Playing like a kinder, gentler Sightseers (though not lacking teeth), A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life is a staggeringly good British horror comedy, a breath of fresh air and an ambitious calling card for all involved. Produced on a miniscule budget, it enters with an ambition and craft that papers over any apparent budgetary limitations. There will be few films in 2020 that will prove such an uplifting watch whilst bludgeoning several people to death.

When we meet Lou she is a rather sad figure. Beaten down by an overbearing mother and addicted to self-help gurus, she is someone who needs a pick-me up. And into her life enters Val, a sharply spoken figure, brimming with charisma, who takes Lou under her wing and on a road trip of the South. But, as the title suggests, there’s a secret to Val, in the form of her additional work as a serial killer.

Making his feature debut Staten Cousins Roe writes and directs with bravado. Pulling away from gratuitousness, Roe’s narrative is compelling, with his script packed with fabulous one-liners (there are several hearty laughs). The world around Lou and Val seems far crazier than either of them and it is genuinely cathartic to watch the two explore real-life alternative therapy and administer the revenge much needed. This catharsis, mixed with a humour and sweetness makes A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life such an endearing watch.  The film occasionally gets stuck in the telling of its second half but resounds to a terrific finale that gives resolution to Lou’s journey with Val whilst also proving strangely upbeat. I left my screening with a bright smile on my face and the knowledge that I’d watched a film to match the like of Sightseers and Prevenge.
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life benefits greatly from the duo of Katie Brayben and Poppy Roe. Brayben enthuses Lou with a warmth and kindness that makes her a wonderful screen presence. And yet there is an edge to Brayben’s turn, building Lou to be a more active participant in the film’s narrative. On the flip side Roe is initially a harsh figure, equipped with many a witty line and a harsh putdown that matches her persona. But she softens as the film goes on, proving a fascinating showcase for Roe’s acting skills. They are ably supported by a cracking ensemble. Ben Lloyd-Hughes is a hoot as a sort-of self-help final boss, whilst there are fun smaller turns from the likes of Tomiwa Edun, Sinead Matthews and Sian Clifford. If the writing sometimes lacks the nuance to boost supporting players beyond the two-dimensional it in facts blends nicely with the tone of the film. And with Brayben and Roe giving subtle, shifting turns A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life is always a fascinating watch.

Gentler than Sightseers, more approachable than Prevenge, A Serial Killer’s Guide to Life is nevertheless a wonderfully unique British comedy. Powered a pair of fabulous turns and punctuated by some delightfully violent escapades, this one of the horror must watches of the year. Seek it out and you may find yourself seeing life from Val’s fabulous acidic point-of-view.

“Just don’t get off the fucking bed”

Throughout horror there are a wealth of items that have taken on an evil quality, through their creation or an interaction with another presence. There are malevolent dolls (too many to name), monstrous clothes presses (The Mangler), autonomous tyres (Rubber) and wicked lifts (The Lift). And with The Dwelling the item is a bed, forged from horrific trauma. This isn’t even the first film about a sinful bed (see 1977’s Death Bed: The Bed That Eats).

The Dwelling (also known by the goofier title Bed of the Dead) combines the ‘demonic item’ subgenre with horror’s preference for a single location. The film focuses on four twentysomethings who book into an adults-only hotel to celebrate a birthday. Unfortunately their room comes with a particularly evil bed and they soon find themselves trapped on it. Remaining on this particular piece of furniture leads to hellish visions but leaving it causes a painful death (and there are a couple of groovy kills here). It’s a fun set-up played out to it limits. Scenes of the gangs terrible hotel stay are interspersed with a hard-boiled detective (doesn’t play by the rules, tragic past, leather jacket, facial hair, drinking problem) investigating the aftermath.

There is a central conflict to The Dwelling (which is there in its title change). On the one hand proceedings are treated with a seriousness that is admirable, and on the other this is a film with a premise that feels like one of horror’s more ridiculous ones.  Proceedings begins with a grisly flashback to some of the trauma engrained in the wood of the bed, whilst debut director Jeff Maher gives The Dwelling an admirable gloss that for the most part makes it a particularly attractive horror (Maher’s experience in cinematography come to the fore here). And thanks to compelling turns from the central four the portions that take place on the bed are surprisingly compelling. Sadly the scenes with the detective are awash with clichés that feel closer to what you’d expect from a film called Bed of the Dead and can’t help but frustrate. And yet as the numbers on the bed dwindle down Alysa King and Gwenlyn Cumyn stand out, with the pair doing much of the emotional heavy lifting in the film’s second half. The narrative moves into areas of trauma that make the film surprisingly gripping and held this reviewer’s attention throughout.

