PG-13

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)

Before I saw this, my brother told me not to go into this movie with the expectation that it’s a true Cloverfield sequel. He said that’s what he did (and he loves Cloverfield) and was a bit disappointed at the end of the movie. Or confused, at least.

And he’s right – it’s not really a sequel. Oh sure, you could call it that. It’s not impossible to believe that this movie takes place in the Cloverfield universe. It’s just…not really related to the original at all. But that said, it’s still a good movie.

1408 (2007)

Ah, another Stephen King story I haven’t yet read. I feel like I’ve already read so much of his that it’s always surprising to see just how much I haven’t yet read. Anyway, add this one to the list of things I eventually want to read someday.

A Quiet Place (2018)

So…I’m on a roll with movies I apparently didn’t give enough of a chance the first time around? Maybe it’s because this movie was SO hyped up when it came out, but I remember thinking “yeah, that was okay”…and today I truly appreciated it.

A Quiet Place Part II (2021)

This one isn’t quite as good as the first one, but it’s still pretty good! I love seeing Cillian Murphy in post-apocalyptic horror!

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

This is definitely the weakest entry in the franchise. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely not as good as either of the first two. Plus there’s no Cillian Murphy.

Afraid (2024)

Okay, so…this movie. I’m feeling a little funny about it, like I’m not entirely sure how I want to rate it. I honestly was on board for most of it, but the ending was a bit of a disappointment?

After (2012)

Okay, so maybe I kind of have a thing for horror movies that straddle the line between horror and other genres. Which isn’t to say that I don’t love a good, old-fashioned, classic scary story, because I do…I just tend to gravitate towards the movies that mean a little bit more than a few terrifying moments.

And yes, that’s where this movie falls. Somewhere inside the horror genre but also squarely inside the romance genre. And yes, I’m a hopeless romantic. So of course I liked this one.

Apollo 18 (2011)

The first time I saw this movie was in a theater on the big screen. After watching it at home tonight, for anyone thinking about seeing this I would strongly suggest finding some way to see it in a very dark room on the biggest screen you can find. The experience is definitely lessened otherwise.

Arachnophobia (1990)

(Spoiler warning, but also major content warning if you can’t deal with spiders or mentions thereof) Oh boy, THIS movie. This movie has haunted me since I first saw it probably more than 30 years ago. In fact, I’m pretty sure I had seen this even before my OWN scary spider incident…

Atlantics (2019)

This movie is is a bit heavy, and slow (and English-subtitled, as it’s primarily in Wolof). It’s beautifully acted and the story is an interesting one.

Baghead (2023)

Okay, to be honest, this is between four and five stars for me, but it’s been a while since I’ve rated something a full five stars, and this was entertaining enough, so…

Barricade (2012)

(This whole review is basically spoilers…sorry?) It’s interesting that I picked this one immediately following yesterday’s movie, as it turned out to have a really similar twist. It was done a little better in this one, though not by much. This one did have Eric McCormack in it, though I’ve yet to decide whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Joking aside, the cast was pretty good in this film. The kids were believable, and Eric McCormack actually pretty good as the father. Since much of this movie is about a family dealing with grief and loss, I’m glad to see they got the casting right.

Before I Wake (2016)

I originally watched this way back in 2016 and was going to write about it for the original run of this site, but there was some distribution issue and I wasn’t sure it was technically available anywhere so I put it aside and am finally getting back around to it.

Black Christmas (2019)

I’m a little frustrated because I feel like this film was SO CLOSE to being a five-star film, but its pacing was way off. They saved the interesting and action-packed parts for the last 20 minutes while dragging some of the other themes on too long? And I think that was a mistake.

Boogeyman (2005)

This is a reasonably interesting take on an old story, but it’s too ambitious for its format.

Cloverfield (2008)

Tomorrow is my brother’s birthday and I wanted to watch his favorite horror movie in honor of that…but tomorrow is a Thursday and his favorite horror movie is not at least twenty years old. So I watched his favorite horror movie today instead, and I’m considering actually heading to the theater on Friday to watch the recently released sequel.

