Tag Archives: evil

Heart Eyes

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Vampire Owl: So are the hearts in the eyes, or eyes in the heart?

Vampire Bat: If there is a serial killer around, does that really matter?

Vampire Owl: Yes, we need to understand the killer first.

Vampire Bat: You know that human serial killers cannot kill vampires, right?

Vampire Owl: Well, they can always cut our heads off.

Vampire Bat: Most human serial killers just keep stabbing.

Vampire Owl: We should just let them come. They have good necks.

Vampire Bat: I heard that you were allergic to blood.

Vampire Owl: It is never too late to have some blood shake in life.

Vampire Bat: Well, this one happens on Valentine’s Day and the colour surely matches.

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

What is the movie about? :: For the last few years on every Valentine’s Day, a serial killer known as the Heart Eyes Killer who is short named HEK by the media, has targeted different couples in different American cities. This year, the killer is known to have murdered two couples in Seattle and a wedding ring which has the initials “J S” is also found at one of the crime scenes where the couple was murdered in some of the most brutal ways possible. The case is taken over by the detectives Zeke Hobbs (Devon Sawa) and Jeanine Shaw (Jordana Brewster), who are nicknamed Hobbs and Shaw after the famous Fast and Furious spin-off movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham in which there was so much of action with the two. At the same time, in the same city, Ally McCabe (Olivia Holt), a marketer for a jewelry company who just had a break-up, accidently meets a stranger Jay Simmonds (Mason Gooding) in a restaurant, and is ridiculed and almost fired by her boss Crystal Cane (Michaela Watkins).

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ally’s strange ad campaign with doomed couples is detested by almost everyone due to the recent murders of lovers by the serial killer who had just started murdering in the city. Crystal calls upon a freelancer accomplished in the same field, and it turns out to be Jay much to her surprise – she is supposed to work with him and create a whole new ad campaign. On the same day, Jay invites her to dinner that night, asserting that it is not really a Valentine’s Day date despite the date being February 14th. He further suggests that it may give them further inspiration for the campaign which they have to work with together and succeed. Ally agrees despite the killer already at work for the season of the Valentines, as she desperately needed the job after the break-up. But after reaching the restaurant and post a few minutes of talk, they are not happy with each other and gets out, but as Ally sees her ex-boyfriend, she kisses Jay and introduces him as her boyfriend because her old love already came with a new girlfriend.

And what more is to happen with a brutal murderer on the hunt for lovers on Valentine’s Day? :: Ally and Jay reconcile over that act and he takes a taxi to her home, where he helps her break in to her home after she realizes that she had forgotten her key, and he cuts his hand in doing the same. Ally helps with his wound upstairs, as she was someone who had dropped out of medical school. All of a sudden, the Heart Eyes Killer jumps out of the cupboard and attacks them. After a chase, he knocks Jay out as Ally keeps running. Detectives Zeke Hobbs and Jeanine Shaw who found no other killer, but found the killer’s mask and weapon with Jay, and they arrest him, shocking Ally who had returned to the area after hearing the police siren. The police take Jay for questioning at a police station, and there both Hobbs and Shaw show that his initials match those on the previously found ring and also shows proof that he was in the same cities at the same time during HEK’s previous attacks. But soon, the power goes out and a masked figure with a weapon comes out, revealing the heart symbol on the eyes and begins his killing spree. Can the new partners and police escape without being killed?

The defence of Heart Eyes :: The chemistry of Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding is what drives the movie so well, with humour, taking part in action, and adding the unexpected romance at times as everything comes when a serial killer is on the hunt, making the whole thing very interesting. At the same time, the movie gets into the gore easily and killings begin, while romance keep ending, and even for the protagonists, the focus is less on love and more on a classic escape act which is followed by more running and fighting with a murderer ready to get into act. With the nice humour working so well, we see the rom-com and slasher modes switching each other one, and at times existing at the same time, keeping the whole thing enjoyable. All these happen within a short run-time and the final scene throws a fine punch, and there are some nice twists that lead to the same. Among the police characters, it is Jordana Brewster who steals the show, and that seems to be evident from the early scenes and the police station moments.

Positives and negatives :: The final twist may have given some clues early itself, and we see them coming quite early, with one at the police station itself, and another at the crime scene – there are not enough red herrings to keep the twists away. Most of the supporting characters also get not much to do, and the bloody side with all the violence will not make everyone happy, especially when coming in between romance all of a sudden without warning. The movie still manages to keep its level, even when it is short of romance or short of killings, and that comes a surprise with this not being among the best-known slasher movies. The killings do work as one would expect from this kind of a movie. The visuals serve the purpose right from the beginning too. Michaela Watkins adds some nice humour right from her first moments. Gigi Zumbado should have been there for more, as it was really fun when she was around – the disappearance only to appear in the end does not serve the character that well. Yoson An’s work surely came as a fine surprise too.

How it finishes :: I had left this one behind without watching for some time as the idea did not feel that interesting, but coming back to it on Amazon Prime Video was surely worth it. Even though it feels like old-style slasher at times, there is also that fresh feeling around. There is a certain cuteness with romance and humour on one side and we also see that unlimited terror on the other side. Fans of the slasher genre would surely appreciate the inventive, bloody kills which keeps happening from the beginning to the end, often in innovative manner. The movie is indeed self-aware and has such a fine cast. There is also that scope for sequel that we see by the end of the movie. If you are looking for a fun movie in the weekend with friends, you will love the cute little romance against a backdrop of creative carnage, then you also get surprised with the rising quality around here. You can see a chaotic, self-aware energy in this wildly entertaining ride, as long as you do not dig too deep around here. Heart Eyes could get into your list of favourite killers, and can go the Scream, Halloween and I Know What You Did Last Summer mode accompanied by the newer Psycho Killer and others.

Release date: 7 February 2025
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Josh Ruben
Starring: Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, Jordana Brewster

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Masters of the Universe

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Vampire Owl: Aren’t we the true masters of the universe?

Vampire Bat: I do not think that they are talking about the vampire universe.

Vampire Owl: Every universe requires its own masters.

Vampire Bat: We already have Uncle Dracula here.

Vampire Owl: Yes, even Vampire Elders are there, but they are all symbolic heads.

Vampire Bat: So, you consider us as the true masters.

