Category Archives: +Foreign

The Calendar Killer

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Vampire Owl: I was once called the Calendar Vampire.

Vampire Bat: It is quite an absurd name for a vampire.

Vampire Owl: I am an owl who has a calendar collection. So, that works.

Vampire Bat: What does a centuries-old vampire who lost track of time do with a calendar?

Vampire Owl: I am aware of the passage of time and dates.

Vampire Bat: I would always doubt your awareness.

Vampire Owl: Is it because I admire the work of Dr. Frankenstein?

Vampire Bat: What Mr. Frankenstein is doing is more like the lack of work.

Vampire Owl: I would appreciate Frankenstein the scientist all the time.

Vampire Bat: As someone who keeps killing dead people through experiments.

[Gets a sweet samosa and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jules Tannenberg (Sabin Tambrea) works at a telephone helpline service which has the limited duty of talking to people walking home alone, especially women, and help them to go on and make sure that they reach home or their immediate destination safely. He is someone who was only recently widowed, after his wife committed suicide and had also lost two of his three children at the same wretched hour. He has successfully completely a good number of walks through phone with possible victims, saving many from harassment. One day, he gets distressed call from Klara Vernet (Luise Heyer) who seems to be in a lot of panic. Klara tells him that she was targeted by a psychotic murderer known only by the media-provided pseudonym, Calendar Killer. This particular killer who had risen to a celebrity status through social media and new channels is known to mark his victims’ death dates in advance on the walls of their homes with a horrifying ultimatum, “Him or You” which means that one among the husband and wife will be murdered, unless one partner kills the other.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Jules attempts to keep her calm and guide her through phone, he suspects that there is domestic violence involved, and more details about her is revealed. She tells him that her husband Martin Vernet (Friedrich Mücke), a high-ranking state official has been subjecting her to years of domestic violence, some of them psychological in nature, which has led her already struggling mental health to get worse. Klara was running away from him as Martin had tied her up in the middle of a secret club and punished her in front of everyone else on the day of their wedding anniversary. She had left her six-year-old daughter Amelie (Romy Miesner) with a young babysitter named Vigo (Shadi Eck) and was afraid that she would loss custody of her daughter as her declining mental health had led to her being admitted to psychiatric institutions. Now with a killer also on her back and with her husband refusing to believe that there is a psychopath, she has no hope – but can this hope be revived through that phone call or will the killer take a life?

The defence of The Calendar Killer :: The run-time of a little above one and half hours is very much favourable to the movie which keeps the pace going. The cold and wintery aesthetic paired with the midnight deadline facing murder or death, creates some genuine suspense in the first half, as there is uncertainty, haunting and some surprise waiting to arrive for the viewer. The camera work by Christian Huck plays a big role in making the whole thing captivating – the settings and darkness had become allies of the movie from the early stages itself, and we are aware that there is something unexpected and sinister not just with the psychopathic killer, but also about other people. The scenes in the club comes as big revealing moments about the characters and that becomes the first surprise delivered. The final twist related to the murder is quite a big surprise for the audience who might not have guessed that multiple shocks were coming that way as people seem to be someone else in unexpected masks. The strong emotional performance of the leading lady adds to the overall quality of the movie and keeps us further interested in the proceedings.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does seem to lose its way at times, seemingly deviating from its most important elements. The focus which should have been on the psycho killer often wanders here and there as if never sure about which direction it should be heading. We can see a number of far-fetched coincidences which seems to be forced into the proceedings and then there are those illogical character choices which keeps the movie further confused. The exaggerations are also there, and we wonder if the leading protagonist is really crazy due to some of her choices and actions. Then there is the attempt to balance a usual serial killer with a psychopath on the hunt with a serious domestic abuse trauma narrative, which gives both sides some struggle. The exaggeration of domestic struggle flashback into the intentionally weakened psycho killer tale will have the audience in peril on many occasions in between, and if it was not for the performance of the lady in the lead, would have never connected well like we have here. Then there are also some characters that never gets the due.

The performers of the soul :: Luise Heyer clearly leads the way and plays the victim to a state of near-perfection. The excels in those moments of sadness and pain, and shows the pain of being under a dominant and influential partner who takes advantage of her. At the same time, she shows the determination that such a character gains when facing even bigger trouble, and fights herself to keep her soul instead of having her revenge. The emotional weight of the terrified, exhausted mother stays at full strength with her – we can feel her anguish at her present and the past as flashback works even better. At the same time, Sabin Tambrea comes up with a dual-layered performance which shows a higher level of calibre. There is a certain emotional side to him and the journey through multiple layers has our attention. Martin Vernet’s work also brings a certain impact as we never see the performance getting any weaker. Rainer Bock also remains solid throughout the run-time. Andreas Döhler also has a memorable quick role here.

How it finishes :: The movie in based on a German novel, Sebastian Fitzek’s Der Heimweg, and any comparison to the same can only be done by those who have actually read it. This psychological thriller makes the most of its small runtime and claustrophobic premise even while maintaining a little too many flaws than one would want it to have. The message about domestic violence keeps struggling and often pulls the psychopath down with, but in the end, it manages to come out strong enough to make the whole thing better. The final surprise saves the movie despite the ending just happening with ease. Anchored by Luise Heyer’s memorable vulnerability and emotional side as well as Sabin Tambrea’s surprise strength that takes a divergent path, the film nicely uses the real-time tension against a bleak and wintery setting. The usual phone-helpline narrative with a twist keeps this unsettling world interesting for us. The struggles in between can be often forgotten as the world holds together. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video to take your free time.

Release date: 16 January 2025
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Adolfo J Kolmerer
Starring: Luise Heyer, Sabin Tambrea, Friedrich Mücke, Rainer Bock, Andreas Döhler, and Romy Miesner

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Hell in Paradise

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Vampire Owl: You think that hell can be loaded into paradise?

Vampire Bat: Maybe a little bit of space can be reserved for the same.

Vampire Owl: Yes, even Dracula Castle has space for a portal to hell.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about that strange experiment by Mr. Frankenstein.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein comes up with the perfect experiments every time.

Vampire Bat: Yes, the frank man always makes a mess of things.

Vampire Owl: You know that he is a man of science with divergence.

Vampire Bat: The only divergence he has is from the path of science.

Vampire Owl: It is possible as he is also a man of history.

Vampire Bat: The only history he knows is about himself.

[Gets a poori masala and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: Nina (Nora Arnezeder) is a young single woman living in Marseille of France, struggling to make the ends meet as she also has to support her separated mother, Sam (Maria Bello). She becomes aware that she cannot go on like this forever, and while looking for financial stability and a new beginning at a new place, Nina accepts the position of a receptionist at a grand five-star luxury island resort in the Maldives which seemingly own one side of the sea. The place is considered to be one of the prestigious luxury destinations of the local owners who are part of a royal family and they control a lot of assets of the nation through different business ventures. When she arrives, the resort appears to be a beautiful sanctuary of turquoise lagoons and extravagant villas, with just tranquility all around. Nina quickly integrates into the daily routine, interacting with the wealthy international clients with ease due to her mother being American and she having a good accent and expertise in English.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She becomes good friends with her roommate Valeria (Joséphine de La Baume) who is from another Asian country as well as the resort’s general manager – a local man, Azaan (Alyy Khan) who appreciates her work. Tariq (Shubham Saraf) who takes care of the boats of the resort and also manages some cooking in the background also becomes good friends with her as he understands her confusions being in a kind of nation to which she has no familiarity with. As the nation blend the common law with Sharia law with all citizens required to be Muslim, she had to be careful as a foreigner who does not believe much in religion. As only the resort islands serve alcohol and pork as well as allow her to wear bikini or even the usual clothing she used to wear in France, she stays there for almost all his life in Maldives, and is surprised to see people using drugs inside the resort even though it is not legal and if possessed in huge quantities, can even lead to death penalty.

And how well can she earn well and remain happy while away from home? :: The divide between the ultra-rich guests and the invisible migrant workforce that keeps the resort working is noted by her, but they are all happy as they are paid well, and the tourism of the nation remains its strong and most valued side. Her happy moments take a twist when Nina is asked by resort management to step outside her receptionist duties and keep a watchful eye on three young children whose mother does not want to care for them and creation a situation there in front of her helpless husband who calls for the family to stay together and enjoy their time. Nina tells everyone that she has no experience with children and is not trained for any similar kind of job, but is forced to take the job as four staff members had taken the day off. The children are unruly and justifies why their mother wanted to get rid of them, and a girl child manages to move away when Nina was taking care of the smaller kid and she drowns in a pool. This leads to her being targeted as the only person responsible for the death, and as the country’s laws are not favourable to single women who do not wish to marry and have children, she finds herself taken advantage of, and facing prison – can she survive?

The defence of Hell in Pradise :: Nora Arnezeder holds this character right on her shoulders, and she delivers a grounded performance which has us supporting her and hoping for her to escape this torture which feels continuous. Her journey from a hopeful expatriate to a desperate fugitive as she suffers the psychological toll of isolation and anxiety makes her the one person whom we keep supporting from till the end. After some of the sweeter moments which come in the beginning, the tension just rises above them all. As the movie progresses, we feel her anxiety and we know that there is something going on to trap the protagonist with all the blame on her, as her doubts never feel like outside reason. With the moments of further danger, we keep more immersed in the tension. The beauty of the world keeps us interested, and there is a certain need to travel to the island that arises early. The display of parents who cannot look after their own children is a reminder to all of us not to trust such fathers and mothers are to be looked at with contempt with the need for random people to look after their kids.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is slow to get going, and in the end, it seems to bring a very quick end out of nowhere, as the protagonist seems to find a way all of a sudden, and the ending moments also lack some clarity – the character change is a little too quick as she manages to be someone so smart and capable when she is at her lowest point. This makes one feel it is a strange mixture which never really mixes everything in the right quantity and one can also wonder about the balance. The film also forgets its strengths and deviates at times, making one wonder if it is every going to reach anywhere as repetitions are there and we keep seeing similar things again and again. A wrongfully accused protagonist trying to save herself is a common cinematic formula and there is not much of an innovation at work here. A number of characters also feel one-dimensional and there is a certain amount of predictability about them. The useless moronic parents are also not given the hatred that they deserve, and such people always deserve to be shown as the true evil representations, much above those who try to save their names.

