RedQueenIMDB Reviews

Fractured (IV) (2016)

Nah

[3/10 · 9 August 2023]

I saw it coming, probably because I've seen it before. But I won't spoil it. The twist seemed more toward the end to me, but basically, it went from couple bickering to home invasion. I don't like either, so now you know.

I had already suspected what the twist was, which was confirmed by the midway foreshadowing. And the twist is all there was. The film has no other redeeming qualities.

It dragged & dragged with mundane filler & insulting griping from the female lead. Then you see what had been left out, which was well done, but nothing epic. And after that, still nothing epic.

I'd only recommend this one to home invasion movie lovers.

Hum (I) (2020)

The Magic Box that did Nothing

[2/10 · 31 July 2023]

I couldn't ever tell what the story was to be honest, except that a young man was mad that his kooky churchy sister died. So this was a churchy flashing back & forth that REALLY made no sense whatsoever. I live for weird. I love cerebral, complexity, puzzles, open to interpretation, impressionistic, artistic, etc. I hated the music in this, but nothing else annoyed me. It was just a bunch of blah characters being blah & a little churchy. I thought it might ultimately offer some vague spiritual philosophy. Nope. Not even imaginative non-sense. Whatever this was supposed to be about, I totally missed it.

Satanic (2016)

Entertaining If Nothing Else

[5/10 · 30 July 2023]

I really enjoyed this hard-core black magic horror, even with its huge flaws. Sorry, but the protagonists were the worst part. The antagonist was epic - FREAKY CREEP. She could've handled a lot more depth, which was lacking in the story - it needed more complexity. But it worked well enough for me.

The other problem is drag. Boring actors playing unlikable characters not even bickering well. I just tuned them out until the antagonist got things moving along. Then events got pretty shocking & disturbing.

Very adult themes, not for kids. But all in all, I thought it was pretty scary & it held my attention.

Invisible Eyes (2009)

Great Old School Horror

[7/10 · 30 July 2023]

This is a well-made completely original psycho thriller ghost throw-back, with the music fitting the events onscreen, along with the perspectives on the camera angles, etc. You can feel things happening like you're on a ride - it takes you with it. I used to think that's what movies were supposed to do...

Anyway, it starts as a young woman has had some recent trauma & she's turning the page in her life, trying to start over, & feeling very disoriented & unsure of everything. New relationships, even re-framing old ones, new career, she's even in a place she's never been before, staying in someone else's house... Heck, even that's not going the way she was expecting 'cause the guy is never there. But someone is. Or something. Or wait a minute - is it the spirit of someone she knows?

Whatever it is, she literally begins a relationship with it. And of course, that doesn't go as expected either!

I found nothing confusing or hard to understand in the big twists & turns you won't see coming. Just loved the masterfully crafted unexpected originality. Enjoy.

Next of Kin (1982)

Birds of Australia Flock Together

[1/10 · 27 July 2023]

Not even a horror, this is a mystery thriller that I couldn't even stay focused on it was so BORING. It did absolutely nothing till the very end & by then you will not care. I did read one reviewer mentioning it's sort of a stylized crime thriller, but I didn't recognize any style aside from some retro 40's visuals that I was confused by the use of.

So, nothing artistic in my opinion. The story used was popular about that time too, early 80's / late 70's. So I just don't get re-doing it, especially during the golden age of American horror films where it was sure to get lost & sink to the bottom of the sea of better titles.

Closer to God (2014)

Pretty Solid Horror Film

[6/10 · 26 July 2023]

Certainly not a drama, & not very sci-fi either, but kinda uses that idea as a vehicle for a good horror story. Got a taste of an ethical social controversy holding the story together, adding some complexity of flavors, almost like 2 stories in 1. But it's a full-on horror in my horror lover's opinion.

Seems old-school as nothing annoyed me like all the actors looking alike, borrowing ideas that have been done, bad audio or lighting. No visuals really, but the way it's pieced together is masterful, especially for the mixture of components. The bread trail of clues are perfectly timed. And it's pretty original.

Definitely not something children should see, or probably even those overly sensitive to cloning or abortion issues. For the rest of us though, enjoy!

Burnt Offerings (1976)

A House Like No Other

[8/10 · 26 July 2023]

I don't need to tell you they don't make them like this anymore - the entirely original horror classic. The music score is perfect throughout. The acting superb with a star-studded cast. Suspense, not drag, expertly done. Direction is incomparable, with Bette Davis like I've never seen her, real & believable. You can relate to all the characters without lame fake drama character development footage, the way they always used to do it. Low budget visuals are excellent. You never see any of it coming. Creepy atmosphere maintained from the opening. Great foreshadowing makes for a very enjoyable watch.