Vampire Owl: Well, this is the only working universe, isn’t it?

Vampire Bat: The only true universe with relevance, yes.

Vampire Owl: And the only realm without the pure human evil.

Vampire Bat: The human evil has already reached our borders. There is not much of magic left that seems to stop it.

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

What is the movie about? :: Adam (Nicholas Galitzine) works in human resources, while keeping on searching for a certain sword and lives with his only friend Hussein (Christian Vunipola) in Oklahoma City. People think that him keeping on searching for a sword and telling everyone a specific story about his escape from another planet are parts of his nerd madness which he always had since he was a kid. The search for the sword would affect both his work and social life, as he even tells the same story when on a date. Obsessed with finding the sword due to his memories about being part of another strange world in which he lived as the prince and had come to Earth with a magic sword, Adam receives an anonymous tip in the form of a text message that the sword is located and he reclaims it at a comic store, running away with it. But the next day, he is arrested for stealing the sword, but the police car is stopped in transit on the highway when a strange creature attacks them and halts the traffic. The ape-like creature turns out to be Beast Man (Gary Martin) who had come from another world and chases Adam.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Adam keeps running, a woman in white comes to the scene, identifying herself as his childhood friend, Teela (Camila Mendes). She tells him that the sword had given her a signal when it was claimed and raised to the sky, seemingly provided the same signal to many others of their planet far away. In this planet named Eternia which was once ruled by Adam’s parents King Randor (James Purefoy) and Queen Marlena (Charlotte Riley), no longer maintains that peace and prosperity after being taken over by Skeletor (Jared Leto), his sidekick Evil-Lyn (Alison Brie) and a number of other evil minions. This loss after being defeated by a cyborg and weapons expert of Skeletor, Trap Jaw (Sam C Wilson) had also left the commander-in-chief of the army of Eterna, Man-At-Arms a.k.a. Duncan (Idris Elba) to severe depression and alcoholism, much to the dismay of his daughter Teela. After training so many people of the planet to defend the evil forces, he along with many others had fallen into disarray after Skeletor took over and unleashed chaos.

And what more can happen in this world of chaos and destruction unleashed by forces of evil? :: It was the Sorceress (Morena Baccarin) who sent Adam to Earth to save him and the sword from Skeletor, and as it was the original home planet of the queen a long distance away from Eternia, safety was guaranteed, but as a child, he had lost the sword only to be found now, triggering alarms all around the universe. Adam and Teela manage to outrun the Beast Man and escape in their spaceship in front of shocked humans who could do nothing but stare. Back home, the resistance forces against Skeletor who are not imprisoned by Teela leaving her defence outpost and bringing a strange man with the sword, imprisons her and Adam along with an alcoholic Duncan and a former combat robot reprogrammed as a cleaning robot, Roboto (Kristen Wiig). But they escape with the help of the robot and keeps the sword with them while the defenders of the resistance are either killed or captured by Skeletor’s forces. As they try to escape them and come face to face against Trap Jaw, it seems to be the end for them, but can they find a way to defeat him and his shooters against all odds?

The defence of Masters of the Universe :: The movie has some stunning visuals with the setting in a beautiful planet. The world is too good with the fantasy model buildings and the environment which makes it feel like a colourful paradise. Nicholas Galitzine makes a fine impact as the protagonist, while Idris Elba brings the fun. But the best impact is made by Camila Mendes as Teela, who remains a stunner in those action sequences with her movement and style, as the only one true character who is a born-fighter continuing to be so at all times. Jared Leto as Skeletor is a villain to remember, and gets the screen-time he missed as the Joker in Suicide Squad. Morena Baccarin who gets back after The Wrecking Crew gets less screen time even as such a significant character. Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn works nicely too as one never sees any evil this cute and strong in magic. The humour in the movie also remains so much fun, and the elements taken from cartoon are nicely placed here without too much darkness ever coming into picture. Adora a.k.a. She-Ra played by Lauren Saliu shown during mid-credits also keeps us interested as the one scene itself seems to bring lot of hope for a possible sequel about which we are still not that sure.

Positives and negatives :: This is a feeling of nostalgia, and as we had the cartoon of the same name running in Malayalam in this part of the world, there is no other superhero who had this much of an influence on us as children. We had to return home early from school and then we would successfully watch this one. In the case of the movie, people might find that this is a little bit too cartoonish and as more for the children, but those would be the people who forgot how they grew up watching this, and if Avengers, Justice League and team could be taken as full action, this could be too. The supporting characters here could have had some more time, while cutting some time from the moments spent on Earth. The final fight is lovely to watch, even though the moments back on Earth coming in between do not impress much. The quality of the computer-generated imagery losses some quality at times, but remains stable and stylish for most of the time. Use of more magic could have made the world look more charming, and even more shown as part of an exploration like in Avatar, as the design here never far behind.

How it finishes :: The lack of some seriousness might be the reason why it had the same effect as John Carter at the box-office, but one cannot forget the fact that it was one fine movie, and one of the best of that year. We can blame the strange movie-watching habits of the biggest markets of the movie which did not even make Pacific Rim a super-hit, but Asia serves that title well. All these movies surely did well in this part of the world, and one keeps wondering if a better trailer could have meant better result for the movie at the box-office. I would surely love to see its sequel with the lady superhero, but one has to wonder if the same would happen when the total collection is considered. But this is sure to do well on Amazon Prime Video, and that should also mean something to everyone. For now, this is a charming adventure and entertainer which does not have a dull moment once the scenes shift to the far away planet. The beautiful spectacle of a world with a classic adventure with battles to remember is not something that we can always see with this much charm. People can find cartoon-faults, but I find this to be something I should have watched on the big screen with all of its big screen splendour.

Release date: 5 June 2026
Running time: 140 minutes
Directed by: Travis Knight
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Alison Brie, James Purefoy, Morena Baccarin, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Kristen Wiig, Jared Leto, Idris Elba

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Bhootnii

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Vampire Owl: Bollywood continues to have its ghosts, I see.

Vampire Bat: There are rarely the kind of ghosts that we accept among us.

Vampire Owl: Yet, even in human world, ghosts are real.

Vampire Bat: Let their ghosts be theirs and ours be as we need.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein once researched on a new ghost realm.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein can research on nothing that really exists.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein can do anything when provided the scientific equipment.

