Let Me In (2010)

Directed by: Matt Reeves
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Elias Koteas, Cara Buono


Plot: A lonely 12-year-old boy falls in love with a lonely 12-year-old girl. The girl turns out to be a vampire and she needs blood to live…

Review:
Vampires have always been a subgenre of horror I’ve adored ever since I was a kid. They are beautiful, but deep down they are monsters. They live a lonely life full of guilt and pain…and then Twilight happened. Oh how I LOATHE that series. It does not deserve the word saga. It butchered everything I love about vampires by making them more like beautiful superheroes. They were not monsters and showed how perfect their lives were. They were rich, they didn’t need to feed on people…and they sparkled. This film showed vampires the way they should be – as truly tortured monsters.
I should start off by saying that this is a remake of a truly superb Swedish flick known as Let the Right One In. That was a beautiful film that boasted a fantastic performance from its lead female. The film was flawed, but it is still a favorite of mine (10/10). When a remake was announced, I was not happy, but now I’ve finally gotten to see the remake…and goddamn this film was as good as the original!
This film did not gloss over the life of a vampire. Abby’s life is tough, lonely, and full of blood. When she feeds, you can see the monster inside of her force itself out to show its face. She seems like an innocent young girl, but she is a truly mature monster on the inside. I was afraid they would try to lighten the movie for the Twilight audience, but I am proud to say they did not. Even though this film is a love story at its heart, it is a horror film through and through.
The violence and the blood were plentiful and I was very much pleased on this end, but the love story…really got me. It got me in the original too, but I don’t know what it was I was MORE affected in this remake. I think it has to do with the fact they focused more on their relationship in this film. My sole qualm with the original was a subplot dealing with the older group of friends. Their role was boring and took me out of the film and I feel not much was done with them. In this remake their plight was taken out, and instead we got a policeman to follow around (VERY well played by Elias Koteas). This was a better idea, because I got more attached to him, then all the people in the original. Then we had the characters of Owen and Abby. Owen was more likable in this remake than Oskar was in the original. I liked Oskar, but Owen has this quality that made me want to hug him non stop. Abby was done in a more ambiguous way than Eli in the original. In the original, you know she was in love with Oskar. At first I did not know how to take the way they did Abby. But after much thinking about it, I adore the ambiguity of her character. We never truly know where she is coming from. Is she really in love with Owen, or is she just using him and nothing more? We never get a true answer to this question.
Another thing I love is the way they treated Owen’s parents. In the original he had a good mother who loved him and a father who was non-existent. In this remake, his mother was barely there and we didn’t even see her face for the bulk of the film. I liked this idea as it helped us feel just how lonely he is. It brought us into his world and how he felt. It is like we felt the loneliness more of him in this film.
It would be a sin if I didn’t mention the acting. Kodi Smit-McPhee gave a FANTASTIC performance as Owen. He was very affable and really made me feel for him. He had great chemistry with Chloe Moretz as Abby. I’ll get to her last though. The adults of the film all did a wonderful job, with Richard Jenkins standing out as the sad old man in love with the young girl. Onto Chloe Moretz! I cannot rave enough about her. Her performance was astounding. I’ve seen some good child performances in my life, but damn! I have never seen such a tour-de-force performance like this from a child before. Chloe blew my mind. She was likable, scary, and nefarious all in one. She was able to emote each facet of Abby’s personality and created a three-dimensional character like no other. I might have to say she was even better than Lina Leandersson in the original. Chloe reminded me of a young Natalie Portman circa Leon: The Professional.
The directing was fantastic. J.J. Abrams did a wonderful job, although he did copy a lot of shots from the original. I liked that he didn’t copy it exactly though. He got rid of some of my flaws and added a few of his own takes that really worked. I liked how he opened the film differently by bringing us right into the action and grabbing our attention. The musical score to this film was astounding as well and really helped deliver the emotion.
In the end, it is the love story that makes this film. The relationship between two lonely children grabbed at my heart and grinded it into dust. Their story broke my heart, but made me smile at the same time. What really works is that these are fully developed characters. They aren’t perfect human beings. These are children who live a tough life and are more mature beyond their years. Again, is Abby a monster? Yes and no. She really is just a scared young girl still, but something evil lies within her. Is Owen a good person? Who knows? Did Abby really love Owen? We never get the true answer, but since I’m a romantic I like to believe that yes she does love him.
I just cannot stop gushing over this film. Did I have any flaws? Not many. I do have to say that I wish the film wasn’t SO similar to the original. But it is no big deal, because the original really is an almost perfect film. This film kept all the best parts of the original and did add its own twist to some aspects. Some of the CGI was a bit hokey but I was never truly taken out of the film. Although I do have to say there was one subplot revealed towards the end of Let the Right One In about Eli, that I felt was really interesting and unique. It was unsurprisingly taken out of this remake. I thought it was a good twist, but I’m not surprised it was deleted because studios probably thought it was too risqué. One last mini flaw I have is, that I felt the scene where Abby/Eli comes in uninvited was done better in the original. Not the worst sin, but it had to be said.
All these flaws though can’t stop me from giving this film a perfect rating. The original is one of my all time favorites, and I have to say this remake is tied with that film. I love them both equally. Will you let this film in?

