Oddity - Blu-ray Review

 

 Oddity opens with Dani (Carolyn Bracken) alone in an old converted stable house in the middle of the countryside. The rough, unfinished home conversion is stark, empty, and eerily beautiful. We watch Dani as she goes about her jobs, fixing the place up, before settling in to spend the night alone inside the old building, a small tent prepared in one of the rooms. Her husband, Ted (Gwilym Lee), is working nights in a nearby high security mental hospital, so Dani is alone as the darkness creeps in. Or is she? After heading out to her car she has a knock at the door, where she finds a former patient of her husband, Olin (Tadgh Murphy), begging to be let in, warning her that someone is in the house with her. 

After this the film jumps forward a year, where we learn that Dani was brutally murdered within the house, and that it's believed Olin committed the crime after being allowed inside. Her blind twin sister, Darcy (also played by Bracken) runs an occult antique shop, where she contains haunted and cursed items. She's visited by Ted, who brings her the gift of Olin's artificial eye, the former patient having been recently killed. Darcy believes that she can use her psychic gifts to learn something from the eye, something that Ted dismisses out of hand. However, when Darcy arrives on Ted's doorstep a few days later, with a mysterious crate, he and his new girlfriend Yana (Caroline Menton) are ill prepared for what will come next.

Labelled as a horror, Oddity certainly fits the bill thanks to its eery atmosphere and some truly chilling frights, but for me the film is much closer to a dark, supernatural thriller; one that works its way under your skin as you demand answers to the mystery of what happened to Dani. This question is at the heart of the movie, and is one that informs everything that we see. This mystery would be enough to sustain the film in itself, and there are thousands of stories about someone investigating the death of a loved one, but what makes Oddity feel different from a lot of these is the way that the supernatural manages to creep its way into every moment in the film.

The very first scenes of the movie feel like an urban legend, one of those stories that's designed to scare you around the campfire. Imagine you're alone in a big, dark house, and someone at the door is telling you that someone else got inside with you. Would you believe that? Could you take the risk of opening the door? The initial setup gets under your skin so beautifully that even though it's the most grounded and 'normal' part of the film it still feels like something that's so impossibly frightening that it could only exist in fiction, even if because it's a scenario that's so nightmarish. But from this moment on dread, unease, and the supernatural seeps into every moment.

From the first introduction of Darcy we see that she's deep into the world of the paranormal, with her tiny antique shop filled with items with dark stories and supposed curses attached to them. It's something that most people would dismiss out of hand, something so outlandish that it would have to be fake, but the film presents it in such an honest way that you believe it. Even without the paranormal having been brought up before this point you leave the scene convinced that ghost exist, and that we'll be seeing more of them.

It's once we return to the scene of Dani's murder that things really ratchet up, and we'll be spending much of the film in this one location. The stark grey walls and minimal colours in the scenes, matched with Darcy's pale clothing and light hair makes it feel like a lot of the life has been drained out of things. The atmosphere of the building itself feels wrong, dark and cold even in moments where it shouldn't be, and despite the beauty of the location you can't help but feel unease just in being there. The cinematography and choice of shots adds to this, as characters are often framed with darkened doorways behind them, pools of shadow where you keep finding your eyes drawn, waiting for something to emerge and frighten you.

Oddity uses atmosphere to sell the horror and unease of the story, are rarely if ever resorts to cheap jump scares of musical stings to make the audience jump. There are some moments that will make you yell out loud, frights that feel sudden that you can't help but be caught off guard, but they're done in such a way that they feel well earned, rather than tricks that are being used upon you.

A lot of praise should also be given to the cast, who do a superb job with the script. Bracken does double duty as both sisters, and is so good in each role that I didn't even realise she was both characters until another pointed out that Darcy looked exactly like Dani. Dani seems confident, full or energy and life in her scenes, whilst Darcy is quiet, withdrawn, and incredibly still. They physical differences in how Bracken plays the two is so good that I bought they were different people. Some of this comes down to Darcy's blindness, the fact that she has to move through a scene differently, that her movements seem more calculated and thought out and she takes on an almost ethereal quality at times.

Gwilym Lee's Ted is presented as a hard to read character, which is great for the mystery angle of the film. He could be seen as a man struggling with the grief of his wife having been killed, or he might be someone who simply doesn't care that she's dead. He's very reserved, almost detached in his scenes, and you're never quite sure whether you should trust him or not. The flip side to this is his new girlfriend, played wonderfully by Menton. Yana comes across as very unlikable to begin with, resenting that Darcy is in her home, and not wanting to be around her, but as the film goes on you start to see her differently, and she's perhaps closer to the audience surrogate than you'd first expect as a regular person dropped into an extraordinary series of events. It's interesting to see how your views of her change across the course of the film, and in the end I felt her to be one of the most relatable characters in the movie. 

Although there are some predictable moments in the film, frights that you can see coming a few minutes before they hit, the film is very much its own animal. Writer and director Damian McCarthy has crafted a story that feels twisting and complex, changing tone and going to some incredibly dark places without it losing its sense of self. It's a film that's unpredictable, yet once it's all said and done there's never a moment that felt wrong or out of place. McCarthy has taken the supernatural mystery genre and managed to craft something new and interesting from it, delivering a film that demands to be seen more than once. 

The blu-ray release offers those without a Shudder subscription a chance to watch Oddity, which I would say is reason enough to pick up a copy if it's your only way to watch the film. Sadly, there's not a huge amount on offer on the disc outside of the film. There's a three minute scene that shows the storyboards alongside the action, a four minute featurette that talks to some of the cast and crew, and a photo gallery that shows how the wooden mannequin was created. I would have loved more behind the scenes stuff, and something like a director commentary to really get deep into the film would have been great, as I feel Oddity is the kind of film that demands in depth analysis.

Oddity is a great movie, one that I can't help but think about after it's done. A brilliant example of how to create a compelling, engaging horror film almost completely set in one location with a limited cast, effects, and budget. This is the kind of movie that people who want to make films should be watching, as there's a lot that can be learned from this. 