Vampire Bat: The only thing he can get is a ban from Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Owl: Scientists like him will rise again with new paranormal inventions.

Vampire Bat: Pseudo-scientists who claim to create life from lightning are not included.

[Gets a set of idli and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the campus of St. Vincent College, there is a particular strange tree known as the “Virgin Tree,” which is believed to grant true love to everyone who prays under it on a Valentine’s Day. But on the day of Holika Dahan, a student mysteriously dies, and people say that it is claimed by an evil spirit and that the tree as well as the area around it remains haunted. Shantanu (Sunny Singh) who is heartbroken after a recent breakup, creates a mess around the Virgin Tree, asking for true love while threatening to give up his life. He does not know if there was a result to his prayers, but the truth is that his earnest plea awakens Mohabbat (Mouni Roy), a vengeful and obsessive spirit bound to the tree. As Mohabbat’s obsession grows, she begins to haunt anyone who has a chance of coming between her and Shantanu, as she takes a human form in front of him, making him fall for her. Sahil (Sahil Arora) and Nasir (Aasif Khan) are his two best friends who are surprised that he is having a new girlfriend all of a sudden.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Shantanu’s longtime friend Ananya (Palak Tiwari) comes back to the campus after a programme and tries to help him get better after the earlier heartbreak, but quickly becomes a target for the spirit who understands that she has always been in love with him despite never accepting the same. As strange things continue to happen in the campus, and a few days after protests erupting in relation to a student’s suicide, the management is forced to find a solution, and they call a former student who has been dealing with similar problems all around India, a para-physicist Krishna Tripathi known only by the name Baba (Sanjay Dutt). He reaches the campus, and while seeing the protests against the tree, understands that the problem is not with the tree doing anything, but with some evil presence tied to the tree wandering around on campus. As the spirit begins to set an example with Ananya whom it captures with its never-ending vines, can she and other students be saved in time by Baba?

The defence of The Bhootnii :: The movie has some good humour all around, and the same works above most of the other horror comedy works with only a few exceptions in Bollywood that manage to raise the level. The performers also seem to be good with the humour and the leading ladies also with the romantic side added to the comic side. Sanjay Dutt remains a towering figure of the same, as he is the one name among the cast which we who watch only the big movies of Bollywood can recognize with ease. As Mouni Roy plays that demonic presence with conviction and Palak Tiwari becomes the cutest romantic interest around, we feel the danger and the need to do something soon for the characters, as scares take over from the humour. The setting of the college is really good, and the atmosphere has been nicely built around here. Except for the tree, the institution looks lovely as much as lively. There is a certain amount of Gothic-like beauty in here which makes one feel both the horror and romance suitable for this particular world. Then, the final moments leading to the end is nice with a twist which leaves us with a fine feeling.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not keep away from being silly, and this particular silliness would keep the audience wonder if it is going the wrong way. There are moments when we feel that this is not going to end well, and some of the jokes get nowhere. Despite setting the horror, humour and romance mood well in the beginning, there is a struggle right after the first dance song, and then the situation gets better only when Sanjay Dutt faces the ghost for the first time and leads an escape – there is quite some time in there between the beginning and this, which is one-fourth of this, when things seem to be less interesting. Some of the special effects could have also used some more attention. The “true love” idea does not work at all, as we keep feeling that the same is far-fetched element in this one. The idea of love being misunderstood as friendship is also a little bit too old for this age. Considering the loss of pace in between, it is only safe to say that the movie could have indeed been a shorter one.

The performers of the soul :: Sanjay Dutt as Baba is the character who has to save everyone, and he plays the strong slayer of ghosts well, and reminds us of those whom we have been seeing in Hollywood, but this time with an emotional twist. There is no problem with him playing this particular character, as it suits his looks and the efforts here are surely working. Sunny Singh as Shantanu remains stable in a role where he has to be the campus lover affected by a ghost, and that also works well for him. Mouni Roy does a fine job as the spirit, and she manages to show the multiple sides of the ghostly presence with beauty, charm, terror and even a little amount of humour, as there is that stunning appearance that makes an impression every few minutes after the first introduction. This is the first movie I am seeing her around in a big role, and this is a memorable one indeed. I am also seeing Palak Tiwari for the first time in a movie, and she scores with a certain amount of cuteness and humour added with romance or even when facing the horror. One has to say that she suits well for this role, and she is indeed an actress who deserves more big roles as most of the other Bollywood actresses would overdo this one, but she maintains grace.

How it finishes :: While watching the movie, I could not stop wondering if this could be a sequel to Adi Kapyare Kootamani, a Malayalam movie with so much humour and a little bit of horror coming up in the final few moments, and there is no shortage of trees and search for true love there either. But we know that such a sequel could be a lot better with the fine ending maintained there. Back to this one, it works more as the comedy and less as the horror flick, something which we have seen throughout the Bollywood attempts at the same, from Stree, Munjya, Thamma and even those sequels of Bhool Bhulaiyya which might have lost the focus. Some of the horror elements of these movies were also unintentional horror in one way or the other. As far as our movie here is concerned, it is that horror comedy with romance that tries better than other movies of the same genre which do not have a franchise to go with it. With some stunning visuals and classic moments of humour established through one-liners and somewhat good scares, this one catches our attention despite somewhat losing its way in between.

Release date: 1 May 2025
Running time: 130 minutes
Directed by: Sidhaant Sachdev
Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Singh, Mouni Roy, Palak Tiwari, Aasif Khan, Sahil Arora, Meherzan Mazda

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

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pumpkinhead

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Vampire Owl: I would accept this one as part of the vampire team.

Vampire Bat: There can never be a pumpkinhead vampire.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had once created a creature out of a pumpkin.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein can create only be a creature and can create none.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein can only be a creature of supreme intelligence.

Vampire Bat: Do not transform him into an alien now.

Vampire Owl: He is not of this realm, and therefore he is an alien, the smartest among them.

Vampire Bat: He is not worthy enough for any designation.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about the greatest scientist of twelve realms.

Vampire Bat: He is the one pseudo-scientist that I would avoid.

[Gets a masala bonda and three cups of kadak tea].

