Absintian's Horror Reviews and Thoughts

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...