By: Elizabeth Malloy

In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. However, as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Los Angeles, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.

[image] maxxxine

“I will not accept a life that I do not deserve”, should be rephrased to “I will not accept a movie that I do not deserve.” MaXXXine is the final installment of Ti West's “X Trilogy” starring Mia Goth. After the provocative and acclaimed horror films that were X and Pearl, my expectations for MaXXXine were through the roof. Yet surprisingly enough, I found myself disappointed with MaXXXine, as it felt remarkably safe and undercooked.

Let me explain the positives before I get all downer on this film. I love the fact that MaXXXine is stuffed to the brim with genre nods of the 80s. From the beautifully done practical gore effects to the bright fake blood, it has all the elements of a fun B horror movie. And when the film embraces these fun, campy elements, it’s at its best. Giancarlo Esposito and Kevin Bacon easily give the best performances as they fully embrace the camp of their characters. Furthermore, MaXXXine has some of the best needle drops of the year as you jam to some of the best hits of the mid-eighties. However, once you get past the glitz and glamour, the film feels undercooked, and that is because of Maxine herself.

Maxine is not a particularly compelling character in MaXXXine. This is no fault of Mia Goth as she does the best with what she has to work with, but she is woefully underutilized as Maxine becomes a non-character. She is either running from someone or is just wandering around, she has no interesting character traits outside of a few scenes. She doesn’t feel like a character in this world. When her friends are being murdered, she is emotionally voided and her avoiding the help from the police just makes it even worse. Then when she finally reacted to one of the deaths, I felt nothing as their relationship had no development, and the film never put an effort to develop it. Yes, the deaths were well executed, no pun intended, but the aftermath was voided of any emotional stakes.

At least the story did some of the heavy lifting in terms of giving the film some stakes, or at least for the first two acts. The first two acts are a wonderfully fun blend of neo-noir, B horror, and stoner comedy, that was compelling to watch. Even though, I could see the twist coming from miles away, it was still an interesting mystery. Then the final act came which nearly derailed the entire movie. What initially started as an unsettling twist immediately turned into a corny cliche, that was hard to take seriously.

Overall, MaXXXine has a severe identity crisis that relies on nostalgia and great practical effects to do the heavy lifting as its story, theme, and characters are just left behind. MaXXXine is a disappointing ending to what could have been one of the best film trilogies in recent memory, but instead, it fumbled the ball and became a half-baked idea.

My Rating: C

By: Elizabeth Malloy

Oddity

When Dani is brutally murdered at her remote country house, everyone suspects a patient from a mental health institution, but her sister thinks otherwise.

[image] oddity

It is rare for a horror movie to actually frighten me, but when they do they will leave me in a cold sweat as I lie in bed afraid to fall asleep. Oddity managed to terrify me as it combined two horrors that send chills down my spine, home invasion and paranormal horror. This unsettling combination managed to get under my skin as the film atmosphere washed over me with horror. Albeit, it is somewhat reliant on jumpscares, but the build-up to some of them will leave you pushing the back of your seat in terrifying anticipation. Easily one of the best horror films of the year thus far and I highly recommend it.

My Rating: A-

Coming to Theaters July 19th.

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Sebastian

Max, a 25-year-old aspiring writer living in London, begins a double life as a sex worker in order to research his debut novel.

[image] sebastian

Sebastian is a film that I am deeply conflicted about. I appreciate that this film attempts to humanize sex workers and the lengths someone will go to for perfection. However, I am also frustrated by this film as it plays it safe with its material and the main character's obsession for publication doesn’t feel as fleshed out as it could have been. Max is 25 years old and is desperate to get published because he feels like his career is over if he doesn’t. On paper, this is a fascinating tale about the obsession with fame and perfection, as Max goes full method writing to draw inspiration. But in execution, it feels like an undercooked exploration of these themes. I respect the fact that it attempts to humanize sex workers, but it sadly plays it safe with this thematic exploration. There are beautiful pieces in that story, especially with Jonathan Hyde’s character, but it feels like it doesn’t tell us anything we don’t know. Lots of potential, but mixed-in execution.