GRADE: 9/10

Twilight (2008)

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Cast:
Kristen Stewart/Bella
Robert Pattinson/Edward
Billy Burke/Charlie
Ashley Greene/Alice

Plot: Bella is a new girl in Forks. She is pale and "unique" and totally different from everyone else...obviously. She meets pale Edward and instantly falls for him. But the catch is he is a vampire...that sparkles. Wait what? Here is the bigger surprise...I enjoy this film.

Review:
I've reviewed (and destroyed) both the sequels to this film, but I never actually got around to reviewing the film that started the series from hell, Twilight. Where does this film rank in the scheme of things: honestly, not that bad.
As bad as the sequels are, I have to say I DO like this film. Don't shoot me! I know it's not a great movie. I know it probably isn't even a good movie, but I can't help but like it anyway. This film is a guilty pleasure for me in every sense of the word. What about this film do I like so much?
Let me start with our main character of Bella! I know in both reviews of the sequels I bashed her and spoke about how she is one of the worst heroines to ever exist. And I'll still abide to that! I hate that fuckin' girl! BUT in this first film, I actually didn't hate her. I can't say I loved her either. But I thought she was likable enough. We never learn TOO much about her, but Kristen was very likable in the role and I believe added SOME depth to the character, whether it be a little thing like just listening to her iPod or carrying around pepper spray. It added some character traits to her. (In the shitty book, she has NONE! She even mentions at one point she hates music. How does one hate music?!). So right there is a small improvement from the book. Too bad the sequels made her more like the book character in the sequels.
Robert Pattinson was awkard in the role of Edward...and can someone please say miscasted?! Edward is supposed to be beautiful...I'm sorry, but Robert Pattinson is ugly as fuck. How are chicks interested in him? Sorry, it had to be said. His acting wasn't that great either. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't great. He was just okay, if not awkward in the role.
I also have to say, the love story won me over in this film (unlike the sequels). I fell for it. I found their awkward conversations kind of cute and their relationship did touch me for some reason. I couldn't help but smile at these two kids falling in love. In this film, Bella isn't her selfish bitch yet. Her world isn't ONLY Edward and she is actually somewhat independent. In the end, when she thinks her mother is kidnapped, she goes BY herself with pepper spray to save her from vampires. That is actually pretty cool I have to say. Usually she'd wait for Edward to save her, so I liked that they made her a bit independent in this film.
My favorite part of the film is her relationship with her father. It's awkward but cute. I liked the way they interacted and how they never knew what to say. Whenever the film was about them, I was loving it. I could have actually watched a film just about Bella moving in with her father.
Another plus is the high school environment that actually felt like a real high school. No cliques or stereotypes - just human beings. And it would be stupid of me not to bring up the best part of EVERY film: the soundtrack. The score is beautiful and movie chooses some kick ass songs. Is anyone surprised? This is the ONLY part each film excels at.
I think what really sets this film apart from the sequels is the director. This film is BEAUTIFUL to look at, and Hardwicke seems to have a firm handle on the romance and the action. Her indie roots really help this film and she seems to be trying to almost cover up the sappiness of the film. Good job!
But...the film isn't great. I mean, I know it's not. Again: guilty pleasure. Let me start off by saying sparkling vampires? Seriously? I don't care who you are, but that is NEVER EVER going to be a good idea. Fuckin' retarded! In the end, these are NOT vampires. They're superhero fairies. They sparkle, they run fast, and they look like abercrombie models. How can I be scared of these "monsters"? It doesn't help that the film glamorizes the lifestyle. Yes, I know True Blood does too but at least that show also portrays them as monsters and doesn't shy away from the blood. This film makes their lifestyle seem perfect. I like my vampires to be animalistic monsters thank you!
The Cullen clan wasn't explored enough for my liking. They were really only there as pretty faces. Although Alice is such a GREAT character! I get such a kick out of her first meeting with Bella and that kick she does when playing baseball. Someone give this character a spin off please! This all leads me to the bad guys of the flick. They were not scary...AT ALL. In fact I kind of found them funny. I should have been terrified by them, not wanting to laugh at them. Actually I found myself wanting to bang the blonde dude James at one point...yeah scary...whatever. It doesn't help the fact that their subplot just felt thrown in. It was kind of just there and didn't feel right and felt really rushed.
My last flaw is that a lot of the character development of Bella and Edward was sent to a booming soundtrack so we don't actually hear their conversations which is a shame, cause that would have made the film more meaty.
Overall, this film is a guilty pleasure for me. I know it is like the antithesis of horror films and vampires, but I can't help but like it anyway. I own this on dvd, but FUCK THE SEQUELS!!! Fuck both of them!

