Horror/Thriller – Page 37 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“The Grudge” (2020)

By Brett_G on January 2, 2020

6.9

A great by the numbers studio horror film! Well crafted tension, terror, and jump scares. A tight story. Only downside being that the story is told in 4 different time periods that the film jumps between, so it can be a little hard to keep track of if you’re not paying attention. The characters were pretty one-dimensional, but it’s a horror movie, so there’s a pretty low bar for that going in. As with most films in the genre, the final 20-25 minutes ties it all together nicely. One of my favorite endings in a while, as well!

“Eli”

By Brett_G on December 20, 2019December 20, 2019

6.2

So… that happened. Pretty run of the mill horror movie set in a haunted medical facility of some sort. Jump scares, demons, religious ritual gone wrong, this one checks all the boxes. It’s no “haunting on hill house”… if there’s nothing else on, you can maybe consider turning it on in the background? Not Netflix’s best. Or MTV Films’ best, for that matter.

Horror/Thriller

“Black Christmas”

By Brett_G on December 15, 2019

0.5

If I could give negative stars, I would. Yikes. There’s almost 2 hours of my life I’ll never get back… not only was the dialogue just a collection of bad hot takes from cable news, but the acting was terrible, and the characters were as one dimensional as they come. The film also had an undeniable crisis of identity that left it constantly contradicting itself and taking all of the power out of its messages. Never a good sign when you’re rooting for the characters to die faster so the movie will be over sooner.

Blockbuster Horror/Thriller

“Doctor Sleep”

By Brett_G on November 9, 2019

9.1

A masterpiece on-par with the original “Shining,” in my opinion. Long, but worth every second of spell-binding storytelling. A seamless continuation of the events following the infamous winter at the Overlook Hotel. A perfect blend of new and nostalgia content, with a powerful crescendo… bellissima! I am all-in on the recent Stephen King renaissance of late. The quality of these novels, and new technology being expertly implemented… Bravo! Stephen King really is a master of his craft with the source material. No one tackles the human condition with the perfect blend horror and humor is why he’s the best. It’s what this film does so well, and King is famous for… the best characters in horror. Blew past my high expectations with ease! Definitely a must-see.

Horror/Thriller

“Countdown”

By Brett_G on November 9, 2019November 9, 2019

6.8

Vastly outperformed what sounded like an incredibly dumb concept. The cast, especially lead Elizabth Lail, knock it out of the park. The perfect balance of suspense and absurdity. It also benefited from being the only thing even resembling a horror movie in theaters Halloween week… take that as you a may. A solid, middle of the road horror movie.