Bria Lou Reviews

  I'd never heard of this film before seeing it on the bucket list, but I absolutely loved the premise so I was looking forward to watching it. I loved this movie. I loved that the film was broken down into distinct stories. Not only does it make the story as a whole easier to digest, but they're short stories that are allowed to be fleshed out without needing to know about the backstories of the characters. I love that the film uses horror to explain and explore a lot of poignant political issues. In fact, I think horror is the perfect genre mix with politics, and this is an example of how to do it right. But let's get into the individual stories. The first story completely caught me off guard. I didn't know what the individual stories would be about, and this one started from a place that was so timely and uncomfortable and political, and it really set a tone for the rest of the film. And then it went in such an interesting direction. I didn't expect it to be as t...

  I'd never heard of this film before seeing it on the bucket list, but the fact that it's directed by Guillermo Del Toro made me very intrigued about it. I have mixed feelings about this one. It starts in an interesting place. We don't know anything about the characters at all but we're instantly invested in Carlos's story. He's easy to follow and sympathise with. The pacing feels slow and quick at the same time. The story itself is moving quickly, but a lot of time is spent setting the scene and allowing us to get to know the characters, which is great. The actual horror elements start slowly, which allows them to ramp up over time. But it does end up feeling longer than it is. There are definitely parts in the middle that don't feel 100% needed to tell the story. The horror elements are also quite few and far between, at least for the first half of the movie. The most interesting thing about the film is the characters. The story itself is somewhat interes...

  I'd never heard of this film before, and the premise was quite vague, so I definitely felt like I was going in completely blind. This one wasn't for me. The best thing about short movies is that you don't have to wait long to get into the action. There's no time to make any initial judgments because you're quickly wrapped up in the story. The score gives the film more of a comedic undertone, and I don't know if that worked for me. I probably took it less seriously than I should have because of that. I found it really hard to stay interested in the story and characters. There was nothing that initially peaked my interest, so trying to find interest further down the line proved quite difficult. The story didn't really draw me in and I felt nothing for the characters. Despite the short runtime, the film feels longer than it is, mostly because the filmmakers make the most of their runtime. A lot happens, there's a lot of dialogue, it feels like it goes on ...

  This is another re-watch that I was really looking forward to seeing again. I've seen this a few times, but not for about 7ish years, so as well as I know the story, it still felt like I could come to this again with a somewhat fresh perspective. I like this film a lot. Re-watching this, it's clear how much it has influenced modern horror. There are so many iconic moments, scenes and lines that you'd know of regardless of whether or not you've actually seen the film. I loved that the film gets right into it. Less than 5 minutes in, we're seeing Carol Anne at the TV, and the horrors never really slow down from here. While the visuals are outdated when viewed from the lens of a modern audience, they were really original and inventive. Even ideas that have been used before and since this film, like clown dolls, feel extremely unique in the film. Some of the acting isn't great, but a lot of the actors do a good job and are really committed to their performances - ...

  This is a re-watch that I was really looking forward to. I watched it for the first time last year and really enjoyed it, so I was glad it was on the list! As with my first watch, I really like this film. It's great that the mystery was held for as long as it could be. The audience are in the same position as the characters, trying to work out what's actually happening, and as this is teased out to us, it is also teased out for them. As someone who's not always the biggest fan of sci-fi/horror, this film is the perfect blend of both genres. The visuals are so great. Not only do the creatures look unique and original, but they also look genuinely scary. They're really well designed and, at times, hard to look at. Outside of the horror aspect, it's really interesting to watch the group dynamics. To see the way their relationships change and they start to lose trust in each other as the events continue. Most of the characters get the chance to develop and it's re...

  I decided to watch and write about these films together due to them both being quite short, as well as the second being a direct sequel. Plus after watching The Bride!, I was really in the mood for more Frankenstein content! I liked these movies. First up is Frankenstein. As short as the film is, I was surprised by how long it took to really get into the story. It was interesting to get the background, but after watching so many adaptations, I just wanted to see where it would go. The film spends time letting us get to know the characters, and as great as this is, it takes a while to see or get to know the character we're actually here to meet. But when we do get to meet the creature, it's definitely worth the wait! The design of the creature is great. Simple for today's standards but it really works. It's an iconic image. But what makes it work so well are the movements and actions. The creature is played amazingly by Boris Karloff. If I had one criticism of the char...

  I'd never heard of this film before seeing it on the bucket list but the premise was really interesting. I liked this film. It took a while to get going, particularly knowing what the film is actually about. But it was great that this time was used to develop the characters and have the audience become really acquainted with them. Getting to know the characters really helps in terms of how interested and engaged the audience is, but even without knowing the main character that well this film is really engaging, particularly after about 30 minutes when we really get into it. There are some really interesting shots and techniques used here, particularly the split screen to show exactly how much time is passing. It allows the audience to build frustration and eagerness, which again adds to how engaging it is. I didn't expect the film to be so timely - it could be made today and be at least as relevant as it was at the time, if not moreso. The characters are great. Not only are t...