How it finishes :: Hell in Paradise is an interesting movie not just with its tale of being caught in a nation one is not familiar with, but also with some incredibly beautiful visuals which will make us fall in love with Maldives, and also has us feeling exactly like the protagonist in trouble, with the film’s situations making us wonder what we would do in such a situation. We feel what the protagonist feels facing the unknown laws of unfamiliar lands, as being in a nation with severe restrictions except for as a tourist will have us tensed. The movie’s service as a high-tension thriller that takes a nightmare scenario works for most of the time. It successfully taps into the primal fear of being trapped in a foreign justice system with no friends or influence, completely at the mercy of wealthy and corrupt institutions which discriminate you and make you a criminal for gender and foreign nationality. On another day, this could be even worse, but this protagonist does have some hope in the end against all odds, even though that seems more manufactured than anything else – to add to it, you have Nora Arnezeder who delivers this as one of us.

Release date: 26 November 2025
Running time: 102 minutes
Directed by: Leïla Sy
Starring: Nora Arnezeder, Maria Bello, Alyy Khan, Joséphine de La Baume, Shubham Saraf, Ranjit Krishnama

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<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Beast Race

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Vampire Owl: I think that they are talking about the races held by werewolves.

Vampire Bat: Werewolves are not the only official beasts in the world.

Vampire Owl: Humans call us beasts, but they are mistaken.

Vampire Bat: For some humans, beast is a positive thing.

Vampire Owl: I heard that demons and witches unleash beasts.

Vampire Bat: Those are just rumours spread to scare people around.

Vampire Owl: You think that even shadow demons don’t have beasts?

Vampire Bat: The shadow demons are beasts themselves.

Vampire Owl: They are also immortal, aren’t they?

Vampire Bat: We know that demons are forever, towards infinity.

[Gets an onion uthappam and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Many years have passed, and Rio de Janeiro tries to survive with some grand transformation occurring in the area after the disappearance of the sea around it. With the whole world feeling the effect of strange natural phenomenon, the city becomes an entity separate from any kind of universal brotherhood or globalization. The climate change and disasters have changed the division between the rich and the poor, making it even worse for the latter, with no resources and no way of living. The wealthy elites who control everything and go on with their days in luxury, while the poor struggle to survive in the slums and their known world which have turned into wasteland areas. To control the people from rioting, the rich and the influential bring back Brazil’s traditional illegal animal lottery which was present in one way or the other in different formats, and transforms it into a deadly, high-stakes sport called the Beast Race. This game replaces animals with humans wearing animal tattoos and masks, and are called by the names of the creatures whom they choose to represent.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: In the game, the runners who take on animal alter-egos like Pig, Horse, Lion, Bull, Eagle, Cat etc have to race through lethal obstacle courses across four elimination stages set in urban or rural areas and maybe even forests. The ultimate winner earns a grand fortune along with the fame and respect. But every runner must offer a loved one as human collateral to enter the, and if the runner loses or dies, their collateral is condemned to the mysterious, dreaded place called Coast of Hell where they are experimented on, unless being bought by one of the elite wealthy people to be one of their slaves, but that comes at a very high price. The game is managed by Abu (Rodrigo Santoro), a former champion runner who won the race so many times and with relative ease that he went on to become the game’s mastermind, and holds a high status among the elite class who treat the runners as their disposable playable characters in the running game. He gets to make many decisions which are even frowned upon by the rich and the influential.

And what more to follow here in a world of races with lives at stake and a revolution in waiting? :: Mano (Matheus Abreu) is the biggest opponent of the idea of this game, as he leads a rebel enclave in a zone. He keeps fighting against the games by taking out racers who attempt to take the easy path through his territory as the race usually takes place around the perimeter area. Mano’s plans for revolution against elite class and the game is shattered when the boyfriend of his younger sister, Dalva (Thainá Duarte), secretly enters the race and is forced to offer her up as his human collateral. This means that Mano needs to replace the weak boyfriend who seems like someone who could lose in the initial rounds – he does the same, and takes the alter-ego of the Cat. Nadine (Isis Valverde) takes over as his player, guiding him as his eyes, as she joins in for the first time. She is also determined to take control from the usual winners and emerge as the new leading player by making her runner win, as she herself was a slave who was bought by an elite class man and used for his pleasure until reaching this level. As Nadine and Mano work hard to prove a point, will there be a change in a world of hopelessness?

The defence of Beast Race :: The apocalyptic world here has been built with a difference, and the dystopian touch also has our attention. The parkour moves through what seems to be more or less dangerous obstacle courses across apocalyptic environments makes this creative and highly entertaining. The world has been nicely built and we see the environment undergoing the needed variations for the world after the apocalyptic situation. There is a lot of action around, and we do enjoy the same, especially with some nail-biting finishes during the game. Matheus Abreu as Mano makes an impressive journey as the runner despite the beginning stages not seeming to do that much. The most notable character is Isis Valverde as Nadine, one of the most solid performances in a movie of this genre; the kind of character that we should see in Hollywood movies too – she might be the best thing about this movie, as we see her coming out of nowhere. Rodrigo Santoro as Abu becomes one of the smartest villains you might ever see. Thainá Duarte also has her moments around here.

Positives and negatives :: There are many classic moments which this movie could have had, but it often hesitates to take the extra risk and does not fully work on the rebellion against the rich and the influential – maybe the same is kept for a possible sequel in the future. A number of characters feel side-lined, and the final big rebellion never really arrives. The romantic side arrives late, but works when it makes an impact related to the need for revolution from a shared post. That earlier setting for the rebellion goes unanswered, leaving the climax feeling more like an unfinished pilot for a developing franchise rather than one movie which starts and ends with itself. Some of the ideas of the movie feels only partially unexplored as there is no further development of a few elements which decides the seriousness and danger of the movie. The true nature of the Coast of Hell is never really revealed and the much broader politics controlling the game are left unresolved, as we keep wondering about how slaves come up in the ranks in a world which deprives even the common citizens of their rights.

How it finishes :: Those who watched The Running Man are sure to be interested in this one, and there is a certain amount of divergence related to this one too. This also serves as the Latin American version of The Hunger Games, even though that much of a huge fight and talk about rebellion is not around. This is also one movie which makes us feel why we cannot have such a movie in regional film industries of India too, as the end of the world could exist with divergence in all parts of the world, and could develop divergent dystopias. The movie here does the best during its high-octane parkour sequences and survival races, anchored by strong environment and surprising performances which rise in level later. The movie’s success in creating an entertaining, dystopian and post-apocalyptic spectacle that pushes the boundaries makes us interested. This was actually discovered surprisingly on Amazon Prime Video, and it is available in multiple languages including English and Hindi. You should give this one a try if you have loved this kind of worlds and survival games.

Release date: 17 March 2026
Running time: 124 minutes
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles, Rodrigo Pesavento, Ernesto Solis
Starring: Matheus Abreu, Rodrigo Santoro, Isis Valverde, Bruno Gagliasso, Seu Jorge, Grazi Massafera, Leandro Firmino, Silvero Pereira, João Guilherme, Anitta

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

A Woman Called Mother

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Vampire Owl: Why is this particular woman only called a mother?

Vampire Bat: Maybe it is a name in another language which means mother in another.

Vampire Owl: Or calling a mother not a mother is usual among some humans.

Vampire Bat: And yet it is a horror movie with a mother.

Vampire Owl: There was that movie called Mama with such a theme, right?

Vampire Bat: Yes, but I would not find any relation between the two.

Vampire Owl: The human worlds are never really related to one another.

Vampire Bat: It is a good reason to hate one another for the humans.

Vampire Owl: Is hate another word for humanity?

Vampire Bat: Human hatred is infinite and eternal, like Uncle Dracula’s curse and Frankenstein’s madness.

[Gets a Munnar white chocolate and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Yanti (Artika Sari Devi) goes through a severe psychological breakdown after her husband leaves her and their children and files a divorce. She becomes desperate to claim her independence and provide for her family which is now financially broken. She moves to a new area with her two children, her teenage daughter Vira (Aurora Ribero) and her younger son Dino (Ali Fikry) to a rural town where she plans to open a stylish and advanced new hair salon. Her two children are not confident about the same, as this shop is opened right beside their home which is far away from the roads and town area, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It is indeed a peaceful place for a home, but not the right place for a salon as Vira keeps asserting. Yanti invites different people of the town to the salon, and her children do notice a certain amount of seductive nature in that invitation. Then all of a sudden, the move seems like a blessing, as people seem to come in big numbers to her new venture.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The success of the salon brings them a lot of wealth, which interests them, but Vira has not been feeling well at the place which feels as strange as what has been happening with her mother’s business adventure. She sees some shift in the mother’s behaviour and she seems to be doing something strange in the bathroom, lying in the bathtub. Then, she also sees someone else, a shadowy figure with her mother, mostly reflected in the mirror. Yanti is also seen drinking a lot of milk for no reason, while a certain cruelty and brutality when preparing meat can also be seen from her side. Dino had also felt something while trying to explore an abandoned house nearby with overgrown vegetation as part of her attempt to take a video for the social media. Unlike Vira, he feels that it is safe inside the house until he sees his mother both inside the house and outside on the streets at night. But as their room is not bathroom-attached, they might need to walk around at night. Now, what might be the problem with the mother and how can this terrifying situation be solved?

The defence of A Woman Called Mother a.k.a. Dia Bukan Ibu :: The movie places the characters nicely inside the house and the salon making them ready for all the horror which is to come, with the rest of the world only adding less to the scares in comparison. As the mother’s evil presence grows to be more menacing, the danger is even more felt in a world of terror. The focus here is not only on the fear of the supernatural which is ready to unleash itself on the family, the real-world tragedy of a broken home, financial devastation and the immense burden placed on single parents. With the trauma already there much earlier, we see the horror as the extra addition to what is already there. The final moments nicely show the unleashing of pure evil, but we already see the signs of the same in a bathtub and the actions of the mother with shadows and darkness nicely complementing all of these without hesitation. The imagery of horror that we have here catches our attention, and being a fine atmospheric horror is the movie’s advantage.

The claws of flaw :: The movie drags quite a lot as we look at it – there is the time taken to get into horror action, and even after that there is some drag. The middle part drags significantly as the story takes so much time revealing what is actually going on – this would test the patience of viewers looking for clues early itself. The idea in the movie is also not new, and it is not extended that much to provide a new divergent feeling. The movie’s best moments also fall apart after starting very strong. A number of characters of the movie that fails to go relevant also goes through a struggle. The blood and gore might upset some people as it is rather evenly distributed around here, and focused on animals, which can also be found not good for a number of viewers. The supernatural is also not that much explained here. We keep feeling that there is more to this, and enough has not provided around here related to the world of terror. Then we remember that there were many repetitions, and still there was not enough provided here to make the narrative’s movement through the inner evil smoother.

