★★★★ Directed by: #AmineLakhnech Written by: Amine Lakhnech Starring: #FathiAkkkari, #PeterBatchelor, #LobnaNoomen, #MouniraZakraoui, #AmiraEssid Short Film Review by: Chris Olson Darkly poetic and visually arresting, filmmaker Amine Lakhnech’s short film True Story is a nightmarish journey through a child’s life. Playing on gothic themes, #horror techniques, and cinematic trickery, it is a piece of experimental cinema that is as much about the storyteller as it is the story. A girl (Amira Essid) is born through turbulent circumstances which cause her mother to pass away during the birth. The girl herself has a noticeable defect, one which will likely cause her to experience prejudice and judgement, if she can indeed even survive. Taken under the wing of her aunt Wahida (Lobna Noomen), who looks to find any kind of cure even it is comes from black magic, the girl’s childhood is one of bizarre suffering. That is until she turns eighteen and finds new direction in the form of the “devil” (Mounira Zakraoui). If this sounds barmy and disturbing, you are on the right path, and without the glorious narration from Peter Batchelor, True Story would be an unbearable mess of the weirdest kind. However, with all the elements put together, the piece becomes an affecting and irresistible piece of cinema that plays on some of the darkest themes and storytelling devices. From the black and white #cinematography and the gothic mise en scéne, to the fantastical characters and boldly immersive sequences, Laknech proves himself to be a #filmmaker capable of going deep into the dark and pulling something impressive out. There were certainly elements from other dark filmmakers, such as #GuillermodelToro, yet Lakhnech states the film isn’t just drawing on inspiration from movies. Indeed, it is a collaboration of his influences, from cinema, comics, and dark arts. The result is a pitch black voyage into the bleak anxiety of the storyteller through a narrative that holds as much telling poignancy as it does drama. The #filmmaking complemented this infectiously, with a brooding atmosphere throughout which is punctuated by bizarre and disturbing action. An emotional connection to the girl is maintained well, we feel her vulnerability and are palpably terrified for her well being. Audiences may find it difficult to immerse themselves into the wild and weird goings on of True Story, such as a baby being surrounded by noisy musicians, or a woman looking to use a knife to solve a child’s curse, however, the motifs being used are compelling enough to elevate the individual absurdity into a tapestry of terror, a collection of pathos-loaded scenes tied together through the suffering of one child. #ChrisOlson Watch the True Story movie trailer.

★★★★ Directed by: #DanielStrange aka #DanLee, #RodeoStrange Written by: Daniel Strange aka Dan Lee, Rodeo Strange Starring: #FrancescaLouiseWhite, Candice Palladino, Ricardo Freitas, Marcus Davis-Orrom Indie Film Review by: Chris Olson Swimming With Sharks meets Misery with a touch of couple’s therapy in indie thriller The Great Charade from filmmakers Daniel Strange and Rodeo Strange. Starring Francesca Louise White and Ricardo Freitas as a married celebrity couple who are kidnapped and violently harassed by two “super fans” (Candice Palladino and Marcus Davis-Orrom). Set entirely within the confines of a grim apartment, Amara (White) and Ryan (Freitas) awake to a nightmarish situation; they are tied to chairs with no clue as to how they got there. Their only clues come from a frenetic and unpredictably violent actress called Dixie (Palladino), and a smoothly intimidating guy called Lyle (Davis-Orrom). A picture gets painted of how Amara and Ryan are Hollywood elite, looking down on the likes of Dixie and Lyle from their ivory tower. And whilst our deranged super fans look to exact calculated revenge, Amara and Ryan must learn to put their imminent divorce aside and work together if they hope to survive. Full of intoxicating tension and spellbinding intimacy, Daniel Strange and Rodeo Strange know how to captivate their audience. The Great Charade is loaded with palpable threat at every turn; from the terrifying characters to the erratic #cinematography and mise en scéne. Audiences are kept in a constant state of terror through controlled filmmaking and daring themes. The performances are really splendid and there is a powerful chemistry between all four performers where each shines in the role they play. Characters are written to complement each other, with aspects piercing the narrative to make them more believable and empathetic. Such as Amara’s boiling anger, Ryan’s pathetic acceptance, Dixie’s unhinged mind, and Lyle’s conviction and strength. There were a few moments in the dialogue where the scenes were let down, such as Lyle emptying Amara’s handbag clearly about to attack her and Amara getting more pissed about her captor’s lack of fashion awareness than her own safety. These are few and far between, though, and for the most part this is a disturbing and affecting piece. Kidnapping movies are very common, and this indie film is unlikely to topple any of those giants, such as Taken or Ransom. Attacking Hollywood’s supposedly untouchable characters is also a fairly familiar theme and The Great Charade follows in the footsteps of movies like the aforementioned Misery. However, the #filmmakers bring something incredibly compelling and engaging to the table. A gripping, terrifying, and sensational journey through delusion that is as poignant as it is timely. Watch the official movie trailer below.