My Rating: C+
Coming to Theaters August 9th. ***************************************

Red Rooms

The high-profile case of serial killer Ludovic Chevalier has just gone to trial, and Kelly-Anne is obsessed as she attempts to uncover the truth.

[image] red rooms

True crime ladies are running crazy in Pascal Plante's Red Rooms. Red Rooms is a dark and twisted psychological thriller that dives into the deep world of the dark web and true crime. From the opening take of the trial to the final frame, the film has a death grip on you. Through its eerie atmospheric direction, we dive into the mind of a serial killer groupie. In this character study, it does not shy away from the power of morbid curiosity of the grotesque, painting a raw and unflinching portrait of a woman who is willing to risk everything to get her hands on the infamous missing video of one of the killer's victims. Overall, one of the best films I have seen this year, and is easily one of the most disturbing.

My Rating: A-

Coming Soon to Theaters

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Good One

On a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills, 17-year-old Sam contends with the competing egos of her father and his oldest friend.

[image] good one

Spoilers Ahead!!!!!!!

I was, for the most part, enjoying Good One, a simple film about a father and daughter, and his best friend enjoying a weekend hiking through the remote wilderness. It was simple, heartwarming, and funny. I enjoyed the performances and the beautiful cinematography. That enjoyment sadly halted when this one scene happened that pissed me off so much that it turned me away from the film entirely. If the film had done a better job setting up that scene. It could have worked. But you are telling me that the father who scolded his best friend for putting his daughter in danger for bringing food into his tent in bear country, is completely dismissive when his best friend hits on his daughter? WTF. I understand the point the film is trying to make, but it felt like it skewed some of its character logic to get its point across. Again if the character relationships were better set up, the reaction to it all could have worked, but it felt lazily put together.

My Rating: B-
Coming to Theaters August 9th.

Montreal is about to transform into a cinematic wonderland as the 28th Edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival begins on July 18th and runs through August 4th. Known for its electric mix of genre films, Fantasia remains a beacon for horror, fantasy, science fiction, and cult cinema enthusiasts. This year’s lineup promises an exhilarating ride, brimming with innovative storytelling, groundbreaking debuts, and a celebration of visionary filmmakers from around the globe. Here are some of the films that I am most excited about.

Bookworm

The festival opens up with a rather unusual pick, Bookworm, a family film about Mildred (Nell Fisher, Evil Dead Rise), an avid bookworm whose world is turned upside down when her absent father, Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy), comes to take care of her after a family crisis. In an attempt to bond, the pair set out into the New Zealand wilderness to look for the elusive, Canterbury Panther.

If you want to know the quickest way to my wallet, cast Lord of the Rings alumni and my butt will be in a theater ASAP. Bookworm is the sophomore directorial outing for Ant Timpson, who previously directed the cult horror comedy, Come to Daddy, also starring Elijah Wood.
However, instead of diving back into the horror genre, Timpson decided to make a family film that echoes films such as Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Bookworm looks adorable and heartwarming, and I can’t wait to see it. But I will say that I am not mentally prepared to see Elijah Wood play a failed middle-aged father because I swear he was a teenager just last year.

The Beast Within

Another film that is making its world premiere is The Beast Within. Starring Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones), we follow a father who desperately tries to control a secret as his family begins to suspect something may be wrong with him as a monstrous figure appears at night.

I have been a fan of Kit Harrington since Game of Thrones, and I am glad that he is starting to pursue other projects to break his Jon Snow type casting, I believe horror is a great place for him to start. Furthermore, I am always down for some classic werewolf horror, as it is a tale that is as old as time. The Beast Within appears to have a beautiful gothic atmosphere, which perfectly pairs with some werewolves.

