LoBeholder Reviews

Hellhole (2022)

Darkly satanic political allegory

[8/10 · 10 June 2023]

I'm surprised nobody has pointed out the Polish referendum of 1987, which took place in the same year as the story of this movie. The referendum signified a step from one system (communism) towards another one (capitalism, and/or perhaps nationalism), and it ties in with this movie perfectly.

The themes of this movie - unknowable future, deceit, betrayal, and reversal of the terrestrial/celestial order - resonate with the historical political upheavals developments in Poland. After struggling free from the yoke of USSR and communism, Poland embraced the total reversal of communistic values in the form of Western capitalism, which was seen as a liberator and the guarantor of a bright future.

The Polish honeymoon with the Western capital was short-lived, though. Today, Poland is an ultra-religious, nationalistic country that mistreats its minorities and accumulates god-like powers to its ruling parties. It's an apparent reversal again, as the nation is sloughing back towards communism-by-any-other-name. But the reversal and betrayal should not come as a surprise to anyone who's paid attention: while Soviet Union's communism was a vile, dehumanising political system, capitalism and its step-child nationalism are not less dangerous lords.

Thought-provoking horror movie which really puts the "gory" back in allegory!

Cracow Monsters (2022– )

6 instead of 4 for trying

[6/10 · 18 June 2022]

I like the concept of the series. In its core, it's yet another variation on the theme of "a group of 20-somethings fight monsters with their supernatural skills", but there's a kind of brutal, dark edge that you don't usually see in e.g. Anglo-American fantasy series of the same kind. There's sadness, and resentment, and gray morality, and guilt, which makes some plotlines and characters rather interesting.

However, the execution is a mess. While the main story arc, spanning all the episodes, is not challenging to follow, there's a lot of abruptly aborted side-plots, hastily introduced (and discarded) characters, and rather big reveals that are just skimmed over. Some of that stuff is clearly setting the scene for Season 2 (which may not come), but mostly it's just very frustrating. As a watcher, you'd like to find out more about some characters, or some sub-plot, but it feels that this was originally a 14-episode series that was forcefully and violently compressed to 7 episodes.

Also, there's a lot happening, but in the end it turns out to be quite meaningless. It's as if the creators didn't want to resort to the "monster of the week" formula, but then in the end they kinda did.

Dialogue is very jumpy, at least in the Finnish subtitles provided by Netflix, but I assume that is the case for the original Polish script as well. People reach weird conclusions all the time, they jump through non sequitur hoops to suddenly appear at someplace important. It makes me skeptical towards the show, as suspension of disbelief needs to be on quick dial. Feels like I can't trust the writers, because I don't know what to expect next. Or maybe I know what to expect next, but the way the show takes me there is completely bonkers and seems just too random.

Acting seems to be quite plain. Lots of sulking, and brooding eyebrows. It's not a big problem for me, though - I'd assume the cast really starts to come together and slip into their roles if there would ever be another season.

Having said all that, I do think there's potential in this show, and I wish there would be season 2 so that it could start finding its true path.

The Witcher: Family (2021) Season 2, Episode 8

Great season, great finale

[10/10 · 19 December 2021]

Lo and behold: I've read the books, and yet I enjoyed the new season immensely. (Oh, by the way, I also liked the new Star Wars trilogy and Rey Skywalker, although GoT's last few seasons were pretty crappy and rushed. Then again, better rushed than never finished, because that is what ASOIAF the book series is gonna be.)

The season finale was just as epic and emotional as it should be. It also provides a very satisfying stepping stone to the next season. I hate it when too many plotlines are left dangling and too many secrets left unexposed, because there's a need to create some ultimate cliffhanger; here, instead, the finale does what a proper season finale should do: it caps a season with style, and provides more answers than new questions.

It's been great to watch the chemistry between the actors. It works brilliantly, especially between the dysfunctional family members of destiny's child, and even if the storylines deviate from the source material (as they should in any good adaptation BTW), the characters are still the ones from Sapkowski's universe. Character development has also been great, and all in all, actors have been doing stellar job this season, really starting to grow into their roles like a mutated leshy in a witcher.

If there's one complaint, it's that there is no tune quite as catchy as Toss a coin in this season. But quantity triumphs quality this time: we get not just one but three Jaskier ballads, and while they lack the simple catchy hook of the first season's hit piece, they still deliver excellent entertainment and some witty insights and reflections.

Hopefully S3 is not too far away in the future. Even though I know how things go in the books (and in the games), I love to see a new, fresh take and this show caters.

