Brett_G

“Antlers”

By Brett_G on November 3, 2021November 1, 2021

6.2

This one had such promise… That it ultimately pisses away by the time the credits roll.

An interesting premise, based on a Native American tale of a soul-thieving deer creature roaming the forest and punishing those taking from the earth and not doing their part to care for the world around them. But nope, we have to spend time with the family drama of the adults. Adults that are so dumb that they can’t figure out until their third trip to the house that that’s a car under that tarp that just appeared there since yesterday. Better yet, it’s the car of the principal who went missing. And who woulda thunk it? She should have listened to the creepy little kid and not gone in the attic. The lesson of the whole thing – if there are multiple deadbolt locks and one or more blessed artifacts guarding a door… don’t open that door. Bonus points – if you see a freshly dead body, don’t go stand over it. Something bad happened there to cause said dead body. Don’t tempt fate.

An interesting film that unfortunately fell flat in the end, in my book.

Horror/Thriller Shudder

“V/H/S 94”

By Brett_G on November 2, 2021November 1, 2021

6.9

A true Shudder original.

You’ll be confused, you’ll be disturbed, you’ll be disgusted at points. You’ll ultimately leave entertained.

Fairly typical found footage film, with fun commercials in between the saga entries, and a light story tying it all together with some comedy to help cut the tension and keep you from having a stroke. This one was a wild ride. The best of the series since the original, in my book. Bravo to Shudder for a fun hour and a half!

Horror/Thriller Streaming

“Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin”

By Brett_G on November 1, 2021November 1, 2021

7.2

Here at BGME, we judge “Paranormal Activity” films by the quality of their last 20 minutes. In that vein, this one is one of the best of the series.

In one of the stranger turns of the series, we see our couple venture into the snow-covered forest to explore the origins of our protagonist Margot. Shocker, she hails from a cult. (Shocked Face) There are bonfires, a hole-in-the-ground portal to Hell, strange extended relatives, and a tie-in to the original saga. This one checks all of the boxes after committing all of the jump scare reliance that the originals do. You take the good with the bad, and you get a decent scary movie about some paranormal activity.

Comedy Drama Hulu

“Only Murders in the Building”

By Brett_G on October 28, 2021October 24, 2021

8.9

How was this so good?!?!

Nothing about this should have felt as fresh and exciting as it did… but here we are.

The cast has terrific chemistry. The ridiculousness factor is at an 11, but I still binged the entire thing in one day and can’t wait for season 2! A classic whodunit, set in the quirkiest apartment building in New York City, with three of the most unlikely friends on the face of the earth and more dead bodies than a season of “Game of Thrones.” It was like Wes Anderson meets Quentin Tarantino, and it was a thing of beauty to behold. The three main characters rounded each other out as an ensemble much better than expected. I have been known to have a soft spot for Selena Gomez and watch pretty much anything she’s in (including the fantastic HBO Max cooking show). Still, she rises to the occasion and brings a sense of dry humor to the group that ever so naturally balances the goofier 2 of the tripod and makes it all work like a well-oiled machine. I was taken aback by how much I loved this one, as I haven’t laughed this hard since I stumbled upon “Letterkenny.” Hulu truly outdid themselves!

Indie Suspense/Thriller

“Broadcast Signal Intrusion”

By Brett_G on October 27, 2021October 24, 2021

8.1

The sister film to “Censor” from earlier this year.

From the first frame to the last, you will be on the edge of your seat with your head cocked, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I’m going to be honest; you probably still won’t know when the credits roll. If you do happen to figure it out, let me know. I’m still processing what I just saw.

In a tale reminiscent of the “Max Headroom” broadcast signal intrusion in the ’80s, this film journeys down the rabbit hole to explore human nature, obsession, love, friendship, paranoia, and our need to make sense of the world around us. The reason I compare it to “Censor” is that it also analyzes what happens when one envelopes themselves in the darkness of the world for too long and the effects it has on them and their interactions with the world. Spoiler alert, it gets weird.

The most effective part of this film to me was the tie-in to an actual life event that haunted us as a society in real life. Something is unsettling about the still-unsolved crime. The way it fractured our peaceful plane of existence and was never fully resolved makes for a strong base for a horror movie. Silly as the prank may have been, there’s something rather sinister about it that makes it feel discomforting. That feeling of unease covers this entire film, bathing it in well-earned intrigue, waiting to see where the twists and turns will lead next.