★★★★★ Directed by: #EmilyOBrien Written by: Emily O'Brien Starring: #RyanCleland, #BettieBelleKay, #TristanMcKinnon Music & Lyrics: #MariaAlfonsine Short Film Review by: Will Girling Cosmic Dancer is a Kickstarter funded production from Australian director Emily O’Brien. Although only her third directorial effort, O’Brien has already achieved a very professional and well-produced aesthetic with this movie. Possessing a delightfully quaint humour in its #cinematography, a mysterious, carnivalesque atmosphere, and some truly terrific performances from the children in the lead roles, Cosmic Dancer is one of the most satisfying short films you’re likely to see this year. We are introduced to the main character: Alistair (Ryan Cleland), an introverted primary-school student who accidentally stumbles upon a weighty, leather-bound tome in the library. Contained within its pages are the secrets of the once renowned – now forgotten – illusionist Magic Etoiles (Tristan McKinnon). Alistair, suitably inspired, is thrown into the world of the fantastique as he signs up to the impending school talent show as a magician himself. What follows are bizarre, dream-like conferences with Magic Etoiles and Alistair’s quest to discover the secret to his last, undocumented trick. Along the way he meets Margaret (Bettie Belle Kay): a ten-year-old aspiring thespian with the rapier wit of Oscar Wilde and who might just hold the secret to Alistair’s ambitions to ‘dance among the stars’. First and foremost, full credit must go to O’Brien for finding such fantastic actors as Cleland and Belle Kay to portray Alistair and Margaret, as well as directing them deftly throughout. Although the film is ostensibly about winning a talent show with a secret magic trick, it is really an exploration of the growing friendship between these two characters, which is both endearing and believable. The camera work develops this theme by being highly reminiscent of a #WesAnderson movie, particularly with its quick pans and innocent-but-isolated aesthetic. Tristan McKinnon’s performance as Magic Etoiles appears to be channelling Johnny Depp and he provides the requisite mystique to the story adroitly. It certainly complements the direction of the art department who were, ostensibly, going for a ‘magician meets [David] Bowie’ look for the film; a glam reference that even carries through to the title, surely a nod to Marc Bolan and T-Rex? The overall tone of the film is ambivalent and quite difficult to pinpoint. Although the dialogue and generally comedic approach to the material is uplifting, there is a tangible sadness that pervades throughout. An interesting stylistic choice from O’Brien is to mute every character’s skin-tone to a sickly grey, with the muted primary colours around them expressing a dull inspiration just waiting to be expressed. The great end-credits song by Maria Alfonsine is also a bittersweet gem in the film’s crown, one that audiences might feel is reminiscent of Juno or 500 Days of Summer, especially with the drawings that accompany the credits. All of this combines with great effect to capture not only the loneliness of Alistair himself but also of childhood generally. It’s a masterful approach and it breathes legitimacy into the lesson at the heart of the story: companionship and trust are what bring real magic into our lives. Cosmic Dancer was a real treat to watch; we’re truly spoiled to live in the Kickstarter age where funding for independent films like this is so easy to generate, especially when it’s executed so competently. The acting, directing and overall production are all top-notch for a movie made with such limited resources. If indie directors of Emily O’Brien’s calibre are to become the norm and can successfully expand their work with bigger ideas and budgets, audiences are sure to be in for a treat! #WillGirling

