SWALLOW ***** USA / France 2019 Dir: Carlo Mirabella-Davis. 94 mins There are echoes of Todd Haynes’ [SAFE] in this haunting psychological horror piece about an alienated woman’s desperate retreat into a condition that provides her with the comfort and fulfillment lacking elsewhere – though Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ feature debut is one of the most distinctive and empathetic character studies of recent years. Anchored by Haley Bennett’s astonishing performance (the kind of multi-layered portrayal that would be a shoo-in for an Oscar if this the kind of film that attracted Oscars), it’s a beautifully shot and paced film inspired by the…
Author: Steven West
CAPE FEAR **** USA 1991 Dir: Martin Scorcese. 123 mins Martin Scorcese’s 90s refashioning of J. Lee Thompson’s comparatively understated 1962 thriller sets out its stall with an in-your-face opening: Robert De Niro’s extensively tattooed, pumped up Max Candy walks from jail to freedom, straight into the camera as melodramatic movie storm clouds brew above. Bernard Herrmann’s menacing original score is powerfully revived by Elmer Bernstein and, in another satisfying throwback, the beautifully strange title sequence is designed by Elaine and Saul Bass. This time out, a modern sensibility changes the dynamic of the central family. The marriage of adulterous,…
BAD CANDY * USA 2020 Dir: Scott B Hansen, Desiree Connell. 103 mins Another month, another lame, obnoxious horror anthology. This one is framed by a series of tales based on local myths and legends, as spun by irritating DJs Chilly Billy (Corey Taylor) and Paul (Zach Galligan). They exchange cheap jokes and banter in between a sequence of interwoven individual stories that collide with the wraparound in the final act. It’s clearly (and optimistically) aping TRICK ‘R TREAT, which remains one of the strongest genre portmanteau of the last 20 years or so. With public-domain evergreen NIGHT OF THE…
THE UNTOLD STORY *** Hong Kong 1993 Dir: Danny Lee, Herman Yau. 95 mins A peculiar combination of broad comedy, SWEENEY TODD-derived black humour, gruelling violence and brutal prison drama, this notorious Cat III movie pivots around a terrifyingly committed performance by Anthony Wong. The deeply chauvinistic police department – where all the guys perve over their boss’ busty girlfriend – are baffled by an assortment of body parts washing ashore. We know it’s the work of bespectacled restaurateur Wong, who possesses an alarming stillness even when committing the most despicable acts. His “barbecue pork buns” are fashioned from the…
THE GUEST **** USA / UK 2014 Dir: Adam Wingard. 99 mins Director Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett’s follow-up to knowing latter-day slasher YOU’RE NEXT was this clever, 80s-hued thriller, defined by its filmmaker as an inverted HALLOWEEN filtered through THE TERMINATOR. Hunky Dan Stevens turns up at the family home of Leland Orser and Sheila Kelley, convincing them that he served with their (recently deceased) son in combat and, following discharge, wants to pay his respects. They let this well-mannered young man stay in their son’s old room, while he proves popular with their much-bulled younger son and hormonal…