FrightFest Halloween 2023

This year was the FrightFest Halloween selection that I enjoyed most since I have started going, admittedly only a few years ago. And if there was any theme, it was “Don’t Go In The Woods”. The imagery of threateningly dense trees was reccurring. ‘Lovely, Dark and Deep’, ‘Superposition’ and ‘Blue Light’ all had this, and it’s true I’m probably not interested in camping (I blame ‘Willow Creek’). Overhead shots of cars on roads through woodland was also frequent because everyone has a drone now. 

 

The Waterhouse

Writer and Director: Samuel Clemens.

With: Alan Calton, Michelangelo Fortuzzi,

Lara Lemon, Lily Catalifo.

UK 2023. 84 mins.

Three criminals hide out in a remote house, their frictions a little murky but not overly played. It’s crime-meets-the-supernatural time and as weird happenings and black-outs occur and seems to be bringing things to a head, three sexy sirens turn up.

The three thieves are less laddy and broad than you might expect, performed with some nuance, but the women are just sexy-bossy-seductive. So, you know, what is happening is not so hard to work out. Undoubtably reaching for enigmatic ambience, for which the single coastal location contributes much, and yet there’s an absence of tension and mystery. You know it’s a low budget film when the character spends long time starting the film searching the one location, trying to muster up tension. But there is some nice cinematography - you can’t really go wrong with the sea and the moon. And when it runs out of steam, it relies on it ‘Evil Dead’ drone shot (then I couldn’t decide if the final revelation came as a groan-inducing pun).  But it’s all a little pretty, a little garbled and ultimately underwhelming.

 

He Never Left

Director: James Morris.

With: Colin Cunningham, Jessica Staples, David McMahon, Sean Hunter, Mary Ellen Wolfe, Hailey Nebeker, Will McAllister, Jake Watters.

Writers: James Morris, Michael Ballif

USA 2023, 97 mins

Starts with an underwhelming first kill, but as soon as the car boot opens and Colin Cunningham pops out, the film compels with his performance and a laying on of other stories and angles running unseen but parallel. Cunningham excels as a fugitive trying to control his temper one minute and losing it the next, in a constant state of panic and guilt. 

 You might be forgiven for thinking that we're not in the slasher flick the poster promises, but it's that too - even if it does that diffusing technique of carrying the story right into the credits. There's a lot to superficially enjoy, but its underlying theme of broken people due to bad parenting and child abuse - and the fact that one of its endings has the agents in pursuit of the fugitive lamenting the legacy of serial killers but not quite catching on - has the film reaching for greater depth and leaving more than the usual residue by respecting trauma. In this way, it’s also interested a little in dissecting its own crime-meets-horror genre, having its cake and eating it.

 

Maria

Directors: Gabriel Grieco, Nicanor Loreti.

With: Dana Panchenko, Sofía Gala Castiglione, Malena Sánchez, Magui Bravi.

Argentina 2023. 70 mins.

Another proposed homage to 80s excess and ridiculousness that piles on absurdity and nastiness for Midnight Movie status. But a lot of its threads come to little or nothing and we're left celebrating eager killers because the victim is set-up as vile. The highlight is a discussion about the difference between 'Robocop' and 'The Terminator' as robots or enhanced humans. It seems a little 'A Serbian Film' at one point (or even ref. ‘Squid Game’ for masked vile and debauched 1%) and gleefully silly the next, righteously angry inbetween, but too tonally inconsistent for what seems to be a somewhat serious intent. Moreover, it’s this wish-fulfilment that sidelines Maria herself so she’s reduced to smirking approvingly while revenge is meted out. Not enough focus or fun and yes, those are ‘Metropolis’ namechecks.

Eldritch, USA

Directors: Ryan Smith, Tyler Foreman.

With: Graham Weldin, Andy Phinney, Cameron Perry, Aline O’Neill.

Writer: Ryan Smith

USA 2023. 99 mins.