Runtime: 96 mins Directed by: #KirillSokolov Starring: #AleksandrKuznetsov, #VitaliyKhaev, #EvgeniyaKregzhde Grimmfest Feature by: Darren TIlby Synopsis: Andrei – a detective, and the world’s most horrible father – brings together a terrible group of people in his apartment: his resentful actress daughter, an angry thug, and a cheated cop. Each one of them has a reason to want revenge… Grimmfest say: Marrying the noirish cynicism of the Coens’ BLOOD SIMPLE to the live action cartoonish mayhem of Gore Verbinski’s MOUSE HUNT, this baroque and bloody pitch-black crime comedy is far more Itchy and Scratchy than Tom and Jerry. Frenziedly paced and ferocious, it hits the ground running and does not let up for a second. Editing is whip-smart, the sharp, sudden plot twists and various slippery character arcs and shifts are dark and devious, and the sadistically cunning structure is the kind of thing Tarantino can only dream of. Relentlessly gory, startlingly meanspirited, and grimly hilarious, it’s brutal, bravura filmmaking that will leave you breathless. What I'm Expecting: Why Don’t You Just Die! seems like it’s going for a reverse home-invasion narrative. One in which the ‘victim’ has invited the would-be attackers into their home. This kind of film is always an interesting one because it means we never really know who to root for. The person we’re supposed to sympathise with can quite quickly become the villain; likewise, the apparent antagonist can become the victim or hero of the piece. It can lead to an interesting dynamic, one that worked really well for Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe. I’d absolutely like something like that, perhaps with a dash of Ready or Not’s satisfyingly twisted sense of humour.

★★★★ Directed by: #JosephMorel Starring: #MatthewTaylor, #BethanyHolmes and #BenjaminPrendergast Short Film Review by: Shrubaboti Bose Opening with a close-up of the face of the actor, A Portrait immediately captures the attention of the audience with its candour and confrontational attitude. While the dialogue appears to be directly addressed to us breaking the fourth wall, it stops being a performance and becomes something close to an interaction because of the protagonist’s uninterrupted gaze straight into the camera and his continuous use of the pronoun ‘you’. The director plays with the story, dialogues are repeated like a chorus in a song, hindering our narrow one-dimensional interpretations and giving us instead multiple alternate possibilities. Could it be that the protagonist is talking to himself rather than us? The film experiments with the narrative form and cinematic language. It encourages us to question what we are led to believe at face value. The focus is mainly on the acting and sound effects. The particular absence of any sound during the opening scene brings extra emphasis on the dialogues, creating a strange sense of tension with the grainy noise of skin against skin, as he forcefully rubs his palm against his temples. He keeps his passive aggressive nature mostly restrained but the energy is palpable just under the skin. When he starts hitting his own forehead, there is no blood involved yet the effect of such violence is psychological and far more disturbing than seeing blood on screen. During those ultimate outbursts when he kills other people, we are left with a queasy feeling in the pit of our stomach, the acting is so convincing. In this short film, Joseph Morel takes us on an interesting journey to explore a person’s intimate thoughts and beliefs about the world around him as well as his own opinions of himself. However, as the name suggests, A Portrait also serves as a biographical reflection of the character or perhaps reflects a universal phenomenon of identity crisis. Often the character and the viewer’s identity merges together, the dividing line separating the two blends and fades away, creating confusion and philosophical doubts about the ‘self’. The movie asks questions without giving us answers, it unravels like a puzzle that becomes more and more obscure. The meaning is not important, the unraveling is. We notice the underlying theme of self-loathing and disgust for what he has become; the character himself, helpless at the hands of his creator as if controlled by some unknown force tries to understand his actions but fails. He has lost his sense of purpose in life. He mocks the audience saying, “You think you know… but you don’t”. He is in effect, mocking himself. As viewers we constantly play a dual role, both as his audience and as a mirror against which he tries to see himself. It’s a wonderful study of the working of the human mind.