Never been copied as far as I know. I wish all horror movies were like this. Just watched it again July of 2023. Still OUTSTANDING.

Junglemahal: The Awakening (2023)

Haunted House & Ghost Possession

[5/10 · 26 July 2023]

Refreshing Indian low-budget hits all the marks for a quality production - great acting, perfect script, A+ atmosphere & photography. The sense of dread throughout was a nice change of pace. The Indian rainforest as well as the magnificent ancient house were the true stars of the film, really making a don't-miss all by themselves. It's IMPOSSIBLE not to love the visuals amongst the rainforest backdrop.

No annoying bickering, audio or lighting issues. Just sit back, relax & enjoy a well-made film for a change. It's a contender in that regard - high standards. And it is mostly in English as well so you don't have to read the movie.

To be honest, the horror elements didn't impress me & the story wasn't that interesting. But the authenticity of the jungle natives was cool. And the whole thing was very believable so you could just go along for the ride.

H.P. Lovecraft's Monster Portal (2022)

Redo Please

[4/10 · 25 July 2023]

Good reviews on this one (for a change). Yes, it's a total snoozefest for 45 minutes. The only it has going for it in that time is a super creepy old lady. Then it switches from a grieving daughter returning to her family home yawn into a demonic cult story involving mindbending concepts. It does finally take on some atmospheric flavor at that point, as well as a horror story. And it's pretty good from that point forward. It's just brief, & hard to forgive the first 45 minutes. Script still wasn't great, but I liked the effects. I wish the whole movie had been that last 25 minutes & they had done more with that instead of rushing it.

Behemoth (2021)

Feels like a TV show

[4/10 · 25 July 2023]

Not a bad effort, but not what I'm looking for when I'm ready to settle into a movie either. The premise was old, guy's daughter dies due to industrial pollution & he wants to stop the polluting. Fair enough. But then we get into character development. Yawn. So at this point, I'm only still in it for the lurking henchmen, who could have been scarier. In fact, it's never scary at all, except for maybe one jump when the (epic) devil appears in the hallucination at the end. Had the entire film been like that I would have liked it. But it was a hum drum drama with lame characters instead. I will give props though for a good evil corporate bad guy, a likable everyday hero, & surprisingly great visuals in the final hallucination.

So in summary, it really lacked punch of any kind, dragged & just took too long to reach the great but brief denoument with a cute Fallen twist in the final shot.

Black Ghosts (2015)

My kinda film

[8/10 · 18 June 2023]

Swedish horror is growing on me. Because it's SCARY. Yeah, it was like a dream sequence, but that doesn't mean it wasn't really happening. And I think that's my worst fear, not knowing if things are happening the way they're supposed to.

Special effects I thought were very artistic, not overly computerized. And I really liked that.

I thought all the acting was horrendous. Script was SLOW. Slow. You can get really altered & still follow along just fine. Doesn't make any sense anyway. So don't be expecting that. The Swedes have merely levelled up art horror. So you have to love art to get into this one.

The Face on the Wall (2018)

Correction - missing full-length film

[1/10 · 16 June 2023]

The Face in the Wall (2017) · 1 hr 22 min, TV-MA, Sci-Fi · Horror A ghostly face in the wall of a New York building he can only see through his camera sends a freelance cameraman on a cryptic quest for the truth.

Starring Frantz Lecoeur, Victoria Guthrie, Jonah Ehrenreich, Mark C. Fullhardt, Samantina Zenon Directed by Dwayne Buckle.

There's no story, but there is a plot. A shadow shaped like a face in the paint of a wall in a building intrigues 2 camera-men, who seek out a medium to join their investigation of the phenomenon, which becomes obsessive for all 3 as they have inexplicable paranormal experiences because of it. None of which are interesting. And the music will make you wanna kill yourself.

The Palmer Supremacy (2014)

A.I. 187

[3/10 · 15 June 2023]

I watched this movie twice & both times found the characters very annoying to watch. It's got a good story really, but I just didn't like anything about the way it was executed.

It even has a good twist or 2, but it would more interesting for me to tell you in 3 sentences than to watch the film.

Basically, the good guy is running from bad guys, but this other group of good guys are chasing him too. So the movie is really the protagonist running and trying to decide what the good guys are really after.

No visuals to speak of, no atmosphere, pretty much just boring running with boring characters IMO.