Horror musicals, not quite my thing: though ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ is a favourite; didn’t care for ‘Anna and the Apocalypse’, although it’s very popular; but I thought ‘Stage Fright’ (2014) funny. My taste didn’t include the musical numbers here, or the kind of cheesy affectations that go with musicals, but the songs neither got in the way or really contributed to the humour (though the occasional amusing lyric). The highlight is the funny ritual set-piece as they missing the target when trying to bring back the dead. And then it goes HP Lovecraft… but there’s enough to make you laugh (even if the ‘Hellraiser’ gags, and the appearance of ‘TheTrolley Problem’ made me laugh in context) and charm. It’s a shoestring zombie-comedy-musical that will probably win you over with its good naturedness.

(The poster for FrightFest made me think this might be a Mike Mignolia inspired animated feature, which I got quite excited about, but it wasn’t and there are varying posters for this, which aren’t so misleading.)

 

Lovely Dark and Deep

Writer & Director: Teresa Sutherland.

With: Georgina Campbell, Nick Blood, Wai Ching Ho, Soren Hellerup.

USA 2023. 87 mins.

Leaning on the ambient horror aesthetic, Sutherland’s debut has a Lennon – an excellent Georgina Campbell – who gets her Park Ranger position where her motivation is to follow her obsession for the park’s missing persons, of which her sister is one when they were kids. Lots of torches gliding over trees in pitch darkness, creeping atmosphere amidst the bright stunning landscapes, disquieting soundscapes, then failing reality and such. Jonathan Deehan describes the narrative as “…the character’s journey often feels aimless, like a lost puppy stumbling through a Halloween maze of unconnected scare zones”, and that’s an apt outline. The enigma and abstractness is intriguing enough, and a lack of clarity does not necessarily sabotage the mood piece, but the motivation is a little hazy which rather lets down the whole excursion. We don’t get to know Lennon to any nuanced degree so it’s hard to be shaken or whatever come the ending. As consummate and achieved as the mood of trauma and unravelling reality is, there’s a sense that this isn’t as chilling as it should be.

 

Superpostion

Director: Karoline Lyngbye.

Writers: Karoline Lyngbye, Mikkel Bak Sørensen

With: Marie Bach Hansen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Mihlo Olsen.

Denmark 2023, 105 mins.

More failing reality, one of my favourite horror fears. Like ‘Marriage Story’ meets ‘Coherence’, a couple decide to and leave society behind, taking their young son with them, so they can repair the fractures in their marriage. This is a couple fully self-aware of their narcissism and privilege in the modern world, and there’s irony in that they will be blogging about their off-the-grid experience. But alternative realities have other ideas, and they are forced to face their marriage problems by negotiating with themselves. As always with doppelgängers scenarios where the definitions and characters get a little blurred (sometimes deliberately (can you impersonate yourself?); keep track), there may be a little confusion here and there, but Lyngbye’s film never loses sight of that aforementioned privilege and narcissism and what that might mean should a person be faced with this during a mid-life crises. A true existential, character study chiller, coolly played and sure-handed.

Hood Witch

Director: Saïd Belktibia.

Writers: Saïd Belktibia, Louis Penicaut

With: Golshifteh Farahani, Denis Lavant, Mathieu Espagnet, Jérémy Ferrari.

Iran/France 2023. 91 mins.

From the crash-course in witch hunts and modern belief in witchcraft that opens, it is obvious that this is a film that’s fully awake and that there will be no slow burn here. Indeed, the whole opening with our protagonist going through customs with her son is a gripper, showing that we are in for serious business (although the issue of prison is sidestepped). Indeed, Golshifteh Farahani is nothing less than compelling and fiery as a woman exploiting people’s belief in witchcraft on her estate as she dips in an out of her ongoing feud with her estranged husband. It soon becomes apparent that her son is everything that’s at stake, physically, emotionally and spiritually as the story launches into the witch hunting and becomes a chase narrative. Running at a unshakable pace, there’s nothing supernatural here, just a kitchen sink thriller with streaks of commentary about the role of women, the consequences of charlatanism and the bloodthirstiness of faith, whether a witch-hunt or a self-flagellation.

