EvilPhoEniX

Oh yeah!! Saw X is a pleasant surprise for me and the franchise is back in full force. I personally like this franchise a lot, it's a nice showcase of gore and torture with a high level of craftsmanship and we rarely see it in such quality, but here I have to appreciate that the film can once again work as a dense revenge psycho-thriller and the return of the iconic serial killer Jigsaw is the best thing that could have happened to the franchise. This is actually a very personal revenge and John Kramer is actually portrayed as a good guy who even the viewer is tempted to root for (because his victims are also pretty big bastards that you wish dead) and I loved that nice contrast. I enjoyed Jigsaw's background, even though the introduction is a bit slower, but, what the hell, Jigsaw is such a cool character that he is entertaining even if he doesn't set traps and torture. From the second half onwards it's the same old Saw we love with all that goes with it. The traps are once again well thought out and inventive (it's really crazy what they’ve been able to come up with in these 10 episodes), the gore is beautiful and very intense (I have to say that even I as a blood lover was a bit uncomfortable this time, and I've seen a lot), all that leg cutting and brain scratching will stick in my head for a long time. The return of Amanda was also a delight, adding a nice nostalgic spice to the film, and the closer the film got to the end (the iconic soundtrack started playing and the cool twists started rolling again), I couldn't be dissatisfied. I do have a minor complaint about the finale (the sneaky bitch definitely deserved something utterly morbid, but on the other hand there is room for another installment where they can once again go all out). I have to say that I had great fun for the first time in a while, I devoured every second of it and I'd happily watch it again in a heartbeat. Together with Evil Dead Rise the clear winners of this year's Gore section. 8.5/10.

An all too ordinary thriller from the French by the once talented Franck Khalfoun. In the past he has given us the fine thriller P2 and an excellent remake of Maniac, so he has quite an eye for the madman, but his new thriller is a weak concoction that brings nothing new to the genre, is minimalist, quite boring, and pretty pointless, at least for me. A woman and her colleague stop at a gas station at night and a psychopathic sniper appears out of nowhere and starts shooting at them. But nothing is a coincidence and the main character soon learns why she is the target. The entire film takes place in a gas station and consists of dialogue over walkie-talkies between the main character and the attacker, so it's more of a lightly suspenseful conversation where the occasional random person wanders in to say nothing. Visually it's fine, the acting is fine too, the attacker motif makes sense and the finale is even slightly more brutal, but it's not really enough. This is the kind of film I enjoyed maybe 10 years ago, but today it has nothing to impress or surprise me. For some it may be an OK one-off, I was quite bored. 4/10.

A crime drama-thriller based on true events about the kidnapping of children and their subsequent sexual enslavement. Alejandro Monteverde made a film that created a big buzz and became an unexpected financial hit overseas. It has a strong message on a sensitive subject and parents may not be comfortable watching it, although there are no explicit scenes. For me it was a sort of light version of Vega's Small World which took paedophiles in its stride without any pretensions and served a very strong stew that was not nice to watch (I recommend it if you haven’t seen it), so unfortunately I can't avoid the comparison. The story focuses on a federal agent (James Caviezel) who decides on his own to rescue two siblings who have recently been kidnapped. Directionally, the film is on a decent level, likewise with the acting, the capture of the paedophiles in the opening was fine, it had a bit of a darker atmosphere at times, but most of the time the film flows slowly and nothing much interesting happens. At least the Colombian jungle finale was interesting, it gave it a bit of exoticism, and the realistic shots at the end were also nice. All in all, a decent film that highlights child abductions, which are on the rise these days, which is really crazy and scary. 6/10.

A likeable Russian survival drama crossed with animal horror. The Russians can surprise sometimes and this time they chose a rewarding and attractive theme that I really like do, and even though it has some flaws, it is a solid one. The film is set in an isolated cabin in the Taiga, where a father and son are drug addicts and rabies is rampant in the area, attacking the local wildlife. The rabies idea is fine and the infected wolves are great, they are aggressive and ferocious and the CGI isn't the worst. There are also cops and forest rangers mixed in, so there's definitely some body-count (bit of a shame the whole village isn't here, could have made for a decent massacre). There is some blood, a few shots are fine so it's nice that it's not PG-13, and there's a bear at the end, visibly quite digital (especially the movements), but it makes a mess and that counts. The atmosphere of the cold snowy setting is also interesting and the conversation between son and father dealing with drugs is quite powerful. Add more characters and action, and I wouldn't hesitate to give it a higher rating, but the film still deserves a chance, it's definitely worth seeing. 6.5/10.

The fourth and hopefully final Expendables plummeted from an above-average, fun and star-studded action franchise into waters of mediocrity that stink in every direction. It needed a better director. Scott Waugh wasn't the best choice and the disinterest of this franchise can be seen both in the audience (the weakest rating) and in the actors, where all the interesting names are gone except Statham, who’s the only one who's great again, but that's really not enough. Stallone is here rather only in the introduction, almost nobody impresses from the new reinforcements. 50 Cent and Jacob Scipio are useless, Megan Fox I didn't mind, at least a bit of estrogen, Tony Jaa was fine, but was there for less than 10 minutes (even though what he showed was one of the bright moments), and the villain Iko Uwais is ironically the weakest of the whole series (outside of The Raid, Iko is not doing so well and the Americans can't really use his potential, it's time for him to go back to Indonesia). The plot is rubbish, the dialogue is mediocre, the CGI effects are very bad, at least there is some nice gore from time to time and the blood is not spared too much, which I always welcome. The final Uwais-Statham fight was very short. I did like the sequence in the finale where Statham and Tony slashed with their knives, I probably enjoyed that the most. Otherwise, I wasn't bored, it went by fairly quickly, but compared to the competition this series has nothing to offer in terms of acting or action. 5/10.

