2024 has been a dismally disappointing year for films. Looking on Letterboxd, I have barely watched 200 new films this year, which is far lower than any year since 2019.

Tv shows have been more entertaining, and an all-round more satisfying experience, and I blame the rise of streaming services for this.

Many films now are made to fit a more specific demographic, to be consumed and forgotten, to be viewed on the small-screen (or phone) by an easily-distracted and fickle audience after a quick fix. This leads to higher quantity/lower quality films that come and go from the theatres (if they go there at all) in the blink of an eye. Audiences reward flashy spectacles or cynical and apathetic cashgrabs before the small character-pieces or slow-burns.

Films like The Shawshank Redemption, that took its time to weave and build on a story that then took time to find an audience, or Stand By Me, that had no ‘stars’ and was really a gentle coming of age film, would have no chance in the climate films find themselves in these days.

Having said that, I’m no snob, and there are films in my list that fit the bill of flashy and perhaps even glib – there are quality films within all manner of genres and sub-genres, and I don’t want to limit myself.

1. Wicked

Wicked is my favourite musical, I have seen it on the stage 6 times. When I heard there was a film coming, I was curious but unsure if it would be good. I couldn’t imagine how they’d cast it or how it would translate to the screen. The first trailer gave me butterflies – it looked like they were going to treat it with the respect it deserved, and I was cautiously optimistic that they may choose to follow the storyline as is. Nothing could have prepared me for how I would respond to this absolutely lush rendition. From the opening credits and their old fashioned rendering, to the singing captured live on set, this is a delight from start to finish. Perfectly cast, the songs are soaring testaments to the beloved theatre versions, the direction by Jon M Chu is assured and gorgeous, the cinematography/costumes/make up, are all perfection and the set-design is astounding. When it ended, I was so overwhelmed and emotional that I burst into tears and couldn’t seem to get myself under control. This film has gone straight onto my ‘best of all time’ list, and I know I will watch it many times in the future.  Just beautiful and breathtaking.

2. The Iron Claw

Ostensibly a story about a cursed real-life wrestling family, the deeper themes of toxic masculinity and the dangers of the patriarchy when combined with familial expectations, are effective and moving. Zac Efron is a revelation and truly deserved to be nominated, but of course the Oscars are as disappointing as ever in their failure to do so. The supporting cast are uniformly perfect in their roles, with Holt McCallany as the head of the family ruling them all with an iron fist rather than an iron claw. He is almost too pathetic to really hate, but I found myself disliking him all the same. Much better than it has any right to be, and my favourite film of the year until Wicked came in December and knocked it off that perch.

3   I saw the TV glow

Mistakenly advertised as a horror movie, this is instead an introspective study of what it means to spend your life afraid to be who you really are. There is horror in this to be sure but that doesn’t mean that the movie itself is a horror movie. Essentially a two-hander between Justice Smith and Jack Haven, this also succeeded as a comment on rabid fans of such shows as Buffy in the 90s and how those fans formed a community amongst themselves which offered support and care. Moving inexorably towards a heartbreaking finale it tightens its grip on you with every scene. As an allegory for the difficulty of coming out as transgender, its effective and haunting. Director Jane Schoenbrun is a singular voice that demands to be heard.

4   Monkey Man

A film steeped in Indian lore, this is an old-fashioned revenge flick but made with such passion and frenetic energy that the ride is nonstop from the moment it starts. Full of rich visuals and historical texture, Dev Patel’s directorial debut impresses; he also stars in this movie and uses his physicality and charm to its fullest. A genre-crossing, uniquely ethnic John Wick-style experience that manages to have more heart and higher stakes than those fun but silly Keanu movies.

5. Boy kills world.

This is a violent revenge movie that is cartoonish in all the best ways. Bill Skarsgard here is hilarious as the titular ‘boy’ who continually breaks the fourth wall despite the fact that he is mute. The world building, character exploration, embracement of over-the-top hilarious violence and willingness to be really silly is commendable. I loved the rapid paced direction, and the good-natured humor on display here. One of the most fun times I had at the movies all year.

6. Poor things
I am troubled by the awareness that this is a freshly born human in a full grown human‘s body experiencing sexual pleasure which is a little bit icky; and some of the animal cruelty, though not explicit, does jar. However, this is still an intriguing, thought provoking, and darkly whimsical film that stayed with me for a long time. Emma Stone deserved her Oscar but Mark Ruffalo also impresses here. This director’s (Yorgos Lanthimos) films can be hit and miss for me because I do feel they are right on the edge of mean-spirited, but I find myself putting two of his films in my best list this year so I guess I am responding positively to his work. Poor things is a very female experience of the world, the way we are controlled, the way we are made to hide our desires and needs and outbursts of joy. To see someone feeling free enough to be a whole person as a woman was surprisingly liberating.

7. A quiet place day one
This one takes pride of place as my best horror of the year, and the one that I enjoyed the most.  when I saw the trailer for this, I was interested but concerned – part two of the series was a huge letdown for me. It felt as if once the surprise of the central gimmick had been revealed in part one, part two had nothing to do but create drama that never felt earned. Knowing that it starred a cat and knowing that I would not be okay with watching a whole film only to see the demise of said cat, I obviously looked up his fate before I sat down with my popcorn. I’m happy to report that not only does the cat make it, but the bond between a cat and his owner was fully celebrated. This is also a celebration of a phenomenon that I have read about – the bittersweet joy of the little things in life when you know you are destined to leave the world early. Lupita Nyon’o stars as Samira who has a terminal cancer diagnosis, and so she heads into this story already knowing that she will die. To see how she navigates the invasion of aliens and what that means to her, those she loves, and the world she hopes to leave is handled with care. It also has some great jump scares and an amazing cat. What more could you want?

8 Alien Romulus
The alien series have given us some absolute classics; well to be honest just one classic – the original. The sequel for me was an action movie, albeit a good one, and the rest in the series have had middling results. I really didn’t like Prometheus but I did enjoy Covenant for instance. Romulus is a prequel of sorts coming between part one and part two. It starts a young cast of little-knowns who aren’t heroes but just regular folks living on a dying planet and in need of freedom, and freedom on this planet has to be bought. They hitch a ride to board the abandoned Nostromo in order to make their own fortune. What they find instead is a ship overwhelmed with deadly creatures. Directed by Fede Alvarez, some of the shots are  stunning, the sequence with the flying acid blood is breathtaking as well as edge of your seat stuff. This has nods to the previous movies but also has its own vibe and story. A truly tense and well-made, worthy entry in the franchise.

