In its current condition of subdued satanic creepiness, “Isabelle” merely meets moderately above average expectations for a routine possessed pregnancy thriller.
ASSIMILATE (2019)
Was “Assimilate” a target of unfair review bombing or am I merely in a minority of people who can’t see what the supposed problem is?
BLACK SITE (2018)
The peak for paying homage to 80s horror, specifically John Carpenter, shrinks in cinema’s rearview mirror daily.
THE PERFECTION (2018)
It’s a little silly, a lot sleazy, but above all, it’s devilishly entertaining due to its odd audacity, sensational shocks, and satisfying insidiousness.
BRIGHTBURN (2019)
“Brightburn” stays sadistically entertaining for its explosive horror show, but by and large feels substantially hollow.
POLAROID (2019)
“Polaroid” is the kind of milquetoast movie that would fare better if it were held against the lower standards of Syfy filler.
BOOK OF MONSTERS (2018)
An eyebrow has to be raised over the ages of the lead actors. Even Aaron Spelling would roll over in his grave if he saw this overly optimistic “teen” casting.
BATMAN vs TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (2019)
“Batman vs Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” detonates an awesome atom bomb of nonstop nostalgia bringing ear-to-ear smiles to fans of both franchises.
ESCAPE ROOM (2019)
If you thought Jigsaw’s elaborate death traps broke believability for what was logistically improbable, wait until you see the craziness “Escape Room” cooks up.
THE HEAD HUNTER (2018)
“The Head Hunter” catches lightning in a bottle through invested ingenuity, even though its gaunt narrative leaves more than one thing to be desired.
CHARLIE SAYS (2019)
“Charlie Says” stokes several fires of feminist empowerment, although its sometimes-scattered storytelling openly invites bad takes regarding how it represents its subjects.
THE CONVENT (HERETIKS) (2018)
EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE (2019)
The intangible trauma becomes frighteningly fascinating as a tragic tale of how violence perpetuates victims long after initial crimes are committed.
SCARY STORIES (2019)
A tighter focus while reducing fandom fluff would boost “Scary Stories” from decent documentary to definitive primer on ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.’
BODY AT BRIGHTON ROCK (2019)
I'LL TAKE YOUR DEAD (2018)
“I’ll Take Your Dead” represents Archibald and Black Fawn’s current peak of what their formula for high quality, low-budget genre fare can achieve.
AFTER MIDNIGHT (2019)
You’ll never be able to hear Lisa Loeb’s ‘Stay (I Missed You)’ again without immediately seeing this movie in your mind’s eye.
THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (2019)
You wouldn’t want to step in it while wearing wingtips for fear of staining good shoes with standard scares and connect-the-dots plotting.
I TRAPPED THE DEVIL (2019)
“I Trapped the Devil” keeps its head above water with intriguing interplays, earnest intent to create something creepy, and an omnipresent tone of smoldering suspense.
HAGAZUSSA (2017 - German)
“Hagazussa” exemplifies a movie made almost exclusively out of mood instead of a stable script. And that mood is more taxingly melancholy than unsettlingly macabre.
It is moderately compelling in the moment, but it has a hard time holding up to even cursory scrutiny as far as believable “found footage” concepts go.