Oddity is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital from 6th January 2025.

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The Damned - Film Review

 

Winter is a hard time of year, even now in the modern day there are still lives lost each year due to the cold, so imagining life in a snowed in Icelandic fishing outpost in the 19th century is in itself a frightening scenario, as death looms over the inhabitants each day. If The Damned, from first time director Thordur Palsson, were simply a story of this small group of people trying to survive a brutal winter it would be dramatic enough, but when dark and supernatural forces begins to close in on the fishing outpost it makes their previous attempts to survive seem idyllic in comparison. 

The Damned tells the story of Eva (Odessa Young), a young widow who is now the sole owner of a small fishing outpost on the Icelandic coast, a place she and her husband used to run together before his death of a series of jagged rocky spurs just off the coast the year before. Despite this loss Eva wishes to continue on the work, having no other family to go to or place to call home. Instead, the men who once worked with her husband have become something of a surrogate family to her. With winter in full swing times have been hard, and catches have been light, forcing them to ration their supplies to get through the snowy months.

When the fishermen are preparing to leave one morning, however, Eva spots a ship stuck against the same rocks that claimed her husbands life. The men watch as the ship sinks into the icy waters. Knowing that any survivors are doomed unless they help them, a difficult decision must be made. With barely enough supplies to get through winter more mouths to feed would certainly doom them all, so Eva makes the decision that they won't help any of the sailors. However, disturbing visions begin to plague the fishing outpost as the bodies of the sailors wash up on the beach. It seems that in their inaction Eva may have begun a series of events that has unleashed a terrible supernatural force upon them all; one that won't stop until it has had revenge.

The Damned is a film that oozes atmosphere, and is the thing that drew me to it initially. The setting is eerie and unsettling even without the addition of supernatural forces, and straddles the line between beautiful and frightening. And this is used to great effect throughout the film. Even during the day it feels like there's barely enough light, and instead of the crisp, bright white of snow that you imagine when you think of it, it's instead dirty, gloomy, as if the land itself is as tired and depressed as the people who are calling it home this long winter. Because of this even when the film ventures out into the wide open during the day it still manages to feel oppressive, and there's no relief from the tension that's built throughout.

There are several scenes that use the snowy setting wonderfully too, and really highlights how winter is a fantastic time in which to place a horror story. Whether it's figures barely glimpsed out in the blanket of fog and snow that swirls around the characters, or the dark shape that slowly creeps across the snow towards the camera, there are moments where you're left wondering what it is you're seeing in a way that really gets inside your head.

A lot of this is down to the nature of the supernatural presence in the film too. One of the characters, an old woman named Helga (Siobhan Finneran) informs the group that she believes a drauger is haunting their settlement, a creature that's part ghost, part undead. There are times when things in the film don't really make sense, when you're unsure if you're seeing a ghost or a real person, and others where you wonder if perhaps the old folk takes have gotten inside the troubled minds of a guilty conscience and is causing that person to see something that's not real. The film does give you some answers, clearing away any confusion and gives you a very concrete answer as to what's happening; and for me it actually weakens the movie somewhat. If the film had ended a minute or two earlier I think that it would have been much more satisfying, and the unanswered questions would have been thematically more fitting.

Despite the film having pretty sparse dialogue the film manages to make you care about the characters pretty quickly, and they're a likable and interesting bunch. A mixture of seasoned old fishermen and younger men looking to make it through the winter, the men that surround Eva feel more akin to a family than anything else. It's clear that they've known each other and worked together for many years, and there's never any moments where you worry about the men turning against Eva, or someone revealing a dark desire towards her. Instead, the tension comes from without, and as such we see how each of the characters reacts to it, and how it tests the bonds that they have.

The Damned also feels strangely pertinent to the modern times, despite being set in the 19th century. The woman in charge of a small community who has to justify her decisions and actions in a way that a man doesn't, the trials of surviving through hard times, and the way communities can become insular and selfish instead of helping others when faced with foreigners arriving on their shores all reflect very prominent discussions from today. It shows that whilst times change people are largely the same, and that we've not really progressed all that much. The result is a film that makes it easy to connect with, one that draws you in with the relatable characters and their familiar struggles before it takes a darker turn into the supernatural.

Thanks to the rich atmosphere and beautiful cinematography, some genuinely eerie music, and superb acting The Damned ends up being a really entertaining movie, one that I found myself wanting to spend more time with. Other than a final two minutes that I felt weakened it a little (a personal choice which others might have the exact opposite view of), I had a wonderful time with it, and can't wait to see what the director gives us next. A superb directorial debut that ends up being one of the better winter horrors.

The Damned will be released in UK cinemas on 10th January 2025.

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Top 10 Comics of 2024

 

There have been many amazing comics across 2024, with some great events, brilliant new series, and plenty of ongoing runs that have gone from strength to strength. I found it hard to pick just ten books to include on this list, and tried to limit them to books that have had at least two issues released in 2024, and because of this there are two honourable mentions at the end that don't quite meet this criteria.

Absolute Batman

The Absolute Universe is something that DC fans have been clamouring for for years, DC's take on the Ultimate line from Marvel. Using both Absolute Power and DC All In as a spring board, three books launched the Absolute line, and the first was Absolute Batman. Set in a world where things are dark and lacking hope, this version of Bruce is a man who grew up without wealth, who experienced a different childhood tragedy, yet still found the drive and strength to fight for his city as Batman. A huge, muscled figure, this Batman uses his knowledge from being an engineer to create a batsuit that features multiple inbuilt weapons, and a cape that incorporates chains, hooks, and the ability to scale walls, making him very different from the regular Batman. With three issue of the series out so far it's clear that we're going to be getting a very different version of the iconic hero, but one who still hold true to the ideals and qualities that makes him a hero.

Birds of Prey

This title was one of my favourites in 2023, and the series continued to be the wonderfully fun and well created book that won me over when it first launched. Thanks to its rotating cast, with a handful of core characters that have been there from the beginning, the book is able to bring in new members as stories dictate, allowing the creative team the freedom to do something different each arc. The last year has featured a fight with an ancient god, dimension hopping adventures that changes the style and aesthetic of the team each time, and an undercover mission to rescue kidnapped Amazons. As well as the superb stories, the series has featured some of the more creative and unique art on an ongoing book at the moment; art that won colourist Jordie Bellaire an award this year.

