Category Archives: Adventure

Whistle

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Vampire Owl: I have a doubt whether these people are fans of Chennai Super Kings.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that there are not talking about a normal whistle.

Vampire Owl: All whistles are normal enough for the undead.

Vampire Bat: You mean to say that even dead whistling through life is normal?

Vampire Owl: Well, if death decides to do so, who am I to complain?

Vampire Bat: You should remember that it is still not normal behaviour.

Vampire Owl: If you include Chennai Super Kings, it will stay normal.

Vampire Bat: You should understand that we Chennai fans do not blow an Aztec Death Whistle.

Vampire Owl: Let there be death whistles to all the opponent teams.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that you will be banned from all IPL stadiums soon enough.

[Gets a paneer pakoda and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Mason Raymore (Stephen Kalyn) leads his basketball team to victory despite having visions of burning man, but after the celebrations, finds himself caught by the same man, and the teammates find him burning to death in a shower, to the surprise of everyone. A few months later, a new transfer student Chrys Willet (Dafne Keen) gets to use Mason’s old locker and finds a strange skull-shaped whistle. After a fight over the locker, Chrys is sent to detention by their teacher Mr. Craven (Nick Frost), along with her cousin Rel Taylor (Sky Yang), Mason’s old teammate Dean Jackson (Jhaleil Swaby), Dean’s girlfriend Grace Browning (Ali Skovbye) and the smart girl of the particular institution Ellie Gains (Sophie Nélisse) who also has diabetes. Mr. Craven who finds and confiscates the whistle after discovering that there is some Meso-American, probably Mayan antique value about it, just blows the whistle out of curiosity post the feeling that the writing is Mayan. Soon, as a chain smoker, he finds a strange apparition that somewhat looks like him which gets on to him and crushes his lungs.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Later, the detained students who meet at a pool also has Grace blow the whistle, whose sound causes everyone who listens to the same to be haunted by apparitions which are revealed to be themselves in a brutal, tormented form which looks very less like themselves. The next day, as they go back to the educational institution, they realize that Craven’s death is reported as extreme stage lung cancer, but they realize that there was no sign of any illness on him when they last met. Chrys and Ellie later meet Mason’s antique-collecting grandmother Ivy Raymore (Michelle Fairley) to return the whistle, but she gives it back to them while saying that it is a centuries old Aztec death whistle carved with the phrase “summon your death” instead of “summon the dead” which they had thought. She adds that anyone who hears the whistle becomes stalked by death and is soon killed by a manifestation of their own body just before dying. As they understand that Mason was to die by burning at some stage of his life and Craven by lung cancer caused by excessive smoking, Grace dies after rapidly aging into an old woman, and Dean is later killed in a manner resembling a motor accident. Now, can they stop it in time before anyone else dies?

The defence of Whistle :: When you take horror our of some Aztec whistle, there is the feeling that not much can be known about it, and therefore escape is to be near impossible. The early coming of death in the exact same way as destiny has planned is something innovative, and a twist on death coming to us in multiple brutal ways. The atmosphere created by the movie is really good, and we see some nice spooky thing coming out of nowhere every time, as being visually engaging seems to be a skill around here. The death sequences remain creative, with the addition of old-age apparition as much as the other brutal death modes. The mystery elements of the movie continue to stand strong, and we see the power of death not being a gentleman, thus not making Emily Dickinson with her poetry not that agreeable. There is no complication with the basic idea and with the characters and the quick pace, will be appealing to the new generation from the beginning itself. They mystery remains mysterious and sets tone for an even bigger sequel, if there is a chance.

The claws of flaw :: There are moments which make one feel that there are missed opportunities which could have easily been taken to elevate the movie. There was always the chance for more, with the scares as much as with the imagery. The supernatural elements taking the form of a future death could strike terror like no other. The appearance of apparitions could be scarier with some extra blood and gore, with more frequent appearance also possible. The middle part feels like a little deviating as the characters do make some strange decisions, yet it is not something we have not seen in other horror movies where the some characters die early, some others refuse to listen and often make the dumbest decisions; these have become a regular part of the genre, but this movie could have deviated from that formula as it had already taken some divergence with the premise and a myth that goes a different way. The idea also seems to move on and on, and the possible solution also seems a little too predictable.

The performers of the soul :: Dafne Keen who has been known for Logan, The New Mutants and Deadpool & Wolverine, has the lead in this particular horror flick, and we already know the kind of intensity she has displayed as a mutant and therefore would have no doubt about her possibilities in a horror movie. Her performance remains the highlight of the movie. Then there is Sophie Nélisse of 47 Meters Down: Uncaged which had its own sharks to bring the horror underwater – this time, she does an even better job. The two becomes a fine team together, and keeps on moving the story with defiance against death and its methods. Ali Skovbye is another lovely addition here, and becomes the person who set things in motion for friends, scoring more in a run against death than anyone else. Sky Yang plays another interesting character well, while Jhaleil Swaby comes next with some fine moments. Percy Hynes White plays a negative character with further shades of evil later revealed, and that surely works. Michelle Fairley nicely adds to the mystery of the movie, while one would feel that Nick Frost and Stephen Kalyn are missed too early.

How it finishes :: Bringing variety in horror has been one of the most difficult tasks of these times, and the movie has managed to do so, seemingly taking an extended inspiration out of something which is not that well-known or followed. After all, there is a lot of scope with different kinds of horror as part of separate myths and legends, like the franchise having Stree, Munjya, Thamma and others had in India, and remains relevant throughout the world, as just the vampire legends would do the job. This movie takes itself beyond the usual world of The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun, Sinister, Insidious, Evil Dead and similar flicks to create innovative horror from an idea from the past. The full effectiveness of the same might not be there to be taken at all times, but this one remains something to be remembered for going through that divergent route, and make the whole thing work well enough. Well, we never have enough of horror in a world of chaos which can have nothing more than hopelessness and death – if death comes in many forms beyond Final Destination, we also take them into our hearts and hope for the human suffering to end.

Release date: 13th February 2026
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Corin Hardy
Starring: Dafne Keen, Sophie Nélisse, Sky Yang, Jhaleil Swaby, Ali Skovbye, Percy Hynes White, Michelle Fairley, Nick Frost, Stephen Kalyn, Conrad Coates, Mikayla Kong, Lanette Ware, Christine Sahely, Dina Pino, Izaak Smith, Vicki Kim

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Companion

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Vampire Owl: Vampires have always looked for eternal companions for togetherness.

Vampire Bat: These people are talking about companion robots.

Vampire Owl: Haven’t we developed a vampire robot yet?

Vampire Bat: We do not need any more scientific development now.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that Dr. Frankenstein would have other ideas.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein and his ideas are surely not real science.

Vampire Owl: They are science, especially after inventing that time machine by the doctor.

Vampire Bat: He just declared that he travelled through time.

Vampire Owl: Yes, and it is truth, as he has proven with records.

Vampire Bat: He has always created all the fake records by himself.

[Gets a choco-marble cake and three cups of Chinese tea].

What is the movie about? :: Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend Josh (Jack Quaid) travels to a mansion on the edge of civilization, a huge property around a lake owned by a billionaire named Sergey (Rupert Friend), who is the boyfriend of his Josh’s best friend Kat (Megan Suri) – Kat still calls herself Sergey’s property, keep or mistress due to the nature of Sergey, yet they remain open to welcoming friends as Kat maintains that influence on the Russian billionaire. They also invite two other friends Eli (Harvey Guillen) and his partner Patrick (Lukas Gage). The group seems to spend some happy moments in the mansion at night, and everyone seems to get along with each other well. But on the very next day, Sergey attempts to sexually assault Iris at the lakeside, and Iris ends up killing him in self-defense. She returns to the house in panic, attempting to explain what happened, but Josh tells the blood-covered Iris to go to sleep, and she losses her consciousness, waking up only to find herself strongly tied up to a chair.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Josh tells her that she is a companion robot that he is renting from a robotics company known as Empathix. He adds that her emotions and intelligence are controlled by an app on his phone, and the love and sexual desire are also under his control. He adds that the memory of them meeting for the first time is a lie, coming out of a pre-loaded idea chosen from many options, and it is her programming that makes her fall in love with him, and the past has all been part of that programme. He adds that now he has to take her back to the company, and maybe dismantle her there, but she does not believe her. He makes her believe by making her speak in the language he wishes to, and also shows that there are many other customizable options. As he goes for one final talk with Kat, Iris manages to escape though, and she also takes her phone to have full control over herself, increasing her intelligence and changing other options as the friends start to look for her.

The defence of Companion :: The movie can boast of a fine cast led by Sophie Thatcher and Jack Quaid, along with Megan Suri’s perfect contribution as she makes that one the most interesting human character around. The film nicely explores the themes of control, need for freedom and toxic relationships through an entertaining sci-fi situation which is thrilling no because of the scientific situation, but the human predicament. The surprises of the movie are good, and even without those big twists, manage to keep us interested. The multiple elements of horror, thriller dark comedy and sci-fi nicely come together effectively while also leaving a few social messages about people, relationships, rights and freedom. The one and half hour length is supportive of the movie’s cause as it goes through the whole thing perfectly during that time period, never too much or less. There is no loss of strength here as we understand that we are quickly getting to a twisted situation, and the mood would remain somewhat similar throughout its run.

The claws of flaw :: The idea of artificial intelligence with a conscience, emotions and physical relationships may feel familiar to viewers with movies like Wifelike and Ex Machina which did the same better – the exploration of the ideas were so much better with an emotional side there, and the latter was indeed that sci-fi classic which deserved all the appreciation in the world. Those two movies were rather courageous with the depictions, but the movie here seems to keep to the safe zone, and at times, even comes up with just the blame game for all characters except the robotic main character. The science fiction mode is also on a struggle at times, as there is no clear focus on the robot either, and its making and structure, as well as the parent company are restricted to a few dialogues. One cannot say that the idea is original, and there is no real further development on the same available data. Some of the character decisions would seem illogical or seem to exist only to create more situations of interest, and the final hesitation of the robotic character to shoot is just one of them. This often feels like an opportunity for glory missed out.

The performers of the soul :: Sophie Thatcher delivers a fine performance, and the way in which she makes even the usual situations remarkable needs a mention. The final moments have her making an even bigger impression. Jack Quaid can also be considered highly effective in the darker role, and sometimes raise the level so much above what we expect according to the proceedings. This is one antagonist who brings the unexpected. Then, who strikes the most playing the side characters is Megan Suri, who is fantastic as the only woman character with a villainous side – among the characters, she seems like the most determined, and someone with a clear vision, and the same is depicted perfectly by her. For a slasher horror movie with supernatural or psycho killers, she would make a perfect choice – there is something about her that suits the genre. Lukas Gage’s work also remains notable, while Harvey Guillén does fine. Rupert Friend as Sergey has his moments despite being there for only a short amount of time. Jaboukie Young-White, Matthew J McCarthy and Marc Menchaca are there in smaller, but relevant roles.