A likeable comedy horror slasher with a fun time travel concept. A 16-year-old killer returns to the scene after 35 years to kill the 17-year-old protagonist, only to accidentally return to 1987, where the original murders were supposed to have taken place, during a mutual fight. It's a rather feel good genre film that relies on a nice retro feel, likeable characters, plenty of pop culture references to older horror films. It's also nice to see the differences between today and the 80's, and there’s the occasional good joke – though the comedic side could have been more nutritious. The horror side of the film is pretty bland though, the murders are few and not very brutal, so if I were to rate the film as pure horror-slasher it would only get 2 stars, but luckily the rest of it works, including the puzzle on the killer, so it can gain some sympathy. All in all, I had fun. 5.5/10.

Another gripping and suspenseful true story based on real events that grabs you by the balls and doesn't let go. I'd easily classify it as the little sibling of this year's Air and Tetris, it's a David and Goliath battle where a group of amateur investors bet on Gamestop not to go bankrupt and in doing so, tear up Wall Street, shake up the world and make history thanks to one man who started it all. The likeable Paul Dano gives a great performance and Seth Rogen, who plays the arrogant money man, is a delight. Even for someone not familiar with the stock market and shares, the film is presented in a simple way, so that even an ignorant viewer can find their way around. Pete Davidson takes care of the humor and the overall tone of the film is very feel good. Once things get going, there's a nice stressful build-up where things really start to get tense and the emotions work, and it goes on like this until the finale, which includes my favourite lawsuit. Dumb Money serves up its story with tremendous style and fun that just about anyone can enjoy. 8/10.

Solid Swedish flick! Surprise came where you least expected it. I knew next to nothing about The Conference, so I went into the film ignorant, and I have to say that after all the boring and exhausted variations on the slasher genre, satisfaction finally came in almost every aspect. The story is about a team building do in the Swedish woods where things go wrong and an unwelcome guest is waiting. I appreciate the fact that we don't have a bunch of teenagers here, but normal adults, which is relatively rare in the genre, and it made the whole thing feel like it could easily happen. There's a ton of characters to slaughter (I don't even remember seeing such a bodycount in a slasher!). I really liked that with so many people, each murder is original, creative and fun (again, hats off). The killer isn't immortal and he gets beat up pretty bad too, which is great. I liked that he uses the setting to his advantage and you can't deny his ingenuity. He uses just about every conceivable murder weapon imaginable, which again I applaud. The murders are both bloody and decently brutal (some could have been more, but with so many you can forgive a lot). The hot-tub with the lawnmower probably leads the way for me, and the head stitching was decently nasty too. The occasional dark humour works here too, the dialogue between the characters isn't bad and the excellent craftsmanship is to be commended. Great music that adds to the tension, great cinematography and a lot of fun The editing gives it all a nice touch. I don't know why, but while watching it I was a little reminded of my favorite Cold Prey, also by the Scandinavians, and the style of the killer and the execution of the murders seemed very similar. I don't really have any major complaints, I had a great time (If it had more gore I'd go for a full rating on without a second thought). A place in the Top 10 will definitely not pass The Conference by this year. 8/10.

This new demonic horror film had potential thanks to the unconventional Indian Lore, but it holds back too much and is unfortunately boring. It's a good thing the film was released a month before it's due to arrive in our cinemas, because I'd probably regret the money and the trailer looked rather creepy. You can say that it is a demonic teen standard that doesn't offend or impress, but since there is no gore, for me it is a useless variation of something we’ve seen a hundred times without any innovative addition and with minimal audience engagement. The story is classic, it picks up at a slower pace, but what could be praised a bit is the likeable and lovable protagonist, the addition of Indian culture and traditions, and the nice look of the demon, which they show only at the end though, and I didn't really buy the fight. If it had been R-rated, I believe it could have been more interesting (the few deaths could have had potential), but with the PG-13 rating it all comes off kind of pointless. Disappointing for me, there are worse things, but I could have done without it. 4/10.

David Slade, the director of one of the best vampire movies 30 Days of Night, is back after a long hiatus and delivers a Halloween monster slasher that has its bright moments but the potential was higher. The story is about a legendary monster called Sawtooth Jack who crawls out of a cornfield on Halloween and terrorizes the townspeople. A hunt is organized to defeat him, with a promising reward. The premise isn't exactly the worst, but the script it's a bit of an uninspired mess, though anyone who doesn't expect a gripping story from a horror film can easily sit through this one. The child characters are mostly assholes, so there's little sympathy to be gained here either, but I liked the retro feel of the film, which could easily have fallen out of the 80s (if this film had been made forty years ago, it would have had a lot more red). The monster itself looks nice and is decently uncompromising to the characters. The gore is excellent, I was surprised by that (a jaw ripped open, half a head chopped off and a body split in half in the air by moonlight beautiful!). The film is very nutritious in this respect and if there had been some proper mass carnage and monster battle in the finale, I would have been willing to go for a higher rating, but that didn't happen. The atmosphere and tension are not dazzling by any means, but I wasn't bored. The gore and monster were good, for me a cool Halloween one-shot that is brutally underrated. 56% on IMDB matches the quality better. 5.5/10.