MOVIE REVIEW: ABIGAIL

 

A group of would-be criminals kidnaps the 12-year-old daughter of a powerful underworld figure. Holding her for ransom in an isolated mansion, their plan starts to unravel when they discover their young captive is actually a bloodthirsty vampire.

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

Cast: Alisha Weir, Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, Giancarlo Esposito

Release Date: April 19, 2024

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, pervasive language and brief drug use.

Runtime:1h 49m

Review:

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett's Abigail might be a little light on scares but it more than makes up for it with its fun, over the top energy and a game cast that make it one of the funniest horror comedies in recent memory.  The directing duo recapture the energy that worked so well in their 2019 breakout, Ready or Not, with a bloody blend of cartoonish characters and increasingly outrageous dark comedy which plays like a mash up of Reservoir Dogs and From Dusk till Dawn.  Those expecting anything new or terribly deep will be left disappointed since neither the story nor characters are fairly thin and straightforward.  Thankfully, this is the kind of film that doesn't really require much from either, especially with an ensemble cast that's having as much fun as the directors are.  Melissa Barrera is steady in the lead role, playing it straight for the majority of the film even as things get gorier and bloodier.  The supporting cast is made up of familiar faces that are clearly relishing the chance to lean into the characters personas.  Dan Stevens delivers another strong performance as a NY cop turned criminal, further proving his ability to morph into anybody onscreen.  Kathryn Newton, in full Avril Lavigne cosplay, is great fun as the ditzy tech nerd of the group who gets some of the film's best lines.  Kevin Durand brings a goofy likability to his meat head muscle highlighted by some solid chemistry with Newton.  Angus Cloud, in his final screen performance, gets a few moments early on but his screen time is fairly brief, much like Giancarlo Esposito, in the grand scheme of things.  Alisha Weir, who plays the kidnapped tween ballerina, really shines throughout as she shuffles between tween and ancient ghoul with incredible ease.  She possesses a confidence onscreen that makes the film work far better than it would have been in lesser hands.  Abigail stumbles a bit in the final act where you get the sense a few bits could have been excised to make for a leaner experience.  It’s a minor issue and something that's easy to overlook once the film wraps up its goofy, gory trek that's sure to leave plenty of people smiling.  

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: SCREAM 6

 

Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.

Director: Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

Cast:  Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox, Jack Champion, Henry Czerny, Liana Liberato, Dermot Mulroney, Devyn Nekoda, Tony Revolori, Josh Segarra, Samara Weaving

Release Date: March 10, 2023

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence and language throughout, and brief drug use

Runtime: 2h 2m

Review:

The Scream franchise has always been a strange one for me since I've never really had the deep affection that a lot of people have for the series.  The meta schtick was an interesting take but it'd run its course which brought about the semi revival that hit the screens last year.  This follow up entry, again directed by Tyler Gillett and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, feels more confident and self assured than their first run.  Moving the setting and resetting the characters give the series a boost of life that makes Neve Campbell's absence a bit easier to take for long time fans.  This entry delivers some solid energy from the start with the performers more than ready to take the handle of the series.  Gillett and Bettinelli-Olpin set up some solid sequences, the subway portion is particularly well done, but there's nary a sense of tension or actual scares throughout the entire thing.  That being said, they are entertainingly choregraphed even as they get increasingly goofy due to plot armor that allows characters to survive various forms of bodily harm even though the script overtly promises nobody is safe.  It’s one of my overreach issues with the series since it's never as edgy and it thinks it is before it falls into standard genre tropes.  It's a good thing the cast is game enough to make it all so watchable.  Melissa Barrera, whose eyebrows should be their own character, and Jenna Ortega make for a solid duo even as they spout out some terribly stilted dialogue.  There are hints here and there about Barrera's character that could make her much more interesting but much like the previous entry it only scrapes the surface of her mental state.  Mason Gooding and Jasmin Savoy Brown return with another fun supporting turn as the brother and sister movie buffs.  Hayden Panettiere and Courteney Cox return with varying degrees of effectiveness with Cox's character feeling mostly inconsequential for the most part.  Dermot Mulroney performance as an NYPD detective is straightforward initially before it jumps off a cliff into cartoonish, much like the final act, territory by the time the film ends.  Scream 6 is still peppered with the issues that have plagued the series overall but it’s entertaining enough to make for mindless fun.  

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: SCREAM

 

Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the Ghostface mask and begins targeting a group of teenagers to resurrect secrets from the town's deadly past.

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Cast: David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, Dylan Minnette, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mikey Madison, Sonia Ben Ammar, Marley Shelton, Skeet Ulrich, Heather Matarazzo, Roger L. Jackson

Release Date: January 14, 2022

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout and some sexual references

Runtime: 1h 54m

Review:

Wes Craven's original Scream was a nice bit of self referential satire on slasher films.  It's the type of film that would have been better served if its subsequent sequels never existed.  It's heavy meta approach wasn't ever all that clever, Craven had done it before with his series send off for Freddy Krueger with New Nightmare.  As the film's have progressed the self reflection and satire has slowly devolved into self parody.  This fifth entry from directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett is unintentionally funny in parts and rarely if ever scary to any tangible degree.  The script riffs on elevated horror here and there while being a prime example of why most of the slasher genre is dead and buried.  They are clearly fans of the genre but they deliver some uninspired, bland and mildly boring bits of what can barely be called horror.  The kills are fairly rudimentary with them choosing brutally over creating any palpable sense of tension.  David Arquette, Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox all return with varying degrees of impact with even certain moments that should register emotionally falling flat.  Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Jack Quaid do the heavy lifting for the better part of the film with Quaid being the only who seems to be having a good time.  Barrera is surprisingly flat with her eyebrows leaving the biggest impression on the film.  The who done it at play here sadly isn't all the complex or terribly intriguing as it tries to make a point about toxic fandom.  This fifth entry feels like it should be the last in the series and probably for good reason.

D

MOVIE REVIEW: READY OR NOT

Grace couldn't be happier after she marries the man of her dreams at his family's luxurious estate. There's just one catch -- she must now hide from midnight until dawn while her new in-laws hunt her with guns, crossbows and other weapons.

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

Cast: Samara Weaving, Mark O'Brien, Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell

Release Date: August 21, 2019

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for violence, bloody images, language throughout, and some drug use

Runtime: 1 h 35 min

Review:

Ready or Not is one of those film’s that just comes out of nowhere and just surprises in multiple ways.  It’s a great black comedy that’s consistently entertaining from start to finish.  While the basic premise seems incredibly basic, you can find plenty of nuance and texture in it’s dissection of the 1% and gender politics.  It’s never overly didactic because first and foremost it aims to entertain with over the top set pieces and genuine shocks.  Director’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett crafted a lean efficient thrill ride that’s incredibly fun.  Australian actress Samara Weaving delivers a star making turn as grace.  It would have been easy to play the character as a one dimensional but she adds multiple layers to her which makes her all the more engaging as she goes from frighten to fighting back.  The supporting cast is made up of a bevy familiar character actors along with Andie MacDowell being the biggest name in the whole thing.  Ready or Not feels like a mash up of Your Next and Clue while becoming a crazy special thing of it’s own.


A

[Trailer] V/H/S

Late to the party as usual, I just found out about this film and have to say it looks devilishly good. I’ve been a fan of found footage films since Blair Witch, even if they’ve become kind of passé now. I’ve also been a fan of compilation horror films, which seem to have fallen off the face of the cinematic Earth (save for the wonderful Trick R Treat from a few years back.)

This trailer has me excited to see more…..