The Turning (2020)

A governess has to care of an orphaned girl, from a rich family, but things take many unexpected turns with the appearance of her brother.

The second adaptation of The Turn Of The Screw released in 2020, after The Haunting Of Bly Manor. It was not very well received, but it is not due to the bad timing of the two productions, but simply to the fact that The Turning is not very well done. In short, it is a horror film with gothic accents, which forgets to avoid the clichés of the genre, with an ending that moves away from the book and invites deep thought, but does not save the whole result.

Director:  Floria Sigismondi    

With: Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince, Barbara Marten

Rating: 5/10

Maggie (2015)

Un tata petrece ultimele saptamani cu fiica sa, dupa ce aceasta este infectata cu o boala fatala ce transforma victimele in zombie.

O drama neobisnuita cu Arnold Schwarzenegger. Pune intrebari interesante in ceea ce priveste legatura emotionala cu o victima ce este intrerupta de o transformare atipica. Filmul de fata arata opusul ideii din The Mist (nu spun mai multe pe motive de spoilers...) si ideea de fata (si anume ca nu ai privi acea persoana diferit) se simte ca ar fi reactia cea mai naturala. Altfel, filmul nu e prea special, partea horror e undeva ascunsa in fundal, si ritmul este cam incet. Arnold isi duce rolul in spate modest si fara prea nimic de comentat.

Regia:  Henry Hobson     

Cu: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson

Rating: 7/10

Also read in English

Maggie (2015)

A father spends the last weeks with his daughter, after she is infected with a fatal disease that turns its victims into zombies.

An unusual drama with Arnold Schwarzenegger. It asks interesting questions about the emotional connection with a victim which then gets interrupted by an atypical transformation. This film shows the opposite of what The Mist suggested (I won't say more due to spoilers ...), which is mainly that one wouldn't feel differently and they'd still see that person as themselves, and to the viewer, this feels like the most natural reaction. Otherwise, the movie is not very special, the horror aspect is hidden somewhere in the background, and the pace is a bit slow. Arnold plays his role modestly and without much to comment on.

Director:  Henry Hobson     

With: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin, Joely Richardson

Rating: 7/10

The Terror (2018)

Povestea expeditiei pierdute a lui Franklin in Arcticul Canadian ce a avut loc folosind cele doua vase celebre: Terror si Erebus.

Semi-istoric, The Terror incepe un serial tip antologie, cu primul sezon dedicat unei tragedii istorice reale si anume expeditia lui John Franklin in incercarea de a gasi un pasaj nordic catre India si China via Arcticul Canadian. Elementul supranatural este folosit aici doar ca un pretext pentru a pune in scena o dramatizare intensa, cu personaje bine definite si fascinante din lipsa unui cuvant mai putin banal, ce tine spectatorul in priza pe intreaga durata a celore zece episoade, chiar si in prezenta unui final anuntat tragic, inca din primele minute. Te Terror este un deliciu pentru fanii de horror, dar mai ales pentru amatorii de drama si aventuri, si curiozitati psihologice.

Regia:  Tim Mielants si altii   

Productie:  AMC   

Creator: David Kajganich, Max Borenstein, Alexander Woo   

Durata:  primul sezon de 10 episoade (42 de minute fiecare); al 2lea sezon a aparut in 2019

Cu: Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Paul Ready, Ciarán Hinds, Paul Ready, Adam Nagaitis, Ian Hart, Greta Scacchi, Edward Ashley, John Lynch

Rating: 10/10

Also read in English

The Terror (2018)

The story of Franklin's lost expedition to the Canadian Arctic which took place using the two famous ships: Terror and Erebus.

Semi-historical, The Terror starts an anthology series, with the first season dedicated to a real historical tragedy, namely John Franklin's expedition through the ice, in an attempt to find a northern passage to India and China via the Canadian Arctic. The supernatural element is used here only as a pretext to put together an intense dramatization, with well-defined and fascinating (in lack of a less cliché word) characters, which keeps the viewer engaged throughout all the ten episodes, even in the presence of a tragically announced end, known already from the first few minutes. The Terror is a delight for horror fans, but even more so for lovers of drama and adventure, and psychological curiosities.

Director:  Tim Mielants and others   

Production:  AMC   

Creators: David Kajganich, Max Borenstein, Alexander Woo   

Duration:  this is the first season with 10 episodes (42 minutes each); the second season came out in 2019

With: Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Paul Ready, Ciarán Hinds, Paul Ready, Adam Nagaitis, Ian Hart, Greta Scacchi, Edward Ashley, John Lynch

Rating: 10/10

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Danny Torrance a crescut si devenit un aparator al copiilor asemanatori lui ce sunt in pericol de a deveni victimele unor supranaturali ce ii consuma pentru a-si prelungi existenta.

Un film de groaza bazat pe un roman de Stephen King ce e diferit de restul. Se indeparteaza frumos de The Shining dar ofera un context global pentru acest mit al stralucirii supranaturale. Elementele fanteziste arata darul lui Stephen King pentru a infiripa povesti fascinante si originale dar, ca de obicei, sunt insotite de suferinta inocentilor in diverse forme, adesea cea mai intensa sursa de asa-zisa oroare a genului de groaza. Multe idei sunt prezentate, multe actiuni au loc, si personaje dezvoltate ca la carte se perinda pe ecran, dar ceva ceva ii lipseste pentru a atinge un nivel cult de capodopera, poate atentia/obsesia pentru detalii este propriul obstacol. Foarte entertaining de altfel.

Regia:  Mike Flanagan    

Cu: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis

Rating: 8/10

Also read in English

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Danny Torrance grows up to become a protector for children like him who are in danger of becoming victims of supernatural beings who consume them in order to prolong their lives.

A horror film based on a novel by Stephen King that is quite different from others. It moves away nicely from The Shining but at the same time, it provides a global context for this myth of the supernatural "shining". The fantasy elements show Stephen King's gift for coming up with intricate and fascinating original stories, but, as usual, they are accompanied by the suffering of the innocent in various forms, often the most intense source of the so-called horror of the genre. Many ideas are presented, many actions take place, and many well developed characters fill up the screen, but the film is just lacking something to get it to a cult level of masterpiece, maybe the attention/obsession for details is its own downfall on that front. Very enjoyable otherwise.

Director:  Mike Flanagan    

With: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Kyliegh Curran, Cliff Curtis

Rating: 8/10