Movie Review: The Shallows ★★★☆☆

The Shallows (2016)

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Genre: Thriller, Shark- horror

Running Time: 86 minutes

Starring: Blake Lively

I haven’t always liked Blake Lively. It was actually quite recently that I found out she wasn’t just a pretty face. I liked her in The Age of Adaline (2015) and because of The Shallows (2016) I’m even more convinced of her talent. (plus, she’s an obsessive Harry Potter fan and married to Ryan Reynolds - that should count for something right?).

I really liked The Shallows. I loved the shark and (a lot of) the scares. All right, the script isn’t amazing. The conversations between American Blake Lively and the Spanish-speaking Mexicans aren’t quite Oscar worthy, but hey, it’s a (sort of) slasher. The script is supposed to be a little bad right? I did laugh out loud when Lively called a seagull, Steven Seagull, though.

There is another recent horror film about sharks, In the Deep (2016) with Claire Holt and Mandy Moore. Even though it went straight to DVD, I thought it was a decent film. It was, however, not better than The Shallows. The latter has the advantage of amazing surroundings. At moments, the film felt like a documentary, because the beach is so beautiful. Almost all ‘shark- horror’ relies on a (or two) strong lead(s). Moore and Holt were all right in In the Deep, but Lively is more interesting alone than the other two together. Blake Lively is the heart and soul of The Shallows. There are very few seconds without Lively on screen and it just works.

The ending (I won’t spoil it for you, don’t worry) was a little disappointing and a little farfetched. But again, that is what we can expect from horror films nowadays (unfortunately). Also, the epilogue was unnecessary. But besides that The Shallows was a really exciting little film. The short running time was a clever choice, because if it would have been 30 minutes longer, the threatening atmosphere would have been long gone.

I was torn between three stars and four stars. I decided on three, because although I think the premise was great and I will always try to encourage horror(-y) films that think outside the box, I can’t get over the fact that that whale just ‘suddenly’ turned up and wasn’t visible before (even though it’s a few meters away from both the rock and the buoy).

 ★★★☆☆

Movie Reviews: The Purge: Election Year / The Legend of Tarzan / Independence Day: Resurgence

Well, over the last few days I went to a lot of different films. Unfortunately, they were not all great. These three tiny reviews are from films that disappointed me (in order from worst to 'best').

The Purge: Election Year (2016)

Director: James DeMonaco

Genre: Thriller, Horror

Running Time: 105 minutes

Starring: Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell and Mykelti Williamson

This was utter shit. The reviews were relatively positive, which I just cannot understand. I cannot find one single good aspect of the film. The concept of 'the purge' has been taken completely out of context. There are no scary or exciting scenes at all. All the characters are uninteresting. I almost walked out. So please do not go see this one.

★☆☆☆☆

The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Director: David Yates

Genre: Adventure, Action

Running Time: 110 minutes

Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie and Samuel L. Jackson

Alexander Skarsgard is a good-looking man, but he has so little screen presence. It's just not that interesting to watch him. Margot Robbie, on the other hand, has some serious screen presence, but she's stuck in the damsel-role of Jane. The movie is quite flat in general with a lazy script. It's not really bad, because it looks beautiful and has some nice cinematography, but as a whole it's a bit boring. I don't think I'm going to see this for a second time any time soon.

★★☆☆☆

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Director: Roland Emmerich

Genre: Science Fiction, Action

Running Time: 120 minutes

Starring: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman

All right, I loved that this film didn't take itself seriously. And I love Jeff Goldblum. And I love Aliens. That's it. The rest is just a big pile of impressive-looking nothing. This was, in comparison to The Legend of Tarzan however, not boring. It was a fun, dumb blockbuster with ridiculous characters and a shockingly thin plot. But who cares about a plot when there is a gigantic alien trying to destroy the world, right?

★★☆☆☆

Movie Screencaps: The Babadook (2015)

This is how you make a scary movie. The Babadook (2015) is one of the most effective, stunning horror films I've ever seen. In these five screencaps I've tried to capture the essence of the film. It's dark, grey and very subtle. There are very few jump scares, the complete film relies on its chilling atmosphere, amazing performance of Essie Davis and the lingering shadows. If you haven't seen this one, please do. 

Movie Reviews: The Conjuring 2 ★★★☆☆

The Conjuring 2 (2016) 

Director: James Wan

Genre: Horror, Mystery

Running Time: 136 minutes

Starring: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson and Frances O'Connor

Did I like it? Yes. Was it scary? Hell yes. Was it as good as the first one? No. I don't think this sequel is one of the few that exceeds its predecessor. I do however think that it's an outstanding sequel in comparison to other horror sequels like Sinister 2 (2015) and  Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013). But the subtlety of part one is far scarier than tables flying constantly through the rooms. It's the big mistake that basically all horror directors make. Nobody seems to realize that less is more. And I mean this quite literally. The less you see, the less you know, the more scarier a scene is. 

