Starring Shayne Ward, Sophie Austin, Alana Wallace
By RogerCrow
A special ops squad are sent to infiltrate a civil war to retrieve intel. The unit soon find themselves trapped on a never-ending stairwell forced to climb or die. To survive, they must revisit their past sins if they ever want to escape.
That’s the premise behind this slick, scary and inventive thriller which features Shayne Ward. Yes, that bloke from X Factor and Corrie has beefed up to play a by-the-book military officer who is also the only recognisable face. The rest of the cast aren’t bad either.
There’s some light relief courtesy of a soldier who gets his finger bitten off by a mystery woman, but on the whole, this squad are generic grunts just trying to survive. Most are haunted by their demons, in this case literally.
There’s the odd good jump scare, and thanks to blue or red filters, you always know where you are. Blue for the battleground or stairwell and red for imminent attack from a demon on a staircase.
Yes we’ve seen elements of this before. It’s The Raid, Cube and Event Horizon if you like, but writer/director Tom Paton makes the most of his limited budget, especially with a series of different takes on a key battle.
The action scenes are pretty good, and though the finale feels like a bit of a let down, for the most part this is worth a look, even if it’s a bit of a slog to get to the end of the story. Or is it the start? As a video game it might be more effective. Call of Duty versus Resident Evil if you like. But on a Saturday night where there’s very little on the box, this was a great distraction, even if it was 10 minutes too long.
Starring Kaya Scodelario, Barry Pepper, Morfydd Clark
Directed by Alexandre Aja
Cert 15
By Roger Crow/@RogerCrow
My first of many holidays to Florida involved a trip to Gainesville in 2002. Maybe I was lucky, but even in February the weather was pretty good, and as far as I know, ’gators didn’t swim through people’s homes trying to eat them.
Crawl, a rather good B-movie thriller which looks like a hybrid of Jaws, Alligator and Hard Rain, relies on the old standby of ’less is more’, until the third act when everything is turned up to 11.
It centres on Haley, a swimmer who goes to see her dad when storms lash their Gainesville home. He’s nowhere to be found, but their adorable dog is. As she starts to explore the cellar, it turns out dad Dave is alive but unconscious, and alligators are on the loose. With the aid of her wind-up torch, our heroine proceeds to try and save dad while the flood waters rise.
Director Alexandre Aja is a master of crafting tense scenes, and for the most part this is nail-biting stuff. But while there are plenty of gripping moments, after a while you tire of the quiet, quiet BANG moments, and just pray for something dull. The leaden CG skies, and final shot feel like a video game cut scene, but this is mostly very effective.
Skins and Maze Runner veteran Kaya Scodelario is terrific as the brave heroine, and Barry Pepper, who was so annoying in Battlefield Earth, is a lot more likeable here as dad.
Of course it’s the ’gators that steal the show, lurking in the shadows, and striking at every opportunity. Nobody was crying out for a killer alligator movie, but Crawl is a great diversion from the horrors of the news, and clocking in well under the 90-minute mark, it’s just the right length.
Given his sense of humour, I’m guessing at some point producer Sam Raimi cracked the gag: “Quick, make me a film about killer ‘gators, and make it snappy”.
Sadly, there’s not many jokes here. However, like An American Werewolf in London, it also features THE perfect closing track, which tells you how seriously the filmmakers were taking the whole thing.
Starring Nicole Brydon Bloom, Giles Matthey, Taylor Nichols
Certificate 15
After leaving behind a painful past to follow her dreams, Sarah, a shy, attractive young woman, lands the perfect Hollywood apartment. But something is not right.
Unable to sleep, tormented by strange noises and threatening letters, her new life starts to unravel. That’s the premise behind this low budget thriller which starts out like one of those afternoon TV movies on Channel 5, but slowly reveals its true colours.
Nicole Brydon Bloom is an adorable heroine, though Sarah is deliberately a one-note character (with awful pyjamas), she just comes across as numb to the world, but that’s the point.
