Latest news with #suspense
Vogue
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Bring Her Back Is the Perfect Kick-Off to Horror-Movie Summer
A scene from Bring Her Back Photo: Ingvar Kenne And it has Sally Hawkins. I suppose after seeing unimpeachable talents like Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, and Florence Pugh topline horror movies, it should come as no surprise that Hawkins has done the same. But still there's something novel here: reimagining the brightly beaming star of the Paddington movies as a suburban psychopath is a world-class act of counterintuitive casting. Hawkins's Laura is a diminutive, hippy-dippy monster who takes the two siblings, Piper and Andy, in and promptly starts fucking with them. The younger sibling, Piper, who is mostly blind (she's played by the vision-impaired actress Sora Wong) and stridently independent (she refuses to use her mobility stick), is seduced by Laura's ministrations. Her brother, Andy (Billy Barratt, who is a tousle-haired revelation), is a different story. He's suspicious from the start, but also vulnerable and traumatized and not able to do more than keep a wary eye on Laura, a watchfulness that amplifies the movie's unease. There's also another boy in the house: Laura's young son, Ollie (Jonah Wren Phillips), who says not a word and stalks around, mostly shirtless, like an adolescent zombie. What is going on in Bring Her Back? I personally loved how coy and restrained the Philippous can be in their storytelling—mood is more important than careful explanations to these writer-directors—but the leaps in logic may annoy some people. Nevertheless, you viscerally understand that the occult rituals Laura furtively watches on hoarded videotapes are a prelude to something awful she herself is planning. And you figure out early that Ollie isn't actually Laura's son, or entirely human. His eyes aren't right, his belly is distending grotesquely, and he eats anything in sight, including, in one indelible scene, the blade of a kitchen knife.
CNET
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
This Movie Is So '80s It Practically Bleeds Static -- and It's Free on Tubi
There's something about vintage horror that gets under my skin in the best way. The grainy visuals, the eerie synth soundtracks, the slow-building tension all feels so much more unsettling than flashy modern jump scares. Lately, I've noticed a lot of horror films diving back into that '80s vibe, but not all of them pull it off. The House of the Devil absolutely does. From the first scene, it feels like you've stumbled onto an old VHS tape in the best possible way. Ti West doesn't just borrow from the era, but he fully commits to it. The pacing, the atmosphere, the film grain,it's all there, and it works. It's not just style for nostalgia's sake. It's a slow-burn indie horror that taps into the kind of dread that sticks with you long after the credits roll. You can watch it for free on Tubi (which is one of the best places to find weird, wonderful horror right now). If you're into suspense-driven scares with that old-school flavor, this one's a must-watch. The movie follows Samantha (Jocelin Donahue), a college student desperate for cash who takes a babysitting job in a creepy old mansion. She soon discovers she's dealing with a much different charge than a child when she arrives on site. As she's left alone for the night, she orders a pizza and cues up a flick on TV, while the dread builds incrementally and the audience settles in for something horrific. The House of the Devil is reminiscent of classic films like Halloween and When a Stranger Calls, but ratcheted up tenfold. From the opening credits, The House of the Devil sets the tone with a ridiculously accurate and detailed retro aesthetic. It doesn't just take place in the 1980s -- it feels like it was made then. The grainy film texture, era-appropriate costumes and hair are absolutely perfect. It's set to a curated soundtrack with tracks including The Fixx's One Thing Leads To Another and The Greg Kihn Band's The Break Up Song. The movie doesn't just feel like it's dressing up in '80s tropes, but like it was birthed from that time. The movie was shot on 16mm film, creating its specialized throwback look. It lifts cinematography straight from '80s filmmakers along with a slew of other techniques to evoke classics of the era. Everything, down to the credits, is period accurate, and I appreciated all the attention given to making sure everything matches, down to the cups at the pizza restaurant seen early in the movie. The Ulmans have a secret reason why they hired Sam to watch "Mother." MPI Movie Group/Screenshot by CNET Sam realizes something is amiss when she stumbles upon proof that the family that hired her for the babysitting job isn't the same one in the photos. Realizing she might have been deceived, she attempts a 911 call, but she's already eaten a piece of tainted pizza. She passes out just as she gets a glimpse of what exactly it is she's been hired to "babysit." The movie's path is fraught with grisly moments (just ask Sam's best friend Megan, played by Barbie director Greta Gerwig), with believably gruesome practical effects that unsettle and chill to the bone. The hideous "Mother," who Sam discovers is connected to her original job, is an example of '80s filmmaking that would have made audiences sick to their stomachs. Sam's friend Megan is not pleased at all by the situation at the Ulmans' house. MPI Movie Group/Screenshot by CNET Without spoiling the climax, The House of the Devil maintains a gnawing, upsetting sense of dread throughout its runtime. It isn't afraid to use themes of isolation, the unknown and betrayal to keep you on the edge of your seat, which I appreciated on my first viewing and only grew to love more with each rewatch. As horrific as the story is, I firmly believe that this movie wouldn't have been possible without its commitment to staying true to the era that inspired it. If you're looking for a horror movie that doesn't rely on cheap jump scares or the overwrought parable "sex is bad" with a group of teens being picked off one by one, The House of the Devil is one of the best flicks you could put on your Halloween viewing list. It brings the golden years of '80s horror to life in believable, decadent ways that'll have you squirming in your seat. I'm still unpacking the gagworthy climax, and I bet you will be too.