For a film with such a seemingly ridiculous set-up director Jeff Maher (alongside co-writer Dennis Andres) has managed a mostly compelling horror. The Dwelling benefits from a professional sheen and a number of strong performance, plus a loopy narrative that keeps audiences on its toes. As evil as this particularly furniture is you may just want to spend the night on this demonic bed.

In a busy subgenre Dean Alioto’s Portal seeks to differentiate itself by layering an attempt at a complicated mythology (the kind it took Paranormal Activity five films to achieve) and the behind-the-scenes drama of making a TV show to its haunted house tale. The film follows a struggling band of ghost hunters, part of the failing Ghost Seekers. Budgets squeezed and flashier competitors’ success breeding tension, the head of the team takes matters into his own hands, bringing the group to a notorious murder house. It soon becomes apparent there is more to the house then the group could ever have anticipated.

Portal is at its best and most interesting when it explores the dynamic of a ghost hunter TV show and the conflict that exists between proving the existence of an afterlife and producing an entertaining programme. A number of engaging turns in the cast (particularly from Ryan Merriman and Jamie Tisdale) help keep the film’s downtime engaging between the expected horror moments. A well-chosen locale helps with a number of moments of dread and there feels a genuine attempt at finding a plausible reason for individuals’ interest in ghosts.

At times Portal resembles a TV pilot, both for better and worst. Director Dean Alioto spends plenty of time setting up his roster of ghost hunters, giving them backstories and character quirks (aided by a witty script co-written with the prolific Peter Dukes). The characters feel better developed then some other indie horrors. But the film becomes rushed in its second half, struggling to find a satisfying conclusion for the effective early work of the film.

Genre fans may find Portal frustratingly tame and one can’t help wish the film would cut loose and have a little bit more fun with its concept. For all the good work done in the early stages, the last act lacks the punch needed, feeling a tad too rushed. But it does contain a treat for A Nightmare on Elm Street fans, with Heather Langenkamp (none other than Nancy!) taking on a key late stage role (that I shan’t ruin here). 

At its best Portal manages to find some interesting elements to add to both the ghost genre and the surprisingly bountiful ghost-hunters-find-real-ghosts subgenre. While the second half can’t quite tie everything together the film remains compelling, with ambitions that exceed its more limited budget. 

‘Wade in the Water’ is an indie drama/black comedy starring Tom E. Nicholson simply known as “our man”, a loner who works from home and has anger management issues that he takes out on everyone around him. After receiving a package in his PO box by mistake, one that holds dark secrets that can’t help but bring back his childhood trauma, he decides to take matters into his own hands that leads to an interesting journey of moral ambiguity and complex issues that most filmmakers wouldn’t dare to touch. It’s hard to talk about without spoiling what happens, but I will say that the themes of the film are dark with being gratuitously so. It felt personal, so it didn’t (to me, at least) seem to be exploiting the painful experiences this character has been through that real people unfortunately also go through.  
    
After making a heavy and life-altering decision to act upon what he’s found, Our Man develops an unlikely friendship with Tilly (Danika Golombek), who knows about what he’s done and wants to dig deeper into the reasons behind it for closure. Despite their interactions not beginning until later on in the film, the impact that they have on one another is well earned nonetheless; their relationship is complicated, not black and white by any means, as they both try to grapple with the philosophical and moral implications of the vigilante justice Our Man decided to dish out. It brings up complicated issues surrounding forgiveness, justice, and revenge. It’s interesting that audiences for this film may all stand very differently on these issues and therefore side more with one of the protagonists than the other – but again, like their relationship, things don’t appear to be black and white. It will make you question your previous opinions about what justice is and who should have the right to decide what it means. Both Nicholson and Golombek do a great job at portraying two people who are equally as irresolute as the other about what has happened, becoming more torn about their viewpoints as they listen to each other. 