How it finishes :: Companion becomes interesting because it successfully combines different genres with social commentary without being preachy or slow, and the cast nicely supports the same by adapting to the situations. The strongest points here are the performances, dark humour and interesting surprises, while it never really gets out of the familiar themes and the predictable side that comes even in the end. This will never be one of those movies which comes up with innovation in the topic, as it chooses the safe side, but the entertaining side is safe around here. It seems to know what kind of movie it needs to be, and with this knowledge, touches the necessary elements which need to keep the world interesting. The movie is currently available in Jio Hotstar, but you should remember that this idea can be seen in a few other movies which did the same better earlier. So, choose wisely, and go through the idea. Yet, remember that this is the newest version of the same, and therefore has made some nice changes too.

Release date: 31st January 2025
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Drew Hancock
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, Rupert Friend

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pretty Lethal

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Vampire Owl: There is nothing more lethal than vampires, not even werewolves who crawl in.

Vampire Bat: These people are referring to ballerinas in a fight.

Vampire Owl: I have always felt that vampires need ballerinas around for positive influence.

Vampire Bat: Don’t we fight enough in other forms?

Vampire Owl: We should never be that short of options in a world of chaos.

Vampire Bat: At least this is on Amazon Prime Video for reference.

Vampire Owl: I think that I am going to learn dancing outside too.

Vampire Bat: You remember the dancing fight of Jumanji too?

Vampire Owl: Yes, that has inspired me to develop my fighting steps. I am issuing a red notice.

Vampire Bat: You do not need to learn any more fighting as there no wars or encounters in our realm right now.

[Gets a parippu vada and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: An American ballet troupe is honoured to be part of a prestigious international ballet competition in Budapest. This invited team consists of their leading dancer Bones (Maddie Ziegler), a rich and selfish Princess (Lana Condor), very religious and prude Grace (Avantika Vandanapu), kind-hearted and helpful Zoe (Iris Apatow) and her dumb and mute sister Chloe (Millicent Simmonds), and their proud and highly supportive teacher, Thorna (Lydia Leonard). The group is not that fond of each other, but gets together with their dancing routine really well. A series of confusion in their travel arrangements and also at the airport ends them in a bus which also gets broken down near a small town, from where transportation seems to be difficult to get in a short notice. They move into the town, hoping for a place to stay the night until the bus is repaired or some alternate mode of transportation is arranged by the authorities. A man from the town invites them to the Teremok Inn which served as a fine hotel and restaurant.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The place is under the control of Devora (Uma Thurman), a former ballerina who also runs a small crime family. While taking Chloe to the toilet, Thorna sees Devora brutally torturing a man in her office, and feels that the situation is not safe for the girls. She tries to call all the girls so that they can leave, but Pasha (Tamás Szabó Sipos), who is the son of another crime lord who collects money from the area, shoots her on the head as she pushes him away when he tries to make sexual advances to her. When Princess threatens to call the police, Devora takes the corpse away and has the girls locked in her basement. She also burns their passports and cellphones, as she feels that nobody knows that the girls are in the inn or even this particular town. Bones tries to run away, but is knocked out and dragged downstairs by her legs. At the same time, Chloe who was in the toilet, unaware of the situation, continues to be friendly with the people around her, and even gets the offer of a tattoo.

And what more can happen as there seems to be something more terrifying coming up? :: While Chloe becomes friends with Devora’s son Artyom (Krisztián Csákvári) over the tattoo for which she waits in the room, an unconscious Bones is tied up. Devora’s right-hand man Osip (Miklós Béres) drugs and tries to rape Grace, only to find himself killed by the girls, as Bones escapes from her bondage. Princess (Lana Condor) tries to escape all by herself, but as she finds their teacher being chopped into pieces by a man known by the name Doktor (Gábor Nagypál), returns to them, as they go searching for Chloe. As the girls find themselves surrounded by Devora’s henchmen, they come up with dance moves with razors blades stuck in their shoes and taped to their fingertips, doing well enough to mortally wound the henchmen, surprising everyone in the building. Devora asks for Pasha’s father, the dreaded crime lord Lothar (Michael Culkin) to come there by himself before any deal could be made, and reminds Doktor to be prepared to deal with corpses of ballerina girls. Can the girls do well enough to survive as further evil is unleashed on them?

The defence of Pretty Lethal :: This is one movie which quickly gets into action, and the whole 10o minutes of run-time is used well to create maximum impact. The use of dance training as a lethal weapon works really well here, and each actress is so graceful in their movements. When this dance choreography meets some violent action, we have the feeling of class all around. There is also a lot of energy and style related to the proceedings. Even though everyone has similar significance here, Maddie Ziegler as Bones remains the one who remains closes to a protagonist as a leader-kind figure, and comes up with a splendid performance with a lot of energy that seems to come from within, making her a perfect action star. Avantika Vandanapu plays the next notable role, and the Tarot-star blends in incredibly well. Millicent Simmonds of A Quiet Place fame makes this one count, while Iris Apatow and Lana Condor also join well. Uma Thurman has a strong presence as the revenge-seeking antagonist who moves on between different shades while Lydia Leonard’s character is missed too soon.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have used better promotions, as most of us came to know about this one by accident while looking at Amazon Prime Video for new movies. There are also those usual cliches that run through the movie, even though sometimes, it just adds to the overall charm of the flick within the genre. The characters are all interesting even though there is not that much development related to it due to the focus on action – we surely would not mind the same. The movie still maintains some good humour, and that comes out of nowhere to keep us more interested in the proceedings. The viewers can think that this is too much away from being realistic, but when we think about very old superstars beating up fifty people at a time, this is not that much, and the dance steps keep us believing in the world. The choice of setting, and the one particular building and its inside makes another world working like a dream. As the progress is even, there is nothing much lost around here.

How it finishes :: Pretty Lethal is a fun ride which never really stops being entertaining throughout its run; there are no ups and downs as this feels like one complete entertainer of its genre with some fine action and beautiful visuals supported by the actors who shows their skills in this environment really well. Being an entertaining action-thriller with some inventive ballet-based combat would never be easy, but with some energetic performances, this one score very well. If you are looking for some stylish action and don’t mind the movie taking a few things for granted, there is a big entertainer with some moments to remember. After all, we are always looking for someone who thinks differently and creates a movie out of it. This is surely one of them, and it has ballerina getting the central focus, and making an impression like never before – maybe that title could have been used here in plural, but when we look closely, we have that fine weekend entertainer which can be watched with a lot of fun expectation.

Release date: 25th March 2026 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Vicky Jewson
Starring: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika Vandanapu, Maddie Ziegler, Uma Thurman

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ballerina

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Vampire Owl: So, we are going to have a dancing assassin now?

Vampire Bat: John Wick universe surely needed an extra addition.

Vampire Owl: Even Dr. Frankenstein’s universe demands many upgrades.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein has had enough extra additions.

Vampire Owl: So, are we going to have a female John Wick here?

Vampire Bat: It would not be exactly the same, as no two assassins are the same.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I know that Hitman is surely not the same.

Vampire Bat: Different assassins will be around, even in the same universe.

Vampire Owl: At least nobody killed Ballerina’s dog, I hope.

Vampire Bat: Well, I am sure that she has lost much more than a dog.

[Gets an uzhunnu vada and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) was taken away from a dangerous crime syndicate by her father, who as well as her mother were killed by the same group. Orphaned at a young age, New York Continental hotel manager Winston Scott (Ian McShane) had taken Eve to the Ruska Roma, an assassin’s society under the cover of performance dancers, where she had met their Director (Anjelica Huston) and decided to be part of the same – she had taken the new girl under her wing as she finds anger and fire in her, which could be put to the best use. She goes through a tough training as an assassin as much as in the form of a ballerina, and meets John Wick (Keanu Reeves) with whom she has a talk about escaping from the cycle and seek her revenge. Eve fights hard and completes her training by killing a former Ruska Roma member and earns the title of “Kikimora”. On her first mission, she successfully protects the girl whom she is assigned with, even after being beaten up and thrown to each corner of a pub.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As she moves higher in the ranks, turning her weaknesses in fights to her advantage, and completing missions, she ends up killing a man who had the same mark on his hand as the killer of her father. Despite asking too many questions, she is forbidden from pursuing them due to a longstanding peace treaty which has remained in place to avoid bloodshed. But Eve is not happy at all, and disobeys the Director to visit the New York Continental to meet Winston, and she understands that this particular group she is searching is more uncivilized and kill not just for business, but for sport. Winston also adds that a man from this group Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus) is staying at the Prague branch of Continental with a huge bounty on his life. Eve travels all the way to Prague only to find out that there are too many people waiting for Daniel to come out, and there is more about what is happening with him than what meets the eye. Can Even go through all these secrets, and find a way to have her revenge in one way or the other?

The defence of Ballerina :: The movie delivers some more of stylish gun-fu, hand-to-hand combat, and inventive kills that fans have seen in this particular universe. The flamethrower sequence and the quick movements with smart kills in the snow-covered town adds on nicely in the end. All of these rests on Ana de Armas’ shoulders and she goes through the same like a dream which only she is capable of living. It was a tough job to match the Keanu Reeves’ mode, and she has managed the same in her own way. This expansion of the John Wick world was much needed, and we had felt the same after watching the last movie – the mythology itself gets extended so well. The visuals are nothing less than stunning, as we see the same never being less interesting. There is also a certain kind of style which is followed here, and we can never stop appreciating the same. The connection to the other movies of the universe is also really well managed, and even though we watch this as a stand-alone movie, those who watch this together with other movies also have the right elements to make a relation.

Positives and negatives :: One might feel that the villain could have been shown for more time on screen and that the sister bonding needed more than the very few minutes that it had managed. The movie should have also been marketed better, as the box-office could have managed more; maybe it is due to the time of release. But for now, you witness the intensity of the battles and creativity of the fights on Amazon Prime Video where it has found the OTT release. The balance of gunfights and hand-to-hand combat is also something that you will not see this well-executed anywhere else. When we look closer, this has done its duty even better than the original movies of the franchise, as the whole thing is not about the death of a dog anymore, as we get back to being human-centered and on parents being more important. I would be more interested in what Eve can achieve in this world of chaos with a bounty on her head more than John himself, and we can hope that we will know more in a sequel or a combination of sequels connecting this to the original story.

The performers of the soul :: Ana de Armas is an excellent action heroine, and it is something that she has already proven as a Bond girl. Her physical commitment, screen presence and ability to carry the film’s most brutal action sequences while staying on par with Keanu Reeves’ John Wick is worth all the applause. She nicely establishes Eve Macarro as a capable protagonist in her own special way rather than coming up with simply a female version of John Wick. Ever since her debut in Knock Knock, that too with the same actor, Ana surely has come a long way with works like Deep Water making an impact out of nowhere, as she has also been the first Cuban to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Her action here is too good, from that first big action sequence in the pub while defending a target, then that rather funny fight in the kitchen, and that final battle, all getting to the best, while there is no doubt left about the fact that she is a ballerina. The emotions are also reflected really well on her, as she becomes the perfect package here. Keanu Reeves presence also adds to the over quality, while Gabriel Byrne makes a good enough antagonist.