Superman

Cowboy Superman, a showdown with an army of Czarnians, a powerless Clark going up against magic, every Brainiac ever returning, Lois gaining powers, and Doomsday breaking his way out of hell have been some of the many highlights of Superman this year. Easily the best of DC's trinity's books, the series has delivered some of the best Superman stories in a while this year. Joshua Williamson has taken some big swings with the stories that he's been telling, and whilst they've been full of action and spectacle they've also made time for the smaller moments too, and there has been some great personal stories and quiet character moments to be found across the various arcs. With an exciting new era for Superman and his family just beginning, this title promises big things going into 2025.

Moon Knight (Various)

This entry is a bit of a cheat, as it's more than one book. Vengeance of Moon Knight, and Moon Knight: Fist of Khonshu were both released this year, and both have told the unfolding adventures of Marc Spector and his supporting cast of misfits and heroes in the narrative that Jed MacKay has been writing for a few years now. I would normally expect that this story would be over just one title, but Marvel love relaunching books with new number one issues to draw in fans (and annoy collectors) so this story has been split across two titles this year, and as such I will count them as one. I wasn't much of a Moon Knight fan before the MacKay run, but his time on the book has made Moon Knight one of the first books I read each week it comes out, and I can't wait for this era to get collected together into a bumper omnibus edition. Going from strength to strength, some recent shocking events has set the book in an exciting new direction that means it'll continue to be one of my most anticipated titles.

Absolute Wonder Woman

What can I say about Absolute Wonder Woman other than 'holy fuck this book is amazing!'? Well, it's the best of the Absolute line for a start. From the concept of Diana being the 'last Amazon', raised in hell to be a witch who comes to Earth to fight for humanity, to the fact that she wields giant weapons and rides a skeletal Pegasus, to the art on the book being absolutely gorgeous, there's so much to compliment the book for. This book embraces the supernatural and magic, and gives Diana a drastic reimagining, yet captures her spirit wonderfully. I dare anyone to read the first issue and not fall in love with this version of the character. The revelation in the third issue that this version of Wonder Woman is also disabled is just the cherry on the cake for me too, as having one of the most iconic comic characters, and the most iconic female character, being disabled is one of the best things that DC has done in years, and was so amazing to me as a disabled woman that I couldn't help but cry a little when reading it. This is one of those rare things in comics, a perfect book.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest

There's something about this title that's just infectiously delightful each and every issue. Set in the past, in a time that's evoking the Silver Age, these stories might be about it's titular heroes, but frequently manages to draw in characters from across the DC universe, offering readers the chance to have fun with characters they might never normally read. Whether it's a return to the Kingdom Come universe, the first meeting between Lex Luthor and the Joker, Eclipso taking over the world, 5th dimensional imps threatening existence, or Jimmy Olsen and Krypto teaming up with Batgirl and Ace, this book injects fun into every story that it delivers. With some of the best writing on the shelves right now, and amazing art from some of the best in the industry, each story feels like a love letter to this universe and its characters. 

West Coast Avengers

I've not been as surprised by any book this year as I have by West Coast Avengers. The premise of the book is simple, Tony Stark and Rhodey are looking to offer villains a chance to reform and become heroes, and start an Avengers team to facilitate this. What I didn't expect, however, was for the book to be very, very funny. I find comics to be one of the hardest mediums in which to make comedy work. You can't make a sentence sound funny just by saying it a certain way, you can't have good timing, and physical comedy can't really be captures in static images. You have to really know comedy well to make it work in this medium, but Gerry Duggan manages to do it effortlessly, and I ended up laughing out loud several times each issue. The book has only two issues so far (just qualified for the list) and I loved both of them. With some real super heroics and deeper character stuff to accompany the great gags, this is easily my favourite Avengers book available at the moment. 

The Flash

I absolutely adored Jeremy Adams' time on The Flash, and was very nervous about it changing over to Simon Spurrier as I was unsure of what to expect. And I will admit, when the book first started I didn't really like it. It went very hard sci-fi, and did some weird things. I dropped off for a while. But then I tried again, doing the first half dozen issues together, and things suddenly clicked for me, and from that point I've really liked the series. With the second arc of the series toning down the hard sci-fi somewhat, embracing more of the whimsical and fun that the previous run had which I loved so much, and putting the West family square at the front of things, it was back to being the kind of Flash book that I loved. It might not work for everyone, and like me it might not click for you straight away, but The Flash feels like one of those books that really rewards its readers.

Absolute Superman

There was no way all three Absolute books weren't making it onto the list. Much like the other two, Absolute Superman takes the core of our heroes and keeps it true whilst fundamentally changing everything else. Instead of being raised on Earth this is a Superman who lived on Krypton before its destruction. He was not raised human, instead, he was born into a cruel cast system that had him as one of the downtrodden. As such, when he comes to Earth and sees abuse, enslavement, and the degradation of people by those in power he stands up to defend them. He might be more alien than we're used to seeing him, but this is a Superman who still stands for everything that our Clark does. And turning the S crest from the symbol of the House of El into a brand that the lowest members of Kryptonian society wear is a perfect choice, as a symbol that to one people meant nothing, that labelled them as below everyone else will become a symbol of truth, justice, and hope for those who need it the most; and to me, that's very, very Superman.

Justice League Unlimited

Borrowing the name and concept from the cartoon series, Justice League Unlimited is the most ambitious Justice League book to date. Instead of a limited team, every hero in the DC universe gets to be on the League. Spinning out of the events of Absolute Power, the heroes are trying to come together more than ever before. With a huge space station that can house every hero, the Earth has never been more protected. Justice League Unlimited in a lot of ways feels like the modern version of Batman/Superman: World's Finest, a book that can use any character to tell stories that span the entire breadth of DC. With a number of mysteries already unfolding, and personal stories being put at the forefront, this book looks set to be one of the best Justice League titles in years (possibly ever), and it's all star creative team are sure to take it to great heights.

