Something a bit different today, not the typical writing advice, but for all those keeping notes, certainly writing related.
I’ve always been a hardcore cinefile, even before the days of my laserdisc player and countless visits to Tower Records for the latest movies on disc. A lifetime of equal opportunity movie going, just as likely to watch some cheesy romance, political drama, or latest Predator flick. Though admittedly, these days, as I get older, my tastes… and patience… has narrowed a bit.
Expect this page to get pretty long. I don’t expect to organize it. (A quick command+F page search may bring you to a movie of your own particular interest.)
When I have a hot minute, I’ll continually throw up some movies here. Mostly, they will be super brief “takes,” which you can in-turn, take or leave as a recommendation to watch.
If anyone donate’s a coffee, I’ll be happy to throw up a movie of your recommendation, with or without some extra analysis on the writing.
I’m mostly chasing the dragon on horror. But I’ll post up just about anything that crosses my path. Mostly more recentish stuff, because I’m gonna figure y’all have seen all the old stuff.
Please comment on this page or shoot me a direct email to let me know you like this page. I’m really only doing this, because I have such a hard time getting movie recommendations online that actual mesh with my POV and expectations. Maybe this page will connect better for you.
I’ll probably sprinkle writer things throughout, like for example taking note of;
“girl power” = female lead.
Prediction Corner
Many many years ago, I actually had a full-on, legit movie review section on my site (different website). And my approach was to first give my predictions and impressions before the movie, then, break down my review with how it matched up.
I won’t post many here, but here are a couple of predictions before I see the flicks:
Alien: Romulus
2024 Horror Sci-Fi Thriller
Uninspired Cash Grab catering to generation Z.
Alien is a beloved franchise to me. I hope I get to eat my words on this prediction.
UPDATE:
Haven’t seen it yet, but it looks like my prediction is spot on. All the younger folks seemed to enjoy it, but all the die-hard fans and older folks say it is trash–wooden characters surrounded by a cut-and-paste montage of all the previous movies.
Reviews
Psycho Goreman
2020 Horror Comedy Sci-fi
Ultra violent and over-the-top-super-cheese-gory, Power Ranger’esque flick with a tween protagonist.
There are some outstanding bits and pieces in this thing.
The vision is so true to itself, it’s really nice to see.
The concept is a little one-note. They could have given it a bit more depth and maybe taken itself a LITTLE more serious to really develop that narrative heart and gravity. If they had done that, this thing would be an absolute Gem.
Just a lot of silly fun. Girl power.
Cut Off
2018 German thriller.
I saw this once on Netflix and liked it enough that my brain filed it in the remember drawer.
Dual protagonist.
Haunt
2019 Horror Thriller.
Group of teens escape room/slasher fest.
If your expectation bar is high, you probably won’t enjoy this flick, but for the sub-genre, it’s actually not that bad.
It makes a solid effort to subvert expectations and while there really isn’t any narrative, this movie is a GOOD SHOWCASE how to do this type of horror without resorting to torture porn.
Girl power, but really dual protagonist.
Evil Dead Rise
2023 Horror
There was an attempt, so it gets an orange title… but ultimately, there is NO REASON to watch this movie.
Cliche, tired, bereft of all passion and creativity.
When it comes to the franchises I grew up on, I’m even more demanding on the writing.
I could write a ton about where this flick went off the writing rails. The opening scene is the best part of the whole movie. All the characters are weak. I was actually cheering for the kids to get eaten. The character development is so bad, I went to the kitchen and got food while the movie was rolling and didn’t miss anything.
Holy crap, this movie holds the title for most loose ends.
Too bad, because they did a good job setting the atmosphere and had everything at their disposal… but man, there was just no story here. No heart. Only like the originals in appearance. Girl power.
Prey
2022 Action Adventure Horror
My tolerance for stupidity in franchises like I mentioned above, is really low.
30,000 Comanche couldn’t kill a bunch of black powder shooting colonials… Multiple modern special forces teams got smoked… but a Comanche chick with a tomahawk takes out a predator.
Audiences are so starved for good action they’ll latch on to ANYTHING… but this was so badly written, I turned off half-way through. Remember kids, it’s ALL ABOUT EXECUTION. You could have Dumb & Dumber meet the Predator and written well, it could be a great movie… but as we’ve already seen, you can take 2 of the greatest IPs ever, Aliens Vs. Predator and have the biggest pile of steaming dung.
