Film festivals are a hectic time for both the critics covering them and the readers reading about them. It can be alienating for readers to read a non-stop barrage of reviews for films that they themselves are unable to see and may not be able to see for months. It can also be easy to lose track of these films in the months following a festival’s end.  So rather than have you track down all of the different reviews for these films, we’ve put them all* in one handy article for you to bookmark, with an overall summary of our thoughts on each film.

Your critics attending the festival this year were myself and the wonderful Meagan Navarro, with a special guest review from Meredith Borders, who managed to review Little Monsters when it premiered at Sundance back in January. Put some of these films on your radar, folks. 2019 has some gems in store for us!

The Great

Pet Sematary

From Meagan’s review:

“Kolsch and Widmyer don’t bother retreading the story we know and instead give us something far more satisfying in its own right. Instead, they give us a story so bone-chilling, so substantial, and even with a little bit of humor to alleviate the brutal blow of abject terror. It honors every bit of King’s meditation on death and grief while retaining its own identity. …Go in fresh, and let the exhilarating tale of primitive dread and anguish wash over you. It’s shocking, heartbreaking, freaking scary, and even funny.  It’s worth it.”

Trace’s thoughts: Admittedly, Pet Sematary has never been one of my favorite Stephen King novels. Neither has Mary Lambert’s film adaptation been one of my favorite horror films. As such, I walked into Pet Sematary 2019 with moderate expectations, and it was pretty much exactly what I expected it to be. The first two acts went through the motions of a standard remake (with significantly better performances than those seen in Lambert’s adaptation), but it won me over with the third act, which diverts significantly from the source material. I didn’t love Pet Sematary, but I liked it a great deal. 3.5/5

Paramount Pictures will release Pet Sematary nationwide on April 5, 2019.

Daniel Isn’t Real

From my review:

“[The film] manages to be a near-perfect combination of body horror, cosmic horror and psychological horror that gets under your skin while also finding its way into your heart…Daniel Isn’t Realis a trip, but it’s a trip you’ll want to take. An exceptional second feature from Mortimer, the film boasts two phenomenal lead performances from Robbins and Schwarzenegger, as well as some impressive effects and set design.”

Daniel Isn’t Real is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.

Miles Robbins (left) and Patrick Schwarzenegger (right) in Daniel Isn’t Real

The Very Good

Us

From my review:

“Peele’s second feature is a more straightforward horror film than its predecessor, featuring a powerhouse performance from Lupita Nyong’O and a script that beautifully merges horror and comedy. Save for some familiar plot beats, Us proves that Peele is not a one-trick pony and can excellently craft a scare (or twenty)…Blending humor and scares with some amazing actors and fantastically tense home invasion set pieces, it comes strongly recommended. “

Meagan’s thoughts: Jordan Peele solidifies himself as a unique voice in genre with his sophomore effort. It seems simple and straightforward at first glance, but there’s a depth of nuance and social commentary at play – it’s on a much larger scale this time. I agree with Trace’s assessment and score on this one.

Universal Pictures will release Us nationwide on March 22, 2019.

Villains

From my review:

“A welcome serving of pure batshit insanity that will have you laughing as often as you find yourself cringing…Villains is a hoot and a half. It opens with a manic energy that never lets up for the duration of its 88-minute runtime. Boasting four fabulous performances, a pitch-perfect tone and a rather bright and sunny aesthetic, Villains is not to be missed when it gets released.”

Meagan’s thoughts: We live for film festival surprises like these; quiet films with no prior buzz that reaffirm how much innovation lies within independent film-making. It’s also a film that rests solely on the fantastic performances of its talented cast, and is improved upon because of it. It never quite gets as crazy or daring as the set up suggests, so I’d likely put this at a 3.5, but it’s satisfying nonetheless.

Villains is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.

Little Monsters

From Meredith Borders’ Sundance review:

“This movie’s just such a fun, funny, gross, good time. It’s a refreshing combination of sweet and distasteful, with gleefully uncool (yet no less effective) needle drops including Taylor Swift, Neil Diamond and Hanson. It’s got a great look and bracing energy, leaving not a single moment for the audience to get bored of this goofy little gimmick. …Amid all the gore and the silliness, the characters – not the gags – drive this story, and that’s why it’ll stay with audiences longer than the typical fun but forgettable zombie romp.”

Trace’s thoughts: I had a lot of fun with this one! I was a little worried going in because the plot sounded awfully similar to 2015’s underwhelming Cooties, but I’m happy to report that Little Monsters doesn’t shit the bed in the third act. Josh Gad is the MVP and Lupita Nyong’o is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses. This is a big recommend from me!

Meagan’s thoughts: This horror comedy captured hearts out of Sundance, and since I tend to be a sucker for films that potentially get ballsy enough to kill children (I’m a monster), this one was instantly on my radar. In terms of zombie movies, this doesn’t do anything new. But boy is it charming, cute, and bloody. Both Lupita Nyong’O and Josh Gad make this movie something special.

NEON and Hulu have partnered to distribute Little Monsters, but no release date has been set.

