Hereditary (2018)

It's quite easy to say that this week's film 'Hereditary' will be one of the most divisive horror films of all time. Studio A24 is no stranger to these types of genre pictures, having also released 'The Witch' and 'It Comes at Night' which also heavily divided audiences with their bizarre imagery and vague storytelling. All three films also share high praise from critics and most horror fans who have seen them and I am here to say that I am among them. This film is definitely not for everyone but it doesn't care if you do and really it doesn't need to have wide appeal to work as a film and 'Hereditary' does work. It gives your brain such a barrage of different signals that you won't know what to think and that's where it's true horror elements lie. From the opening shot, it sets up a sense of discomfort that builds into a mix of slow boiling tension, shocking violence, and yes the occasional jump scare. It all leads into an unbelievable climax you just have to see for yourself.

It's hard to review a film like this when talking about the storyline too much can lead to spoiling the entire thing, and this is one film you don't want to know anything about going into that dark auditorium. I saw one trailer for it and even then, I wish I couldn't have seen a single thing because while some things were shown off even in the quickest teaser trailer, you still won't believe the kind of direction the film goes in. 'Hereditary' is the product of a first time director who in just 2 hours shows his natural talent for filmmaking. Every single shot of this film is set up with such precision and everything is deliberate and with purpose, even if it's not all on the surface. Even seemingly throw away dialogue early on in the film will end up adding little pieces to the overall puzzle and after leaving and giving the overall film a good think, these little details make me love it even more.

The casting here is completely perfect and everybody gets their chance to shine, with Toni Collette giving her best performance yet and to deny her even a nomination would be criminal. While Gabriel Byrne doesn't have nearly as much screen time you can see his talents shine through as well as his character struggles with the ever-increasing burden being laid on his shoulders. The young cast does very well here too and hopefully we'll see these two in more films to come. 'Hereditary' is the biggest surprise I have seen in theaters this year and is easily one of the best genre films in a while. It's slower pace and overall strange atmosphere will drive away the casual horror or film fan, but for those of you who like something different and with some style to go with it, then check this out as soon as possible.

9/10

Upgrade (2018)

'Upgrade' is a little sleeper sci-fi film that released this weekend. Knowing the previous work of writer and director Leigh Whannell (SAW) the film could go one way or another and coming out of the cinema, I wasn't disappointed. Sure, it's not a perfect film with some easy plot predictions early on and a somewhat rushed and abrupt third act but everything else is pretty engaging, thrilling, funny, and full of the over-the-top violence and action you'd expect in a Judge Dredd comic. So the basic idea is this: a computer chip designated STEM has been implanted in a man named Grey after he and his wife are brutalized and he is left a quadroplegic. After the experimental surgery seems to give him his old life back, he soon desires vengeance against those who took his wife away from him, only to learn some dark truths.

What starts as your typical revenge film goes pretty off the wall once STEM comes onto the scene. The artificial intelligence voiced by Simon Maiden gives a strong performance without appearing physically on screen and he can be both menacing and soothing in his voice which is hard to not compare to our old pal HAL from '2001'. While I'm not going so far to say the two films are comparable, they do share themes of the dangers of technology and what happens when man becomes too accustomed to automation. It's a story told many times before and in many ways which shows just how strong a theme it is and again I won't say it's anywhere near the high levels of 'Blade Runner' or '2001', 'Upgrade' is a strong film with its own way of telling the same story and it's well worth your time.

However, it's not an entirely smooth ride. The motivations of the villains were pretty easy for me to figure out before the half way point, but I will say that the climax did throw me a bit. And speaking of that climax, it's simply too abrupt and quickly played out. We figure out the whole plan behind these evil men and STEM and everything and it's wrapped up with a twist that I had a mixed reaction to and then the movie just ends. Sadly, I think Whannell hasn't quite gotten the hang of twist endings since 'SAW' as it plays out exactly like one of those films, pacing and all.

I can't really get into the film much without spoiling everything that happens in it and unfortunately, the film does not seem to be playing in our area as of yet which makes things difficult. However, I think it's safe for me to say that Leigh Whannell has certainly come far as a filmmaker, with much stronger writing, character development, and even in his visual style while still retaining some of the stronger aspects of his previous work such as the over the top practical gore effects and even a few 'SAW' Easter Eggs thrown in there for fans.

'Upgrade' will likely pass a lot of people by but for any fan of modern science fiction, body horror, or even action films like 'Dredd' will find something to enjoy. It's likely to be the most underrated flick of 2018.

8.0