Prisoners of Ghostland
2021 Fantasy Horror Thriller
Was really hoping for this one.
Dropped off half-way through. Low budget weird. Not even entertaining weird.
Boring. Nothing to like here.
Running with the Devil
2019 Thriller Crime Drama
Nick Cage has a lot of recent movies, many of which I haven’t seen.
This however, is probably my favorite out of all the ones I have seen.
Although not horror, I liked this better than Mandy, Colors out of Space, and the Animatronix one.
Red Lights
2011 Thriller Drama
Need something different? Try this one.
Terminator Zero
2024 Anime Action Adventure Sci-Fi
Fuck. FUCK!
I have a new theory, since I just don’t totally want to give up on humanity… People are writing really wonderfully, fantastic stories–and some corporate asshole demands identical scenes from previous movies, so writers are forced to oblige and in turn, deliver a pile of shit.
This MUST be it.
This series is a warning showcase of how to implement WORLD RULES in your writing. If a terminator throughout the series, snatches people with his bare hands and crunches their limbs, breaks their necks, etc. YOU DON’T OPEN THE DAMN STORY with the terminator snatching onto someone’s ankle, then LOSING THEIR GRIP.
Fuck, it’s almost like the writer doesn’t even care.
Kung fu fighting terminator??? You might as well be writing any other villain, BUT terminator. Fuck, most people will probably love this to death, but it literally, makes my brain bleed.
And, while I’m semi-ranting. Crowsbow nail gun? Where the fuck did that come from? I mean let’s just forget about ballistics, just throw that right out the window, and ask why does a death cyborg from the future need an elastic launching device?
Jesus, the movie the KILLER (on this page), the villain in that uses somesort of needle gun which is way more engaging… and that dude ain’t even a cyborg from the future.
Maybe, the terminator was moonlighting as a roofer or worked at Home Depot or something.
It does have some good qualities. And is more interesting when it goes off onto its own from episode 6-8.
Girl power.
Faces in the Crowd
2010 Thriller Action Crime
Milla will always be Joan of Arc to me… but it’s nice to see her do something other than RE.
Intimate High concept flick.
The Ward
2010 Horror Thriller
Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, never stick your **** in crazy… even if it’s Amber Heard hot.
Well fellas, looks like we’re back in another mental asylum.
Solid watch.
Girl power.
Incident in a Ghostland
2018 Drama Horror Mystery.
This movie is fucked. Damn.
Girl power.
Martyrs
2008 Horror
I’m not into torture porn movies… Flicks like Hostile, Hard Candy, most of the later Saw franchise, where body mutilation steps in while real narrative goes on vacation… just not my thing .
Martyrs is another Pascal Laugier flick and probably his best known. While lots of people rave about this film, I thought it was pretty lame. The idea of the secret society doing whatever they’re doing is cool–but it’s not even a footnote in the narrative.
Girl power.
Caveat
2020 Horror Mystery Thriller
There’s a big disconnect between and modern horror…
When I was 10 years old, I watched a skeleton rebuild the layers of its flesh and blood by murdering and devouring people. Then watched Pinhead and his crew flay people and drag them to the outer reaches of hell for eternal torture. Every level of that is some horrifying shit.
Now, in my older days as an adult, movieland is trying to tell me two crazy, totally average people in an old house is… horrific.
Do you see my problem?
Legit. I feel like the people writing most “horror” movies these days are a group of 18th century, British aristocrat women. “My word, then there is a stranger with a crossbow in the house.” The group of women huff and gasp, fanning themselves, half on the verge of passing out from shock and horror.
Good. Fucking. God.
This movie had a lot of potential… except for the fact, that very quickly on, I realized, there was no fucking horror. Disclaimer I did turn it off about an hour in. Maybe it went psycho ghost murder in the third act… who knows…
A major problem with this wana be Momento, suspense thriller, is the main dude; his stupidity and sheer lack of plausible causality.
I’m not even gonna go through the list, but I can’t help but point out the moment when the dude is trapped in a bedroom, trying to get out of the house and there’s a fuckin’ open window.
