Horror

The Djinn

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Djinn
  • IMDb: link

Written and directed by the team of David Charbonier and Justin Powell, The Djinn plays on several classic horror tropes including children and monsters and the unforeseen price of asking for wishes from a demonic source (Hint: it’s never a good idea).

The film takes place entirely within the apartment of the mute pre-teen Dylan (Ezra Dewey). On night when his father (Rob Brownstein) is at work, Dylan makes use of a satanic book of spells left over from the apartment’s previous tenant and makes a wish. To see his wish granted, he’ll need to survive an hour of being hunted by a malevolent creature known as the Djinn (a mix of CGI and performances from multiple actors including John Erickson, Donald Pitts, and Tevy Poe).

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Silent Night

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Silent Night (2021)
  • IMDb: link

At the end of the world, we come together and celebrate with those we love. That’s the basic idea behind the dark comedy Silent Night which sees old friends reunite for Christmas as the whole world is slowly being enveloped in a deadly gas cloud. Governments have given up and have provided suicide pills for their citizens, to avoid the more painful death brought on by the gas (which, if the children are to believed, may either be caused by environmental factors or the Russians).

The hosts for the Christmas party are Nell (Keira Knightley) and Simon (Matthew Goode) along with their twin boys (Hardy Griffin Davis and Gilby Griffin Davis) and younger son Art (Roman Griffin Davis) who is one of the few guests not so keen on mixing suicide and yuletide cheer. The other guest who is anti-pill is the younger wife (Lily-Rose Depp) of another member of the group (Sope Dirisu) who has recently discovered she is pregnant.

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Agnes

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Agnes
  • IMDb: link

Agnes is an odd film. Actually, it’s two odd films strung together loosely by a single thread, neither of which leaves the audience with any kind of resolution (although one could argue that’s the point of the second storyline). In some ways it’s the most frustrating film of 2021 as so much is wasted on a bi-polar tale that at times seems as lost as the nuns themselves.

The first-half of the film is a delightful exorcism plot of a priest (Ben Hall) who is facing damning charges of inappropriate behavior with children, but also with experience in the act of exorcism, but who doesn’t really believe in the rights or demons, and a neophyte (Jake Horowitz) who has not yet taken his vows, sent to a nunnery where Sister Agnes (Hayley McFarland) has shown signs of possession. We also get a defrocked priest (Chris Browning) turned sleazy celebrity for his work in the field, added to the mix when our overwhelmed priest turns to him for help.

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Werewolves Within

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Werewolves Within
  • IMDb: link

Through the eyes of its newest resident, demoted but cheery Forest Ranger Finn Wheeler (Sam Richardson), we’re introduced to the odd mountain town of Beaverfield. Part horror, part comedy, and part whodunnit, Werewolves Within throws the likable Finn into the odd setting in which any member of the town might be a werewolf. Now can he find the wolf before it kills them or before the town full of lunatics kills each other?

Adapted from the video game of the same name by screenwriter Mishna Wolff and director Josh Ruben, Werewolves Within offers an enjoyable romp with a number of oddball locals played by the likes of George Basil, Sarah Burns, Catherine Curtin, Wayne Duvall, Rebecca Henderson, Glenn Fleshler, and Milana Vayntrub as the town’s only mail carrier.

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Benedetta

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Benedetta
  • IMDb: link

Inspired by the life of 17th Century nun Benedetta Carlini, Virginie Efira stars in the title role as a nun with visions and dreams of Jesus (Jonathan Couzinié). After the arrival of a young woman named Bartolomea (Daphne Patakia), to whom she has an obvious attraction, Benedetta begins having fevered dreams and one day appears with stigmata allowing for her advancement over the current abbess (Charlotte Rampling). This immediately causes turmoil within the covenant which is only furthered by charges against both Benedetta and Bartolomea for the carnal nature of their relationship.

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