How it finishes :: Ballerina remains a solid action movie and one of Ana de Armas’s strongest performances of any kind till date. The fight scenes with that particular visual style are excellent, and the tale nicely fits into the universe and promises to bring more, especially as the leading lady here feels like having so much to offer. If you have not seen her fighting in a pub, snow-covered buildings, hotel lobbies and more, there is much that you have missed, especially if you have loved watching a lot action on the screen in the past. The one thing I would regret more than others is not watching this one on the big screen, as I saw how good it looked on an android mobile phone with Amazon Prime Video. You might not find a better-looking action movie not on superhero mode, as this kind of mythology is set for group of assassins, and that serves really well. If you have enjoyed the John Wick universe, this one is worth watching for the action alone, and your entry to this extension will be something memorable. The movie could have had a wider release in this part of the world too, as this universe had never ceased being interesting here. For now, you go back to Amazon Prime Video and give it a try.

Release date: 6th June 2025
Running time: 125 minutes
Directed by: Len Wiseman
Starring: Ana de Armas, Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Norman Reedus, Ian McShane, Keanu Reeves

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ghost War

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Vampire Owl: Finally, we have ghosts entering the wars of our realm.

Vampire Bat: I do not think that they really meant that here.

Vampire Owl: There is the need for ghosts in our battlefields to make the war more interesting.

Vampire Bat: Do you understand that ghosts need not always be supernatural in life?

Vampire Owl: I would say that they would always have the spirit at all times.

Vampire Bat: If we were in India then, this could have been resolved by watching earlier.

Vampire Owl: Amazon Prime Video in one realm never had faith in another.

Vampire Bat: Well, they call it regions, don’t they?

Vampire Owl: All the same, just like the ghosts all around the world.

Vampire Bat: Ghosts are real, not in one form, but many. Still, the Jack I miss is that of Jack Reacher.

[Gets a tortilla and three cups of bubble tea].

What is the movie about? :: MI6 faces a crisis in UAE, as an MI6 mission to extract intel run by Nigel Cooke (Douglas Hodge) fails when his men are killed by Liam Crown (Max Beesley), a former operative of the same intelligence agency after a series of incidents in Dubai. This lands Nigel in trouble as a senior MI6 officer, with Liam seemingly having some sinister motives which could create an international crisis, but there is no clue about what it could be. Meanwhile, Jack Ryan (John Krasinski), a former United States Marine officer and decorated Afghanistan veteran who has retired as a famed Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) field operative, and is now working in hedge fund risk management at the Wall Street, is approached by his old friend. So, this old friend James Greer (Wendell Pierce), is now working as a CIA Deputy Director under Elizabeth Wright (Betty Gabriel) who has taken charge as the new Director, and is facing a twisted situation, with changes happening at the base levels as much as at the top positions.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Jack finds Nigel in Dubai with his friend Mike November (Michael Kelly), the newfound man is shot dead without much time left to talk, and he gets only a cigarette pack from him. Before they could be shot or taken into custody by the local police officers, MI6 officer Emma Marlow (Sienna Miller) takes Jack and Mike to her safehouse. She tells Ryan that Liam was part of Project Starling, a brutal black-ops programme created by James and Nigel after 9/11. It was a group which was allowed to exist in the shadows like ghosts, and take whatever measures required to end terrorist groups. They were not used to asking questions, and had successfully ended many terrorist activities and the groups associated with weaponized indoctrination. But now, they had ceased to exist due to the government growing a conscience and such strong measures no longer accepted. Now, what does the seemingly non-existent organization’s leader want, as chaos keep spreading in the shadows, and deaths continue to happen in cities?

The defence of Jack Ryan: Ghost War :: The movie begins with a premise that we are going to remember for some time, and there is no question about the possibility of fine development with such an idea. The danger which is shown here is real, and there is always the feeling that something sinister could always happen in between. There is no shortage of big car chases and action scenes, making it entertaining as a straightforward spy thriller with some fine visuals of different cities around the world. The beginning and end of the movie in Dubai can be appreciated as the moments catch our attention really well, and we also see more of the same city in the movie. The team here works together, and there is also a fine antagonist to remember, who has a sinister side which is less revealed but contributes to a terrifying future which is less revealed and more in the imagination. The chemistry between the main characters is to be remembered too. The ending will remain interesting for most of the fans, and it leaves an opening for a classic future for this particular franchise as ideas have opportunities here.

The claws of flaw :: Jack Ryan: Ghost War has too much of ups and downs, and it is more visible as the movie gets further near the finish. It never really raises its level and makes it different from the usual kind of movies from similar universes. The predictability factor remains a part of the movie, despite the surprises thrown here and there. It also follows familiar spy-movie formulas and doesn’t offer many surprises – one can safely say that it never really tries, and there is going beyond the usual here. That smartness and innovation which should have been there, is not to be seen, as we see just another tale in the regular format here. This was more or less suited to be part of a television or web series with this kind of progress which has been made. The villain, even though strong, needed more of a presence and appearances, as well as dialogues; the talk never really has much from most of the characters to be that memorable. This often makes us feel the drag in between, even in not that long a movie that we have here.

The performers of the soul :: John Krasinski brings an interesting version of a former intelligence operative to the screen. He remains likable and believable in this particular role, and there is no exaggeration in this particular depiction. From the moment we meet the character, we feel that there is something interesting coming up. Sienna Miller whom we have known in this part of the world for G.I. Joe and American Sniper more than the other movies of her, has a fine action role here too, and it reminds us of Rebecca Ferguson of the Mission Impossible movie series during its later part. Wendell Pierce as James Greer comes up with a solid performance here, and the dilemma of the character is portrayed well by him. Michael Kelly as Mike November has a comparatively smoother and less complicated character that provides a sigh of relief. Douglas Hodge is missed too early, and despite making an impression, Betty Gabriel had a fine entry, and is a likable character too, but is missed too soon. Max Beesley as Liam Crown makes a strong antagonist, even when he is not present on the screen.

How it finishes :: Jack Ryan: Ghost War does lose its power at times, with never really maintaining the same strength at all times. But there is a certain guarantee about this as we keep enjoying the world here. Those who have been following the tale for long in different times will have further opinions about the same, and a rather clearer one. It still never really comes up with those new ideas to make it stand apart among spy movies of same kind. We are often reminded that all spy movies would follow a usual pattern, and there is nothing which can be done to go beyond the same. As far as this movie is concerned, all depends on the viewers and the taste, as this one surely entertains, and how much one keeps up to it shall depend on the audience. As it has released directly to Amazon Prime Video, I would say that there is nothing to be lost in watching this one in parts when time permits. After this movie, the trend might only keep going to bring similar kind of movies, even out of Hollywood.

Release date: 20th May 2026 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 107 minutes
Directed by: Andrew Bernstein
Starring: John Krasinski, Wendell Pierce, Michael Kelly, Max Beesley, JJ Field, Douglas Hodge, Betty Gabriel, Sienna Miller

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Return to Silent Hill

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Vampire Owl: I thought that we had returned to Silent Hill just enough.

Vampire Bat: There is no enough going back to the Silent Hill.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I remember you playing computer games about the same.

Vampire Bat: Yes, both Silent Hill and Resident Evil belonged to the same world.

Vampire Owl: And Mortal Kombat in the same world of Street Fighter.

Vampire Bat: The computer games have kept us alive for a long time.

Vampire Owl: Your Unreal Tournament, Age of Empires, Age of Wonders, Warcraft, Age of Mythology and Disciples journey is known to be legendary.

Vampire Bat: Then there was the later Mass Effect journey which took over like no other.

Vampire Owl: Your gaming journey has been as eternal as your immortality and our borderland wars.

Vampire Bat: Still, Silent Hill is much more than that, for it is the journey to eternal horror like no other, even deeper than Resident Evil.

[Gets a sea salt fries and three cups of Japanese tea].

What is the movie about? :: James Sunderland (Jeremy Irvine) is an artist who is spending a vacation further away from the city, and he comes across Mary Crane (Hannah Emily Anderson) who was leaving her hometown, the small area known as Silent Hill. As he almost causes and accident which leads to Mary missing her bus, she decides to go back to her place and he gives her a ride, after which they fall in love, and the two start living together in Silent Hill. He also meets the strange friends and relatives of Mary, and despite her warning, declares that their love is forever. The scene then shifts to many years later, as James has moved away to the city after breaking the relationship, and has turned into a severe alcoholic, despite continuing to be an artist. One day, despite the warnings of his psychologist, he decides to go after Mary who had written a letter to him to get back to her. He feels that Mary needs to be back in his life one way or the other, and makes his way to the town which seems to be abandoned, and that surprises him more than anything else.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The town seems to be covered in fog and there is also some falling ash. He also meets a strange woman on the way who seems to be not completely in her senses, and is also attacked by a strange monster. It seems that the day has passed, and soon, after a siren, the town transforms into a twisted version of itself, as it hell itself has unleashed on it, and he is forced to escape to an apartment building where he had lived with Mary. He meets a mentally unstable man named Eddie (Pearse Egan) as he reaches there, and a young girl named Laura (Evie Templeton) who is chased by a terrifying monster known as Pyramid Head (Robert Strange). As they all run away from the monster, James comes up against a strange-shaped naked woman who transforms into another monster, the Spider Lady (Giulia Pelagatti) and chases him, only two be found by the Pyramid Head who beats her up until the creature can no longer stands on its feet.

And what more is to happen here as terror keeps visiting? :: He is only saved by a siren and the night ending, and as he wakes up in the original Silent Hill, he leaves for Brookhaven Hospital where Mary seems to have been taken. He understands that there was some health issue with Mary, and she used to have a bleeding nose. He remembers that Mary was part of a ritual as part of the cult which her father had begun, and the rituals involved a lot of blood. She had also told him that there was something strange about her and her people. He remembers ritual as the one thing which led to them ending their relationship. He understands that Mary has been suffering and there is no escape from her, but he will not leave without her despite the warnings of different people he meets in the strange town. He feels that the town has turned into a portal to hell, but decides to stay. Now, the question remains if any of the two shall remain alive to see outside the terror of the town, as the demonic forces seem determined. This is not one relationship that one would doubt for sincerity, but sinister forces might have other say.