I’m happy to say my brother’s taste in movies isn’t bad (or at least it’s compatible with my taste in movies). I’ve seen this movie a few times before, and I always like it. Even knowing what’s going to happen, I find myself holding my breath during some of the more intense scenes, of which there are many.

Critters (1986)

Oh look, another Scott Grimes movie! The youngest Scott Grimes yet! And I think he’s definitely my favorite character in this, though maybe it’s just his fashion sense…I mean, that pink (it’s SALMON) shirt?? So this is my favorite Scott Grimes movie so far, AND Scott Grimes is my favorite in this.

Crush (2013)

So, there were a lot of familiar faces in this one, and I really wanted to like it much more than I did. I mean, Leigh Whannell was in it! And Meredith Salenger! And Reid Ewing! And Sarah Bolger! And everyone was pretty good!

Cry_Wolf (2005)

Somehow I never saw this when it came out, so maybe it’s just nostalgia here (those AOL Instant Messenger sounds take me way back, and I’d almost forgotten about Bon Jovi’s acting years) but I loved this movie. I was skeptical about a PG-13 horror movie, but this one delivers and proves that you can craft a good scary story without relying on swearing and gore.

I was happy about the Gary Cole cameo, but sad about the terrible Gary Cole British accent. Was it too expensive to find a real British actor to play Owen’s father? He was only in 30 seconds or so of the film. Despite that, the rest of the cast is wholly believable (okay, aside from Paul James’ hair) and has a chemistry that is, at least as far as most of these movies have shown me, hard to find.

Cursed (2005)

Cursed is a very 2005 Kevin Williamson/Wes Craven production that ends up more Dawson’s Creek than Freddy Krueger. Joshua Jackson and all.

That said, I still really like it. The dialogue is cheesy and hard to swallow (I don’t think Kevin Williamson has ever quite figured out sibling relationships in his writing), but the acting is great. And the cast has a lot of relatively big names – Christina Ricci, a pre-fame Jesse Eisenberg, Judy Greer, Portia de Rossi. Oh, and of course Shannon Elizabeth.

Dark Skies (2013)

This is another movie I’d tried to watch before but couldn’t really get into. Only this time I really got into it, and was surprised by how much I liked it. I shouldn’t be so surprised, I guess. The cast is solid, and they work really well together. They really feel like a family.

It’s hard to do well with alien abduction stories. It’s hard to find the right balance of science fiction and plausibility to make alien abduction scary rather than campy, but this one does pretty well. There’s definitely a high creep factor throughout this one.

Dark Water (2005)

This is one of those movies that I feel like I should like more than I actually do. It’s got all the makings of a good scary movie! A great cast, a good composer, and an original story. But I thought it was only okay.

I’d been talking about John C. Reilly earlier today and saw that he was in this, and I hadn’t seen it since it came out (over 10 years ago now!) so figured it was a reasonable choice. I love Jennifer Connelly and Tim Roth, and I’ve been seeing Dougray Scott in a lot lately, so I figured it wouldn’t be that bad. And it wasn’t that bad or anything. The acting was definitely great, and the music was really well done. And the abandoned apartment and dilapidated complex was pretty creepy.

Darkness (2002)

There’s a lot I like about this film. It loses some of its charm after the first viewing (as I learned tonight), but it’s still pretty great.

Devil (2010)

I’ve really got to stop going in to M. Night Shyamalan movies with high hopes. Or high expectations. It just never works out the way I want it to. Which isn’t to say that his movies aren’t decent movies – they’re okay, they’re just a bit formulaic and it’s not a formula I particularly care for.

This is yet another one that fits that mold. On the plus side, I was happy not to see one of those revelation sequences where all the clues leading up to the reveal are flashed on screen. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much else special about this movie.

Drag Me to Hell (2009)

Yes, this is kind of a weird movie. But it’s a Sam Raimi movie, so kind of weird is to be expected. I’d be worried if it weren’t kind of weird, in fact.

And I like it. It’s not the scariest movie I’ve seen, but it does have its moments. I mean, Justin Long as a professor? Terrifying!

