Here's a confession. I've never really liked the feeling of being scared. The panic, the insecurity just isn't for me. I understand why some would enjoy the jolt of such an experience but it's just never been for me. This is why I do not enjoy haunted houses or similar experiences where they try to startle me or make me uncomfortable. With this understanding for years I assumed I'm not a horror movie person. I don't like being scared therefore I must not like horror movies.. right?
Here's the thing I've learned over the last few years...
Most horror movies aren't scary...
At least not in the haunted house variety I referred to above. I don't think I will ever be in the torture porn, demonic possession brand of horror but a lot in the genre are about people facing tense situations and finding a way out of it. In a way the final girls or guys are often your classic underdogs that you root for as they go about their story. There often is a sense of victory at the end over whatever evil it is they have been fighting against over the course of the film. It's exciting!
I imagine I will always be choosy about what horror films I watch and review but it has been enlightening to learn there are different sides to every genre and to myself and my movie tastes. I hope that you reading push yourself beyond your comfort zones every now and then and keep life thrilling.
So that's a long preamble to reviews of 2 recent horror films! I've been disappointed by so much this summer but happy to say enjoyed both of these horror films. So here goes:
WHAT YOU WISH FOR-
First up we have the under-the-radar little thriller called What You Wish For. This will no doubt be compared to The Menu (which I also loved) but I think this nails the ending a little better. However, fans of The Menu will certainly enjoy this food-related horror story.
In this film we have Nicholas Stahl playing Ryan a chef who is flown in by an exclusive company that hosts food events for the super rich that are shrouded in mystery. Ryan is in massive gambling debt so he's inclined to do whatever the company asks of him but as he begins to prepare the meal things get more...complicated.
I am sure there will be some people who can't go where What You Wish For wants them to go but the location was sufficiently secluded, the people were believably immoral and the pacing and tension by director Nicholas Tomnay was built so well I was totally in from frame one. Stahl is also very good as our leading man getting more desperate by the minute but he's also pretty slippery in how petty and cynical he can be. It's a captivating performance that anchors everything and I hope he gets more work from this film.
The supporting cast is also excellent and the screenplay delights with every gory and shocking turn that I of course won't spoil for you. What You Wish For is definitely an underrated gem of the year, and I highly recommend it. You can rent it on amazon or other streamers (ad) here
Smile Worthy
MAXXXINE-
One of the reasons I have been pushed to diving into horror lately is a lot of our interesting auteur filmmakers are working in the genre. Whether it be Robert Eggers, Jordan Peele or others and you are missing a lot of compelling artists by cutting yourself off from the brand of storytelling. One such voice is Ti West and he recently finished off his bold trilogy of films with Maxxxine. Previously he had X and Pearl and in particular Pearl was close to masterpiece-level moviemaking with an incredible performance in all 3 from Mia Goth.
Now we have Maxxine and this is the most classic horror movie of the group with gruesome kills and a mystery Night Stalker element that guides the plot. What it lacks in originality, however, it makes up for in style and characters. Goth is great once again as Maxine who is trying to make the leap from adult film star to a mainstream horror film called The Puritan II. Elizabeth Debicki chews up the scenery as a cynical movie director and Kevin Bacon is a ton of fun as a shady detective.
Maxine will do anything to achieve fame and the movie becomes both a commentary on such ambition but also on how Hollywood uses her to their own greedy goals. It's like the reverse La La Land in many ways or at least the darker side of such dream-making. The film also looks gorgeous and captures 1985 perfectly.
The screenplay for Maxxxine is not perfect and I started to get a little bored as it meanders through its second act. The big reveal is underwhelming making the ending less satisfying than you'd hope for but I still think it is overall a compelling character piece with a performance and look that can't be beat. If you can handle some gory scenes I recommend watching the entire Pearl trilogy and finishing it off with Maxxxine.
Smile Worthy
Also neither of these movies are "scary"...
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