Review Longlegs (2024)
Longlegs was on my radar for a while since it was mentioned it was terrifying and scary. And yes, the trailer did make it seem that way. Unfortunately, this is not the case. It's atmospheric and creepy in places, but the premise had a real potential to instil dread into the viewer to such an extent that it easily could have outdone Silence of the Lambs, which it's obvious the core influence. Yet, it doesn't even come close to that film.
One of the main reasons is the lack of tension and suspense. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it's already revealed that a certain big name actor is Longlegs. Why have they revealed this? Because, let me tell you something. I recognized the voice, but not the person. They did such a good job with the make-up that you can't tell it's this person. Most of you will know who the person is. But for the happy few, I won't reveal this. Another problem is the motivation of Longlegs. I can't get into it without spoiling, but this far from subtle twist makes Longlegs one of the lamest serial killers ever. What makes this twist worse is the fact that writer / director Osgood Perkins couldn't decide what kind of story he is telling. It's quite messy to be honest. Had these been proper red herrings, I would have been able to appreciate them. As they are, they just make a joke out of everything.
There is another twist that is impactful. Although, like the twist I mentioned, this one also was far from subtle. When are people going to learn, that a twist is only effective if you don't see it coming. Despite these flaws, the viewing experience didn't feel like a waste of time. Still, it's far from the film has advertised.
Review Oddity (2024)
In my never ending search for scary films, I came across Oddity. Someone even mentioned this as one of the scariest films of this year.
I wish this was true. This film easily could have been, but for whatever reason they took the easy route. At one point, it was obvious to me what was going on. And I honestly thought that this was deliberate, since the real twist was still to reveal itself. Unfortunately, you will see it coming from a mile away. Thing is, that Oddity clearly is copying The Conjuring and once you realize this it takes away all the creepiness and terror you could have experienced if you aren't aware.
The acting is good. The actors really do their best to sell the story. It's therefore a real shame that they are let down by writer / director Damian Mc Carthy. Overall, not worth your time!
Review Lowlifes (2024)
Lowlifes, a Tubi original, starts out real strong. You are introduced to a family who very seen are confronted with some shady figures. Immediately, you are rooting for them and yelling at the scream to make wise decisions.
Then something happens that puts everything upside down. I felt invigorated, and I really thought that this was just the start of many misdirections, twists and turns to come. Lowlifes turns into a home invasion film where you, the audience, are in the know. And that does bring some kind of tension into the mix. For the bloodthirsty among us, you will definitely get your fix. For everybody else, you will be severely disappointed. It takes the film forever to get to the bits the audience really cares for. The thrills and suspense you could have experienced are not present. In large part because Lowlifes apparently only consists of one twist. How anybody could think that would be enough is beyond me. Once it was established how over the top this film was, they should have dropped twist after twist. But no, the imagination wasn't there.
Real shame, if you ask me, this had the potential to be a real classic. Now it's just, meh!
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