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Red Room - Rating: * (Reviewed by William Jones)

3/27/2019

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Red Room (2017) is a thriller/horror film directed by Stephen Gaffney. The film centres around three Irish women who get kidnapped and must try to escape their cruel captors.

The film is a simple premise - largely focusing on three characters in one room. A film like this then depends heavily on character rather than story, but alas it isn’t written very well and so fails to deliver (to put it bluntly). The characters feel flat, two-dimensional and kind of meaningless. For example, the villains are uninspiring and not very scary; they just don’t do much; apart from a few moments you sort of just have to take their word that they’re sadistic monsters.

Nevertheless, this could have been salvaged - good actors have done wonders with bad scripts before! - but unfortunately the acting just isn’t up to scratch. It’s not awful but it’s not great either. By the end you can feel a bit of chemistry between the three women but it isn’t enough. This is truly a shame as Red Room could have been an enjoyable hour and a half.

This isn’t the only let down either. Technically wise Red Room plays out more like a student film rather than a professional movie. The cinematography is rather shoddy and the editing is (sorry to be rude) just bad. Considering this is a thriller it doesn’t do much to make it seem that way. Although, I can see where it tries in some places - lack of music, drawn out scenes - and I commend it for trying, but it just goes to show that just because a premise may be simple doesn’t mean it’s easy to pull off.

In terms of the horror there just isn’t enough of it. There are some vicious moments but apart from the literal act of what is happening on screen the film doesn’t do much to create the feeling of shock and horror within the audience. You honestly (not to sound sadistic) get left wanting more bloodshed and torture.

Unfortunately, Red Room just didn’t hit the mark for me. It tries but fails to be an on the edge of your seat thriller and doesn’t go far enough to be the horror it wants to be. 
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Division 19 - Rating: * * 1/2 (Reviewed by Chloe Davies)

3/18/2019

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‘Division 19’ is a futuristic sci-fi film from S.A. Halewood about escaped prisoner Hardin (Jamie Draven) who finds out that his life on the inside was being used as entertainment for the public – entertainment so popular that New Town, an experiment in rehabilitation where prisoners can live alongside civilians and be freed if they make the right choices, was being created. Or, at least, it becomes about the prisoner further into the film when it switches from focusing on Hardin’s brother Nash (Will Rothhaar) and his friends who have managed to stay off the grid and form a resistance known as Division 19 in this dystopian world where being anonymous is illegal. This is where the film fails the most.

Despite having an interesting and satirical concept that critiques the power of consumerism and the motives of corporations in a ‘Truman Show’ (1998) style, the initial lack of focus on a lead character – and then going on to follow someone with no character at all and not enough charisma to carry the film – is its biggest downfall. When it finally gets to Hardin’s journey, it’s so slow-paced and feels so pointless that his lack of contact with anyone else and his seemingly endless brooding around while avoiding detection gets incredibly frustrating. It felt slow-paced to the point where it took a few nights to finish watching (and this is only 90 minutes long).

It has to be mentioned that for an indie sci-fi film, the special effects are done well and you can also appreciate the filming locations which certainly evoke a dry, dystopian tone. ‘Division 19’ definitely looks the part and has the cynical ideas of the future to match, but possibly a bit too much. There’s plenty of themes surrounding autonomy, free will and the monetisation of people’s lives which we are seeing more and more these days in the online community, but the script lacks the wit to take full advantage of any of the characters (it didn’t seem like we learn anything about our protagonist), although there are a few good satirical moments that are worthy of a laugh such as the adopt a prisoner advert. The cast weren’t given much to work with; I wished Barca (Toby Hemingway) had been the main protagonist as he had the most appeal to me with all his angst, and even Linus Roache (who recently showed off the extent of his talent in ‘Mandy’ (2018)) as Charles Lynden feels criminally underutilised.

Overall, although some of the ideas trying to come through in ‘Division 19’ can be appreciated, the lack of personality in any of the characters and lack of focus makes it a challenging watch. It also seems so empty in terms of plot until it’s too late that there’s nothing to fill the void in the middle – and then it still manages to be confusing in the very last scene. Although it is a visually well-made film, the foundation of it in the script is where it goes completely wrong. It’s like a first draft, and one that the improvements needed were so obvious that this makes it all the more frustrating it didn’t reach its full potential.
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Motel Mist - Rating: * * * * (Reviewed by William Jones)

3/11/2019

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Motel Mist (2016) is a Thail sci-fi/thriller film, directed by Prabda Yoon. The film takes place over a few hours in a bizarre love motel and follows the stories of five characters whose lives intertwine.

Motel Mist is very much a character piece, set entirely in one location (the motel) the film gives itself the opportunity to really focus on its characters and it does just that. Every character – from the sadistic pervert Sopol to the creepy and intriguing Tul – is unique in their own way and stand firmly on their own. The film has a great way of building and keeping the audience invested in these quirky and unusual characters, which is helped through the terrific performances the cast give.

