Dir - Marcin Wrona
Overall: GOOD
Recently deceased filmmaker Marcin Wrona, (who committed suicide during a festival that Demon was premiering at), constructed an almost whimsical horror jaunt based around the Jewish legend of a dybbuk. The specifics of said legend are not important, (and they are explained a bit in the film itself so worry not), but generally, a dybuuk behaves accordingly to a disembodied spirit that would do horror-movie stuffs when given the chance. Which it does here. The odd and more compelling facet of Demon though is in the rather funny tone. Various "Polish people sure do love their alcohol and their weddings don't they?" stereotypes are lovingly toyed with, but also kind of corrupted into something tragic at times. There are elements of older eras making way for newer ones and these are shown both for comedic and melancholic effects at different times. Spooky and unsettling imagery is predominantly missing, but Wrona twists several cliches around and plays with the mood of his film in a well balanced way. It is of course a shame that the director took his own life and left such a small body of work behind him, but his final movie is something to get behind.
Dir - Radio Silence/Roxanne Benjamin/David Bruckner/Patrick Horvath
Overall: GOOD
A reunion of sorts from V/H/S's personnel, the writer/director/actor teams involved in Southbound do fine work here in another horror anthology, except now with a very good linking structure, (something every one of the V/H/S excursions dropped the ball on, big time). Compared to the many such anthology movies that have been made in this genre, this one impressively stays steadily enjoyable. Each concept for each story is thoroughly creepy and all of them are left somewhat open-ended, as not to paint everything in impossible to miss colors. At times, it may be the human nature of the viewer's curiosity to perhaps get a few more answers resembling something substantial, but the uniform vagueness is still engaging. A few blunders are sprinkled over the proceedings, case in point is a very easily avoidable car crash, but alas, it had to happen for obvious plot-developing reasons. Yet other moments subvert what would otherwise be tired-out expectations. With many such horror movies of a similar ilk consistently being made, one that is so, well, consistent is worth applauding.
Dir - Lucile Hadžihalilović
Overall: GOOD
Lucile Hadžihalilović's second full-length work Evolution is a confidently bizarre meditation on puberty, fertility, childhood, and the human body that kind of filters itself through a pair of horror lenses. Hadžihalilović is little if at all interested in unmistakable closure or explanation; this is one of those films that post-research and musings are required. At a spry eighty-one minutes, the isolated setting and continual pace is uplifted by several curious and startling moments. Though nothing is made clear, (which the film may indulge too much in for some tastes), it remains gratifying to try and put the puzzle pieces together when watching everything unfold. Why are there only gaunt looking women around the same age and young boys around the same age inhabiting this place? Why are all the living quarters, clothes, furniture, and whatnot so barren? What is going on with that "food"? Those starfish mean something right? Several theories come to mind and whether or not some or none of them are correct, it is only of grave importance depending on who you ask. Leaving your viewer in the dark and hoping your images work on an emotive level above anything else is a tricky game to be sure, but Hadžihalilović pulls it off stylishly here.
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