Runtime: 95 mins Directed by: #ThePierceBrothers Starring: #JohnPaulHoward, #PiperCurda, #ZarahMahler, #JamisonJones, #AzieTesfai, #KevinBigley Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: A defiant teenage boy, struggling with his parents’ imminent divorce, faces off with a thousand year-old witch, who is living beneath the skin of and posing as the woman next door. Grimmfest say: The Pierce Brothers’ previous feature, the dudebro zombie stoner comedy DEADHEADS, was a big hit at Grimmfest a few years back. This is something rather different – an old school coming-of-age horror, set in the present day, but with a mid-80s prologue which very much sets the tone of the whole. The careful pace, the character detail, the ways in which the horror at the film’s heart seems to reflect the protagonist’s own fears and desires, all seem to belong to an earlier era. Imagine what Stephen King might have done with the set up of William Friedkin’s oddball cult classic THE GUARDIAN, and you might have some idea of what to expect. But don’t come along simply expecting to wallow in comforting horror nostalgia – the film has some sharp teeth of its own. What I'm Expecting: The Wretched looks to be all kinds of Stephen King: from the 80s feel to the coming-of-age story hidden behind a veil of horror. It’s tempting to presume The Wretched will attempt to replicate the recent success of Andy Muschietti’s It. And while I love that film and would like to see someone else take on a similar story, the Pierce brothers need to make enough distance so that their film can stand on its own two feet. Personally, I’d just like an actually scary horror film. Not only full of jump scares, but something genuinely scary; unnerving and uncomfortable. We’ll have to wait until the 5th of October to find out, which seems like an agonisingly long time. But I have a good feeling about this one.

★★★★ Directed by: #AbigailScollay Written by: #JonathanJude, #AudeDePallieres Starring: Jonathan Jude, Aude De Pallieres LGBT Film Review by: Benjamin Schofield Looking at that bold, yellow typeface set on a fun, red background, you might expect that this film is a comedy. The title card creates a suggestion of whimsy and wackiness. However, the film doesn’t match this tone at all. You might be wondering why I’m bothering to point this out and if it really matters and the answer is probably not, but its one of the only problems I had about the film. From the outset, its uncomfortable and awkward and a little shady and seedy. A boy and a girl meet up in a hotel room – if you’ve ever watched anything before, you’ll know that some dodgy stuff is about to go down. You’re probably even thinking that it’s a bit cliché, but aha! You’ve been fooled. This is not your basic hotel room dodgy dealings; Him and Her uses this established trope to subvert your expectations and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a twist – it’s a short film, there’s always got to be a twist. Given the wacky title card, I was expecting the twist to be that they weren’t there for sex but instead they had built a time machine or were about to commit a heist, and the tone was about to completely shifted and they were going to get up to all kinds of wacky hijinks, and honestly I was here for it, but I’m much happier with the direction they ended up going in. I don’t want to spoil it for you, but the twist allows for Him and Her to explore some pretty interesting stuff. Suddenly you’re questioning why it all seemed so shady and dirty and uncomfortable and it opens up questions about its subject matter that I feel have been under-addressed. Ah, piss, I can’t really talk about it without spoiling it. If you have problems with spoilers just know it’s a good film, the acting is fine at best, the editing is good, the cinematography is very nice, it all looks very good and it feels very insightful into the human psyche and stuff, you should go watch it. Review over. Now, for the rest of you, the twist is that he’s asked her there to help him put on women’s clothes and makeup. It’s unclear if they are a transwoman, a cross-dresser, non-binary, or something else, which is great because the characters themselves don’t seem to really know. This is a young person, confused and lost and discovering themselves, and whether you’re transgender or have ever questioned your identity or sexuality or just been alive, it’s a really powerful little film. #BenjaminSchofield