The Review Geek
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
The Better Sister – Season 1 Episode 7 'Back from Red' Recap & Review
Episode 7 Episode 7 of The Better Sister begins with a flashback to the day before Chloe's event. Adam is tired of their celeb life and picks a fight over it. He pushes her and blames her for his anger. Ethan is talking to Nicky and sees everything. At present, Chloe tells Ethan that while she was angry, she didn't kill Adam. In the morning, Ethan is amused as Nicky and Chloe reminisce about their childhood. They had turned a prayer into a ghost story. For Chloe, the prayer would end in Wallace Lake while Nicky preferred Shadow Lake. The cops are back to square one as Jake has a strong alibi. The lieutenant insists that they need to find a killer as it is a high-profile case. Michelle hangs out with Jake and there are no hard feelings between them. They joke about how messy and dark white rich people are and she warns him to stay away from the Macintoshes. Chloe has come to apologise and she overhears. Once Michelle leaves, Jake looks defeated. He is upset that Chloe weaponised his feelings for her. It is confirmed that they didn't have an affair and the sex before the second hearing was the first time they did anything. He tells her to leave. On her way back, Chloe runs into Matt who reveals that he has been following her. He tells her to be careful about Olivero and she is weirded out by his obsession. The cops finally get a lead when Clark reveals that Arty was kicked out of the bar at 7 after a fight. A flashback shows Adam hiding at the bar instead of going to Chloe's party. He spots Arty and expects him joke about Chloe's controlling nature but it backfires. Arty is protective as he is aware of their shouting matches. He threatens Adam should he hurt Chloe and Clark kicks him out. Nancy heads to her psych eval and we learn of her trauma. She was after a trafficker and finally cornered him after a frustrating investigation. She attacked him instead of waiting for backup and almost died because of it. The therapist explains that she needs a support system that will understand her. Back at the NYC apartment, Arty is glad to see Ethan home. Chloe thanks him for looking out for the boy. She then checks Adam's computer and is annoyed to learn that Bill has deleted all files related to Gentry. Ethan decides to scatter Adam's ashes and gives a eulogy. Adam was an angry father and Ethan was quite scared of him. But he did love him. Nancy hounds Nicky next by showing up at the AA meeting. She nicks Nicky's cigarette for a DNA test but Nicky one-ups her. She ropes in Kevin and follows Nancy secretly. Meanwhile, Chloe tells Catherine that she is ready to come back to work. Catherine is sympathetic to Nicky's case. Chloe confesses that cutting off Nicky was practical but she regrets it. Catherine suggests writing a book about it to win over the board. And by giving the royalties to Nicky and letting her into their elite circle, Chloe can try and make it up to her. As for Nicky, she arrives at an assisted living facility where Nancy is visiting Eddy, a disabled man. She asks a nurse who reveals Nancy is responsible for Eddy's injuries and checks in on him at times. Back to Chloe, she meets Bill who insists on a fresh start. He assures that he didn't delete any files and warns her to stay away from the FBI. She doesn't buy his concern and he schemes with his assistant once she leaves. He is partially right as Agent Olivero shows up at Jake's. He has been blackmailing Adam and Jake into finding dirt on Gentry. Jake tries to refuse and Olivero roughs him up. Elsewhere, Nancy confronts Arty about his alibi and he claims that he has been having an affair. It checks out but what shocks her is when Arty reveals that Nicky is taking care of Adam's mother in Ohio. At the same time, Olivero meets Matt. Chloe gets the usual death threats and Nicky tries to lighten the mood. They are interrupted by Ethan who had put in a request for the files of the pool incident. The report claims Ethan was cold but he hadn't swallowed water. Nicky had a couple of pills and alcohol in her. Adam shared that Nicky was rambling the Wallace Lake prayer when he found her. The trio is shocked as this means Ethan didn't drown. And Chloe had told Adam about the Wallace Lake joke, he didn't know that Nicky had her Shadow Lake version. They realise that he lied. A flashback shows Nicky putting