“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.
HAIL SATAN (2019)
“Hail Satan” clarifies that for all of their provocative pageantry, Lucien Greaves’ group is composed of law-abiding rebels committed to promoting positive change on a global scale.
MASTER OF DARK SHADOWS (2019)
For the franchise faithful, director David Gregory’s quick skip down Memory Lane features all the nostalgia necessary to pull out plenty of fang-baring smiles.
THE SILENCE (2019)
“The Silence” answers the question, what would a Syfy creature feature look like if it replaced campy charm with a misspent big budget and name actors taking the tone too dourly?
PET SEMATARY (2019)
If I had to Sophie’s Choice which adaptation I’d rather press Play on for another watch, I’m picking 1989 every time.
THE HAUNTING OF SHARON TATE (2019)
Pencils down everyone! “The Haunting of Sharon Tate” has aced the exam for who can create the most tasteless tie-in to one of pop culture’s most notorious murders.
No matter where a personal opinion lands, you still have to tip your cap to an imaginative vision that stays true to pursuing its own path.