Overall Grade: 6/10

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)

Director: David Slade
Cast:
Kristen Stewart/Bella
Robert Pattinson/Edward
Taylor Lautner/Jacob
Ashley Greene/Alice
Jackson Rathbone/Jasper
Nikki Reed/Rosalie
Bryce Dallas Howard/Victoria
Xavier Samuel/Riley

Plot: A vapid bland teen falls in love with a sparkling fairy...sorry I mean vampire and a shirtless Abercrombie model (aka werewolf), but who is she to choose. Watch said bland teen dick around two equally bland guys. Oh and there is a war somewhere in there.

Review:
I’m going to start off by saying I don’t want to hate the Twilight series. I love romance. I love fantasy and action. I AM a Kristen Stewart fan. I am just trying to say, I am not a Twilight basher. I mean I DO bash the Twilight series, but that isn’t because it is stupid (that is one of the many reasons), I do it because it is BADLY written with lackluster character development, and is based on source material that could be used for toilet paper (aka Mormon propaganda). To say I’m not a fan is an understatement. But this leads me to this – I AM a fan of the first movie. I like it. Sue me. It wasn’t anything great but it hit my romantic bone just right. Then…the sequel came, New Moon and to say it was one of the worst pieces of shit would be an understatement. So I came into Eclipse with MAJOR hesitation (especially since I’ve read the books…UGH!) Was it better that New Moon? Yes it was.
But that isn’t saying much. This is NOT a good movie at all. Let me start off with the pros. OMG, isn’t that Edward HAWWWT?!?!?! Just kidding. Fuck that guy. But legit, as usual the musical score and the soundtrack is the BEST part of the film. They hire great composers who really bring some heart to these heartless films. The rock or pop songs they choose are also great. I own the soundtrack to every film. I love what they do with the music. The acting was also decent from all. I think Kristen Stewart is a decent actress who gets more flack than she deserves. (She was brilliant as Joan Jett). But it is the side characters that stole the show for me. Bella, Edward, and Jacob are NOT interesting to me. They’re fuckin’ boring; but more on that later. Everyone else though is quite interesting. Alice is fun and cute (I could watch an entire film about her) and Jasper and Rosalie really got some meat this time around. Their flashback scenes were well done and Rosalie’s was the BEST part of the movie. Why couldn’t that be the entire film? Her flashback was intense, well directed, well acted, and was interesting. Her one scene was more intense than the entire love story that has been spawning throughout each film. It also helps that Nikki Reed is a VERY talented young actress who should be a bigger star than what she is.
Another pro is that some of the action scenes were actually pretty cool. They were good enough to keep my interest; but I stress some. Plus, I have to say that I like the fact that Victoria finally had a bigger role. I like her character and if she was handled well, she could have been pretty bad-ass.
Plus I have to add, it was a smart move for this film to have it's tongue implanted in its cheek. There were a lot of clever lines (like when Edward asks if Jacob owns a laugh, if I said I didn't smirk at that I'd be lying). I also have to add that it was great too see one of my boyfriends in this films, Xavier Samuel. He gave a menacing/sexy performance with his limited scenes. Plus that little girl vampire was interesting. I wish they did more with her and her plight.
But now onto the bad…where do I start? I love David Slade. His directing for Hard Candy and 30 Days of Night was brilliant! He was a director to look out for, but other then some cool looking action scenes, this film was boring to look at. Some of the cinematography was okay, but where was the style he showed in his pre-mentioned films. Not here! Then we have the LAME love story. I LOVE a good romance, but this is NOT a good love story. Bella is one of the WORST characters ever written. She is not a role model for women and is a dependent man-needing whore who dicks around two equally bland men who could still do better than her dependent ass. Seriously, Bella is one of the most aggravating and worst written characters I’ve ever seen. They treat her like she is a DAMN martyr (that scene where she cuts herself with a rock), when in fact she is fuckin’ stupid. I’m sorry, but she is selfish. She does not care about her family. All she wants to do is become a vampire to be with Edward…but she doesn’t think about the fact that she’ll NEVER see her damn family again or her friends. She is vapid and doesn’t think about anything.
This brings me to another major fault with the love story. This whole film is the same damn conversation on repeat. “Bella marry me.” “Okay Edward. I love you. Make me a vampire.” “I can’t make you a vampire.” “But Jacob I love you as a friend.” “Bella I’m better.” “Jacob you look good without a shirt, now kiss me. I love Edward more.” And…repeat.
I will give the film this, it had some good ideas. I like the idea of the story the werewolf tribe told Bella and how they connected her to the story. But again, because she is such an unlikable character it did NOT work at all. If she was better developed and selfless, trying to make her seem like a martyr might not have been a horrible thing.
The "famous" tent scene was ridiculous by the way. The Arrow states that it is very homosexual between Edward and Jacob...and I have to agree! I felt MORE chemistry between them then I did between them and Bella...I'd watch that movie XD
Then we have the CGI. Man was it bad! I actually thought it was sort of decent in New Moon but it blew BIG time here! And the fact they made the vampires break like concrete was an interesting idea, but it was so obviously a cash out to get that PG-13 rating for the little tweens. Fuck them.
In the end, another sucky movie for the kids. Not fun. Not interesting. Boring as hell with unlikable and bland main characters. BUT the soundtrack is great, the side characters were interesting (seriously the movie should be about THEM and not the LAME love story), and some of the action was cool.

Overall Grade: 4/10

High Lane (Vertige) (2010)

Director: Abel Ferry
Cast:
Fanny Valette/Chloe
Johan Libéreau/Loic
Raphaël Lenglet/Guillaume
Maud Wyler/Karine
Nicolas Giraud/Fred

Plot: Five friends are rock climbing in Croatia, but when a bridge falls leaving them stranded on a mountain their day is about to take a turn for the worst as they are being targeted and killed someone or something.