So here’s the thing. You don’t need to like every character, though you do need to empathize with them… but to a greater degree, what you really need, is to NOT ACTIVELY HATE THE MAIN CHARACTER.
Making bad decisions is nothing new to horror.
In fact, I list it as a prerequisite in my horror writing article! But the bad decisions need to be done with plausible causality. Obfuscating bad decisions with stress and fear, other pressures of the moment, and personality characterization goes a long way in supporting plausible causality…
Just being stupid. Just ignoring reality and not thinking of anything.
Those are the things that just make an audience hate a character.
Demons
1985 Horror Foreign
Somebody should pay me to reboot this movie.
Always been a fan of movies that throw reality and physics right out the window… You know, like evil dead little cabin, that has a million rooms that you can run through straight for 30 minutes, without reaching an outer wall. That’s an ultimate horror pressure on characters, right there.
Double Blind
2023 Horror Thriller
Single location movie.
Not bad. Not bad. Not bad. Girl power.
One Cut of the Dead
2017 Comedy Drama Horror Japanese
For fuck’s sake. People on the internet seriously recommending this movie in horror groups. THIS IS WHY I MADE THIS MOVIE REVIEW PAGE.
It’s a spoof about a film crew making a shitty zombie movie.
I legit felt like I was being punked watching this movie.
Level 16
2018 Drama Mystery Thriller
Maximum Girl power.
Watch this before or after double blind.
Snowpiercer with all girls, in a building. I don’t remember much about it, other than thinking afterwards, “A’ight.” Which from me is kind of high praise.
Residue
2017 Action Horror Thriller
There’s a lot to like in this movie and it had wicked potential,
BUT
ultimately, it never gets out of second gear.
Hereditary
2018 Drama Horror Mystery
Everybody says this is the best horror movie since sliced bread.
Good production quality, slow, with a flat ending.
I made a post a while back, that there really should be a new GENRE called, “Demonic Thriller,” because these movies don’t have the energy (or scares) or REAL classic horror.
Girl power.
Night House
2020 Horror Mystery Thriller
Another A24 demonic thriller.
Hailed as another great horror movie all over the interwebs, when you watch the trailer and see Rebecca Hall getting bent in half like a pretzel, BE WARNED, that’s pretty much ALL the ghost action in the whole movie.
Lot’s of creepy stuff. Good sound design.
But I need more than naked people in boats to scare OR entertain me. Girl power.
Mother
2017 Drama Horror Mystery
Ever since the Russian spy movie, I’ve been a fan…
But this is another, Interweb hyped movie.
I’ll give it this, it DOES understand the nature of NARRATIVE ESCALATION.
However, the only people who will find this movie scary, is a small segment of socially challenged, introverts.
Wanted my money back. Girl power.
Goodnight Mommy
2022 Crime Drama Horror
Nope.
Any movie that puts me, literally, to sleep is a bad sign.
The other bad sign is if I fast forward and look at the little icon scene previews AND IT NEVER CHANGES FROM TALKING HEADS.
Full disclaimer, I fast forwarded through so much of this movie I have no clue. It just bored me to death. Should have just been called GOODNIGHT.
Autopsy of Jane Doe
2016 Horror Mystery Thriller
One of the best horror movies to come out in the last 8 years.
Bonus mention, 2016 is generally a special year for movies. Like wine has good and bad years… If you come across a movie from 2016 and are on the fence, take the plunge.
Not 2015, not 2017, but 2016.
Malignant
2021 Crime Horror Mystery
Lots of people hate on this movie, but I loved it.
Appreciate it for what it is, upbeat, slasher horror.
Predictable. Totally goofy concept. Borderline goofy effects.
But just plain fun. Girl power.
Plus one of the best pixie covers.
Train to Busan
2016 Action Horror Thriller
One of the better Zombie movies of the last few years.
I just watched this again recently for background noise, I think what makes it work so much better than so many other zombie movies is the constant narrative drive.
Still waiting for Zombie flicks to go full circle back to slow moving zombies.
And IF you liked Train to Busan, check out the prequel anime. In fact, maybe watch the anime first!
Seoul Station
2016 Animated Action Horror
Korean zombie outbreak movie.