9. Blink twice
The trailer for this movie was a frantic and confusing mishmash of images and moments that left you feeling disquieted in a way that you couldn’t explain. The film, as directed by Zoë Kravitz, has a similar feel. Two women arrive on an island owned by a millionaire and what should be a hedonistic excursion away from real life feels strangely ‘off‘. They understand that  they should be having a good time, but somehow they aren’t; things don’t feel real, or good, it’s like everyone is playing a game, but to what end? When the final reveal happens, and happens in a graphic and confronting way, it’s like having all your sickening worst fears revealed to you. This one should come with a trigger warning although warning people would give away a lot of what is so powerful about this film. The finale though moderately satisfying, doesn’t feel quite enough after what we have witnessed, and is probably the only part that I had some issue with. Well-acted, well directed and quite the punch to the gut. Watch this one aware that you might have to be gentle to yourself afterwards.

10. Argyle
With a cast of Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard and Henry Cavill as well as another adorable cat, I was pretty excited to watch this film though I hadn’t always enjoyed everything this director had put out in the past. I hated the Kingsmen films and found them sexist and disgusting to be honest, but I was still enthusiastic after watching the trailer for this film that looked to me like a fun spy caper. Then I started reading reviews which trashed it and said it was one of the worst films of the year. Still keen, I approached it with my enthusiasm in check. I’m happy to say that I think those critics were expecting a different film and that’s why they didn’t enjoy this one. I find it hard to believe that anyone could not enjoy this film. It’s silly, funny, romantic and clever. The cartoonish fight scenes at the end are hilarious, the smoke screen shoot out was delightfully lovely; I completely bought their relationship and their chemistry, and I really loved that they weren’t your typical Hollywood protagonists. This worked for me on so many levels that I saw it two times more. For a fun night at the movies you can’t go too wrong this one.

11. How to have sex
Budget British drama about young people on holiday in Ibiza, this one is so raw and naturalistic that it feels like a documentary. The way that the young men and the young women relate to each other, communicate and have different perspectives of the same situation is almost chillingly accurate. The aftereffects of a young man going too far, is shown in all its numbing  and life-altering banality; and your heart breaks for poor Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce) who will live on with the same scars that a lot of us do. The unknown cast and director Molly Manning Walker do an absolutely amazing job bringing you into this world and putting you into a group of people that seem as real as the people in your own life.

12. Deadpool versus Wolverine.
Okay, I’ll admit that I love Ryan Reynolds, a lot of his films do not live up to his talent, and a lot of films don’t know how to use his talent to its best effect, sometimes making him annoying or abrasive. Deadpool is a wonderful creation that allows him to be both filthy and charming, as well as cruel but also a semi hero. Here, in order to save the world, he needs to dig up the deceased Wolverine, and that moment with him gyrating along to the croonings of bye-bye-bye by *NSYNC accompanied by brutal bone-crunching violence enforced using the recently exhumed corpse of Wolverine, is so fucking perfect and indicative of the entire film you’re about to watch that if you don’t laugh during that scene you may as well turn it off; the zenith of pop culture reverence was reached and I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat. For the next two hours they trade barbs and blows at an enthusiastic pace, both riffing off each other‘s strengths. In fact the lines come so fast that a second viewing is even better than the first. I also love the nods to little-known or never-made prior comic book movies. Great effects, inspired soundtrack, and hilarious from the first scene to the last. Now that’s entertainment.

10. Kind of kindness
Midway through the first story in this trilogy of stories by director Yorgos Lanthimos, I posted on Facebook that sometimes movies are weird just for weird’s sake and it’s not really worth the effort. Then a few scenes happened. They caught my interest, and then another thing happened that made me laugh out loud and I was hooked. All three stories here are wonderfully weird, nothing goes the way you think it will; there are upsets, cruelties, dark humour, violence, allegories, and a completely unique way of telling a story that had me enthralled. I couldn’t stop thinking about this film for a long time afterwards, scenes would occur to me at odd moments. This film isn’t for everybody, but I for one will not forget it in a hurry, and would happily watch it again.

11. Flora and Son

John Carney is fast becoming one of my favourite directors. Indeed, I will now see a film based purely on his name in the credits. He hasn’t put a foot wrong in his career and I have a special love for all four of his movies as well as their soundtracks. Flora and son is about a hard-nut single mum in Dublin, raising her delinquent son as best she can. When she starts guitar lessons with gentle American has-been Joseph Gordon Levitt, she carves out space to explore her own needs and identity with humane, heartfelt results. Always genuine and moving, this is another homerun from Carney. 

12. Civil War

When this movie came out it was viewed as a dystopian possible future of America where war has broken out between the liberals and the conservatives. Atv the time it seemed like a warning and a wake up call, but viewing it after January 6 it is a reflection of the society that I believe we now live in. We are currently in a world where this is entirely possible, in some ways, probable. Directed by Alex Gardener in a no-frills, gritty style, Kirsten Dunst gives her all to a world weary journalist who is exhausted by the world and how much hate there is. Her scene with husband Jesse Plemens is nothing short of chilling, and will be what you remember well past the credits. When I look at America, I am actually afraid for the future; Civil War warned us this was coming.

Honorable Mentions – Immaculate, Cuckoo, The Apprentice, My Old Ass, Strange Darling, Red Rooms

Worst films

Terrifier three.
Where would I be without Damien Leon bringing out yet another absolutely deplorable movie to go on my worst list. Again at the clown is disgustingly cruel for no reason, and the audience is encouraged to enjoy the mutilation and slaughter of human beings that have done absolutely nothing wrong. This film makes a hero out of a sadistic killer, and I once again am left thinking that anyone who enjoys this film is lacking basic humanity.

Imaginary
Offensively bad in every respect, this film was made by seemingly just piecing together a series of horror tropes. A dumpster fire of mixed tones this is also dumber than a bag of bricks, badly acted, insipid and beige, lacking any kind of plot follow-through or even entertainment. You’ll be wanting this one to end.

The beekeeper
An insult to everybody’s intelligence, this Jason Statham movie isn’t even so bad it’s good, it’s just bad. Every line is a pun about bees, the police chief is never seen without a cup of coffee in her hand, Josh Hutcherson overacts ridiculously, Jason Statham dials it in, and the storyline is stupendously stupid. Easily one of the worst films I’ve seen in a long time on the big screen. Films like this annoy me because action doesn’t have to be stupid at all, action doesn’t have to be one note, action doesn’t have to be stone-faced men trotting out tired lines before shooting somebody. Bring back the great action movies of the 90s or even the early 2000s, please. Just watch Monkey Man or Boy Kills World instead – now that’s how you make an entertaining action movie!