The performers of the soul :: Artika Sari Devi’s performance as Yanti remains something to be appreciated. There is more than one side of the character that she displays around here. She shows the shift from a broken, grieving mother to a feral, unpredictable and possessed monster of pure evil incredibly well. Her work brings the scares and makes the whole thing deeply terrifying to watch with the help of some mysterious gestures and expressions. The bathtub scene and the last moments with her coming in a bloody dress would be two moments which would be remembered as classic additions to an otherwise dark movie which depends on quick scares. Aurora Ribero comes up with a performance to remember as the young woman who does a fine job in understanding that there is something wrong with her mother, and she plays a character with confidence and determination which has us rooting for her. We would feel that she would make a great scream queen in horror movies someday. Ali Fikry has his moments, and the brother-sister moments add well to the side of drama.

How it finishes :: If you are looking for a a highly unsettling piece of psychological domestic horror, this might be the one, even though it is never near perfection in any way. There are so many moments which could have been better, and it is only safe to say that there were so many occasions which could have been dealt in a better way. There are indeed those moments when it falters under its own weight with the repetitions. Furthermore, it treads incredibly familiar territory for anyone already well-versed in Indonesian occult cinema. The movie had made some good impact in the Indonesian Film Festival too, and deserves a watch for its divergence from the usual. Indonesian movies have had some fine horror added here and there which have kept us wondering why more industries could not follow this particular path. It is the one reason why this movie came to the movies to be watched list early. Its availability in JioHotstar was another reason, and this one does not disappoint the audience who loves to have some variety in horror.

Release date: September 25, 2025
Running time: 119 minutes
Directed by: Randolph Zaini
Starring: Artika Sari Devi, Aurora Ribero, Ali Fikry, Fara Shakila, Khiva Iskak, Sita Nursanti, Dian Sidik, Husein Al Athas

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Anaconda

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Vampire Owl: So, we are back to having some snakes around too.

Vampire Bat: We have been the fans of some nice anacondas in the past.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that there can be a vampire anaconda?

Vampire Bat: We do not take snakes in the vampire team anymore.

Vampire Owl: What section of the vampire rule book says so?

Vampire Bat: The new set of rules will be coming up soon.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein approves of such vampires for sure.

Vampire Bat: Well, Mr. Frankenstein is the only man who knows nothing.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein is a man of great knowledge.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula knows the man a little too well to allow him here.

[Gets a kadai paneer dosa and three cups of Peermade tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jeff (Terence Yin) is a poacher who has been going through hunting adventures for very long, and is looking for something bigger this time. He focuses on tracking the legendary Crimson Anaconda which would make him so rich that he would not have go on a hunt again any time soon. He arrives in a forest to find the snake. At the same time, a circus in China is failing like many others. Lan (Nita Lei) leads the show with her performance called Naked Escape which is a water-escape act supported by water-escape. She has an underwater escape routine inside a large glass tank where she is tied up and thrown, and her friendly pet python is also part of the act. Li (Xingchen Wang) wishes to be the leader of the show as she performs high-flying acrobatic acts along with some balancing stunts, and often follows a seductive mode to keep the audience interested. Jiao (Gang Wang) plays the strong man of the circus with some heavy lifting and a boy Peng (Zirun Wang) who performs in a monkey outfit. As the audience catches that the monkey is not real, they also find out that the strong man is not carrying that much weight as it falls on them.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: According to the audience, Li’s performance is considered to be not enough and Lan’s performance is considered to be cheating as despite being called Naked Escape, she is fully clothed. As the circus is sold and the new manager Jin (Shaohang Xu) takes over, he is revealed to be someone with a past of working with the crew earlier in a lower role. Li is quick to try and seduce him while Lan decides to leave the circus immediately. According to him, there is a new show set in Thailand, and they have to travel on a boat through the rainforests of the country. After a lot of discussions, Lan decides to return, much to the dismay of Li who had hoped to be the charming leader of the show. While on the river, she almost succeeds in being the face of the circus by providing sexual favours to Jin but is disturbed by Wei (Hao Wu) who has been added as a zombie surprise to the circus, and is forced to put her clothes back on. They are stopped on the way by the waterway facing a block with some strange crates in the river.

And what is to follow her in the world of humans and snakes that follow? :: The group would need to turn away from the path and take a much longer route, which would take them a few more days to arrive, but their new manager is completely against the same. He tells them that they need to reach there within the stipulated time or they will keep losing money, as the show really need to start when required. He still hides the truth that he does not intend to do have any show, but sell the organs of the performers as part of his deal with the traffickers, as it was how he had become rich after leaving the circus. They decide to destroy the crates using a dynamite, but as they destroy the same with an explosion, a number of snakes from the crates fall into the boat, and Li is almost killed with snakes fall on her and runs through her clothes, only to be saved by Lan using a hose. Jin who is chased by snakes is saved by Jeff, and it turns out that he is looking for his anaconda in this particular jungle only. He also saves Jiao who gets a tiny snake inside his ear. He earns everyone’s trust with ease, but Lan remains doubtful. Now, are they going to be hunted be anaconda or will Jeff get to the snake even if he has to go through them?

The defence of Anaconda: Cursed Jungle :: The movie delivers some simple fun which reminds us of some of those older movies dealing with the same kind of situations. There is a believable location nicely built here, and we realize the same quick enough. The humour here is very much working, and the two ladies lead the way very well. Nita Lei and Xingchen Wang plays two contradicting characters, and this adds to the overall comic side of the movie, and the character of the former makes her the perfect scream queen to face some unlimited horror. The scares work with a certain amount effectiveness, especially with the quick snake attacks. The feeling of danger can be felt throughout the movie as nothing other than snakes seem to have a say in the jungle or even in the river right in the middle. Terence Yin also makes a strong, sinister villain that never seems to step back from his mission. One keep feeling that the change of setting and characters from the Americas to the South-east Asia has only helped the franchise. This reboot of the movie can be said as something which has saved the franchise.

Positives and negatives :: The movie feels too short, but it is also its advantage as there is no dull moment in there. Along with the action and the use of snakes, the movie uses its fine greenery to the advantage. The snakes do not look that perfect all times especially with its movements and attacks, but it might be the best we have had with giant snakes in a long time; there are moments when the snakes look some extra believable, as we feel that China has used the budget much better than any other nation not just with this particular movie, but also with a few others. Then there is that scope for sequel too, and with the leading lady surviving as expected, the same would be a great watch. Still, we keep wondering why the movie did not use the special skills of the circus-based characters here, and at least the art of escape and acrobatics could have been put to the best use, even though not in the highest form. There are also those predictable ideas of horror happening around here, with some repetitions, especially as it seems to follow that usual horror formula – yet, the same remains entertaining as much as interesting.

How it finishes :: This movie is the first of its franchise which is not in English, and is also the shortest among those films. As it introduces new types of anacondas to the franchise, the young cast from China nicely adds some fine humour as much as the action. This world of the snakes is nothing less than realistic while staying within the world of horror. As the fear is generated effectively, we are only glad to see the Anaconda franchise back running as we keep wondering if Lake Placid will also return soon with the Jaws. This is that kind of movie which will also bring some nostalgia back to us, as the many movies of this franchise has kept coming to us through Times Now channel. Whenever we think about a creature movie, this might be the first thing that comes to our mind, unless it is full in water, as sharks often take the first spot. With the scope to wander through both water and land, this snake, with a team of many others, serves the purpose really well. Then you also remember that there is nobody better than the Chinese to come up with a surprise classic with so much grandeur, something which was done earlier with The Wandering Earth.

Release date: 23rd January 2025
Running time: 84 minutes
Directed by: Xiang Qiuliang, Xiang Hesheng
Starring: Terence Yin, Nita Lei, Xingchen Wang, Gang Wang, Zirun Wang, Shaohang Xu, Tat-Wah Lok, Paul Che

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Whisper

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Vampire Owl: Have you heard about vampirism spreading through whispers in the wind?

Vampire Bat: Vampirism is supposed to spread only by biting.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein knows about scientific vampirism.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein does not know science or vampirism.

Vampire Owl: Well, we only have one scientist and he is Frankenstein.

Vampire Bat: It is a shame that we immortals are to trust a duplicate from another realm.

Vampire Owl: He is the original certified scientist who is also a half-vampire.

Vampire Bat: Still, you shall find the vampires of this movie as stranger.

Vampire Owl: I do not see why they would not be strange in comparison.

Vampire Bat: You cannot expect all vampire depictions around the world to be the same.

[Gets a thattu dosa and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Lucía (Ana Clara Guanco) has fled from her home with her young brother Adrian (Marcelo Michinaux) as the situation in their home with their father Victor (Luciano Cáceres) would need them to follow a family vampire tradition. Victor has always been telling them that Adrian is just like him and will turn into a vampire, but Lucia who cared for her little brother did not listen to the same. Leaving Victor behind, they arrive at a secluded mansion deep into the woods seeking refuge and hoping that one day, they will have normal lives. But this attempt to stay normal is shattered when a cat which lives in the area brings them a human finger, revealing the fact that there is something terrifying going on in the area. There are movements around the house at night and something keeps triggering the car alarms, while the switches and electricity are not working properly either. The night seems to be difficult to go through, but she keeps asking Adrian to keep the headsets in his ears and forget all of these, while a group keeps kidnapping girls to kill them on camera and then sell the snuff videos for financial gains.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She finds the worst when they find a girl being killed by some masked people on the camera on the collar of the cat. She checks for information online and finds out that many girls have been kidnapped from the area and one of such incidents happened on the road that goes in front of their home. She feels that they could be attacked any moment, and as she takes a file out of the camera and plays it on her desktop computer, she realizes that the house has been entered and they had tried to take her, but her brother had gone missing. Desperate to save him, she goes out and finds the men killed by her brother who seems to have bitten them and even turned one of them into a ruthless vampire. As they try to escape from the rest of the members of the group, she finds herself and the boy kidnapped and tied up in a warehouse. As she is unable to come up with an explanation what had happened to the other gang members, the group focusing snuff videos, decides to make her their next victim as they strip her down to her bra and panties and chain her to a bed to brutally kill her on the camera. Can the siblings escape in time?

The defence of The Whisper :: The tale of a brother and sister escaping an ancient family curse while also fighting a group of criminals makes such an interesting premise with a lot of possibilities, often endless and most of time very interesting. The isolated home with woods creates a bleak, eerie atmosphere that keeps viewers engaged while being emotionally attached to the brother and sister. The abiding sadness which surrounds the character of Ana Clara Guanco will keep us emotionally attached to her. An air of melancholy surrounds her at all times, and the depth of the same is reflected not just on her face, but in her movements which feels more motivated by perpetual sadness rather than fear. A crime thriller, supernatural horror, family drama and mystery come together towards the same here. The visuals of the setting are nicely captured to increase the tension and the feeling of danger. One can also note how well the cat in the movie serves the purpose, and how the initial scenes had set things in motion. The darkness has been effectively used as the movie’s ally too.

The claws of flaw :: The non-linear path which is taken here does not serve the purpose that well. The psychological side does not work that well here, and the terror could have also been shown in a more detailed manner with the cruelty felt even more. The slowness of the movie could also be seen as a concern as the movie brings down its pace a lot in the middle, which basically makes us feel that nothing much is to happen here and there would be just some forced ending to follow. The multiple ideas and genres followed here, despite having something in each, might not satisfy everyone as it goes through all of them without full focus on anything. Some subplots could have also been better explored and some character development for the characters other than the protagonist would have been much appreciated. Even the other two clearly named characters could have had more focus, but as Ana Clara Guanco does a brilliant job, most of it is just forgotten and not claimed as a big problem. The fights could have also been shown in a better manner and the vampire attacks misses out on fangs and claws while there were so many opportunities for the same.

The performers of the soul :: Ana Clara Guanco as Lucía does that kind of a work which we will remember for her being that tragic heroine who is ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for her brother. For him, she is ready to leave her home and all possibilities of a better life, moving to the middle of nowhere with no assurance of doing any better for herself and she does not even care for her safety. She plays the sibling whom every little brother would wish for, and the same is done in a believable manner. It can be seen that she runs to save him when he seems to be in some kind of trouble and when there is some problem, she tries to protect him with all her life. This reluctance to bring any harm to the boy lands her under the knives of a butcher, stripped to her underwear and chained to be hacked to death brutally in front of a camera. In the end, she would have to make the ultimate sacrifice and as the tragic heroine, embrace the worst. It is a very emotional performance which is there to stay. Luciano Cáceres as Victor has more than what we think he has to do, as he brings a lot more as the movie goes towards the end. Marcelo Michinaux also plays some good work as the little brother. The rest just have to follow the flow.

How it finishes :: The idea of escaping a violent world, stumbling into a world of snuff films and confronting a terrifying family curse at the same time is an idea that had a lot of scope. This definitely works, but one cannot say that it is at his best of strengths, and losses the power at regular intervals in between. This is still another interesting vampire movie and the one movie which it reminds one the most is Byzantium, but that was a more superior movie in all aspects; this one can only follow with most elements. Throughout the movie, we are still reminded that vampirism is one of the lesser evil that we can encounter, and there is always the bigger evil, which comes from humans who might know no way to stop themselves from turning pure evil. We are reminded that evil always finds a way and being attacked by a vampire is the least of your problems as human horror is always ready to be unleashed as darkness becomes more of their ally than that of any known nocturnal creature from myth or reality. With an emotional side, this one brings that particular reminder well, as we watch this one Amazon Prime Video.

Release date: 22nd January 2026
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Gustavo Hernández Ibañez
Starring: Luciano Cáceres, Ana Clara Guanco, Marcelo Michinaux, Darío Lima, Horacio Camandulle, Rasjid César, Joro Gorfain, Machu Gutiérrez

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Fall for Me

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Vampire Owl: I have heard about vampire penguins falling from the top of Dracula Castle.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that it is not exactly what they mean with the falling here.

Vampire Owl: All other types of falling do not happen around here.

Vampire Bat: Well, this is the kind of falling that happens more to humans.

Vampire Owl: We are not people who watch over the fall of humans.

Vampire Bat: Well, the human falls are just normal and natural in that realm.

Vampire Owl: Such a terrible realm to be born to, if you ask me.

Vampire Bat: Especially if you do not turn into vampires early enough.

Vampire Owl: We should not be taking more human turned into vampires.

Vampire Bat: Well, we also need more workers at the castle.

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

What is the movie about? :: Lilli (Svenja Jung), and auditor from Germany travels to the island of Mallorca in Spain to visit her younger sister Valeria (Tijan Marei). There, she is surprised to see that she is engaged to a French man named Manu (Victor Meutelet), and are planning to open a bread and breakfast establishment. The two had also planned to buy his uncle’s property for the same purpose, but for the same, there is the need to sell the property of the sisters’ mother, which was meant to be kept for Valeria’s university education. But Valeria who is too much attached with the idea of starting a life together with a supporting hospitality business that she no longer wishes to study any more. The university dreams just seem to be that of their mother, not hers. Lilli wonders if she was invited there so that her signature is required to sell mother’s property, and is worried that her sister has had too many lovers in the past, and wonders if this one is also temporary in nature, which would bring a new crisis to their world.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Valeria feels that Lilli is not happy about her, as her own relationships have been going terribly in the last few years. But things get different when Lilli meets up with the local club manager Tom (Theo Trebs) who is also from Germany, both share a romantic attraction from the flight sight itself. Soon, Lilli meets real estate investor Nick (Thomas Kretschmann) who offers an amount of €900,000 for the property, which he considers to be more than what would be given by anyone else, and Valeria along with Manu supports the cause. Nick’s wife Girasol (Lucia Barrado) also tries to make the transactions quicker, and tries to get close to Lilli to make her more interested in them. But Lilli is of the opinion that she requires more time with this, and at the same time, has her relationship with Tom going to an intimate level after he comes to her home to repair a broken pipe, with the rest of her making way for them having sex multiple times.

And what more can happen here as something never seems right? :: She places her trust on him and gets someone else to look at the plot to know exactly how much it costs, and gets an analysis of €700,000 for the property as most of it cannot be destroyed due to its historical past and location. He advises Lilli to accept the earlier offer, and she agrees. But it is then that Bea (Antje Traue), the former lover of Manu comes to their life, and she seems to be obsessed with him, even though Valeria is not that bothered, as she also had many lovers in her life, and she had gone very intimate with most of them, leaving some of the relationships just within a short time. Lilli feels that her little sister is in trouble, and tries to come to the bottom of it. But chasing Bea does not lead her anywhere, but she does comes to know that Manu has not worked in the hotel where he told her that he had prior experience. At the same time, Nick is forcing her to sign the deal, but with her doubt about Manu, will she do that soon enough?

The defence of Fall for Me :: The movie is shot in some of the most beautiful locations that we can get anywhere. Mallorca of Spain has that stylish, vacation-like vibe with scenic locations which keeps us so much interested throughout its run, and also makes us wish to travel, not just to one place, but any similar areas. The romance, deception, scam and relationship revolve around without that much of an overdose, as everything goes on through a simple path with smooth transitions. The twists are not that shocking, but they remain effective due to the performances and the emotional side that has something in store. The lead actors like Svenja Jung and Theo Trebs goes on well, and Svenja feels like too good in this role, as everything including the emotions are so well portrayed – she remains the loveliest part of the movie, and goes through the character’s troubles well as the central character. Then there is Tijan Marei whose performances feel even more realistic as much as cute in the form of a little sister. The romance here is never really overdone, and this is a movie which feels having just enough around.

The claws of flaw :: The movie just moves through what seems to be just the usual process, and the surprises and shocks do not count as among the most effective or memorable ones. It never gets to be that serious or with serious danger. The focus on the story is not really that much as we look closer – it just feels like taken from different earlier movies which deals with similar themes. The thrills go too smooth with the suspense and got enough predictability around. The focus on romance is sometimes not there, and at times, just comes out of nowhere. Some of the decisions of the characters also feel strange, and there is not that much of development among them – even the talks about the past just feels repetitive rather than bringing something special out of them. There is not that much of depth, and the strength of a classic thriller has gone missing. The ending also seems to have been done in a comfortable manner, not thinking about making it suited to bring a memorable finish. The absence of that much thoughts about the movie’s progress can surely be seen here and there.

How it finishes :: The movie seems to be that smooth journey like a journey through some beautiful areas with charming people all around. At a time when traveling has not been that easy in a world of chaos, we can keep wandering through different lands with movies like these which never really misses out on the chance to capture the location. There is romance and we also have those deceptions, and despite seemingly going nowhere at some points, brings the whole thing to an end, even though there is nothing special about it. For going through a tale that does not claim anything huge, but gives enough of a normal tale, this one is a harmless watch. One would feel that the lack of intensity is something that favours the movie in maintaining a cool effect throughout its run that does not feel too long even when it slows down. Getting some German movies on OTT is quite a rare thing, one has to acknowledge the same. We do get one more here, to add to the foreign movies list which has been dominated by Korean, Spanish, French and Russian movies.

Release date: 21st August 2025
Running time: 105 minutes
Directed by: Sherry Hormann
Starring: Svenja Jung, Theo Trebs, Thomas Kretschmann, Tijan Marei, Victor Meutelet, Antje Traue, Lucia Barrado

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Dracula

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Vampire Owl: They are making another movie about Uncle Dracula?

Vampire Bat: Well, with some variations to come with it.

Vampire Owl: Nosferatu had him at work earlier with style.

Vampire Bat: Well, they also had Dracula Untold, and so there should be even more to come.

Vampire Owl: I wonder if Uncle Dracula had approved of this one.

Vampire Bat: Humans never really take approval of any other species.

Vampire Owl: Oh yes, they think they own everything in the world.

Vampire Bat: Only until they meet the people from other realms.

Vampire Owl: They are surely expecting some alien contact very soon.

Vampire Bat: I feel that they will need to meet the shadow demons before that.

[Gets some white chocolates and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Prince Vlad the Second of Wallachia (Caleb Landry Jones) is on a battle with the Ottoman Turks who are quickly gaining grounds and marching into Europe, relentlessly conquering and brutally murdering anyone who stands in their way, leaving a trail of dead bodies and blood. He becomes the chosen hero standing at the borders of Europe, who chooses to meet brutality with the same strength as he wins battles and impales his enemies taking the fear back to the invaders from the other side. The Ottoman army seems to have retreated for the time being, but they ambush the princess and the guards escorting her in the nearby forest, and almost kills her when Vlad arrives, only to have her die in his arms, as the Ottoman troops had found the lone queen without the guards as an opportunity. The prince had asked the leader of the church in Wallachia only one thing in return for his allegiance to the church, which was to pray to the God and keep his queen safe with the prayers and blessings.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: With his only wish not granted, he commits murder of the priest in the church and renounces God, turning himself into an abomination, with a curse on him to live forever in an undead state. Throughout the centuries, Dracula attempts to track down the reincarnation of his wife by using the usual methods, which does not seem to work, as the plagues lead the women to churches where he cannot enter. Therefore, he comes up with a secondary plan, creating different vampiric agents to assist in his search after drinking blood from them and making them just like him, but directly under his own control. These agents spread all around the world, and travel, with him confining himself to the castle with gargoyles that became his servants in a world of darkness and hopelessness in chaos created by himself. He also develops a specially crafted perfume designed to lure women to him, taking elements of the same from Italy, India and the Arab lands so that he does not have to wait for too many rebirths of his love.

