We open with a steady tracking shot that moves through a room of women changing, until the camera settles on one of them. From this deliberate opening, director Sébastien Marnier maintains a careful delivery of information, guiding the viewer through a handsomely staged and often twisty thriller. These twists and reveals make […]
Thriller
Doppelganger. The Double (2023) (Kinoteka 2024)
Here’s useful viewing for anyone wondering what the attitude of the Polish public towards the USSR might be almost forty five years on from the forming of Solidarity. Doppelganger. The Double is a new thriller from film-maker Jan Holoubek that’s set between the late-seventies and mid-eighties, and is currently showing […]
Femme (2023) An Engaging, Intelligent, and sometimes Shocking Experience (Review)
What if the true revenge was the friends we made along the way? 2023, whilst perhaps not the greatest year for LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream cinema, has certainly had its fair share of interesting titles. Queer cinema is all about breaking rules: the anarchic irreverence of Bottoms; the rebellious spirit […]
Night of the Hunted (2023) – Sniper Terror Butts Heads with Political Bluntness (Review)
Another Day to Live Through (2023) Majestic Finland, Less Majestic as a Psychological Thriller (Review)
In the last few years, horror and thriller movies have been slipping out of corners of the world not usually associated with darker storytelling standards – Lithuania, Malaysia and beyond. Peter Simmons has worked in short films as an actor, director, writer and producer for a number of years, and […]
Outpost (2022) Modern American Comedy Icon makes the thrillingly violent leap to Indie Horror (Review)
Outpost is the feature debut from comedy stalwart Joe Lo Truglio and begins with Kate (Beth Dover), who tries to find a life of peaceful tranquillity in an Idaho fire-watch outpost following a violent attack. With nobody but her neighbour Reggie (Dylan Baker), for company, Kate begins to learn that […]
Werewolf Santa & Cold Meat (Frightfest 2023)(Review)
Medusa Deluxe (2022) Social Realist Murder Mystery with all the Pizzazz (Review)
Medusa Deluxe (2022) is a murder mystery thriller set in the backbiting world of competitive hairdressing. Big hair and even bigger egos collide in a tense and taut mystery that keeps the viewer guessing until the very end. Medusa Deluxe is like Showgirls with more hair extensions. Fabulous, extravagant and […]
Little Bone Lodge (2023) When Little, this Lodge offers plenty to Chill the Bones (Review)
The home invasion sub-genre is characterised by claustrophobia, intensity and genuine scares. Unsurprisingly, it often works as a chamber piece, with a small cast, limited locations and threatening mise-en-scene. One of the key themes is the tension between inner and outer, a theme made all the more apparent in Little […]
The Bride Wore Black (1968) – An elegantly constructed tale of vengeance (Review)
Based on the novel by Cornell Woolrich (who published it under the pseudonym William Irish), François Truffaut’s sixth feature as a solo director, The Bride Wore Black, was a dark and influential tale of vengeance. An intriguing opening sees Julie Kohler (Jeanne Moreau) prevented from committing suicide by her mother. […]