Okay, I’ll admit it. Perhaps my expectations were a little too high, I really enjoy this director, and I have been hanging for a Copycat/Se7en/Silence of the Lambs type film for a while now… Why did all the good ones come out in the 90s??
However, the caveat to that is that the friends I attended this film with had no such expectations, and were still just as disappointed, confused, and annoyed by this film as I was.

I’ll backtrack, Longlegs, ostensibly about a serial killer, but kind of not really, is the latest film from Wunderkind Director Osgood Perkins, he of The Black Coats Daughter (excellent), and Gretel and Hansel (an acquired taste but one that I enjoyed).
It features Nicholas Cage in the kind of flashy over the top performance that he is famous for, but this is taken to the next level because he’s also playing a serial killer. This is the kind of performance that people talk about years later, positive or negative makes no difference, you’ll find people won’t discuss this film without mentioning him and his performance.

Maika Monroe is neurodivergent FBI agent, Lee, and Monroe, who gave great performances in It Follows and Significant Other, manages to command the screen with what is essentially a ‘straight-man’ role, she packs a lot of discomfort and confusion onto her serenely expressive face. Alicia Witt is here in a truly odd performance as Lee’s mother Ruth; whilst Blair Underwood makes a welcome return to the screen as the world-weary FBI agent Carter, who Lee is assigned to work with on this most peculiar of cases – Underwood bringing the gravitas and realism sorely needed in a film that seems to revel in the bizarre.
Essentially the storyline is the same as most serial killer/crime films, some murders happen and agents are assigned to investigate the case and discover the killer. The difference here is that we are saddled with characters that it’s hard to empathise with. We essentially know who the killer is from the outset, and Perkins apparently decided that serial killers aren’t scary enough, and needed to add in some devil worshipping, creepy doll, supernatural tomfoolery as well.
After an extremely strong opening that was both chilling and intriguing, this film had nowhere to go except down and I’m sorry to confirm that that’s exactly where it went.

Though Perkins clearly has a great wintery vision and an austere aesthetic that is put to great use here, he is clearly not great at worldbuilding.
There is no explanation as to why the FBI is suddenly involved in this case, it is told to the audience that this man has been killing people for several years but when and how it went from the police and to the FBI is never explained, stuff like this annoys me because it could easily be resolved with one or two lines of dialogue, it’s lazy to not bother.
The FBI was prioritising serial cases at the time that this film was set (though the timeline is dubious as it doesn’t quite add up, but we’ll leave that for now) because they had newly discovered profiling, and yet here they are with a fresh serial killer just perfect for profiling, and we never see any of that actually occur. It definitely would’ve happened and would’ve been passed on to the agents in charge.
For a serial killer this prolific I question whether they would put an oddball rookie on it, surely there would be some sort of task force.
She’s also an unreliable narrator and a questionable hero, she hides evidence, she doesn’t share information with her partner, she is very close to the case and this seems to be common knowledge though it doesn’t stop anyone from allowing her to go alone into an interrogation room with the prime suspect, yeah right.
Many storylines are picked up and then dropped unceremoniously such as Lee being psychic, such as the ‘coded writing’ so very Zodiac, and why is he called Longlegs?
And how on earth did someone so clearly troubled make it to the FBI, let alone so high up the investigation? They surely would have done research on her family and background.

The link between the various supernatural elements such as the dolls, the birthdays, and the transvestitism is never properly established.
There are many random scenes that just break up the narrative and lead to nothing of worth.
And when will filmmakers learn that if you want to make a supernatural story, we need to believe in the reality of where it’s occurring first.
If I don’t believe in the FBI part, if I don’t believe in the looking for a killer aspect, if you can’t explain to me how a killer could be aware of random children’s birthdays etc., then I’m not going to accept any supernatural story you lay on top of it.

Ultimately this is so disappointing because the parts that are good are really good, but if I walk out of the film with 20 questions, none of them answered by the narrative, then that’s a failure.

5/10

I’ll be honest, when I heard the premise of this film, and watched the trailer, I had certain expectations. A combination of ‘Rosemarys Baby’ and ‘The Exorcist’ was pretty much what was in my head.
It opens with a nasty murder that certainly lingers in your mind before we embark on the story of Cecelia, Sydney Sweeney. Cecelia is a fish out of water, an American nun who had struggled to find her place back home and is now starting a new life in a remote Convent in Italy. This Nunnery is special however, because it houses retired nuns who are now facing either mental or physical health conditions. It is an end of the line place for nuns who are no longer active, for some a hospice, for others a place to hide the broken-minded.

When she gets there, it’s like high school, there are nuns to welcome her, nuns who talk behind her back, nuns who are outright rude to her face, and nuns who smoke in the toilet.
Not being a religious person, I found some of the behaviours to be unexpected, I was surprised to see nuns and priests socialising at a gathering where they talked and drank wine as if guests at a party.
That night, Cecelia stumbles upon a secret place within the nunnery, where secret things happen. Overwhelmed, she passes out and the next day when she awakens she’s unsure of exactly what she witnessed, what she experienced. After this the plot takes several turns that surprised me, and it all led to a truly shocking and pretty great finale.

Directed beautifully by Michael Mohan, this is a handsome and sensual film, with some lovely Italian countryside and that echoey austere nunnery; there are some deeply creepy shots in here.
The acting by the supporting cast is good and no one drops the ball, but this is Sweeney’s show and she acts the ‘hell’ out of it! Her guttural screams and round expressive face are all we need to feel how she does, running about those halls at night in nothing but a cotton nightie and some bravado.
The story itself threatens to collapse under the weight of its pseudoscience and the questionable motivations of its ‘villains’, but in the end that’s not what you’ll remember – it’s that last five/ten minutes that will stun you into incredulous silence.
Ultimately this is a schlocky good time with a 70s sploitation vibe and some seriously impressive all-in acting from Sweeney. The underlying theme of women’s bodies being used without our consent and our bodily autonomy in danger is a timely and important one.
The churches condemnation of this film is the icing on the cake!
7/10

1. Women talking

One of the first films I watched in 2023, this film stars a who’s who of talented actresses and is directed by actress Sarah Polley. It tells the story of a group of Mennonite women coming together to discuss how they will proceed in the face of horrific systemic abuse at the hands of the men in the community. They have one night to decide whether to forgive, fight or leave. Essentially a long discussion interspersed with flashbacks both confronting and upsetting, and moments of tenderness and reflection, it is a stunningly austere film that in the wrong hands would have come off as overly cerebral…stagey….boring, but with these actresses and this film-maker we are gifted with a film that kept me enthralled, tense and close to tears. Ultimately galvanizing and enriching, it is also profoundly moving and quietly devastating. A marvel.

