Dir - Bartosz M. Kowalski
Overall: GOOD
Reveling in a type of grimy blasphemy for the mere camp-fueled sake of it, writer/director Bartosz M. Kowalski's Hellhole, (Ostatnia wieczerza, Last Supper), is unapologetic and demonic fun. While the bulk of the movie plays out in a conventional manner with easily foreseeable plot maneuvers and a type of laughably filthy aesthetic that borders on pure schlock, Kowalski pulls-off a wonderful, refreshing subversion within the last handful of moments. As the movie seems to end when it still has twenty-odd minutes left with some sly, psyche-out humor, this in and of itself puts the audience on edge for what follows and what does is likely to delight genre fans with such an unorthodox, end of days conclusion. Many filmmakers have tried to balance bleak nastiness with well-trotted cliches and derivative story lines when it comes to horror, but this is an impressive work that manages to be clever with its deliberately familiar components. Maybe someday the well shall run dry when it comes to shady priests speaking in Latin, elaborate exorcisms, upside down crosses, thousand year-old grimoires, and screechy monster noises, but this little ditty proves that there is still some diabolical juice left in such a well.
Dir - Jaume Balagueró
Overall: MEH
Possibly the least faithful adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft story since Stuart Gordon's Re-Animator, Venus finds Jaume Balagueró wildly interpreting "The Dreams in the Witch House", which Gordon coincidentally also did a version of for the first season of Masters of Horror. A genre mash-up of gritty crime film and the aforementioned source material, Balagueró delivers some brutal images and set pieces that are on par with his best work, plus Ester Expósito is excellent in the lead as a stereotypically troubled go-go dancer with an unfortunate past who crosses the mob while simultaneously ending up in an otherworldly apartment complex. Dario Argento's Three Mothers Trilogy is an obvious influence on the last act yet unfortunately, that is precisely when the movie falls apart tonally and goes from being an emotionally-driven, high-tension redemption story into ludicrous schlock. The Lovecraft elements are detrimentally underplayed and borderline pointless, so that when cosmic, supernatural unwholesomeness is busted out with mere minutes to spare in the running time, the about-face comes off as hopelessly messy and misguided. To a point, the film is admirable in its ambition and large parts of its execution, but it also falls down the stares in spectacular, awkward fashion.
Dir - Vanessa Winter/Joseph Winter
Overall: GOOD
A fun found footage outing that leans heavier into comedy than most, Deadstream is the full-length debut from writer/director/producer team Vanessa and Joseph Winter. The latter appears as a shlubby, likeable YouTuber who due to various means which are quickly explained right out of the gate, has to spend an entire night in a haunted house while live streaming the event. Winter is hilarious as the only person on screen for most of the time, perfectly encapsulating the type of obnoxious influencer who one can easily see garnishing a loyal following. Like several other inventive, DIY movies in the found footage camp, a whole lot is accomplished with primitive means. Besides the consistently humorous tone that forgives ludicrous narrative inconsistencies and even blatantly explains the ridiculous behavior of our internet personality host, there is a smorgasbord of creepy details, call-backs, and set pieces that enhance the enjoyment as the movie pulls increasingly in two different genre directions. It is an impressive accomplishment in this regard where the end results would be nowhere near as successful if it was not both equally funny and off-the-walls creepy in delightful, (and often very gross), measures.
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