Runtime: 87 mins Directed by: #RichardBatesJr. Starring: #RobertPatrick, #AmandaCrew, #KimDelaney Grimmfest Feature by: Darren Tilby Synopsis: A young woman decides to spend a few quiet days in the countryside after losing her job and having her latest complicated relationship implode. Unfortunately the old-fashioned widower she rents a house from is in the middle of a psychopathic breakdown. Grimmfest say: Grimmfest favourite Ricky Bates, Jr makes a welcome return with a typically esoteric and mischievous take on clashing cultural values in Trump’s increasingly disUnited States, pitching a snottily entitled millennial from Los Angeles against a deranged rural baby boomer out to Destroy All Snowflakes in the name of Making America Great Again. Boasting blistering dialogue, and anchored by winning lead performances from the generationally mismatched antagonists, the film’s laconic, freewheeling narrative style, full of beautifully judged incidental detail, recalls classic 70s American cinema at its most engaging. Except when it throws a curveball of casual cruelty, just to keep things challenging. All this plus Bates regulars Ray Wise and AnnaLynne McCord in characteristically eccentric cameos, means it’s likely to be one of this year’s hottest tickets. And deservedly so. What I'm Expecting: With Tone-Deaf I’m hoping the horror element comes mostly from the uncomfortable relevance with which it plays out. But the film will have to have its wits about it; it’s not enough to just be cruel or nasty. To really succeed, Tone-Deaf needs to cleverly satirise the current political climate, and convert that to a horror setting––not much of a stretch of the imagination. I suppose Tone-Deaf could have inflexions of Psycho or The Shining to it, which certainly wouldn’t be a bad thing. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing Robert Patrick (a criminally underappreciated actor) take on another villainous role.

★★ Directed by: #RatnadeepRay & #JayashreeGhosh Starring: N/A Short Film Review by: Jasmine Holly Bullock Shankha: The Art After Death is a short #documentary directed by Ratnadeep Ray and Jayashree Ghosh. The documentary was originally part of a student project and aimed to explore the religious and ritual importance of conch shells, or Shankha as their known in India. The documentary also looks at the business that conch shells provide in India, such as conch bangle and conch trumpet making. In terms of #cinematography, although there were some nice shots, I do wish that the transitions were smoother and didn’t always jump from scene to scene so abruptly. The same goes for the music, the fades weren’t always smooth and music would cut in and out too quickly. Also, I’m pretty sure that there was a moment where I could clearly hear where the music had been looped; small details like this can be a little bit jarring for an audience member who notices it... and it was very noticeable. Some of the music featured was quite lovely, specifically the flute instrumentals. However, a lot of the time it seemed like generic music was added just to fill the silence of scenes, which I don’t think it was necessary. Silence isn’t always a bad thing, and other things could have been used as audio, such as interviewees giving their opinions as workers or customers. Only one person was interviewed about their involvement in the conch shell trade; not interviewing additional people seems like a missed opportunity. The subject that Ray and Ghosh chose was an interesting one because it isn’t something that I’ve seen researched before for the purpose of a film. Therefore, I had hoped that there would have been more detailed information provided to viewers, but there wasn’t much more than the bare minimum. There were great explanations of the traditional importance of Shankha, so the cultural knowledge provided was great but other aspects lacked. For example, there was a brief mention of how the conch industry is in rapid decline due to the increase of ‘modernisation and technological advancement’. A further explanation of this and even taking a look at the financial side of the conch shell business would have been interesting. As much as I appreciated the sentiment of Shankha: The Art After Death, I think more detail was needed, especially considering that it is a documentary and it’s purpose is to educate thoroughly. With an approximate 9 minute run, time was definitely available to give viewers more facts, maybe they could have cut some of the gratuitous background music!