Ethan in a float and hanging about the house. Adam arrives and is upset that Ethan is floating alone in the pool. He roofies her lemonade and once she drinks it, she passes out in the pool. He calls the cops, claiming that his wife and son are drowning. At present, Chloe argues with Hallucination Adam who claims it was a matter of time before Nicky would have killed Ethan. He did it for his son. He also points out that Chloe's life would not be what it is had Nicky been in the picture. Chloe regrets the involuntary hold and cries. Nicky comforts her and reveals that she saw the files a few years ago. She was angry with Adam but knows Chloe was the better mother to Ethan. She was heartbroken when Adam ruined Chloe's life too. It is why she came back to protect her. Chloe is shocked by the confession and The Better Sister Episode 7 comes to a close. The Episode Review It looks like the Amazon Prime show has been sleeping for five episodes straight and now that the finish line is close, they are rushing to churn out their potential ideas into storylines. The Better Sister Episode 7 crams in several such plotlines like Arty's friendship with Chloe and Ethan, Nancy's trauma, Olivero's 'psycho' strategy, Jake's exploitation, Bill's shady behaviour which still has yet to reach a culmination point and Ethan's feelings about his father. We get that Adam's abusive and manipulative behaviour is the big reveal for the final conflict but the rest of the storylines could have easily been integrated from the beginning of the show. But in trying to keep up the suspense, the first six episodes resort to vague clues, suspicious behaviours and several red herrings which can end up boring viewers. These aspects are mostly fillers for when the episodes are not showcasing the sisters' estranged relationship. Had the writers paced out all the different subplots uniformly over the eight episodes, it could have made for a better thriller drama. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
‘The Purge' Creator's Latest Movie Pits Pete Davison Against Elderly Eldritch Horrors
A young man begins his community service gig as a janitor at a nursing home, which seems like a boring, ordinary place at first—though he's cautioned against ever visiting the fourth floor. Since The Home is a horror movie, you can guess he'll discover there's a lot more to that warning than he realizes at first—and since The Home is from the guy who created The Purge, you can assume the darkest sides of humanity will absolutely be making themselves known. Check out the first trailer for The Home, which stars Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson and offers an urgent reminder that if someone says 'you've got interesting eyes' early in the movie, there'll definitely be someone poking into your corneas by act three. 'There's something very wrong with this place! Something terribly wrong!' Could it be that whatever's happening on the fourth floor involves organ theft or maybe even some kind of supernatural appropriation of youth? It's unclear, but tuxedos are a part of it, in the most sinister way possible. In a statement included with the trailer release, James DeMonaco—creator of The Purge franchise, and director and co-writer of The Home—gave a tiny bit more insight into his latest film. 'When I set out to create The Home, I aimed to capture the spine-chilling eeriness of '70s horror, where suspense simmers and ultimately erupts into glorious chaos,' he said. 'Joining me is my Staten Island brother, Pete Davidson, who unveils a darker, dramatic side as his character navigates a bizarre group of residents in an old age home. The growing tension culminates in an epic blood-soaked finale, designed to leave audiences gasping, terrified, and cheering. I can't wait for everyone to visit The Home. Cover your eyes, folks.' We will definitely be doing just that—or at the very least peeking through our fingers—when The Home hits theaters July 25.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Better Sister review – Jessica Biel's glossy thriller is full of gorgeous interiors … and death
