Absintian's Horror Reviews and Thoughts

The Boogeyman 2023 is a new interpretation of the boogeyman legend done a multitude of times in the past. Compared to those older entries this one focuses on the characters and their problems that the boogeyman is the catalyst to healing. The handling of grief when losing a parent at a young age and how the world reacts is written well. Meanwhile, the entity itself is not managed as well as the therapy. Will and his two daughters are stuck managing their own grief of their mother’s death. They are alone as everyone else around them, including the therapists, seem to act on script with little assistance to them. Will is a therapist himself and shows the greatest inability to manage. He can dispense help to his clients, but he himself has turned to the bottle. Going through the motions of being a good father, yet his discussions of the event leading to his wife’s death are few and especially not to his kids. Sawyer, the youngest, is having nightmares of something in her closet and other ...

Is it Good House Hunting is a solidly built supernatural thriller of two families trapped within an isolated house. While the circumstances are paranormal the effects the house has on the families are the primary focus. There is enough characterization in the first half that lets the subsequent breakdown of their relationships hit harder. The building tension breaks out into a great finale with a few surprises to cap it off.   Plot Emma Hayes is forced to go on a House Hunting trip at her father’s request. She is not happy about going with her stepmother Susan, but she keeps quiet.  As they look at homes a strange man requests to take a look at a house on the market. It is isolated, within budget and located on a very large lot that entices them to take a look.   On arrival, the house appears a little disheveled and has multiple pre-recorded message boxes around it explaining the rooms and features.  On leaving they meet up with the second family interested in the home, the Johnsons. A...

Is It Good A solid possession story with a twist of perspective. Rather than multiple supernatural occurrences and jump scares we witness Joel’s fears manifest. This film keeps the tropes of possession movies, but instead we witness how Joel is affected while he must stand by as his son is threatened by the entity.    The Plot The Assent is about Joel, a father, doing what he can after his wife’s tragic death. He has gotten his schizophrenia under control with medication and regular visits to his therapist. He has a job that pays enough to keep a babysitter on hand to take care of his son, Mason. When his son starts seeing hallucinations himself, Joel is there to help him cope. The babysitter broadsides Joel by giving less than a day's notice she will not continue sitting Mason. After an intense shouting match between Joel and the babysitter, the voice that lashes from Mason stops the argument and brings into question whether the ‘imaginary friend’ is truly fake.  A priest recently...

Haley and her friends gather for a Zoom call during the COVID-19 lockdown. Alcohol is definitely involved but this call is a little special. With the help of a medium they are going to attempt a seance through the Zoom call. They don’t take it seriously from the beginning which brings the attention of a very angry entity.  The plot is standard for ghost stories like this yet the Zoom interface and multiple cameras added a new way for the haunting to be presented. The initial setup of characters and items that will be used later on felt right to get an understanding of who these characters are and their basic personalities for the purpose of the film. The runtime is shorter at just under an hour but the story progresses well without feeling rushed so this runtime felt just right. The characters did not stand out in the way of new character types, just a bunch of friends getting together but they stood out in their reactions once it’s obvious this isn’t a fun night and all felt real in t...

The latest entry in The Grudge franchise within the US has promise. The Director, Nicolas Pesce, had a solid first film. In The Eyes Of My Mother he showed he can use characters effectively to build tension while at the same time give explosive scenes of horror in a background of bleakness. The fourth film in the american version of the franchise was touted as a re-imagining of the original. This would mean we get the elements of the original Grudge with a new twist by a different director. The acting, presentation, camera work and effects were wonderful but the lack of any build or use of the themes to draw tension made this re-imagining flounder. The film is presented in a disjointed manner similar to the original Ju-On and the American version. It begins in the infamous house where a violent tragedy occurred. An american working there as a caretaker witnesses something horrific and quickly returns back home to the states. We see that she is not the same when she returns, starting th...

Andre witnesses his son being pulled by some unseen force violently from his room into the night. 10 Years later, Andre has researched and developed a drug to hopefully look into the afterlife to find who or what took his son. For the final test of his serum he invites his team to a large home where they can monitor the effects of the drug as all of them take it. As the night progresses they find that the serum also lets the other side see them as an especially nasty entity, the smiling man, makes itself known. The characters, other than Andre, seem to only be there to serve the plot’s purpose. Within the first few moments of seeing these assistants on screen they display their use in the plot, one to be scientific, then artistic, and finally the philosopher. With only so much to work with, the actors did their best to try and bring these characters beyond what they were written as. There is no way to grow in the story so they end up being there to carry it. Andre is the only character...

Ann is a social worker newly assigned to a family who has been on benefits for a long while. The adult son of the family is debilitated mentally, stuck in his infant stages. His Mother and sisters take care of him as any child would need to be. Ann’s goal is to assess Baby and find whether he would benefit from programs that could potentially assist him into society. When she arrives she is greeted calmly and well by the family. As she interacts further with Baby, she starts to fear that his mental disability may have outside sources.  Ann’s and Mrs Wadsworth’s relationship is the highlight of the film. With two great actresses together you can feel the tension between them. When Ann is attempting to show Mrs Wadsworth that Baby is capable of handling instructions to get a ball and toss it back to her. Now that Wadsworth is standing right there, the shifting camera from Baby to Mrs Wadsworth’s scornful gaze highlights what happens. Baby becomes reclusive again, ignoring Ann.  Baby is t...

The Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books are the primary reason I like reading today. I would always check these books out any chance I could especially when I would be going to camp. The trilogy of books are collections of folklore, myths, urban legends and rhymes that were reimagined for easier reading without lessening the macabre themes. Add in a very talented artist to generate haunting ink drawings to accompany each story, a few of them even now I get chills looking at, and you have a classic anthology series.  When I heard that Guillermo Del Toro was going to produce a movie I was ecstatic. Guillermo has a talent for paying proper attention to what his source material is made of aesthetically and to use that for his films. Look at Crimson Peak for an example trying to bring out the classic Ghost story mixed with Italian giallo film. So if anyone could make a good rendition of the Scary Stories series it would be him. I’m happy to say that the crew hit that mark. With some sma...

Once upon a time in a Haunted house presents the story of an illegal immigrant taking a job at an unassuming home. She very quickly finds out that her job there is not a standard maid job and with her son in need of medical attention she will have to give the house what it wants.   The story plays out in a non-linear fashion, with the opening and closing sequences being a month after her arrival while the middle sections show us the day of her arrival at the house. The dark humor of the title cards adds a fun contrast to the film’s tension and oppressive themes. A moment of levity that doesn’t interfere with the overall tone.    The characters are all solidly fleshed out with only some small dialogue issues with a secondary character. The lead displays a good range from naive and fearful to seductive and predatory. We are given ample time within the short film to get to know her so her story is properly told. The clothing she wears and lighting on her to bring out her status within the...

After a zombie virus outbreak London is considered a no-man's land. The potential cure or way to stop the spread of the virus is found by a scientist who has holed himself up within London. A team of international special forces is sent in to locate and bring the scientist out so research can continue. They soon find the zombies are more than just learning, they have progressed to organizing into armies of their own and using weapons. The premise is good for a blood soaked action film with the use of both guns and martial arts. What we get is a wandering plot with action scenes that barely spark even a little adrenaline.    The characters are given such a small introduction it felt like the movie wanted us to sit back and not care about the character’s emotional well being. The creators had other plans. This movie wants you to care for the characters but without a lead in and time for us to bond with these soldiers this information came spoon fed in tangent scenes that only served ...

Larissa and Matt move into a new home to prepare for the arrival of their baby. The next door neighbors, a mother and her disabled daughter, are very reclusive but the couple do their best to greet them. Larissa begins noticing the neighbors acting very strange, especially Isabelle. The film focuses on Larissa’s growing paranoia as Isabelle always can be seen staring at her through her bedroom window, rightfully unnerving. When Isabelle begins appearing inside the house with increasing malice Larissa’s mental state starts faltering. The couple attempt to find out what is going on and whether Larissa’s fears are truly just her nerves or something supernatural. In most films involving paranormal events only one character ever experiences the lead is never believed or thought to be going mad. This film walks this line without fully diving into the trope. Matt thinks at first it is stress induced but realistically attempts to assist Larissa. He first asks the doctor for antidepressants, bu...

A group of investigators stake out a night within the Potter Street Station in Saginaw, Michigan. This is a documentary in the vein of Ghost hunters and similar shows but a full movie. The investigators split up to go into different locations of the station. This movie is a catalogue of their findings including some full visible apparitions and movements along with a decent amount of EVP. The editing is workable for a show like this but there are moments where an event would occur and the replays would be inconsistent. EVPs you may get a couple replays while a quick movement or apparition may get more to the point of redundancy. One sequence had something cross a doorway, there were 4 full replays with one of those zoomed in and slow motion. This was overly excessive and felt very much like a slog. Other sequences had an event occurring right during the cut, which supposedly if everyone had separate cameras and recordings we should have seen the lead up to the event which is important ...

IMDB Link Summer of ‘84 follows 4 friends; Davey, Tommy, Dale and Curtis whom are enjoying their summer. The highlight of their street is the nightime game of Manhunt. One team being hunters the others being the fugitives in a neighborhood wide game of hide and seek. During this game Davey notices a kid being assisted by his neighbor, Wayne. With Wayne’s good reputation as one of the town’s police officers Davey doesn’t think much of it. When a few days later the kid is not seen again and his picture shows up on a milk carton Davey suspects Wayne is the serial killer that was featured on the TV recently. While Davey’s obsession with conspiracy theories has made most adults not believe anything he says his friends believe just enough to help him spy on Wayne to find out evidence that Davey’s theory is correct. The characters work very well with each other, the group feels like a real group of friends with no artificial drama between them. Davey’s obsession is well built as a good reason...

IMDB Link Thomas returns to his home town after receiving a tarot card in the mail, a reminder of Moira a past lover he had when he was a young. On returning home he finds his home town undergoing great changes with new apartments and old friends there shunning him as a result of past deeds. We follow him and in a flashback watch the unfolding of his relationship with Moira. She was a woman told to be a whore and witch by his home down when Thomas was young. She was said to have many lovers and walk around the house nude. This is what brought Thomas and his friends to go spy on her. After a failed attempt at this he is injured and taken in by Moira. She heals his wounds and at the same time a relationship builds between them. He begins sneaking to her home and all the while the town talks down on her, blaming her for a curse on the town. While their relationship continues he begins being suspicious of her strange behavior. This leads to a rather fiery end to their relationship and what...

IMDB Link Travis and his parents are holed up in their home in the middle of the forest. In a survival situation with an epidemic raging within the world around them. After losing his grandfather the story follows Travis having to endure the horrors of the world and fear of what is outside. His dreams show him or show his mind attempting to come to terms with these issues. When a young family comes into their home things begin going downhill quickly as the latent issues that were there before become amplified once you add more into the mix. The plot is steady and straightforward. This works well and lets the characters take the forefront. Which all of the characters are well acted and solid. This brings the plot to be more driven by the characters themselves. Their needs and ideas is what pushes them through the story as the world itself has turned into a place where staying in one spot is both preferable but at the same time very risky. The tensions between Travis’ father and the new ...