The defence of Return to Silent Hill :: The atmosphere remains the biggest strength of this movie, and it has always remained the same for the franchise. The foggy town which mist providing a world out of ours, ash-filled streets which seem to symbolize something which is to come, continuing classic creature designs and seemingly never-ending nightmare-like imagery makes the movie’s moments a journey to hell and its demons from where escape seems near impossible – it has served the series of adaptations really well till now. From what we know, the movie is also a faithful adaptation of the second game of the series which is sure to satisfy the gamers. The focus on guilt, romance and obsession has the moments which work, even though the deviation from horror can be clearly seen at times. The creature detail remains outstanding, as along with the first monster, the Spider Lady and Pyramid Head got some amazing detail associated with them, and so does the demonic nurses which move on to attack anything and everything. The leading cast also shines.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s deviation from the supernatural to the psychological could have elevated the whole thing, but here, the loss of the demonic world has only hurt the cinematic strength. The transition between two worlds have lost the strength, and due to this type of approach, the feeling of danger is also lost at times, and with the monsters like Pyramid Head and Spider Lady even fighting each other, there is no spectacle like that flaying of skin of the woman in the graveyard by the former in first movie – that was one classic scene which would define the movie series, but such a situation never really came around here. The emotional and psychological depth is lost at times, and the random scenes from past making way to the nightmarish world as flashbacks bring further struggle here. The past could have come together, and the ending seems to be too ambiguous, and one is left wondering about the purpose of the whole thing as nothing much among the actions of the protagonist seems to have made the difference. The narrative is not managed in a manner which is easy or interesting to follow either.

How it finishes :: Silent Hill has been that game which kept us interested and scared at the same time, as it became the other side of Resident Evil which had the horror action running with a scientific side – mutants there, and demons on the hill. That game had also inspired so many movies as part of a franchise which focused on stylish action with a lady protagonist. It is to be noted that this kind of movies never really get that much of a positive opinion from the critics, but we remember that such movies have always been better than what the reviews say. As the adaptation of the second game of the series, the supernatural elements here were always going to make way for the psychological side, and the reality of terror which was present in the earlier movie adaptations go down the drain. The focus on the romantic side would also keep the horror fans wondering, which makes this film not that kind of a world of chaos for everyone. It has its horror, but the movie will not rise that much within its genre, which makes watching this one a choice according to your interest, but is an entertaining journey for sure.

Release date: 4th February 2026
Running time: 105 minutes
Directed by: Christophe Gans
Starring: Jeremy Irvine, Hannah Emily Anderson, Evie Templeton, Pearse Egan, Nicola Alexis, Robert Strange, Giulia Pelagatti

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Killer Whale

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Vampire Owl: I remember talking to the Vampire Whale last night.

Vampire Bat: There is no Vampire Whale among us. It could only be a fake vampire.

Vampire Owl: Why not? I have already checked the teeth. The fangs are fine.

Vampire Bat: Everyone with fangs is not a vampire, or even a werewolf.

Vampire Owl: So, it was a Demon Whale or a resurrected shadow demon?

Vampire Bat: Couldn’t it have just been a usual creature of the ocean?

Vampire Owl: This could have been better known if Aquaman became a vampire.

Vampire Bat: He could no longer breath underwater if he became a vampire.

Vampire Owl: Oh right! Vampires were never really water resistant.

Vampire Bat: You have never really listened to the study classes, which becomes a problem now.

[Gets a plate of nachos and three cups of Korean tea].

What is the movie about? :: Maddie (Virginia Gardner), an aspiring musician, is very close to making an impact, and also in taking the next step with her long-time crush Chad (Isaac Crawley), as he feels that the happiest moments of her life are just a few days away. But as Chad tries to protect Maddie from a robbery, he is run over by one of the robbers, and she also losses most her hearing ability to the continuous gunshots. This begins a life of melancholy for her, as she stops playing music and keeps to herself at home for most of her time, with no entry for friends into her life. Her best friend Trish Stevens (Mel Jarnson) who is a PhD student studying gene editing and a social media influencer who attracts a huge fan following visits her after a year to make her feel better. She surprises her with a luxury vacation to Thailand in the Andaman Sea, as she uses her influence with her fans of exclusive social media content to find a perfect place where they could have fun and forget the gruesome past, with her own exotic journeys already making an impact.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Trish also finds a new interest in another tourist named Josh (Mitchell Hope), and they together visit a local attraction featuring a captive orca. Disapproving of keeping the creatures in captivity, but finds out that orca had already killed someone who had fallen into its pool. The park management decides to get rid of the orca on the same night by just flushing it into the sea, where it is not known to attack humans. The next morning, the three decide to explore a secluded lagoon which locals consider to be haunted and therefore not explored by curious tourists. But soon, Josh and Trish riding a jet ski are ambushed by the same orca who kills Josh while Trish manages to swim and reach Maddie’s inflatable boat. The two are forced to swim on to a rock and with injuries on their leg, are forced to stay there with nothing other than bikinis on their bodies and a torch. They try to signal to a distance with the torch, but with no result, as time passes. They try to survive against all odds and at the same time share a few secrets with each other, but it remains to be seen about how long they can do the same.

The defence of Killer Whale :: The movie’s premise is more interesting than the usual movies featuring danger from underneath the sea, as the main character is already set, and the possibilities of the orca is also being talked about. There is also a message in support of these mammals to be taken out of captivity to their original habitats. The idea that years of captivity and mistreatment can make animals more of a monster is asserted here, and supported by the protagonist. There is that scene when the two girls are moving in the inflatable boat, and the orca is moving underneath them, as they look in terror. Then there is orca moving around them as they take shelter on a rock surrounded by water. We also have both protagonists swimming in full strength as if their lives depend on their quick movement through water, and those are all tense moments, as much as their search for anything useful. The survival skills are nicely put into test here, and we see them fighting nature’s predator as much as their own emotions, with this becoming another movie of fighting against all odds.

Positives and negatives :: One cannot stop noticing that the whale could have looked better as the creature features and the effects of the sea often looked cheap, seemingly due to a low budget, but that does not make us feel the danger to be that far away or of lesser strength. People can feel that this is another shark movie, and just ended quickly without adding some extra strength, but considering the fact that this is film of different dimensions, the same can indeed be forgotten. The movie also has us sympathetic to the whale, and makes us wonder about what humans to do to each other as much as to the creatures of nature. There are multiple shots of the main characters surrounded by the orca from above and underneath, all of them making one feel the danger of the situation. The camera shots also keep us close to the characters, and we also go through that journey with them with what they see as much as what the creature see of them from underneath the sea. Then there are some beautiful shots of their world in the end at sea and out of it, which facilitates an ending that looks well.

The performers of the soul :: The movie focus on two characters, played by Virginia Gardner as Maddie and Mel Jarnson as Trish Stevens, with others and their performances being less relevant, even though we would remember Isaac Crawley and Mitchell Hope more than others. The movie perfectly moves towards a female-sisterhood-survival movie in that manner. Virginia comes up with a charming and emotional work, as we see her character move through emotions, from that romantic happy beginning to chaos, while she tries to survive. Mel Jarnson also handles the emotions incredibly well, with guilt and attempt for hope gaining on her. She remains stunning out there as she was perfect in Witchboard, but this time having an influencer and social media powerhouse running right through her character. This is where beauty comes also with performances, and the two on the rock is a sight to behold not just with those looks, but also with the emotional performances. There is no artificiality here, as they strive through their characters’ toughest times for survival as much feelings.

How it finishes :: If you have watched The Shallows and 47 Meters Down, this can be felt as a repetition, but this one also has that emotional side, and the weight of the past, which makes the world of two best friends different around here. In between, there are some beautiful moments, as the emotions surely have more than one side. If you like creature thrillers with a touch of deviation, but never losing the survival mode, this would be entertaining. If you are expecting a big budget classic with realistic orca behaviour with terrifying high budget world on the level of grand shark attacks, this might lag behind at times. The movie is available of Lionsgate Play which would come as an addition with the usual Airtel unlimited recharges, and therefore is an easy watch, in the form of a never-boring survival adventure with hidden human emotions that power through, while compassion, remorse, guilt and forgiveness remains themes to look out for, even though not always coming to the front in a direct manner. You know if you like the survival mode, like in Survive, Oxygen, Meander, Nowhere, Crawl etc.

Release date: 6th March 2026
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Jo-Anne Brechin
Starring: Virginia Gardner, Mel Jarnson, Mitchell Hope, Isaac Crawley, Ron Smuck, Aliandra Calabrese, Mia Grunwalkd, Shinji Ikefuji, Scott James

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Together

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Vampire Owl: We, the vampires have been together for an eternity.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that there is more about togetherness in this movie.

Vampire Owl: So, you think that there is not enough of the same among us.

Vampire Bat: Togetherness is not something that can be evaluated.

Vampire Owl: At least the movie is on Amazon Prime Video to be evaluated.

Vampire Bat: I wonder about the kind of supernatural present in that movie.

Vampire Owl: Should I consult the parapsychologist Dr. Frankenstein on the matter?

Vampire Bat: When did Mr. Frankenstein graduate in psychology?

Vampire Owl: He has so many graduations that we will never know all of them.

Vampire Bat: This Frank needs to be reported to Uncle Dracula for his fake degrees.

[Gets a podi masala dosa and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: A man has been searching for a missing couple with his two dogs. But after the unsuccessful search, he finds the dogs fused together as one. A few days later, Tim Brassington (Dave Franco) and Millie Wilson (Alison Brie), a couple going through an emotional path, and at the same time, latter finds a job of teaching elementary school English. Tim has been trying to make his mark as a musician, but has not been himself since the memories of his dead parents have been haunting him. Millie proposes to Tim at a going away party held by their friends but, he shows some hesitation which makes them further ponder over their relationship. As Millie meets her new co-worker Jamie McCabe (Damon Herriman), he tells them about the interesting walking trails near their home that goes deep into the woods and remains a beautiful view. While hiking through such path, they fall into an underground cave and decide to camp inside for the night due to the rain getting heavier. Tim drinks from a pool of water but Millie does not.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As they wake up on the next morning, Tim and Millie find their legs stuck with each other with some material which looks like glue, but they are able to separate them without much difficulty, and feels that it was some random sticky thing of fungal nature. Tim feels like he is physically and brutally drawn towards Millie, which leads to complicated situations which makes them feel that this is a psychological problem. The doctor that Tim sees also dismisses the incidents as panic attacks and asks him to use some muscle relaxant pills, and reminds him that the place has its charm, but also dangers, as a local couple had also gone missing. Tim looks at the news and also at the social media pages of the couple, and finds out that these particular couple had also visited the same cave, identified by some of the marked bells outside and some signs on walls of the cave. Jamie arrives at their place and welcomes them to the neighborhood, and they have a dinner together.

And what more can happen as the couple seems to be confused in between? :: The couple recounts their experience at the cave, which Jamie explains was a hippie-type church which had some activities which were considered strange for the commonly accepted churches. He adds on that people who got better options moved away to cities with their families, the church was abandoned, and became part of the cave system, as time passed. He adds that this is not a terrifying Satan worshipping cult of anything, and no followers of the same remains there. Even though Millie drops Tim off at the train station for his journey to the city for a musical programme, he experiences another episode of being attracted to her and immediately goes to Millie’s school, much to her surprise, as he gets on to her. This time, she is also attracted to him, but she denies the same, but it the strange attraction would come to her at night too, and the mystery deepens. Can they get out of this as they seem to be getting attached to each other, and this seems to be a problem to which there is no solution?