★★★ Directed by: #WeissMajewski Written by: Weiss Majewski, #JurijusMajauskas, #DanielOrlovski Starring: #PavelMajauskas, Weiss Majewski Short Film Review by: #AmberJackson Conceived and created by Weiss Majewski, The Case is a short film that explores suspense, suspicion and scrutiny – whilst there is confusion over what is actually occurring. Set entirely on an abandoned-looking farm, Pavel Majauskas plays the part of a solitary man who seems to almost exist outside of the real world. He is a seemingly simple man, yet appears unsettled within his own home, always on edge, staring out of the window. This all becomes clear when a man in a suit (Majewski himself) arrives and entrusts the protagonist with a case. In equal measures of unsettling drama and quiet mystery, viewers are thrown into scenes of intense questioning and puzzlement over what exactly is in the case. The score to this film is what makes it stand apart. At the beginning, it has a feel to it that resembling ‘Stranger Things’ in its choice of electro-synth-like music that continues throughout. Music cuts in and out continuously, from a sci-fi vibe to the sharp, unsettling noises of elements such as animals, ripping paper and radio static. These loud intermissions maintain high levels of intensity throughout; the varying textures of sound creates a multi-layered creepy atmosphere to the film. As a viewer, you never feel quite at ease with the cutting in and out of sound, making for an unsatisfying, yet fascinating, watch. #Cinematography, too, provokes discomfort and awe in equal measures. The camerawork is intense and purposeful, whilst still managing to maintain an ingenious and creative flair. Camera operators Weiss Majewski and Jurijus Majauskas do well in including varying camera shots and different camera angles within a scene to immerse the audience fully. It makes the film feel uncomfortable and almost alien at times. Daniel Orlovski’s lighting techniques fashions each scene to adopt incredible contrasting colours, each shot simultaneously eerie and technically effective. This, with jump-cut editing, adds to the feel of never being allowed to quite feel an emotion before being untimely ripped into the next scene – physically, even, as the protagonist tears each day from the calendar. At first, lack of dialogue is effective and makes for even more uncomfortable viewing. It works as a film without words, as other elements make up for it. However, after the first several minutes, there is dialogue dubbed over the actors speaking. This unfortunately takes the viewer out of the suspense, as the two actors speaking is not at all necessary and the story could do without it – because either way, there is no clarity. The object in question looks like a laptop bag, but what exactly it contains and the consequences of opening it, remains unclear to the viewer. The uncertainty continues, violence randomly inserting itself, making it near-comical. It prompts questions over what the story is and what relationship the characters have to each other. The story ends confusedly, prompting consideration over if the film perhaps has a greater focus on editing and production, than it does plot. The Case is ultimately a very well-produced film and it will be exciting to see how the film is received. It could do with several small elements of production, such as the dialogue situation, being tidied up to make for a completely immersive experience. Above all else, it will be great to see more of what Weiss Majewski makes in the future. The Case is currently available to rent on the UK Film Channel - click the image below to go there now.

★★★★ Directed by: #MattBettinelliOlpin, #TylerGillett Written by: #GuyBusick, #RyanMurphy Starring: #SamaraWeaving, #AdamBrody, #MarkOBrien, #HenryCzerny, #AndieMacDowell Film Review by: #NathanialEker Weddings can be murder; the dress doesn’t fit, the cake is the wrong flavour, and your husband’s entire family wants to brutally slaughter you. Thus is the central conceit of Ready or Not. Modern #horror tends to favour bleak stories and jump scares these days, so perhaps it’s no surprise that this B-movie inspired flick is a welcome breath of fresh air. On the surface, it appears tactless, simple, and obtuse, but give this bride a chance and you’ll find razor sharp writing and a fast-paced, intense thriller wrapped up in a bloody wedding bow. While billed as a horror-comedy, Ready or Not keeps its tongue fully in cheek; it’s pure bloody satire, ripping the clichés of its over-serious horror roots to shreds with a blood-soaked smile and a knowing wink. Grace is marrying Alex, whose uber wealthy family secretly make up a cult so ludicrously evil that they’d make the Manson Family blush. For only vaguely explained reasons, the family must play a game whenever a new member marries in. Grace draws Hide and Seek, one of only a few games of life or death, a plot point that exists purely to explain the extended family being alive. The family must now hunt Grace through their mansion and sacrifice her by dawn, lest they suffer a grisly fate. And you thought your in-laws were bad. Amusingly, the plot is the kind of thing that mainstream studios would likely sell as a serious chase thriller; a lone woman is stalked by a pack of killers in an isolated location; it’s pretty done to death. Fortunately, Ready or Not knows this and revels in it by making every horror reference possible shy of the characters outright stating ‘we’re in a horror movie.’ In that sense, it’s a modern-day Scream. Nullifying the horror further is the choice to align us with the family as well as our protagonist. Being a slasher’s back seat killer creates wonderful behind the scenes comedy as the villains constantly critique genre staples; ‘we thought masks were a little too 80s,’ though it does remove any semblance of intimidation. The premise allows for great set design; never-ending halls offer an impressive array of hiding places, though there is a disappointing lack of environment influenced kills. The few kills present utilise a healthy level of gore, though that smaller budget starts to rear its ugly head like an ex at a wedding, as unconvincing CGI blood geysers are more Sharknado esque than the film would like them to be. Equally, in Grace’s moments of peril, it’s difficult to fully empathise with her as (through no fault of the brilliantly sassy Samara Weaving), we never quite feel the impact of her physical pain, due in part to weak sound design. The editing doesn’t lend much of a severed hand either, as what should be the most intense moments of conflict are often difficult to see, due to choppy cuts and a camera that flails around like it’s a found footage film. Fortunately, the film’s greatest strength, its comedic writing, is ably supported by a hilarious cast. While it would be wrong to describe any character as deep, they all consistently bring the giggles with animated, over the top performances. Questioning how to operate a crossbow or accidentally killing several of the cleaning staff could’ve been cringe inducing in the hands of less skilled actors, but almost all of the family bring a hyper stylised approach that lets their personalities pop with cartoonish flare. Even moments of character development, which could’ve easily jarred with the surreal tone, only serve to make these absurdly evil people all the more laughable. Stand outs include Kristian Bruun as the wonderfully apathetic Fitch, and Melanie Scrofano, whose childlike portrayal of Emilie makes her uselessness in battle all the more amusing. Less exciting is Mark O’Brien as the groom. Compared with the energetic charisma of his compelling wife, he’s a bit dull, failing to serve as either a properly engaging straight man or as another string to the comedic cast crossbow. Ultimately, he regrettably offers little more than acting as handsome set dressing. In review, Ready or Not is a delightfully silly surprise. Through a simple premise and a whole-hearted embrace of tone, directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett have crafted a stylised and smart cult comedy that pokes endless gory fun at the horror genre. The writing is sharp witted and most of the core cast prove to be strong entertainers, with glorious pantomime acting. Satirical, quick witted, and fast-paced, Ready or Not is ready for you to walk down the aisle of your nearest cinema and say ‘I do’ to a ticket. You won’t have any regrets.

★★ Directed by #StephenCognetti Written by #StephenCognetti Starring #GabrielChytry #ElizabethVermilyea #SamKazzi Film Review by #BrandonThomas I’m an easy mark for found footage movies. When done well, their use of unseen horror gets under my skin like no other kind of scary movie. There’s a heart-pounding anticipation prevalent in these movies that tends to hit everything I find terrifying. Of course, this reaction comes with good found footage movies. Does Hell House LLC 3: Lake of Fire rank up there with the greats? Yeah… not so much. Right before its demolition, Russell Wynn (Gabriel Chytry) swoops in to buy the infamous Abaddon Hotel. He’s young, showy, rich… and full of potentially bad ideas, such as using the hotel as the venue for his popular interactive show, “Insomniac.” Along for the ride is a journalist and her camera crew, a handful of actors for the show, and Russell’s dedicated, but ultimately naive, staff. The original Hell House LLC delivered a budget-friendly, but fun, offering into the found footage canon. The filmmakers weren’t reinventing the wheel, but they understood what they could produce with the premise and money available to them. Director Stephen Cognetti’s knowledge of how to make basic scares work lifted the film to a higher level. The slow-building of dread is a staple in this genre. It’s what gets the audience to squirm well before the proverbial shit hits the fan. Hell House LLC 3 peaks early with its scares and doesn’t quite finds its footing again. The climax ends up being more chaotic than scary with conveniently placed camerawork being substituted for well-placed frights. The film truly stumbles by relying too heavily on the installments that came before. There’s far too much time spent building a mythology that brings in characters from the other two movies. As a result, Hell House LLC 3 never gets to work as a singular piece of filmmaking. Outside of a few clever scares, this third installment in the Hell House LLC series never manages to rise above being a middling effort.