the worst episode is the one in the blackout, where the gang spends a lot of time walking up stairs while thinking that Charles’s step-daughter is in danger, but they don’t ever act like it’s urgent. It’s a frustrating half hour, and an odd blip compared to the rest of the excellent series.

With a fantastic cast and an engrossing mystery, not to mention the comedy, Only Murders in the Building continues to be on of the best shows around. If you haven’t already jumped on this show, catch up now. It works perfectly as a comedy and as a thriller. There’s also the tantalising final tease for the already renewed season three that will keep us guessing for another year.

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Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood – Film Review

Posted on August 22, 2022 by ashleymanningwriter

Director: John Car Buechler

Writers: Manuel Fidello and Daryl Haney

Starring: Lar Park Lincoln, Kevin Blair, Susan Blu, Terry Kiser, Susan Jennifer Sullivan, and Kane Hodder

Rating: ★★

At the end of the sixth part of the Friday the 13th series, Jason was back from the dead and left chained up at the bottom of Crystal Lake. Part VII: The New Blood continues the story years later with Jason escaping from the lake to kill more teenagers. At the time the series was making less money at the box office with each release, trailing behind A Nightmare on Elm Street, which was making almost double. An idea was thrown around to join the two franchises together for the seventh Friday the 13th film, but an agreement couldn’t be reached between Paramount and New Line Cinema and the idea was scrapped until 2003 after New Line had bought the rights to Friday the 13th.

Carrying on the crossover idea for the film, it was decided to give Jason a formidable foe in Tina, a teenager with telekinetic powers, dubbed as ‘Jason vs Carrie’ by producer Barbara Sachs when the idea was first pitched. Tina, who is played by Lar Park Lincoln, is a really interesting character. As a child she accidentally caused the death of her father, at Crystal Lake, and is weighed down by her grief. She’s not able to control her powers, and also ends up freeing Jason from the lake. The idea of having someone being able to go toe-to-toe with Jason works really well and Tina vs Jason is a great finale to the film. She feels like a Stephen King character, in the best way possible.

Beyond that final fight, the rest of the film is incredibly boring. It’s the same thing as the previous film but is just mind-numbingly slow and drawn out. The pacing is awful, and it’s just so predictable. There’s no fun in this film to be found anywhere. It drags on, following the formula set in the first film, but without any charm or any entertainment value. For the most part it’s just so tedious to sit through.

The actual film feels quite light on gore, especially when compared to other slasher films from around the time, even earlier entries to the Friday the 13th series. When the film was shot there was a lot more gore and blood, but it was mostly left on the cutting room floor to avoid the dreaded ‘X’ rating. One of the more memorable deaths in the film, where Jason grabs a sleeping bag with someone in it and swings it against a tree originally had Jason hitting the bag against the tree several times, but in the end only one hit is shown. It’s a real shame that the more over-the-top gore wasn’t shown, because it makes everything feel a lot more tame than Part Six.

This is a very humourless film, and that’s a real let down after the comedy and fun tone of the previous film. It takes itself very seriously, but it’s not scary in the slightest. Kane Hodder makes for a  good Jason, with an imposing presence and the effects/make up are all great, but it just doesn’t work. The lack of gore makes the kills dull and the lack of humour is a shame. It’s the seventh film in the a slasher series and really feels like everything has been dragged out to much by this point.

According to co-writer Daryl Haney, at one point the hope was for this Friday the 13th to win an Oscar, following the nominations that Fatal Attraction had received the year before. They wanted to do something the series had never done before. Somehow that plan went very wrong, with this entry being really dull. It has some interesting ideas, but with the lack of fun and gore, it just doesn’t live up to the potential and ends up being one of the worst entries in the entire long-running slasher series.

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