And what more is to follow as darkness seems to take over everything good? :: Four hundred years later, during the Victorian Age, while looking for a property in England, Dracula changes the focus to France with hope in the post-revolutionary world to seek with ease. While negotiating a real estate transaction with the law expert in Paris, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid) who had travelled to Romania, Dracula discovers from his locket that Harker’s fiancée Mina Murray (Zoe Bleu) who looks so much similar, is the reincarnation he seeks. He is incredibly happy about the same, much to the dismay of Jonathan whose worries only get to be more. Despite the initial plan to kill Jonathan for finding out his secrets in the castle, he decides to imprison him instead and go for Mina and get her back to the castle to live with him. Jonathan’s attempts to escape do not bear fruits with the gargoyles all around the castle. Dracula decides to go on a blood hunt so that he could go young again, and gets out of the castle. Can the world stand it, and what will be Mina’s reaction to this with her friend Maria (Matilda De Angelis) also under Dracula’s influence?

The defence of Dracula: A Love Tale :: The best fact about the movie is that it is just too beautiful, with the visual splendour like one would not imagine for a movie with such a dark theme at the core of everything. The humanizing of Dracula brings another viewpoint, and it is something that brings the intellect to full power. The vampires here have a certain amount of charm about them, and even gargoyles are nicely designed. The castle design is also really good, and the architectural beauty of every building that we see here are too good, and the insides keep catching our attention. Caleb Landry Jones deserves all the praise for playing a haunted, tragic vampire with honesty and intensity, despite the initial struggle with past scenes. Zoe Bleu is incredibly lovely in her portrayals of her characters as the main leading lady – there is a certain amount of torment and the sad attempts to balance multiple worlds. It feels incredibly beautiful as he goes through emotions and memories of another life. Matilda De Angelis, at the same time, makes a perfect vampire, and strikes gold with the fangs and expressions, especially when in chains.

Positives and negatives :: The movie just seems to have less Orthodox and Byzantine elements in the old churches and castles compared as much as with the historical priest, and the Catholic and Gothic elements seem to have more of a presence here in comparison. The deviation might feel to be a little too much here, even though this could have been made to suit the French audience or the West in particular. The initial moments of the movie are not that good either, as there seems to be a retreat from a better situation. With focus on romantic love, or what seems at times like lust, the horror elements are mostly lost – at least the gargoyles could have been scarier; the fang power is also somewhat lost in the process. At the same time, Christoph Waltz makes some fine impact as the priest while Ewens Abid’s significance in the character is rather less, but good. The world continues to have something about it, even though even the romance is often felt less used unlike movies like Nosferatu which did it better even in not this much of a colourful world. The women characters have no role in saving the world this time.

How it finishes :: We have had different versions of the world’s most popular and the earliest classic vampire in the form of Dracula Untold and Nosferatu, and this one brings a fine deviated movie that has enough power to keep it strong as something to remember, with horror making its way for romance with some scares and a beautiful world. The comparison would be more to movies like Crimson Peak rather than anything else. This can be considered as a similar kind of gothic romantic drama that reimagines the legend of Count Dracula as a tragic lover rather than just that monster who made the way as pure evil above others, and England becomes France in this one. The tale of the medieval prince who loses his wife to turn against God and become the immortal vampire Dracula would keep striking well. As the vampire pursues love again, there is more romance and tragedy, focusing on Dracula’s loneliness, curse of immortality, and the conflict between love and the eternal darkness within him, as he remains half-monster, half-lover and not much more, but in any way, someone who is to be feared by all except his allies.

Release date: 30th July 2025
Running time: 129 minutes
Directed by: Luc Besson
Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Christoph Waltz, Zoe Bleu, Matilda De Angelis, Ewens Abid, David Shields, Raphel Luce, Bertrand-Xavier Corbi, Guillaume de Tonquédec

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Devil’s Bride

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Vampire Owl: I thought that this one was only going to be a demon’s bride.

Vampire Bat: They have particularly spoken about the Devil. So, it would be like that only.

Vampire Owl: Well, the Devil has no authority here in our castle.

Vampire Bat: None in our realm either, but he enjoys his stay in the human world.

Vampire Owl: There are always homes made for him in their world.

Vampire Bat: It would still strange that humans choose to be evil when there is the perfect chance for being good.

Vampire Owl: Humans have always been the big fools from Eden.

Vampire Bat: I would say that the garden of Eden is more accessible to vampires than humans these days, considering the collective actions of a species.

Vampire Owl: Well, the Devil is smarter than we would think.

Vampire Bat: The shadow demons who have crossed over to our realm says the same.

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

What is the movie about? :: Echa (Erika Carlina), a young woman has been happily married to Ariel (Emir Mahira) after falling in love with him. In the beginning, their married life is full of love, as they work hard to make a living, but soon, the busy world catches upon them, as Ariel working as a security guard and Echa as a logistics worker just do not find enough time to be together with each other while trying earn enough. They begin to fight regularly, and without anything to talk to each other, Echa begins experiencing strange supernatural disturbances. Echa starts feeling a new life coming to her in the dreams with a handsome young man taking her to a beautiful home in the countryside. Soon, it is revealed that a djinn had fallen in love with her and wanted her to become his bride. The obsession leads to him having sexual intercourse with her in dreams, as she falls into his spell and agrees to the sexual intimacy, even though she feels that it was only done in recurring dreams like a sexual fantasy which is not close to reality.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It seems that djinn wishes to have her forever, and Echa also seems to be pregnant by three months, much to the dismay of Ariel who remembers that they never really had even an intimate moment in the last few months. She begins to vomit blood and despite a local woman telling them that Echa is pregnant, the doctors do not find such a possibility with her. Ariel has visions of babies looking like the djinn which keeps him further tensed about their future. Echa keeps feeling that there is something inside her, and wonders if it is the result of having the sexual intercourse with the djinn in the dream. But others do not know about this situation, but it is at the same time that one of her friends who let her know about an exorcist also gets killed. She understands that the djinn will not stop until it gets her, and decides to take the matter into her hands. But is it already too late for her to act, with he djinn already part of her daily dreams?

The defence of The Devil’s Bride :: The movie thrives on the tense, dark atmosphere with the evil always present. The demonic presence which is often called the djinn is established very nicely in the beginning of the movie itself. It never loses its way as far as the abiding terror is concerned. There is some good divergence in how the usual idea is used, and a certain amount Indonesian cultural side can also be seen as active here. The supernatural scenes and makeup effects are nice, providing the Nosferatu or Dracula effect also with the demonic love, but maintains a certain style due to the locations. For the Indian audience, the movie will not feel too far away from them considering the way the whole situations have been dealt with. The secondary world of nightmares is constructed well too, despite us having seen before with a different kind of treatment, from Insidious onwards. From the visit to Bali itself, I have found myself interested in Indonesian movies, and this one actually serves more nostalgia as it never really gets out of the usual out there.

The claws of flaw :: Sometimes, one feels that the movie just goes on through a path which has been established in its usual manner for a long time, and it has been taken from the Western ideas about the demonic birth to be used here. We are familiar with the movies dealing with son of the devil being born and the idea of the anti-Christ, and this would often feel like taken right out there, especially with the same being a classic supernatural idea. There is also a certain number of repetitions without bringing anything new, and the protagonist often feels a little too dumb with her actions despite things being so clear for even people who are not that aware of the cultural beliefs. The supporting characters are not that much explored, and they just seem to come and go at will. The romance is also not that much felt, and there for using the love to fight the devil feels out of the equation. The ending also seems to be done in comfortable way without that much of thinking, and innovation when it was needed, never really gets here. Then, there is the loss of pace in between despite the movie being of short-length.

The performers of the soul :: Erika Carlina leads the way in this movie which revolves around her character as the bride of the djinn, seemingly willing for the same within her nightmares, but attempts to come out of the same when back to her senses. With this strong and convincing performance, she effectively portrays the fear, vulnerability and emotional struggle that she has to go through in more than one world. Her expressions and reactions in the emotional, terrifying and intimate scenes help build the movie’s mood with is not limited to the eerie atmosphere, making the whole situation more believable. Even with the traditional horror tropes rising above the rest, Erika’s solid performance makes sure that the different elements and multiple sides work so well here, as she also covers some of the faults of the movie. Emir Mahira is also not far behind in his work, as he plays the loving husband without any trouble. Ruth Marini and Wavi Zihan provides some good support too, while Alfie Alfandi adds on.

How it finishes :: The Indonesian horror movies have often stayed a step ahead like with the near-perfect Impetigore, interesting Ivanna, revenge-seeking Ronggeng Kematian and that almost-horror Grave Torture which also tried well. After the travel to Bali of Indonesia, these have served my love for horror well, along with Gundala being a favourite superhero movie from the same country. While Korean movies have remained the most watched foreign language movies here with Spanish, French and Russian having quite some space in the website, Indonesian ones have been the South East Asian favourites. This one serves the purpose well, but one has to wonder if it could have been better with such an idea at the core – you do not get to work with such creatures of the night all the time, and the premise was so well set with the first scene itself. Well, still it remains a good scary one with the mood and the setting doing the job well too. You can think watch this one on a fine night and have the demonic one have its say.

Release date: 16th January 2025
Running time: 91 minutes
Directed by: Azhar Kinoi Lubis
Starring: Erika Carlina, Emir Mahira, Ruth Marini, Wavi Zihan, Alfie Alfandy, Ence Bagus

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Great Flood

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Vampire Owl: I have heard that the vampire elders have witnessed the earlier great floods.

Vampire Bat: Maybe from a distance, as they have always lived on the mountains.

Vampire Owl: The sacred hills have always provided the vampire kind with protection.

Vampire Bat: The hills have always acted as a natural barrier against the others.

Vampire Owl: You mean against the ancient evils which have no regular forms.

Vampire Bat: The ancient evil has kept us searching for changes in a volatile world.

Vampire Owl: And yet, we have not defeated that evil. It lives.

Vampire Bat: It would live as long as humans exist, with an easy pass to their world.

Vampire Owl: Well, they keep saying that evil always finds a way.

Vampire Bat: From our experiences, we can conclude that too.