It begins as thousands of stories have before – with a dead body and a host of unanswered questions. In The Better Sister, the deceased is lawyer Adam Macintosh (Corey Stoll), husband to high-flying women's magazine editor Chloe Taylor (Jessica Biel) and father to amenable teen Ethan. As a couple, the Macintosh-Taylors are extremely well off and not particularly sympathetic: she radiates sleek perfection, absolute success and suitable levels of ruthlessness; he seems to be despised by all and sundry – including people unaware of the mind-boggling betrayal his current life is built on. So the question is not so much who murdered Adam and destroyed this family – but why on earth should we care? The obvious reason is simply to sate our own morbid curiosity, which The Better Sister – an adaptation of the novel by Alafair Burke – expertly cultivates by presenting a dizzying array of potential perpetrators. The first is Chloe herself, who returns home from a dinner party to discover her husband lying on the floor, drenched in blood. But why does she pick up what looks like the murder weapon – her own penknife – and take it with her? Then there's Ethan, who the investigating officers quickly isolate as their prime suspect due to a robust combo of false alibi, DNA evidence and the fact he staged a burglary at the murder scene. It's not a great look. But then there's the shady company Adam has been working with (his boss, a close friend of Chloe's, is the kind of villain who can be relied upon to make enigmatic phone calls milliseconds after his interlocutor exits the room). There are also the violent threats Chloe has received after defending workers' rights during a congressional hearing. Or maybe the killer is an ancillary character who clearly detests Adam: Chloe's multimillionaire publisher, Ethan's drug-dealing friend, Adam's colleague … take your pick! Or maybe it's got something to do with Chloe's sister, Nicky (Elizabeth Banks) – Adam's first wife and Ethan's long-estranged birth mother, who apparently neglected her son while in the throes of addiction. Chloe helped Adam gain custody of Ethan and the pair later got together, to Nicky's horror. When the police discover Nicky is technically still Ethan's legal guardian, they give her a ring. Before we know it, the swaggeringly brash and politically incorrect Nicky (she refers to a luxuriantly mustachioed police officer as 'Borat') has rocked up at Chloe's massive, swanky NYC apartment and slid back into motherhood mode. Relations between the pair are initially cordial, but soon they resemble two bickering, sarky teenagers; at one point Chloe informs her sister she has a 'camel toe that can be seen from outer space'. This dynamic – combined with the relentless banter between the two lead detectives – suggests The Better Sister wants to be an overtly amusing yet still seriously harrowing murder mystery in the vein of Mare of Easttown. But while there are some witty lines (such as when Chloe drily bemoans the awkwardness of her acquaintances: 'If only there was a murdered husband sad face emoji'), the irreverence is too inconsistent and the show too glossy and generally bland to charm on comedic grounds. Still, this is a highly functional whodunnit, thanks to a shoal of red herrings and a twist that is initially unguessable. But The Better Sister's appeal doesn't rely solely on the promise of revealing who killed Adam (he seems like a piece of work anyway). Instead, this is a real schadenfreude-watch. The streaming age specialises in thrillers that chronicle the terrible misfortune of attractive, affluent women (see: practically every show Nicole Kidman has starred in over the past decade). This is partly an excuse to fill the screen with beautiful views, luxe interiors and gorgeous clothes – elite home comforts that somehow comfort the viewer too. It's also an excuse to see supposedly perfect lives implode; not just as a result of contemporary crimes, but by revealing that these characters' psyches have been hellish messes all along. The Better Sister is not exactly subtle on this front: as one police officer baldly sums it up: 'No one likes watching a wealthy woman fall more than I do.' On the one hand, it's a relatively hollow form of entertainment; less eat the rich, more watch the powerful grapple with their demons and be grateful your own problems aren't quite so bafflingly labyrinthine. On the other, this is the bedrock of much tragedy, Greek onwards. Whether you want catharsis and consolation in the form of Biel and Banks trading poor taste zingers between flashbacks to their communal childhood trauma is a matter of personal taste. But when it comes to reassuring downfalls, this decent-enough drama knows how to play the game. The Better Sister is on Prime Video.