What is the movie about? :: A thirteen-year-old boy named Sam (Bean Reid) who was forced to leave his friends and relocate from New York City to a small village with a seemingly perfect and peaceful farming community called Redhaven with his family. The story of the village points to Palmer (Kevin McNulty), who is known as a generous, friendly old farmer who is the descendant of those agriculturists who saved the town by creating agricultural success out of nowhere at a time when everything was failing in the land and crops were dying. The people of the village have been spreading the word that it was achieved through hard work and advanced farming techniques and the villagers celebrate the same through a harvest festival. During this festival, Redhaven’s unmatched prosperity in compared to the area around them continues to be celebrated as the award-winning crops which are sold in bulk and at high prices throughout the neighbouring villages are remembered in Palmer’s lands. But Palmer keeps people away from his farmhouse, which he keeps away from the village folk, but everyone surrounds the area around the farm where he has kept the celebrations alive.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Angry about his move to the strange place which seems to have nothing for him, and chased away from the farmhouse by Palmer while looking at a strange pumpkin, Sam decides to steal a massive pumpkin from the farmer’s restricted area just to make the man feel bad about it. The police begin to start searching about the same as a case was registered, and the farmer who was held at high regard by the village gets all the condolences. Sam’s elder brother Finn (Seth Isaac Johnson) finds out about the same, and with hope for the best about the family’s relationship with the village where they have to spend rest of their lives decides to return in back at that night itself, even though Sam remains unhappy about the people of the village and its lack of facilities compared to every place he had stayed before. But Finn who reaches the farmhouse is attacked by some unknown force, and some vines which capture him, take him right into the sand.

And what more is to follow here as things seem to show tendency to get further complicated? :: The next morning, as he cannot find his elder brother anywhere, Sam keeps searching for Finn, but is not able to find him. As he keeps searching for him, he remembers that he was going to Palmer’s house to return the pumpkin, and with his only friend from the area which he had just found, Becka (Adeline Lo), he goes on searching, only to be thrown out of the farmhouse by Palmer. As he tells his mother Cassie (Kendra Anderson) about his elder brother going missing, but he discovers that she does not remember Finn and according to her, such a person never really existed in their memory even as an acquaintance. He brings photos of them together, but she does not see her elder son and asserts than Sam is her only child and they came to the village as a group of two in their car. Becka tells him that children have gone missing from the village before, and none of the adults seem to remember them. She tells him not to waste time with adults of the village anymore, and only an outcast named Rusty (Matty Finochio) might be able to save them. At the same time, the scarecrow in the field seems to look at them. Can they find the secret behind the missing children soon enough or will more of them go missing?

The defence of R L Stine’s Pumpkinhead :: The movie’s biggest point is the scarecrow monster itself, which brings effective scares. The creature’s unnatural and unsettling movements create genuinely unsettling visual scares, and rises a long way above CGI using an actor. The idea of children being erased from the memory and even proof of their existence disappearing makes a scary point here further away from the usual horror. Despite the scares, this one remains a horror which stays within its borders, making it watchable for everyone, and still does enough justice to the genre. The presence of ancient evil makes sure that a high level of danger is always there to unleash chaos into unsuspecting people. The kids do a great job, and the pairing of the leading children works effectively, and the final villain reveal also blends in well. The visuals are nothing less than stunning, as the autumn imagery and the small-town harvest festivals with pumpkins, all with that orange shades provide a stunning look here, and in this case, even the night view has a certain charm as much as the horror that stays. The climax twist feels classic and should inspire a sequel.

The claws of flaw :: This is that kind of a movie which we had not heard about until it was released on Amazon Prime Video, and when something goes unnoticed by the horror enthusiasts, that feels strange. Some of the acting in the beginning does feel like a struggle, especially with the first few moments never really bringing much of an interest. The weak beginning might decrease the number of people who watch movie to its more interesting parts. The main character if written better, would have helped the process in those early stages, and the protagonist being a little more likeable would have surely served the purpose better. The people who look for strong and extremely terrifying moments will be disappointed, as the movie never really goes for something huge. One would also feel if something other than the scarecrow and some vines within a farmhouse could have been added to extend the strength of horror, as the idea of an ancient evil rooted on Earth and nature would have endless possibilities. The supporting characters are not given enough according to the situation either, and our hope to see the pure evil unleashing itself is lost.

How it finishes :: R L Stine’s Pumpkinhead stays different from other horror movies as a work on screen which can be watched by the whole family, never really taking it to the next level – it can be a good thing of something bad, as it limits the movie, but keeps it accessible to everyone. The scares are still effective enough, and staying within a drawn line of control, it can still call for all kinds of audience. Its power as a highly effective, atmospheric gateway horror movie cannot be questioned at all. It balances the spooky nostalgia of 90s horror with modern style, making it a perfect entry point for younger audiences who are looking for horror entry while remaining entertaining enough also for those usual horror fans. It can also be said that the horror here is not just physical, but psychological as the memory of a loved one disappearing also adds on here. The feeling is more or less like folk-horror as centuries-old ancient horror comes out of nowhere with unsuspecting people playing along with the evil plans. Now we will see what can come in this franchise if there is a sequel – there should be more evil to unleash here.

Release date: 17th October 2025
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Jem Garrard
Starring: Bean Reid, Seth Isaac Johnson, Adeline Lo, Kevin McNulty, Bob Frazer, Matty Finochio, Troy James

<<< 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.

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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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vash 2

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Vampire Owl: This would feel like a strange way to watch a sequel.

Vampire Bat: We are watching the second part of a Gujarati film which we watched in Hindi.

Vampire Owl: It would not have been too strange if the story was not somewhat changed.

Vampire Bat: Well, it seems that Bollywood takes liberties with everything except Drishyam.

Vampire Owl: Bollywood should have wanted the same in that case too, but not allowed.

Vampire Bat: Bollywood just takes out of the best out of its essence multiple times.

Vampire Owl: Thanks to the OTTs, we still have other choices.

Vampire Bat: The choices that we make never really matter.

Vampire Owl: It matters for us.

Vampire Bat: Just what matters for immortal matters.

[Gets a pina colada and three cups of sweet tea].

