Directed By: Osgood Perkins
Starring: Maika Monroe, Nicolas Cage, Blair Underwood, Alicia Witt, Michelle Choi-Lee, Kiernan Shipka
Score: 3 Howls Outta 4 (8 out of 10)
Plot: FBI Agent Lee Harker is a gifted new recruit assigned to the unsolved case of an elusive serial killer. As the case takes complex turns, unearthing evidence of the occult, Harker discovers a personal connection to the merciless killer and must race against time to stop him before he claims the lives of another innocent family.
Review: Over hyped? Yes. Scariest movie of all time? Not even close. But LONGLEGS is still an unsettling film with cool visual shots and damn good performances [Maika Monroe, Alicia Witt and especially Nicolas Cage]. Lost me during the final act and never hits that SILENCE OF THE LAMBS or ZODIAC peak of greatness. But I was a long for the ride for a majority of it and those into thrillers and horror should really give this a shot, if you haven't already.
ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024)
Directed By: Fede Alvarez
Starring: Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu
Score: 3 Howls Outta 4 (8 out of 10)
Plot: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
Review: For a film that was meant to be a Hulu exclusive, I’m glad ALIEN: ROMULUS got a chance at a theatrical release because this is one of the better films in this franchise. I liked the young cast [Cailee Spaeny and David Jonsson are fantastic]. Fede Alvarez continues to be one of the better modern horror directors, as ROMULUS has a super solid visual presentation. In particular, this is the first time in a long time where the aliens are actually treated as creepy, scary and as threats to the protagonists. And yes, ROMULUS is a movie built on fan service and it never shies away from that. The Easter Eggs - oh boy, you’ll be doing that DiCaprio point meme quite a lot. I’m glad this film did well enough for Disney/Fox to greenlit another installment. Really dug this and look forward to whatever is next in this series.
Directed By: Zoe Kravitz
Starring: Channing Tatum, Naomi Ackie, Adria Arjona, Alia Shawkat, Liz Caribel Sierra, Trew Mullen, Christian Slater, Simon Rex, Haley Joel Osment, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan
Score: 3 Howls Outta 4 (7 out of 10)
Plot: When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. But despite the epic setting, beautiful people, ever-flowing champagne, and late-night dance parties, Frida can sense that there’s something sinister hiding beneath the island’s lush façade.
Review: BLINK TWICE is a solid directorial debut by Zoe Kravitz, who brings a psychological thriller full of tension and intrigue until the very end. While not totally original, it does possess a message that’s uncomfortably necessary about toxic masculinity and the treatment of women by toxic men. Naomi Ackie brings a multilayered performance, while Channing Tatum feels natural in his role and has a memorable monologue in the film’s wild final act. Adria Arjona is also really great in her supporting role. It doesn’t all work, but BLINK TWICE makes me eager to see more projects from Kravitz. I think this is a film that’s worth your time.
Directed By: Rupert Sanders
Starring: Bill Skarsgard, FKA twigs, Danny Huston, Josette Simon, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila
Score: 1.5 Howls Outta 4 (4 out of 10)
Plot: Soulmates Eric and Shelly are brutally murdered when the demons of her dark past catch up with them. Given the chance to save his true love by sacrificing himself, Eric sets out to seek merciless revenge on their killers, traversing the worlds of the living and the dead to put the wrong things right.
Review: I was expecting much worse from this new CROW adaptation. The acting by everyone [especially Bill Skarsgard and FKA twigs] is fine. Some of the action sequences are alright. The soundtrack is cool. But other than that, this is a pretty soulless and charmless reboot. No atmosphere. The plot is super messy. And the villains aren’t all that interesting [Danny Huston deserves better material]. I also felt the love angle didn’t feel all that natural or organic either. If you’re a fan of THE CROW, I would check this out only if you’re curious. Otherwise, stick to the much better 1994 adaptation. You’re not really missing anything here.
Directed By: JT Mollner
Starring: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Madisen Beaty, Bianca A. Santos, Steven Michael Quezada, Ed Begley Jr., Barbara Hershey
Score: 3.5 Howls Outta 4 (9 out of 10)
Plot: Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.
Review: STRANGE DARLING is one of my favorite films of 2024. Twisted, quirky, weird and pretty intense at times, this film makes you believe the story is going one way and it just gives you a middle finger while sending you another way. Scream King Kyle Gallner is great, but Willa Fitzgerald steals the whole damn show. The film is shot in 35mm and looks great [thanks to actor Giovanni Ribisi, who did the cinematography]. This is one of those thrillers where the less you know, the better. One of the best surprises of 2024.
Directed By: Chris Weitz
Starring: John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Keith Carradine, Havana Rose Liu, Lukita Maxwell, Ashley Romans, David Dastmalchian
Score: 1 Howl Outta 4 (3 out of 10)
Plot: Curtis Pike and his family are selected to test a new home device: a digital assistant called AIA. AIA observes the family’s behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can – and will – make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family’s way.
