Latest news with #psychologicalHorror
Arab News
4 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Nayla Al-Khaja reflects on new film ‘BAAB' and Canon collaboration
DUBAI: UAE filmmaker Nayla Al-Khaja, a pioneering voice in Emirati cinema, has wrapped production on her second feature film, 'BAAB,' and is also taking part in a renewed partnership with Canon Middle East as part of the brand's 'See No Limits' campaign. In a conversation following the film's completion, Al-Khaja told Arab News 'BAAB,' set for release after the summer, marks a creative milestone in her career. 'It really feels like I found a language I enjoy in filmmaking, like my own artistic voice,' she said, highlighting its striking visual style and deeply immersive atmosphere. Compared to her debut feature 'Three,' she described 'BAAB' as a significant evolution in her storytelling and visual approach. 'Haunted by a mysterious rhythm after her twin sister's death, Wahida's journey to find answers pulls her deep into the mountains. As she unravels her grief, she descends into madness, blurring the line between reality and imagination,' the logline of the film reads. Her previous feature 'Three' played at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea International Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival. She is also a frequent guest at the Cannes Film Festival and partnered with Oscar winning Indian musical composer and record producer A. R. Rahman on the score for her latest film. Al-Khaja continues to work in psychological horror, drawn to its emotional impact and the technical challenge of filming in low light. 'You feel like you are pulled like a magnet, pulled into a very ethereal, very haunting world… it is just so visually beautiful,' she said. The director is also working with Japanese corporation Canon on educational initiatives aimed at emerging filmmakers. As part of the 'See No Limits' campaign, she led a workshop for film students, emphasizing both the technical strengths of Canon's EOS R5 Mark II and the importance of narrative-driven visual decisions. 'Although you have the camera, if you don't know how to position it in sense of what your story is trying to say… how far can you push your own limit?' she said. Al-Khaja's collaboration with Canon began in 2011. Their latest campaign focuses on empowering female filmmakers across the region. While she notes there are still only a handful of women working full-time in the UAE film industry, she sees growing momentum driven by regional grants, commissions and the demand for streaming content. 'When I started, I didn't have a role model,' she said. 'It is good to know that you now have an older generation that you can reach out to.'
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix fans left stunned after watching horror film dubbed 'the most disturbing' they've ever seen
Netflix viewers were left shocked after tuning into what they described as the 'most disturbing' psychological horror they had ever seen. Stephen King's kinky 1992 novel Gerald's Game had long been considered a book impossible to transition onto the big screen. But in 2017, film director Mike Flanagan - who has adapted a number of horror writer King's novels since - emphatically did just that. Starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood, the movie released on Netflix later that year leaving film-watchers and critics alike absolutely stunned. Its plot follows married couple Jessie and Gerald as they embark on a secluded retreat. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. After arriving at their abode however, Jessie is left locked to the bed when Gerald suffers a fatal heart attack during a kinky sex game. The rest of the plot details Jessie's desperate struggle to survive as she battles against her mental trauma - with the widow forced to overcome a traumatic incident in her childhood in order to leave the bedroom alive. The movie culminates in a gruesome finale which left many viewers hiding behind their sofas and unable to watch. In fact, the film was so terrifying that it gained the adulation of Stephen King himself, with the author posting on X: 'Saw a rough cut of Mike Flanagan's GERALD's Game yesterday. 'Horrifying. Hypnotic. Terrifying. It's gonna freak you out.' And freaks fans out it did, with hundreds taking to social media to express their views about the film. 'This movie is an enigma,' one wrote: 'On paper, it sounds like a boring movie: a woman is stuck, handcuffed to a bed for a long time, she eventually escapes. 'It was considered unfilmable for quite a while. But Mike Flanagan did a great job with this film and at this point, it's like he's physically incapable of making a bad King adaptation.' Actor Carla Gugino said she was 'thankful' that they managed to pull off the 'special' movie during an interview with Buzzfeed Another penned: 'This movie was one of the most disturbing and suspenseful movies I have ever watched, and it was awesome. 'Sometimes the plot and story were a little slow and boring, but it was worth it to feel the intensity of the movie. Another great adaptation of Stephen King's work! I enjoyed watching it, I highly recommend it for fans of horror and thrillers!' While another viewer praised its storytelling: 'This was a fun movie to watch, the characters felt fully thought out. The story is such a simple one to tell but incredibly rich with back story about our main character.' The movie too gained a host of positive reviews from critics at the time of its 2017 release. One wrote: 'Unsurprisingly, the film is [Mike Flanagan's] most accomplished to date, the result of the years he's spent giving a damn about his characters and their anguish. He's so good at it, he even makes it look easy.' Speaking about her role in the film, Carla Gugino told Buzzfeed: 'It was always considered an un-adaptable book by Stephen King. Also, someone was attached to play the role before. So, from the moment that I spoke to Mike Flanagan to the moment we were filming Gerald's Game, it was literally two weeks. 'So, to come on to that role in that project in which I was chained to a bed within that period of time, was a real risk. And I thought, "We're either going to do something really special here, or this is the end of my career." You know what I mean? There's no middle ground here. I'm so thankful that it was the former.' Stephen King's skills as an author coupled with Mike Flanagan's directorship expertise has proved to be a successful combination over the years. While Gerald's Game was the first book of King's which Flanagan adapted, they have gone onto collaborate on further projects. Doctor Sleep, which Flanagan adapted from the author's sequel to The Shining, was released to rave reviews in 2019. And in just a matter of weeks The Life of Chuck is set to come out, a Flanagan adaptation of the King novella of the same name. Thought to be one of the author's more experimental works, the film follows the life of Charles 'Chuck' Krantz, a man dying from a brain tumour