What is the movie about? :: Atharva (Hitu Kanodia) has gone past the terrifying incidents which he had to face under the influence of a man practicing black magic, but the feeling never really leaves him as his daughter Aarya (Janki Bodiwala) still remains under a dark influence – even after twelve years, goes on with her life with a smile on her face, as she grows up and her body changes, but nothing else does. As she does nothing else than that particular smile, this would be more or less like a paralysis. It keeps reminding him of that supernatural grip which remains even after he had imprisoned and tortured the man responsible for her state. He hopes for a better situation and continues to care for her, but knows that future is bleak. It is during the same time that ten schoolgirls jump from the top of a school together, despite the pleas of the headmistress, teachers and security, telling them that an uncle told them to do so, and they have no option but to obey his orders without questioning.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This leaves the headmistress Rashmika (Monal Gajjar) scarred, while parents of all students including the remaining ones as well as the police storm into the school compound while it becomes nation-wide news. But very soon, more chaos unleashes as the girls ask for one man to be found, and warns that there would be some bigger terror to be unleashed. Soon, several other girls who had food in the same canteen behave violently and manages to break out of the school campus, attacking strangers including children, destroying property, and setting vehicles and buildings on fire. Stopping the girls seem to bring more trouble as they keep attacking everyone and also themselves if restricted. Some of the parents manage to come in and try to take their children home, but the girls are not ready to leave with them, and ask for the particular man to be found before next wave of evil is unleashed. The police have no clue about what is happening, as things seem to be outside their payroll, and some of them also gets injured in the process.

And what more is to follow here as evil keeps finding its way of nowhere? :: Atharva who finds out about the situation from news, gets to the school, and declares him to be the one who has the man whom they search and can solve this particular problem. These strange incidents are revealed to be the result of certain mind control charm orchestrated by Rajnath (Hiten Kumar), the younger brother of the black magician whom Atharva had captured. Unlike his imprisoned brother, Rajnath is more after control and seeks to establish his own power through chaos that nobody can ever imagine. He considers his brother to be better than him, as he lacks one special spell which could lead to his way towards world domination. He seeks to find his brother and learn it from him, making him complete. Atharva finds the man in the canteen, as he had hidden himself before pretending to be a worried parent of one of the girls and coming straight to view. Now, the question remains if Atharva can end this evil once and all, and whether his own daughter can finally get better.

The defence of Vash Level 2 :: This is one movie that gains momentum early itself, and that scene of jumping from the top of school is further complemented by similar scenes, as this one feels more zombie-like, and with the realization that evil never ends even if goodness has a limit. The performances of Hitu Kanodia and Hiten Kumar are very much convincing, and we can see that they never really try to overdo this either, as the work is stable and even in a fantasy situation, there are enough realistic moments to keep a balance. The clash between morality and selfishness can also be seen in between. If you have enjoyed Stree, Munjya, Thamma and other folk-tale horror, you would want to keep the eyes for the full-horror experience here, as the local mode of fear also has its say in a world of The Conjuring and its unlimited membership camapign in horror. After all, black magic and witchcraft go a long way back here too, and there has been more terrifying tales ready to inspire horror-makers as long as one would feel the need for the same.

Positives and negatives :: The movie can be considered to be moving smoothly towards that classic ending, and it also leaves the viewers with the relief that evil has been nicely vanquished, and even without that grand a spectacle, there is a fine resolution that we are going to remember. There is no loss of strength for this movie in between either, and the pace is maintained well. Janki Bodiwala is restricted to a nothing role, and that is depressing because she was the strongest point of the franchise, and most people would have the same opinion about her work. Her place on the posters would make one feel like she would have a big role to play, but that never really happens here. If a comparison to the earlier movie is made, I would have to say that this one does not manage to come up with that much of a strength. The movie could have had that knock-out experience which could make it the sequel that thrives on the first; maybe the Bollywood version would have too much of it, but we would have to wait for the same. After all, mind control has no limits.

How it finishes :: Most of us have only watched the Bollywood version, Shaitaan, which was not this much dark in comparison, and we are quickly made to realize that the proceedings and ending of that particular movie was different from the Gujarati original. The movie beginning without that Bollywood overdose of things itself is a reminder of the same – we all remember how Drishyam’s Hindi versions whether original or sequel could not survive without some extra unnecessary additions or changes here and there, even though they were small and not relevant. Well, this movie had gained its power right at the beginning itself, and its remake would also have the same, as there would be a number of changes that need to be there with the Hindi edition, whenever it comes. With that movie’s ending, one can be sure that Janki Bodiwala will get a better role to play around there as the main characters had a rather positive finish with the Bollywood trying to keep its world as usual and appealing to its common audience. This movie is a fine sequel, and leaves us with hope about it too.

Release date: 27th August 2025
Running time: 103 minutes
Directed by: Krishnadev Tagnik
Starring: Janki Bodiwala, Hitu Kanodia, Hiten Kumar, Monal Gajjar

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Dheeram

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What is the movie about? :: Assistant Commissioner of Police Stalin Joseph IPS (Indrajith Sukumaran) has built a fine reputation as a police officer who could solve even the most difficult cases. This makes the Police Commissioner, Rama Das IPS (Renji Panicker) assign a clueless case to him, especially as it involves the murder of the son of Inspector General of Police at the parking lot of a night club. This victim named John Kurian (Maahin Krishna) was brutally stabbed to death in front of his newly found girlfriend Fidha Fathima (Ashika Ashokan), who reluctantly agree to be the eye witness to the crime while being held back due to the fact that she is engaged to someone else, with a wedding set to happen soon. Circle Inspector Jose Thomas (Nishanth Sagar) and Sub Inspector Diya Prabhakar (Divya Pillai) also join the team of Stalin, but the situation feels too complex with Fidha not able to provide any extra relevant information. But a woman named Radhika S Nair (Avanthika Mohan) who runs a nearby café is known to have problems with John, but she reminds them that the case was withdrawn after he made payment for the destruction he caused in the café.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Radhika reminds the police officers that there was a friend of John who had a fight with him in her café on the same day. The police track him and find his name as Kiran Sivadasan (Mahesh Nair), who is part of a family which has NRI connections. But they soon find him hung on a tree, dead by midnight. They try to find any clue, and can find only a vehicle which had passed through the area – they feel like it is a significant finding. But the vehicle they tracked is found as owned by Kiran’s sister Keerthy Sivadasan (Sandhya Nair), but she had just returned from the United Kingdom after her brother’s death. It feels like a dead end, and they feel that the two friends were murdered by someone who had a problem with their ways of life. The notes about murders which were identified around there also means nothing to the investigation. A local reporter Sradha Das (Reba Monica John) is also after the murders with her own investigation trying to make a name.

