THE UNHEALER ** USA 2020 Dir: Martin Guigui. 94 mins Save for the support of one wealthy, pretty long-term friend (the appealing Kayla Carson), high school life is miserable for Pica-suffering Elijah Nelson. Unflatteringly nicknamed “Trash Boy” for his compulsion to eat almost anything, he takes solace in the love of Natasha Henstridge, now officially consigned to underwritten Loyal Mom roles. Shyster drunk faux-healer Lance Henriksen has ended up with a real gift thanks to a 1000 year old grave in a Shaman burial ground. Despite being warned by the wise Red Elk (Branscombe Richmond) of the dangers of not…
Author: Steven West
UNEARTH **** USA 2020 Dir: John C Lyons, Dorota Swies. 94 mins “There’s no birds…there’s no bugs…” Here’s a 21st century eco-horror film that would serve as an impactful feature length promotional video for any environmental group’s anti-fracking campaigns. Punctuated by imposing aerial shots of the slowly poisoned countryside surrounding Silverthorn, Pennsylvania and accompanied by the anxiously atonal sounds of Jane Saunders’ score, it’s an exercise in slow-burn unease that truly chills. Divorced mechanic Marc Blucas -who’s superb- lives in an economically flagging community and is struggling to support his daughters (and new granddaughter) while his business, which relies on…
ROPES (a.k.a. Cordes / Prey) *** Spain 2019 Dir: Jose Luis Montesinos. 87 mins The feature debut for director Jose Luis Montesinos at first appears to be a hybrid of CUJO and the old fashioned thriller trope of a physically disabled, lone woman fighting for survival in her own home against an unexpected enemy. Paula Del Rio impresses as a suicidal, paralysed teenager still harbouring overwhelming guilt for the car crash that killed her sister (also Del Rio) and in which she was the driver. Her dad (Miguel Angel Jenner), himself a recovering alcoholic with a lot to prove, has…
THE HORROR CROWD *** USA 2020 Dir: Ruben Pla. 92 mins Actor / director Ruben Pla is a jovial – if sometimes slightly intrusive – onscreen presence throughout this warm documentary, in which he interviews an assortment of friends and contacts within the Hollywood horror film community. The line of questioning is often as shallow as it gets (“What was it like to be the weird kid?”) but it’s a fun series of engaging talking heads. Darren Lynn Bousman is among those reflecting on childhood experiences with the genre, including his influential early dabble with the Gothic series of Ladybird…
THE REMNANT *** Canada 2019 Dir: Navin Ramaswaran. 17 mins Here’s a good looking, if thematically limited, exploration of familiar 21st century horror themes from prolific filmmaker Navin Ramaswaran, whose interesting, genre-blurring indie fare includes POOR AGNES (2017). The opening sets the scene – a housekeeper experiences harrowing paranormal activity in her employer’s house: bleeding paintings, an invisible presence and that favourite modern horror indication that All Is Not Right – Creepy Vinyl. Crystal clutching paranormal investigators arrive but are outed by the home owner’s daughter as conmen. The story then becomes a waiting game to see the tricksters staging…