But all joking aside, there’s a lot of joking in this movie. It’s silly and irreverent and overall is just good entertaining fun.

Escape Room (2019)

I like this movie quite a bit, despite it doing that stupid thing of showing a scene from later in the film at the very beginning. Stop that! It’s not necessary! It definitely wasn’t necessary here!

Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021)

I thought watching some more scary movies would somehow make me more talkative, but it hasn’t.

Flatliners (2017)

I love it when remakes/reboots are meaningful and can stand on their own, and I feel like this movie does just that. I liked it about as much as the original, which is impressive considering that that was a Joel Schumacher film, and you know I love those.

This one’s also a bit darker and scarier than the original, also impressive given its PG-13 rating.

Flight 7500 (2014)

I remember I was pretty excited for this one when I first saw the trailers. Planes are such a neat setting for stories since there’s nowhere for passengers to escape, and some long-haul international flights get even more interesting when you consider how much time is spent flying literally over seas with minimal options for early landing.

Plus the cast is awesome! Jamie Chung, Ryan Kwanten, and Johnathon Schaech are all great actors, and I’ve always had a thing for Amy Smart (y’know, because she’s Amy Smart… and I’m Allie smart). So I was pretty excited to finally watch it today, and I’m happy to report it did not let me down.

Fragile (2005)

This movie didn’t quite land for me. There was a lot about it that I liked, but the horror part of it was…lacking. Actually, there was quite a bit lacking. So it didn’t end up a terrible movie, but it’s not great.

Happy Death Day (2017)

At this point, I don’t even know why I let myself be skeptical of things anymore. I finally got around to watching this movie, because it’s almost my birthday. I’d been avoiding it because it has a silly name and a bunch of unknown actors and I just feel like that rarely works out?

Happy Death Day 2U (2019)

Okay, maybe I should have had slightly more skepticism for this movie than I did. It was unfortunately a bit disappointing, so, you know, happy birthday to me?

House at the End of the Street (2012)

I saw this movie in the theater (gasp!) by myself (double gasp!) outside Universal Studios in Los Angeles on a very hot day in 2012. The good news is, I still like it even when I’m not just using the theater for its air conditioning. The bad news is, that story is way less relevant tonight when it’s a brisk 58 degrees Fahrenheit outside in the middle of June (literally, the middle of June).

It’s not a perfect movie, but it kept me entertained a few years ago and it kept me entertained tonight. It’s probably not for folks who aren’t into thrillers, but it’s not terribly graphic or disturbing and the story is both intricate and intriguing.

Insidious (2011)

This movie is creepy as hell. I’ve seen it several times and each time it’s still creepy as hell. I’m sure it’s partly because of that creepy song, partly because of the perfectly placed jump scares, and mostly because that demon is one really scary demon.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

I hesitated a little before giving this one a 5 out of 5 because it’s not perfect, but I forgot how awesome the experience is watching the first two movies back to back so it’s mostly earned it. I think the story is incomplete without this movie, so if you liked the first one you’d be doing yourself a favor to watch this one – and an even bigger favor by watching it immediately after watching the first one.

Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)

I knew there was a reason I put off watching this movie for so long. I felt like the story was complete after the second one, and this movie doesn’t do much to convince me otherwise. It’s still an above average scary movie, but only by a little, and probably partially because of how much I liked the first two movies.

It becomes apparent pretty quickly that this is not a James Wan film. It’s actually Leigh Whannell’s directorial debut – which kind of shows. James Wan is a practiced horror movie director whose films are maturing as he is. Leigh Whannell is a practiced horror movie screenwriter who might want to consider sticking to writing (and acting, actually).

Insidious: The Last Key (2018)

Ugh, honestly, has there been any franchise I like more than Insidious? I have not rated an Insidious movie less than 4 stars yet, and this one isn’t the one to change that. I guess we’ll see how tomorrow’s movie does, but for now, I just…clearly I love this series.

Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

I have never SO BADLY wanted a franchise to be good and done with forever as much as this one. Not because this was a bad movie, but because it was a good one. Please, let it end on a good note.