2. Knock at the cabin

I love M. Night Shyamalan movies, I dig the look of them, the camera angles he uses, the studied way his characters talk, the way everything feels portentous, the strong sense of character and story he imbues into every film. I love that his films always feel like HIS films, distinguishable from other directors with their own aesthetic and vision. This story of a family given an impossible choice to make whilst vacationing in the lakeside cabin from the title, is wrenching, thought provoking, sincere and quite beautiful in the end. I saw it twice and cried both times. I thought about this one for a long time afterwards – the prices we are willing to pay for our loved ones, the difficulty intertwined with choice, and are humans worth saving?

3. Barbie

More than a pop culture phenomenon, this movie came out at just the right time with just the right message. Synopsis – Barbie in the real world; but as the many MANY of us who saw it know, it was about so much more than that. Tackling themes such as toxic masculinity, capitalism, feminism, misogyny, self-esteem and gender politics; this movie got away with dialogue I don’t think would have been acceptable in a studio picture only a few short years ago. America Ferrera’s speech about how hard it is to be a woman was revolutionary, and made me want to cry and laugh and applaud all at once. Ken (perfectly realised by Ryan Gosling) has his own crisis of identity when he realises he doesn’t know his real self at all – something many men struggle with in their lack of introspection and resistance to change. Margot Robbie is fantastic and bolstered by an outstanding performance by Kate McKinnon as Weird Barbie. The songs are brilliant too. Cannot recommend Kenough.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy 3

A blockbuster with an ethical conscience and the guts to say the quiet part out loud? Unthinkable! And yet, this is the second film in my list with these qualities (Barbie being the other).

This film rounds out the GOTG saga with a fitting farewell whilst also telling the tale of Rockets backstory, and what a heartwrenching backstory it is. As a former victim of vivisection, this side of his life is thoroughly explored and rightfully condemned before we find a satisfying conclusion and a kind send-off for all the major players.
Before I watched this with my friend Emily, I was warned that animal lovers would be horrified. I think that these kinds of warnings didn’t understand what animal lovers actually want. I want people to see what happens to animals in laboratories, I want people to be outraged and disgusted and change their habits; and if it takes a movie like this about a cgi raccoon to help push that agenda, then I am all for it.

5. Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning part 1

These films are always (with the exception of a rubbish part 2) quality, with everything from the direction to the acting to the location shooting and twisty stories all well above other action film offerings. There’s an assumption of intelligence in its audience that I enjoy but they pack in some laughs and friendly banter too. Does the ‘crew working on a caper together’ thing in ways that would make the Fast and the Furious films green with envy. Not to mention the stunts! The stunts pulled off in these films are legendary and that is a status that’s well deserved as they are truly jaw-dropping, even more so when you realise Tom Cruise did them himself. The only issue I have with these films is that I can never remember which film is which – eg is it the 4^th or 5^th film with that fight on the clifftop? Is it the 3^rd or the 4^th film where they scaled a skyscraper? However, this is a small quibble because really, who cares? They’re all good (except 2 – avoid!) and if sometimes the intricacies of the plots are interchangable I really don’t care. Bring on part 2!

6. Cocaine Bear

Sounded unbearably stupid when I first heard about it but ended up being one of the best rides you could have at the movies all year. The perfectly realised 80s setting helped, the willingness to go as far as they could with regards to graphic attacks took it to new heights and then the cast of fantastic character actors brought it home. This has a wicked sense of humour, cool soundtrack and a star-studded cast of actors giving it their all. A total blast from start to finish.

7. A Good Person

Florence Pugh excels in this wrenching drama about grief and moving past and living with having made a terrible mistake. Pugh’s character Alison plummets into suicidal ideation, depression and drug addiction but though the film is heavy it is never dishonest about how hard it is to work though these things. Indeed, 21-year-old-suicidal-me felt very seen by this movie. Oh and Morgan freeman is great too. Be warned – you will cry.

8. Horror in the High Desert Minerva

A sequel to the low budget found footage ‘Horror in the High Desert’ that so impressed me back in 2021. With its open eerie landscapes and a strong sense of reality (reinforced by naturalistic performances and a story that stays within the realms of possibility) its easy to put yourself in the shoes of the protagonists. This one manages to expand on and amplify the mythology behind the desert disappearances with new information and new characters to get to know. It’s also really really scary.

9. Talk to Me

We Aussies have an enviable history of great horrors to be proud of. Personally, I believe it’s one of our strongest genres and while not every one is a winner, our ratio of awesome horror movies in relation to how many are made makes us the world’s best horror makers. Talk to me continues that grand tradition in being original, unpredictable, brave and real. Set in Adelaide, this is a quintessential Australian film down to the familiar suburban streets and the colloquial speech; it’s that authenticity which makes the horror so much more effective. This is a horror movie that in lesser hands would have been a far more pedestrian affair, and the fact that it was made by filmmakers in their big screen debut is astounding.

10. The Flash

One of the few movies I saw more than once at the cinema this year, I know this received less than stellar reviews but for the life of me I honestly cannot understand why. I got exactly what it promised me – a fun irreverent comic book story that was a blast from start to finish and even afforded me a few tears at the end, it did the multiverse schtick far better than recent attempts (Doctor Strange I’m looking at you!) and didn’t rely on an encyclopedic knowledge of an entire comic book back catalogue to hit its story beats, the appearance of old favourites reprising previous ‘batty’ roles was a welcome dose of nostalgia, and despite his personal issues Ezra Miller did a great job playing two versions of the character of Barry that were clearly and easily distinguishable from each other (and the differences made sense within the story too). There is so much here to enjoy and admire.

I, and the people I saw this with, enjoyed the heck out of it and it’s probably my second favourite comic book movie of all time now.

11. Sick

A good old fashioned 90s style horror, I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun this was. A cast of little-knowns give their all to this twist on a cabin in the woods slasher that has a little something political to say too. Well acted, propulsive action, some inventive kills, tension by the bucketload and a few laughs too. Seek it out!

12. Together

A two-hander featuring great performances by the ever-reliable James McAvoy and Sharon Hogan as a ‘shaky relationship’ couple forced to spend more time together when locked-down during the covid days. It’s a slice of life how it was back then in 2020 – paranoia, fear, watching the numbers grow and people dying; to witness how the forced isolation time impacts their relationship, their child and the people in their life is fascinating and surprisingly compelling given its one-house setting. Heavily improvised and featuring sequences spoken direct to camera in a mockumentary style, this was full of levity, pain and acceptance.

13. The Stranger

The parents of real-life murdered schoolboy Daniel Morcombe apparently tried to have this one banned, so close as it is to the hellish experiences they lived through at the loss of their child. As it stands this is quite a dark and brooding Aussie thriller about a troubled policeman attempting to catch a possible child-killer, that manages to make you feel uncomfortable and uneasy in equal measure. Joel Edgerton wrote, directed and starred in this and gives a great performance, but it’s Sean Harris with his tics and nervous, skittering eyes and raspy, whispery voice that you will take to your nightmares.

