Film Review: KILLER MERMAID (2014)

Monsters come in all shapes and sizes but it’s a rare treat when it comes in the form of a mermaid or better known as a Nymph (2014) also known by its US title of Killer Mermaid (original title Mamula).  Kelly and Lucy (Kristina Klebe and Natalie Burn, respectfully) are two Americans on a Mediterranean vacation catching up with old friends when a trip to an abandoned military base turns deadly when they discover that someone is feeding a creature trapped in a well deep in the bowels of the structure. 

The closer they come to discovering the dark secrets that have been left hidden the more danger they find themselves in as Kelly and Lucy and her friends are picked off one by one not just by a deranged killer but also a creature that can lure men to their deaths while playing on their wildest fantasies.

Despite having a very predictable story structure there is great millage that comes from the exotic local and the actual location itself is rich with atmosphere and production value.  What could have easily been a derivative killer monster movie is something a bit more especially when adding in local legends and background in Nazi Germany (they always make for good villains).

Mina Sablic is the Creature otherwise known as a mermaid and she is represented in a very traditional way especially as a siren to call men to their dooms and to change into a deadly creature that devours them as well.  The only problem is that the CGI for the film is sub-par and laughable in many parts.  The first two-thirds do a good job of building up the film which is then rendered laughable by the CGI effects.  This aspect of the film will ruin it for most as most horror fans have grown tired of the bad CGI in films and therefore this film will be easily forgotten as well.

Film Review: IT FOLLOWS (2015)

Slow burning horror films are all the rage when it comes to film makers wanting to make a sophisticated horror film which is exactly where the film It Follows (2015) finds itself.  The film follows Jay Height (Maika Monroe) who should be having fun on her break from school but ends up having an innocent sexual encounter with someone that leaves her the latest in a long string of supernatural hauntings. 

A curse was passed to her in which she must pass it to someone else or risk dying herself.  The only way she can pass the curse to someone else is by having sex with them.  The only thing that can help her is her friends and as time passes she realizes that she can’t keep running from the curse forever.

Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell the film follows the same style of films like Teeth (2007), Contracted (2013), and I, Zombie: The Chronicles of Pain (1998), which is that of a slow burning film in which the main character are the driving force behind the story.   This works in the films favor as the curse is a slow one at that as the entity that follows Jay is probably the slowest one in history.  The film is definitely for the crowd that enjoys a film that takes its time and doesn’t rely on gore and blood and if you are that type of person then this is the film for you.

Now the film was one of the hugely critically acclaimed horror films of last year that left horror fans evenly divided.  I can only fathom that this is because the film has a great premise only is slow at getting to the point especially since audience members probably can’t reason why Jay just doesn’t pass the curse on immediately after realizing she has it.  Instead, she spends most of the film running and screaming and then running some more and screaming some more which gets repetitive.  This is not an entirely negative assessment but the film is filled with dread and style that permeates through every frame of the film including the amazing score, so, I forgive the short comings of this film as it will be remembered for these aspects alone.

I took a friend of mine to go see the film who never goes to see horror films but this one was creepy and created a mood of dread while never being gory or excessively violent.  She happened to love this film and I can see why so many general audiences have gravitated to the film as well.  Sometimes people who watch a lot of horror films get numb and jaded since they’ve seen more than the average viewer.  I believe that this film had an effect on general audiences that is undeniable and that it will resonate for years to come and I think that Mitchell is definitely a film maker to keep an eye out for in the future.

Film Review: WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014)

In general, I don’t particularly care for vampire films.  There are so few that actually have something to say and they’re filled with clichés and things that you’ve seen time and time again and even if the Twilight franchise has watered down their image there are just as many 30 Days of Night films that try to go in the complete opposite way.  Vampire comedies, in my opinion, fit even below the lowest of my expectations which is why it has taken me so long to get around to What We Do In The Shadows (2014).  I had zero interest in this film but due to the overwhelming great critical response to the film I decided to give it a chance and boy am I glad I did. 

The film follows three vampire flat mates – Vladislav, Viago, and Deacon (Jermaine Clement, Taika Waititi, and Jonny Brugh, respectfully) whose lives are turned upside down when they decide to allow a film crew to film their lives as they prepare for the vampire party of the century.  The three vampires are trapped in their own time from when they were turned.  Living in the modern era has left them lost in time, but salvation comes in the form of a newly turned vampire who is up with the modern era but needs a little help with being a good vampire.  

The film crew is given full access to everything and get to see and experience the day to day lives of vampires including their drinking habits, their animosity towards werewolves, and how they deal with vampire hunters.  For a film like this it covers a lot of ground while still being very character driven and funny at the same time.

What makes the film so successful is that the comedy is all character based and not bad jokes sprinkled throughout.  This film could have become a complete parody of itself but writer/directors Clement and Waititi do a great job grounding the film in the zany world of vampires.  Having the style of the film as a documentary goes a long way in allowing the audience to take the film seriously even though it is a comedy.  

I ended up enjoying this film immensely as the story was easy to follow yet presented an almost “traditional” vampire story in a non-traditional way.  It had me entertained from beginning to end and even had some impressive visual FX to go with the story.  This film is one I highly recommend for both comedy and horror fans.