nikhil7179 Reviews

Der Tag, an dem Sarah Gordon bei mir badete (2006)

It ain't over till the old lady sings

[8/10 · 3 January 2023]

A young man tracks down an eccentric recluse re: a rare, old music recording.

This leads to an invitation to a strange gathering of oddball characters at a remote mansion.

They are all here for an audience with the one and only Sarah Gordon, an enigmatic chanteuse of long ago.

The adoring guests all bear exotic chocolates, tobacco, alcohol and other expensive gifts for their hostess.

As the evening draws to a close, the young man is made an unusual request.

The great diva needs the use of his bathtub for her weekly soak.

He readily agrees. But what follows is more than he bargained for.

Strange, mysterious and dreamlike, this is a very promising short film from Victor Holland, and hints at greater things to come.

Perhaps an expanded feature length version.

Earwig (2021)

Pulling Teeth

[5/10 · 7 August 2022]

Pretty pictures do not a film make.

Though Earwig has great cinematography and an ethereal glass harmonica score, it is dramatically inert from the word go.

It comes off as dull and pretentious and squanders its moody setting and mysterious premise.

Lucille Hadzihallilovic's third feature is arguably her weakest and most self-indulgent yet.

Saint Maud (2019)

Saviour Self

[6/10 · 23 June 2022]

Maud, a young nurse with a troubled past tends to Amanda, a retired dancer and terminally ill patient in a sleepy British town.

Guided by the voice of 'God', Maud takes it upon herself to save Amanda's soul before she shuffles off this mortal coil.

More a character study than conventional horror, the film is reminiscent of Diary of a Country Priest and Taxi Driver and even Breaking the Waves, rather than say, Carrie or The Exorcist.

Genre fans maybe disappointed by the lack of scares, but Saint Maud does manage to create a consistently creepy and unsettling atmosphere.

And Morfydd Clark delivers a strong, unwavering performance in the lead role. Jennifer Ehle is equally good as the dying, dance diva Amanda.

Saint Maud is ultimately a solid slow-burn that falters around the halfway mark and struggles to regain its momentum.

And oddly, its climax feels rushed.

Still, the final image of the film is undeniably powerful and though it goes by very quickly, leaves its mark.

Watcher (I) (2022)

He follows...

[5/10 · 22 June 2022]

20-something Julia relocates to Bucharest with her half-Romanian husband, Francis.

All alone in her apartment while he is at work, her isolation quickly gives way to dread when she notices a man across the street staring at her through his window.

Meanwhile, a serial killer of young women dubbed "The Spider" haunts the city, collecting grisly trophies.

Watcher has a fairly conventional thriller setup. It borrows from Hitchcock's Rear Window and Polanski's apartment trilogy (Rosemary's Baby, Tenant, Repulsion) but has little of their tension or suspense. Or humour.

Maika Monroe's character Julia is mostly passive and sulks her way through the entire film. Even before the perceived threat, she comes off as prickly and defensive.

Francis, the husband, is also dull and one-dimensional.

Their neighbour Irina, the ballet dancer turned stripper, is easily the most interesting character, but exists mainly to serve the plot.

Even though there are some cool touches (characters lurking 'out of focus' at the corners of the frame, no subtitles for the substantial Romanian dialogue) that place us in the character's subjective POV, the story and pacing are simply not gripping enough to hold our attention.

The climax is also predictable and lacks a sense of urgency and dynamism.

Chloe Okuno is clearly a talented director, but ultimately her screenplay lets her down.

RRR (2022)

Brothers-in-arms

[8/10 · 15 June 2022]

Gleefully over-the-top and hugely entertaining, RRR cements SS Rajamouli's reputation as the definitive filmmaker of Indian Epic Cinema.

He takes his cue from the anachronistic historical revenge films of Tarantino (Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds), the high octane adventure of Spielberg's Indiana Jones cycle, and infuses it with a touch of Indian Itihasa.

It works like a charm.

Set-piece after exhilarating set-piece, the three hours pass by quickly.

Could it have been shorter? Sure.

Did it ever drag? Hell No.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

The Cabinet of Dr. Cage & Javi

[5/10 · 13 June 2022]

The film has a really fun premise and the perfect actor for the role, but the script is lazy and generic.