Nothing mind blowing, but engaging and worth your time.
The Void
2016 Horror Mystery Sci-fi
Doesn’t pull punches.
Had a ton of potential, but lost itself trying to emulate too many other movies.
I really don’t remember much about it, other than it went “too weird” and just let me down.
Barbarian
2022 Horror Mystery Thriller
Misnamed movie.
Anything with Jeepers Creepers kid gets an almost insta-pass-approval.
Thought this was fine, not a ton to it, and a weak ending. Girl power?
The Menu
2022 Comedy Horror Thriller
Good acting. Good production quality.
Kind of annoying movie, with a non-sensical ending.
I think people who actually go to these super shi-shi restaurants or private chef dinners, will likely connect with this movie far more than I did.
Girl power.
The Hunt
2020 Action Horror Thriller
Over the top, satirical “Hunting Humans for sport flick.”
More girl power here.
A bit low budge, but clever. And worth it just for the Hilary Swank brawl.
Girl power.
Cadaver
2020 Drama Horror Thriller
Starving people in a dystopian world get invited to a mansion where there is food and a theatrical performance.
Good atmosphere. Solid watch. Don’t remember the pace escalating, or the ending, but worth the time.
Guns Akimbo
2019 Action Comedy Crime
I hate stupid concepts in movies.
I hate it even more when somebody gets a stupid concept in a movie to actually work.
Fun movie.
Last Night in Soho
2021 Drama Horror Mystery
Good production quality and lots of style in this one.
Girl power.
Felt like the pace could have been amped up a bit, I don’t remember it too much, ending paid off pretty well.
Exam
2009 Crime Mystery Thriller
Single location puzzle movie.
Engaging watch.
Escape Room
2019 Action Adventure Horror
The Sony one, there are some other same named lame ones.
Liked it!
nahh nahh
Gonjiam Haunted Asylum
2018 Horror Mystery
I DO NOT LIKE FOUND FOOTAGE MOVIES.
I repeat. I do not like found footage movies.
Bunch of Korean kids go into an abandoned asylum to get social media credit. Things go south fast.
All the kids are rigged up with go cams, so there is a big mix of found footage style filming…
despite that, this is pretty solid for what it is.
I’m also a bit of a sucker for any asylum movies.
The Superdeep
2020 Horror Sci-fi Thriller
Another SUPER POTENTIAL movie…
You’re just screaming, YES! COME ON!! wanting it to get really good…
But it just never really breaks through to excellence.
Solid watch if you keep expectations low.
Girl power.
Tell me How I Die
2016 Horror Mystery Thriller
Kids trapped in a medical facility, testing a new drug if I member it right and they get the power of premonition to see how they are gonna die… or something like that.
Final destination genre spin off…
but, not a bad watch.
The Empty Man
2020 Drama Horror Mystery
The ONLY movie in recent memory that totally BAIT AND SWITCHES the viewer…
Those first few minutes, “Ohhhhhhh?”
The rest of the entire fuckin’ film…
DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING!?
Empty man, more like Empty Trash Can.
Disclaimer: I don’t think I watched to the end, I think I only made it 75% through. I just couldn’t take any more.
A Cure for Wellness
2016 Drama Fantasy Horror
I really dig this movie.
It’s not really scare horror, but more psychological horror with a great period setting. (It may have been modern time, but the location sends it back to a period piece, mostly.)
Anyway, also has a really fantastic third act/climax escalation.
Possessor
2020 Horror Mystery Sci-fi
This movie possessed 90 minutes of my time and refused to give it back.
I wrote an article on Slow Burn fiction over at Story To Script and if this was trying to be slow burn, it missed in a big way.
Dude took 6 seconds to open the door to his apartment and take off his sweater. 6 REAL WORLD SECONDS. For real I almost threw my PS controller at the TV. “Just open the fuckin’ door already!”
For fuck’s sake it wasn’t even an artsy door opening and sweater removal. Why the fuck did I lose 6 seconds of my life watching that? It literally had nothing to do with anything. Writer bros, I really can’t stand poorly executed decompressed narrative. Girl power.
Triangle
2009 Fantasy Mystery Sci-fi (says IMDB, but there’s really nothing fantasy or sci-fi)
Groundhog day horror with a touch of time paradox.