14. Demon 79

A black mirror episode, this may be the first time I’ve included a ‘tv show’ in my best movie list, but I felt it was worth bending the rules for (in fact, all the episodes in this season are pretty great). Essentially a slasher movie set in the 70s, this one drips with acerbic wit and that nostalgic aesthetic that we miss from the slashers of old. This tells the story of wallflower Nida (Anjana Vasan – excellent) who is given an ultimatum by a demon (Paapa Essiedu – also amazing and very funny) that may doom or save both the planet and herself. Setting the action against a backdrop of rising racial tension is a master stroke in giving us a sense of place and adds texture to a more familiar story.

15. The Covenant

Guy Ritchie makes a rousing movie about American military obligations to the local people of Afghanistan who risked everything to assist them. Jake Gyllenhaal, back on form after the execrable ‘Ambulance’ plays John Kinley, a man determined to pay back the lifesaving efforts of his interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim) despite the lack of urgency and outright disinterest of American authorities in supposed positions of support.

16. Wonka

An absolutely delightful confection of a movie with its heart firmly on its sleeve. Takes nary a misstep bar the lack of truly memorable and earworm-worthy songs. Timothee Chalamet continues to impress in his run of perfect performances, though Hugh Grant’s Oompa Loompa very nearly steals the show.

17. Saltburn

Barry Keoghan is always always great, this needs to be said upfront, and he deserves all the awards for this performance, as does Rosamund Pike. That said, this is a wickedly delicious film that sometimes veers too far in an attempt to be shocking but still manages to tell a decent story even with all the titillation. The less known heading into this one, the better.

Honorable mentions: Fingernails – engrossing and softly subversive tale about love, When I Consume You – heartbreaking horror about addiction and the legacy of abuse, Something in the Dirt – an unsettling, Lovecraftian-lite scifi buddy movie, Attachment – lesbian possession horror from Denmark.

Disappointments: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – too many plot holes, too much suspension of disbelief, waaaay too long, Oppenheimer – tedious and self-important, this manages to make a dynamic real-life story like watching paint dry (and I’m tired of female characters being used as plot devices), John wick 4 – truly highlights Keanu’s supreme lack of acting talent and is another overlong and self important movie.

Dishonorable mentions – 2023 was the year of chaotic experimental horrors and Skinamarink and The Outwaters head this charge like a pair of wet crayons. If you enjoy endless scratchy footage of blank walls or empty desert overlaid with indecipherable but unbearably annoying mutterings, then these are the films for you! Both are punishing endurance tests with little to no pay-off.

Worst film of the year – Terrifier 2, if there is a better example of how far we have plummeted when it comes to apathy and lack of humanity, then I don’t want to see it

When I heard a rumor that they were remaking The Exorcist, I was livid. The Exorcist (1973) directed by William Friedkin based on the book by William Peter Blatty is an Oscar nominated stone cold classic horror movie; and I find it so disrespectful to the genre that they keep remaking films that are classics. It’s not like they’re out there remaking Gone with the Wind or Citizen Kane etc so why are horror classics the only ones that don’t get the same respect? It actually boils my blood.

However, when I found out that it was more closely following the trend of reboots and legacy sequels, I was more open to the idea. While the reboots in my opinion have essentially failed, i.e. Friday the 13th, Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre etc The legacy sequels are still open to debate, and I was more receptive to this idea.

I had qualms again when I heard that the writer and director was to be David Gordon Green, the man behind the atrocious-in-every-way Halloween Kills and the only-acceptable-when-compared-to-Halloween-Kills Halloween Ends, his pairing here with Scott Teems (Halloween Ends/Kills and the equally rubbish Firestarter remake…sigh) drops the expectations even lower.

His ‘attempts’ in Kills resulted in arguably the worst film of that year and so it’s fair to have doubts about his abilities when it comes to horror and legacy sequels in particular.

But I took a chance.

This started off strong, set in Haiti during the real-life earthquake (which is something I find somewhat distasteful but will put aside for now), they managed to capture that eerie sense of dread and power that permeated the original movie. There are discordant images and sounds that make you uneasy even if you’re not entirely sure why.

A child, Angela, is born in the tragic circumstances and then we fast forward to where she is a teenager (Lidya Jewett) being raised by her single father Victor, the always welcome Leslie Odom Jr.

She’s best friends with teenage Katherine (Olivia O’Neill) and together they have decided that today is the day to go into the woods and try and commune with the deceased.

Angela has an Ulterior Motive in that she would like to connect with the mother that she never met, the mother who had tragically died all those years ago.

They disappear. When they reappear days later, they have no memory of what happened to them but they are somewhat changed now; and because it’s called The Exorcist, the audience know what is happening but the characters in the film seem to taken an inordinately long time to come to this realisation. This section is rather tedious it has none of the power or surprise of the first film, nothing much happens and then everything happens far too quickly – it lacks the squeeze and tension of the original.  The pacing is all over the place in this movie, and comparing it to the original is the best way to get across where this went so horribly wrong. In the first film there is a slow build of symptoms and signs, subtly creepy things such as Regan urinating on the floor and declaring a terrifying prophecy to one of her mother’s guests at a party, to having seizure like activity that led to a psychiatrist receiving an unfortunate death grip in the nether regions. By the time we had reached the explosive “do you know what she did, your cunting daughter” scene, we were already on edge and our nerves were shredded.

With this one, we go from they have no memory and things are strange to both girls suddenly looking completely different, and in need of at least basic medical care.

The character of Katherine is forgotten for a long period even though she has a scene in a church that is actually quite impactful and needed more exploration of its aftermath. I want to know what her parents were doing at that time, I want to know how a religious family would have dealt with that.

But we are left with the less interesting character of Angela.

By the time they get priests involved and then a holy woman and then a friendly neighbour, kidnap the girls and tie them to chairs ready for the exorcism, I was struggling to hold interest.

The return of Ellen Burstyn now playing in older/wiser Chris is wasted and discarded, the way the filmmakers choose to play out her story will have many Exorcist fans seething with rage.

The character would not behave this way, and did not deserve the things that happen to her in this movie. Who does Geen think he is to take the intellectual property of brilliant filmmakers and writers like Blatty and Friedkin and alter their stories so irrevocably.

The film eventually falls into a jumbled heap where Green battles to include all the aspects that he wanted to and manages to somehow service none of them properly.

I am not a churchgoer by any means but this is a religious story, and including everything under the sun just muddies the waters.

I’m not sure when filmmakers will realise that subtle, especially when it comes to this kind of story, is much more effective then jump scares and screaming and carry on.

