Death, Desire, and the Ghostly British Countryside There’s something about the British countryside that just begs for hauntings. Maybe it’s the fog, maybe it’s the damp stone cottages, or maybe it’s the national pastime of repressing feelings until they manifest as poltergeists. Whatever the reason, Soulmate—Axelle Carolyn’s stunning and darkly witty directorial debut—turns rural Wales … Read More “Soulmate (2013): Love, Death, and Other Reasonable Ghostly Excuses” »
When Your Worst Nightmare Has a Wi-Fi Connection There are two kinds of horror movies in the digital age: those that treat technology as an awkward plot device (“Quick! Check your AOL email for clues!”) and those that lean into our collective online paranoia like a cat on a laser pointer. Skypemare—John Fitzpatrick’s slick, sinister, … Read More “Skypemare (2013): The Call Is Coming From Inside the Bandwidth” »
Turn Out the Lights, But Not the Brain There are horror films that leap out of the dark to scare you—and then there are the ones that make you afraid of closing your eyes at all. Shadow People, Matthew Arnold’s 2013 supernatural thriller, fits squarely in the second category. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a … Read More “Shadow People (2013): Sleep Tight, The Shadows Are Watching” »
The Friendship That Died So You Didn’t Have To Every now and then, a movie comes along that makes you appreciate your friends—specifically, the fact that none of them have ever stranded you in the middle of the desert for “personal growth.” Scenic Route (or Wrecked if you’re British and want to ruin the surprise) … Read More “Scenic Route (2013): Two Bros, One Breakdown, and a Desert Full of Existential Dread” »
Welcome to the Sanitarium — Where Everyone Needs a Little Therapy There are few places more comforting than a psychiatric ward—if, of course, your definition of comfort includes hallucinations, homicidal delusions, and dolls that talk back. Sanitarium (2013) invites you to check in, get cozy, and stay for three deranged little tales of madness, each … Read More “Sanitarium (2013): Madness, Murder, and Malcolm McDowell’s Bedside Manner” »
Welcome to Eden Parish — Population: Deeply Unwell Some horror films sneak up on you. Others bash you over the head with a camera crew and a vat of poison. The Sacrament—Ti West’s 2013 found-footage horror about a “utopian” commune that collapses faster than a wellness influencer’s credibility—is very much the latter. Inspired by the … Read More “The Sacrament (2013): Drink the Kool-Aid, but Make It Cinema” »
When Guidance Counselors Meet the Undead There are movies that make you question your faith in cinema. Then there are movies that make you question your faith in the afterlife. A Resurrection—also known as The Sibling, for reasons that sound like they came from a late-night focus group—manages to do both while still being oddly … Read More “A Resurrection (2013): Dead Brothers, High School Drama, and the Power of Questionable Witchcraft” »
Digging Up the Wrong Movie If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if The Mummy, National Treasure, and an episode of Ancient Aliens had a love child and then abandoned it in a desert, you’ll find your answer in Prisoners of the Sun. Directed by Roger Christian—the man who gave us Battlefield Earth (yes, that … Read More “Prisoners of the Sun (2013): Mummy Dearest, Please Stay Buried” »
A Monster of a Mess Some movies are so bad they’re good. Poseidon Rex isn’t one of them. It’s the cinematic equivalent of finding a plastic dinosaur in your cereal and realizing it has more emotional depth than the movie you just watched. Directed by Mark L. Lester—who once made Commando and apparently hasn’t forgiven … Read More “Poseidon Rex (2013): When Jurassic Park Meets Sharknado at a Cheap Resort” »
A Remake That Refuses to Flatline Horror remakes are a lot like the undead—they just keep coming, whether we ask for them or not. But every so often, one claws its way out of the cinematic morgue, wipes off the dust, and announces, “Surprise! I’m actually alive.” Patrick (2013), Mark Hartley’s sleek, deliriously gothic reimagining … Read More “Patrick (2013): Love, Lust, and Lobotomy — The Coma Strikes Back” »