Though this does fall into a few obvious generic thriller traps (the pet who may be used as a sacrificial pawn; a weirdo who might be a red herring), for the most part it’s pretty watchable. But then we get into the realms of torture porn, and all that good will built up in the first half hour suddenly goes out the window.
Writer/director David Marmor knows how to craft a tense scene, even if he does pull a Fatal Attraction-style stunt which left me annoyed. It’s that ’crossing the Rubicon’ moment when you realise if Marmor is willing to do that then almost anything goes. And it does. But thankfully he pulls things back in the third act as the full scale of Sarah’s plight is revealed.
Yes, I’m being deliberately vague, but if you like indie flicks Martha Marcy May Marlene, The East and The Purge, this may also appeal. It’s a tough watch once you reach the 40-minute mark, but try and stick with it.
Those final scenes hint at a potential sequel, which isn’t such a horrible thought. There’s plenty to unpack here, not least a lot of religious subtext, some of which is “bloody” obvious.
Though I’m not desperate to see it again immediately, when it drops on Sky or the Horror Channel in a few months or years, I may have to give it another look.
Hopefully a potential follow up will feature a few laughs. Heaven knows this could have done with some comic relief.
When you’ve got someone as valuable as Taika Waititi in your movie, what do you do? In the case of this ’new’ cult comedy (from 2018), you front load the film with his little ditty, exploiting the Kiwi actor and director’s charisma for all its worth, then readdress it at every possibility.
Yes, it is a cult comedy, as in a comedy about a cult rather than a comedy worthy of cult status.
It centres on a youngish couple. He’s a slacker, she’s a wide-eyed kind of girl who swallows his excuses whole. They move into an LA apartment which is surprisingly cheap, and then realise why when a cult member decides to commit suicide in the bath tub.
For reasons which eventually become apparent, this turns out to be a cult members’ suicide hot spot, and the tub is a regular crime scene for those who take their own lives. Funny, right?
Except no, not really. Despite the fact a few of The Big Bang Theory supporting stars populate the cast and Taika is as charismatic as ever as the cult leader, Storsh, this tries to tap into that irreverent vibe that made comedies like Beetlejuice work. But getting that balance right is like jumping out of a tree and landing on one foot on the top of a fence. Tricky at best. (Believe me, I did it by accident once).
So, with little faith in the material, some actors resort to that old standby of SHOUTING. Because manic energy is funny, right? Well, depending on the context and the execution, sometimes. In this case, not so much.
Every so-called gag lands like a 747 with no wheels. Most scenes run a tad too long; a no doubt ad-libbed scene in a bathtub with a cartoon bird involving hot Mountain Dew really outstays its welcome.
It’s like a certain bearded comedian’s shouty rants on Cats Does Countdown. He wants to be as funny and irreverent as Joe Wilkinson, but just comes across as toxic and one step away from a restraining order.
I get the feeling Taika did this as a favour to a friend, but the fact that even one photo of him is funnier than a five-minute monologue speaks volumes about the script.
It’s not all bad. Kate Micucci is a great comic actress, as she proved in The Big Bang Theory and as half of excellent comedy double act Garfunkel and Oates. Alas, she’s fighting a losing battle here.
There are flashes of what could have been which dazzle occasionally, but for the most part it fails to raise even a slight smile.
Do yourself a favour and stick on an episode of Upload, Frasier or Dad’s Army to see how great comedy should be performed. This is about as funny as a clown’s funeral.
Clocking in at 96 minutes, this police procedural with spooky overtones ’stars’ Helen Hunt. It opens with a very cool shot of a kid on a bike who has an unusual encounter.
The bulk of the drama centres on the seemingly perfect Harper household. Greg, the lead investigator of a child abduction case, is struggling to come to terms with the recent infidelity of his wife, Jackie.
The strained family harmony is further threatened when Connor, their son, appears to be the victim of a mysterious malevolent presence in their house. As secrets unravel, the plot threads prove to be more interlinked than it would appear at first glance.
