Showing posts with label psychological horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psychological horror. Show all posts

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Saturday is Horror Day #206 - Incident in a Ghostland

 Incident in a Ghostland


A new home often means a new life. And that is the hope of Pauline (Mylene Farmer) as she and her two daughters, Vera (Taylor Hickson) and Beth (Emilia Jones) move into a house left by Pauline's aunt. The sisters seem to be total opposites, Beth being an introvert whose only wants to write, and Vera being louder and more outspoken. Vera resents their mother for what she perceives as her preferential treatment of Beth. They stop in town before going to the house and there they learn that there is someone who is killing families - and leaving the daughters alive for their own purposes. Great way to start a new life!







They arrive at the house and find that it is creepy, with strange and unusual dolls everywhere. But before they can even get settled in their new home, the three women find themselves fighting for their lives against two strange intruders.



Sixteen years pass, and Beth receives an emergency call from Vera to come back to the house immediately.  She returns to find Vera a self-contained prisoner in the basement, unable to get past what happened to her, despite their mother's best efforts to help her. Once they are reunited, the sisters find themselves once more battling to save their lives.


This film is definitely a psychological drama with plenty of twists and turns. First, there is what happened during the original attack, which is certainly scarring on its own. Then what happens later. However, what you see isn't necessarily what you get. There are definite twists and turns in this story, but it's also confusing. And I felt it was almost a story in search of a plot. Maybe some background as to the aunt who previously owned the house would have been helpful. Or more character development of the girls and their mother. I am still not entirely sure what happened, even after watching the whole thing. I'll give this film 3 Stars. Watch at your own risk, but I would like to hear someone else's take on it.


Sunday, March 14, 2021

Saturday is Horror Day #2 - Before I Wake

Yesterday I watched Before I Wake, a 2016 film by Mike Flanagan, who was a writer or director for such films/series as The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, Gerald's Game, Ouija:Origin of Evil and more.




Cody (Jacob Tremblay) is a young boy who has had a rough start in life. He lost his mother at an early age and has been moved from foster home to foster home. There's always something, isn't there? 

Jessie and Mark (Kate Bosworth and Thomas Jane) lost their only son, Sean, in an accident, and are 


 working to deal with the grief of his death, each in their own way.  Together they decide to foster a child, a with the help of a social worker named Natalie (Annabeth Gish). Enter Cody into their lives. Cody is very sweet and shy and well-mannered. He has a sharp, inquisitive mind and wants to fit in with them.

They quickly realize there is something special about Cody when butterflies materialize out of nowhere... the same day he was learning about them.


One photo of Jessie and Mark and Sean remains on the wall, and naturally Cody wants to know who the kid is. And now not just butterflies are appearing. There is Sean, seemingly in the flesh. But like the butterflies, he disappears as soon as Cody wakes. Jessie is beginning to understand what is going on. In order to test her theory, she has Cody watch a video of Sean, so he can hear his voice. And now when Sean appears to them, he actually speaks...


Trouble begins to brew at Cody's school in the form of a mean boy who has the misfortune to accost Cody after he's fallen asleep and can't control the creature he refers to as the Canker Man. When the boy disappears, Cody is questioned. Now he's afraid to fall asleep, and devises various methods to stay awake. Alarmed, Jessie gets a prescription for children's Ambien and doses his snack. So now, when the horrors appear, they can't wake Cody up...

I would give this movie a solid 3 stars out of 5. It's more psychological horror than anything, although the Canker Man is rather freaky and scary. We never do learn exactly how and why Cody is what he is, how he can manifest dreams into reality (as long as he's sleeping). This movie is about loss and survival, and becoming a family. It's a worthwhile watch, and I would recommend it.