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

What is the movie about? :: Gu An-na (Kim Da-mi) is an AI researcher who had only been recently widowed after losing her husband Shin Ga-won (Lee Hak-joo) to a car accident and following drowning from which he could not be saved. She stays in contact with her parents who keep checking on her, and is living with her son Shin Ja-in (Kwon Eun-seong) in a thirty-floor apartment which features a large number of residents. Living in the third floor, she soon finds water reaching her apartment, slowly filling the room, which leads her to panic and try to run with her son to the top only to find the elevators not working anymore, and the stairs are blocked, with no way to go. The child is terrified, but she cannot find a way through the panicked residents of the building. It is then that Son Hee-jo (Park Hae-soo), a security operative from the Darwin Center, an advanced scientific research facility, arrives there in time to help An-na escape from the apartment. After saving them from waves of water, he reveals that the United Nations had known that an asteroid impact at the South Pole that would trigger a global flood and push mankind towards extinction.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is then known that instead of announcing the terrifying situation, world governments funded secret efforts to ensure survival of the species including a space station and research into creating biologically engineered human bodies and transfer of consciousness. It is revealed that An-na’s employer is also involved in these projects. As another tsunami separates An-na from Ja-in, she is forced to swim back into the flooding building. She finds a trapped young girl in an elevator but is unable to free her as the water keeps forcing her to continue upward. As they reach the roof of the building SWAT team captures Ja-in and extracts his consciousness into a digital storage device, revealing that Ja-in was never biologically born, but an artificial child. An-na’s AI software had helped in the same. The SWAT commander tells her that there is no safehouse that only An-na and the storage disk will be taken to safety, while everyone else will be left behind to die. As An-na is transported to a rocket bound for the station in orbit, she is forced to accept her fate, but can she go on with it?

The defence of The Great Flood :: The movie takes a fine divergence with the idea as disaster finds another possibility or even more. This is surely not the disaster movie that we would expect to be reflected on the screen, even though the devastation is very much there with the loss of human lives and property, with a lot more devastation being talked about rather than shown on the screen. It chooses not to go with the usual disaster mode and focus on all the usual, and instead, innovates enough. It is not an easy job to combine the genres like this, but the challenge seems to have been accepted with some grace. The emotional side is also at work here, and gets stronger at times. The sentimental crisis feels much relevant here, and about humanity itself, there would be questions that remain thought-provoking. The doubts about morality when facing a crisis would remain throughout the movie. The visuals are much supportive of the situation, and the flood is indeed nicely shown. The flood visuals and water effects, from the surface as much as going underneath, goes on well. The strong performances just go with it.

The claws of flaw :: The movie has a struggle in between with the repeated visuals, and sometimes it gets too repetitive instead of bringing something special – the innovation is not that much there when the world repeats itself. That sudden shift from disaster drama to science fiction with complex simulation loops feels too complex and not that interesting to follow, unlike some other movies which have kept the same interesting with variety. The emotions also go down the drain at times as other questions keep popping up. The emotional weight often feels forced too, as we keep seeing the mother-child situations rather too much. The cliché is surely there and going down to the stereotypes also seems to be another priority at times. Some ideas just seem underdeveloped and, in the end, there seems to be a rush rather than a smooth final finish. The movie could have surely been better polished and executed as we look closer. This one would not be for everyone, as the grandeur of the destruction and danger is left behind too early.

The performers of the soul :: Kim Da-mi as Gu An-na leads the way, and she plays the concerned mother caring for her child who have just gone through another trauma. She has her moments, and it is surely up to her to hold the movie high, and the same rests on her shoulders. The concerns and attempts of her character continue to have a feeling of reflecting harsh realities. Yet, she is weighed down by the repetitions that come without that much of a divergence in between. Park Hae-soo follows really well, and there is a certain amount of strength to his character which is dealt with well. There could have been more action to it, as there was much scope for the same. The repetitions just keep holding things back. Kwon Eun-seong plays the child in trouble nicely, but not that much when seen again and again. Jeon Yu-na is the other notable child actor. Most of the other characters do feel irrelevant. They just come and go, or just make a quick appearance without letting us know much about them.

How it finishes :: The Great Flood is a disaster movie featuring flood with a difference, and an extinction event with even more of a divergence in a world of chaos. There is no denying the fact that much more could have been done with the resources in hand, and that movement in the direction of the less explored. There are some classic looks to support the movie, and the danger is always present, even though complications sometimes drag the same to the back. With a visually impressive world and some strong acting, the movie feels like a safe watch, but its ambitious mix of genres and strange as well as complex narrative choices create some confusion here and there. If you are in support of some thought-provoking science fiction action mixed with the usual disaster themes, there is much to be seen here. The journey is mixed, but never goes out of the equation. This is some divergence to be watched with its quality. After all, we have been looking at the possibilities of human extinction as much as the usual disasters.

Release date: 19th December 2025
Running time: 108 minutes
Directed by: Kim Byung-woo
Starring: Kim Da-mi, Park Hae-soo, Kwon Eun-seong, Jeon Yu-na as Lee Ji-su, Park Mi-hyun, Jeon Hye-jin, Park Byung-eun, Lee Hak-joo

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Artificial Justice

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Vampire Owl: This seems to be the next thing after artificial intelligence.

Vampire Bat: Humans seem to be addicted with their machines.

Vampire Owl: Well, they are the only ones they trust.

Vampire Bat: Human distrust among themselves is valid.

Vampire Owl: Our 12th Man Dr Frankenstein has warned us about the same.

Vampire Bat: Mr Frankenstein has not been a doctor since birth.

Vampire Owl: This is not about him being a scientist or doctor.

Vampire Bat: He is just not a source to be trusted.

Vampire Owl: His judgements have been seventy five percent accurate.

Vampire Bat: Humans might still come up with ninety nine percent with their machines.

[Gets a paneer uthappam and three cups of Mattupetty tea].

What is the movie about? :: In most courts of Spain, an artificial intelligence system called THENTE 1 has been serving as an aid to judges, as an analysis of the files and the expressions as well as way of talking of the accused are considered. Even though the system seems to be near-perfect, veteran judges like Carmen Costa (Verónica Echegui) trusts her own intuition and experience to make the final decision. She even goes against the system which predicts eighty two percent chance of a hacker committing the crime again, and sets the man free despite the suggested denial of freedom. Her belief in Artificial Intelligence is rather limited, as she even distrusts the medical analysis about her showing her as not fit enough to undergo pregnancy, and every time ends up aborting the fetus due to her declining health. Concerning the future of artificial intelligence, the CEO of THENTE, Alicia Kóvack (Alba Galocha) had been regularly trying to meet Carmen who was trying to avoid everyone, while government pushed for artificial intelligence to replace the judges.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is on the same night that Alicia meets with an accident, as the artificial intelligence which was installed in her car deviates the vehicle to avoid another car which was stuck on the middle of the road, leading to her death. A grieving Carmen is told that the artificial intelligence took the decision to deviate her car into the side to save the lives of two people who were in the other car, as a direct collision would have killed all three of them, and that this action saved two lives, and almost saved Alicia who died in the hospital. The government starts strongly pushing for the use of artificial intelligence as a substitute for judges in the form what was called artificial justice. Carmen is invited to work on the further development of the project, making sure that it is flawless. Alicia had noted down in her will that Carmen had to approve the whole thing before being implemented. This leads to Carmen doubting a bigger conspiracy behind all of these. Is Alicia’s death and the upcoming election related to this artificial intelligence implementation and more?

The defence of Artificial Justice :: The movie focuses on exploring the role of Artificial Intelligence in one’s everyday life, focusing deeper on how well the artificial ones can deliver justice. It asks how much the control can be provided to the machine, at a time when there would be the control of multi-national companies if there is such a programme. There is the idea that there would always be something which the machines cannot predict, including the nature of people and the changes that come across them, as the need to judge people by past would be more complicated than ever. The idea of having an artificial judgment instead of a human judge would leave so many things unattended as shown here, and so would anything driven by a machine which would consider some lives to be less important than others under some circumstances. The idea is nicely thought about, and the arguments are put in here nicely, as the feeling of unknown danger and mystery runs through here with slow thrills making impact.

The claws of flaw :: The pace of the movie keeps going down at times, and its inability to raise itself by the end of the flick makes it questionable as a thriller with a motive. The struggle of the movie is always present, and even when the main character is swimming or driving, the problem seems to be of the movie rather than of the character. The deep exploration of situations is not there, as the movie keeps on looking only at the ideas on the surface and keeps jumping from one to the other like a really irritated Tarzan or Mowgli. The ending feels too rushed, and in world where an escape would be impossible, a Joseph-type ending would have done perfectly alright, but we do not see the same with this one. There needed to be some emotional strength to support the efforts of the dead characters, but the movie just shows too much indifference to its characters that the viewer would feel that the real machines are the people in there among which some of them just dies like computers being shut down by others.

The performers of the soul :: Verónica Echegui handles the weight of the situation here really well. Her performance reflects the mood of the movie, and she remains solid even when movie shows some struggle. The calmness that she shows when facing all adversities, reflects the character very well, and there is a certain amount of freshness about her. Alba Galocha is the one person whom we miss during the journey here, as the character is gone too early, but we know that there was a lot more she could have done here if the role carried on to the end. She has the looks that would the present Spiderman as his girlfriend, seemingly a perfect choice in a battle against Mysterio or any other classic villain. The looks seem to keep making her feel younger. Tamar Novas makes it work and Alberto Amman adds on with his performance here. The villainy here is smooth and working from the background in an effective manner, as shadows seem to haunt. The supporting cast is also pretty good as we look around.

How it finishes :: Artificial Justice raises some interesting points while going through a journey that we would remember due to the questions which have been asked, and the so many answers which could be received. The lost point here is that it fails to develop on the same, and end well, with the finish going through such a struggle to even prove that it is the end, and there would be no more similar finishing points to follow. The ending is not just open-ended, it also provides nothing to the audience who have been waiting for a grand finish like in those usual science fiction tales with a grand underlying message. The conspiracy was huge, and that big ending was required. But with a fine beginning and with suspense and danger around, the experience of the movie remains good, even when the pace is reduced at times. There is the struggle, but we get most of the thriller that we wanted from this one. The Spanish thrillers have had the guaranteed thrills at least at the minimum for some time as far as internationally known movies are concerned.

Release date: 13th September 2024
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Simón Casal
Starring: Verónica Echegui, Tamar Novas, Alba Galocha, Alberto Ammann, Lúcia Moniz, Paula Morado, Santi Prego, Ledicia Sola

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ronggeng Kematian

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember the first Indonesian movie which we watched?

Vampire Bat: Yes, before that, most of the reviews were Korean and Chinese.

Vampire Owl: Yes, and now, most reviews remain Korean, Spanish, Russian and French.

Vampire Bat: The Spanish also had risen in numbers very soon.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are thirty-one languages, so a few will surely have more numbers.

Vampire Bat: Well, all of a sudden, Filippino movies came to the list when it seemed to end with thirty languages of movies.

Vampire Owl: Among Indonesian movies are a few classic ones, right?

Vampire Bat: Yes, one classic horror and one classic superhero, for sure.

Vampire Owl: It is also the one country we have visited.

Vampire Bat: We did not think about watching when we were there in Bali.