So yes, there is a feeling that this is a revamp of Paranormal Activity, with strange goings on; a sheet sliding off Greg in the night, the TV mysteriously turning itself on, and other creepy shenanigans. For the first act I suspect that’s all there is to it; a haunted house horror.
But to my delight and surprise, things take a sharp left-hand turn in the second act as we see the whole thing again from a different perspective. It’s this rug-pull which shares elements of terrific 2020 thriller The Invisible Man, and a recent EastEnders plotline.
Though sold on the presence of Helen Hunt (whose crease-free forehead fascinated me), it’s worth noting that she vanishes for a good chunk of the movie. The fact I was gripped from that twist onwards tells you how successful this is.
The score is nerve-jangling, though a tad irritating, and performances all round are pretty good. It’s skilfully directed, but the editing is the real master stroke. You’ll see why as the drama unfolds. One of those films that deserves a second look, preferably with someone who hasn’t seen it so you can bask in their surprise.
Though not as edge-of-the-seat brilliant as 2020’s The Invisible Man, this is still a terrific watch, and rewatch.
And if you’re keen to hear how it was all put together, special features include a commentary with British director Adam Randall and producer Matt Walldeck. The fact it was shot in 20 days is remarkable.
Starring Zack Robdis, Kathy Searle, Eric Berryman Directed by Yedidya Gorsetman
By Roger Crow/@RogerCrow
The age-old sci-fi staple of transplanting minds into other bodies has helped turn films like Avatar into box office gold over the years. It’s not always a recipe for success, as Brainstorm and Strange Days proved, but it’s a great hook for any thriller, and 2018 offering Empathy Inc is no exception.
It looks like it was shot for a few thousand dollars, but the black and white photography and solid cast helps fill in the cracks which may have been more visible in colour. It opens with a theatrical monologue from the leading protagonist, a businessman whose lucrative deal turns sour. Up to his neck in debt, he has to live with his in-laws while trying to think of a way to get out of the mess so he and his attractive partner can gain some independence.
After going for a drink, he meets an old associate who may hold the solution to his problems, a start-up company involving extreme virtual reality. Our hero is given a chance to try out the procedure, and is told one of the rules involves not looking in the mirror while inside this VR experience. The company needs a million dollars, so after the impoverished hero sweet talks his father-in-law into investing his nest egg, the company is given a chance to grow. Of course not everything goes to plan, and when bombshells are dropped, the protagonist has to right some wrongs. Though there are many holes in the execution (taking a photo of a computer screen to capture vital info – yet leaving the flash on; not Googling a shady character before investing), this is a neat little indie thriller in the Black Mirror mode.
None of the cast carry any obvious baggage, so there’s little chance of snapping back to reality while you try and remember where you saw them last, and the whole thing ticks over like a Swiss watch. It’s in the third act that things get really interesting as a shady programmer (who looks like a young Stanley Kubrick) plays a key part, and the film takes plenty of twists and turns.
I can see a big studio investing millions of dollars on a revamp (preferably with Ryan Reynolds, Rashida Jones and Paul Giamatti), though if they do I’m guessing they’ll tweak that ending. Empathy Inc kept me hooked throughout, and it’s worth rewatching the first minute or so once you’ve finished for that opening scene to make sense. I’ll be very interested to see what the cast and crew do next.
Can You Keep A Secret? Starring Alexandra Daddario, Tyler Hoechlin, Kimiko Glenn Directed by Elise Duran
There’s so much horror in the world that a fluffy romcom with a likeable cast is just the tonic for these troubled times. Though slaughtered by some online critics, a couple of which are obsessed with Alexandra Daddario needing to “brush her hair” (looked fine to me), this is essentially a glorified TV-style movie for adults.
Alexandra plays Emma, a saleswoman/marketing type who gets drunk while on a return flight from a botched client meeting. In a meet-cute with a handsome stranger, she reveals all of her deepest secrets when their plane hits turbulence and she believes she is going to die.