Review:
I actually saw this film about a year ago, but I saw a dubbed version (ugh!). It was good but I didn’t love it. It was rather generic and predictable. But a year later I got my hands on the original French version with English subtitles and I put it in again. Was it worth tapping it again? In my mind, yes! Re-watching this film I was able to enjoy it much more than the first time. I think it also helps that I hate dubbing! So not having to listen to dubbing probably helped my enjoyment factor of this film this time around. But lets get away from this subject and talk about High Lane.
Wow! I don’t remember this film being THIS good! The first half of this film is simply astounding. It is beautiful shot and the cinematography was beautiful. Watching these people rock climb was amazing. I didn’t notice ANY CGI or green screen, so it seems like this was all done in the real outdoors! That’s fuckin’ great! The first half also had genuine suspense that had me biting my nails, in particular a scene where a bridge collapses. The first half of the film was my favorite part! It was beautiful and suspenseful. The directing was astounding and the music score kicked ass. Plus the acting was great from all five actors. Fanny Valette as our heroine Chloe stood out the most. She hit some great emotional peeks and made her very likable. I was always behind this girl and wanted her to make it through this situation.
Which brings me to the second half of the film…once the threat was revealed, I couldn’t say I was thrilled. The second half of the film was still scary and full of suspense, but the threat didn’t really scare me. I found him more ridiculous. He was just your basic crazy mountain man that felt like he belonged in Wrong Turn (although honestly I preferred this movie). But just because I wasn’t fond of the threat in the movie didn’t ruin the film. I got over it and I was taken on a brutal experience. The deaths were brutal and violent and quite bloody in some scenes. The fight scenes were brutal and shot very well. Watching these people fight the mountain man was a visceral experience that went for the jugular. The final five minutes of the film were especially amazing when there is one fight scene between a character and the killer. It was brutal, bloody, and I couldn’t peel my eyes away!
But alas the film wasn’t perfect. It was still quite a flawed film. First of all the characters needed some more work. The heroine was very well written and likable, and the other girl Karine was also very likable. But the three guys in the movie…man! One was an idiot, one was a whiny baby who always cried, and the other guy was an asshole (but he wasn’t that bad). The asshole guy played by Lenglet was the best of the male characters. He at least had great charisma. But seriously the other two men needed to be better written. Then there were the stupid character decisions that they made which annoyed me. But my biggest issue is that in the end the first half was better than the second half. While brutal and fun, the second half was just very generic and predictable. I really wish the film went in a different direction and gave us something a bit different than the same old-same old.
But in the end, I still recommend this film. It is perfect on a technical level and it is still a good creepy film with great suspense scenes. Go check it, because the French have done it again. This isn’t another French classic (ala High Tension, Inside, Martyrs, Them, Frontier(s)), but it is still a worthwhile movie.

Grade: 7/10

Night of the Demons (2010)

Director: Adam Gierasch
Cast:
Monica Keena/Maddie
Edward Furlong/Colin