Honourable Mentions!

Hellhunters

This didn't make the cut because only a single issue has been released so far, but the first issue of Hellhunters gave me everything that I love about Marvel. I have two areas that I really enjoy in Marvel, the X-Men (the loss of Krakoa has hit me hard unfortunately), and it's horror books. The current run of Incredible Hulk almost made the list because it's a horror book, and things like Hellverine are my kind of thing. So a book that brings back Ghostrider '44, teams him up in World War Two with Nick Fury, Peggy Carter, Logan, and Bucky, and has them hunting down demon vampire Nazi's is the kind of pitch that feels too good to be true. Half of the first issue doesn't even feature any of the main characters, and is just a WWII horror story, and I loved it so much that by the time someone became a Ghostrider I'd forgotten this was even a Marvel book. I'm hoping this feeling continues as the series goes on, and if it does, that Hellhunters gets more than a single story, because so far it was an absolute blast.

Superman Special

Technically part of the ongoing Superman story, this single issue special focuses on Lois Lane now that she has Kryptonian powers and has taken on the identity Superwoman. The issue showcases her new life as a hero, letting her have an adventure with Lana Lang (also a Superwoman), and Supergirl, essentially a super powered girls night. We get to see how these changes have affected Lois and what it means for her life going forward. We also get some answers as to how she has these powers, and where they come from, a revelation that had me yelling with excitement as it promises some big things to come. Because it's a single special, and because it's part of the Superman story I couldn't give it a place on the list, but it might be one of the best issues of a comic I've read this year.

There are many, many more comics that I've read this year, and I've loved so many of them, so if a series you love hasn't appeared on my list it doesn't mean that I hate it, it just means that it can sometimes be very hard to pick your favourites. Here's to another great year of comics in 2025!

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Top 10 Movies of 2024

 

I don't get to watch a lot of new films. Most of my years movie viewing tends to be older movies that are getting new releases and I'm reviewing the Blu-ray or DVD. Of the new films I do watch most end up being films I've been asked to review, and are movies that don't really get a cinema release, and as such the majority of the films in my list are likely to be ones that may have fallen under your radar, and some of the big blockbuster releases will be absent from this list. I wish I could watch more new films, but as it is I've still enjoyed a great deal of those I have seen, and here's ten that I liked the most.

Fitting In

Fitting In is a coming of age drama comedy that touches on some topics that most films aimed at teenage viewers ignore. Yes, there's sex and school drama to be found here, but it's chiefly a story about finding out your body isn't what you expected it to be. The film tells the story of Lindy (Maddie Ziegler), a teen who learns that she has the rare MRKH syndrome, which means that most of her reproductive system is missing. Lindy must come to terms with her intersex condition, and the knowledge that she'll never be able to carry her own child. Added on top, she can't have sex with her boyfriend because her vaginal canal is tiny. All of the angst around going from a teen to an adult, and maturing sexually is disrupted by these revelations, leading to Lindy spiralling out of control.

Molly McGlynn, the writer and director of Fitting In, has MRKH syndrome herself, and as such brings a lot of her own personal experience to the film. Lindy's journey across Fitting In is far from smooth, there are some ups and downs, some tragic moments, and some times of joy. It's a film that doesn't sugar-coat this subject, a subject that needs talking about more are intersex conditions and sex variances are a lot more common that people would want to think. And at a time where any deviation from this is being politicised negatively, where people are being hounded and abused for being different, or even perceived as different telling these stories has never been more important. Come to Fitting In for the coming of age drama, stay for the very real heart, and the special story it's telling.

The Contestant

The documentary film The Contestant covers a story that most people will have heard a little about, because it's one of the strangest and most disturbing things ever done for television. In 1998 Tomoaki Hamatsu auditioned for a popular Japanese TV show, Susunu! Denpa Shōnen, and 'won' based on a number draw. He was taken straight from the audition to a small apartment somewhere in the city, stripped of his clothing, and told he had to survive off items won from magazine competitions; and that he couldn't leave until he'd won a certain amount. Thus begun over a year of torture, as Hamatsu was left alone in this tiny apartment, trying desperately to survive, his physical and mental health deteriorating by the day, and his plight televised for the nation to laugh at.

The Contestant covers these shocking events, and speaks to the people involved. It's a film that has to be seen to be believed. The story it tells is one of the most shocking in the modern era, one that shows how terrible the entertainment industry can be. But it's also one that will make you think about the things you watch, will make you question how many reality or documentary shows are actually simply just exploiting people, and how they might be appealing to the worst parts of your own nature. People seem quick to forget others humanity, especially if it benefits them. Tomoaki Hamatsu is one of the best examples of this we have.

Alien: Romulus

I've been a fan of the Alien franchise for as long as I can remember, and watched the second movie when I was way too young. Having grown up loving the franchise I've met the last few decades of Alien movies with hope that has rarely been rewarded. There's good to be found in most of them, but with the very particular direction the last two films have taken it's not necessarily been what I was hoping for. Alien: Romulus, on the other hand, feels much more like the kind of Alien movie I've been waiting for. Set on a Weyland Yutani space station, the film follows a group of downtrodden workers as they enter the station to steal equipment they need in order to escape the cruelty of the company. Instead, they discover a station filled with horrors as they stumble across deadly experiments, and dangerous creatures.

Alien: Romulus takes a big risk by tying itself back to the first movie, literally beginning in the wreckage of the original film's setting and bringing back the first Xenomorph to kick off everything that happens here. But it works. Set between the first and second film, Alien: Romulus feels like a love letter to those films, recreating the look and feel of both of them whilst still being its own creature. The new cast of characters are a great mix, all with their own distinct personalities and reasons to care for them, and the cast do a fantastic job, particularly David Jonsson who might be the best synthetic the franchise has had. There are some things that detracted a little for me, such as the CGI recreation of a certain actor never quite feeling real, and a few call back lines feeling a little forced, but other than that I loved it. I came out of the film wanting more of it, and thinking that it had passed incredibly quickly. I was shocked to learn that it was a two hour film, as it had barely felt more than 90 minutes; and if an Alien film leaves me wanting more that way I have to have loved it.