 

The Last Video Store

Directors: Cody Kennedy, Tim Rutherford.

Writers: Joshua Roach, Tim Rutherford

With: Kevin Martin, Josh Lenner, Vanessa ‘Yaayaa’ Adams, Lelan Tilden.

Canada 2023. 90 mins.

I often come across comments where people say horror and comedy rarely works, but I can assume they aren’t paying much attention. At FrightFest, the horror comedy is a staple and ‘The Last Video Store’ is another good example. Kevin Matin owns The Lobby DVD Shop, a real VHS store still hanging on – here called Blaster Video – and that’s the setting for this showdown with a demonic VHS tape. He’s the lead too.

A self-aware, self-deprecating, joyful homage in its own way, armed with only a single beloved location, two vivid leads and a number of good genre gags. It may not be anything exceptional, but it is highly likeable, funny and infused with a melancholy that makes sense of its purple-and-neon hued nostalgia and claustrophobia.  

 

Blue Light

Director: Andy Fickman.

With: Bella DeLong, Amber Janea, Daryl Tofa, Ana Zambrana.

USA 2023.109 mins

With cast and characters set at a constant screech or scream, it’s a chore to sit through them being picked off seemingly by demonic pranksters playing with a harmoniser pedal.

 

Frightfest 2022 Day 3: 'Something in the Dirt', 'She Came from the Woods', 'LOLA', 'Dark Glasses', Candy Land', 'Deadstream'

Something in the Dirt

Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead.

With: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead,

Sarah Adina Smith, Ariel Vida.

USA 2022. 116 mins.

Another wonderfully heady offering from the Moorhead & Benson duo. What starts seemingly as a couple of guys find incredible phenomena in their LA apartment, which thy then intend to document/exploit, unfolds into full-scale conspiracy theorising and increasing sadness. Filmed by the duo and producer during lockdown, again it’s the stacking up of ideas that engross (morse code in fruit!), but their evocation of male relationships are always excellent. As an vocation of thinking you have something wold-shattering that you can't quite reach so head into conspiracies and delusion, it stands as a striking analogy. 

From the first flush of friendship to the moment where the more you know of someone, the more you can hit your target hen you criticise, they excel at providing deep characterisation so that even their arguing during mid-phenomena doesn’t strain credibility.

She Came Frrom The Woods

Director: Erik Bloomquist.

With: Cara Buono, Clare Foley, William Sadler, Spencer List.

USA 2022. 101 mins.

Summer camp. Kim Wilde's ‘The Kids in America’. Yep, it’s the 80s homage. The turning point from coming-of-age to horror is the high point, coming as a surprise, and from there on it’s a well-done homage of things you’ve seen before, but enjoyable as horror comfort food. With acting  a cut above average and a somewhat uninteresting spook.

LOLA

Director: Andrew Legge.

With: Emma Appleton, Stefanie Martini,

Rory Fleck Byrne, Aaron Monaghan,

Hugh O’Conor.

UK 2022. 76 mins.

Hugely impressive and inventive alternative history filmed with a Bolex camera and vivid imagination, blended with reimaged historical footage. A highlight is the music by Neil Hannon, reinventing popular songs for this alternative reality. It's all thoroughly convincing. The scope the film is able to achieve is wide, with the skill to hand to make it work while formally playing with the medium. Quietly stunning, provocative and a festival highlight.

Dark Glasses

Director: Dario Argento.
With: Ilenia Pastorelli, Asia Argento,
Andrea Gherpelli, Mario Pirrello.

Italy 2022. 86 mins.

We are at the stage where there are not any set-pieces to offset the daftness. Admittedly, I find Argento films unintentional comedies, and this is no different (excepting ‘Suspiria’, which I love). Dodgy “blind” acting; dodgy police procedure; “Let’s hide in the reeds!” and the water snake attack with the following road fight, is notably comedy gold. Unconvincing. But funny.

Candy Land 

Director John Swab.

With: William Baldwin, Eden Brolin, Olivia Luccardi,

Sam Quartin.