Lupita Nyong’o in Little Monsters

The Good

The Curse of La Llorona

From Meagan’s review:

“The Curse of La Llorona excels at being an intimate, spooky haunted house tale. With a slightly different aesthetic, it still feels right at home in the Conjuring universe. For those completely unfamiliar with La Llorona, Chaves delivers a basic crash course that gives a tease of just how scary the tales of her have been over generations. It’s enough to sincerely hope for a sequel, if only so that La Llorona can truly get the spotlight she deserves.”

Trace’s thoughts: I’m in complete agreement with Meagan on this one.  Yes, The Curse of La Llorona is basically Jump Scare: The Movie and yes, there are tons of missed opportunities, but it’s directed extremely well by Michael Chaves and features an excellently fierce performance from Cardellini. It’s good, but not great. And it’s certainly better than Annabelle and The Nun.

Warner Bros. Pictures will release The Curse of La Llorona nationwide on April 19, 2019.

Body at Brighton Rock

From Meagan’s review:

“Body at Brighton Rock isn’t a home run for the first time feature director, but it does show an exciting level of promise for Benjamin’s future efforts. Even with an uneven story that contains elements befitting of an episode of The Twilight Zone that savvy viewers will spot a mile away, this is a capable debut that demonstrates Benjamin’s vast knowledge and passion for horror.”

Magnet Releasing will release Body at Brighton Rock in limited theaters and on VOD on April 26, 2019.

I See You

From Meagan’s review:

“I See You is a frustrating experience. It’s a great concept that’s well produced and is anchored by a talented cast. The big picture narrative is also thrilling and teases so much potential. But because the story’s unique structure is given so much time and attention, everything else is diminished in the process. Replaying the events of the first half from a different perspective is a good idea that deepens the mystery, but the execution of it means revisiting every single moment that came before; it isn’t necessary and deflates all momentum.”

Trace’s thoughts: This is probably the film I disagree with Meagan on the most. Every criticism that Meagan raises is valid and technically correct, but they didn’t bother me as much as they did her. I found I See You to be a fun little film (or films, as Meagan rightfully points out) with some clever plot twists that made for an extremely entertaining Midnighter. Yes, it’s basically a glorified Lifetime movie and it nearly buckles under the soapiness of a few too many convenient reveals in its final minutes, but it worked for me and my score would have been a 3.5/5.

I See You is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.

Helen Hunt in I See You

The Mediocre

Porno

From my review:

“Some moments will have you hooting and hollering at the screen, while others will have you rolling your eyes in annoyance. It’s an odd experience, to be sure. It’s also a frustrating one. Porno gets so much right and also gets so much wrong. For those reasons, it’s a (very) soft recommend for people who want to see some gnarly gore and chuckle a few times, especially if you’ve had a few drinks. You’ll know in the first five minutes if it’s for you or not.”

Meagan’s thoughts: There’s so much to love about this one. The style, the humor, and gore gags that are so over the top they’ll leaving you howling with laughter. While the attempt at character development are admirable, it leaves the whole thing uneven in pacing and tone. Between that and some mixed messaging on a certain character’s arc, I agree with the 2.5 score.

Porno is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.

From left to right: Glenn Scott, Jillian Mueller and Evan Daves in Porno

Darlin’

From my review:

“Darlin’, though well-directed by franchise star Pollyanna McIntosh, suffers from an underdeveloped script with odd tonal inconsistencies and some heavy-handed messaging that makes this sequel somewhat of a disappointment…[It] is clearly a passion project for McIntosh, and that passion is evident on screen. It’s just not enough to make Darlin’ wholly successful. If you are a fan of The Woman and want to see the story continued, then definitely give it a watch. Otherwise, there’s just not much here to recommend.”

Darlin’ is being repped by MPI and Dark Sky Films. No release date has been set.

The Bad

Tales From the Lodge

From Meagan’s review:

“The talented and comedic actors bring these characters to life in a very human way that keeps you invested up until the third act. Then it spirals into over the top dramatic mess with a more convoluted than necessary reveal. The juggling act between interlocking character dynamics ultimately proving to be too much. It’s a mostly charming comedy-horror film that’s very light on horror, so if you’re just looking for a laugh this should offer plenty.”

Trace’s thoughts: Overall I agree with nearly everything Meagan said, but my score would have been a whole skull lower due to a third act twist that is so incredibly misguided and offensive that it derailed the whole film for me. How is this particular plot development still a thing in 2019? I think the intention was to parody this type of twist, but something got lost in the execution because it just doesn’t work, coming off as a complete misunderstanding of a certain minority group rather than a subversion of the trope itself.

Tales From the Lodge is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.

Tone-Deaf

From my review:

“Tone-Deaf meanders along aimlessly over the course of its sluggish 86 minutes before leading into a bland showdown between its two lead characters. It’s a disappointment, to say the least, especially when you know that Bates is capable of so much more…With four films under his belt, it’s clear that Bates is better when he leans into his darker tendencies and goes for the horror in his horror-comedies. When it comes to cracking jokes (as he does in Suburban Gothic and Tone-Deaf) he isn’t as successful.”

Tone-Deaf is currently seeking distribution. No release date has been set.

Amanda Crew and Robert Patrick in Tone-Deaf

*Horror (and horror-adjacent) films not reviewed as part of our SXSW Film Festival coverage: The Girl on the Third Floor, Extra Ordinary and Hulu’s April Into the Dark entry “I’m Just Fucking With You”.