Arcadian

Post-apocalypse fiction seems to be more popular than ever (wonder if world events might be a part of that somehow), and there are a lot of new stories focusing on the end of the world. Arcadian is Nic Cage's turn to survive the fall of humanity as he takes on the role of a father raising his two sons in the ruins of the old world. After a brief intro that gives us tiny glimpses at this end, we jump forward to when his sons are teens. Joseph (Jaeden Martell) ahs grown into a smart young man who listens to his father, whilst Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins) has become something of a rebel, sneaking off to visit his girlfriend. The film introduces you to their lives and this new world before hitting you with the revelation that there are monsters that come out at night, leading to a second half of the movie that turns into a fight for survival against some frankly bizarre creatures.

Arcadian isn't a very long film, sitting at just 90 minutes, and it uses it's time well, balancing the more mundane and human aspects of the post-apocalypse with scenes of horror. I would have liked to have spend more time in this world and with these characters, and would have happily enjoyed a film that was closer to the two hour mark. It's a world that I wanted to know more about, and wished we could have explored more of outside of the quiet countryside where our characters had sought refuge. As it is, this is a well paced movie that doesn't overstay its welcome, leaves you wanting more, and could even kick off a whole new film universe if the creatives behind it wanted to go further; and that's a rare and wonderful thing to find in an age of horror films that don't feel like they're putting a whole lot of effort in.

Thine Ears Shall Bleed

Historical horror is a genre that I really like, but don't often get to see much of (and no, I'm not going to count all of the horror films set in the 80's and 90's). Taking the things that frighten us now, bumps in the night, strange apparitions, and things lurking in the shadows and shifting them to a setting where you can't just flick a switch to turn the lights on, or jump on the phone to call for help can often heighten the terror. Thine Ears Shall Bleed takes viewers back hundreds of years to follow a family as they travel across America on a covered wagon, searching for a new place to set down roots and build their church. When they enter a strange part of the forest that they can't seem to leave, and the father of the family discovers a strange noise that he believes to be the voice of god, it leads the family on a horrifying path.

Thine Ears Shall Bleed has some interesting ideas, it tries some new things, and it doesn't feel beholden to the tropes and conventions of the genre. Much of the movie plays out in the bright daylight, in the beauty of nature, it plays around with time and space and becomes almost dream-like at times, and at times it doesn't even feel like a horror film. There are some fantastic moments where you feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you as you figure out what's really going on, and you become so engrossed in the mystery and the story of the Thatcher family that you want to keep watching. The performances are very strong, particularly from a largely unknown cast. As someone who loves seeing horror stories in less common settings, particularly historical ones, Thine Ears Shall Bleed felt like an absolute treat. In a world of slasher movies and modern day haunted house films it's fantastic to find something that stands out like this, that isn't afraid to try something new and to be bold in its difference. I hope we see more films like this. 

Things Will Be Different

Science fiction lets creators play around with a lot of cool ideas, and there's a lot of times when you can kind of just wave your hand away as to why things are happening and just tell a really cool story that other genres would restrict you on. This is the kind of film Things Will Be Different is, and fans of the unusual will definitely be drawn into it. Things Will Be Different sees a brother and sister on the run from the law after robbing a bank, in desperate need of somewhere to lay low. Luckily, one of them has access to a place they'll never be found, a mysterious farmhouse that can access a bubble outside of time. Stepping into this bubble, they find their exit barred by outside forces who are demanding that they perform a task for them before they're released.

Things Will Be Different sits at an hour and forty minutes in length, and the entire movie flew by for me. Considering how much is squeezed into the film I was surprised at how quickly I reached the end. It felt like what I'd seen was barely scratching the surface, and that there was much more that could have been done. I won't go into specifics so as not to ruin the ending, but it becomes clear at a certain point that there is a lot more in this story that we don't see, and that if we were to see everything this would be a multi-season television series instead of a film, and part of me really wanted that. I wish I could have spent more time here, that I could have learned more about this world and its mysteries. Unfortunately, there is only so much a single film can cover, and I'm happy to end craving more. Coming away with a load of questions might not be everyone's favourite kind of film experience, but I'm was more than happy thinking about this film for weeks. 

Lovely, Dark, And Deep

Every year people go missing in the US national parks. No sign, no trace, just gone forever. Lovely, 
Dark, and Deep asks the question of what happens to those who vanish, and if there's something more sinister at play. Following a new park ranger in the Arvores National Park, much of the film focuses on the beauty of nature as we follow her journey across the wilderness alone, clearing up after visitors and being ready to help travellers in need. However, when someone vanishes in the park and she manages to find them it sets of a series of events that reveals a world of dark forces and ancient promises that will forever change how she views the world.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep is the kind of film that doesn’t hold your hand, it doesn’t spell things out for you, and it leaves you with the opportunity to make your own deductions and decisions. I enjoyed this aspect, and liked figuring things out as it went. And whilst I came away thinking I fully understood the story, the person I was watching it with didn’t quite get everything. As such, this might be a film that leaves some feeling like they need a second watch-through, or may even send them looking for an ‘ending explained’ type article or video. But if you like stories that aren’t just simple by the numbers horrors filled with jump scares and predictable plot, that actually get you thinking and leave you wanting more, this is a movie you’re going to want to try out for yourself.

Dogman

What kind of film is Dogman? Even after sitting with this film for most of the year I'm not sure that I can easily sum it up as it's one of the weirdest, scattershot films I've seen, with multiple wild plots and ideas that could easily support their own movies all mixed into this one oddly engrossing narrative. Starring Caleb Landry-Jones, Dogman follows the life of Douglas, a disabled drag performer who rescues dogs. Oh, and has trained his dogs to perform burglaries for expensive jewels, and gets arrested because his home is found full of bodies of local gangsters. Every time you think you've gotten a handle on the kind of story Dogman is telling something even more bizarre gets added to the mix, leaving you with a story that's hard to describe but you know you had a ton of fun with.