The script is woeful, Gordon Green has no idea how people actually speak or connect, how dialogue flows and subjects are reached organically.

There are nonsensical decisions here; and the lack of care when it comes to detail is glaring and feels insulting – one spectacularly embarrassing example of this would be when everyone is mourning the loss of a character and we have an image of the ECG flatlining. It’s all very sad until you see the ECG connectors laying on the floor. No wonder we’re flatlining, the ECG isn’t even attached to the patient!

This is by no means a train wreck, but by the time the ending rolls around and it’s clear that there are sequels intended, you feel like telling the audience to not bother, to just go home and watch the excellent Exorcist TV show that was under-viewed when it was first released years ago. Unfairly cancelled after two seasons it managed to scare, honour, and add to the legacy in ways this film could only dream of.

Watch that instead.

4/10

Grief is a frequent feature of horror movies; horror used as a way to explore those emotions so much like a physical pain, as awful as any masked killer.

New Australian horror film Talk to me centers on Mia (Sophie Wilde), still mourning the loss of her mother to an accidental overdose the year before. Now she lives with her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen) and her family, including sweet nerdy younger brother Riley (Joe Bird) and savvy mum Sue, Miranda Otto. There’s tension between these teen girls both in how they care for Riley and because Mias ex-boyfriend Daniel (Otis Dhanji), is now Jades current squeeze.
Into this maelstrom of teen angst comes a new game – hosted by Joss (Chris Alosio) and Hayley (a malicious turn by Zoe Terakes) groups of youngsters gather to hold the preserved hand of a long-dead medium and invite spirits to talk to them before allowing them to take possession of their bodies for a minute. Videos of these escapades are uploaded for laughs and shared amongst friends. It’s all ‘fun and games’ until, after a powerful experience with the hand, Mia becomes addicted to its power and possibilities, and this leads to dangerous repercussions for all involved.
By turns funny, weird and unnerving, the interactions with the hand never become repetitive, and in fact it’s easy to understand the fascination as different responses occur.

I was about a third of a way through this movie when I suddenly imagined what it would look like if it had been made in America. I doubt they would go down the ‘this game is addictive’ route and would likely play this as a one-and-done incident, with the rest of the film being about the after effects and the slow unravelling of the protagonist; the younger brother would be a child rather than a 14 year old, to garner more sympathy; the teen friends would be a gorgeous selection of white-teethed specimens of youthful perfection, and I question if it would be as multicultural as it is here.

Thank goodness it was made in Australia as this is a quintessential Aussie horror – real, honest, and unafraid to ensure the audience knows that no one is safe.

Written and directed by brothers Danny and Michael Philippou (who I was thrilled to learn had gone to the same film school as I had – MAPS in Adelaide, South Australia) it’s clear these guys know and love horror, their restraint allowing for more reaction shots than graphic shots, their patience in allowing the story to unfold without too much exposition, their wisdom in knowing that character development is vital in a good and lasting horror, is commendable.

This is scary in your guts, and original in a way the genre has been crying out for. The acting is great across the board with Wilde giving her all to her first starring role, Terakes has charisma for days, and Jensen shows unexpected strength and growth as the meek Jade. Miranda Otto grounds the film in earth-mother believability, panicking as she watches her family fall apart.

Just lately I’ve seen some great trailers that either gave away everything or were the only good parts when you came to see the movie, Talk to Me gives us a recent rarity – a great trailer that still manages to be a great movie.
The best horror of the year.
8/10

Let me preface this article by saying that I chose not to include horrors loosely based on an amalgamation of real stories such as Wolf Creek, stories that were just inspired by real life such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho, or movies that were sparked by real stories such as A Nightmare on Elm Street or The Strangers. Instead, I chose films that made every effort to stick as close to the actual events as possible.

10. Van Diemen’s Land, 2009

In 1822, eight convicts escaped the brutal Macquarie Harbour and disappeared into the harsh Australian wilderness. Only Alexander Pearce emerged, with chunks of human flesh in his pocket and a surprisingly full belly. This true story as told by Pearce (eventually hung for cannibalism) is presented here as a studied and oppressive film that manages to both haunt and horrify, one worth seeking out.

9. The Girl Next Door, 2007

Although not strictly a ‘horror’ movie in the classic sense, this is truly horrifying. Based on the systemic abuse culminating in the week-long torture, rape and murder of a 16-year-old Sylvia Likens by her guardian Gertrude Baniszewski, as well as Baniszewski’s children and neighbourhood kids in 1965. This is harrowing viewing and very little detail is spared. Called by authorities as the worst crime ever perpetrated on an individual in the history of Indianapolis. To think this actually happened is shocking and heartbreaking.

8. The Amityville Horror, 1979
The Lutz family move into a new home selling for a steal because it was the site of a grizzly family murder some years before, a murder in which the young son Ronald DeFeo jr. claim to have heard voices before killing his entire family as they slept. The Lutz encounter escalating alarming incidents – cold rooms, fly swarms, a little girl’s imaginary friend. This films inclusion is somewhat controversial merely because while the scenes shown in the film are claimed to be true by the Lutz’s, they admit that things are exaggerated for film. It is true however that they only lasted 28 days before fleeing in the middle of the night, leaving all their possessions behind them. Personally, I prefer the remake and feel it’s a better film, but for closer adherence to the claims, it’s gotta be the original.

7. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, 1986

Dangerously close to a bio-pic but with just enough cinematic artistry to not be a straight biography, this is based on real life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, and the vicious crimes he perpetrated in 1982. This is plain shocking: slap-you-out-of-your-seat nasty, with the killings happening so matter-of-factly to give a true sense of how little it means to our protagonist. Henry as portrayed by Michael Rooker is a beast of a character, wrestling with rage that is diluted by apathy. Shot on a budget, this movie packs a punch you won’t forget, but you will probably not watch it more than once.

6. The Town that Dreaded Sundown, 1976

This almost-documentary feeling horror is based on the real life Texarkana Moonlight murders that happened in 1946; in which a masked killer stalked the residents of that small town, ultimately killing five people. The names have been altered as well as the dates of the crimes, and some of the specifics of the actual murders have been altered; but the story, including the alarm of the town that never expected anything like this in their sleepy little burg, remain unchanged. The killer in real life, as in the movie, was never found.
NB. A meta-sequel with the same name was released in 2014 and while wholly fictional, is actually a great 80s-style horror it worth checking out.

5. The Entity, 1981

In 1974 a woman in Culver city approached paranormal researchers claiming to have been raped and assaulted by an entity on an ongoing periodic basis. The investigators captured moving objects, floating lights, and a humanoid apparition within her home, but they never managed to capture the spirit successfully (as they did briefly in the film). Though it feels quite exploitive by today’s sensibilities, it is still an exercise in relentless tension, and the bravery of lead actress Barbara Hershey is to be commended.

