It’s June and that means the year is halfway over! It really does feel like time goes by faster as you get older, because I feel like Christmas was just last month.
I was looking back on the past six months and I realized that I’ve watched quite a few horror movies that haven’t been discussed or reviewed here on The 90s Horror Review. I thought I’d give a quick review of what I’ve watched so far this year.
Mike Flanaghan has quickly made a name for himself in the horror community and I decided that I wanted to catch up on all his previous work. Oculus stars two of my favorite actresses: Katee Sackhoff and Karen Gillian who play a mother and daughter dealing with a haunted mirror that has been brought into their life. The story takes place in two time periods and alternates back and forth and it’s a very simple story, but a scary one. I really dug it. Four stars out of five.
I think we’ve all got a little vampire fatigue, but after seeing this title pop up on Netflix I decided to give it a go. I’m a big fan of Josh Hartnett and this movie has some absolutely stunning cinematography. I love movies set in isolated and snowed in towns, and this movie really captures that well. The vampires were unique and intimidating, but the story fell a little flat. Three stars out of five.
Fede Alvarez’s remake of Evil Dead is one of my favorite horror movies of all-time. It seems like as every year passes, my appreciation for it grows more and more. I was excited to finally sit down and watch his follow up film and I found another tension based horror film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I didn’t enjoy it as much as Evil Dead, but Don’t Breathe is a fantastic film and one I think everyone should check out. Four stars out of five.
I never saw the first Ouija, but after hearing great things about Mike Flanaghan’s sequel, I decided to check it out. Origin of Evil is a fine film that feels like a throwback. I adored the cigarette burns during the reel changes and I thought the movie was competent, but nothing special. It was a forgettable flick, but a good way to spend ninety minutes. Three stars out of a five.
I wanted to love this film. After seeing the trailer, I was so hyped for it. They marketed it as Groundhog Day in a slasher film and that sounds like something right up my alley. Sadly, the film didn’t live up the hype. It’s partially due to a very unlikeable protagonist, although she does end up growing on you. I’m interested in seeing if the sequel can right the wrongs of the first film. Two stars out of five.
I heard about this film from the r/horror and to be honest, it’s not typically my type of horror film. Pet is about a man who keeps a woman caged in the basement of a pet shelter in order to “fix her.” Things aren’t what they seem and the film provides many twists and turns and keeps you guessing about who is manipulating who. I loved it, but its a one time watch, especially after a scene at the very end that sucked. Four stars out of five.
I tried to distance myself from the hype of Get Out because. By waiting a year later, I think I managed to avoid most of it and I went in with a fresh attitude towards the film. I loved the first half of the movie. I thought it was a wonderful film, full of creepy moments and fantastic social commentary. Then the film takes a turn and I was not a fan. It felt like two movies combined into one and once our main character learns more about what is going on, I wasn’t much of a fan of how the film decided to go. Three stars out of five.
I’ve seen Alien at least a dozen times, and while the tension is mostly lost on me now, I always enjoy accompanying the Nostromo crew on their adventure. Alien is a classic for a reason and I’ll always be a fan. Four stars out of five.
I’d heard good things about The Shallows, but I’m not the biggest shark movie fan. I like Jaws and Deep Blue Sea, but that’s about the extent of my shark movie love. Well, I guess I can add The Shallows to that short list. This was a great film full of tension. It had that “this could happen to anyone” vibe and I love that in horror. Four stars out of five.
I’d heard some online rumblings about The Ritual and decided to give it a shot. I’m so glad I did. It’s a wonderful monster movie that takes place in a forest in Sweden. The movie has a great cast, a good story and some excellent effects. Four stars out of five.
Other horror movies watched that will get feature reviews on the site: Stigmata, Scream 4, Valentine, Phantoms, Demon Knight, Mimic, Event Horizon, The People Under the Stairs, The Craft, Teaching Mrs. Tingle, Alien vs. Predator, My Bloody Valentine, Still Screaming, Jennifer’s Body, Jeepers Creepers, and Halloween 3.