Given that pretty much all the big films have vacated 2020 at this point, it's clear to me that I'm going to struggle to make this an "active" site until things are better under control (aside from the insane amount of videogames that are coming soon). Even the Rath Awards are likely going to be minimized because there's almost no point to crowning a "winner" of 2020.
Perhaps I'm sounding like a downer; in truth, I'm pretty bummed that Tenet seemed to be the one and done movie theater film we get this year. But I get it. There's no denying this year just isn't the same - both in terms of quantity and quality (despite how loud some would argue) - as previous years.
It is what it is, and much like 2020 as a whole, we learn to adapt and Just. Deal.
So, here's something I've never done before: I'm going to review 4 films in a single post! That means that some of these are delayed by a couple weeks, but it all relates back to Amazon's Prime Video Welcome to the Blumhouse anthology. During the month of October, they're releasing 4 films (2 films a week) that are unique spins on the horror/thriller genre. I'm watching all of them so you can know if they're all worth it, if you should skip some and not others, or if they're all trash (hint: they're not)!
The reviews below will be much shorter than I normally give with less Pros and Cons, but you should be able to get the gist of each. Enjoy this unique post!
Black Box
Black Box is the first of the anthology films that I watched and it's a great place to start, potentially even being my favorite of the bunch (I'm writing this without having seen the other ones, but basing that on a hunch). If you're someone who's not "into" horror, this one should be easier for you to swallow as it's more Black Mirror episode than actual blood and guts and jumps scares.
We're introduced to a man, Nolan (played profoundly by Mamoudou Athie) who can't remember who he is and is trying to make it through life with his daughter Ava (cute, thoughtful child performance by Amanda Christine). She gets him through day to day by helping him remember what he needs to do, where to turn as he takes her to school, etc. Starting with an experimental therapy to remember his lost memories, he begins to unlock clues from the past but is prohibited by a mind-based villain (where the horror aspect comes in).
The end result - without saying much more because of spoilers - is a nicely contained thriller that has shades of Nolan-esque science fiction mixed with some Get Out vibes. Even though it's short - I felt like it overstayed its welcome somewhat due to the late-in-the-game twist that adds surprise, and drags out the proceedings. It's a movie that starts really strong and ends just as much, but feels like it cares less about it's middle at times. Unfortunately that means its lacking some of the visual splendor or style that most other films that "stick" with you have, and it's a significant loss to Black Box as it's - from a story perspective - really memorable and packs some emotional weight behind it. But when it feels like it's filmed as the most basic of TV proceedings (something I wonder if will be the case for each of these Blumhouse films?) it can never really escape that "smaller" feeling despite being bigger in ideas.
Still though, like I mentioned, this amounts to a pretty-darn-good Black Mirror episode that has better emotional stakes and outcomes than most of those do (except for you "San Junipero"!). And I appreciate the spin on the "horror" here, basically asking the question: How scary would it be to be trapped in your own mind?"
CONS
- Drags in the middle, contained between a strong start and finish
- Lacks style to compliment its story
- Well contained, sci-fi/thriller story that is both interesting and mysterious
- Performances that feel appropriate for the characters and help give them emotional stakes
Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10
The Lie
Watching this second Welcome to Blumhouse film, I'm assuming they're mostly all going to be shades of horror as this is much more of a thriller/mystery than anything specifically "horror" related (even less scary than Black Box).
As these are shorter reviews, I'll cut to the chase: Joey King's Kayla is one of the dumbest characters possibly ever put to film. The premise of the plot explores the horror of being a parent and having to protect your child from something they did, implicating yourself in the process. The kickstart of The Lie is, right off the bat, a stupid decision from Kayla. Throughout the film - as her parents just try to protect her from her mistake - she continuously does dumb s**t to the point where I was half hoping the parents [metaphorically] threw her to the wolves or literally threw her to a pack of ravenous wolves. By the end of it all, you come to find their daughter is so stupid, the best ending of the film could/would be they just straight up disown her. So yes, this film has a pretty significant and annoying flaw.
But (!), I did rather enjoy the time you spend in the parent's shoes as the dilemma is a captivating one. How far would you be willing to go as a parent to protect your child from a life-ruining mistake? What would you do? Anytime the film explores the stress and the horrors of this question (without Kayla around) it's worth watching.
Sadly again, this is a film shot with little artistic style or uniqueness, so it feels like a TV episode, probably even more so than Black Box. It's a little bit more suited to that style, but Gone Girl (for example), this is not. Especially with a character as worthless as Kayla at its core...