Martyrs (2015)

American Horror is Definitely Inferior to French

[13 June 2023]

Thought I would review this remake as a courtesy to those who've seen some of my 100 other reviews on IMDB & know I'm always very candid & sincere in my intention to set the viewers expectation accurately. But I can't figure out how to even rate this one.

Yes, as a horror aficionado, of course I saw Laugier's 2008 masterpiece by the same title. Right before this version. They played out almost identically scene by scene until the end. But this one did nothing whatsoever for my senses.

I tried to imagine if I hadn't seen the original, how would I react? I would react the same. No response at all. It was just flat. And I don't know enough about filmmaking to explain how. It simply did nothing for me at any point.

I thought a little was left out. So I compared the runtimes. 11 minutes shorter. That shouldn't have made much difference. But there's somehow no comparison.

The original is subtitled, but your eyes will be glued to the screen anyway. Just watch that one.

The Changeover (2017)

Timothy Spall for the win!

[6/10 · 12 June 2023]

Story based on a novel that takes a teen witchcraft slant and weighs the film down. But it's a must-see Timothy Spall performance as the antagonist. Every star I gave is for his creepiness, but the rest of the movie isn't bad or good, just a necessary vehicle for that epic creepy performance.

I could give another star for the overall feel maintaining the gloomy, foreboding atmosphere, but I'm not sure it benefitted this movie much except to serve as a good backdrop for Spall.

I liked the magic element, though it's a poorly done fantasy, in staying true to the book, with no budget, which could have helped a lot. In general, it really lacked pizzazz.

Dreaded Light (2022)

A Message from a Medium

[1/10 · 12 June 2023]

Unbearably boring till one hour in when something finally happens. After which the story is completely unbelievable until the main character takes it back & apologizes, LOL. Then she lies some more, & then admits all the lies she's told - to the medium, not to her dad.

Twist at the end is okay for the lame problem teenager drama this movie is. Don't know why it's marketed as a horror. It's ultimately a real life tragedy.

I'm giving extreme prejudice to the 2 main characters looking like identical twins when they're not even related. Music box type chiming music annoyed me. Otherwise high production quality with no budget.

Loophole (2019)

Perhaps the worst movie I've ever seen

[1/10 · 12 June 2023]

Definitely not a horror film, this is a Christian fantasy that I can't believe Chloe Lukasiak agreed to. And she didn't improve it one iota. Extremely amateur quality in every way, almost unbearable dialogue makes it very difficult to get through even 30 minutes of the boredom.

And it only got worse. Visual imagery is documentary style & marginally okay at that. Most YouTube videos are far better visually.

The plot is the best part, in which demons come looking for her as the savior of humanity I'm guessing. But she never has any heroic scenes. Just some mandatory DNA chipping and some hot male angels who are certainly not worth the watch, but I'm sure you can check them out on the cast page here.

I sat through the whole thing so you don't have to waste your time, only to accurately review how bad it is. You're welcome!

Tall Men (2016)

Cuckoo & Fun

[6/10 · 11 June 2023]

Call it schizophrenic paranormal conspiracy theorist horror. It's not fast-paced, but I didn't find it dull as it was so quirky. You can't guess the mystery from the opening scene as it's completely original. I thought it was refreshingly weird with an uncomfortable atmosphere throughout. And those are probably my first 2 personal preferences in a horror film personally, atmosphere & weirdness/creativity/originality. Check.

But horror is very personal, so that's what you can expect. In addition to a lame ending. I actually found the final chapter boring & almost cliche'. But I'm very surprised that I don't see the typical dose of horror hate reviewers on this one.

It's not great, but succeeds as a fun watch, even for those like me who are too easily bored without respectable originality. Super cute watch for arthouse horror fans.

Lost Time (2014)

Loved it but wish I knew what happened...

[7/10 · 10 June 2023]

Starts out slow & a bit annoying with the lead actress over dramatizing while I looked for a story. I never found it. Beyond that, it was a high quality production.

The proposed plots presented along the way were all great snippets that didn't go together. So I really wish they had gotten a story worked out before making the film.

But some of the snippets were awesome, leaving me so disappointed that the movie didn't make sense in the end. Obviously, other reviewers were enraged by this as well. And every movie maker should know the number 1 way to ruin a film is by having a make-your-own ending for the viewer to come up with 'cause there really wasn't one.

Still, I found it to be great horror honestly.

House of Salem (2016)

Has some boring bits, but I loved it.