4. Open Water, 2003
A couple goes for a scuba-diving trip; they go in the water, have a lovely time investigating the bottom of the ocean, and then surface to find the tour boat has gone, leaving them stranded at sea with nothing but scuba suits. This two-hander is maturely handled by all involved, has chilling moments, a reality to the couples bickering and connection, and the final denouement is haunting. I like this way more than I thought I would, and to know this tragic event happened to a hapless couple in real life is truly nightmare stuff.

3. Blackwater, 2007

Three people – a couple and the wife’s sister, decide to holiday in Northern Territory. Taking a tour through the mangrove swamps turns out to be an error of mammoth proportions when their small boat is capsized and they are forced to shelter in a tree whilst a menacing crocodile circles below them. This frightening premise is exactly what happened to 3 young men in 2003, right down to the scene where a crocodile slowly emerges from the water with a fallen companion in his jaws as if taunting the survivors in the tree. An expertly made horror, all the more admirable by the lack of CGI. An impressive achievement.

2. Zodiac, 2007

Not strictly a horror but with enough elements of horror to allow a place on this list, though not enough to earn the number one spot. Almost 100% factually based on the novel by our main character Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) the way this unfolds is gripping and compelling, it helps you to understand why a killer with only five confirmed kills to his name is still so spellbinding to a nation that has had so many more prolific killers in its history. The mystery at the heart of this and the doggedness of his primary characters expertly brought to life by Gyllenhaal, Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo, and Anthony Edwards, are what drives the narrative and keeps you glued to your seat for over 2 1/2 hours. The attention to detail and respect for the real people involved is simply brilliant. Expertly directed by David Fincher, the banality of the killings is never overstated and always shocking.
NB the zodiac case was reopened after the films release, but as yet there have still been no arrests.

1. The Exorcism of Emily Rose, 2005

Based on a real-life case of Anneliese Michel whose parents at their wits end by extreme and acute behavioural problems, decided their daughter was possessed. They enlisted the help of priests to perform an exorcism that lasted an astounding 10 months, and participated in their daughter’s ultimate demise from malnutrition and severe dehydration. A court case ensued in which the priest and parents were convicted of negligent manslaughter. The main differences in this film is the relocation from Germany to Minnesota, and the amalgamation of two priests into one. This films shares its focus between the poor afflicted Emily Rose and the lawyer tasked with defending the priest (Laura Linney – always so good). Again, the lack of CGI is what makes this film so affective-Jennifer Carpenter giving a bravura performance contorting her body and face in devilish ways and truly adding to the skin-crawling and general unease this film creates and its audience. Disturbing, with beautiful set pieces and a refusal to answer those difficult questions; the audience left to decide who is right, what really happened, and whether peering into the darkness is ever a good thing.

Let me be clear, this subgenre has it’s detractors, it’s doubters, let’s face it – outright haters! and while I love this type of horror film, I can see why. It practically thumbs it’s nose at stylistic horror classics such as Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist, and A Tale of Two Sisters, in this it is polar opposite to recent beautifully shot horrors such as The Lodge, Nope and anything made by Ari Aster. But even so, it works for me, and I can’t help but get a little bit excited when I read ‘found footage’ on the film’s description; to this end I present to you my definitive list of my 10 best.
*Clearly this is representative of this writers opinion only, but trust me – I put in the legwork to have a good solid body of work to pull from

10 Paranormal Activity 3
I have to admit that I like part 2 as well, but for the sheer audacity of the filmmakers to go back and flesh-out a backstory that far into the series I have to pick this one; this is something that happens regularly with horror now (see Insidious or X for example) but this was the first one I remember that backtracked and made a prequel, especially within the found footage genre. Set in the joyous 80s, this film explores why the whole saga started in the first place. I especially love that they made a trailer wholly of B reel scenes that never made it into the film, thus affording you real surprises as an audience – something they would never be allowed to do now. The scares are good and gave me some nice jumps, the acting believable and seriously, combining ghosts and creepy kids? That’s a winner folks!

9 The Bay
Directed by heavyweight Barry Levinson, this film is about a disease outbreak in a small town in the Bay Area USA. How it spreads and brings fear and panic in it’s wake is skillfully explored here; the townsfolk falling to an ecological disaster that is all too topical for the world we live in now. I like the downbeat sense of this film, and the body horror was affectively gross and skin-crawling. I also appreciated the message – mess with the bull and you get the horns – mother nature ain’t missing around people, and soon she’s gonna get tired of us.

8 As above So below
This is a horror to celebrate for different reasons than just the scares. The horror is there, but it is low-key and did not disturb me that much, what I liked was its originality. It’s about a small group of intrepid explorers searching for the fabled philosophers stone in the underground catacombs of Paris. The characters are all shades of grey, they use intellect to escape sticky situations, they genuinely care about each other, and the ‘face your own Demons’ shtick is handled expertly. It’s disturbing enough to be somewhat scary, humane enough to feel real; makes good use of the unusual and exotic locale, and allows its characters room to breathe. Not to mention, none of those pesky cliche ridden endings in sight.

7 Noroi the curse
A Japanese found footage film concerning a documentary film crew investigating a phenomena known as ‘the curse’ which turns out to be a very nasty Demon. The footage left behind by the missing lead investigator forms the body of this film, and so was there for a true found footage film even though it does have elements of mockumentary. It’s designed to creep up on you, revealing new detail as the lead sinks deeper and deeper into a mystery he doesn’t want to leave unsolved. It’s complex, suspenseful, atmospheric, and absolutely terrifying.

6 The Visit

I love M Night Shyamalan films, his aesthetic and his imagination work for me almost every time. Most of his films feature some horror but, in my opinion, the only real horror films that he has made are Devil and this one. At the time The Visit came out, Shyamalan had fallen out of favor with audiences, and I don’t remember his name being used much to advertise this little movie about two kids going to stay with their grandparents – grandparents who aren’t ‘quite right’, and over time they become more horrifying while the kids just keep on filming and trying to get through their visit. With a star-making turn from Aussie Ed Oxenbould, this one scores extra points for being based in reality, and also for its wicked sense of humor that’s woven through the scares. Short and sweet – this is a great little movie.

5 Quarantine

I saw this before Rec, the Spanish original, and having seen Rec since, which is amazing and undeniably creepy, I actually still prefer this one. I felt the story was more coherent and it hung together as a complete film better for me. A virus takes over an apartment building, but this virus turns people into people eaters and before you can say “zombie”, the people inside are quarantined and have to survive somehow on their own. This was not a slow burn horror and once it got going it pushed the pedal to the floor from beginning to end. Had me literally climbing to the back of my couch to get away from the immediacy of what was on the screen-the found footage working in a different way here, and making you feel as much of the part of the action as you would be if it were happening in your own home. Relentless.

