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Reviews
Alice, Darling (2022)
Just gorgeous
Stunningly shot, beautifully acted and divinely realised. This is the evidence of a simple story told well being the basis for exceptional film making. It gave me hope for this industry and oh how utterly wonderful to have a story told that feels so true to female experience and friendship without any kind of male gaze.
Everything from the music to the make up to the costume deserves a mention. The narrative blends perfectly with the secondary storytelling of the missing local girl. I am genuinely astounded at the skilful way this was told and I'm amazed it didn't make more of a splash. It's also a story that needs to be told, over and over.
Host (2020)
Genuinely one of the most well thought out horrors I've seen
Ok-so I'm an actor. An actor who does a fair chunk of horror. An actor, who does a large chunk of horror who also LOVES horror. This is one of the most well executed horror movies I have EVER seen, from a simple but well executed story to an absurdly strong cast, to pace that at no point lagged. It is a testament to Sheppard and Savage and their cast that I screamed at various points throughout the film-very few horror films elicit such a visceral response from me, and I watch enough of them that I can be numb to a lot of scares. Sometimes low budget and adverse conditions help facilitate a work that stays with you and that's exactly what's happened here.
13 Graves (2019)
Beautifully made, laugh out loud British horror
Anyone who loves indie horror also knows the flip side of the coin-that horror films made on a low budget often suffer in terms of acting, sound, story or cinematography. I'm delighted to say this is absolutely not the case in 13 graves. Paying homage to a combination of Brit gangster flicks and ghost stories past, Jacob Anderton, Kevin Leslie and Morgan James shine in this beautifully balanced piece that is as scary as it is as darkly funny. At points using heightened camp characters to ramp up the humour, the film doesn't sacrifice tension and from a technical angle it's incredibly impressive how much of the film was shot in exterior locations.
The only weak moment for me was at the end in the wicker man-esque tribal bonfire as some of the extras were a little too modern looking in their styling, but this is one tiny note in an otherwise fantastic endeavour. The twist at the end of the film is also a delightful surprise, with the final shot sending chills down the most horror-addicted spine.
Murdered by My Boyfriend (2014)
Exceptional
An incredible film by an exceptionally talented cast and crew. Painful to watch at times, made with so much tenderness