[Gets an onion uthappam and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the remote Magunsari village of Central Java in Indonesia, a young man named Imam (Elang El Gibran) is in love with Sulastri (Cindy Nirmala), a charming and beautiful ronggeng dancer, the village’s only true expert in the dance form, and the one who represents the local culture and traditions through her moves, with the woods making sure that the place maintains its cultural heritage separate from the rest of the island. That night, Sulastri is entertaining a number of men in the guest house with her tradition dance. A local man with a mental disease, Akhsan (Allan Dastan), also comes there to propose her while Imam gets there with the ring to provide his proposal to her. When the lights go out all of a sudden, Imam investigates place while Akhsan runs off, only to be attacked from behind and murdered. Later, Sulastri is also not found with her missing, and both her and Imam are never heard of. The village keep searching for her, but with no results, and there is nobody to keep the traditional dancing going on either, with the assigned girls never being as good as her.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Seven years have passed since the incident, and still nothing is found. During this time, a young woman named Larasati (Claresta Taufan Kusumarina) and her boyfriend Hadi (Chicco Kurniawan) makes their usual journey through the woods, and parts ways. Larasati who keeps on walking through the forest on the way home finds a red scarf and an old radio near an old and ruined well which is not in use. When she finds the scarf to be lovely and puts it on, she suddenly is able to dance in the traditional form of ronggeng with so much perfection as if it was done by Sulastri. Larasati seems to be acting under the guidance of Sulastri’s spirit, sometimes seeming to be fully possessed. It is then that four men led by Adit (Revaldo) arrives in the village for a ceremony. They stay in the same guesthouse where the tragedy occurred seven years ago, and there are more sinister events to follow. What could be triggering these events, and what might have happened to the dancer and her lover?

The defence of Ronggeng Kematian :: This movie’s arrival in Amazon Prime Video once again takes us back to the folklore as well as culture and traditions of the lesser-known areas of Indonesia, in the island of Java itself, setting the world to the villages. The movie seems to have realized that the past will remain significant and therefore any folklore can further strengthen a movie. Therefore, the layering seems to be nicely implemented, as we often get a look into the past as much as the present. This does make the mystery more interesting, and it nicely keeps the narrative going. There is also the reality and the magical coming and going. The tension is nicely built not just by the atmosphere, but also through the actions of the characters and the influence of the supernatural. There is that journey to that twist, of which part we will know after some time, but the rest is revealed nicely, and then there is that ending which solves them all. The characters nicely fit into the cultural flavours and situations. Scares do work with the fine visuals that gives a nice touch at all times, for the settings are such boost.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have always been capable of more, as the premise seems to have already set foot strongly. There are moments which keep pulling it back as we sometimes wonder if there was the attempt to keep the whole thing on the safe zone without going that much into the details. The jump between the timelines might not satisfy everyone, and those who are looking for the usual horror might not get the usual here. The antagonists are also not given much to do in the later part of the film, as they can only act helpless. A few things just seem to happen with the flow and as if they happen because they need to. There is no grand scare, except for the fear added due to mystery and atmosphere; maybe budget constraints were there. There could have been a fine legend being talked about based on the happenings. The early pacing also did have some struggle and confusion, with fear elements holding back for some time. The elements of guilt do not work that strongly around here either.

The performers of the soul :: Claresta Taufan Kusumarina leads the way here with a fantastic performance as the possessed dancer as much as the girl next door who is in love with the boy whom he has always known. The different layers of the character are displayed well by her, even at a time when demonic possession could go so wrong, given the circumstances of the return of the spirit from the other world and its motives. Her body movement during the dance also feels every elegant, even though we are not qualified enough to talk about the dance form. Cindy Nirmala’s dancing skills are also on display very well, and the return from the grave works really well for her. She has her own moments outside the dancing too. Revaldo comes in really well and is well supported by those playing his friends. Chicco Kurniawan makes the viewer feel the terror that is hidden beneath the happy village and its culture and traditions. The roles played by these characters despite not seeming that relevant, are all significant to the overall movie.

How it finishes :: There is something about the Indonesian folklore and ancient beliefs that keeps us interested at all times. Indonesian movies have surely kept us interested, especially the one superhero movie which made us wish that we had our own – Gundala; post which we had Minnal Murali and Lokah Chapter One: Chandra. Then there was the classic horror in the form of Impetigore and a twisted thriller in the form of Photocopier. Ivanna and Grave Torture also had moments which made them work. The movie does not lag behind, even though there are moments when it could have raised the level. We do see that the movie mostly does its job very well. With cultural flavour and scares, along with being a tale of vengeance, this one run strong without deviating from its purpose, a quality that many horror movies have ceased to have. We are brought close to the Indonesian horror yet again with this one, and we hope that there will be many more horror based on folklore, as we remember Stree from around here too.

Release date: 28th March 2024
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Verdi Solaiman
Starring: Cindy Nirmala, Claresta Taufan Kusumarina, Chicco Kurniawan, Krisjiana Baharuddin, Dito Darmawan, Allan Dastan, Elang El Gibran, Nungki Kusumastuti

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Amelia’s Children

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Vampire Owl: We have not been reviewing many Portuguese movies.

Vampire Bat: We have only managed one, and it was not out of Portugal either.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that Bacurau will still count as Portuguese.

Vampire Bat: Yes, Brazilian movies are in Portuguese, so it counted.

Vampire Owl: So, this is the first Portuguese film from Portugal we are reviewing.

Vampire Bat: Yes, this is indeed a milestone too.

Vampire Owl: Yet we have so many Spanish movies here.

Vampire Bat: Some of these Spanish movies were true classics.

Vampire Owl: I hope that this one will inspire us to watch more Portuguese films.

Vampire Bat: Well, we are immortal and can watch them all.

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

What is the movie about? :: Edward (Carloto Cotta) has been looking to find his family as he has always felt without roots. One day, his girlfriend Riley (Jack Haven) provides him with a DNA test kit. The results reveal more about his birth, and that he has a twin brother, Manuel (Carloto Cotta) and also their mother named Amelia (Anabela Moreira) who live in a small village in Portugal. Edward and Riley travel to the huge villa in the middle of the woods so that he can finally feel like having a family. This is a strange, but an emotional reunion. But Riley feels that there is something wrong, as the locals are hostile to them, and both the twin brother and the mother seem to be hiding something. There seems to be not much of interest being talked about, and Amelia looks and acts strange. She even hears something weird from outside the room where Manuel and Amelia are found sleeping together in a bed, making her question the kind of family which seems to exist in that seemingly perfect building.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Riley notices a strange bonding between the brothers that feels unnatural, even though they are seeing each other for the first time, and Edward was once not really sure about the meeting. Riley tries to uncover the secrets that seems to plague the villa, and feels that Amelia has some supernatural powers and is part of a ritualistic system of which Manuel is also a member. The mother-son relationship is not what seems to be from a distance. Riley’s growing realization is also supported by nightmares which seem to come to her at regular intervals. The question remains if she knows this particular world within the woods well enough and whether she can escape from it. Edward seems to be ready to remain there as part of the family, but he is also having his own dose of hallucinations. The people of the village seem to hope that they will leave soon, as if it is the right things to do. Will there be escape or will there be death?

The defence of Amelia’s Children a.k.a. A Semente do Mal :: The world has been nicely built here, and finding the roots itself was a starting which seemed to mean much more than what met the eye. This idea of discovering a long-lost family through DNA testing, only to find something supernatural associated with it, makes the whole thing interesting. The mixture of psychological with the supernatural elements gives it much more depth. Then there is the setting, the atmosphere that does a fine job. The building itself has something like we ha in Crimson Peak to add to the structural fear, even though this is not that much of a scary architecture, and never is an attempt to made to elevate the level to such a world of fear. The creepiness is always present, even they do not really come to the front. The premise has already done most of the work here. The presence of a witch provides the much-needed boost to a world which has started off well. The ending, even though not that deep into the situation, leaves us with a scope for a sequel to expand this better.

The claws of flaw :: The struggle of long run-time seems to plague this movie even though it is not long at all. There might be a little bit too much revealed early, and that might have plagued the later run and might have kept it running without much happening to create an impact. The twist should have been kept better hidden with red herrings or at least by deviating to something less important. It seems to stretch due to not trying to do well enough with the content and let everything unfold – even the leading performers seem to be left on their own rather than their characters undergoing anything. The mood seems to be mixed here, as the strongest element of supernatural horror often losses the way. The main lady character should have been the central point, and the one who should stay scared and attacked, but she seems to have a run without that big sense of danger. She does not become that big a scream queen as the usual elements of horror, and even that of slasher remains largely forgotten when dealing with her character.

The performers of the soul :: The performances are pretty good, but not much when we consider the possibilities of the horror. This is a world of scares, and the usual do not satisfy the environment that much – The Well had realized the same in Italy, but in Portugal, that blending is paused due to the lack of pace which seems to plague the characters as if it is an old award movie where not enough happens to provide the performers with scope. Carloto Cotta does quite well in the two roles, even though it is nothing out of the box, and not much expands. Anabela Moreira does well to manage the strangeness present there, while Alba Baptista who portrays her younger version does the same perfectly – she has the looks and expression to bring the strangeness of a mortal immortal. Jack Haven does a fine job, but does not seem to try that hard. There is a certain amount of predictability in the work and the journey is just accordingly, nothing more or less. The same is also applicable to the final moments when there is nothing grand in the performances, but just enough, as if playing by the safe side.

How it finishes :: Amelia’s Children could have been a classic, but it chooses not use that many scares even though it is in a village with woods and a strange villa in the middle of all – this could have been horror unleashing itself, but the movie holds itself back. The same is also done in the last moments when this could have come with a shock, but chooses to go for the unexpected. The titular character wanders in the old form too much, and the young form would have been nice if appeared at least in hallucinations often. There are moments when the mother could have been young, and there are situations when fear could have had many different faces, and even darkness could have been used better. Yet, the movie keeps us interested, thanks to the mystery that prevails throughout its run. There is always the feeling that something bigger is to come and that it is going to be a shocker, and it is that feeling and the existence of terror ready to be unleashed keeps us going. It was never going to be The Conjuring, The Nun, Annabelle, Insidious or Sinister, but manages to do enough.

Release date: 18th January 2024
Running time: 91 minutes
Directed by: Gabriel Abrantes
Starring: Jack Haven, Carloto Cotta, Anabela Moreira, Alba Baptista, Rita Blanco

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Well

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***Poster generated by AI for review purposes.

Vampire Owl: Wells are some fine containers for the supernatural.

Vampire Bat: We, vampires are not people of the wells.

Vampire Owl: The demons can stay in the well though.

Vampire Bat: Even werewolves and zombies do not mind. But we do.

Vampire Owl: Can a well without water serve as a coffin during daytime?

Vampire Bat: A coffin needs to have a lid at all times.

Vampire Owl: I believe that Dr. Frankenstein can arrange that.