The defence of Together :: The romantic drama mixed with disturbing body horror is something unusual, and thus provides a fresh feeling that will keep the audience interested. It is nice to see that this becomes a metaphor for interdependent relationships and also signifies the need for togetherness in a relationship rather than keeping on separating each other – as it says in the Holy Bible: “A man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” – Genesis 2:24. This seems to be a strange coming together of the same, as at least the same thought process should guide a relationship, as the fusion of ideology will guide them better; something which could often include religious ideology. In this case, everything is shown with that body horror that stays effective, and the fear factor is surely active, and it includes being scared of losing identity. Alison Brie with Dave Franco of Now You See Me and Nerve do manage to bring some real chemistry, as they are also real-life couple, despite the former at times looking much older. Their moments together are very good with a certain amount of love which feels apart, but so much longing to be together, like the body horror itself calls for. Disturbing transformations and dark humour remain effective too.

The claws of flaw :: The movie remains repetitive in parts, and there seems to be moments when nothing much past. There is also a little too much useless time spent in pondering over the past of the main male character when it could have easily gone on with just a small mention of the same, thus making the length of the movie exact as intended. The narrative just goes on the usual path with the couple story while moving towards the fresh twists. The mixture of romance and body horror does not always work the best, and signs can be seen here – some people can even find part of this to be gross, thus justifying its rating in India. Some cringe moments are also present and dialogues get a little too weak at times. The emotional connection could have been also more, as the romantic background is already set. There is also the need for a lot more explanations with this one, as the weird mode keeps on being active. We can see the chance for some people clearly missing out on the idea.

How it finishes :: If you are looking for experimental horror with focus on the body-based terror, this might be the movie for you, as performances and hidden ideas and messages also seem to come in here and there, despite there is nothing too grand about it with moments where the movie just seems like a usual random journey that stays repetitive. Even if togetherness story is your key, this will be your relationship-focused tale with a dark twist, as the darkness would take the whole world to something beyond comprehension. But you are not to look for fast-paced and plot-drive works with this one. But seeing the fusion of the couple, you might not stop feeling that there is the need for togetherness coming from religious scriptures fulfilled right here, whether some subterranean or alien entity is involved in the process. After all, we know that there shall always be too many things that we do not understand, and can stay on the mysterious side; and so we go through this movie, and enjoy the same in moments, with one final shot of togetherness with innovation. Still, the body horror of The Substance remains one of its kind.

Release date: 30th July 2025
Running time: 102 minutes
Directed by: Michael Shanks
Starring: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Mia Morrissey, Karl Richmond, Damon Herriman, Jack Kenny, Francesca Waters, Sarah Lang, Aljin Abella, Rob Brown, Charlie Lees, M J Dorning, Ellora Iris, Melanie Beddie, Rom Considine, Nancy Finn, Flynn Wandin, Mark Robinsom, Michael Shanks. Sunny S Walia

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Osiris

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Vampire Owl: A movie about the Egyptian god who brings the dead back to life?

Vampire Bat: I feel that there will be only a small connection.

Vampire Owl: The name should actually be associated with us as we come back from the dead.

Vampire Bat: The vampire elders do not approve of the dead given more importance than the undead.

Vampire Owl: Is there any undead who do not come from the dead?

Vampire Bat: The undead are also summoned through magic.

Vampire Owl: Aren’t they the animated skeletons of necromancers and northern witches?

Vampire Bat: And they call us the animated ones.

Vampire Owl: The necromancers have been banished for too long.

Vampire Bat: There are still the necromancer vampires.

[Gets an avocado shake and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: US Special Forces on a mission in the desert, Kelly (Max Martini), Rhodie (LaMonica Garrett), Jax (Jaren Mitchell), Reyes (Michael Irby), Gibbs (David Meadows), Nash (Linds Edwards), Bull (Dawson Towery) and Scars (Stanley White Jr) find themselves in a tough battle on the ground, only to find something else also coming up. They are abducted by some strange floating structure of gigantic proportions that appears on the sky after unleashing some kind of weapon on the ground. The floating structure seemed to cause enough havoc on the ground, much more than what was happening around. After a series of nightmares, those who survived awaken, disoriented and confined within some stasis pods, on what seems to be an alien spaceship or an extra-terrestrial building, maybe even located outside the planet. The structure seems to be scientifically advanced, with very less lighting, even though not without stains and dirt, as if straight out of a realistic first-person shooter game.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As the soldiers further explore the areas, they come across skinned human corpses hanging from above and unfamiliar but seemingly advanced weapons and technology. They also find a struggling young Russian woman Ravishka (Brianna Hildebrand) who is tightly chained to a pole, and as they rescue her, they meet her captors too. The captors are strange creatures, tall, eyeless humanoids with armored skin, sharp claws and energy-based weapons and shields. They keep fighting their way with the help of alien devices which they manage to take from the fallen ones. Ravishka tells them that she feels that she is from around there as she has been around for a long time, and explains that the ship collects humans to be processed as food. She guides them in a journey away from danger through lesser-traveled maintenance tunnels. After a series of encounters with aliens and near-death situations, they fall into a pool of blood filled with remains of dead humans.

What more happens here as aliens seem to be near-invincible and ready for food? :: They are rescued by another survivor named Anya (Linda Hamilton), Ravishka’s mother, who tells them that she has been there for a very long time, and was part of a Russian team which tried to fight the aliens who tried to take over the world. None of them are left now with the last group being captured with Ravishka and brutally murdered. Now, they have to depend on the newly found friends. There, they realize some of the strangest truths about what happened on Earth and how aliens have been going about. They have now lost almost half their soldiers, and are only fortified better with the alien weapons and ammunitions – but the aliens are tracking them through heat signatures and sound. After knowing more, they realize that they have a bigger mission than they thought about and it would be tougher than ever. Can they accomplish that without losing any more of their people?

The defence of Osiris :: The movie has some fast-paced combat that keeps us interested at all times. The signs are shown early enough with the first battle in the desert before the aliens’ arrival, and points to some military warfare more than a random alien invasion. The shootouts feel great from the desert to the alien ship and we have an action game mode feeling going on here. The details are very good, with the spaceship having a classic look, and aliens looking like part of a fine design. There are those moments when we first see the aliens, and the second just before that, which kept us at the edge of the seat like not many other alien movies could do. These are the kind of aliens that we can accept more than any other, and brings some nostalgia back to us. The action feels classic, and we are reminded of Doom in its multiple forms as aliens are no less than demons either, even supported further by some dialogues spoken. The intensity of the battles keeps a certain level at all times. The need for survival is always there, hoping against hopelessness.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not go deep into the material, and is happy with the surface level journey. There seems to be a little bit too much dependance on the early science fiction movies, including Alien and Predator as well as those sequels. The innovation was there to be taken, but it does not come to the front. The script could have used a push, with more classic elements, and as we see how the movie ended, there could have been more clues in between, with better connection to the title. By the end of the movie, saving the girl gets too much of an attention despite her being introduced as a fighter in captivity in the beginning. Some of the characters are just there for the sake of being there, and even the main characters seem to get less attention to their detail. The moments of survival and twists could have also been better written to create better impact, and alien invasions could have been explained with visuals. There were so many opportunities to make the situations more and more interesting.

How it finishes :: There was always scope for so much more, but that much is not taken here, with the safe zone seemingly the place to be, without that extra innovation. There are not many deviations which seem to be in the mind of the makers which could come out of the box. Still, this remains a very much entertaining journey – there is no boring moment as you are transported to this dangerous world. It is that strong sci-fi action entertainer rather than a thoughtful science-fiction movie. The fast-paced action, alien attacks and nostalgic appeal the best for some time-pass watch rather than provoking thoughts. But some struggle in writing, predictability in plotting, and thin character development keep it from standing out within its genre or leaving a lasting impact. It feels more like a derivative sci-fi action film that never ceases to be entertaining, and also has a scary side taking it close to another genre, as we wonder if this could also become a successful computer game in future.

Release date: 25th July 2025
Running time: 108 minutes
Directed by: William Kaufman
Starring: Max Martini, Brianna Hildebrand, LaMonica Garrett, Linds Edwards, Jaren Mitchell, David Meadows, Michael Irby, Linda Hamilton

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

It Feeds

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Vampire Owl: It should not be it, for it should be a he or she.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that they are not talking about vampires.

Vampire Owl: Who feeds better than vampires these days?

Vampire Bat: Who follows better? Then it should be “It Follows”.

Vampire Owl: What is there to follow for us?

Vampire Bat: We follow art, and we further follow beauty beyond exceptions.

Vampire Owl: You still think that there is beauty in this world of chaos and destruction.

Vampire Bat: The beauty of chaos cannot be taken out of the equation.

Vampire Owl: The vampire elders have always absorbed power out of chaos nodes.

Vampire Bat: Chaos nodes have powered the vampire animation for centuries.

[Gets a parippu vada and three cups of Coonoor tea].

What is the movie about? :: Cynthia (Ashley Greene) is an experienced psychiatrist who is also able to see into the minds of her patients, identifying the exact problem, as she basically walks inside that world of their minds. Through these special skills, she has solved a number of problems faced by her patients, some of them actually clueless until meeting Cynthia. Her daughter Jordan (Ellie O’Brien) is very much supportive of the same, and she comes across a girl named Riley (Shayelin Martin) who comes to visit Cynthia as advised by Agatha (Juno Rinaldi), a friendly woman who was cured by a visit. But the girl’s father Randall (Shawn Ashmore) also arrives all of a sudden and takes her away, asking Jordan not to be bothered about her, but not before Cynthia has a quick glimpse of a creature that looks from under Riley’s shoulder. Jordan talks about Riley, and how she was talking about someone who always accompanies her, but is only visible to her, and when Cynthia says that she saw something, she asks her to help her.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The Creature (Brooklyn Marshall) reminds Cynthia of a troubled past, and the attempts which had made her husband commit suicide after they had gone after such supernatural troubles. Even now, Cynthia has been very careful, even with her psychiatric journeys so that nothing goes out of control and comes back to her, causing trouble to her family again. Therefore, she rejects the possibility of helping the girl who seems to be too much affected by some terrible force of darkness, an entity belonging pure evil and chaos. Still, Riley’s claim that a supernatural entity has been feeding off of her, makes Jordan determined to help the girl at all costs. She goes to meet Agatha despite Cynthia’s warnings, and finds the address of the girl and her father. But soon, she finds her tied up firmly to a chair, not able to move any part of her body at all. Her jacket is removed, and as the girl places her hands on Jordan’s shoulder and upper arm, she sees the creature for the first time, touching her, and burning her body. Now, can she escape from this family and the creature that seems to be also feeding off her?