Shannon Elizabeth/Angela
Diora Baird/Lily
John F. Beach/Jason
Bobbi Sue Luther/Suzanne
Michael Copon/Dex

Plot: Angela is throwing a party at the Broussard mansion, but when the party is broken up by the police Angela and six others are about to realize what really goes down in that house, as they each become possessed by demons. Fun fuckin’ times ensue!

Review:
I’m a fan of the original 1988 Night of the Demons (8/10). It wasn’t a scary film, but it was a fun one. The acting wasn’t good, and if you think about it neither was the film itself. It was trashy smut with gore, fun, and more gore. The film was out there and was a party from start to finish. When news broke of a remake, I wasn’t upset. I hate this remake craze but I have to learn to live with it. I was curious to see how they would treat this remake and I finally got to check it out today. And you know what, it isn’t bad!
Like the original this film isn’t an intense character study and isn’t about drama. The characters are one-dimensional and you know what! It didn’t bother me. This isn’t a flick that needs intense character development. The actors were decent and knew what type of film they were in and they each had fun with their roles – in particular Monica Keena and Edward Furlong. Every one seemed to have a good time, as was I.
But the main reason to see this film is the gore and the trash. How did they do in this option. Not bad; not bad. I don’t know if it lived up to the original in trashiness but this film did fine on its own. The gore was pleasing and very nice to the retinas and I relished in the fact that most of the gore effects were practical. Thank fuckin’ god! Another great thing about this film is that it paid tribute to the original in various ways. They kept a couple of the character names the same and they even re-did the now infamous “lipstick” scene. If you have seen the original, you know what I’m talking about. They took it to a new demented level in this film! But there was one cameo that FLOORED me in the beginning of the film by the original Suzanne herself, Linea Quigley. The directing was energetic and the soundtrack was kick ass (although if there was a score – don’t ask me. I don’t remember it). I also want to mention the opening scene that was shot to be like a silent film was CLEVER as hell! Loved that! The script is witty with some great lines…and holy shit was some hilarious! This film just never took itself seriously and that was the way to go.
But in this party of a film, there were still some problems to be had. Mostly the middle section lagged quite a bit. Most of the characters got possessed towards the beginning of the film, so for a majority it was three people just hiding in a “safe room.” That was another thing I didn’t like – the inclusion of a safe room that the demons couldn’t enter. This was a stupid idea that brought the action and horror to a halt in the middle. Another problem of mine is some of the demon designs. Some were pretty great, while others were pretty boring and ho-hum. They were too cgi in some scenes as well. I prefer the demon designs in the original film.
But the film brings it all home with gusto in a bad ass finale that had me cheering at the screen. This is one of the better remakes out there and is one fun movie. It didn’t ignore the original film but it also went in its own direction. It had a great comic feel (I love the way they react to the demons and Keena’s random monologue about them half way through the film) and ample gore. Plus straight dudes will love the many boobs in the film! This is the prime example of a film to watch while getting drunk at a party! Watch and enjoy!