Jessabelle (2014)

I liked this one. It wasn’t anything spectacular, it wasn’t anything really original, and it wasn’t anything to keep me up at night, but it was really entertaining.

My first thought was “wow, what an interesting title screen.” I liked the weird music and the creepy font. The movie then opened with a bang, and was well-paced throughout. The creepy factor builds and builds until you’re at the edge of your seat wondering what’s next.

Krampus (2015)

This was another fun holiday horror movie, and I’m kind of glad I waited to watch it until it was Christmas this year. Merry Christmas, by the way, if that’s your thing.

Lights Out (2016)

This one definitely had promise based on its trailer, and I’m happy to say it wasn’t a disappointment. It’s got a good cast and decent production value and that shows. I’m glad to see that people are still making decent scary movies rated PG-13 or lower. I don’t think it’s the swearing or graphic violence that makes a movie scary, and this movie helps prove that.

Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

So, I’ve had some trouble with horror-comedy films this year. Several of them haven’t been great on either the horror OR the comedy side, and they’ve been kind of a slog to get through. I’m happy that this month seems to have redeemed the horror-comedy genre a bit for me.

M3GAN (2022)

This is another movie that I liked, but I don’t have too much to say about it.

Maggie (2015)

I liked this movie a lot. I was surprised at how much I liked it. I was surprised at how much I liked both Abigail Breslin and Arnold Schwarzenegger in it, in particular. I’ve seen them both in many things but never really considered either of them great for scary movies.

Then again, this isn’t really a scary movie. It’s a sad movie. It’s a zombie movie. But it’s not really scary, and that’s okay.

Monstrous (2022)

Have I already mentioned how much I love Christina Ricci? Because I LOVE Christina Ricci. (EVEN MORE than I have since forever now that she is also in Yellowjackets!)

Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022)

Oh hey, a Stephen King adaptation not by Mike Flanagan? Yep. I’ve actually read this story too, and mostly enjoyed it.

Night Swim (2024)

Sometimes I feel bad, like maybe the reason I didn’t like a movie is because I’m tired, or in a bad mood, or otherwise feeling things that are priming me to not like any movies. And I don’t really know how to tell the difference between my feelings about mediocre movies on those days versus “normal” days. I feel like it’s easy to tell if I REALLY like or REALLY dislike a movie…but sometimes it’s too difficult to decide between two or three stars.

This is kind of one of those days. And I’m sorry, Night Swim, but I just can’t give you that third star.

No One Will Save You (2023)

This movie was also really hyped up for a while. I can sort of see why, but I wasn’t terribly impressed.

Nothing but Trouble (1991)

Okay, so this is probably a weird choice for Thanksgiving, but it turns out there aren’t a whole lot of pre-1996 horror movies set on Thanksgiving? That I could find, anyway.

Old (2021)

(Apologies, probably lots of spoilers for this one) It’s hard to really talk about this one without spoiling it, but I want to talk about it, so I guess I’m going to spoil it?

One Missed Call (2008)

I wanted to like this one a lot more. It was okay. The story should have been interesting but didn’t really make sense as told. The pacing was off so the end felt rushed and the reveals weren’t all that intriguing.

The cast is the best part of this movie. I like Ed Burns and I don’t mind Shannyn Sossamon. I actually wanted to watch this a while back because I was on an Ariel Winter kick but I’m glad I skipped it – she’s not in this much. Everyone’s pretty believable and the chemistry of the group is okay, but it’s almost like the movie itself doesn’t have any chemistry (if that makes sense). Anyway, I guess it was nice to see Azura Skye and Meagan Good for the few moments they were on screen.

Ouija (2014)

I wasn’t expecting much from this one, particularly since it’s a PG-13 rated Michael Bay movie, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

It’s no great masterpiece by any stretch, but the acting was believable, the special effects were well done and well timed, and the story was interesting.

Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

Okay, so I looked back at my rating for the original movie and now I feel like my rating system means nothing. “Pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it” with an “interesting” story and “believable” acting gets only three stars? LIN SHAYE only gets three stars? I thought I was MORE generous back in 2016 but it seems like I’ve just always been inconsistent.