And what more is to follow here as deaths keep happening with a murderer on the loose? :: Stalin has further problems with his stepbrother George Joseph (Sagar Surya), as he has not been doing anything substantial after the death of their father. The police soon find another dead body in the nearby river, and it is Deepak Dinakaran (Sajal Sudarshan), son of the local MLA who has significant hold on the ruling party and is close to the Home Minister of the State. He was earlier chased by the police for possession of drugs, and the MLA is angry that no breakthrough was made in the case. There is a note found related to this murder too, and this is proven as a clear case of serial killings. They are able to link all of these incidents to a school where all these victims had studied together, where a particular incident had happened and came on news. This make them feel that the next victim could be Althaaf Hussain (Deepak Manohar) who was part of their gang, but they do not realize that there are more twists to follow, and he might not be the next target. Can this puzzle be solved before more murders occur?

The defence of Dheeram :: This is a solid investigative thriller premise with nicely interconnected plot points that keep it interesting from the initial stages to the end. The mood of the movie could be nicely established, and we see that there is the dark thriller mood initiated early enough. From the beginning to the end, there is suspense maintained, and there are twists to make the audience ponder over the same, and with some nicely placed red herrings in between, there are not many easy twists for the audience to get it right. The movie feels technically sound right from the beginning; there seems like a certain amount of quality on what we see – the visual tone supports the overall theme of the movie which do not have much for redemption in a world of chaos which reflects the reality of humanity. The background score supports the movie really well, and the music remains effective, as we are transported to that world not just visually, but with what we hear, and the world remains what it really is, affected by human evil, and when it comes from the past and still exists, hope is surely not a thing with feathers or wings. For the same, there is zero humour in this dark, chaotic self.

Positives and negatives :: With performances to remember, the movie gets its own addons to the positives. Reba has always deserved more from the Malayalam movie industry, and Nishanth Sagar after his returning roles makes us feel that he would need more screen space every time. There is a message about parenting and the emotional connection is active. The way in which connections are made and how it all comes to an end with some classic dialogues in the end needs mention too. The movie focus is also completely on the case, and there are no deviations, certainly no subplots which had the tendency to drop in; no silly romance here too, as we see a film which never tries to move out of a set path. The excessive violence in the end felt unnecessary, as the flashback was already talked about and the movie was already coming to an end, and violence over violence was never going to add anything to the already established mood. Maybe the idea was to justify the murders committed by the killers, making the viewers feel that the victims deserved their fate more than hundred percent, but that was already established for most of the audience – for bringing pure evil right out of burning hell, this is not a fantasy horror slasher movie from any angle. For now, we can fast forward something on Amazon Prime Video.

The performers of the soul :: Indrajith Sukumaran manages a different level as a police officer, and this divergence was clearly visible in Angels, another movie with its own serial killer, whose identity is revealed in a different way, and with some fine twist that comes out of nowhere in the end. He plays that kind of a police officer who never really deviates from his path, and that determination along with the need to do what is right, is reflected well, and with his moments by the ending, we are left intellectually satisfied. Divya Pillai makes a fine police officer, like we had seen with Anju Kurian in Others – Divya’s support role works really well, and so does Nishanth Sagar’s police avatar. The three police characters feel different in essence, and thus seems to complete the team well – then there is Renji Panicker in a usual role without any trouble. Meanwhile, Reba Monica John is brilliant in her avatar that goes beyond a timeline, and this would be her performance to remember in Malayalam cinema. Varalaxmi Sarathkumar comes is all of a sudden, and scores well, while Sagar Surya and Avanthika Mohan’s work remains notable, and Aju Varghese has a good serious role.

How it finishes :: We have had so many investigation thrillers with serial killers on the loose, and this one has a fine place among them – from Memories to Anjaam Pathiraa, Forensic, Kooman, John Luther, Abraham Ozler and others, we have had some of the most memorable movies with less hype. But with our movie here, we should have had more hype, and more screens for sure. With some reduction of violence, especially in the final moments, it could have easily achieved the same, and the shows could have had more audience. Even now, it can boast of a fine place among its kind. If it had released some years earlier, I would not have waited for its release on Amazon Prime Video; the serial killer investigation movies are the kind of works which we never really miss at the theatres. But as the reviews at Movies of the Soul never really get shared by the celebrities or official pages of movies, the idea of early theatre reviews was lost for us. As we understand that movies have paid reviews going for them, we can only keep watching movies on the OTT platforms, most of which are available with a simple mobile recharge and Amazon delivery.

Release date: 5th December 2025
Running time: 149 minutes
Directed by: Jithin Suresh T
Starring: Indrajith Sukumaran, Divya Pillai, Reba Monica John, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Nishanth Sagar, Aju Varghese, Renji Panicker, Sagar Surya, Avanthika Mohan, Dinesh Panickar, Sreejith Ravi, Sabitta George, Sundarapandiayan, Devi Ajith, Sojan Angel Varghese

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Salem’s Lot

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Vampire Owl: I remember this as America’s answer to Dracula.

Vampire Bat: Do you think that Uncle Dracula would ever want to visit the United States?

Vampire Owl: Some parts of the nation are suitable for him.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about New Orleans where he won’t be an alien.

Vampire Owl: Uncle Dracula would need more than just one town or city.

Vampire Bat: You think that he still wishes to spread the undead curse?

Vampire Owl: I have read that it was the dream of the vampire elders.

Vampire Bat: Well, the vampire elders, even for a vampire lifespan, were too old to be alive.

Vampire Owl: They were still in their senses, even though tortured by light.

Vampire Bat: They are only that much in their sense as Dr Frankenstein during a science exhibition.

[Gets an egg puffs and three cups of tea with boost].