  I hadn't seen this film in years before this re-watch, but I had seen the remake more recently, so I was looking forward to watching this one again. I liked this movie. Before you even get into the film itself, the concept of the film is so unique and engaging. It's a simple idea that's expanded on to the point that it becomes truly scary. The idea of most of the horror taking place in dreams means that the filmmakers can take many creative liberties involving the design of Freddy. He can look as fantastical as possible. And the design is truly iconic. Freddy is one of the most visually recognisable horror villains and it's not hard to work out why. While all of the acting wasn't amazing, the actors were great! I particularly loved seeing Lin Shaye in such an early role (particularly as it's been announced that a new Insidious movie is coming out this year!). But Heather Langenkamp was also great as Nancy, and of course Robert Englund is iconic as Freddy. It...

  I think everyone has probably heard of this movie before, but I'd never seen it so I was glad it was on the list. Despite being on the bucket list, the film wasn't really on my radar to watch until I saw a video recently where someone commented on how amazing the ending was. So after I saw that, I wanted to watch it as soon as I could. I loved this film. The premise is such an interesting one. The audience has an outsider's perspective, which makes things that much more intriguing because we have no idea who these characters were before the film started. We have to take everything at face value. It's so well written - a lot of the horror elements of the film come directly from the dialogue. The idea in itself is scary, but seeing and hearing the reactions of the characters makes it even scarier. The pacing is great - at 1/2 an hour in, so much has already happened. Things are teased out really slowly, and the situation escalates in a way that has you completely glued ...

  This was a first-time watch. I'd heard of the film in passing, but not enough to know the general public consensus of it, or what it was actually about beyond the one major plot point. This was a weird one for me. I liked the film, but I also had a hard time engaging and connecting with it. It took a little while for the film to grab me. I was interested in what was happening but I felt like I was having to force myself to be interested, rather than this happening naturally. It also could be that I just wasn't in the right mood to watch it, which isn't something I experience that often. Because while I could enjoy what was happening, I struggled to stay engaged. The relationship between Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) and Eli (Lina Leandersson) is the best part of the film. The actors play their parts amazingly well, especially because they were so young when they made the film. And it's the thing that makes the film stand out from other vampire movies - there's something ...

  I'd never heard of this film before seeing it on the bucket list, but the premise looked interesting and vague enough that it could be terrible, amazing or anything in between, so I was looking forward to seeing it. Unfortunately I didn't like the film. The score is the first thing you notice while watching it. It really changes the tone of the film, and at times can become overpowering. The sounds are as prominent as the dialogue, which is really interesting. And similarly, the soundtrack, particularly at the beginning, makes the film feel like anything but horror. It takes a little while for this to feel like a horror film at all, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, as it's interesting getting to know this world before the horror kicks in. It's shot and edited in a really unique way. It takes a while to get used to, if you get used to it at all, but it's definitely original! I don't know yet if the style was for me, at times it felt like my screen wa...

  I can't say this is a re-watch I was looking forward to. I saw this film a couple of years ago, bearing in mind I'm usually a bit iffy about elevated horror anyway, and from what I remembered, I just didn't like the film. But I tried to go into this re-watch with an open mind. So imagine my surprise when I started watching, getting into the story, and ended up feeling completely different about it this time around. I actually liked the movie and had a good time watching it, which really wasn't the case the first time around! I liked where the film started. Not only do we understand really quickly what these dark forces want and are capable of, but we also get an interesting exploration of grief that carries through the film. The actors in this film are all so great. The child actors play their parts so well, and the adults are fantastic as these characters. Not only do they make the world feel really believable, but they are also good enough that they all feel authent...

  There are a few movies on this year's horror-themed bucket list that I've seen before and written posts on in the past, but this is the only one so far that I've wanted to write a second post on. Before I started watching the film I re-read what I wrote about it previously, and not only was it a really short post, but I didn't like the film that time as much as I had when I first saw it. And I assumed that this re-watch would be the same. So I was really surprised by how much I loved the film this time around! So much that I think it definitely deserved a proper review. My main reason for not loving it before was that not much happened, but for some reason, I completely disagree with that now, upon this third (or fourth) re-watch. There is a sinister undertone the entire way through, every single thing that happens in tinged with a feeling of unease and apprehension. Before anything even happens, before Rosemary is even pregnant, the audience is on edge, even though w...