Whilst the film is essentially the story of Doug’s life, which borders on Forrest Gump levels of silly at times, it’s also a Luc Besson movie, and so action is never far away. When the film deals with why Doug’s home is filled with corpses the movie reaches an all new level of fun. His dogs lure people into traps, some are dragged into the wall like they’ve just been grabbed by the Xenomorph, and there are a few shots that elicited vocal reactions from me because they were so well made and so creepy that I began to wonder if the movie had turned into a horror film. Besson puts his action stamp onto Dogman and it’s absolutely wonderful. If you like a film whose main goal is to entertain the audience, and genuinely want to have a great time then Dogman is a film that you’re going to want to watch. Luc Besson has made some beloved films in the past, and Dogman more than has the ability to become one that people talk about in the same way.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

I'm a fan of Tolkien's work, I adore the The Lord of the Rings films, and have been enjoying The Rings of Power each season, so when it was announced that there was going to be an animated movie that tells some of the history of Rohan, and that it was being made by a Japanese anime studio I was incredibly intrigued. Jumping backwards in time to before the events of The Hobbit, The War of the Rohirrim focuses on Rohan, and a conflict that begins when one of the lords disrespects the king, a disrespect that leads to the king accidentally killing the lord in an honour fight. A few years later the lords son returns with an army of Wildmen and mercenaries to wage war on Rohan, a war that will lead to a siege at Helmsdeep, and the story of how the iconic keep gained its name.

The War of the Rohirrim still feels like an odd movie to me. I adore the animation style, but seeing the world of Tolkien presented that way kind of feels like something of a fever dream. It's the kind of thing that I'd have asked for as a teen, an anime Lord of the Rings project, so getting it now two decades later is a shock to my system; one that genuinely delights me. There are times when the animation feels a bit off to me, where characters seem to not match the environments as the camera makes some sweeping moves, but overall it works really well, and has some great action scenes, some fascinating lore moments, and will hopefully lead to more works like this in the future.

The Moor

There are certain places that will always feel a little bit creepy, places where humanity have failed to really make much of a dent thanks to the in hospitability of the land, and where nature still rules. In Britain this is the moors. A desolate, dangerous place, they're creepy enough on their own, but when coupled with murder it makes it all the more spine chilling. The Moor makes great use of this location, and will end up leaving you wary of ever setting foot in the place. The Moor follows a young woman who's friend was the victim of a child abductor and killer decades before, whose body was taken onto the moors but never recovered. Now, at the request of his father, she is trying to bring attention to the search by documenting the effort the grieving father is making to find his missing son's body all those years later. However, she soon learns that there are dark forces on the moors that may be responsible for the deaths of the children.

The Moor is a wonderfully dark and brooding movie, one that isn't afraid to take its time and let tension build. With some fantastic performances and some truly creepy moments, it's the kind of horror that gets under your skin and leaves you wanting more; even if you're not completely sure what you've just seen.

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Top 10 TV of 2024

 

There has been a lot of great new television in 2024, and whilst there is still a ton of it that I want to watch as I've been catching up on some older shows rather than watching new ones, there are a few shows that have absolutely delighted me this year.

Fallout 

Video games have been adapted into film for decades now, and most of them have been done pretty poorly. With a lot of games requiring dozens, perhaps even hundreds of hours from the players condensing it down into less than two hours seems like a big task. Television, on the other hand, has allowed these adaptations to thrive and reach many more audiences, and Amazon Prime's Fallout is the latest addition to the ever growing catalogue.

Set within the Fallout game universe and telling it's own story rather than adapting an existing one, the Fallout series follows a trio of protagonists as they try to survive in the post nuclear wasteland of the United States. Ella Purnell takes centre stage as Lucy, a young woman who has grown up in the relative comfort and safety of a vault, a vast underground facility designed to survive the end of the world. When raiders break into the vault and kidnap her father, played by Kyle MacLaughlan, Lucy set out into the dangerous wasteland to save him. Her journey brings her into contact with Maximus (Aaron Moten), a member of the religious warrior The Brotherhood of Steel, and The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), a mutated human from before the nuclear apocalypse hundreds of years ago.

Fallout manages to capture much of the weirdness and horror of the game series, translating some of the more outlandish concepts in a way that's easy to access for those unfamiliar with the source material. Having played a number of the games, I enjoyed what they were able to do and how much they incorporated whilst forging their own narrative. And the people I watched it with who had never played the game were just as engrossed, proving to me that the show works for multiple audiences. With the second season on the horizon, and a wonderful tease for game fans in the final moments, now's a perfect time to catch up if you missed out.

What We Do in the Shadows 

What We Do in the Shadows has been a wonderful franchise that I've absolutely adored since the film first came out. Whilst the spin-off Wellington Paranormal (which featured characters from the film) failed to garner much attention, What We Do in the Shadows became a huge success, capturing the hearts of viewers the world over. Reusing the concept of the movie, a documentary crew following a group of vampire housemates, the series came to a close this year with its sixth season.

With former familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) having been cured of being a vampire the household enters some big changes this year. Guillermo, who has moved out from under the stairs to the garden shed, decides to enter the business world; a move that has been copied by Nandor (Kayvan Novak) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) as they both join him at Canon Capital. Meanwhile, Laszlo (Matt Berry) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) set out to create life as they build their own monster out of body parts.

Guillermo's quest to become a vampire has been a core part of the series since the very beginning, and with the previous season putting that plotline to bed many fans have been asking where the latest season might go instead. It seems that with the knowledge that this would be the final season the showrunners have spent the final episodes building towards a satisfying conclusion. Whilst there are several subplots, including a formerly forgotten fifth housemate returning, and the ghost of Laszlo's father appearing, much of the season is built towards making a send-off for these characters. The final episode makes it clear that these characters have had weird and wonderful adventures in the past, and just because the cameras stop rolling it doesn't mean they'll be moving on. With a surprisingly bittersweet final season What We Do in the Shadows ends on a high note, and remains one of my favourite sitcoms. 