Polaroid (2019)

This was a silly horror movie that suffered from campy special effects and odd pacing choices. It could have been a lot better than it was!

Poltergeist (2015)

This movie was really disappointing. I was really hoping I’d like it more, especially with Sam Raimi’s name attached to it, but the original is better in almost every way. I say “almost” because there were a couple things this movie did well: the special effects and the stupid old tree. So many of the scenes were much more believable in this movie than in the original, in appearance if nothing else.

To be fair, if I’d never seen the original I probably would have rated this one higher. It’s creepy and well paced and the underlying story is the same. But since the original is just so damn good, my opinion of this one suffers a bit.

Prom Night (2008)

Well I definitely liked this better than the original. For a few reasons, really. But it’s definitely not perfect.

Rings (2017)

This wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t impressive. I don’t think it’s a story that needed to be told (again). But in the midst of all of these horror remakes and reboots, I can see why someone thought it was necessary.

Run (2020)

I like this movie. I’ll admit that it’s a bit less compelling on a second viewing, but it’s still interesting and so well acted.

Scary Movie 4 (2006)

Four down, one to go. This wasn’t as bad as the last one, but it wasn’t great. Or really even “good.”

Scary Movie 5 (2013)

I’m glad to be done with this series, but honestly it wasn’t as bad as I anticipated. While the Scream series all hover around 2 hours, these are all under an hour and a half. And they’re (supposedly) comedy, which makes them a little easier to get through one after another than some of the darker, gorier collections (*cough* Saw *cough*).

Shadow Puppets (2007)

I was mostly excited to finally watch a Sunday night movie that wasn’t part of the Saw franchise, with just a little bit of anxiety about having to find another film to watch. Then I found this one.

And let me tell you, it almost makes me wish there were another Saw movie to have watched instead.

Okay, so maybe choosing what movie to watch based on the fact that James Marsters is in it wasn’t the best route to a good horror movie, but one with James Marsters and Tony Todd? I expected better than this. This was bad. Not completely unwatchable, but close to it.

Stay Alive (2006)

While this movie is reasonably entertaining, its premise is a bit ridiculous and doesn’t really lend itself to being taken seriously. I’m just not sure Elizabeth Bathory was the right historical creeper to use for this one.

And what was with the character names? Loomis, Hutch, October, Swink, Phin…and Abigail? I can only assume Samaire Armstrong (Abigail) was let off the hook for already living with the name Samaire. Don’t get me wrong, I think Samaire is a pretty name – I just can’t come up with any other reason Abigail was the only familiar sounding name of the bunch.

Sweetheart (2019)

This movie started out a bit slow, and had me worried. Films relying on very little dialogue can be a bit rough, but not always a disaster (see The Monster, and Silent House which I could’ve sworn I already reviewed but apparently need to fit into this year’s schedule instead…).

And this film picked its pace up quite nicely and kept me entertained throughout. And it turns out I really like Kiersey Clemons? She was fantastic in this.

The Boogeyman (2023)

Before I get into this movie, I want to go on a little tangent about something neat that’s happened in the past few years: some really great horror TV shows, namely From (which I briefly mentioned last week), and more importantly to today’s film, Yellowjackets. I love Yellowjackets SO MUCH, and Sophie Thatcher (Sadie in this movie) is my favorite on the show.

I could go on for paragraphs upon paragraphs about Yellowjackets, but I’ll just say I highly recommend it if you are ok with a lot of questions being asked and not always answered (it’s two seasons in, and now that the writer and actor strikes are over, hopefully seasons three and beyond will be out in the not too distant future!)

The Boy (2016)

I really wanted this movie to be good, because I love creepy doll stories and the trailer made it look awesome. And it wasn’t bad. But it could have been better.

The cast was probably the best part of the movie. Well, okay. Lauren Cohan was great as Greta, and the rest of the cast was just fine supporting her. The scenery was also beautiful and terrifying, a combination I love.