Emma thinks she will never see the guy again, but back at work on Monday morning, the arrival of Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO and founder, leaves the workers buzzing with curiosity. And wouldn’t you know it? He’s the stranger from the plane. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the man who knows every single humiliating detail about her.
Realising the spark has gone with her useless boyfriend, Emma and Jack get together, but he has a secret and naturally drops a bombshell that threatens to scupper their relationship. Despite looking like $1m, Emma is insecure and after opening her heart to Jack things naturally go pear-shaped in the second act, because those are the rules. Act one: get the attractive leads together. Act two: split them up. Act three: get them back together. It’s a tried and tested formula which has worked for decades, so little wonder this feels formulaic.
It’s also a big ask that a smart woman like Emma can’t guess what’s going on in her flat mate’s bedroom, to the point where she’d walk in on her. And office humiliation like some school playground is also a bit far fetched. But maybe it’s in Sophie Kinsella’s source novel, which is beloved by many. I couldn’t tell you. I can say that this is ideal escapism for those who want a break from lockdown. Yes, most out the cast are utterly forgettable, and the dialogue is so-so, but there’s the odd wry smile, and Ms Daddario (who also produced) is one of those actresses who could spend 90 minutes reading the phone book and I’d take notice. So it’s no Devil Wears Prada or Notting Hill, but it’s not a complete waste of time either. Slip your brain into neutral, pop open a tipple of choice and enjoy.
The problem with many sequels is that once you get past the first film, having set up the world and character arcs, once boy has met girl, a plot device usually splits them up, or the superhero loses their powers. Anything to shake up the established status quo and give us a journey to go on.
Between a Rock and a Hart place. Jumanji: The Next Level
No such problem with this sublime sequel to Jake Kasdan’s Jumanji reboot. It’s so well set up, the usual storytelling rules don’t apply, and yet game rules dominate the movie. For example: just a whiff of cake can mean doom for one character.
Cleverly Kasdan introduces pensioners Danny Devito and Danny Glover, estranged restaurateurs who help give the movie a new dynamic. Their bickering and friendship, or lack of it, is the throughline that strings together a wealth of glorious set pieces.
The game is afoot
Once more the movie centres on young friends from (rebooted) film one, who re-enter the eponymous video game when one of their number goes missing. The twist this time is the aforementioned pensioners inhabit the avatars of two key characters, and most other familiar heroes are also re-set with different personalities.
Providing a sense of continuity, Karen Gillan is still Ruby Roundhouse, the Lara Croft-style heroine who gives the ’newcomers’ (and new viewers who missed film one) a chance to orient themselves.
Jakes Kasdan’s sequel levels up
This comedy adventure is that rarest of things: laugh out loud funny and constantly thrilling. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black have a great time as the bickering adventurers, and though the storyline is wafer-thin, it’s great to see how Kasdan milks every element of the set-up for maximum comic value. The stunts are thrilling, the effects dazzling, and once more Gillan is a hoot as Ruby, adding glamour, brains and unexpected moments of wonder.
More fun, more adventure, more mandrills
Whether fleeing from lethal ostriches, tackling mandrills on vertiginous, revolving rope ladders or dodging attacks during the steampunk-inflected finale, there’s so much going on you never feel shortchanged. But it’s the gags that really hit home. Achingly funny zingers, or wry looks to each other that keep on giving. However, like film ‘one’, it also has that all-important sucker punch moment which twangs the heart strings beautifully.
Without doubt the most enjoyable comedy adventure since, well the first movie in the rebooted saga. While it might be better if Jake and company quit while they’re ahead, I’ll be fascinated to see if they can top this fun masterpiece. It should leave kids of all ages thrilled. I can’t wait to see it again.
Actress Barbara Crampton has starred in a string of cult horror films, including Re-Animator, From Beyond, and You’re Next. She discusses her new movie Reborn, future projects and her extraordinary career.
What attracted you to the role of actress Lena in Reborn?