CONS
- Kayla is such an infuriatingly stupid character, it's hard to enjoy the film
- Doesn't contain much style in cinematography, original score, etc. (all the stuff that could elevate it)
- Accurate performances from Peter Sarsgaard and Mireille Enos as stressed parents, wondering how far they can/should go to protect their child. When the film is centered on them and their choices, it's at its best
Rath's Review Score | 5/10
Nocturne
After The Lie, I have to admit that I felt somewhat discouraged with these films. Both felt like glorified TV episodes, even if I did like Black Box. Nocturne, luckily, is the first of these Blumhouse films to actually feel like a film and come equipped with some style of its own.
At its center is Juliet (Sydney Sweeney) who lives in the shadow of her sister V (Madison Iseman), but only by a hair. Both are accomplished High School piano players, but Vivian's life is just "better". She gets the boyfriend, the solo, the prestigious college while Juliet has none of those things. At their high school, a fellow student (who originally had the solo) commits suicide mysteriously, thus leaving it open. Along the way, Juliet finds her notebook and well...you can probably guess its cursed, so on and so forth.
What makes Nocturne unique is the focus on music throughout. Not only does it have a suitable original score (with some distinct moments of creepiness), it focuses on the music these kids play, almost as the haunting villain they're trying to defeat. A line that explains one great student playing as if "the devil was at the door" versus an incredible student playing as if "the devil was in the room" actually comes to life here in unique ways.
It's slightly unfortunate then that Nocturne can't avoid the teenager tropes that it does a pretty superb job of avoiding early on. Boys, catty girls, popularity, drugs, and partying are here, like boxes to be checked and - mostly in the middle of the film - it feels like it loses its luster slightly as it becomes less unique than what it was before. Despite that, it's a creepy descent into madness that stands out among these Blumhouse films as being the first of which actually feels like a movie.
CONS
- Feels longer than it is
- Spends too much time in the middle checking off the high school cliches
- Has a distinct style thanks to some creative visuals, a unique focus on the music, and an original score that's consistently fitting and, at times, deliberately at the forefront
- It's mental horror for this one and it gives a memorable version of the "madness" genre that I've become rather fond of
Rath's Review Score | 8/10
Evil Eye
Unfortunately our last Blumhouse production (or at least it was last in the order I watched it) is our worst. Initially, I wanted this to be great, but it's easily the black sheep of this group as decidedly not scary and probably the most like a television episode, which has plagued the majority of these films.
I'm going to be brutal with this one. That's partially because before this I saw Nomadland (fantastic) and Nocturne (good/great) and the rest is because Evil Eye is just...worthless. Its singular positive quality is that its a diverse film from a perspective that not many people are familiar with (or maybe only know about in the stereotypical sense). The cast does what they can with the material as I recognized most from other, better films.
Evil Eye's biggest issue is that it is an absolute bore for the majority (i.e. 85% of its runtime). These are supposed to be horror anthologies and this was easily the least "horror" of them all, barley qualifying for the title at all. If anything, Evil Eye would be a poorly titled, very unfunny, Indian RomCom that just happens to have a highly foreshadowed and obvious violent ending. It was all I could do to actually pay attention to it and even at a short 90 minute runtime, it at times felt like I was 4-5 episodes deep in a TV show that I needed to quit watching. So yeah, I didn't like it. And even as a TV show (even if it was 60 minutes) there's not much to write home about here because there isn't much story, mystery, or horror.
I find that all to be a shame because Indian culture is under represented in American cinema. This film so woefully remains in the boring/forgettable avenue - not trying to do anything special - that it actually comes out as bad and earns one of my lowest scores in quite some time.
CONS
- Incredibly boring with almost no surprises or horror to be had. Dull and lifeless (can you tell I really didn't like this film?!?)
- Feels the most like a generic TV show, void of any style or unique quality. What a missed opportunity, particularly from a original score standpoint
- Too long
- I welcome more Indian casts with open arms - it's a shame this is what we get - and the actors do the best with what they can. The film's result doesn't fall on them
Rath's Review Score | 3/10
I hope you enjoyed this unique post of new reviews! Obviously, we can't outright say that the Welcome to the Blumhouse anthology was a total success, but there's about a 50/50 split here of films worth your time (Nocturne, Black Box) and those that are not (The Lie, Evil Eye). Agree? Disagree? Have you watched them all? Let me know your thoughts/rankings in the comments or social media!
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