USA 2022. 90 mins

And here’s the grindhouse homage. But even though you feel you might catch some some very nasty germs or a STD just by watching it, and even though it’s explicit, it never quite feels sleazy. But it IS gory and a shocker. One of those films that IS the era rather than just pastiche, but with a modern sensibility. Well played and effortlessly engrossing, it’s got its subversive side in that it’s not the blasphemous sex workers that are the unhinged.

Deadstream

Directors: Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter.

With: Joseph Winter, Melanie Stone,

Jason K. Wixom, Pat Barnett.

USA 2022. 87 mins.

Showcasing Joseph Winter’s brilliant comic performance, this is both hilarious and scary. The relatively new internet culture genre is truly finding its footing, and perhaps reaping more multi-layered rewards than just straight Found Footage. Certainly, our funny internet-celebrity protagonist has to face manifestations of his own fame-hungry demons.

Peppered with many great one-liners and details that reap narrative rewards later, belying its seemingly superficial veneer. The social media comments scrolling are sure to provide even more comedy upon a second watch. But, again, considering how daft this is, and no there is just something inherently creepy about empty buildings like this. I admit also to being on edge at times.

In The Earth

Writer-Director: Ben Wheatley

2021, UK

Gleefully playing with and gliding through subgenres, Wheatley’s film has dashes and hints of body-horror, virus-horror, slasher, wilderness-horror, the supernatural, folk horror and science-fiction. For detractors, this will likely be evidence of an unfocused mess, but otherwise it can be seen as teasingly feinting this way and that, nodding and homaging until revealing its end goal. But indeed, I’ve noted that people are saying both that the mid-section is best and that Movie Waffler berates it for being ultimately a slasher film – but that’s missing out on all the treats. I think I absorbed it more as genre fun than a journey into the heart of darkness: more ‘Sightseers’ and ‘Freefall’ than ‘Kill List’ or ‘A Field in England’. It has that particularly English meeting with chaos and insouciance and politeness, by way of creepy ‘Children of the stone’, heady ‘Penda’s Fen’, ‘The Owl Service’… you get the old school idea (all namechecked by Wheatley).

I have also heard criticisms that ‘In The Earth’ is not a COVID film, but Wheatley has said that he just wanted to make a film that acknowledged the era as the films he was watching seemed to be dated; and besides, it’s set during that time and it’s about a guy coming out from lockdown and finding nature an abstract, malevolent force. And of course, the film’s whole gestation and production was carried out during lockdown England (too quickly and under written, detractors may say.)

There’s a phenomenon in the woods that one side is trying to communicate with folk horror and the other with oversized computers, strobes and blasting Clint’s Mansell’s excellent and searing BBC Radiophonic Workshop tributes into the trees. There’s a lot of genre homages in here, and although the enjoyment is in watching it feint this way and that upon first watch, subsequent watches will surely reveal this as a richer tapestry than first assumed. This playfulness with genre cues may lose some who may wonder why, when it has seemingly settled for forest slasher, it then lunged into Nigel Neale territory. And if it isn’t working for you, then the psychelica of the ending will probably feel like a lot of Sound and Fury to mask over its deficiencies.

It’s anchored in solid performances from the cast. Joel Fry’s Martin Lowerly comes across as perpetually dazed from his lockdown, a little immature and providing the very English insouciance in the face of increasing mayhem and slapstick horror that is a very English type of black humour. There’s lot of that dark amusement in this and Fry isn’t playing any capable heroics here. That’s all left to Elloria Torchia’s Alma, providing a grounding to surrounding more eccentric performances as well as final girl duties without it being too underlined. Reece Sheersmith’s turn as Zach perfects his outraged-and-unhinged delivery and certainly provides a solid anchor. And it’s foot trauma is a triumph of squirm-inducement. 

It’s a little trippy, a little uneven but executed with genre love, and when Wheatley says, “The reality is that the thing in the woods makes its own decision; and it decides on someone who isn’t a narrative maker – someone who is practical and is more likely to understand what it wants.”, there’s a definite ultimate agenda that clarifies the pastiche elements.