Although, don’t be fooled intro thinking quirky simply means funny, Motel Mist isn’t afraid to make you uncomfortable (it does take place in a love motel after all). A lot of what these characters go through is actually quite dark and makes the film play more as a black comedy than a sci-fi/thriller in my opinion. In fact, the strange characters, black comedy tone and the way the stories intertwine reminds me very much of an episode of Inside Number 9.

My one issue with the film (as honestly I very much enjoyed it) is that whilst the characters are all interesting they are not given as much equal focus as I would have liked. Sopol and his schoolgirl victim Laila are given the main focus of the film, despite Tul, the missing and presumed crazy former child star, being the first character mentioned and the one constant in everyone’s story. I feel Tul deserved a bit more from the film, only properly playing a part in the last 20 minutes, especially as he is the character the sci-fi elements revolve around. Unfortunately, it felt like Tul was very much secondary in what should’ve been his film.

Moving towards the more technical elements of the film, it is clear to see why it won the Thailand National Film Association Award for Best Art Direction. Every action, every shot, every scene is thought out so meticulously to show exactly what’s happening in that moment, and what those characters are feeling without them having to say a word. From the gorgeous colour design to the tidy cinematography and well-composed shots, if you’re not a fan of the narrative you’ll at least have something pretty to look at. I also have to give a shout out to the sound design, the score (not that there was even a lot of music) fit the scenes perfectly, and the sound composition during Tul’s speaking to the camera scene was suitably creepy and impressive.

Honestly, I enjoyed this film a lot more than I anticipated. Perhaps it sold itself a bit too much as a sci-fi/thriller considering (at least in my view) it only really fits this bill in the last 20 minutes, but Motel Mist is still an impressive and intriguing piece of cinema. The characters are weird and amazing and it’s fantastically put together. I would definitely recommend this to those cinema-lovers who like a bit of strangeness.
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Ring - Rating: * * * * (Reviewed by Chloe Davies)

3/11/2019

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In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the iconic Japanese horror film ‘Ring’, Arrow Films has released a beautiful restoration which serves as a reminder of how well-loved the film is around the world. It’s hard to find a horror fan who hasn’t seen it, and it’s impossible to deny the influence it’s had both in its home country as well as in Western culture after spawning an American remake, franchises and even spoofs. There’s no denying it’s worthy of being restored to become the best viewing experience it can possibly be.

‘Ring’ follows Reiko (Nanako Matsushima) a reporter who is investigating the strange deaths surrounding rumours of a video tape that curses anyone who watches it – they receive a phone call and die seven days after seeing it. Naturally, after finding the tape and becoming cursed herself, she then contacts her ex-husband to help her. This is actually one problem I have with the film; I find it difficult to identify with Reiko as she brings this situation onto herself despite seeming to somewhat buy into the rumours. Not only that, but once she is cursed, she allows someone else to watch the tape. However, every other element is so well done that it just becomes a minor annoyance.

What makes ‘Ring’ special is how is combines actual Japanese folklore with contemporary fears surrounding technology. The idea that something old can adapt to and even thrive in the modern age is terrifying. This is something that has continued to be relevant and is further adapted for the ever-growing technological age in American sequel ‘Rings’ (2017), in which the video can be shared online. That’s why the film continues to be scary and is perhaps even scarier than ever, and was also so well received in Western culture. For the most part, technology is basically unavoidable in most countries as we rely on it more and more, so the threat that Sadako poses seems increasingly significant in retrospect.

The music by Kenji Kawai is also hugely important in emphasizing the fear the characters are feeling throughout. Without being over-used, the loud and screeching sounds are comparable to that of the scores in Dario Argento’s giallo films, but work just as well in the context of the supernatural. It possesses a dissonance that’s enough to put anyone on edge and adds to the atmosphere. This score is bold, and ‘Ring’ wouldn’t be nearly as effective in conveying the pure anguish Reiko is going through without it. Overall, all of the elements of the film from the acting to the music complement each other to make an incredibly effective horror film that is just as creepy as it was twenty years ago, and its mark on the genre continues to be visible today.
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Redcon-1 - Rating: * (Reviewed by William Jones)

3/2/2019

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Redcon-1 (2018) is a British zombie action film, directed by Chee Keong Cheung. The film takes place in a post-zombie outbreak where a group of soldiers are tasked with retrieving the scientist who created the virus in the hopes of getting a cure, but is everything as it seems?

Firstly, you can tell that Redcon-1 is trying to be a different type of zombie film, one that sits more comfortably in the war genre than the horror one. The soldiers are the main focal point of the film, rather than the zombies, and the film (especially at the beginning) pushes the parallel between the fight against zombies and real life war. This is an interesting take on the genre, granted one that we’ve seen before but not too often.