It's essentially the one joke - repeated over and over again.

UWoMT also plays it way too safe. Which for a movie starring Nic Cage is an opportunity wasted.

The film has its moments though. Some of the meta-references are genuinely funny. And Pascal and Cage have good chemistry. But it could've been so much more.

The Devil's Backbone (2001)

The one who sighs...

[7/10 · 9 June 2022]

12 year old Carlos is abandoned at an orphanage by his guardian.

Over the course of his stay, he meets the other kids and discovers the dark secrets of his new home.

Guillermo Del Toro's third feature is his most ambitious and personal up to this point.

Exquisitely crafted and filled with poetic ideas and images, the film explores themes of war, trauma and lost innocence.

A fable set during the tail end of the Spanish Civil War, with an intriguing premise involving ghosts and hidden treasure, The Devil's Backbone should've been a slam dunk for the burgeoning Auteur.

But like other Del Toro projects, the script lets the film down.

The characters are often one-dimensional, the dialogues too on-the-nose, and emotional/cathartic moments feel flat and contrived.

The film starts out promisingly enough, but falters around the 1 hour mark, and never really recovers.

Which is disappointing, considering the story's potential.

In many ways, The Devil's Backbone feels like a practice run for Pan's Labyrinth, arguably Del Toro's best film.

Overall, an interesting but flawed effort.

You Won't Be Alone (2022)

The Shape of Things to Come

[7/10 · 8 June 2022]

A peasant woman tends to household chores as her infant daughter Nevena cries uncontrollably. Then, suddenly the bawling stops.

Surprised, the peasant woman turns to find something that makes her gasp in horror.

A hideous old hag sits next to her child.

Naked. With scorched skin. And thin wispy strands of grey hair.

In true fairy tale fashion, a dark covenant is forged between the peasant woman and the witch.

In exchange for letting Nevena live, the mother will hand her over to the old hag once she turns sixteen.

The peasant woman tries to protect her child by hiding her on sacred ground (in a remote cave outside the village).

But sure enough, when the girl comes of age, the witch returns for what she was promised.

The first 20 odd minutes of You Won't Be Alone are absolutely riveting.

Then, the film takes a turn, and although still interesting, never quite rises to the same level.

The witch possesses the power of being able to take on the form of any creature, animal or human, which she bestows upon her ward, before curiously abandoning the girl to her fate.

We track Nevena's journey as she lives several different lives, including a farmer's wife, a dog and a young peasant girl.

A boldly ambitious first feature from Goran Stolevski, the film explores the themes of womanhood and humanity in general, and makes some genuinely insightful observations.

Although the Terrence Malickian 'visual montage with poetic voice over' technique is overused, and some of the characterizations are simplistic, this is a film of undeniable power and beauty.

Caveat (2020)

Cellar Beware

[6/10 · 7 June 2022]

An amnesiac drifter is hired by a past acquaintance to watch over his niece at her family home.

The home happens to be on a remote island. The niece happens to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia and catatonic episodes. And the amnesiac must be locked into a chained harness to restrict his mobility (so that she can feel safe).

If you can look past the somewhat over-the-top premise and the convoluted back story that follows, this is actually a really effective, little horror-thriller that makes good use of its limited budget.

The introductory sequence sets the tone. A creepy old house. A girl emerges through a door. She holds a sinister looking toy rabbit by the ears. She points said bunny at a door. Nothing happens. She points it at another door. Again nothing. Then, she points it at us. (The girl's nose is now mysteriously bleeding). The rabbit starts banging a little drum mechanically, staring at us with a malevolent gaze.

A bit like Alice in Wonderland, if it was directed by David Lynch.

Similar weird sequences abound - one featuring a creepy painting that has a mind of its own.

Although the pacing of the film does feel slow at times, the final payoff is definitely worth the wait.

Spooky, surreal and unique, Caveat is a promising debut from Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy.

Woman in the Dunes (1964)

House of Sand

[9/10 · 6 June 2022]

School teacher and amateur entomologist, Niki Jumpei travels to a remote village at the edge of a beach to collect insect samples.

After missing the last bus back to the city, he suddenly finds himself trapped in a strange hut with a local woman at the bottom of a sand pit.

