The Substance (2024)

A has-been resorts to a mysterious cure to regain some of her lost glory with unexpected consequences.

'The Substance' is a horror film that does not hide the fact that it is actually a body horror (an element that could have been used as a nice twist). Thus, when the horrors do take place, the effect is diminished and the focus stays mainly on the story. Metaphorically, the film has a lot of.. substance, human nature being frivolous but also unfair in its evolution and the film shows this fact in a realistic way. What does not hit the viewer in the same way is the fact that frivolity turns the individual into a complete idiot who sabotages themselves exponentially. May be true for the mediocre masses, but the film is not for them. And yet the film is a success, and on many other levels too: Demi Moore successfully returns in a role that showcases her talent and is being praised, aaand a body horror film is actually considered for well known awards such as the Oscar and the Golden Globes.

Director:  Coralie Fargeat     

With: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid

Rating: 7.5/10

Men (2022)

Harper rents a house in the country side to recover from the trauma of her ex-husband's death.

'Men' is at a first glance a dramatic story, full of trauma and painful memories and monotonous walks on forest paths and fields. Until it turns into something else, a kind of horror (which was expected) mixed in with morbid poetic analysis of the harmful effect of toxic male personalities. Although it is an often heard lesson, the film remains interesting and hypnotic through its quota of creepiness and its originality in execution.

Director:  Alex Garland     

With: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu, Gayle Rankin

Rating: 9/10

Gaia (2021)

A hurt forest ranger is helped by two survivalists who have a mysterious cult for the forest spirits.

"Gaia" is a mysterious, sometimes abstract horror thriller that presents the need for a return to our roots and the importance of natural balance. The message is subtle but also not, and the execution is impressive and something to admire.

Director:  Jaco Bouwer      

With: Monique Rockman, Carel Nel, Alex van Dyk, Anthony Oseyemi

Rating: 8/10

Antibirth (2016)

Lou lives a life full of drugs, carelessness and complications and hard work avoidance, until one day she realizes that a night of partying has left behind something more worrying.

"Antibirth" is a body horror. It succedes in overcomplicating the plot with meaningless conspiracies, with the main character reacting with the most appropriate attitude: carelessness and incredulity. Until it's too late. Well acted, interesting to a certain extent, meaningless, but captivating.

Director:  Danny Perez     

With: Natasha Lyonne, Chloë Sevigny, Meg Tilly, Mark Webber

Rating: 7/10

Old (2021)

A family on vacation discovers that all its members are aging rapidly.

'Old' is a psychological, supernatural horror film, one of the films with which M. Night Shyamalan delighted us as a comeback. Based on an extreme view of the ideas around "the end justifies the means", the current film has the intended effect, highlighting very harshly the horror of the idea that the individual does not matter when many benefit. The film's message and and execution are pretty much lacking in subtlety this time, but without canceling the overall effect. 

Director:  M. Night Shyamalan      

With: Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Abbey Lee, Eliza Scanlen, Ken Leung, Embeth Davidtz

Rating: 8/10

Resident Evil (2022)

Three decades after the discovery of the T virus, a pair of twins find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that continues unjustly.

'Resident Evil' is a series with a new idea that takes place in the universe created by the long series of films with Milla Jovovich and the much-loved series of video games. And instead of being welcomed with open arms for the the bit of originality and realness inoculated into an over-tired franchise, the public attacked the effort and that resulted in a premature cancellation.

Director:  Rachel Goldberg and others 

Production:  Netflix  

Creator:  Andrew Dabb   

Duration:  1 season of 8 episodes (1 hour each)   

With: Ella Balinska, Tamara Smart, Siena Agudong, Adeline Rudolph, Lance Reddick, Paola Núñez

Rating: 8/10

Basket Case (1982)

A seemingly normal young man is carying his deformed siamese brother in a woven basket, seeking revenge.

'Basket Case' is a cult horror film, not for its immaculate execution but for what it represents in the evolution of the genre. With an intrigue and horror that can be disturbing to many, the film is impressive considering the very limited budget, and the actually decent special effects. The actors' performances are a bit wooden but an efficient editing makes the film tolerable. And the plot of the film would deserve the attention of a John Carpenter of the '90s.

Director:  Frank Henenlotter     

With: Kevin Van Hentenryck, Terri Susan Smith, Beverly Bonner, Robert Vogel

Rating: 6/10

Society (1989)

Bill Whitney is a popular teenager who suddenly discovers alarming details about his family and the world around him.

'Society' is a cult horror that shocked its audience when released. Its two most important attributes are related to firstly: the metaphor of society and the human nature's tendency to lose one's individuality to their social environment and secondly to the intense use of body horror with the traditional special effects of the time, still impressive in current times. The story has an easy-to-understand plot, but certain elements of the action cause some well deserved eyebrow raising.

Director:  Brian Yuzna     

With: Billy Warlock, Concetta D'Agnese, Ben Slack, Evan Richards

Rating: 7/10