Back by popular demand, my new less is more mini review format...enjoy!
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
Four teenage divers discover that the sunken ruins of a Mayan city are also a hunting ground for deadly great white sharks. With their air supply steadily dwindling, the frightened girls must navigate the underwater labyrinth of claustrophobic caves and eerie tunnels in search of a way out of their watery hell.
With low expectations this turned out to be a surprisingly solid efford. The subterranean sharks are cool and the story is intriguing. The only really downer here are the insanely over the top and somewhat laughable attack sequences during the blood soaked finale.
3.5/5
Midsommar (2019)
A couple travel to Sweden to visit their friend's rural hometown for its fabled midsummer festival, but what begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.
From the director who gave us HEREDITARY comes this frightening tale abroad about folks getting consumed by a very bizarre cult in Sweden. The film is a step up and very well done on many levels, it is a slow burn that builds up nicely and is only hampered by its overlong run time. The first 30 minutes or so are wasted on making us aware of how flimsy the relationship is of the two central characters. A particular scene is quite distasteful as well but to be expected by the purveyor of "Charlie's head" Other than this it is truly mesmerizing once it gets going.
3.5/5
Mary (2019)
A family sailing in isolated waters discovers the ship they bought holds terrifying secrets.
The mighty Gary Oldman cannot save this relatively bland ghost story set on open waters. Trust me, you've seen it all before although there are a few good moments. Proceed with caution!
2.5/5
Haunt (2019)
On Halloween, a group of friends encounter an extreme haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. The night turns deadly as they come to the horrifying realisation that some nightmares are real.
Extreme haunts may not be the most original sub-genre but this bang up horror flick does everything right. Good characters, decent acting, crazy villains and a peppy pace swirl ro make a truly entertaining romp.
4/5
Little Monsters (2019)
A washed-up musician teams up with a teacher and a kids' show personality to protect young children from a sudden outbreak of zombies.
Lupita Nyong'o is a tour de force and hotter than Hades as Miss Caroline the grade school teacher who protects her students, sings, and kicks ass! In all honesty the first part of the movie isn't very funny and some of the humor is quite crude but stick with it because eventually something wonderful happens. The film gets very funny and even emotional gaining real charm and character.
3.5/5
The Shed (2019)
A teen and his best friend endure nonstop torment from bullies at school, but that soon changes when one discovers a bloodthirsty creature that resides in a country shed.
Themes of bullying get somewhat lost in the mire of monster lore here and the low budget is obvious at times but this one still manages to be pretty entertaining and original.
3/5
Until next time...PEACE, DOGS!!!