(Director) Julian Richards contacted me on the Friday and said: “Something’s happened. We need a lead actress, so would you be able to read the script and let me know if you can be at work on Monday?’” So that’s the fastest I’ve ever accepted a role. I read it and my impression was it felt like an eighties throwback. I felt ’That’s kind of me.’ The character’s very much me anyway; an eighties movie actress who’s looking for a bigger break, some expansion of her career, and she finds herself sort of floating through life because of something that happened in her past that she can’t quite get beyond. The role felt like it was made for me. Within a few hours of reading the script, I packed up my car and drove down there.
How was it working with the rest of the cast and crew?
I knew that Michael Paré was in the film. We had worked together on Puppetmaster: The Littlest Reich, so I was friendly with him. Michael really helped me on this film, because I didn’t have a lot of preparation, and we have a lot of scenes together. He and I talked at length about what the scene is about and what was the emotional value that we could get out of it. I was so grateful that I had an acting partner with the skills that Michael has. He really aided me a lot in my characterisation.
Rae Dawn Chong was one of my favourite movie actresses. It was kind of a no-brainer. And Brian Yuzna was one of our producers, and he was a producer on Re-Animator. I knew so many of the people involved. It felt like a family to me, and one that I could jump in at the last minute.
Your co-star Kayleigh Gilbert is a face to watch for the future.
She’s great. She has such a forceful energy. Great instincts, and she really worked hard on her part. Her acting coach was with her for a lot of her bigger scenes, just helping her get into the moment and into the role. Acting opposite her was like a dream. It was just so believable and really into her part in an emotional way. I loved working with her.
Was there a piece of acting advice you gave her as Lena would give her troubled character, Tess?
I didn’t really have to give her any advice. She was amazing. There was nothing I had to tell her or speak to her about. She’s a very serious, very deep actress. I’m sure she’s going to get a lot more work when the quarantine lifts.
Let’s go back a few years. How was it working with Brian DePalma on Body Double?
I wish I had had more time with Brian. I had more scenes in that movie initially, and the night before I showed up for that one scene I’m in, the two other dialogue scenes had been cut. They said: ’So you’re only going to have this one scene. Do you want to come in for it?’ And I felt, well, it’s Brian DePalma. I should. So I’m grateful that I had that one scene. It was pretty minimal (laughs). I was blessed and grateful just to have one scene with him. We did that scene pretty much all day. Hours and hours. That’s the luxury of a bigger budget movie. I found him to be very gracious, kind and full of good humour.
Re-Animator and From Beyond are two of my favourite films. What was it like working with the late, great director Stuart Gordon?
Well Stuart gave me my career; he gave me my start. I started out in the theatre, and he also had the Organic Theatre Company in Chicago. Jeffrey Combs also came from the theatre, so when we worked on Re-Animator, we rehearsed for three or four weeks before we even started filming. And I was the new actress at the time, and I didn’t realise that not everybody did that. I thought: ’Oh, this is what everybody does on a movie set. They rehearse’. Well I haven’t had that experience since. I do think that’s one of the things that made that movie as good as it is. Stuart had this kind of operatic style, which came from working in the theatre for so long. He brought an energy and a dynamism to his early films that was really unprecedented at the time. Coupled with a performer, especially like Jeffrey, that carried the film through and really worked for the whole project. I feel blessed looking at all of Stuart’s work, and I was a big part of his troupe of actors. I would also say that he pushed me in ways that other directors haven’t. He was a really hands-on director. Really got in there… into the meat of the character with you. He was very demanding, in a good way, about wanting your best performance.
Have you got any projects you’d like to film while in lockdown?
I have somebody that I’ve worked with in the past. I had a chat with him the other days about something we could possibly film on Skype or on Zoom right now. But I’m also in post (production) on a film that I’ve just completed right before the lockdown. February 29th was our last day of filming on a film called Jacob’s Wife. It’s a film that I’ve been nurturing for about four years as a producer, and I’m also acting in it. I’m so busy with Zoom parties and Twitter watch parties; Tweeting along with old movies that I’ve been in. I did a movie over the summer in Norway called The Colour of Madness. We’ll be hearing more about that coming up. I was a producer on the new remimagining of Castle Freak, and I filmed that this last summer in Albania. I’m used to travelling for work and getting on planes and going places. Like everyone it’s been a little hard for us just to go from our bedrooms to the kitchen to the pharmacy to the grocery store and back.