Vampire Bat: I knew that it was his idea only.

Vampire Owl: I do not see how great men like Frank bro cannot have such ideas.

Vampire Bat: Such villains always have similar ideas.

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

What is the movie about? :: Lisa Gray (Lauren LaVera) is the daughter of a renowned art restorer and they run a famous firm which is known for their expertise in the field and operates in multiple countries. One day, she gets a very significant assignment from a small village in Italy where a wealthy aristocratic family living in a castle-like mansion has a damaged painting which needs to be restored in a very small amount of time. Her father Mr. Gray (Giovanni Lombardo Radice) forces her to take the assignment as he cannot travel that long and their company is in desperate need for funds – a failure there would leave them bankrupt, and at the end of their art restoration journey. The painting is owned by Emma Malvisi (Claudia Gerini) who seems to be too charming and beautiful for her age. On the way, she meets two American biologists Madison (Courage Oviawe) and Tracy (Taylor Zaudtk), along with their guide Toni (Gianluigi Galvani) who are traveling to a nearby campsite located in the woods.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Lisa is asked to restore a centuries painting that has been damaged in a fire, with almost nothing visible. She begins work on the painting, and is forced to speed up, as the contract signed by her father promised that the job would be finished in two weeks, despite her feeling that it would take more than a month. The painting starts revealing demonic figures which also appears in Lisa’s dreams which turn into nightmares. Emma’s teenage daughter, Giulia (Linda Zampaglione), gives Lisa some warnings about the paintings despite acting unfriendly. Emma assures her that it is just a personality disorder and the girl has too many fantasies due to which she could not stay in the school. Meanwhile, Madison, Tracy, and Toni are attacked by an unknown figure and are held captive in cells surrounding a well. There seems to be something sinister going on in the area, and can Lisa and her newfound friends survive this terrifying reality filled with terror?

The defence of The Well :: The Well is that movie which has come out of nowhere to make the perfect Gothic impact, and open that world of ancient horror taken into the medieval and beyond. The terrifying reality which the Gothic and the Dark Romantics provided in the past with its classic elements comes alive again, and we keep thinking about that world of supernatural chaos yet again. The demon is also nicely done and the painting is something like no other. The curse of the past coming to haunt in a medieval castle with secret passages and traps never gets old, no matter how much the modernity comes upon us. The imagination of our age can work well with the Gothic of the past – hence proven. The darkness with that kind of lighting which inspire further horror is also to be appreciated. This one becomes an inspiration to travel to Italy, becoming the one location that horror fans would prefer in Western Europe like Romania in the eastern side. I would travel to Eastern Europe any day, but Italy and Spain would be in the list if there is an extension; after all, I am also a vlogger now.

Positives and negatives :: There would always be people questioning these types of smooth horror movies, especially as it does not bring that inescapable terror. The castle could have even added more horror, and the well could have been further terrifying, despite us feeling the Gothic strength all the time. The fear elements keep gripping us, and we know what Italian movies can do right from Don’t Kill Me with the zombies, A Classic Horror Story with its gore-fillers, Security with the thrills, among the others. Well, this one requires a sequel like The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun and Insidious had, and such a setting is added to the ending, even though forced – the scope is a lot there to be taken. Even though a lot of people might have missed the movie – even I never really heard about it, the release of the movie on Amazon Prime Video with Hindi audio is surely going to help. In the world of modernity where nothing is a sin, let this one remind one of the presence of evil and its ability to take over in an environment which seems perfectly not supernatural.

The performers of the soul :: Lauren LaVera is someone whom we remember from Terrifier 2, and it was one fantastic performance from her in a slasher movie that kept us immersed there – the last fight with the clown was epic. There was the note that she began as a body double for Anya Taylor-Joy and others in that memorable psychological thriller Split – this reminds us that we had the seen the girl somewhere before too. She continues her great work in this particular movie, as from the beginning, we know that this one would make a fine scream queen and can continue the great job to more movies of horror too. She goes through the scares, slasher situations and nightmares in a convincing manner. The next significant candidate for the scream queen role is Taylor Zaudtke, who has also done a fine job with the girl who tries to escape from the evil, and is too terrorized at times. Claudia Gerini’s work is solid and we feel like she is part of that aristocratic world all the time. Linda Zampaglione as Giulia does not fall behind in doing the same either. The rest of the supporting cast also contributes pretty well.

How it finishes :: There might be no better place to shoot a Gothic horror film than Italy, which seems to have the settings that would keep us horror fans enlightened with the older medieval buildings of its past as much as the Renaissance structures. The Gothic never got such close its soul in horror movies like we have here, with a medieval castle, mysterious painting, secret passages, underground dungeon, hidden traps and darkness that shines like the light of the moon with a haunting past. If there is a perfect Gothic world, it should be this one, and the other one would be Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak which kept breathing Gothic till the end. This one remains scary, entertaining, and as mysterious as any such movie should be. We know that there is more than what meets the eye from the beginning itself, and we enjoy the same. When you feel that horror is losing its strength, we get transported to this world, and that is indeed something great – we enjoy our existence in such a world of old model horror awakened again.

Release date: 1st August 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Federico Zampaglione
Starring: Lauren LaVera, Claudia Gerini, Jonathan Dylan King, Yassine Fadel, Gianluigi Galvani, Taylor Zaudtke, Courage Oviawe, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Linda Zampaglione, Lorenzo Renzi, Melanie Gaydos, Stefano Martinelli, Toni Pandolfo

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Survive

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Vampire Owl: Do you think that we really need another movie on survival?

Vampire Bat: Well, we are surviving right now. So, this is a realistic movie.

Vampire Owl: Does this have someone’s survival for centuries?

Vampire Bat: I think that this is just about a few days, maximum.

Vampire Owl: So, they are dealing with some crisis which would not matter for vampires.

Vampire Bat: You should understand that everything matters for vampires.

Vampire Owl: We are people of the past. So, future should not matter to us.

Vampire Bat: We live in the present whether we are in the past or future.

Vampire Owl: We do not live in timelines, we never did.

Vampire Bat: We blended in, and we become part of the nocturnal world then.

[Gets a kathi roll and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: A family of four have been celebrating togetherness – Tom (Andreas Pietschmann), an expert oceanographer, Julia (Émilie Dequenne), an experienced doctor, and their two children Cassie (Lisa Delamar) and Ben (Lucas Ebel) are on a yacht named Orca somewhere in the Caribbean area, celebrating the boy’s thirteenth birthday and enjoying vacation, even though the girl does seem to miss her boyfriend too much, and finds the trip boring without his presence. She keeps making video calls to him even though the network connectivity is very low, often ruining family moments. This is a family vacation that occurs after quite a long time. There is something strange happening around though, as expert swimmer Julia almost drowns with sea getting rougher than usual, and whales also seems to flee, with some problems seemingly occurring with the compass too. There is a violent storm that also follows, and the family keeps themselves safe within the deck of the ship, passing out in the process.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As they wake up next morning after the storm, the family is shocked to find out that the ocean has disappeared — there is no water, as the ocean bed has exposed itself as a strange desert. Tom feels that the poles of the planet have been reversed, leaving the oceans at what used to be land and vice versa. Even though there is no reply to their distress calls, they are finally able to contact Nao (Olivier Ho Hio Hen), a submariner who found himself on land from underneath the ocean floor all of a sudden. He feels that the poles will flip again in about a week and that the seas will return violently, devouring everything without trace. He offers his submarine as a safe location, with space for two more people, and Tom and wife quickly asks him to save their children. Nao gives them the coordinates, and they decide to start their journey only to find that something more has been unleashed there. Can they survive the unexpected terror on the way?

The defence of Survive :: A family trying to survive when there is almost no chance to do so is always worth our attention. After all, families staying together these days has been a rare thing as we look at most of them. The apocalyptic twist used here is nice, and nicely changed from the usual things which we keep finding everywhere. The end of the world has been shown clearly with only a few characters and grandeur of destruction is still felt. The visuals of a dry world nicely add to the same, and feels like a classic apocalypse with a twist to the incidents causing the same. The fine looks along with the sounds to set the mood has us interested early enough. The newly formed desert world is as interesting as the creatures and the debris that goes through them to make us feel the effect of the catastrophe rather than to spread fear. With action here and there and the family bonding moments, it does not drag, but keep the pace going – it is quite a short film indeed, and we are never out of the apocalyptic mood.

The claws of flaw :: The grand idea could have had further grandeur could have come up with a spectacle that we would remember for what is shown on the screen. There could have been some shots which would stay in our minds forever and remind us of this movie – the iconic shots could have been here, as the opportunity was clearly there. The idea of being terrifying is not that much around, and it never really gets into full fun either. Also, everything happens all of a sudden, and there is not much of an explanation for all these strange of end of the world incidents. The characters do not develop that much, and children show irritating side at times. The end also seems rushed, as if it has come around too soon after accelerating a little too much in the final moments. This is not that kind of a movie which we would feel the need to watch again, even with moments. The idea had possibilities from not just the ocean, but also from the newly formed wastelands and nature behaving strange.

The performers of the soul :: The movie had to depend on its performances, as there are only a few characters and the focus is so much on them. There is no scope for falling behind with this particular aspect, as the grandeur of the visuals make way for the characters with ease. Émilie Dequenne plays the mother and doctor figure trying to save her family, and she shows the fight so well, fighting against all odds. Andreas Pietschmann plays the protector, the strong father who keeps hoping to save his children and wife even at the cost of his own life. The two manages the role so well that they make the perfect parents. Lucas Ebel adds more or less to the emotional side as the child who needs support. Lisa Delamar lays the younger child with emotional problems and tension with other members of the family. From the beginning stage itself, we see she wants to be with her boyfriend and not with the family, and the rebel role is managed well. Arben Bajraktaraj and Olivier Ho Hio Hen adds well in support.

How it finishes :: Survival against all odds when even nature goes against you is something a lot more interesting than one can think about. This movie manages to be successful in doing the same even though not without the feeling that the grand idea did not get the execution it really deserved – still, it manages to rise well and create something of interest and remain entertaining from the beginning stages itself. With quality added to its visuals and the tense moments which brings the thrills in an apocalyptic world, one would appreciate the effort behind the movie. We would still keep wondering how huge this movie with such a premise and idea could have become, as we see movies like Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra and Minnal Murali doing so much with such a low budget in this part of the world. Then you see a family surviving in a world without hope, and it could even have a sequel that could expand things. Well, good people will always find themselves in trouble, and evil survives and thrives, doesn’t it?

Release date: 19th June 2024
Running time: 86 minutes
Directed by: Frédéric Jardin
Starring: Émilie Dequenne, Andreas Pietschmann, Lisa Delamar, Lucas Ebel

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.