Movie Review Blog

Aniara (Sci-fi, cosmic, horror, existential dread) 

⭐10/10 Avail on Hulu and Primetime - $3.99 Youtube rental.

This 2018 Swedish-Dutch film is based on the famous poem of the same name.

While this is a subtitled film, none of the dialogue feels rushed or difficult to follow, thanks to the actors’ body language. The ship in the film evokes a hauntingly beautiful dystopia of what the planetary travel industry might one day become. Scenes of nature, flashbacks, and every moment on screen work together to pull you into this world and deliver the gut-punch of true cosmic horror. The characters feel alive, almost bland in their portrayal of real run of the mill human beings - ones that are pushed to their emotional limits as the story unfolds.

 Slight spoiler: there are no tentacled creatures or alien adversaries—only the vast, unrelenting nature of the cosmos. Its sheer magnitude sucked me in, making the film feel twice as long in the best possible way.

I was especially excited to see burn survivors in a movie! While they didn’t take on major roles, the inclusion of burn scars effectively conveyed the narrative point about the increasing severity of wildfires and weather events on Earth. You can feel each characters need to step on real soil again.

Overall, this is a tightly-woven narrative of madness, where the love, failures, and excruciating sense of loss are palpable. The ending left me staring at the screen, still grappling with the absence of the typical, feel-good resolution that most modern films tend to offer before the credits roll. There is no such happy ending here. That said, I absolutely loved this movie and the path it dedicated itself to! As a writer, I found myself imagining different paths the characters might take, only for the film to then deliver on those very ideas. It felt like reading an entire Choose Your Own Adventure book. Also noteworthy: lesbian sex scene, cults, beautiful space shots, nihilistic screams!

Be prepared to weep as you are pulled into this journey through darkness. 

Sea Fever (Biological horror, Irish folklore, quarantine anxiety)

⭐7/10 Avail on AMC+ and Primetime - $3.99 Youtube rental.

Released in 2019 Sea Fever portrays the vastness of the ocean, and how our mortal greed can lead us astray. Sprinkled with wise tales, omens, and religious belief we watch as the characters handle scientific reality. 

Continuing the theme of slow-burn films, Sea Fever takes its time in letting the audience witness the interactions between the main character and the trawler crew. The story follows an antisocial scientist and a down-on-their-luck fishing vessel that soon encounter a serious snag. However, I won’t give too much away about the plot. The vast ocean and tight camera shots aboard the boat create a palpable sense of claustrophobia, even in the middle of the wide-open sea. The film also subtly incorporates elements of Irish folklore and superstition, adding an intriguing layer to the story.

Malfi Pause! At the 42-minute mark, the movie hits a moment that could serve as a natural ending if you prefer to leave the film on a high note before the tragedy fully unfolds. This is inspired by the fact that I only watched the first half of the BBC production of The Duchess of Malfi, stopping just before the duchess’s entire family is killed before her eyes. Your eyes will be spared if you turn back now! From this point on, however, Sea Fever's tension ramps up significantly.

With a soft soundtrack, the film allows its emotions and the escalating situation to unfold gradually, evoking a similar sense of building pressure as seen in John Carpenter’s The Thing, where the looming threat and fear of infection rise alongside a very human desire to return home.

The few scenes featuring gore and monsters are surprisingly beautiful, with the vibrant colors making these moments stand out. The creature design feels tangible and impactful. Siobhán plays the character of the no-nonsense scientist well, taking charge in her element and demonstrating strong leadership. It’s refreshing to see a female lead with such a clear moral compass. Interestingly, the film was released just before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it does an excellent job of capturing human reactions to disease and contamination.

Overall, I enjoyed the film! Although I talked through much of it due to its slow-burning drama, I remained quiet during the more emotional moments. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a more 'laid-back' horror movie in the vein of The Thing, Quarantine, or The Crazies. Simular tension without the heart palpitations!

And as a bonus: no one catches on fire! Yay!

Society (Gross out, Comedy, the 80's is eating you alive)

⭐7/10 Someone uploaded the whole thing to Youtube 😉.

Released in 1989, this film has aged... well, like a bowl of macaroni salad from that same time period. On the bright side, eating said salad will put your mind in the right hallucinogenic state to truly appreciate this masterpiece of awkwardly timed comedy and absurd amounts of gore—so much gore.

The big reveal doesn’t come until the very end, so no spoilers here! Trust me, the scene is worth experiencing without any prior knowledge. But maybe finish your popcorn before the movie hits the halfway point. A mix of practical effects and what seems like tubs of k jelly, the ending will leave a taste in your throat. I can handle body horror, but films like this and The Fly have me looking away—though I count that as a point in the film's favor! This was fun, campy, and had my friends wondering "What the heck did you put on?!"

I can definitely see myself rewatching this with a fresh batch of victims—I mean, friends. The humor is bizarre, the political commentary sharp, and the monsters are like a beautiful wall of bubblegum that I could stare at again and again. This film has been on my must-watch list for years, but I held off until I found a deserving audience.

The film wears its ideas proudly on its sleeve, few will miss the subtext it works into literal dialogue. 

So, don’t watch it with your family, while eating, or if you're squeamish! But do watch it if you're in the mood to feel a little uncomfortable, weirdly aroused, or if you just want to see a great cult classic.

I need not say more—the poster speaks for itself.