The defence of It Feeds :: The wraith-like entity with an extremely creepy burnt skull and long fingers is visually terrifying enough to keep haunting people in their nightmares. The creature on its throne is a majestic visual of a demonic rule that could cross over from its world to the human lands. The looks are as much disturbing as a terribly burnt corpse which has come back alive without much of the body left. At the same time, the movie explores trauma, fear and healing of wounds of the past while emotions run right through, as the creatures becomes unable to feed on any of them from the past and present. The continuous present of the dark lighting makes sure that something is going to happen all the time, while tense scenes during the supernatural and sudden scares from out of the world keep the horror going for the fans. The situations outside this world are nicely created and there is a certain amount of quality related to the same. With the available elements, the movie has managed to be worth the time.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not feel like original, as elements of other movies seem to have come across here to become this film, the combination of many things, not many of them coming up as an innovation, even when there was the chance to take this further. The content here seems to rather less, and some of the moments seem to be there just to point to the jump scares. The nice poster surely gave the feeling that there would be more around here with horror level to be increased much more. Then, there are times when movie losses its connection despite having ideas active here and there. The characters also show the tendency to overdo things. The movie also seems to end up with the negative idea that helping people without second thoughts is not always the best thing to do; but that being truth is not to be avoided. The world remains uneven, and it would not go on to become a movie that we could remember for a long time; Amazon Prime Video is just the platform that will make this one something for which people will be interested.

The performers of the soul :: Ashley Greene leads the way really well here as the determined mother who is looking forward to save her daughter, even though she is not of that power throughout the movie. Still, the one who catches our attention more is Ellie O’Brien, who plays that character who tries to save lives, but is helplessly caught in trouble, tied up, attacked by the creature, and even buried alive – tough moments indeed, but she manages the same really well. In the end, the mother-daughter duo scores even further with the creature facing them, and a moment with creepers which does not strike like the Evil Dead trees, but does just enough there too. Shawn Ashmore also brings more strength to the cast, and there is also a certain amount of emotional weight which also gets added here as he scores as the father figure who listens to nobody while trying to be the big protector against all odds. Juno Rinaldi and Mark Taylor in smaller roles makes impact, despite not staying on for more. Shayelin Martin as the child with a haunting on her, does very well too.

How it finishes :: The movie is your usual horror movie which works with elements of many other movies, but the one which uses what is available effectively enough. It holds the ground as a good atmospheric horror with solid acting and creepy visuals which increases its effectiveness, but the story feels generic without more to be said about it and without doubt, predictable enough to make sure that it does not raise the level enough to be remembered for that long. When you have movies like Evil Dead, Sinister, Insidious, The Conjuring, The Nun, Annabelle and others becoming big things with the quality associated it with, one would find it strange that a movie like this which establishes the premise so well in the beginning and catches our attention could do only this much. Well, we cannot always have enough with a big start, but for this one, that was expected. After all, it is recommended with some of those better movies when on Amazon Prime Video, and more people would surely watch it there.

Release date: 28th March 2025
Running time: 102 minutes
Directed by: Chad Archibald
Starring: Ashley Greene, Shawn Ashmore, Ellie O’Brien, Juno Rinaldi, Brooklyn Marshall, Mark Taylor, Shayelin Martin, Julian Richings

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Bluff

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Vampire Owl: Are we reviewing the first Priyanka Chopra starrer here?

Vampire Bat: Well, she was part of Matrix: Resurrections, but not her movie.

Vampire Owl: I remember that we had watched many of her movies before this site started.

Vampire Bat: Well, she was around since 2002; and it is quite natural.

Vampire Owl: We had come so close to reviewing a few.

Vampire Bat: Well, there were many movies of her that we liked then.

Vampire Owl: Compared to some other Bollywood actresses, she was surely the queen.

Vampire Bat: Yes, Bollywood is now left with the huge quantity of nepotism that leads to epic nonsense. There is no escape from them.

Vampire Owl: But we rarely watch the nepo-kid movies.

Vampire Bat: Nothing matches the terror of Param Sundari and its dumb nonsense towards infinity. It is like oblivion.

[Gets a paneer paratha and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: A former pirate Ercell Bodden (Priyanka Chopra) is living in a British overseas territory further away from the people she knew with her disabled son Isaac Bodden (Vedanten Naidoo) and sister-in-law Elizabeth Bodden (Safia Oakley-Green). They do not about her past, and the people of the peaceful island are also not aware of her origins. The only person who knows about her bloody past is Pastor Bradley (David Field) who also had similar life, but had left it to become a pastor at the only church which serves at the centre of the island. Theodor H Bodden (Ismael Cruz Córdova), her husband who had gone on a ship as captain, continuing his life as a sailor while Ercell had stayed behind to take care of their disabled son while hoping not to be recognized by any sailor from her past, as she is known to have done terrible things while being with the notorious pirate Francisco Connor (Karl Urban), who had made her his partner after rescuing her from slave trade as she was separated from her family long ago.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: One day, Ercell finds two people in her house, and after attacking her, ties her up, and gets ready to hang her to death. The overseer of the island, Custode Drayton (Gary Beadle) finds a strange man on the docks, and as he asks about his rank and nationality, gets shot, and despite the islanders try to attack the upcoming swarm of pirate boats with cannons, almost all of them manage to reach the island and finish off anyone who took up arms against them. Ercell, who is brutally beaten, manages to break out of her bondage as her captives tried to catch her son, and she also decides to kill them. Meanwhile, Elizabeth who had gone outside to elope with her lover, finds the man dead, and also witnesses and injured overseer being executed by the leader of the group of pirates, who turns out to be the most terrifying pirate of the area, Francisco himself, who chooses executions with cannons over anything else, and enjoy the view of body parts scattering all over the sands.

And what more could happen here as the pirates take over to unleash chaos and destruction in an unsuspecting island far away from mainland? :: Ercell moves out with her son, and finds Bradley outside, and they decide the move through the forest area, but she decides to look out for Elizabeth. The find each other in the fields and realize that they are in big trouble. As the group led by Quartermaster Lee (Temuera Morrison) who serves as the second-in-command keeps Theodor as a captive, their aim seems to be Ercell as much as the gold which she had stolen from their crew. Francisco gets right on their trail, as they manage to get to the other side of crocodile-infested river with the only available boat. But this would not be the end for them, as the most terrifying pirate of their times got other plans, and with Theodor held captive under them, there is no way the family can move themselves away from the man who will keep hunting for them. Can the family find a way to live peacefully in between the terror which has been unleashed?

The defence of The Bluff :: It is nice to see that Priyanka Chopra has transformed herself into an action star, and that has surely been managed so well, as she never falters in that field, which is surely above her rest of the work here. Karl Urban whom most of us love the best for his classic Dredd which matched the original, has remained a fine villain throughout the movie. Safia Oakley-Green remains notable with her full presence, Temuera Morrison also leaves a mark. The visuals are really good, and we get the island feeling with the beauty of the world right there. The movie comes up with some brutal combat and survival sequences which works here as we see the pirates as the evil which they had been. Along with being a pirate adventure on survival mode, there is also the home invasion mode. A mother trying to save her child works emotionally well when the past comes to haunt her, but not throughout the movie. There is some old-style sword-fight that goes on well, and there is a lot of action to look out for, with no shortage of blood and gore. The final fight at the top of the cliff works nicely.

The claws of flaw :: There seems to be very less that the characters of this movie gets other than action, and even Priyanka Chopra gets too less of the other sides to explore. The villain’s past adventures could have been shown in a more terrifying manner. The dialogues feel as cliched as some of the scenes around here, as innovation does not seem like a skill. There is no attempt at originality and ideas often feel like falling short. The movie remains rather too predictable, and most of the things that happen in the movie goes in a path which is common. The preference of style over substance is not something that can be appreciated as we keep seeing only one side of the movie. The mother-child bonding and sisterhood power do not show that power at all times, as the relationships struggle, with the romantic past and husband-wife live not becoming something of interest either. The emotional side should have been stronger and the deaths could have mattered much more, as we look around here. There seems to be a certain amount of confusion for the movie about what all it should have, with the tendency to move through different genres.

How it finishes :: This goes on to become an enjoyable pirate action thriller that reminds us of other movies while also keeping some nostalgia right there. But it seems to be not sure about what exactly it is going to achieve. When we think about it, there were so many ideas that this movie could have taken related to pirates and surviving on an island, as many computer games have also come up with similar situations. The action remains raw, sometimes brutal and pretty much grounded enough to keep the audience engaged throughout its run. The viewers will still have to adjust with a situation which is not new, and without innovations, but entertaining throughout its run. After all, pirates and running away from the crew in an island which has hidden caves will keep everyone interested. I have the feeling that the movie with Priyanka Chopra as a pirate would have done pretty good at the box-office too, for she is many times better than the nepotic actresses and overrated advertisement celebrities of these times – just imagine some of these people in this particular role, and you would not see much of a choice to fit in there instead of her. Then we have the real name of the main character shown written in Malayalam twice – Mariyam; keeping us wonder about the Kerala connection there.

Release date: 25th February 2026 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 103 minutes
Directed by: Frank E Flowers
Starring: Priyanka Chopra, Karl Urban, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Safia Oakley-Green, Temuera Morrison, Gary Beadle, Zack Morris, Gideon Mzembe, Pacharo Mzembe, Greg Hatton, David Field

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Mercy

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Vampire Owl: Hope that the vampire elders will have mercy on us.

Vampire Bat: I wonder why you have started caring for the vampire elders.

Vampire Owl: I have a deal which I have to make for them.

Vampire Bat: We have an official Vampire Deal-Maker. You need to do nothing.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had assured of a special scientific deal.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein can only make pseudo-scientific deals.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein is a scientist beyond all infinite understanding.

Vampire Bat: He tried to create life out of chicken fried rice yesterday.

Vampire Owl: Well, it was chicken noodles, and I remember that.

Vampire Bat: It could be even chicken biryani, but that is not my point.