Was getting annoyed with this movie during the second act, there was a light at the end of the tunnel and I thought it was going to go hard into the third act…
but it backed off. Ultimately, it focused more on being clever for the sake of being clever than entertaining.
Can watch if you have extra time on your hands, but only after you’ve watched all the green flicks on this page, first.
Girl power.
The Carrier
2015 Action Horror Sci-fi Thriller
WOW, this movie received TRASH reviews… but you know what, for a “stuck in the plane” movie, this was actually a solid watch.
The End?
2017 Horror Thriller
If you’re in the mood for an intimate single location zombie flick, this will satisfy your fix.
It’s a little redundant at times and never figures out how to tap any real tension in the audience, but otherwise plays to the genre.
Disclaimer, I DID fast forward through from about the midway point. I was bored and sick of people talking on the phone. TALKING ON THE PHONE just doesn’t work for me in movies. It’s ultimate talking head. Double so, when you only get camera time on one character.
Anywho, here’s the thing, I wasn’t really in the mood for a single location movie… and I’m generally starved for actually good entertainment, so my patience can sometimes wear prematurely thin.
When I FF to the end, I was pleasantly surprised to see where they went with it. And I said to myself, “hey, you could have watched this whole thing.” So if you’re in the mood and sit through it, I don’t think you’ll be angry about it.
Dead Rising: Watchtower
2015 Action Horror
Video game movie. It doesn’t mention it in the genre, but there is a big satyrical underflow to this movie (and game). You know, like axe-wielding clown zombies and an anti-zombie serum called Zombrex.
While not top tier in any shape or form, this was a refreshing entertaining watch. YEAH! to slow zombies!
Dead Rising: Endgame
2016 Action Horror
Fuck me, fast zombies.
Something went really off the rails here. I’m not sure what exactly, I fell asleep about 30 minutes in and didn’t care to try again.
Sleep No More
2017 Horror
Group of grad students go in for a medical study to prove the efficacy of a drug that removes the need to sleep.
Very average take, with a cast way older than they’re pretending to be, but enough to hold interest.
WHAT MAKES AN 80’S FLICK AND 80’S FLICK?
Good film to watch, surprising 80s soundtrack and a bunch of 80’s tech… but quite honestly, it lacks something to make me feel nostalgic. So a good flick to give insights into getting it right if you’re doing anything 80s.
After The Dark
2013 Drama Mystery Fantasy Sci-fi
This movie started out really clever which grabbed my attention almost as fast as Sophia Lowe who owns this movie.
The problem is, mid-way through the premise focuses on sex and sexual orientation and from there, tosses aside all cleverness and spirals into subjective, personal, territory. I came for the ethical dilemma on how these kids would restart the world–instead, I was given how they line up, “Yo MTV Last Days in the Bunker.”
And while Sophia engages at every turn, the romance was wooden.
The Killer
2022 Action Crime Thriller
IMDB has the additional genre listing, one-person-army. LOL Is that an actual subgenre now?
Korean John wick out to save the girl. Solid movie.
The Man From Nowhere
2010 Action Crime Drama Thriller
Korean John wick out to save the girl (4 years before John Wick, fyi).
Solid movie.
Favorites Corner
I’m gonna throw up some of my favorites. I’ll try to keep them to lesser known flicks.
Black Rain
1989 Action Crime Drama
Two NYC cops extradite a Yakuza dude back to Japan.
NYC cop attitude in the land of the rising sun.
Ridley Scott.
The Hunted
1995 Action Drama Thriller
American business man, Lambert, gets caught up between a warring group of samurai and ninja.
So many people don’t know this movie. Make sure it’s the Christopher Lambert/Joan Chen movie, a few others exist of the same name.
The Blood of Heroes / Salute of the Juggers
1989 Action Sci-fi Sport
This seems like a perfectly plausible sport to gen X’ers.
Rutger Hauer, Joan Chen, Vincent D’Onofrio.
Maybe a bit dated now.
Why Didn’t These Work?
Thinking of showcasing a few specific movies that… “Almost.”
These would be good flicks to watch and analyze exactly how, when, where, and why they went off the rails.
I’ll add these movies if someone emails or messages about it.