Star Trek: Lower Decks 

Another series that has sadly come to a close this year is Star Trek: Lower Decks. The second animated Star Trek series, Lower Decks has secured it's place as the most popular of these as it charts the weird and often disastrous missions of the USS Cerritos, one of Starfleet's least important ships. Instead of focusing on the command crew, however, we follow some of the lowest ranked officers. 

The first episode sets the stage for this year's season arc, with the Cerritos being sucked through an interdimensional fissure into an alternate reality, where they meet a version of the Cerritos commanded by Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome). Despite the Cerritos managing to return to the Prime universe there are unforeseen results, as fissures in reality spread throughout the galaxy. Now the Cerritos must try to find a solution to the problem, as well as the lower deck crew adjusting to their recent promotions.

The final season of Lower Decks follows a similar structure to previous years, with the season arc working away in the background amidst the adventure of the week format that allows the writers to do some weird and wacky things (sentient cubes vs sentient spheres, escaped nanites on a resort planet, and a visit to the fabled Starbase 80 amongst others). These adventures also allow each of the main cast the opportunity to figure out what their new role is since their promotion, to help other junior officers, and to begin their journey into more mature officers. With four seasons of our leads fighting against the responsibility that a promotion brings seeing them grow this way is a fitting final arc for them, and whilst it might be sad that the show has come to a close the journey to the end is an utter delight.

Agatha All Along 

Despite being a big comics fan the recent MCU output has been somewhat less than stellar for me. Deadpool & Wolverine was enjoyable but kind of middling, the final two seasons of What If? felt very lacklustre, and I haven't even gotten around to doing Echo yet. I needed something to reinvigorate the franchise for me, and I was shocked to find out it was Agatha All Along. Released in the build-up to Halloween, featuring a cast with a mainly older female majority, and embracing the silly, I was sucked into the show by the end of the first episode.

Picking up a few years after the events of WandaVision, the show returns to Westview, where the evil witch Agatha (Kathryn Hahn) has been trapped inside a spell that makes her think she's in a detective show. When the spell is broken, however, Agatha finds herself in need of power in order to combat a coven of witches out to kill her. Assembling her own coven of misfits and outcasts, and accompanied by a mysterious teen who's identity has been hidden by magic, Agatha sets off to walk the Witch's Road, a magical trial that will give whoever survives it anything they desire. 

One of the things that makes Agatha All Along a stand out in the MCU for me is that it feels like it's just having fun. Much like Werewolf by Night, the series doesn't seem to be here to set up anything big, it doesn't tie into an upcoming movie, and instead is just giving audiences something a bit different. Embracing horror and the fantastical, the series has a visual style all its own, and the relentless humour and snappy writing hide a story with much more depth that you first suspect. The series will absolutely change your view on Agatha by the end, and the seventh episode might be one of the best made episodes of TV that Marvel has ever made, with an astonishing non-linear presentation that absolutely demands a second viewing. 

Frasier 

I absolutely adore Frasier. The original series is my favourite sitcom of all time, one that I can watch over and over without losing any of the love or excitement I feel for it. Because of this I was somewhat nervous of the continuation of the show decades later, especially with Kelsey Grammer being the only returning cast member. I didn't know how it was going to work, I was afraid that it might tarnish my love for the character, but thankfully by the end of the very first episode these fears were put to bed, and as the series progressed I came to love the new cast of characters. So, having a second season (thirteenth?) was an absolute delight.

The second season of Frasier continues to chart the titular character's life after his move to Boston where he's taken up teaching at Harvard. His role as a teacher takes something of a backseat this season, as we instead follow more of his off campus adventures with his son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott), and his various friends. This season spent time expanding the supporting cast, sometimes relegating Frasier to a secondary role in the episode as the others were given a chance to take the spotlight. However, it never felt like the lead was being side-lined, and the this more ensemble approach gave the series room to breathe and expand in much needed ways. 

The second season also introduced some more serious stories, particularly with Alan (Nicholas Lyndhurst) and his family issues, that made a number of the episodes feel wonderfully poignant. My biggest issue with the last season, the character of David (Anders Keith) was also addressed by making him much less weird, and whilst he was still a very strange young man he was much more realistic this season and didn't detract as much. And of course, this season also included a number of returning characters from the previous iteration of the show, including one who became a regular cast member, so long time fans will find a lot to be delighted with too. With the show seeming to be going from strength to strength I can only hope it continues. 

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 

The first season of The Rings of Power was massively divisive, with people either loving it or hating it. And whilst I won't claim that everyone who disliked it was dishonest about the reasons why we're all aware that the show was subject to a huge amount of hate for all the wrong reasons, with people complaining about female characters, and people of colour being in the show. Despite the hate bombing and manufactured negativity I really enjoyed the series, and the second season only continued to impress.

With the three elven rings having been forged, and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) aware that Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) is in fact the evil Sauron, the fight for Middle-Earth begins in earnest this season. Returning to the elven city or Eregion in secret, Sauron convinces the elven smith Celebrimbor to fashion more magic rings, starting with seven for the dwarves. Meanwhile, political tensions boil over on the distant island of Númenor puts a number of characters in danger as dark forces conspire against the queen regent. And in the land of Rhûn, The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) and Nori (Markella Kavenagh) search for answers as to where The Stranger comes from, and come to the attention of a Dark Wizard (Ciarán Hinds).

As with the first season, there's a lot that happens in The Rings of Power, with multiple stories being told at the same time. But the show never feels too bloated nor confusing, and if anything I came away from each episode wanting more. Thanks to a lot of groundwork being laid in the first season we're able to delve into more interesting things with the second season, exploring some of the darker parts of Middle-Earth, and featuring some characters and creatures that will wow fans. Barrow Wights, Entwives, and Tom Bombadil (Rory Kinnear) all make appearances this season, as well as a host of other amazing creatures. With an episode that's entirely dedicated to a city under siege from an orc army, there's action aplenty, and I think most fans of the source material will find something here to love.

