Hey guys! My friend and fellow movie nerd, Aaron Reid, is going to be guest writing this week. Here are Aaron’s reviews on a batch of new and semi-new releases.
Synchronic (2019) “The present is a miracle.” Steve and Dennis, two paramedics, respond to a number of strange accidents where the victims have all experimented with a new designer drug. Rather than an intense high, this drug offers a mind-bending experience that unravels time. When Steve’s daughter goes missing, he and Dennis are forced to learn more about synchronic, the drug that blends the past and the present with deadly consequences. First time watch for me, and I really enjoyed this film. The tone and story paint a bleak picture of our comprehension of time. A bit of a slow start but this movie becomes an exceptional take on time travel once everything falls into place. “Experience time as it actually is rather than the linear way.”
The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020) “It was a full moon last night.” Bodies begin to accumulate in Snow Hollow coincidentally after the latest full moons, leaving the police force with very few leads and a community panicked about the recent deaths. Detective John Marshall is in over his head trying to solve the murders and managing a stressful personal life. The pressures lead to moments of his unraveling and weakness. Is there a werewolf in Snow Hollow? There just might be. This film expertly blends horror, comedy, and drama into just over 80 minutes, craftily giving us suspense and depicting the fragility of humanity at the same time. First viewing for me. If you haven’t seen it yet, add it to the top of your list. “Maybe it’s a wolf.”
The Beach House (2019) “Don’t be scared.” Emily and Randall escape to his parents’ beach house to rekindle their relationship only to discover Randall’s father invited Mitch and Jane, old friends, to use the vacation home. These two unlikely couples spend an evening together, culminating with the realization that the beach is aglow with an infestation. Soon afterward, these vacationers become aware of an infection in the air, water, and all around. I decided to rewatch this Shudder original. What I like most is the smothering feeling that consumes these characters. There’s not a lot of explanation given, but the film successfully illustrates a complete breakdown, both physical and societal, as life as we know it evolves into something unimaginable.“Windswept microbes of some kind.”
The Dark and the Wicked (2020): “Do you really think the Devil’s out there?” Michael and Louise return home to be with their dying father and support their mother. They soon discover a darkness surrounds the secluded family farm and their parents, an entity that is obsessed with destroying their lives. There’s evil here that is even more foreboding than the intense isolation and looming death. First time watch for me, and I found the horrors in this film to be real and visceral. The building suspense and eerie atmosphere slowly suffocates the audience until we feel the same dread as these characters. Add this to your list if you haven’t watched already. “He’s not out there. He’s already here.”
For more of Aaron’s reviews, please follow him on Instagram and check out his page on Letterboxd!