The Nun (2018)

Low-brow jumpscares and loud noises, in 2018? Oh please.

[4/10 · 28 September 2018]

Was kinda hoping that The Nun would be a decent mainstream horror film. It wasn't. It's just same crappy and banal "BOO YOU'RE SCARED NOW!" exploitation as the previous films in the series. Got my ticket for free, which was a good thing, because otherwise I'd feel pretty sad and disappointed.

Wer (2013)

A little-known gem

[8/10 · 8 January 2017]

I'm an avid fan of good horror films. Unfortunately, there are only a few decent horror movies coming out each year. The rest are just demented jumpscare and gore festivals, or pointless teeny romancey bits.

Wer puts the werewolf back to where it should be - a dark, fearsome and primal entity. The story plays very low-key for a long time, and that is a commendable choice by the writers/directors. I really love the way the suspense builds, and that we are not shown some cheesy puppy transformation scene in the beginning of the film.

What can I say? It's definitely not perfect, not the best horror movie ever. But it's definitely among such classics as Dog Soldiers, Ginger Snaps, American Werewolf in London, and The Company of Wolves. I've watched the movie twice now, which is extremely rare in my case, and probably will watch it again sometime in the future.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

It's not a trap!

[9/10 · 14 December 2016]

Oh my god. Oh joy.

I love where they went with this franchise after Disney acquired the IPR from Lucas.

This movie could have been so sloppy, so lazy, so easy. But that was not what the creators of this film wanted. They didn't want to make compromises. They wanted to make a statement in the great big Star Wars universe.

I love the way they accomplished their goal, I love the nods, and winks, and allusions, I love the way this film explains the plot holes in the original, 40-year-old Star Wars Episode IV movie. I love the way this film does not bend the knee. It tells a story, it tells *the* story. The story is of hope, and courage, and determination. The story is of continuation. Never give up.

Disclaimer:

I really liked The Force Awakens. I didn't care much for the 1-3 prequels. I loved the original trilogy. This movie is a deviation from all of those - although maybe it shares something in common with The Empire Strikes Back.

Arrival (II) (2016)

A refreshing scifi epic

[10/10 · 3 December 2016]

I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll keep this short.

I was captivated by the story. At some point, I wept like a baby. The concepts and themes are very interesting and universal.

Some people nit-pick about details being "wrong" or "implausible", but this is a high-concept scifi movie aimed and large audiences, and as such it is one of the best since Contact (1997). Making some things different and more realistic would not contribute anything positive to the narrative and main themes.

I'm happy a big studio had the courage to present the audience with something new - a risky move, but to move forward you need to take risks. At times it feels like the world is just full of remakes and recycled garbage.

Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps (2010)

A delightful Swiss surprise

[8/10 · 22 October 2016]

Watched this on Netflix, intrigued by the description about an old folktale. The film turned out to be somewhat contrary to my expectations, but actually in a good way.

Without giving too much away, the film is a slow-burner that moves on multiple time levels. The flow feels natural, and adds to the mystery, so the chosen narrative approach was a good one. The film contains none of the modern Hollywoodian jump-scare crap - another top-notch decision by the director and writers. The main timeline's '70s setting helps to create the slightly skewered atmosphere of the film.

The film can be interpreted on several metaphorical levels, but it works well even when just taken as a genre movie. All in all, I really liked the idea and its execution. Emotional stuff, really well played.

Be warned though. As said, this is a real slow-burner, and the horror primarily comes from the atmosphere and -- well, you should check it out!

The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)

Easily one of the best horror movies of the decade

[9/10 · 29 September 2016]

I had not heard anything of The Witch before stumbling upon it by accident. The best accident for a long, long time! Registered here just to review it.

Everything about this movie resonated with my horror sensibilities. The cast is most excellent, the background and surroundings are pleasantly realistic, and the tension is built up masterfully. The writer has clearly read historical witch trial proceedings, and reflects the contents of those grim documents in this work.

I don't have much love for most modern horror films. Too often, they play on cheap scare tactics such as sudden loud noises, sudden loud cuts, sudden loud louts screaming in high-pitched voices and running around headlessly, getting gored by knife-wielding maniacs. They over-explain everything, and leave no room for mystery and genuine horror that comes from the unexplainable.

The Witch takes a completely different approach. It's a brave move, but I daresay the gamble paid off: this movie is a classic in the making. It's a slow-burner, but there is a sufficient amount of interesting things going on at all times. Can't say much more without spoilers, but if you like atmospheric, non-slasher, non- jump-scare horror movies, I think you will not be disappointed with this one.