  I'd never heard of this film, and the premise was vague while still being interesting, so I was looking forward to seeing it. The opening score, before the film even starts, really sets a tone. It's creepy and unsettling, and even though you have no idea what you're in for, you already know the feeling the filmmakers are going for. The first 10 minutes of the film are so well done. It's really powerful to hear the sounds of the murders while seeing the end result. It shows us exactly who this character is, even though we've barely seen him on screen. We feel worried for characters we don't (and will never) know, and this alone makes us really invested in what's to come. And from here, whenever we actually see a character killed on screen, it seems to carry less weight. It's much scarier to imagine what's happening than to actually see it. Michael Rooker, who plays Henry, is great in the role. Everything about the performance, from the way he speaks...

  Like a few movies on the bucket list this year I've seen the remake but not the original, so I was looking forward to this one! I liked this film. It's great when a mystery film can get the audience invested right from the beginning, and this film does it well. Not only are we interested in solving the mystery, but we're instantly as wary of the residents of the town as the Sergeant is. One way I'd describe this film is 'odd'. It's a major plot point, every character acts a bit weird, the setting is a bit off, everything is off kilter. It straddles the line of being fantastical and grounded, and that makes it a really interesting watch. I can't say this is the most entertaining movie. You're interested in the mystery, but from here, most of the film is about the town and seeing the odd way they live. So after you get over the weirdness, your interest ebbs and flows. For me, I was still interested in solving the mystery, but the eerie nature of the ...

  I've seen the 2005 remake of this film but I only have a vague memory of what it was about, so this is definitely like a new watch entirely - one I was looking forward to! I really liked this film! It took a while to actually start. The credits were still coming up after 12 minutes when it felt like we should have been actually getting into the story, especially because the film is only 90 minutes. I really liked the characters. There's a lot of time in the beginning of the film where we're entirely focused on the characters with the fog being just an ominous presence in the background, and it's great to get to spend time with them. Not only do we really get to understand the world, but when the fog does hit, we're more invested. This also added to how close the town felt. We see the different ways people are affected, how their stories come together, and it's great to see their connections. I really liked the visuals. The film is shot in a really interesting ...

  I think everyone has heard of this film, horror fan or not. But I've never actually seen it so I'm really glad it's on the list! I liked this film! I loved the opening scene. It captures the essence of the horror before you even understand what's happening and you're immediately invested. Despite the depiction of the zombies themselves being quite old-fashioned compared to modern versions, they're still scary and intimidating, while also being fun to watch. It's really well written. Everything said feels authentic and real, and you truly believe that these characters are really going through this. And speaking of characters, they're all great. We only get to know them in the context of this situation but that's enough to feel like we're on this journey with them. Ben in particular is such a great hero. He's the character you want to follow, he's the one you're most interested in and he's played really well by Duane Jones. The st...

  I'd heard of this movie in passing but never knew what it was about so it was a bit of a random pick! I had really mixed feelings about this film. I completely disliked the first hour, but by the end I liked it more than I thought I was going to. It took a little while for me to really get into this. It can be hard to work out exactly what's going on, and even when you get it, you're left wondering what it can actually be about. There's a lot going on here, especially in the first 30 minutes or so - it's hard to keep up with all the characters and how they fit into the story. I didn't really know how to feel for a really long time. I didn't feel anything for the characters, the story itself wasn't particularly gripping, and a couple of unexpected scenes just bothered me to the point where I ended up with a negative impression of the film as a whole. It moved slowly and quickly at the same time. So much happened that I felt like I couldn't keep up, ...

  This isn't one I was looking forward to. I wrote in my review of 28 Years Later that I didn't like the first film in the franchise, this film. While that's probably true, it's been so long since I saw it that I couldn't even remember many of the plot details, all I could really remember before this re-watch was the feeling of not liking it. So I did try to go into this re-watch with more of an open mind. And thankfully, I did like it more than I did on my first watch. I think the characters are great. We only see them in this perilous situation but we get to know so much about them purely through their looks and interactions with each other. And most of this is down to how good the acting is - all of the actors do a great job with their characters, though they're also well-written, which helps. I also liked the character relationships, which is something that each movie in the franchise does well. It's really interesting to see the way the characters conne...

  I hadn't heard of this film before but I loved the premise so I was excited to see it! I really liked this film. The way everything started was great. We get to know our main characters and we're with them, literally and otherwise, the whole way through. It's on the shorter side and does a lot with its time. We're not waiting too long for the scares to start, we're not bored during exposition, everything that happens feels necessary to the plot while also being entertaining. One of the best things about slasher movies is that there doesn't need to be any reason for the killings. Someone breaks in, kills people at random and leaves, and it never has to be any more than that to be a good movie. Which means that everything that happens in the movie can be purely for entertainment, and this film does a really good job of that in the first half, when everything seems random. That being said, when we start to realise that this isn't random, it comes at the perfe...