​As such, Redcon-1 tries hard to create a sense of realism; wanting to make the viewer think what the world would be like if a zombie outbreak did really happen. Unfortunately, it just can’t maintain this realism for longer than the first 10 minutes. This is largely because nearly every action, sequence or plot point in the film is just hugely unrealistic, which simply destroys the film’s verisimilitude quicker than it’s being built. Now this isn’t usually a problem, this is a zombie film after all, expect when you are trying to be both real and unrealistic it just creates a heap of confusion for the viewer.

One massive example of this is the zombies. Once again the film takes an interesting approach and should be commended for its attempt to shake-up the tired stereotype of the zombie. The zombies in Redcon-1 aren’t like any old zombies, what is interesting is that they still seem to hold a semblance of their former humanity, to the point where they can fight, use weapons and even function as teams. Alas, this type of zombie ultimately lends itself more to comedy than horror as they just end up coming off really weird – there’s no better example of this than the underground fight sequence.

What’s more, whilst the technical elements of the film, like cinematography and editing, aren’t actually too bad (it’s even quite good in places) it largely remains very one-note throughout, and feels very ‘put together’. The film doesn’t seem to slow down when it’s trying to build tension, or speed up when there’s an action sequence (not by much anyway). This means the zombies don’t come off particularly scary and the action sequences are just kind of lame. Moreover, it never quite manages to hit the emotional beats of the film (although this is also hindered by the performances). It does seem to get a bit better about half way through when there are less characters to worry about, so you can actually start to get to know them, but it sadly doesn’t last for long.

Regrettably, Redcon-1 ends up being a weird and confusing film that just isn’t very good. It’s a shame because you can tell the filmmakers and actors are trying hard to give the audience an entertaining and thought-provoking experience, but sadly they succeed for all the wrong reasons. However, I would urge them not to give up - there is a golden nugget buried somewhere within Redcon-1 and I hope one day they find it.
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Rendel - Rating: * * 1/2 (Reviewed by William Jones)

3/2/2019

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Rendel (2017) is a Finnish superhero film, directed by Jesse Haaja. The story revolves around the vigilante Rendel and his quest for vengeance against the crime organisation that ruined his life, yet also has an equal focus on the son (Rotikka) of the organisation’s boss who is tasked with taking down Rendel.

Rendel is interesting as it can arguably be seen to be trying to capitalise on the success of the Western superhero craze, and unfortunately, as such, doesn’t really do anything hugely original. The story is relatively black and white: bad guys being bad, hero gets in their way and stops them. It feels like the writers felt they had to meet certain superhero story beats to hold the audience, as if they had to be like the other films to be a contender, which is a shame as when it veers (even just slightly) from the same-old is when it truly comes into it’s own.

The best example of this is when the film moves away from the good guys beating up bad guys shtick and explores the two main characters Rendel and Rotikka (played by Kristofer Gummerus and Rami Rusinen respectively). The film does this in two ways: via flashbacks detailing the origin story of Rendel, and throughout the film in the present showing Rotikka’s struggle to stop Rendel and make his father proud. These two characters, especially by the end, are the saving grace of the film. I love the way their stories are interlinked and that they are both focused on equally (superhero films don’t explore the villain enough in my opinion). They are interesting, poignant, complex (to an extent) and are acted brilliantly. Rami Rusinen’s portrayal of a psychopath with daddy issues was fantastic, he had a way of making you route for him even after all his character does in the film. Therefore, whether intended or not Rendel ends up making for a better character piece than straight-up superhero film.

However, some of you may be saying, “Well what do you expect of a superhero film? There’s going to be punching. You can’t blame them for that”. Alas, the moments that let it down aren’t entirely because they’re unoriginal but also because they’re just not very good. The first half falls rather short on the technical side – the editing is choppy, the aesthetic whenever Rendel is on screen never quite lives up to how cool you want it to be, and the choreography of the actions scenes is just a little boring. Although, you could argue that the somewhat plain punching and kicking action style helps the film have a sense of realism, unfortunately this realism is thrown straight out of the window half-way through when a team of top criminals is gathered to stop Rendel – but the less said about that the better.

Thankfully the second half rectifies a lot of these problems when Rendel manages to find its feet. The characters start to come alive, it technically gets a lot tighter (the final showdown is both awesome and visually appealing) and you begin to enjoy yourself a lot more – and so does the film. Whilst the film is still generally a tad darker than your average superhero flick it’s not afraid to have some fun. One of my favourite scenes is when two of the thugs are chatting about the situation they’re in (one finding it exciting, the other not so enamoured) all whilst Rendel can be heard beating up the rest of the thugs behind them. So, despite the flaws of the first half Rendel definitely manages to suck you in by the end.

All in all, I would say if you’re after a superhero/action film that isn’t the usual DC or Marvel then there are better ones out there. Nevertheless, Rendel is a film that, when it stops trying to be something else and comes into its own, is a fun and interesting watch. If you are a fan of the genre I would recommend you give this a go.
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