HORROR

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) Review | Leatherface is back!

Published

2 years ago

February 18, 2022

Another classic slasher has returned to our screens, well – small screen. Leatherface is back, Halloween (2018)-style, in a direct sequel to the nearly 50-year-old original, that debuted all the way back in 1974. With a plethora of sequels and reboots under its wing, it stands to reason why resurrect such a graphic franchise? Well, because Leatherface’s chainsaw is not out of gas just yet.

Netflix’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre decides not to cover new ground, and instead sheds the usual, over-the-top graphic violence that the franchise is infamously (and famously) known for. As such, the performances are only second to the incredible kills, but there are some incredible noteworthy standouts here: Elsie Fisher’s school-shooting survivor Lila, and her older sister Melody, played by Sarah Yarkin. Second-time director, David Blue Garcia, has some incredible material to work with here, and he certainly succeeds in crafting a great addition to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre family of films.

One thing that comes with most Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies is that the story is always the same just with minor tweaks. Here, instead of a group of young adults making their way through rural Texas, our poor unfortunate souls are a cohort of young entrepreneurs wanting to revitalise the place into a trendy, gentrified community. The one thing that stands in their way is the one and only Leatherface, here played by Mark Bunrham. The TCM franchise has had many portray the notorious chainsaw-wielder, some good and some bad, but here Bunrham definitely knows how to portray the silent, menacing cult icon.

Photo: Netflix

Acting as a direct sequel to the original, this 2022 entry in the series has definitely been influenced by other un-reboots (instalments that ignore reboots) such as the return of Halloween in 2018, and Candyman in 2021. This is easily shown with the return of the final girl from the original, Sally Hardesty, now played by Olwen Fouéré following the passing of Marilyn Burns who portrayed her in the first movie. There’s not much to this addition the story, but I did find what they did with the character to be incredibly satisfying. Scream (2022) had recently commented on the whole ‘requel’ treatment, and here I’d like to think the story behind this new entry, co-written by Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues, the masterminds behind the 2013 revival of Evil Dead, was as self-aware as it is perceived on camera.

Garcia’s entry, however, suffers from an incredibly short runtime – only 81 minutes long, not counting the credits. This results in many of the characters being thinly written, with any actual attempts to develop them quickly dropped as soon as Leatherface starts his blood-soaked chainsaw. It’s a fair trade, however, as if you’re not expecting much in terms of story, you’ll be greatly rewarded when it comes to the action that slashers like this franchise are known for delivering.

Donning a new mask and his trusty saw, Leatherface succeeds in leaving yet another catastrophic bloodbath in this sequel. Sure, the script is too on-the-nose at points when poking at the millennial generation, but this franchise isn’t known for being perfect slashers, and that’s the point of them; all they’re doing is letting Leatherface let rip and have a relatively successful, stylish go at giving some travellers hell.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released on Netflix on February 18th, 2022.

FILM RATING

HORROR

When Evil Lurks | Teaser Trailer — In Theaters October 6th, 2023

Published

1 week ago

September 18, 2023

Jacques van Zyl

When Evil Lurks Movie Poster (IFC Films)

The following piece was written during the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie material being covered here wouldn’t exist.

Genre: Horror

Release Date: 6 October 2023 in theaters / 27 October 2023 on Shudder

Director: Demián Rugna

Writer: Demián Rugna

Distributed by: IFC Films & Shudder

Production Companies: Shudder, Aramos Cine & Machaco Films

Cast: Ezequiel Rodriguez, Demián Salomon, Luis Ziembrowski, Silvia Sabater & Marcelo Michinaux

Plot

The residents of a small rural town discover that a demon is about to be born among them. They desperately try to escape – but it may be too late…

When Evil Lurks Official Teaser Trailer (IFC Films)

FILM RATING

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Thanksgiving | Official Trailer — In Theaters November 17, 2023

After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the infamous holiday.

Published

1 week ago

September 18, 2023

Staff

Genre:

Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Release Date:

November 17, 2023

Director:

Eli Roth

Cast:

Patrick dempsey, Rick Hoffman, Gina Gershon, Addison Rae

Plot Summary:

After a Black Friday riot ends in tragedy, a mysterious Thanksgiving-inspired killer terrorizes Plymouth, Massachusetts – the birthplace of the infamous holiday.

FILM RATING

HORROR

Talk To Me Delivers A Real Scare, Hands Down!

Published

1 week ago

September 16, 2023

Jacques van Zyl

Talk to Me Movie Poster (A24)

Plot

When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

Movie Review

The movie starts off with quite a shocker, leaving you with a few questions. It doesn’t take too long to get into the action and soon you realize you are in for quite a scare. In a nutshell, the movie is about a group of friends playing a timed game where the communicate with the dead using an embalmed hand, and allow the dead to speak through them, with the emphasis on timed. However, as with all rules, some end up broken, and when the game goes on a little too long things go south, resulting in far reaching consequences. The main protagonist in the story Mia plays this game of talking with the dead, while at the same time working through the loss of a loved one as well. As a viewer I experienced her feelings of grief and it felt real because her performance was just next level.

Both Sophie Wilde and Joe Bird‘s performance as Mia and Riley really grips you, making the feelings of fear on-screen real for the audience. The make-up and effects throughout the movie was really done brilliantly. The ending delivers a unique twist making you hungry for more action and story. The cast really brought life in a horror story focusing around the dead.

There is no post-credits scene, so no need to wait to the end. Trailer is amazing and delivers an even greater scare and doesn’t spoil any important parts of the movie. My rating for Talk To Me is 5 out of 5. Talk To Me is a bone-chilling supernatural horror that delivers a real scare on-screen, hands down. I’m all for seeing a possible sequel of Talk To Me one day, or even a prequel where the origin of the embalmed hand is unpacked. But the movie is still brilliant as a stand-alone movie.

Make sure to catch it at a cinema near you or watch online.