Hey all! Decided to change things up a little, since next week I’ll (hopefully) be cranking out astronomical word counts for the start of NaNoWriMo. Until then, seeing as how it’s the las week of October, I’d be remiss if I didn’t toss out some horror recommendations if you’re not sure what to watch to keep you in the scary spirit. I’m listing the poster/thumbnail , with a very brief review underneath. I consider these all to be worth your time, but I’ve organized them from least favorite to favorite. Here we go:
The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It (HBO Max)
You pretty much know what you’re getting with The Conjuring movies by now, so you probably already know if you’ll like this one or not. Kudos to the writers for shaking up the formula a little bit, as this one earns my favorite critique: “It’s fine.”
Halloween Kills (Theaters/Peacock)
Another where you pretty much know what to expect going in, the biggest variable in a lot of the Halloween movies is whether or not they’ll cut the mustard for horror fans. Again, this movie is fine. There was a lot of dialogue that I found downright atrocious, but the action and gore made up for that in the long run.
Censor (Hulu)
A very solid and very original horror film out of the UK about a film censor who starts to lose her grip on reality (or does she?). It’s short, it will mess with your head, and it has an overall look/style that makes it stand out. Can’t wait to see what the folks behind this one do next.
Saint Maud (Hulu)
Another striking film debut about someone questioning reality, Saint Maud walks the line between horror and slow burn psychological thriller, but I’m not concerned with splitting hairs—it’s close enough for me. Another film that’s very short, what I liked most about it is the way it built tension and unease, and a final scene I absolutely adored.
Midnight Mass (Netflix)
You’ve probably heard about this one, the third Netflix limited series from the apparent reigning champion of horror right now, Mike Flanagan. His take on The Haunting of Hill House was nearly a masterpiece as far as I was concerned, but The Haunting of Bly Manor didn’t really do it for me. So where does Midnight Mass stand? I’d put it between the two, closer to Hill House. It meanders and drags in places, but I’d say it mostly lives up to the hype.
30 Coins [30 Monedas] (HBO Max)
30 Coins has been out for a while, but I’m just getting around to watching it now and whoa…this show is something. I’m actually only three episodes in, but that’s enough to know that (barring a truly dismal ending) this show is head and shoulders above much of the horror out right now. A tale about a mysterious priest, Judas, and a collection of coins (guess how many?) that could end Christianity. The first episode alone got three genuine “WTF”s from me, which is quite a special achievement.
There you have it, hopefully something to keep you spooked for the remainder of the month. Be safe, have fun, and Happy Halloween!
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