Exclusives
[Review] ‘The Horror’ Is New-Wave Lynchian Storytelling
At its simplest, The Horror is about one man’s descent into an accepted madness, which I’ll get to. But The Horror isn’t a simple horror film, it isn’t really even fair to call it a straight genre flick. At a tight run time of 74 minutes (including credits), the audience is lead through events following the death of the main character’s mother. Twins, Isabelle, and Malcolm take their significant others up to their parents cabin to close it up for the winter. And then things get weird.
Side Bar: Before I go further I should mention that this story is being told to a psychiatrist by Isabelle. Actually, up until the last 15 minutes or so the entire movie is told as a flashback from her perspective. While she was around for a majority of her brother’s breakdowns, her own narcissistic personality makes her into somewhat of an unreliable narrator.
It’s implied the twins have somewhat of a psychic connection like they usually do, which makes it almost impossible for them to relate to anyone else. Too bad for their significant others because, after a painful marriage proposal went wrong and a robust showing of disregard for another person’s feelings, the twins are soon left alone at the cabin. Which, bravo for that fake out set up! Four 20 somethings go to a lake house right before winter, we expect them to get killed by a maniac in a mask. And no, I didn’t spoil you, this all occurs very early on in the movie thanks to that short run time.
The role of Malcolm, played by Raymond Creamer, has to be one of the most intense and rattling performances I’ve seen in some time. On one side, he is a regular guy that we all knew in college who was just friendly with everyone but deep down Malcolm is something much more unstable. According to Isabelle, her brother believes that human beings are born the way they are and nothing can change them. Basically, instead of every decision we make shaping us, we actually make it because of the person we are already shaped into from birth. Because of this, Malcolm doesn’t respond well to traditional social relationships and finds creeptastic solace in his twin sister. Remember that “accepted madness” thing? That’s this. Malcolm calmly slides into a psychosis without struggle because he feels that’s just nature’s course and it’s one of the more unnerving things I’ve seen in a horror film recently. As I was watching Creamer become more and more engulfed in madness I felt like I was seeing a different modern take on Norman Bates.
Mechanically The Horror fairs well despite some slightly blurred scenes here and there. The other performances throughout the film are somewhat stiff, but all showed future potential after they loosened up a bit. However, the film does want us to focus more on Malcolm and as I said, Creamer steals the show.
The Horror isn’t going to be loved by all, but it’s an extremely refreshing way of storytelling. Horror fans looking for T&A and gore should move along but if you are in the mood for something to ravage you psychological step right in. Fair warning though, it’s a slow burn so lean back and let the tension creep into the corners of your mind.
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika