benrig89 Reviews

Haunting of the Queen Mary (2023)

An all time great ruined by bad editing

[7/10 · 1 June 2024]

In the 1970s, there was a spate of horror films that had bad acting, bad dialogue, bad a lot of things, but there was something about them that was...timeless and memorable. Triology of Terror, Hell house, Let's Scare Jessica To Death, The Omen, Burnt Offerings, the list goes on. All of them had at least some one singular flaw that objectively should have ruined the movie.

There was something about that time period of horror that transcended cinematic notions about 'quality' that makes them memorable and celebrated even to today.

This feels like one of those films that one day may fit neatly into that category. It's full of gorgeous cinematography, decent acting, some of the best slasher style scenes ever put to a movie since The Shining, and shows some decent knowledge of the time period it's trying to emulate (the 1930s).

Then you look at the story and it all falls apart. I had to watch this movie three times, and watch a youtube explanatory video, to understand what was going on here. I'm not stupid, I've seen a bazillion horror films, and this one still had me scratching my head. The main problem is that there is a very good and coherent story line buried under extremely bad editing and exposition.

In the end, do I recommend watching this? Yes, absolutely. Even if you only watch it once, you'll still get a bang out of the incredible visuals, and one of the best ax murder scenes in horror film history. Good soundtrack too.

But if you're trying to get to what the filmmakers were obviously trying to do (The Shining on a ship, to make it simple) you're in for a world of headache.

With better editing and storytelling I would happily give this an 8 or 9 out of 10. I hold out hope that one day this will be considered a cult classic.

The House on Pine Street (2015)

Paranoia. Insanity. Hallucinations. Maybe ghosts. "Pregrancy Brain". The list goes on.

[9/10 · 19 February 2024]

Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a party, or any social gathering, freaking out internally, wondering what is going on, why is it everyone is staring at you, feeling your breathing quicken? Have you had the additional misfortune of being pregnant? Have you seen things flitting around at the corner of your vision?

The reason I consider this one of the greatest horror films ever made is the build up, the gradual alienation of the main character, and what happens afterward, when the twist comes in (no I will not spoil it). Suffice it to say, a haunting doesn't always come down to a just a haunting. Sometimes, it's a bit more complicated that that.

When things start to go south, and things spin out of control, the main actress still holds the movie together. She does a great job of conveying confusion, fright, and rage when necessary.

Next to We Go On, this is one of the most underrated horror films I've seen in ten years.

Story Game (2020)

Anthology horror that delivers

[8/10 · 28 September 2022]

What makes a good anthology horror?

Not necessarily horror, actually. Depending on the framing device, it may just come down to good storytelling. For example, the flagship entry of the genre, Trilogy of Terror, is not actually that scary, but it does have some great storytelling and acting. Karen Black nailed it in three different roles over three completely different stories. Anthology horror since then has struggled to meet that standard of storytelling.

This film delivers great stories like it's legendary predecessor, but in a much smoother presentation than the janky anthology horrors of the 70s and 80s. It is western horror with a Japanese veneer, a weird combination that works oddly well here. Well acted, well written, with an excellent framing device. I've watched way more horror than I care to admit but this film still had me stumped at times, trying to figure out where the stories were going. It pulls the rug out from under you multiple times without it getting old or confusing.

It is not a particularly scary film, at least to veterans of the genre, but it is so well written I can honestly say it's the most enjoyable, memorable horror film I've seen in months. I can't wait to introduce it to my wife, who is somewhat adverse to hardcore horror but for some reason insists on watching at least one of this genre come Halloween.

Another praise I have for this film is how the main characters (a bunch of obnoxious zoomers, at least at first) actually grow on you and become endearing. Unlike many anthology horrors, the framing device is actually very well done and I was invested from beginning to end.

In the end I was only disappointed there were three stories (four if you include the framing device) but I guess I should be grateful for quality over quantity.

If you enjoy this film I also recommend Kaiden: Piece of Darkness, and Afterimages, two excellent contemporary anthology movies with an Asian theme.