It’s stunning that there has never been much stride made in the realm of possession movies. It seems like “The Exorcist” was the beginning and end of the sub-genre, followed by decades of films that ranged from serviceable to downright abysmal. “Belzebuth” further proves that theory as it’s a middling horror thriller that’s densely packed, kind of confusing, and ironically manages to deliver some good scares from the real life atrocities it depicts rather than the images of demons, evil Jesus Christ, and exorcisms.
Belzebuth (2019) [Cinepocalypse 2019]
A man who lost everything in a freak attack must investigate another a few years later. What he finds leads him down a pathway he never expected.
The Last to See Them (Gli Ultimi Viderli Vivere) (2019) [Cinepocalypse 2019]
Director Sara Summa paints “The Last to See Them” as the anti-thriller, it’s the calm before the storm, as four family members living in a remote farm in the Italian countryside are doomed to die horrendous murders in the middle of the night. What we see is the hours leading up to their death as… well nothing happens. Absolutely nothing happens. Director Sara Summa’s “The Last to See Them” has all the ingredients for a brutally creepy, and unsettling thriller but it amounts to a disappointingly empty posturing of the antithesis of the genre.
Head Count (2019)
A group of students on vacation in the desert takes in a stranger who seemed like fun. Once the darkness falls, they start telling each other scary stories. One particular story is taken from the internet and involved an entity that likes to play with things in 5s. From then on, things start getting weird and scary.
Attack of the Demons (2019) [Cinepocalypse 2019]
In a small, isolated town, a green glowing blob of sort attacks animals and humans alike, turning them into a mass of evil that swallows all in its path. Trying to survive this, a local young man, a visitor, and a young lady team up to try and outrun the take of over of this town during its yearly music festival.
Night of the Creeps (1986): Collector’s Edition [2 Blu-Ray]
After spending years out of print, it’s good to see Fred Dekker’s eighties horror classics finally being given the special treatment that they deserve. For fans of the 1986 “Night of the Creeps,” they’ll be happy to know that Dekker’s zombie comedy hasn’t aged much at all. While it’s very much of its time, it still allows for an accessible and very interesting mix of horror, science fiction, coming of age, and romance that’s tough to beat. Plus, there’s Tom Atkins who is just downright fun in the role of detective Ray Cameron.
Achoura (Achoura: La Nuit des Enfants) (2018) [Cinepocalypse 2019]
It’s only a matter of time until everyone begins to compare “Achoura” to “Stephen King’s It” mainly because they’re so thematically similar and share almost identical story beats. On its own, “Achoura” is a fine horror thriller that explores the loss of innocence, how fleeting innocence is for children, and how the past almost always catches up to us. As a symbol of the very heavy commentary is the rather spooky and interesting monster of the film, the Bougatate, that’s less a figment of imagination, and more a living darkness that devours kids’ joy, and fear.