Backrooms

Hmmm. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood, but I really didn't get what the fuss was about with this. "Clark" (Chiwitel Ejiofor) is a recently divorced man who has big dreams but who is reduced to running (and sleeping in) his cheap and cheerful "Ottoman Empire" furniture emporium in small town America. The electrics in his store start playing up and upon investigation he is intrigued by a glimmer of light that appears to be emenating from beneath the basement wall! Investigating, he discovers that there is a mysterious portal into a construction that has something of an Escher drawing straight from the mind of Lewis Carroll to it. He tries to explain this discovery to his sceptical therapist (Renate Reinsve) but she thinks he's lost the plot so he engages the help of two of his employees "Kat" (Lukita Maxwell) and her boyfriend "Bobby" (Finn Bennett) to film his next exploration - and...

Well, that was interesting. This is a well made horror-drama released by A24 that, to my surprise, nabbed $81 million in its opening weekend. Both Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve give solid performances and while a few moments lost my attention, there are few great scenes particularly towards the end. Don't know where the hype came from but good for this (and Obsession) for capturing the mainstream audiences. 3.75/5

New unofficial Christmas movie unlocked. Far more complex than I thought it was going to be, especially considering it was a combination of trauma based creatures and a touch of sci-fi uncertainty. Overall a good watch, and incredibly impressive from such a young creative mind.

Anointing a young, first-time big screen director as the new filmmaking messiah of his or her particular genre is a risky undertaking, to be sure. Does the fledgling auteur have what it takes to live up to that auspicious title? Is this an ordination that’s truly warranted? It’s serious business, both for box office tallies and artistically speaking. But does the heir apparent truly possess the skills, talent and vision to achieve success on both fronts? That’s something worth considering in light of the debut feature from writer-director Kane Parsons, the force behind this aspiring smart horror release, which is quickly being praised to the hilt and drawing huge numbers in ticket sales. However, I believe that the coronation of this new voice in the genre is far from deserved and entirely premature. While it’s true that Parsons has a keen eye for the aesthetic, that’s only half the...