4 Horror in the High Desert-Minerva

Two years ago I saw Horror in the High Desert and though undeniably low budget and a small film (a slight tale about a lonely man venturing into the desert and basically disappearing), it surprised me in its humanity, and its willingness to allow the lead character to be someone who felt wholly authentic; and the ending really freaked me out. When I heard there was a sequel, I was pretty excited, having been so impressed with the first one. This one is even more disturbing and worked on an even deeper level for me. Indeed, it made me jumpy for a while after watching it. There is something so empty and isolating about the desert, about living somewhere so remote that even if you needed help it is nowhere to be found. While this riffs on the original film, and expands on it, this never feels less than real in its exploration of others who ran into mischief in the same area. I think we might get a third, and I am all for it!

3 The Blair Witch Project
An infamous classic that really ushered in the dawn of found footage and became one of the most financially successful films of all time. Yes, I know Cannibal Holocaust came before it, but that 70s problematic work didn’t begin a found footage zeitgeist that has continued to this day – that’s all Blair Witches doing. Documentary film crew go into the wood to investigate a local witch story and don’t come out again – this film is what was found on the cameras left behind. At the time of its release, some folks believed the story to be true due to a successful marketing campaign and the unknowns cast in the key roles. This is also a slow burn horror film with just enough little scares to keep you watching, they build to one of the most haunting endings I have seen on film; just thinking about that final shot gives me chills even now. Sometimes what you imagine is 1000 times worse than what you see… And this film is a case in point – clever filmmaking that paid off.

2 Paranormal Activity
We all know the story by now – a couple decide to investigate the disturbance they can feel in their house by setting up cameras at the end of the bed. What we see is what they filmed. This film jolted me out of my cozy “no horrors really scare me” mindset like a bolt of lightning. It was unremittingly full of dread, each night the camera is set up reveals escalating terrors with an unstoppable momentum. The things captured on film are the stuff of real-life nightmares. I went home from this shellshocked and troubled, and slept with the lights on like a baby for three nights straight.

1 Lake Mungo
This is another film that crosses between mockumentary and found footage. It tells the story of a family coping with loss and looking for answers after the drowning death of their daughter. Sounds simple but this film explores family secrets, the paranormal, grief, and facing your own mortality. Also, it is one of the scariest films I’ve ever seen, more specifically – it features one of the scariest sequences ever put to film, and for that alone it deserves the number one spot.
However, I also like that this is an intelligent and thought-provoking horror, set in reality with people we could know. It is slow, it has riches you have to delve for, it has all new horrors to reveal even up to the very last few shots, and it truly unsettled me. This is what I want in horror – real people with real emotions but still with the ability to truly make me afraid, Lake Mungo achieved that.

Special mentions –

Grave Encounters
Okay so it’s a little silly, a little over the top, and the characters are far from likeable, but for me it didn’t matter because this was quite the ride! Duplicitous TV ghost hunters investigate an abandoned psychiatric hospital expecting to have to create ghostly goings-on as per usual, and instead find the real thing. Some big jump scares works very well, the claustrophobic situation the filmmakers find themselves in is palpable, and there are a few neat tricks to do with time and place that almost made this viewer feel a little panicky. Big dumb fun.

Creep

Lo-Fi found footage scares in this two-hander that is a slow burn but manages to (as the title implies) creep right under your skin. A virtuoso performance by Mark Duplass (who’s always good in everything) gives even the most innocuous moment that little feeling of unease. Similar to being stuck on a bus next to someone who’s just that little off-kilter enough to make you wish you could move, this one packs a punch that stays with you.

Though I’m aware that ‘based on a story by Stephen King’ can give some people pause, for me it’s essentially catnip. In my humble opinion the guy is a certified genius and I have loved nearly everything he has written, and nearly every film that has come from his work. Hell, anyone who knows me knows that my favourite films of all time are ‘It’ Chapter 1 & 2… and I’ve watched ALOT of films! So, The Boogeyman had my attention with that pedigree; still this film is based on a short story which historically has often meant lots of stretching and filler, and I’m not cool with that, so I had my expectations in check.

The Boogeyman tells the story of a family mourning the recent loss of their wife/mother, when they are targeted by an entity that latches onto people at their lowest. A kind of psychic vampire that thrives on their misery and uses it as a way to infiltrate their world. When psychiatrist dad Will Harper (Chris Messina) is visited by a bereaved and troubled patient, he has no idea what the patient has unleashed into his home. Daughters Sadie (Sophie Thatcher) and Sawyer (Vivian Lyra Blair) struggle to make dad see the threat that’s just under his nose but, in his own grief, he may be too late.

Directed by Rob Savage of ‘The Host’ (great) and ‘Dashcam’ (shite), and written by Scott Beck of Á Quiet Place’, this had a good team behind the scenes. The cast is also strong with all 3 leads giving committed performances in a film that allows them more space to explore the characters than your average horror. This is also a film that understands and utilizes light and shadows to their full advantage – that light ball does some good work here!

I liked alot about this film – atmospheric and affectively somber music from composer Patrick Jonsson (The Alienist), a father character that has his own life that extends beyond his interactions with the kids, not just there to be an enabler or a dissenter, not just there to move the plot along as a generic parental figure.
The relationship with the sisters is beautifully realised and refreshingly sweet without being cloying,
both sister characters are individual and real, not obnoxious but believable and unexaggerated in their personalities.
The creature is effective and the parts of him that you see seem to have an actual purpose rather than just to be scary, the house itself is quirky and looks lived in.
Sadie’s friend circle are teenagers and as such, fail to understand the things that she has been through; they are believable as teenagers grappling with whether or not they want to put themselves through being friends with someone so serious and fraught.
There is as much care taken with the quiet times and the talks as there is with the scares, and when bad things happen the way that characters respond feels correct and the way that real people would respond.
One of the things I really enjoyed was that it didn’t feel safe, in other words I wasn’t confident that the main characters were all going to survive, and that is an important thing to maintain tension.

You could tell that alot of care went into this script and the small details and big picture were both realised in most satisfying ways. Did it scare me? Not much though there was one scene that had my heart pounding – the first glimpse of the sheer bulk of the creature they are dealing with. Many horror films don’t even give me that one moment of shock, so I was grateful for this one.

A simple story told well that can be enjoyed as both a monster movie and as an allegory for grief, this is one boogeyman worth dragging out from under the bed.

7.5/10