The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

First and foremost, happy birthday to my little brother! This one’s for you!

The Darkness (2016)

I’m surprised I only just learned this existed. It’s got a pretty high-profile cast (Radha Mitchell and Kevin Bacon are the stars, but Paul Reiser and Ming Na-Wen make cameos as well!) and apparently a decent production crew.

The Final Girls (2015)

I went into this one not knowing what to expect. Was it horror? Comedy? Comedy-horror? I was pleasantly surprised to find that whatever it was, it was entertaining and engrossing throughout.

I thought the cast was chosen well, although I did laugh a little at the fake crow’s feet on Malin Akerman’s present-day self. I love Taissa Farmiga, I thought Adam Devine was perfect, and this was by far the most likable character I’ve ever seen Alexander Ludwig play.

The Fog (2005)

As I mentioned yesterday, this movie was kind of boring. Now that I’ve seen the original, I understand some of the choices that were made for this remake…and I still think it’s kind of boring. I guess that’s what you get when the director of Blank Check (yes, that Blank Check) decides to do a PG-13 remake of a John Carpenter film.

But it wasn’t the worst movie I’ve watched. The acting was fine, and they definitely went for gold in the music department – the composer, Graeme Revell, did the music for several movies I really liked (Gossip, The Craft, Idle Hands) and one movie I’ve named as my favorite on more than one occasion, The Saint. And he does a great job in this one! The music was the least boring part about the movie.

The Forgotten (2004)

I’m still not caught up on sleep, and now I’ve got a literal pain in the neck bothering me, so this likely won’t be as verbose as it could be. But I’ll start off by saying that I really love this movie.

I’ve seen it several times and every damn time it ends I’m crying. Sure, it’s not quite as terrifying or mysterious after the first watch – but if you’ve never seen this movie before, it’s very much terrifying and mysterious.

The Grudge (2004)

I don’t know why I signed myself up to watch this AND its two sequels. I forgot that this movie is just a less compelling version of the Japanese original, and I can’t imagine the two sequels are notably better? But I’ve never seen them, so maybe I’m wrong.

The Grudge 2 (2006)

I was pleasantly surprised by this movie! After the mild disappointment of last night’s movie, I was skeptical and a little worried. But I enjoyed this!

The Haunting of Sorority Row (2007)

So this is like a made-for-TV Lifetime horror movie and let me tell you, it SHOWS. But it was still pretty watchable. I think that’s mostly because I would watch Leighton Meester in pretty much anything.

The Invitation (2022)

I have some mixed feelings on this one. My biggest question, I guess, is why some of the cover art is a bit of a spoiler on its own? I guess not terribly so, but somewhat.

The Lazarus Effect (2015)

I remember being really excited for this when the first trailers came out. I mean, a horror movie with Donald Glover? Yes, please! But then it came and went in theaters (as movies often do for me), and I didn’t watch it until it appeared on Netflix a little while back.

Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed. The first time I watched it or this time. It’s a good, scary movie from start to finish.

The Others (2001)

I’m still really tired so this is still really short.

I like this one. The acting is great (even the kids!), the story is interesting, and it’s definitely creepy.

It’s a bit slow at times but not overly so. It’s not too graphic or disturbing but it might give you nightmares for a while.

The Quiet Ones (2014)

This wasn’t a perfect movie, but I liked it a lot anyway. The storyline is compelling on its own, but in this movie the cast really sells it.

There are a lot of jump scares in this one, but they don’t feel cheap. They’re placed perfectly so that the tension is already built up when they get you – meaning I fall for it every time.

The Ring (2002)

Since I didn’t watch anything last week, I figured I’d do a double feature this weekend. In honor of the new movie Rings that came out last week, I decided to watch this one…and its sequel. No, not the one that just came out. That other one from a few years after this.

The Ring Two (2005)

Unfortunately, this is going to be kind of a disappointing double feature. I don’t really have much to say about this movie.

It tries to emulate the feel of the first one, but the pacing is too slow and rather than feeling dreary it just feels long. It picks up right where that one left off, with Rachel trying to save Aiden from Samara.