What is the movie about? :: In the 1975, a strange man from Europe opens an antique store in the town of Jerusalem’s Lot and starts residing in the long-abandoned Marsten House, which has a history of murders. It is then that Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) has returned to this hometown after a very long time, this time as a writer. He falls in love with Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh), who also wishes to leave the town one day. The place seems to be a peaceful little town where almost nothing happens, and there is almost nothing of interest. But the new entrant from Europe has a huge coffin in there, and something sinister seems to be lurking in the shadows of the night. There are boys who go missing, and as no clue is found, the locals begin to be suspicious about Ben who had only recently arrived and after which these missing cases started. The police is unable to find any clue about the particular missing.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: After the disappearance of the boy named Ralph Glick (Cade Woodward), his brother Danny Glick (Nicholas Crovetti) is also attacked, and after spending some time in the hospital, the boy dies, and is soon buried. Mike Ryerson (Spencer Treat Clark), gravedigger who buried the boy is soon attacked by the undead version of him and gets sick. It is Matthew Burke (Bill Camp) who first notices and identifies the signs of vampirism in the gravedigger and is able to connect the same to recent disappearances, illnesses and corpses. But things are worse than he could imagine as this is not a case of a random vampire attacking a few people in the town. Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward) is an ancient vampire whose origins go a long way back, and is a source of pure evil. He would stop at nothing as the intention is to turn the whole town into a vampire colony and spread the undead curse even further. Can anyone even come close to stopping him?

The defence of Salem’s Lot :: The movie takes us to the 1970s feeling, and we see that again, and most of us who were not alive during the time can only know them through movies – this one seems to show that nicely, and place the vampire curse right in between. Finding the vampires around would be more chilling at that time as it is displayed in the movie, because there is no friendly neighbourhood vampirism as it has been popularized now. The movie maintains that original essence, and has vampires as the true evil creatures of the night, all prepared for some nocturnal hunting of humans. The setting is really well-constructed and the world suits works with perfection. The vampire attacks are shown with all the required intensity and the fear elements get good dose as the movie demanded. With the old style vampires with the long-established weakness and fear generation, the nostalgia returns like it has wings.

The claws of flaw :: The movie struggles to rise from the tag of just another old-style vampire movie which offers nothing new, and do not even make the book feel better with its content. There is the feeling of lack of depth at times, and the movie struggles to maintain pace. The length of the movie does not seem to justify itself and we see a lot of lagging in between. The struggle feels real, but it should not have been the case with a film which has the base material set from a long time ago – the whole things should have been as safe as adapting Dracula and adding so many new things to it, and still having the vampire world to work like a dream. Some characters do not really develop and we do not feel for them, even when they are dead. The emotional strength feels to be lacking, and the establishment of pillars of the movie might have been the problem as they threaten to fall. The mystery could have been deeper and it is to be noted that the new world would never cease to be terrifying even without vampires, as there are already existing monsters.

The performers of the soul :: The cast nicely blends into the 1970s setting and their work and appearance give us the best feeling of the time period. The blending into that world and characters work like a dream. The journey is led well by Lewis Pullman, who plays the protagonist who comes across the least possible evil and has to react quick enough to survive. Bill Camp is solid in a role which could be this movie’s Van Helsing, even though he does not survive that long with the undead curse spreading faster than that of Dracula. Makenzie Leigh seems to be the one person best suitable for the age with the work, and the character holds on so well. Alfre Woodard also keeps the anti-vampire battle going on well. John Benjamin Hickey could have had even bigger role to play when we see how things have been going. And then, the master vampire works really well, reminding one of Nosferatu.

How it finishes :: Salem’s Lot could have improved on the content of the book, but here it seems like just trying to use the available content and do nothing much to add to the same. There were lots of opportunities to bring a classic touch or visualize better, but the same are not taken by the movie. But the horror arrives well, and we are ready to accept the same. After all, horror is the one true feeling that everyone experiences and believes in, unlike the movies with college romance which is more myth for people who do not experience them. As part of the one true genre of horror, the movie has managed well. We are not supposed to expect more than what meets the eye as a usual thing though. This journey is indeed in the right direction to bring more horror to the scene, and take us back to the original vampire world – not that of the blood-drinking entities that glitter and live in the house on the other side of the street.

Release date: 3rd October 2024
Running time: 113 minutes
Directed by: Gary Dauberman
Starring: Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Bill Camp, Jordan Preston Carter, Nicholas Crovetti, Spencer Treat Clark, William Sadler, Pilou Asbæk

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Neverland Nightmare

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Vampire Owl: Do you know this guy named Peter Pan?

Vampire Bat: Yes, he was chosen to be a vampire but was just not good enough.

Vampire Owl: So, he is a dropout from the vampire academy.

Vampire Bat: He never really tried. He just pretended.

Vampire Owl: I do not see why such characters need to be vampires.

Vampire Bat: There are more undeserving vampires in our realm.

Vampire Owl: Well, death is only the beginning of character detailing.

Vampire Bat: Yes, I have seen vampires developing characters different from their previous existence. They were never exactly the same.

Vampire Owl: Death hunts and separates characters, I see.

Vampire Bat: So does the purgatory as we know it.

[Gets a Milky Bar and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Peter Pan (Martin Portlock) who has been working at a fantasy-themed circus performing a mime for children, is seen abducting children, and even murdering their parents or friends who get in their way. After many years post the abductions by Peter, Mary Darling (Teresa Banham) is a single mother who lives with her children Wendy Darling (Megan Placito), John Darling (Campbell Wallace) and Michael Darling (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) who are all going through a complex family situation. On Michael’s birthday, Wendy promises to pick him up from school and go to a cafe, but gets distracted while talking to her boyfriend who visits her after a long time, and does not notice that Michael leaves home on his bicycle. As he has to go through a road with woods on both sides, he is chased by Peter in a van, and after causing an accident, abducts the boy and takes him to his lair. Wendy feels that the boy is still in the school, and keeps searching for him, but meets with no clues.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The search gets more frantic with a phone call as Peter calls and informs them that he will take Michael to a place known as “Neverland” which will serve children the best. The next day, Peter attacks and slaughters a school bus full of children including the adults who accompanied them. Wendy’s best friend Tiger Lily (Olumide Olorunfemi) offers her help and asks her to stay with them, but Peter also attacks the house looking for another school kid, who is taken captive. A transwoman with the name Tinker Bell (Kit Green) who is convinced that the children Peter kills are actually going to the fictional land of Neverland is revealed to be Peter’s partner in crime. Wendy who follows Peter to his hideout finds a locked James Hook (Charity Kase) who has a hook instead of one of his hands. Now, Wendy finds herself in trouble, as things seem to go out of hand, and Peter Pan is more than just a common human being.