Why is it that these films are not only effective horror films, but also good films? I think it is because of Vera Farmiga. This is an actress who has such screen presence. When she's around your eye immediately goes to her. She's an asset of the film, but also a sort of liability. Because whenever she's not around, the film flattens out. But I can't imagine these films without her. Her chemistry with Patrick Wilson was good in the first one and it continues in the sequel with a sweet little emotional storyline. I quite liked that, between the dozens of jump scares. Although I couldn't really enjoy those moments, because I was constantly preparing for a face of an old man to appear behind somebody.

I have to admit that this was my very first horror film I watched in the cinema. So I was watching at times with my eyes closed. That is, I think, a good sign, because the film had some inventive and effective scares. I liked the voice of the old man coming from the young girl, I liked the disturbing painting of the nun and I liked the reference to Amityville. Various scenes (for example the scene with Janet in the chair) were visually stunning. James Wan has proven himself the last few years that he really knows the art of making a horror film. 

The ending I found really disappointing (as always). It was, quite literally, lightning and thunder all over the place. The extreme visual 'demon' wasn't scary anymore, now it's true form came out. And it all felt quite rushed. Wan probably thought 136 minutes was long enough (and rightly so!). In conclusion, I liked it, but I didn't love it. I missed the build-up I loved from the first one. And I'm still waiting on a sequel that goes for far less, instead of way more.

★★★☆☆

Movie Suggestions: Horror

It's quite difficult to give a clear definition of horror, because the genre is so diverse. There the gory slasher, the chilling ghost tale, the disturbing torture story and the gigantic-monster apocalypse: there is so much variety within the genre. I'm always disappointed by the lack of interest of people and movie critics in these kind of films, because "their only goal is to scare someone to death". Okay, scares are a big part of (most) horror flicks, but there are dozens of classy, subtle and emotional scary movies. That's why I decided to dedicate my first movie suggestions to horror films. 

1. The Others (2001) - Alejandro Amenábar
One of my favorite films of all time is this ghost story with Nicole Kidman. There are a handful of characters in it and the whole films takes place in and around a gorgeous old mansion. It is beautifully shot, it's got frightening moment without big cheap scares and most important of all: the ending is to date the most chilling ending I've ever seen. I don't want to say too much about this one. But if you want to watch a horror: please watch this one. (on a side note: all three recommendations are extremely strong. So just watch all four of them if you have the time)

If you liked this you should definitely watch: El Orfanato (2007),It Follows (2015) and The Babadook (2015)

2. The Crazies (2010) - Breck Eisner

For some reason, zombie films (or series) tend to focus on the 'survivors' way more than other monster films. It's about how they handle their situation (In The Walking Dead (2010 - ) men are way more dangerous than 'walkers'). It's probably because the bad guys can't do much more than growl and walk. The Crazies from Breck Eisner is a remake of 1973's horror film, but in my opinion it's much better. It has a stellar cast, a great premise and cool action sequences. 

If you liked this you should definitely watch: 28 Days Later (2002) and Carriers (2009)

3. You're Next (2011) - Adam Wingard
Slasher films don't come more amusing/more exciting than this one. It has enough twist to keep the viewer guessing, but not enough to make the story unbelievable. It's a very creative film with lots of interesting deaths (spoiler: sticking a food processor in someone's head). The lead is the Australian Sharni Vinson who does a marvelous job of kicking ass. I might write something in the near future about women in horror films. Because the amount of female leads in slashers is just insane.

If you liked this you should definitely watch: The Descent (2005) and The Strangers (2008)

4. Eden Lake (2008) - James Watkins

I feel like I should add a gory, sadistic film. Because they are just so popular (The Purge, Saw, Hostel). This one sets itself apart because of its cast. Michael Fassbender and Kelly Reilly are established actors and there is even a very young Jack O'Connell (Unbroken) as one of the bad guys. The plot is, as most of these so called 'torture porn'- films very thin: couple goes to the woods, get into trouble, are hunted, and killed (or will they?).

If you liked this you should definitely watch: Friday the 13th (2010) and The Hills Have Eyes (2006)

5. Alien (1979) - Ridley Scott

It's amazing how this film is still absolutely brilliant after almost 40 years. You might have noticed that most my suggestions are relatively recent. Many horror films are based on 'classics' of the 70's and 80's. And though these original movies are good, many viewers from today would think they are quite boring. But not Alien. It's one of the best films ever in my humble opinion. Sigourney Weaver is still one of the greatest action heroes and the constant threatening atmosphere is phenomenal.

If you liked this you should definitely watch: Aliens (1986) and The Thing (1982)