Not knowing much about the plot going into the film was ideal; watching it unfold into a dark, thoughtful story was unexpected in the best way, so I was very pleasantly surprised. The comedic moments worked well with the tragic and serious moments, offering a piece of hope in what feels like a story that can in no way end well. It’s not over-the-top humour and is more on the deadpan side of things, so it isn’t out of place as it easily could be in a narrative about a topic as serious as it is. Overall, I would definitely encourage people to watch ‘Wade in the Water’ if you enjoy thought-provoking black comedies. The narrative structure and pace might not be conventional, but it’s interesting and works really well.

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‘The Dead Don’t Die’ boasts an A-list cast including Bill Murray, Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny as small-town cops Cliff, Ronnie and Mindy who realise that Centerville is under the threat of zombies as a result of polar fracking causing the earth to spin off its axis. That’s basically the entire plot summed up, and it’s the most that can be said without spoiling it, so I don’t know how I managed to enjoy the film as much as I did when there’s little to no point in the story. It also includes subplots of juvenile delinquents Stella (Maya Delmont), Olivia (Taliyah Whitaker) and Geronimo (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) trying to survive while stuck in a detention centre and Selena Gomez on a road trip through the town with her friends, but there are points where these are completely forgotten about and aren’t necessary as they don’t really add anything to the film.

The beginning takes some time to get going – a lot of time is spent making sure you know that “this is not going to end well”, and that it’s very weird that it’s eight o’clock at night but it’s still not dark. While there’s some humour to be found in the repetition as it adds to the feeling that something’s really not right beyond what you already know about the story, it can go on a bit too long at times. The most enjoyable aspect of the film is without a doubt the cast, who bring charisma to their roles and who clearly aren’t afraid to have fun and be a part of something as ridiculous as this. Having only previously seen Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, I was more than happy to see a comedic and self-aware side of him. Driver is one of the highlights of the film for me, as well as Zelda (Tilda Swinton) who is hilariously strange and out of place as a Scottish mortician armed with a samurai sword. 

Overall, this film will definitely be a divisive one as it does have its flaws. It treads the line between being funny and fourth wall breaking to the point where it will annoy some people, but I’m on the side that found it fun and entertaining once it gets past cementing the initial concept of the film into your mind. If you want to see Adam Driver and Bill Murray in a buddy cop scenario or like weird, nonsensical plot twists then this could be the one for you. Good luck getting the titular song by Sturgill Simpson out of your head though, because it gets played a million times throughout and is still catchy and strangely soothing as hell.

The Hole in the Ground’ is the feature film debut from Irish writer/director Lee Cronin about single mother Sarah (Seána Kerslake), who is trying to build a new life with her son Chris (James Quinn Markey) in a fixer-upper house near a forest with a big sinkhole that for some reason, no one seems to be at all concerned about despite the health and safety risk it poses. Although the marketing of the film pushes it as the next ‘Hereditary’ (2018), it seems to have more in common with ‘The Babadook’ (2014).

It does tick a lot of the horror film clichés with the blaring ominous string music, slamming doors and creaky floorboards, but gradually becomes eerier because of the paranoia Sarah is feeling as she comes to believe that her son has been body-snatched when she notices subtle changes in his behaviour. There is a lingering uncertainty throughout that she could be mentally ill, except I couldn’t help but trust her instinct anyway which made it all the more unsettling as she’s unable to get anyone on her side. Kerslake is a likeable protagonist and manages to balance a playfulness with sincerity and her growing fears. Markey also gives a good performance and doesn’t overstate the changes in his character. 

However, the film sometimes feels slow paced and I was hoping another element was going to come into play in the narrative; it’s heavily implied that Sarah has comes out of an abusive relationship with Chris’s father and that she’s moved to get away from him. It seemed like this could have been a bigger part of the story that was never fulfilled, although it could be argued that Chris’s behaviour – acting like an angel before turning aggressive – mirrors that of abusive relationships, thereby making history repeat itself for Sarah.

Overall, although it’s sometimes slow paced, I would recommend ‘The Hole in the Ground’ as I feel that the third act makes it worth the patience. Despite subscribing to a lot of horror movie gimmicks, there’s a lot to like in it from the actors to the earthy colour palette. There was a scene near the end involving claustrophobic tunnels that has got to be enough to put anyone over the edge and genuinely made me feel panicked. The film also gets extra points for not going for an obvious “plot twist” that would have been incredibly tempting and cheap, but instead opting to show the aftermath of Sarah’s traumatic experience. 