Grade: 7/10

Good Horror...we need some!

America wake up!
Why do you keep releasing all these crappy horror remakes?! Enough with the new Nightmare on Elm Street and the new Friday the 13th! Either make a sequel or STOP disrespecting these classics. When it came to the Nightmare remake, I legit walked out on it. I thought it was a piece of shit. I will one day finish it...to review...for you guys...DON'T MAKE ME!!! PLEASE!!! =[

Which brings me to this, I KNOW there is good horror out there! We have Adam Green's Hatchet 2, which got ousted from theatres after three days. WHAT THE FUCK America?! A non remake and UBER gory slasher film that was released unrated! This could have changed the horror genre in this country forever...but instead as usual you fuck things up =/

And not only Hatchet 2. At least that will make it to DVD. We have a certain indie flick, a personal favorite of mine, that has been waiting to be released for years. All the Boys Love Mandy Lane. It was supposed to be released in 2006...and well I'm still waiting for it America. Instead I've been treated to the Prom Night remake and The Omen remake and The Fog remake and EVEN that PATHETIC The Stepfather remake...does anyone else notice a trend here? All the Boys Love Mandy Lane is one of the best and most original slasher films I've seen in my life. It is in my top ten favorite movies and has one of the best endings to a film. Why has it not been released yet? It would be a hit!

Then we have the new Australian horror masterpiece, The Loved Ones. I can tell you right now this will be another Mandy Lane. Who knows when it will see the light of day. It was a perfect movie and it was EVERYTHING I love about the horror genre - great acting, likable characters, brutal violence/gore, suspense, scare, and morbid humor. THe film was perfect! Just give this a theatrical release! Lola could be the next big horror villain. We haven't really had a good villain to add to the list of the greats (Jason, Freddy, Michael, Leatherface, Chucky, Pinhead and the Cenobites) and I'm sorry but Jigsaw does NOT count. Lola could be added to this list. She is scary as shit.

I'm not saying all remakes are bad. If you can improve upon a film, fine! Go for it! But if the film is already perfect *cough*Halloween*cough* why bother remaking it? You're only going to embarrass yourself. So I am begging America to wake up and to stop ruining the one thing I care about more than anything else in the world - Horror Films. We can still save it, if we start now. What happened when horror films were made with heart? Now they're all made with money in mind.

The Loved Ones (2010)

Director: Sean Byrne
Cast:
Xavier Samuel/Brent
Robin McLeavy/Lola
Victoria Thaine/Holly
John Brumpton/Lola’s Father Eric
Jessica McNamee/Mia
Richard Wilson/Jamie

PLOT:
Lola wants to go to the end of school dance, and what Lola wants, Lola gets…
Brent is a high school teen who lost his father in a car accident and now deals with depression, but it is his adorable girlfriend Holly that keeps him from giving up on life together. When he rejects Lola’s invitation to the dance, he is kidnapped and wakes up tied to a chair in Lola’s kitchen with her father. What ensues is a night of horror, torture, blood, knives, brutal violence, and morbid humor.