[8/10 · 9 June 2023]

I thought it dragged a bit in the beginning but the story is great! First there's a kidnapping. Which turns out to be more. Which turns out to be more & more & more. Pretty original with scary villains, a demonic cult & seriously evil paranormal experiments. With an even more intense ending.

I could have done with less violence, but it lent credibility to the criminal element. Visuals could have been better, but were adequate for this low budget. Even though I'd love to see this re-made with the best minds & resources. It does have an amateur vibe, which is only disappointing 'cause it could be epic.

Anonymous 616 (2018)

And the reviewers go insane!

[4/10 · 9 June 2023]

This is a filmmaker's film, not a filmgoer's film. It's a zero budget amateur experimental torture porn. It takes torture porn to the next level with necrophilia torture. No women or children should see this.

There most certainly is a story, & it's actually a good, well-written one with a good script too. A traumatized soldier takes drugs at a couple's get together & thinks he's having a conversation with an omniscient online chatter who's telling him to free his submerged impulses in order to be like god & be all he can be. Sounds cheesy, but it was actually respectfully well executed. And I can't think of anything more ambitious to pull off. Everything flowed smoothly, no matter how unbelievable it got. Quite the experimental film success.

The shock value alone is worth the watch - for men only - but there was no atmosphere or even creep factor, so it lacks a lot. Like I said, torture porn 2.0. With a disappointing Christian horror ending, that could have been a chilling demonic possession ending. Interesting still.

Craving (2023)

Senseless Ultra Violence

[1/10 · 9 June 2023]

I don't see how anyone could rate this movie favorably. The monster is cool, especially for this no budget video. Prior to that, low achievers in a bar are invaded by more criminally involved druggies who are running from some vigilante citizens group talking about 'the monster'. After nothing happens for 100 minutes, finally the monster appears. The gorefest continues for another 13 minutes, & then we get a 4 word explanation. Aaaaand back to the gorefest for the comedic outro. No perspective, no story - not sure there was even a plot - no atmosphere, no visual interest, dialogue was meaningless...

Evil Lurks (2023)

Fun & Entertaining

[7/10 · 8 June 2023]

Not a masterpiece but reminescent of the masterpiece Beyond the Black Rainbow with very nice effects & visual quality. Also reminds me of the early 70's horror movies, which are my all-time faves, but with tons of originality.

Writing & acting overall are quite amateurish, making it a horror comedy. Not sure who was who in all the flashing forward back, if it was the same characters or multiple ones. But I loved the movie despite it being confusing, which you won't hear from me often, being an indie/arthouse afficionado.

You really can't go wrong with this watch, whether you're into horror or comedy.

The Tormented (2019)

Head-scratching Scary Dream

[6/10 · 8 June 2023]

I honestly don't know what happened here. An American couple moved to a small Italian village. The husband's new boss was creepy & said the town is run by the mafia but that he didn't have to worry about that. That was about all the build-up there was to the wife definitely having to worry about it! This gang-stalking 'mafia' were the scariest people I've ever seen, but like I said, there was no build-up.

The only tension was the stark, but not even dark, atmosphere. Which was kinda cool as I never had any idea what to expect.

But it wasn't just music-less documentary-like shocks either. It was scary in an amateur but almost documentary believable way. It was like a recreation of a nightmare, as it made no sense, just kinda all happened with insufficient context. Still I found it bizarre, which I love. And scary in a demonic-like way, though it had no demons.

There was no gore & the torture wasn't too gratuitous. Ultimately, there was a paranormal element, but absolutely no sense could be made of it IMO. I experienced it as a brilliant movie about gang stalking. That's exactly what it feels like to have relentless unexplained sinister stuff happening to you all the time, that is so weird that you can't even explain the non-sense to anyone.

It really wasn't even that original except in the way the parts were put together with no sense. But once the non-stop weirdness got going, I couldn't take my eyes off the scary strangeness. I found it refreshing rather than disjointed or poorly done.

Presence (I) (2022)

Variety Grab Bag

[4/10 · 8 June 2023]

There wasn't much info on this title in the way of reviews, so I checked it out. It dragged out like a psycho-thriller for the first 2/3 - with gorgeous model actresses - then started acting like it was a demonic possession cult conspiracy. But only for a scene or 2. Then it pulled a 100% derivative ripoff of another movie in the end. But it never did decide what it was gonna be, which deprived it of any potential atmosphere. The production quality was high, but there was no cohesion in the writing or direction, & never any explanations or continuity in the script. Could have been really good. But it wasn't.