So begins this terrifying Sisyphean nightmare of a film as we watch him try and escape over and over again, only to fail and end up back where he started.

The sand constantly slips into the hut through the gaps in the roof and warps and rots everything it touches. Including the two residents. It feels like they are the bottom of an hourglass. And time is quickly running out.

The richly textured cinematography (Hiroshi Segawa) and striking atonal score (Toru Takemitsu) perfectly capture the dreamlike quality of Jumpei's situation.

Mysterious, erotic, haunting and unforgettable, Teshigahara's adaptation of Kobo Abe's seminal novel is a classic of the Japanese New Wave and World Cinema.

Possum (2018)

Watch him run

[6/10 · 5 June 2022]

A troubled puppeteer returns to his childhood home.

Deeply haunted by the past, he carries baggage, both emotional and physical (a brown leather bag, which he continuously tries to dispose of, but is unable to).

Possum is essentially a psychological drama with surreal horror elements.

Reminiscent of Lodge Kerrigan's Clean, Shaven and especially David Cronenberg's Spider starring Ralph Fiennes, the film deals with dark, disturbing themes of abuse, trauma and mental illness.

Though the direction and acting are top-notch, the story might have been better served as a half hour short. (It feels overly long even at a modest 85 minutes).

Still, the film is highly effective in evoking an eerie atmosphere and delving into the mind of its tormented protagonist. Also, the puppet is pure nightmare fuel and easily one of the creepiest creations in recent Horror cinema.

Celia (1989)

Rabbit Season

[7/10 · 4 June 2022]

Celia is a spirited 9 year old girl with a vivid imagination.

Reeling from the death of her beloved grandmother, she seeks out the company of her new neighbours, The Tanners - a warm and loving family harbouring a secret.

Set in an Australian suburb in the late 1950's, the film tackles the prevailing social issues of the time including the "red scare" and the "rabbit pestilence", drawing a parallel between the two.

The film is essentially a drama, but with an added element of dark fantasy (which, although an interesting idea, is used inconsistently and often feels out of place).

But as a coming of age story, Celia is a triumph - an honest and unvarnished exploration of the trials and tribulations of childhood, featuring an astonishing performance by Rebecca Smart in the titular role.

Don't Look Now (1973)

Death in Venice

[8/10 · 3 June 2022]

John and Laura Baxter relocate to Venice after a devastating family tragedy, but their nightmare is far from over.

They encounter a pair of strange sisters while lunching at a restaurant. One of them is a blind psychic, who claims to bear a message from the other side - a warning that the Baxters are in mortal danger.

Meanwhile, a possible serial killer is prowling the dark, labyrinthine streets of the city.

But as John observes early on in the film - "Nothing is what is seems".

Nic Roeg re-purposes the tropes of the horror genre to explore themes related to loss, memory, time and the mysteries of fate.

His fluid, intuitive 'jigsaw puzzle' editing style finds perfect expression here.

And the city of Venice is captured in all its romantic and tragic beauty.

Don't Look Now does have some plotting/pacing issues that bogs down the second half of the film.

Still, this is a deeply moving and richly atmospheric film that cuts deeper than most other genre fare.

The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Suffer the children

[10/10 · 2 June 2022]

Part Grimm Fairy Tale, part Southern Gothic, part Film Noir, NOTH is an all-time classic.

Robert Mitchum delivers one of his most iconic performances as psychopathic preacher and wolf in sheep's clothing, Harry Powell.

Lilian Gish is equally good as the shotgun-wielding Mother Goose figure, Mrs Cooper.

Evelyn Varden also gives a standout performance as the brilliantly named busybody Icey Spoon.

Stanley Cortez's camerawork is pure magic. It evokes a sense of mystery and wonder like few movies do.

Although not a success at the time of its release, NOTH has gained a dedicated following over the years, and has been hugely influential to several filmmakers, including the Coen Brothers, Scorsese, Bogdanovich and Del Toro.

Charles Laughton famously only directed the one film. It would've been really interesting to see where he would've gone from here.

The Scent of Green Papaya (1993)

Broken Vase

[10/10 · 1 June 2022]

Mui is a young village girl who travels to the city to work in the household of a middle-class family.

