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[TIFF Review] ‘Downrange’ is Gloriously Vicious and Mean-spirited

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The result of 9/11 was years of brutal filmmaking. Out of the chaos came films like Cabin Fever, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, High Tension, Hostel, and even SAW, all of which helped give birth to what mainstream press obnoxiously referred to as “torture porn”. The pain and suffering ran its course by 2006 and set the stage for Paranormal Activity to shift filmmakers’ focus to found-footage. While James Wan’s The Conjuring universe is dominating the box office, the strain on the world is starting to infect directors once again; New Line Cinema’s IT reflects this as we can all feel the seismic shift on the horizon…horror is about to get brutal once again.

Alex Aja’s High Tension helped launch the return of hardcore horror in 2003 when it screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, and now Ryuhei Kitamura is doing the same with his Downrange, which world premiered as part of the Midnight Madness program. The premise is quite simple, stranding a carpool of teenagers on the side of the road as an enigmatic sniper targets them one-by-one.

Kitamura’s Downrange is 100% pure rage, leaving brains splattered across the hot pavement, and murdering innocent children who accidentally end up at the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s about as mean-spirited as horror can get…and it’s glorious. While typically turned off by films this dark and unforgiving, Downrange is an uncomfortable and unapologetic breath of fresh air. It feels necessary. Horror has gone soft.

[Related] All TIFF 2017 News and Reviews!

This premise is nothing new, with Ti West having shot out Trigger Man in 2007, while Mickey Keating more recently took aim at Sundance audiences with his Carnage Park (2016). Downrange is better than both, pushing the boundaries of what’s capable in a single location. Kitamura begins eviscerating people within minutes and uses simple logic to introduce more fresh meat throughout the picture. There’s a firestorm of bullets and flesh that make it one of the bloodiest films in recent memory. What was remarkable, however, was how engaging it all is. It’s loaded with nonstop thrills that will have audiences on the edge of their seats until the shocking conclusion.

If there’s actual social commentary in Downrange is debatable, but in the current climate, it gets a pass. (At least it’s not actively trying to hurt the audience.) It’s been awhile since we’ve seen anything with this much grit and guts, with Kitamura digging down deep to deliver a punch that’s going to knock audiences right on their asses.

Horror movie fanatic who co-founded Bloody Disgusting in 2001. Producer on Southbound, V/H/S/2/3/94, SiREN, Under the Bed, and A Horrible Way to Die. Chicago-based. Horror, pizza and basketball connoisseur. Taco Bell daily. Franchise favs: Hellraiser, Child's Play, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Scream and Friday the 13th. Horror 365 days a year.

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SCREAMBOX Investigates UFOs and Extraterrestrials: Several Documentaries Streaming Right Now!

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As someone who is obsessed with UFOS (or more recently known as UAPs) and the concept of extraterrestrials, I love a good documentary. Sightings have been on the rise since the 1940s, with the atomic bomb seemingly acting as a catalyst for new visitors. But what are these UFOs/UAPs? Is there an explanation or are they simply beyond our explanation? Why are they here? Who are they? How much do our governments know? The questions are endless and so are the documentaries that attempt to uncover the secrets behind decades of sightings and alleged confrontations.

Whether you’re a seasoned viewer or new to the rabbit hole, there’s always a handful of interesting documentaries to get your neurons firing and leave you with sleepless nights. SCREAMBOX is investigating with the addition of several docs, all streaming now on the Bloody Disgusting-powered service. Here’s the breakdown:

Aliens (2021): Beam into this unidentified streaming documentary for a glimpse into Extraterrestrial life. Aliens are hypothetical life forms that may occur outside Earth or that did not originate on Earth.

Aliens Uncovered: Origins (2021): Before Area 51, hidden deep in the desert, the military discovered a hidden gem that helped them create Project Bluebook.

Aliens Uncovered: ET or Man-Made (2022): The crash of Roswell wasn’t meant for New Mexico. In 1947, a neighboring state had 3 major sightings that were swept under the rug.

Aliens Uncovered: The Golden Record (2023): In the late 70s, the US government launched a message to our distant neighbors.

Roswell (2021): This high-flying documentary examines the July 1947 crash of a United States Army Air Forces balloon at a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. Theories claim the crash was actually that of a flying saucer, but what is the truth?

Also check out:

The British UFO Files (2004): Since the 1940’s the British Government has been investigating the Flying Saucer phenomenon. High-ranking military and government personnel, speak out for the first time, offering unique eyewitness accounts and inside information.

Alien Abductions and Paranormal Sightings (2016): Amazing Footage and stories from real people as they reveal their personal encounters of being abducted by Aliens.

And do not miss Hellier (2019): A crew of paranormal researchers find themselves in a dying coal town, where a series of strange coincidences lead them to a decades-old mystery.

These documentaries join SCREAMBOX’s growing library of unique horror content, including Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, Here for Blood, Terrifier 2, RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop, Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story, The Outwaters, Living with Chucky, Project Wolf Hunting, and Pennywise: The Story of IT.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.

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