THE WINDMILL (2017)
Director: Nick
Jongerius
Notable Cast:Charlotte
Beaumont, Bart Klever, Patrick Baladi, Ben Batt, Fiona Hampton, Tanroh Ishida,
Noah Taylor, Adam Thomas Wright, Kenan Raven
Also Known As: The
Windmill Massacre
Ambition can be a great thing. However, in the case of The Windmill, it can also lead to
disappointment. The concept behind The
Windmill is fun and interesting. While I was lead to believe that it would
be, more or less, a modern slasher, this film goes for a slightly more
mysterious and supernatural slant for its slasher tropes. It takes its time to
build the characters that end up on the broken down Holland tour that are
stalked by a disfigured man from the nearby windmill and the use of visions,
backstories, and tension is all great in idea. The film uses some nice
practical effects as a basis for its kills and there are plenty of things to
like about the film…on paper.
The execution is where it is lacking. The intent is there, as
is the concept, but The Windmill
lacks the fine tuning, vision, and budget to truly pull it off. The script is
scattered and full of gaping plot holes, the tonal shifts undermine what might
have been moments of great tension or scares, and the performances from the
cast don’t add layers to the cliché slasher fodder that they are bound to
become. Entire segments are derailed by lacking narrative cohesion and, despite
some of those great ideas mentioned above, there is no sense of dread or
impending doom for viewers to get drawn into to make the slasher elements feel
as fresh as they might have. On paper, The
Windmill is ambitious, but the film itself cannot live up to it. It has its
moments, but more or less it’s a film for the curious or those looking to burn
an hour and a half on a B-horror flick than anything else.
THE DEVIL’S CANDY
(2017)
Director: Sean Byrne
Notable Cast: Ethan
Embry, Shiri Appleby, Kiara Glasco, Pruitt Taylor Vince
Judging The Devil’s
Candy by its synopsis was not the way to go into it. While the premise is
certainly interesting, feeding into the classic fringes of supernatural
territory while maintaining a realistic slant, it’s nothing all that original
and owes its fair share to being a kind of stripped down Amityville Horror or
something else of the same core idea. However, if you’re a horror fan than put
down those initial reactions and go check out what The Devil’s Candy offers immediately. This film is an effective and
efficient dive into the realms of horror through its superb execution, approach to the core ideas, and the angle of the plotting rather than the plot itself being
the driving force behind it. It features superb performances from its cast, a
thick and artistic atmosphere that adds a ton of weight to the
semi-supernatural elements of the script, and it’s a ridiculously well-paced
movie, coming in with a brisk and effective pacing that never outstays its
welcome for the audience. It’s in tune with the emotional cracks that develop
with the characters and it delivers on all fronts with the goods when it comes
to atmospheric horror set pieces.
The only minute element that could possibly deter the film
is the ultimately predictable nature of its plotting, but even then The Devil’s Candy does its best to
throw in a few great little skids there in the third act. No matter how much I
felt like I could predict where the film and the characters were going, the
film is executed in such an effective and ambitious manner that it never felt
like it was following the tropes and clichés of this kind of supernatural horror
film. The Devil’s Candy is a stellar horror film that will easily remain one of
the best of the year, if not recent memory. See it. See it now.
Also, The Devil’s
Candy might be the first horror film that uses its heavy metal soundtrack
and the culture in a naturalistic and effective manner without succumbing to
stereotypes that so many others do. Huge bonus points for that.
WE GO ON (2017)
Directors: Jesse
Holland, Andy Mitton
Notable Cast: Clark
Freeman, Annette O’Toole, Jay Dunn, Giovanna Zacarias, Laura Heisler, John
Glover
While I was initially skeptical about the Shudder streaming
service, seeing as I owned most of what was originally uploaded onto it for
streaming, just over the last handful of months the service has become
something of a legitimate way to see some underground horror films from the
past and present. To add to that, they’ve been getting their hands on some
prime titles for exclusive release rights. One of those exclusive flicks was
the indie supernatural horror flick We Go
On, which was being recommended to me from various friends and online acquaintances.
Now this film is not strictly horror as it blends hefty doses of drama and
dark comedy into the mix, but its one that has a remarkable amount of fun
twists and turns as it goes and for those looking for a decently ambitious
little film then We Go On hits a lot of the right buttons.
Perhaps the best word to describe We Go On is ‘quirky’ as the film plays out in three distinct acts
as it goes. The flow between these acts can be a tad under-cooked and
occasionally jolting when it shifts gears and it’s this narrative flow that
tends to undermine the whole as its biggest obstacle. However, once it
establishes its blend of dark comedy, drama, and horror, it does come off as
remarkably charming and occasionally heartfelt. As our protagonist’s trip into
the realm of paranormal goes, it always retains a kind of innocent approach
that’s exemplified by the Freeman’s performance and in that regard it does feel
decently fresh, even when it touches on some very cliché elements. When it
wants to be hilarious, it is. When it wants to be creepy and scary, it can be.
When it wants to hit those emotional beats, it goes for broke. It’s just that We Go On has a bit of trouble sliding
between all of those moments and tones. However, for a fun and charming little
indie horror/drama/comedy flick I was pleasantly surprised. For those who have
Shudder, it’s an easy recommendation as it can float a bit under the radar.
Written By Matt Reifschneider
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