[Gets a paneer biryani and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the year 2029, the world has changed by a long way. This time at Los Angeles, the Mercy Capital Court while trying to deal with a surge in crime, brings Artificial Intelligence judges for trials of violent crimes, which have been too common in an attempt to keep the general public safe. These AI judges give the defendants enough resources to find and provide all the evidence needed, and they are to prove their innocence in ninety minutes, or in the case of failure, will be executed. Los Angeles Police Department Detective Christopher Raven (Chris Pratt) is the one who finds himself in trouble due to the same new system despite himself having fought for its implementation after his best friend and partner in Los Angeles Police Department, Ray Vale (Kenneth Choi) was murdered, and the killer had walked free after he had hesitated to take a shot when there was the chance to finish off the criminal. He is put on trial for his wife Nicole Raven’s (Annabelle Wallis) murder, and is given not a second more than ninety minutes of investigation with the AI help to persuade the judge AI Judge Maddox (Rebecca Ferguson) of his innocence.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: All the evidence seems to point to Chris having killed his wife, as her blood was found on his clothing and doorbell camera footage places him returning to home from the office just before her murder, and nobody else had come to their house on that day, and their daughter Britt Raven (Kylie Rogers) who came just after he left, was the first person on scene. Chris’s guilt probability is 97.5%, which he needs to lower to 92% to avoid a quick execution. There is also proof for Nicole planning a divorce due to his increasing drinking problem and all the shouting at her that came under the alcohol influence. For the same, Nicole was spending time with another man, Patrick Burke (Jeff Pierre), with whom she had started a romantic relationship, seemingly intimate in nature as they saw each other in hotel rooms. But the man could not be linked to the murder. This means that there is something more sinister in this murder as Christopher knows that he did not commit the crime. But time is less and can he survive?

The defence of Mercy :: The idea of an Artificial Intelligence judge coming up with a judgment in such a short period of time, and thus racing against time, remains something that will keep us glued to the screen from the beginning itself. As we go with the protagonist is bringing together the pieces to solve the puzzle, that works well. The expected themes like surveillance, privacy and effects of technology are surely there to be seen. The use of digital footprints to find someone also reminds us of a familiar world. The constant reminder of an end and such a countdown create a constant tension which keeps the movie engaging. The short run-time delivers everything well, and with much of a complication. There is that feeling of what is next, which is maintained, and with suspense, the twists come into the picture post the thrills. This is why the movie remains constantly entertaining as a movie that sticks to its genre. There is no need to think too much even though the premise with science fiction based on artificial intelligence and just feels heavy; it does serve purpose too. Aristotle would love the maintenance of the three unities with everything happening in the courtroom with the protagonist within ninety minutes too.

The claws of flaw :: The feeling of having seen this idea before will surely be around, as we come across the idea for not the first time, as there has only recently been the movie known as Artificial Justice in Spanish, and we also keep remembering about a Tom Cruise starrer from some more years ago. There is some unrealistic side that comes in even if we avoid the genre, with the willing suspension of disbelief not always getting its due. The ideas of artificial intelligence and justice do not also go that deep, as we are more with the surface level journey here. With such big ideas on paper, maybe the movie could have dived in deeper. The cliches could have been pushed to the side in this new world which deserved better strength. There is also a certain amount of artificiality related to the same, and the pacing remains uneven. The characterization is not that much present to be seen either. The side characters are just present seemingly because there was a need for the main character to gather evidence, and most of the action takes place in the AI courtroom and with live and recorded footages from outside which might leave a few not happy.

The performers of the soul :: Chris Pratt is the man who has to do most of the work here, and he does not disappoint, as most of us had expected. From moving through Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequels as well as the final Avengers movies with more adventures like The Tomorrow War and Passengers in between, he now goes on with more of the thrills, but without the action, and even on the chair, keeps us interested. Rebecca Ferguson of Mission Impossible, Doctor Sleep, Reminiscence and Life fame gets to be the artificial intelligence judge, and the same is managed with near-perfection as the machine who takes the human form and the determination to keep to the rules make the character even more memorable. Annabelle Wallis whose character is killed off earlier has much less to do. Kylie Rogers and Chris Sullivan also have their moments while Kali Reis drops in with some interesting minutes too. Kenneth Choi has something from the flashbacks, and has a character relevant to the chain of events, and so does Jeff Pierre. But we are still very much focused on the two main characters who gets all the screen time.

How it finishes :: The movie keeps reminding us of some the titles which have come in the past dealing with similar ideas, and there has been only a limited expansion of the original ideas. Despite many negative reviews, this is surely one fast-paced artificial intelligence tale which suits the time period, and could be watched with some popcorn on a weekend for some pure fun. After all, we are always looking for such fun in a world which has been missing the same in the name of many other factors including political correctness. Still, we see that certain gap between a powerful idea and its execution. At its core, the concept was so much full of potential in this world, and we can say that the film chooses a subject that could have been even more impactful. This is one of those movies which seems to have had almost no hype in this part of the world, and we feel that with a little more attention, it could have come late to the theatres here, stronger. But this one remains a recommended watch as an entertainer with a fine idea and classic theme.

Release date: 23rd January 2026
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Starring: Chris Pratt, Rebecca Ferguson, Kali Reis, Annabelle Wallis, Chris Sullivan, Kylie Rogers

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

I Know What You Did

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Vampire Owl: Nobody knows what we did last summer.

Vampire Bat: But nobody knows what we did during winter or monsoon either.

Vampire Owl: So, we are not popular enough, right?

Vampire Bat: Why should people know about what we do?

Vampire Owl: Maybe celebrity vampires getting attacked by serial killers is cool?

Vampire Bat: So that you can drink serial killer blood now?

Vampire Owl: Well, we have to keep trying something new.

Vampire Bat: They are just random psychotic humans with same kind of blood.

Vampire Owl: Well, different brands of ice creams taste different.

Vampire Bat: You should remember that we have been vegetarian vampires for long.

[Gets a paneer masala dosa and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ava Brucks (Chase Sui Wonders) returns to her hometown of Southport, North Carolina for the engagement of her wealthy best friend Danica Richards (Madelyn Cline) and her rich and influential groom Teddy Spencer (Tyriq Withers). They are joined by their friends from the past, Milo Griffin (Jonah Hauer-King) and Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon), along with their estranged friend Stevie Ward (Sarah Pidgeon) whom they are meeting after a long time as she faced the death of her father and drug addiction. They decide to see the fireworks of the day, and stops their vehicle on a cliff. There, Teddy stands on the middle of the road while on booze, only to cause a pickup truck to apply sudden brakes and lose control, plunging into the rocks below. Teddy’s father Grant Spencer (Billy Campbell) who is a powerful politician, manages to twist the incident in such a way that the driver had stolen the vehicle and speeding, which caused the accident at the curve which was prone to accidents. The youngsters are not even called for questioning with their presence at the area itself erased.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: An year later, it is seen that Danica and Teddy have broken up, and the former is now in another relationship, soon to be married. The group of friends return to the town to attend the bridal shower of Danica, with the exception of Teddy. Ava reaches last, after having some sexual advances with a slasher podcaster Tyler Trevino (Gabbriette Bechtel). When Danica receives a note “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer”, and after her fiancée is murdered with a note about the past, Ava is forced to turn to Tyler who is an expert in serial killers and psychotic murders. They investigate into the past of the town which had that terrifying history of the killer with the hook which has been mostly erased to support tourism. But they find the new killer in the old costume, and Tyler is brutally murdered. Now, they find themselves in trouble with cops not ready to help them. Can they escape this terror before losing more lives?

The defence of I Know What You Did Last Summer :: This is another movie that we have been waiting for, as most of the horror fans would agree to the same. It makes a fine use of the underlying terror and a perfect scream queen in the form of its leading actress whom we hope to see in more of horror movies with the same charm and beauty. This look surely suits her more in comparison to how she has looked throughout the internet and seemingly in her earlier works. The hook image remains classic like the Ghostface and Chromehead masks have remained, and darkness is nicely combined with music and silence to create the desired effect here. The final revealing is surely something that has all the strength, and the double twist adds to the same. The connection to the original movie is nicely made, and the scope for sequel is well set, and we really hope that Chase Sui Wonders gets to lead in that movie too, after all, she plays the one character with whom we relate and feels as the movie goes deep. Her friend characters who remain alive would also need to make a comeback, as they worked fine as a team too.

Positives and negatives :: The movie always had the scope for more, going by the traditional slasher standards. Surprisingly, violence and the other traditional elements of slasher flicks do not get to rise that much, even when suspense, thrills and twists get quite something to do. The cast is really good, especially the leading actress who maintains the horror mood and runs through as the scream queen. The rest just follows her lead and there are a few characters who do not get their due. The final moments could have been more intense, even though the twists and turns nicely come together for the finale. These are the kind of movies that we need, the slashers that keeps coming alive even without any dose of supernatural being added to bring back the dead antagonists. After all, humans are born killers, not needing any supernatural to support their cause – the non-believers in God have always been murdering without prejudice, before civilization came into place and rules of man and God set them. So, evil can always find a way and bring death upon all.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is led forward by Chase Sui Wonders who transforms into a perfect scream queen with ease. She is the classic central character who faces danger, screams memorably, survives terrifying situations and even takes the movie to the end, despite a multi-starrer feeling being present at all times. She shines and even surprises the audience at times in what seems to be her first movie which had a release in this part of the world, as part of one of the rare franchises that spread horror with quality an fanbase. Her character is as much nicely presented as it is well-written. In comparison, Madelyn Cline’s character in one-dimensional, and she maintains the same well. At the same time, Sarah Pidgeon makes a fine impact, without doubt. Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr bring further strength to the movie as much as they bring the nostalgia out of the original movies. Gabbriette Bechtel makes an impact in her short stay, while Tyriq Withers and Jonah Hauer-King provide the expected support.

How it finishes :: This return to that world of knowing what we did last summer works really well and brings the nostalgia back to us. This is one franchise which had brought us so many fine scream queens and one serial killer image which inspired many others, and therefore this return was much deserved. After so many years, it is nice to see Jennifer Love Hewitt to extend that nostalgia, even though watching her back in that old movie would mean more – originals would always have that flare despite multiple returns, sequels and reboots. This one reminds the new generation that we had such classic slashers at an earlier point of time, and that Evil Dead, Scream and Halloween are not the only ones that came back, with some of those sequels not making that much of an impact. We the horror fans can safely celebrate this one though, even when we feel that there are moments which could have had more impact and kept that slasher elements projected without seemingly traveling through the safe side. Well, you know that horror can always keep making comebacks, and this is surely one of them.

Release date: 18th July 2025
Running time: 111 minutes
Directed by: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Starring: Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Jonah Hauer-King, Tyriq Withers, Sarah Pidgeon, Billy Campbell, Gabbriette Bechtel, Austin Nichols, Freddie Prinze Jr, Jennifer Love Hewitt

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Housemaid

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Vampire Owl: We have waited for this movie to come in the OTT for some time.

Vampire Bat: And it is on Amazon Prime Video, which is for the best.

Vampire Owl: Well, we all needed our Amazon Prime deliveries.

Vampire Bat: There is no Amazon delivery in Dracula castle.

Vampire Owl: Well, we can always pick them up from the borders of the realm.

Vampire Bat: What we need are very much here, and at best quality.

Vampire Owl: The vampire apprentices are really working hard, aren’t they?

