The Unearned Absurdity of James Wan’s Malignant
Malignant suffers through genre tropes to get to its meaty creativity. The question isn’t whether it has any but whether it’s worth the wait.
Malignant suffers through genre tropes to get to its meaty creativity. The question isn’t whether it has any but whether it’s worth the wait.
M. Night Shyamalan continues his winning streak with a well-acted high-concept thriller about the end-times. It’s more smoke than fire though.
Whannell drenches the action of his remake in expository relevance to cover for a lack of basic thriller rationale in the screenplay.
The unassailable influence of Stanley Kubrick’s horror staple hides its dramatic shortcomings behind an illusion of prestige.
A Quiet Place Part II tries to squeeze more sequence out of a great concept. It succeeds despite straining for believability amid conflicting rules.
Rob Zombie makes a twisted costume contest nightmare out of an idea of The Munsters that never overcomes its lack of inspiration or its cast’s shortcomings.
The infamously misunderstood Halloween III is still little more than an unrefined pseudo-thriller on its own merits, unworthy of seasonal contention.
Halloween Ends has the power to finish its cluttered horror series meaningfully, even if this isn’t what some of the series’ fans were hoping for.
Werewolf by Night struggles for clarity within the constraints of an homage, sequel, origin story, and TV special in one. But it’s fun to watch it try.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers remakes a great B-movie with intellectual terror. It knows that irony makes it even scarier. This is pure horror joy.
The much-maligned Prometheus hides an epic sci-fi fable despite failing to satisfy its own ambitions. Fassbender is genre-defining.
Let Me In is an arousing remake that makes a cautionary tale more streamlined, romantic, and cathartic, three things it probably never intended to be.
Despite its meandering awkwardness, one of the most hated horror films of all time features a compelling creative vision and the visuals of an epic.
Army of the Dead’s ruthless devotion to plagiarization is its most passionate aspect. Less effort was never spent on a film so casually praised.
The new Texas Chainsaw Massacre film is exactly what you would expect from rebooting this dirty series into the glossed-up legacy sequel model.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake is far more willing to recreate its original than to understand it. The result is vile. And not in a good way.
Saint Maud is a confident debut from a promising filmmaker, but its self-imposed genre tropes become limitations that hold it back from greatness.
The White Reindeer is equal parts history, horror, and fairytale – a myth of innocence, in a landscape of snow and terror.
Ari Aster’s Midsommar shows the dark side of empowerment, which is its main success. That so many consider it a self-help film is its main curiosity.
The horror in Alien is as disquietingly personal as any sci-fi epic ever made. This is the genre’s ultimate masterclass in turning style into story.
Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow is an underappreciated throwback horror gem. Chilly, cheesy, and sometimes completely beautiful.
The Happening was supposed to be Shyamalan’s take on Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The only thing that got snatched was more of his own appeal.
It is a movie with no individual voice and, appropriately enough, it treats language as an impediment to be renounced.