Azrael

In the post-apocalyptic future, Azrael (Samara Weaving, Ready or Not), and Kenan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Femme) make a daring escape to evade their capture. However, after falling back into the clutches of evil, Azrael learns that she will be sacrificed to appease an ancient evil that lurks in the shadows of the trees. Not willing to become demon food, Azrael fights tooth and nail to secure her and Kenan’s freedom in E.L. Katz’s (Cheap Thrills), Azrael.

When I was first introduced to Samara Weaving in the 2019 horror comedy, Ready or Not, Weaving immediately became one of my favorite scream queens and has continued her reign with Azrael. With the film being a strange mashup between Mad Max: Fury Road and Evil Dead, Weaving appears to be ready for the challenge as she continues her reign as one of the most underrated scream queens in Hollywood.

Shelby Oaks

When the popular YouTube series Paranormal Paranoids ceased production when Riley Brennan and her three co-hosts disappeared near the deserted town of Shelby Oaks, Ohio in 2008, conspiracy theories ran rampant over the years. However, no one is more determined to get to the truth than Riley’s sister, Mia (Cammilla Sullivan), who finally agrees to tell Riley’s story to a documentary film crew (Emily Bennett and Rob Grant) in the hopes of finding closure. However, this closure leads to shocking events that lead Mia back to where it all began, Shelby Oaks.

If you are unaware, Shelby Oaks is the directorial and writing debut of YouTube creator and film critic, Chris Stuckmann. I have been following Stuckmann for well over a decade and I am finally glad that he is finally making his first movie after a successful Kickstarter campaign. I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table and to see if his years as a film critic will prove useful as he makes his directorial and writing debut.

Cuckoo

Gretchen (Hunter Schafer, Euphoria) is taken from her divorced mother’s home in the States and is dragged halfway around the world by her father and his new wife. While in the Bavarian Alps, she works for Herr Konig (Dan Stevens, Abigail), an odd bird who initially comes across as friendly, and gives Gretchen a desk job at his hotel. On her first night on the job, unsettling things begin to happen to and around her, particularly random attacks by a freakish, screaming woman - yet Gretchen has no idea just how bizarre and dangerous things are going to get.

Hunter Schafer is an actress that I have been following ever since I was first introduced to her in HBO’s Euphoria. I greatly enjoyed her character and I’m glad she is starting to break out of her Euphoria mold and take on bigger and more unique projects. Scream Queen is a perfect place to start in Tilman Singer’s Cuckoo. With an ensemble cast that includes Dan Stevens and Jessica Henwick, Cuckoo has the makes of a future horror cult classic.

Beyond screenings, the festival is set to include several feature guest including Mike Flannagan (The Haunting of Hill House) who will be awarded the 2024 Cheval Noir Career Award for his contribution to horror and genre filmmaking. As well as interactive workshops and Q&A sessions with filmmakers. Harboring an interative community of filmmakers who love genre filmmaking.

Fantasia is not just a film festival; it's a cultural phenomenon that brings together a passionate community of film lovers. The festival fosters a vibrant atmosphere where attendees can connect, share their love for cinema, and celebrate the art of filmmaking. From impromptu discussions in the festival lounge to meet-and-greets with directors, Fantasia creates a unique space for cultural exchange and cinematic exploration.

As the Fantasia International Film Festival 2024 approaches, anticipation is reaching fever pitch. With its compelling lineup of premieres, tributes to legendary filmmakers, and commitment to diversity and innovation, this year’s festival is set to be an unforgettable celebration of genre cinema. Whether you're a seasoned festival-goer or a first-time attendee, Fantasia promises a captivating journey into the fantastical, the eerie, and the extraordinary.

Mark your calendars and prepare for a festival experience like no other. Fantasia 2024 is ready to dazzle, disturb, and delight audiences, reaffirming its status as one of the most exciting and influential film festivals in the world.