Starring Elisabeth Shue, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Harriet Dyer
Directed by Leigh Whannell
Certificate 15
One of my favourite shows as a kid starred David McCallum as Daniel Westin, a scientist who was turned transparent and spent a few episodes fighting bad guys.
The Invisible Man was rebooted as short-lived misfire The Gemini Man (starring Ben Murphy), and then in 2000 we had Hollow Man. Paul Verhoeven’s big screen take boasted stunning visual effects as the anti hero was turned invisible, but had a nasty streak as a transparent Kevin Bacon’s villain clashed with Elisabeth Shue.
Aptly very few people saw the sequel, and when I discovered horror studio Blumhouse were working on a new version of The Invisible Man, I hoped they would get it right.
Lizzy by Gaslight: Blumhouse take on the well worn sci-fi classic
We open at a lavish beachfront apartment in Stinson Beach (one of my favourite areas of San Francisco, thanks for asking). Elisabeth Moss’s terrified Cecilia escapes from her partner. We don’t need any dialogue or explanation. Her actions speak volumes. She’s in an abusive relationship and needs to be as far away from him as possible.
Writer/director Leigh Whannell does an expert job of ramping up the tension, so when a simple action sets alarm bells ringing, you’re willing her to get out of there ASAP.
Cecilia takes refuge with her sister, and is put up by a family, whose cop dad is ideal to have around in case you know who comes looking for her. And naturally he does. Or does he?
The abusive ex has apparently killed himself, and she’s due to inherit a fortune. But his demise seems unlikely. The ambiguity here is beautifully handled as Moss gives one of those stunning performances worthy of much acclaim. She goes from terrified person on the run to a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. As bad things inevitably start happening, our heroine pleads her innocence, allegedly alienates her loved ones, and fights for her life.
The beauty of The Invisible Man 2020 is the gaslight theme, which is rocket fuel for a film like this. Yes, we’ve seen the subject turned into a farce in Coronation Street over the past few months (a storyline which has dragged on far longer than necessary). But in a two-hour sci-fi thriller, it works wonders.
There are many stunning moments, including one masterful scene in a restaurant, and a brilliant finale. But while old invisibility/thriller tropes are exploited (crawling around attics, throwing stuff at the diaphanous attacker), the genius of this is playing down the effects for 90 per cent of the time and milking the tension for all it’s worth. After all, Jaws worked brilliantly without seeing the shark, so rather aptly not seeing the eponymous antagonist, or revealing how he became so, works in its favour.
His threat is omnipresent; more of an evil force playing with the heroine’s mind than a physical character. And while protagonists battling an invisible enemy is one of the oldest visual tricks in the book, here cast and crew sell it brilliantly. Those invisible attacks hurt.
Bafta don’t usually hand out awards to fantasy thrillers, but while Ms Moss deserves a nod for Best Actress, this also deserves a mention for Best Film.
Maybe if Whannell had addressed the gaslighting issue head on, Bafta would shower it with praise, but TIM does what many great thrillers do and addresses the issue in a different way. So, while film and TV makers have spent years trying to find a way of making a well-worn fantasy idea work, this does a brilliant job of making a gripping, satisfying thriller which lingers long in the mind after the closing credits roll.
Another master stroke is dialling down the soundtrack, so instead of invasive chords, strings and percussion telling us what to think at all times, we just have silence for many early key scenes. When the score does arrive, it’s a great piece of work from Brit Benjamin Wallfisch. For a film-maker who cut their teeth on the Insidious and Saw movies, Leigh Whannell has finally delivered one of those knockout slices of escapism that should be discussed by genre fans and mainstream movie lovers for years to come.
Nostalgiahhh 