Horror Film

Netflix’s Marianne – Review

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Marianne-netflix-e1568751912455.jpgNetflix has recently released one of the most terrifying horror originals to date with an eight-episode French horror series called Marianne.

This film kicks things off into high gear right off the bat with very environment rich scary vibes.  Things start off with creaking, old radio sounds, and even a caged crow that sets the tone for how things are going to turn out in this series.  Set in an old fashioned French house things get dark quick but I won’t ruin the first few minutes, so you will have to watch and experience that for yourself.

Our main character of this story Emma Larsimon who is a successful horror novelist is the center of attention in this epic horror that will keep you on the edge.   The horror series that has made her so successful and rich to boot is also probably haunting her and driving her insane.

marianne-bEmma’s books about a demon’s wife are based on her real life nightmares from her teenage years.  Emma now grown up and long moved out of her childhood home goes back to the broken-down coastal town of Elden to check up on her parents.  This checkup quickly turns gruesome for Emma as her past quickly catches up to her and the nightmares she had are now haunting her once again.

As with all horror movies, shows, and stories the delivery is key to bringing a good scare to the audience.  Director Samuel Bodin is a fan boy of the old school eighties horror films so his understanding of how to scare an audience is superb. The eerie coastal setting, mixed with the author of successful horror stories as the main protagonist is genius and extremely well executed in this series.

marianne-review-netflix-676x359This series also had excellent camera footage and great use of drones that were used to grab some amazing shots of the rocky coast line, and dead winter trees that really added a level of suspense to the show.

One of the best parts of the show to me was the main character Emma as she was extremely complex, tough, demanding, and very self-centered.  She has spent most of her life dealing with these nightmares and has used it to become a horror author rock-star per say.  If you are looking for a show with a strong cast, great story and loaded with suspenseful terrifying moments, then you definitely need to check this show out.

Stephen King’s IT – Chapter 2 Review

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We’re back with more of the creepy clown Pennywise and the Losers Club kids who are now all grown up.  IT chapter 2 feels a bit disconnected to me with issues bringing the story to a solid close at certain points, but still has that creepy make you jump factor. Overall it has solid performances from the actors, but by no means out does it’s 2017 hit of chapter one.

With the constant flashbacks throughout the film, it gives a very broken feeling to the overall story and doesn’t have a smooth transition like chapter one.  The first half of IT chapter two rushes a bit as it introduces all the adults of the Losers Club.  Yes, all the kids are now adults, and they have come back to kill Pennywise once and for all!

rev-1-it2-12373r-high-res-jpeg_618304_20190906105210After you get introduced to all the adults of the Losers Club, the speed of the overall story slow down a ton and you get a flashback of the young Losers Club in a clubhouse scene that wasn’t part of the first film.  The young actors may only play smaller supporting roles in chapter two, but just like the first film, they did an absolutely amazing job!  Even though chapter two focuses on the adult Losers Club, the characters to me just didn’t have the same impact that the kids did in the previous film.

All of the adult Losers Club, however, did have a natural chemistry on screen together that didn’t feel manufactured from a script.  They all had a genuine affection for one another, just like they had all been friends for most of their lives.  Each of the adults has their own unique fears they are still facing having survived the onslaught of horror from the first film.  I just wish the story would have been pulled together in a more seamless way instead of so sporadic as it jumps around way too much between the flashbacks, and I think drops a lot of the meat of the story.

A lot of the film does focus on the adults splitting up on a mission to go find items from their childhood that they need to take on Pennywise.  This is where we begin to see a lot of flashbacks from their childhood, which bring new scenes from that summer they met Pennywise in the first film.  IT chapter two has a long runtime of almost three hours and it can feel like a three-hour film at times as well.

maxresdefault (1)IT chapter two had a ton more CGI than the first film did which was disappointing as it didn’t feel as nostalgic as the first film did.  The CGI wasn’t the best either and really pulled away from the enjoyment of such an epic horror classic. On the plus side, the film had some truly amazing scary moments that made up for some of the sporadic plots.

Overall I really enjoyed the film but was also disappointed as I was wanting more of that feeling we got with IT chapter one.  Even with the great performances from all the adult and teen actors, the overall story and use of flashbacks, and the fact they just never seemed to really find a good footing to land the plane took too much away to give this story it’s epic finale it deserved.