Their trials and tribulations are observed through the eyes of their inquisitive little maid, as she comes of age in Saigon in the 1950's.

We watch as Mui performs household chores and various members of the family go through their daily routines.

The story unfolds at a languid pace and there is very little dialogue, but it never feels boring or dull.

On the contrary, the effect is totally hypnotic.

The virtuosic camerawork, the impeccable production design, and the beguiling atonal score are all integral in immersing the audience in the world of the characters.

A stunning debut from writer-director Tranh Anh Hung.

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

Rock of Ages

[9/10 · 31 May 2022]

Girls from a prestigious boarding school in Australia picnic at a local geological marvel, only for three of them (including a teacher) to disappear without a trace.

An investigation follows - but yields no clues. There are no simple solutions here. Or any solutions at all for that matter.

A strange, dreamy mood permeates throughout the film and stays with you long after you view it.

A mystical, elegiac fairy tale, Picnic at Hanging Rock is a true enigma and a classic of Australian and World Cinema.

Blancanieves (2012)

Sevillian casualties

[8/10 · 30 May 2022]

Pablo Berger's brilliant retelling of Snow White takes the fairy tale back to its dark roots and far away from the sanitized, Disney-fied aesthetic, while still retaining a sense of wonder and magic.

He transposes the story to 1920's Seville, amidst the world of bullfighters and flamenco dancers, and it works like a charm.

And the decision to make it a silent film (shot in stunning B&W and 4:3 Academy Ratio) is a masterstroke.

Pure Cinema.

Men (2022)

Country Road

[3/10 · 29 May 2022]

The trailer for Men played like Anomalisa meets I'm Thinking of Ending Things, but with a decidedly Horror twist.

The film however has none of the wit or skill of Charlie Kaufman. Or the thrills of a halfway decent horror flick.

Men, for the most part, feels like an obnoxious student film, only with a professional cast and crew.

A shallow exercise in provocation with little to no substance to back it up, Alex Garland's film is a muddled mess of half-baked ideas that veers dangerously into self-parody.

Tumbbad (2018)

Grist for the Mill

[8/10 · 29 May 2022]

Tumbbad is a highly ambitious production, several years in the making.

Clearly a labour of love for all those involved, it shows in the finished film - a work of original and uncompromising vision.

Despite some choppy editing and a rushed ending that undercuts an otherwise powerful climax, Tumbbad is a remarkable achievement (especially considering how it was made outside the studio system).

Richly atmospheric and immersive, the film creates its own unique mythology - a strange and fascinating world of gods and monsters, saints and sinners, curses and boons.

It delivers the goods, both as a truly scary Horror film, and as a potent allegory on greed and lust.

An instant classic and a landmark in Indian independent cinema.

November (2017)

Once upon a time... in Estonia

[8/10 · 28 May 2022]

Somnambulism. Lycanthropy. Witchcraft. Revenants. The Plague. A Devil at the crossroads. And Kratts (strange creatures fashioned from household/farming implements).

This film has it all. And more.

But at its core, November is really about unrequited love. And the tragedy that often accompanies it.

Stunningly shot in B&W and totally transportive, the film is funny, strange, lyrical and ultimately heartbreaking.

If you watch just one Estonian Fairy Tale Movie this year, make it November.

Gretel & Hansel (2020)

Cabin in the Woods

[5/10 · 27 May 2022]

Gretel and Hansel is a curious film in many ways (and that's not including the title).

It feels too long, even at its modest 80 something minutes running time.

Despite the slow pacing, the climax feels rushed.

And despite the minimalist plot, the story within the story is overly convoluted and confusing.

The setting/dialogues are period. The delivery/accents too contemporary.

Still, the film does have its strengths.

The cinematography and production design, although anachronistic, succeed in evoking an eerie and magical Fairy Tale atmosphere.

And Alice Krige delivers a wonderfully creepy performance as the enigmatic witch in the woods.

Ultimately, the film plays like a poor man's version of The VVitch by Robert Eggers (who has interestingly made his own short film version of the Hansel and Gretel tale)

Advantages of Travelling by Train (2019)

Loco-motion

[8/10 · 25 May 2022]

A psychoanalyst meets a woman on a train.