Bob's Burgers 

Entering it's fifteenth season, the animated Bob's Burgers is one of my favourite sitcoms thanks to it's weird and wonderful central cast of characters. Whilst the show does do some outlandish things, it's not a series that relies on the impossible, and remains grounded in a lot of ways. Despite only being part way through airing the series at the point that I'm writing this I can say that it easily fits into my top ten because it does almost every year. 

This season has featured a deadly cheese throwing contest, an open mic night at the restaurant, Bob (H. Jon Benjamin) trying to hold onto his past by saving an ageing drive-in, and a rather touching episode where Tina (Dan Mintz) and Louise (Kristen Schaal) end up at each other's throats over their toys. The series might not be to everyone's tastes, and there's absolutely no way I'd want to be stuck in a room with the Belchers for a long period of time, but watching their adventures is always a lot of fun. The fact that this season also recast the character of Marshmallow, was also a huge improvement to the series, replacing David Herman, a white cis man, with Jari Jones, a Black trans woman. Marshmallow has now gone from what felt like an uncomfortable caricature of a trans woman into a character that feels more honest, and the episode featuring her this season had some beautiful moments that showcased this.

Star Wars: The Acolyte

Oh boy did this show have an uphill battle. Not only was it bringing to the screen an era of the Star Wars mythos that most people were unfamiliar with, but the toxicity of a certain area of the 'community' who seem to only exist to rage bait and take part in a 'culture war' to line their own pockets meant that a series with a mostly BIPOC cast, and a non-binary lead was always going to come under fire. This is the same group of fans who has relentlessly attacked people like Daisy Ridley, Kelly Marie Tran, Moses Ingram, and others simply for daring to not be white men in the Star Wars universe. The review bombing of The Acolyte before it even aired, the hours of YouTube complaining about single lines of dialogue, and the harassment of stars showcased how truly dark and twisted the Star Wars fandom has become, and led me to distance myself from it whenever possible.

Star Wars: The Acolyte takes viewers back hundreds of years before the events of the prequel trilogy, to a time where the Jedi were at their peak, to investigate a series of murders targeting Jedi Knights. Sol (Lee Jung-jae) is sent to investigate the matter when it appears that a former apprentice of his, Osha (Amandla Stenberg) may be responsible. As the investigation goes on, the Jedi begin to uncover a dark conspiracy that leads back to an enemy thought long destroyed.

The Acolyte is, despite the hate, a great show. It's not perfect by any means, but the good in the series far outweighs the bad. The show brings a part of the Star Wars universe so far only seen in comics and books to live action, giving new audiences the chance to discover The High Republic. It also features some great new characters, an exploration of the Force that adds to the mythology, and features some of the best lightsaber fights that have ever been put on screen. With pieces of the story left unfinished, some big teases of important character, and ties to important events left hanging it's a shame that the amount of hate from a minority of shitty people has led to The Acolyte being unfinished.

Interview with the Vampire

I was late to watching Interview with the Vampire and only discovered the series when I was offered the chance to review the second season's Blu-ray release. Knowing I liked the movie, I caught up with the first season (binging the thing in three days) and dove into the second season, desperate to find out what happened next. This is a series that I was hooked on before the first episode came to a close, and it quickly became one of my favourite shows of the entire year.

Adapting the book by Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire makes some big changes to the original narrative in order to create an adaptation that works for television. One of the biggest changes is to the central character, Louis (Jacob Anderson), who is now a Black man from the turn of the 20th century. A businessman in New Orleans, he falls in love with the vampire Lestat (Sam Reid) and is turned into a vampire himself. The second season sees Louis and his vampire daughter Claudia (Delainey Hayles) fleeing to Europe after their murder of Lestat. Travelling across war torn Europe, they search for signs of other vampires, eventually coming to Paris after the war ends. Here, they discover a coven of vampires running a theatre; an event that will change their lives forever.

Much like the first season, the second is incredibly well written, adapting the source material brilliantly. The change to the time in which the story is set feels incredibly natural, and suits a lot of the themes that the series is addressing, and it ends up working well with the characters own arc. There are a number of new characters added to the show this season too, and so many of them shine so well on the screen that you can't help but want more of them, even if some of them are characters you hate. Even the change in casting to Claudia, something I was slightly nervous of, is quickly forgotten, as Hayles makes the role her own and has you loving her performance by the end of the first episode. If you've been sitting on watching Interview with the Vampire you've done yourself a disservice, and you definitely need to catch up before the third season hits.

X-Men '97

The 90's X-Men animated series is one of those shows that I think was better in my memory than it actually was. I recently rewatched the entire thing with my partners, partly to get ready for the new series, and whilst there were some great stories there was also a lot to the old show that wasn't as great. The revival, however, manages to take what was good about the original and dialled it up to eleven, delivering an incredibly strong season, and one episode in particular which has become the gold standard for every other X-Men adaptation to beat.

Picking up where the original show ended, Charles Xavier (Ross Marquand) has gone into space to receive medical treatment, but may not survive. As such, those left behind are reacting as if the Professor has died, which includes listening to his last will and testament, which gives everything he owns to Magento (Matthew Waterson). With the former villain in charge of the X-Men, he begins a road to redemption, trying to earn his place amongst them. However, things are threatened by a number of problems, including a clone of Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale), the depowering of Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith), and a disaster that will change the world forever.

X-Men '97 isn't a long season, but it manages to pack a lot into its episodes, adapting some well known stories, such as the trial of Magneto, the Inferno event, E is for Extinction, Lifedeath, and Operation Zero Tollerance amongst others. The series managed to balance these stories well, and was able to weave them into the series long narrative quite naturally. The new series also brought back characters like Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith), Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough), and Morph (J. P. Karliak) on the team, and introduced new character Sunspot (Gui Agustini). The standout for the series, however, is the episode 'Remember It'. This is episode I consider the best X-Men adaptation outside of comics, it's the episode that made this a series that I adore, and it's one that has caused the biggest reaction in viewers. Watch it for yourself, and tell me this show isn't worth being in your top ten.

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