The Roommate (2011)

This movie was okay. Well it was actually boring, but everyone in it is just so damn pretty that I had to give it at least three out of five. It barely deserves that – the story is that boring.

Weirdly though, it’s somehow watchable and the pacing is fine so it never drags on it just…doesn’t tell a story. It does have a pretty damn good soundtrack, though.

The Silence (2019)

So, I think this movie had the bad fortune of coming on the heels of a couple similar, highly regarded films (Bird Box, which I’ll be watching tomorrow, and A Quiet Place, which I’ll be watching later this year once the third one is released). A lot of reviews pan it because it’s too similar to those films and “not as good”. I respectfully disagree. And not JUST because the main character is named “Ally”.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

This might be another nostalgia-driven rating. I think it’s also a “replay rating” of sorts…it’s really hard to put yourself into the same frame of mind as when you’re seeing something for the first time.

The Unborn (2009)

This movie was pretty okay. It felt really slow for the first half hour or so and never quite figured out the right pace to keep the audience engaged.

The Uninvited (2009)

Despite its distinct lack of Lauren Ashley Carter, I liked this movie. I realize it’s a remake of the Korean film A Tale of Two Sisters, but since I’m generally subtitles-averse it’s unlikely that I’ll watch the original any time soon. But I like Emily Browning (I have a thing for wide-eyed brunettes I guess?) and I liked this movie.

The Village (2004)

I thought this movie was nominally thematically appropriate following the last two movies. And at least it’s better than The Happening?

The Visit (2015)

I (like many folks I know) have a love/hate relationship with M. Night Shyamalan. I loved Unbreakable and thought The Sixth Sense was pretty okay, and I hated The Happening (despite Zooey Deschanel – but that’s a review for another day) and was pretty bored by Lady in the Water. So I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Visit.

Then I watched the trailer for it, and realized it was basically an M. Night Shyamalan found footage film, and was even less sure what to expect from it. About where I landed…I’m on the fence about it, much like my overall sentiment towards the director.

The Watchers (2024)

So, this is M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter’s filmmaking review. She directed the film, and wrote the screenplay adaptation of the novel by A.M. Shine (which I haven’t read, but am considering it now). My immediate thought was, is this going to be any good, or is it Hollywood nepotism at work?

The Wicker Man (2006)

Hello and happy May Day! I wanted to keep on theme, so my movie ordering is a bit off this week. I don’t know that I’d ever seen this movie before, OR its original…so we’ll see how watching this version first fares for tomorrow’s?

They (2002)

I don’t have too much to say about this one except that I’ve always liked it. It’s creepy and it capitalizes on a couple of my darkest fears – being alone in the dark and feeling like everyone thinks you’re crazy.

Anyway, it’s creepy and interesting and well paced. Laura Regan is always great, and Ethan Embry and Marc Blucas are also pretty good in this. It’s only PG-13 so it’s not too graphic or disturbing, but it’s definitely entertaining. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes a good scare.

Trap (2024)

I was worried about this one, because it was wayyyyy hyped up, and that usually doesn’t bode well for a scary movie. But I love Josh Hartnett, especially in scary movies! I even moved some things around on the calendar just so I could watch him in another tomorrow…and I thought his performance in this was excellent. He definitely has the “extremely creepy facial expression” thing down pat.

Umma (2022)

I’m really hoping that before the end of the year there will be at least one more film that gets me talking.

Underwater (2020)

This may not be a great movie, but it is a dark movie. Not in tone, although there’s a bit of that, but in lighting. I get it, I get it, you’re underwater (see what I did there?), it’s dark…but that doesn’t make for easy viewing unless you’ve got a large, bright screen and a very dark room.

When a Stranger Calls (2006)

I don’t think this movie was great, but I do think it took the best parts of the original and tried to make the most of them in a remake. I don’t think it always succeeded, but I can appreciate the attempt.

Yoga Hosers (2016)

I don’t know what I was expecting out of this movie. Maybe I was expecting it to be closer, tonally, to Tusk. Maybe I was expecting it to be funnier.