Vampire Bat: We have shifted to magic for doing the work for us.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had invented enough to help with that.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein’s pseudo-science actually helps and saves nobody. Frank no longer has enough access to our work.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Wilhelmina Calloway a.k.a. Millie (Sydney Sweeney) is on parole after committing a murder in self-defence. It is then that she is hired by Nina Winchester (Amanda Seyfried) as a live-in maid, much to her surprise as her criminal records did not stop her from being hired for such a big job after so many rejections. The home also has her daughter Cecelia Winchester (Indiana Elle) and husband Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar) who are surprised to see her around there, but Nina is determined that she should have a housemaid as she cannot manage household work even though Enzo Accardi (Michele Morrone) takes care of the work outside. Mille is given an attic bedroom that can be locked from the outside, much to her surprise, and she tries to get a key for the same. But she is so desperate to keep her job as it is a term of her parole; due the same, she just goes on with the process despite the problems that come in her way, and feels that there is something wrong with Nina and the family seems to be slowly falling apart.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Mille further learns that in the past, Nina was locked in a mental hospital for a period of nine months for trying to drown Cece in a bath tub under the effect of drugs and for has tried attempting suicide by overdose. Nina is considered mentally unstable by different people, and some of them seems to keep a distance from her too. Millie also finds her to be very angry towards her, and breaks things while keeping on shouting. It could also be seen that Nina says one thing to her and forgets the same later, keeping on saying that Millie decided to do that thing against her instructions. The neighbours consider her to be a dangerous woman, without a family, and has attached herself to her husband who is rich, handsome, and sweet to everyone around. Andrew’s mother Evelyn Winchester (Elizabeth Perkins) is also that high society lady whom everyone revered, and keeps telling the family about a few things which they should always follow without fail.

And what more is to happen around here as a crisis seems to be on the way? :: A similar case occurs as Millie books Broadway musical tickets and a hotel for the Winchesters in one of the richest areas, but later, Nina just denies having given her those instructions, and tells her that she will take the money out of her salary as the tickets are not refundable. But when Nina was talking her daughter to the ballet camp, Andrew tries to cheer Millie up by secretly taking her to the show, and after enjoying dinner together, they check into the hotel. Millie receives a large number of angry texts from Nina, but Andrew, and the two start and intimate relationship in the hotel bedroom. Then, when they return home, and Millie realizes that Nina has found out that she spent ten years in prison for murder. Nina uses this knowledge to make sure that police arrest her on stealing their car, after reporting a stolen car. But this would not be the end of it, as her plans might be more sinister, and the family secrets would mean more trouble. Can Millie survive this?

The defence of The Housemaid :: The movie maintains a certain level, with nice red herrings and the suspense always ready to come out, with thrills going on strong – the performances of the leading actresses are also to be noted, as Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried blends into the situation really well. Sydney seems to be very close to becoming the next scream queen in a horror movie, and we have seen her capability with thrillers earlier itself, through The Voyeurs. Amanda had a more complicated role, and she maintains a certain amount of skill to go through the transformation of the character. Brandon Sklenar also joins well here. The tension is nicely built, as the viewer gets curious with secrets to be revealed, mind games and twists which might not be the kind that one can predict with ease. There is the feeling that we are watching the kind of thrillers which we had during much earlier times. The dramatic side also works and entertainment is guaranteed, with most of the action set in a big and isolated house which is set far away from the city.

The claws of flaw :: The movie’s ending seemed to be too quick and forced. After that, there is another scene which feels like not relevant at all, as Sydney Sweeney’s character was surely not fit to that situation, and it is not a kind of job that one could take when on the list of police; strange that some fine endings feel the need to be made further complicated by an additional scene – even if it was created to bring hope for a sequel which also would not fit in. The predictability also comes in after the grand twist, and after that, the situation feels just going on and on, and nothing more. There was also the slowing down in between, and seemingly an attempt to divert the movie a little too much. The length of the movie is surely a little too much, as sometimes, time is just lost in the dialogues. With the movie becoming too much filmy, we can also see that the realistic side, despite being present, sometimes losses its charm. The flashback and the explanations are also too long, and the main character, without any prior knowledge of the predicament, seems to guess and thus understand everything with relative ease.

How it finishes :: This particular movie had successfully become more than what is seen on the outside, and we know that movies like this one and Deep Water, as well as Gone Girl, strikes because they have something more than what is seen on the surface. Compared to those titles, this one also ultimately stands as a highly watchable but not the best psychological thriller that leans more towards providing the old-style entertainment rather than focusing on the much-needed depth. Powered by the performances led by Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney, the movie could create an engaging atmosphere having tension, secrets and dramatic twists. It chooses the commercial side instead of the intellectual, and manages to work well in the same. It still relies on familiar tropes, some predictability and moments of too much talking about the past to reduce the overall impact. But you are sure to enjoy this one because the movie is made in a way that the appeal to the audience would be more, and catering towards the regular thriller fun side is here to be taken home, even if it is from Amazon Prime Video.

Release date: 19th December 2025
Running time: 131 minutes
Directed by: Paul Feig
Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Nicholas Galitzine, Julie Walters, Alex Wolff

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Frankenstein

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Vampire Owl: I have been informed about this particular movie.

Vampire Bat: I know who told you about this.

Vampire Owl: There is no reason why Dr. Frankenstein would not approve of this movie.

Vampire Bat: Anyone named Frankenstein do not count as the real one.

Vampire Owl: He is the vampire certified version of a true scientist.

Vampire Bat: Too many versions for most of us to comprehend.

Vampire Owl: The demons have also approved of the same.

Vampire Bat: When did you start asking the shadow demons about anything?

Vampire Owl: They have provided a telepathic connection to the vampire blood bank.

Vampire Bat: Your friendships these days have become too questionable.

[Gets a chilli porotta and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: In 1857, a significant crisis arises when Horisont, a Royal Danish Navy ship sailing for the North Pole becomes caught in ice, and something unexpected also gets added as they find blood all around with signs of some brutality. Captain Anderson (Lars Mikkelsen) saves an injured Baron Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) who is caught in the snow and is attacked brutally by the Creature (Jacob Elordi) which shows no signs of backing down despite everyone of the crew trying their best, as it seems almost impossible to stop from unleashing unlimited chaos. The humanoid creature demands Victor’s surrender while destroying everything on the way, but ends up going under the thin layer of ice, bringing relief to the crew, as Victor begins to tell his story. Victor explains to the captain that he is not attacked by some random abomination from another world, as he admits that he was the one who created the Creature and recounts the events leading to this particular creation.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Victor remembers having a strict and abusive childhood due to his father beating him for even the smallest mistakes in his studies, as Baron Leopold Frankenstein (Charles Dance) wanted his son to be a surgeon like him, an expert in medical science like himself. He had married Victor’s mother for convenience and money, and nothing else – she dies with the birth of the second child, William Frakenstein (Felix Kammerer), who quickly becomes a father’s favourite, but Victor keeps mourning his mother and hates his father for what he feels like hesitation to save her life. Fueled by the hatred towards his father and indifference towards his young brother, Victor becomes a brilliant, but arrogant surgeon obsessed with curing death through science, based on the words of Leopold which meant nobody could defeat death. After years of trying to achieve the impossible, he is expelled from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh for reanimating corpses, which every major member of the society considered a brutal sacrilege.

And what more could happen here as the arrogance and pride would have more to do in a world of chaos and meaninglessness? :: With all hopes seemingly lost, Victor is approached by an arms leader and billionaire Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz) who is impressed by his presentation and the movement on the face and arms of an animated dead body, offers Victor unlimited funding and an isolated Gothic tower in the middle of nowhere to continue his experiments, seemingly with his own sinister plans about life, death and afterlife. After successfully gaining the maximum of his, as well as William’s assistance in developing his laboratory out of nowhere, Victor also becomes interested in a young lady named Elizabeth (Mia Goth), Henrich’s niece and William’s fiancée. She appreciates his efforts towards greatness, but does not like his nature at all, with him seemingly lacking in morality and becoming more and more greedy without concern for anyone around him. Victor keeps running out of time as Crimean War breaks out and Henrich is on a hurry, but what is the best he can finally achieve here?

The defence of Frankenstein :: The movie is a visual stunner, and it is the first thing that we notice about the movie. The Gothic world of the film keeps us completely immersed in the same, as we are never out of the architectural beauty and the use of colours, along with the images of the archangels, and the spires that point to heaven as much the scientific equipment which also create an impact. The dark tower is symbolic of the overreacher, with our hero continuing to be the hero that seeks more, like many others that we know, most significant name among them being Doctor Faustus. Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak kind of effect continues here, as the Gothic world would always remain safe with him, not just with the darkness and the sinister alleys, but also with the colours, red being one of the most beautiful one as always, this time with that guardian angel imagery staying further in memory than the rest. This one is surely a more sensitive and emotional take on the original story, which have felt rather basic and rushed compared to some of its fine adaptations of later times. The film takes the creature out of its tough shell and shows it as a sensitive and intelligent being trying to help people, and also seeking love and belonging, without which, it changes; the same is depicted smartly.

Positives and negatives :: Oscar Isaac manages a good job with the character which is a little bit overdone for our liking. Mia Goth makes a good presence, but is not used that much as she should have been – A Cure for Wellness was the movie that used her the best, and then there was X; in this movie, she seems to be in the background like a conscience in mind. The last one and half movies are the ones which keep us so much interested, after those beginning stage, for there is so much strength there, leading to that finish, which makes one satisfied with that finish. The one hour after the first ten minutes or so have a struggle, and the pace also struggles. The movie is too long and stretched feeling is there, often also adding unnecessary elements; not all deviations are good either with theme elements going the wrong way in the process. Christoph Waltz’s character will surely catch our attention again, and Charles Dance continues to impress in a short period of stay. Felix Kammerer and David Bradley will also keep us interested in the world, which had a grand beginning with that fight in the snow.

How it finishes :: We have always had a fine dose of Frankenstein stories along with the original one which has kept going strong and inspiring so many derivates including Victor Frankenstein, I, Frankenstein and that guest role in a tale Castle Transylvania and its sequels. This one is another fine deviation which works, and is incredibly beautiful with the world – still, it could have been much better when we think about Guillermo del Toro as the director who brought us some of the most classic versions of myths and legends from the fantasy Pan’s Labyrinth to the full action Pacific Rim. This is that kind of a world where he makes his characters thrive, which would be a reason for the audience to expect more. The critical opinions have surely been positive, and as Mary Shelley’s ideas get expanded through a different path, we would still miss the horror, and despite an attack in the early stages of the movie, there is not much to bring the fear to us. As the monster and the creator are forever, this one would also be for long, as we ponder over the dangers of uncontrolled use of science, loneliness and rejection and above all – responsibility of creators for their creations, which some of the new age parents really need to understand instead throwing children to society, teachers, friends and relatives.

Release date: 7th November 2025
Running time: 150 minutes
Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
Starring: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz, Felix Krammerer, David Bradley, Lars Mikkelsen, Charles Dance, Christoph Waltz, Kyle Gatehouse, Lauren Collins, Sofia Galasso, Ralph Ineson, Burn Gorman, Nikolaj Lie Kaas

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.