Review: I think ChatGPT actually wrote AFRAID, which is about an evil AI device. The actors are fine, I guess. But they’re not fine enough to save this film. The dialogue is atrocious. Things happen in this film with no real repercussions. There are barely any horror moments that are memorable. The last few minutes of AFRAID are super ridiculous. Thankfully, the film is only 84 minutes. And while terrible, this movie made me unintentionally laugh at times over how stupid it is. So I can’t say I was bored. But if you’re looking for another M3GAN, this ain’t it.
Directed By: James Watkins
Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scoot McNairy, Aisling Francosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough
Score: 3 Howls Outta 4 (7 out of 10)
Plot: When an American family is invited to spend the weekend at the idyllic country estate of a charming British family they befriended on vacation, what begins as a dream holiday soon warps into a snarled psychological nightmare.
Review: While 2024’s SPEAK NO EVIL is an unnecessary remake of the 2022 film of the same name, damn if it isn’t a fun time. James McAvoy is having the time of his life playing an intimidating villain who makes the protagonists super uncomfortable any chance he can get. The first two acts are similar to the original, but this version takes a more Hollywood thriller finale. The original film upset me more and is more of a gut punch. But this is a solid watch and worth a look just for McAvoy.
Directed By: Coralie Fargeat
Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid
Score: 4 Howls Outta 4 (10 out of 10)
Plot: A fading celebrity decides to use a black market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself.
Review: For a film I had barely heard of prior to its theatrical release in September, it’s funny how THE SUBSTANCE became one of my favorite films of 2024. Demi Moore has never been better, playing an aging Hollywood actress who takes a serum to be an “enhanced version of herself” [played by a superb Margaret Qualley], Dennis Quaid is also great as a sleazy and gross producer named “Harvey”. With beautiful cinematography and gross special effects [mostly practical], this is right up my alley. If you enjoy body horror with strong commentary on female aging and the effects of staying relevant in Hollywood, definitely check this out on Mubi or on VOD. The only film this year to get my highest recommendation, so far.
Directed By: Steven C. Miller
Starring: Frank Grillo, Katrina Law, Ilfenesh Hadera, Jimmy Cummings, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kamdynn Gary
Score: 2 Howls Outta 4 (5 out of 10)
Plot: A year after a supermoon’s light activated a dormant gene, transforming humans into bloodthirsty werewolves and causing nearly a billion deaths, the nightmare resurfaces as the supermoon rises again. Two scientists attempt to stop the mutation but fail, leaving those exposed to the moonlight to once again become feral werewolves. Chaos engulfs the streets as the scientists struggle to reach one of their family homes, now under siege by the savage creatures.
Review: Did you ever watch THE PURGE and wish instead of murderous humans, you got lycanthropes instead? Well then, WEREWOLVES is for you! Hell, they even cast Frank Grillo [star of two PURGE films] as the lead. This should totally work, right?
Unfortunately, WEREWOLVES is just an average action-horror film that has a ton of potential but never takes all the interesting elements about the film to make it truly succeed. I like the idea of a supermoon unlocking wolf powers. I like the idea of communities so scared that they’re quarantining themselves during full moons. I like the idea of trying to find a cure for this gene. I even like badass Frank Grillo doing all he can to protect his sister-in-law and niece from a werewolf home invasion. But the premise is more interesting than any of the bland archetypes we’re supposed to care about. And Steven C. Miller is good with action, but there’s barely any tension because we hardly have any time with these characters, especially when the two major subplots go back-and-forth so quickly, all flow and momentum is gone.
I will say the werewolves look pretty great though, as they seem like a mix of both practical and CGI effects. Some of the gore effects are pretty gnarly. And Grillo does what he does best, playing a cool hero who has a ton of agency. And despite feeling disappointed by WEREWOLVES, I’m happy to see a B-movie get some A-list attention in theaters for a change, even if it didn’t light the box office on fire. This will probably be worth mooning over on streaming.
Directed By: Robert Eggers
Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Bill Skasgard, Nicholas Hoult, Willem Dafoe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson
Score: 3 Howls Outta 4 (8 out of 10)
Plot: A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.
Review: Shout-out to the people laughing, snoring and walking out of NOSFERATU (2024). It didn't help my viewing experience at all...
I dug the acting in this for the most part, even if I thought some actors were overdoing it a bit. I liked the gothic and Victorian vibe. The film may be a bit too long and the pacing is a bit slow and off at times. I also wasn't a fan of Count Orlok's new look, although I respect Eggers wanting to change it up for his adaptation. I might like it more when I stream it at home. But right now, it's a soft 3 Howls.
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