During the course of the lead up to Halloween, my Greek wife asks me many a time – is anyone covering this movie or that movie? Sadly, I usually answer No. And that’s nothing against the near 100 film reviews we have had so far for the Road to Halloween. So I convinced her to have her say about some of the dark movies out there in the last five years that would make a perfect fit on Halloween night. The following ten films, which she rates highly, are all available to stream so open your watch-list and get ready to make additions. You can follow her on Letterboxd here. And you should, she’s quite funny. — Robin Write
The Clan (2015)
Thoroughly engaging, the lens keeps its focus on the family at all times, not once relying on the victims’ hardships to bid emotional appeal. No, in El Clan, the villain is evil because he just is, motives and reasons don’t matter; if anything, they would only have served as a distraction from the simplicity and pure horror of the premise. An ordinary man, like you and me. Your father, your teacher, your neighbour. Who just so happens to be wired that much differently.
High-Rise (2015)
The slick combination of contextual capriciousness and wayward symbolism gave me a serious cerebral hard-on. Another movie I couldn’t possibly begin to dissect without falling into the bottomless pit of my own verbal excitement that could very well keep me glued to this computer for hours I can’t really spare. Exciting project, fabulous acting, and a multifaceted message that comes across loud, clear and unfiltered. Jeremy Irons and Tom Hiddleston make for an impressive duo, elevating the directorial vision’s dystopian glamour to mythical heights. Bracketed with Clint Mansell’s tailored musical outfit, everything comes together in complete synergy to perfectly structure a movie about fundamental destruction.
Nise: The Heart of Madness (2016)
Beautiful film, beautifully shot, augmented brilliantly by beautiful performances — almost. The doctors. Why, oh why. Boy, talk about self-tackling. The script and directorial aspect do a fantastic job of not intentionally glorifying Nise but keeping her human in the eyes of the viewer. So far so great. Not a martyr and no pedestal with her footprints on it, something I always appreciate when watching true story dramas; objectivity through the inevitable entertainment individualism, AKA go heavy on the drama, light on the melo and let me decide how to feel.
I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016)
This is it. The creepiest killer persona I’ve seen in a while — and I’ve only recently come out of an insane horror-binge that spanned over the length of a couple of months. Laurels to Mr. Lloyd for his incredibly chilly performance that framed so eloquently a very competent ensemble without dominating with experience; barring, of course, his grand “solo” which was just… remarkable. Now, if I cared about the brackets of cinematic categories, I would class this movie as “uncategorizable” for it makes a run through so many genres, it ultimately brakes all the boundaries and uses the shards to create a stunning patchwork quilt of peculiar unity.
Another Evil (2016)
Another Evil is, simply put, wonderful. Transcending genres efficiently is a marvel to behold, one many world-famous, well-respected directors and writers frequently strive for — only to have the end result crumble within itself under the weight of what they couldn’t, ultimately, achieve in a realistic way. Well. Not in this case, let me tell you that. Zissis knocks it out of the park, Proksch kills it, the comedy progressively darkens, the story organically shifts, morphs, setting a sense of uneasy and upcoming dread so naturally, the viewer would be hard-pressed to notice that they’re actually slowly sliding towards the edge of their seat.
The Babysitter (2017)
Seizure-inducing, colourful absurdity, a bit all over the place, acting just a tad questionable but, holy hell, was this modern kitschgore a fresh, fun ride or what? Basically, everything I was expecting (and never got) from the Love Witch. So… yup. This is the story of how I ended up giving a McG movie 4 stars.
Mayhem (2017)
Fuck it all to hell, this was so much fun, it is destined to become my forever-rewatch for when I’m down in the dumps. Hell of a lot better than the self-important shite Hollywood has been churning out lately. Plus it immensely surpasses any and all Walking Dead episodes past season 1. Unnecessary comparison, perhaps, but I’m bitter and venting is good for the soul.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
We can bring Haneke into the equation, Lynch, and Refn. We can talk about symbolism, objective emotion, and thematic interpretations that surpass the average cognizance. The abundance of talent, spacial reinvention, hidden characters in details. We can go on about allegoric structure, character-driven technique, personality transference. But in the end, all of it, it all boils down to this. There are people who execute and people who create. The first kind are out there, difficult to find in exquisite form but they’re there nonetheless. The second kind are both rarities and oddities, next to impossible to come across as they transcend definition and boundaries, making them all-but-elusive phantasms.
In Fabric (2018)
Mostly because of Marianne Jean-Baptiste, the film “had me”. For the first third, I was on board, taking the ride to greatness, surely, there could be no other way. With clear Giallo influences and a good balance between the creepy and those mordantly deadpan comedic injections that I so adore, a decline in quality would be not just unnecessary but unthinkable, right? Right?! Well, ha ha.
Apostle (2018)
This here is good. Like… unexpectedly so. Don’t try to fight me on this. You’ll lose. Sheen and Stevens, you are both forgiven for your severe previous mishaps. I hereby reinstate you; you are again to be regarded as the crown jewels that I believe you truly are. Do not rest in your laurels, though… First sign of a misfire and I’ll knock you right back down at the bottom of the snug-pile of polished, wastefully expendable turds you seemed to have felt so comfortable in.