REVIEW:
The Loved Ones is a movie I have had my eye on all year. It all started when I saw the picture of a lone woman dressed in pink running through a field as the sun rises behind her with a knife in her hand. The screen shot was both beautiful and creepy and that one picture is one got me interested in the film. For months there was almost no information about this film, and the moment I saw the trailer, I knew this was going to be more than just a basic horror film, and right I was.
By the time this film ended, my jaw was on the floor. I didn’t just watch a horror film, I had a horror experience. For a sad year in horror, it has been saved in the past few months with the releases of Piranha 3D, Frozen, and now The Loved Ones. The film opened up with Brent swerving out of the way of a ghostly boy in the street, crashing into a tree, which kills his father. The movie starts with a bang. Cut to six months later and Brent now lives a depressed life where he cares about three things: metal music, pot, and his girlfriend Holly. The movie already started off on the right bat by giving us a great hero to root for. He was interesting and very likable and I could instantly relate to him. He reminded me of myself when I was in high school. So right there I was behind the hero all the way through. It also helps that the very sexy and VERY talented Xavier Samuel played him. He is a very underrated actor in my opinion, so its nice to see him in a lead role and he gave a very visceral and likable performance as Brent.
When the horror starts, it never lets up. The violence continues to ramp up and the film continues to get more and more brutal. The movie was scary as fuck! There were scenes were I was honest to god (or whoever is out there) terrified! It’s been a while since that has happened to me with a movie! This film gives us a new villain to add to the list of great horror villains. Lola. What can I say about this beautiful creature? She was scary as fuck, and I wanted her to die so badly! But strangely I also found her sexy in a strange way and was still a bit sympathetic towards her in scenes. Talk about a BRILLIANT performance by Robin McLeavy. I’ve never even heard of this girl before, but I will definitely keep tabs on her. This girl has major acting chops. She blew me away with her scary as shit performance. She and Xavier Samuel were both amazing in their roles. Brumpton as her father was also creepy, yet endearing in the role in how he just wants his daughter to be happy.
Another aspect I loved about the film is another certain relationship between Brent and his girlfriend Holly (wonderfully played by Victoria Thaine). Thaine was adorable as Holly, and I just wanted to hug her and be friends with her. We can understand why Brent really cares for her.
I loved how the film had a big set of balls. It wasn’t afraid to go farther and farther, and as the time went on, the film continued to get crazier and crazier. I loved the implied incest of Lola and her father’s relationship. It just added to their insanity. Another thing I admire is the morbid humor. There were some scenes where the film will just have me laughing at the absurdity (that scene with Brent in the tree and Lola’s laugh LOL!). The movie was gory per se, but it was one brutal film. What it didn’t show didn’t take away from the film, because I was still squirming at many of the scenes and my jaw dropped down in terror at some of these scenes. But when they did show the bloody good, boy did it work! No CGI in this film – all practical! Another great mark to the film and this film had a real knack for creating some suspenseful scenes. There was one particular scene towards the end and a police car that had me on the edge of my seat. I honestly had NO idea how this film would end and there were some twists that took me aback.
On a technical level, this film was perfect. The directing was beautiful and Byrne really knew how to create a scary scene and the cinematography really was astounding. The beauty of the shots really clashed with the harsh brutality of the situation and it worked for me. As for the soundtrack and that musical score – it KICKED my ass! I must own it!
By the time the movie reached the last half hour, it went beyond what I ever thought would happen and it just became all insanity. Wait until you see what is in the basement – WOW! I didn’t see that one coming.
One thing I haven’t mentioned is a certain subplot with Brent’s best friend Sac who is having the perfect night with his dream date, the beautiful Goth Mia. His subplot brought up some laughs and was a breather for anyone who couldn’t take Brent’s horror anymore. At first I was confused by this storyline, because I didn’t think it was necessary but in the end it came together quite well with the main storyline. The character of Mia was quite tragic and sad and was very well played by McNamee. She played her with such sexiness that oozed from every one of her pores, but you could also always tell how much pain she was in inside.
I’m going to say it now; this film is a horror masterpiece. Yes! I said it. In my opinion, this is a perfect film. I haven’t been this satisfied with a horror film in a long while – of course it is a foreign film. It’s from Australia. I say SEE this movie and it is now one of my favorite films.

Grade: 10/10