Brick by Brick: Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024) Review

Director: Soi Cheang

Notable Cast: Raymond Lam, Louis Koo, Terrance Lau, Tony Wu, German Cheung, Philip Ng, Richie Jen, Sammo Hung, Kenny Wong Tak-Ban, Aaron Kwok, Fish Liew

 

Director Soi Cheang is on a roll.

After he dropped the long-awaited sequel SPL2: A Time for Consequences almost 10 years ago, renamed Killzone 2 for its US release, Soi Cheang took a wild detour to film two Monkey King movies. Although those films are entertaining, one must wonder if Soi Cheang’s career would be completely derailed by massive blockbuster fantasy.

Yet, he pulled a 180 from that for two films in a row by dropping the award-winning thrillers Limbo and Mad Fate over the last couple of years. It’s a shift that truly indicates just how talented he is as a director. Not only did he direct one of the best modern Hong Kong action films with SPL2, but Limbo was one of the best neo-noirs of recent memory. 

 

Deck The Halls... in Blood and Guts: Terrifier 3 (2024) Review

Directed by: Damien Leone

Notable Cast: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Antonella Rose, Elliot Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi, Margaret Anne, Bryce Johnson, Alexa Blair Robertson

The slasher sub-genre of horror is something I've been a huge fan of since morbid curiosity took over as a young boy, sneaking off to my cousin's house to watch the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street films; I've always enjoyed a good on-screen massacre. What that says about me, who knows, but I do know what I like it and I feel over the decades, this avenue of horror has had many ups and downs. Here in this point in time, Damien Leone and friends are really bringing out the goods with his demented and twisted take on the genre in the form of the Terrifier films. 

I have been digging these since the beginning. I did miss out on All Hallows' Eve, but many Art fans have been visiting those retroactively, and for good reason. Art the Clown, everyone's favorite demonic circus act, has launched himself into the stratosphere alongside the likes of any of the aforementioned horror series' icons. David Howard Thornton, who dons Art's tiny hat, clearly pours his heart and soul (I know, I know) into every frame he is in, and his charismatic killer clown is at a series best here in Terrifier 3, where he takes our good friends from the second film, and give them a nice little Christmas break. Here's to the holidays.

Bet on Odd: Oddity (2024) Review

Director: Damian Mc Carthy

Notable Cast: Carolyn Bracken, Gwilym Lee, Tadhg Murphy, Caroline Menton, Jonathan French, Steve Wall, Joe Rooney

 

Oddity is a film chock full of elements that could easily go wrong. Despite a solid trailer and the backing of both Shudder and IFC Films to validate its content, it’s just a film filled to the brim with off-kilter aspects that, in the wrong hands, could immediately take the film deep into the uncanny valley. 

 

There are twins, a giant wooden monster doll, a psychic that collects haunted objects, and one of the main characters is the doctor at a mental illness facility. On paper, those could quickly go awry. I’ve seen a handful of movies with just one of those things that careen a film off the cliff and straight into unintentional comedy. I suppose that’s to be expected with a title like Oddity.

 

Yet, through and through, writer and director Damian Mc Carthy manages to breeze through the uncanny valley and straight into a film showcasing what it means to ‘thread the needle.’ Oddity is slathered in wild jump scares and terrifying tension. Its limited budget is a benefit in crafting what might translate to a theatrical stage very efficiently as a chamber horror, and the film creeps so cleverly into one’s psyche that it lingers well after the credits roll. Not unlike Mc Carthy’s previous film, Caveat. 

 

Dodging Bullets: Take Cover (2024) Review

Director: Nick McKinless

Notable Cast: Scott Adkins, Alice Eve, Jack Parr, Billy Clements, Mădălina Bellariu Ion, Renars Latkovskis, Nik Coleman, Alba De Torrebruna

 

Take Cover is simple, which I appreciate wholeheartedly. While theatrical action films continue to try to bring flocks of people to the theater with spectacle, the Scott Adkins vehicle continues to run on simple ideas, strong action execution, and just enough thoughtful drama to build a foundation. That's it. That's all. 

 

Take Cover is just that. Less is more. 

 

The concept? Two mercenaries, a sniper (Adkins) and his spotter (Parr), are trapped in a massive hotel room by another sniper and a handful of baddies waiting to crush them if they try to leave. The simplicity breeds creativity, and Take Cover can take advantage of it. Yes, the film does start outside the room, showcasing a job that goes sideways, the chemistry between the two men as partners, and their abilities as fighters, shooters, and escape artists, but really, it's all set up to The Room. Once it gets there, despite a few convenient flaws of logic in the script to keep them there, the film can start boiling tension and working its fun dynamics as an action flick.