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‘Dolls’ is a horror film about Robert (Thomas Downey), an alcoholic children’s book author – and we know this because he must have had at least ten drinks in the first ten minutes - who is trying to get back on his feet by starting a new book in his recently deceased mother’s house. He is joined by his rebellious teenage daughter Sammey (Trinity Thompson), who is struggling to come to terms with her mother’s decision to separate from Robert. The inspiration for Robert’s new book comes from three creepy dolls they found in the attic, but Sammey starts to notice strange things happening while her back is turned. 

The one positive to take away from the film is that considering that it’s a small budget production, it manages to get a decent cast together. In the world of mega low-budget films where it’s usually necessary for filmmakers to use their friends with little to no experience in acting, it can be a make or break. Fortunately, the actors did a good job in the film for what it was (even managing to bag Dee Wallace as Margaret, the obligatory crazy lady who warns of the horrors to come). Even Thompson did a decent job, and she doesn’t have any acting credits previous to this. However, it’s the writing of the film that lets it down. The pace is far too slow, leaving you waiting for the next scary thing or just anything to happen (and not in a way that builds tension). It’s difficult to find things to say about the film because so little seems to happen beyond the dolls not being where Sammey last left them. It’s understandable that perhaps due to budget constrictions it wasn’t possible to show the dolls doing too much (I wasn’t exactly going in expecting ‘Child’s Play’ level puppetry), but even having them play more mind games would have made them seem more threatening. They do look rather disturbing, however, so it gets a few extra points for that.

Overall, I enjoyed the actors in the film and although Dee Wallace wasn’t a huge part of it, her appearances do make the scenes she’s in more effective. The design of the dolls was also good, and they do manage to look quite creepy. Unfortunately, it’s dragged down by the story and horror being too empty which makes it feel longer than it actually is. The pacing is a big issue at the start of the film, as it takes too long to get to the action but also doesn’t use this time to effectively build any tension. Although simplistic films aren’t always a bad thing, it’s a big problem for ‘Dolls’. 

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From Adam Robitel, the director of the truly terrible Insidious: The Last Key, comes the only Saw like film to actually look good. Escape Room is the story of Six Strangers, all with past traumas of some kind, who are invited to take part in an immersive Escape Room experience. They all think it is someone in their lives trying to give them something nice, a way to help them battle whatever they are dealing with, however what they get is a series of seemingly impossible rooms  designed by a mysterious games master hell bent on seeing is these soul survivors are just lucky.

I do Like me an Escape Room, we even reviewed one a World War 2 one a few years back, Its a fun experience for all the family, but you really wouldn't want to be stuck in these rooms of death. The designs of the rooms are what make this film overall, I love the amount of detail the production and effects team must have put into making them. The first room really sets the tone of the film, The massive oven like room that wants to bake you alive was awesome. It what makes the film as interesting as it is over some of the more sigh worthy moments. I'm not a huge fan of the overall reveal that this is really a huge organisation, it has Hostel vibes about it where really it would work better for me if it was more of a Saw situation. On the subject of Saw this is what you will think when watching the film. This is basically a less violent less brutal Saw film. The rooms may look stunning but there is a lacking you get with the way Saw does the whole rooms of death. 

Acting wise it was nice to see Daredevil star Deborah Ann Wolf pop up in the role of the kick arse ex-military player Amanda Harper, while Logan Miller (Love Simon, Ultimate Spiderman animated series) plays the role of the kind hearts but damaged Ben. The rest of the cast are hit and miss, it is a shame to see Nik Doani's (The Good Neighbour, Atypical) character Danny die so quick, especially as he was the escape room lover. It would have been nice to see him swap with Ben and have him survive instead but I can see they went with the most guilt ridden of the group.

As a whole Escape Room is a fun watch, it's Saw Lite in many ways but you don't need extreme amounts of gore to sell this idea. I wasn't a fan of the ending, in was a little bit to Hostel and later Purge films for me with the shadowy figure who is providing death games to the rich, but you will not be disappointed overall.