In order to pass the time, he tells her a story. Before long, the character in the story starts to narrate his own tale.

And on and on it goes in this surreal, Russian Doll of a movie that recalls the work of Bunuel, especially Phantom of Liberty and Obscure Object of Desire.

(It also reminded me of Utopia, the excellent British TV series - especially the vivid colour scheme and the experimental score)

Some of the stories include:

An army amputee who returns home with a harrowing story

A female book editor who becomes trapped in a horribly twisted, masochistic relationship

And a 'slug man' with a prosthetic exoskeleton who journeys to Paris where he meets a beautiful woman with one leg longer than the other

This is a wildly ambitious film, made even more impressive by the fact that it is Aritz Moreno's debut feature.

The tales are bizarre and shocking but never feel exploitative or cheap. There is a definite method to the madness here.

Except for the ending, which feels a little rushed and abrupt, the film plays beautifully.

The individual stories are gripping, the performances are exceptional, the transitions are smooth and the pacing is great.

This is a highly assured work from a daring and uncompromising filmmaker.

It'll be interesting to see where Moritz goes from here.

Basic Instinct (1992)

Blonde Ambition

[8/10 · 24 May 2022]

An over-the-hill rocker is brutally killed with an ice-pick in his swanky mansion. The case leads the investigating officers to a blonde novelist in whose previous book an over-the-hill rocker is killed with an ice-pick.

A dangerous cat and mouse game ensues between the cop and the blonde femme fatale, leading to several disturbing revelations and reversals.

Basic Instinct is possibly the quintessential erotic thriller and one of the most infamous movies of the 90's.

It made Sharon Stone a household name and Paul Verhoeven the most sought after director in Hollywood.

Someone once said, "Verhoeven isn't a visualist. He's a visceralist".

They weren't lying.

The Dutch director pays homage to Hitchcock but dials everything up to 11.

There are obvious and subtle references to several of Hitchcock's films, but the primary influence is Vertigo.

Joe Eszterhas' script is loaded with allusions to it.

The cop with the troubled past. The mysterious, icy blonde. Sexual perversion. San Francisco. It's all there. And more.

A perfect storm of gloss and sleaze, Basic Instinct remains compulsively watchable and hugely entertaining after all these years.

Angel Heart (1987)

Occult of personality

[8/10 · 23 May 2022]

Playing like a cross between Chinatown and Rosemary's Baby, Angel Heart is a terrific a neo-noir horror film that manages to merge both genres with impeccable skill.

Based on William Hjortsberg's landmark novel, A private investigator (Harry Angel) is hired by an enigmatic client to seek out an equally enigmatic and elusive crooner.

This takes the detective on a Chandler-esque journey from New York to New Orleans where he encounters a host of strange and colourful characters.

This may just be Mickey Rourke's finest hour. His movie star charisma and acting chops are at their peak. He goes toe to toe with De Niro and even emerges the winner.

Imbuing the character with a tough guy charm and an endearing vulnerability, it's hard not to root for Harry, even if the game is rigged against him.

Director Alan Parker really captures the spirit of New Orleans. The city is very much a character in the film and not just a pretty backdrop. (New York too for that matter.)

Michael Seresin's cinematography is moody and highly evocative. The scrore by Trevor Jones is spooky and darkly sensual.

Even though there may be flaws in the story-line and the twist may seem obvious or far-fetched, it doesn't mar the enjoyment of the film. In fact, Angel Heart only improves on repeated viewings.

Dripping with atmosphere and a sense of impending doom, and featuring an explosive lead performance from Mickey Rourke, this is a highly underrated gem waiting to be re-appraised.

Faults (2014)

Follow the leader

[7/10 · 22 May 2022]

Desperate couple solicit disgraced de-programmer Ansel Roth to rescue their daughter from the clutches of a strange new cult.

Deep in debt, Roth takes on the case.

But all is not as it appears.

Faults is an intriguing, darkly comic psychological mystery-thriller and a promising debut from writer-director Riley Stearns, who makes the most of his minuscule budget and cast.

Reminiscent of the Coen Brothers and Polanski, the film has a cleverly written script with interesting twists and turns.

Though it does falter a little around the halfway mark, it manages to recover its footing by the climax.