The defence of Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare :: The dark twists never cease to keep us interested, as the world reminds of the terrifying reality that could hide behind every text, especially when they seem sweet and suitable for kids – the children who grow with inherent evil would still take it to hearts and then there is the pure evil which is unleashed as an adult. The change to Neverland into a nightmare world with dead children, corrupted fairies and horror-styled locations possibly housing a psycho killer makes this that kind of a situation where the original tales would stay away from. The slasher elements work strongly here, more than the usual scares, as this is that gory affairs which brings fear in another way. The new wave of horror films based on the public-domain characters which followed, would have a lot more as it seems here, and the sequel would also unleash unmatched terror if things are to go as we expect. The evil here feels very much of a pure dark side, and that works.

The claws of flaw :: There is a certain amount of weakness that the movie brings on itself, as there seems to be a lag even in a short movie like this one. Some of the trouble might be because of the lower budget as CGI never really goes for the extra. The usual elements of the classic slasher horror also go missing, as this one is rather too much on the safe side – trying to be too safe and by listening to everyone, the essence of a work is often lost, and that might be what is reflected here. The movie keeps focusing on the kills, but never really tries to make the same interesting, and even the biggest moment of the movie that includes a bus kill does not have the strength even when it is talked about, leaving it to the side as if the deaths are not shocking or even worth talking about. As there are so many things unexplained, the sequel is needed immediately, or there will be that emptiness that haunts the movie here. The characters are also lost in the gore at times. Then there is the predictability which very much there.

The performers of the soul :: Megan Placito comes up with an admirable scream queen and slasher expert performance, even though that kind of a classic horror feeling is not really there – she does not get that many opportunities to go diverse, but manages what is with her with ease. She should make it to more horror movies, and not just slasher, but also action horror. There is also an emotional side to her performance which we will note. Martin Portlock’s antagonist is strong, but required more explanations and better layered character, as we do not really get into the soul of the same. He surely seems to have the main requirement filled, but one would have to wonder if that was all that was needed. Peter DeSouza-Feighoney playing the child does his job well and Hardy Yusuf who plays the other relevant kids is okay too. Kit Green manages the avatar well too. Olumide Olorunfemi and Campbell Wallace should have been around for a longer time and should have contributed more to the situation, but just manages with what they have here.

How it finishes :: Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare is that kind of movie which could have done better, but instead just goes through what seems to be a normal routine. When turning childhood memories to nightmares, other movies of the same kind scored rather better without doubt. This one, despite having such a terrifying idea, struggles for some reason. It never reaches its potential, as limitations seems to be randomly created here. If you have watched Bambi: The Reckoning, you will know that the chance for going full horror was surely there. Maybe the sequel could bring much more, as there is more that could be revealed with a terrifying touch. Still, the horror stays strong enough, and as children have that inherent evil in them, they have lived through these characters who have also grown up to present the same evil to the society. These stories turned horror feels like that Lord of the Flies kind of treatment given by children on islands without civilization to control them – these will surely bring more evil as there is no world that cannot descend into chaos as long as children are in control; Willia Golding knew the same.

Release date: 24th February 2025
Running time: 89 minutes
Directed by: Scott Chambers
Starring: Megan Placito, Martin Portlock, Kit Green, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney, Teresa Banham, Olumide Olorunfem,i Campbell Wallace, Nicholas Woodeson

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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 Witch: Revenge

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Vampire Owl: Is this a witch that we know?

Vampire Bat: We no longer know any witches.

Vampire Owl: But there are many in the north.

Vampire Bat: There are no wars anymore, and they live there in peace without contact.

Vampire Owl: They do not eat child vampires anymore?

Vampire Bat: I feel that they are more afraid of being bitten by child vampires now.

Vampire Owl: So, the treaty among species have weakened them?

Vampire Bat: Yes, by a long way, because we gained territory.

Vampire Owl: I am sure that the zombies or werewolves might be still at war with them.

Vampire Bat: I have heard that they are on war with elves and dwarves over the custody of magical forests which they use for creating their special potions.

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

What is the movie about? :: Olena (Tetiana Malkova) is living a happy life with her fiancé Andriy (Taras Tsymbaliuk) in a small town in Ukraine, but their life meets new struggles as they have to face the Russian Invasion, which quickly reaches their place, and feels the needs to quickly escape into the woods. Olena suggests moving further into the dark forest, as Yevdokiya (Olena Khokhlatkina), her aunty is there to take care of them, and people do not usually go that way. But on the way, they are attacked by a Russian military unit, and Andriy is murdered with their dog injured, and Olena just manages to escape from a sexual assault. They reach the place of her aunt, and she remembers her earlier nightmare about death. Back there, angry, frustrated and in grief, Olena releases another side of her, that of a witch, as she has been an immortal being of magic for a long time, only to renounce the same after falling in love with a man whom she met. She unrobes in front of a mirror to reflect the ancient signs engraved on her and lets the ancient magic run through her naked eternally young body yet again.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Being an immortal guised at a mortal, she lets go of the human side and embraces ancient magic with its darkest elements in search of brutal vengeance. She combines forces from various nodes of power to become something more than the supernatural witch she had ever been. It is then that another girl named Katya (Oleksandra Pankova) gets kidnapped and sexually assaulted by the invading soldiers. Even though they decide to keep her for more abuse by the other soldiers, the effects of the witch force them to leave her in the middle of nowhere. But she is also found by Olena who promises her a chance at having revenge. Katya, who is on a desperate state after that brutal violation will stop at nothing to have her revenge. But the soldiers remain remorseless and looks to punish the locals as much as possible, as they move further into Ukrainian territory. Meanwhile, Olena has transformed into something different, and she seems to resemble something other than humans even though she retained her human form. Can Olena and Katya have their revenge in the most brutal way or will the soldiers somehow escape?

The defence of The Witch: Revenge :: The movie scores the best with its visuals and there is some beauty about even the most evil of acts and the gore with goes with the same. This comes after some of the most colourful and happy moments that a movie can have in the beginning, with the true love feeling running through. On one side, there is that terror of modern warfare in the form of Russian invasion of Ukraine which seems to have no end, and on the other side, there is that mastery of the supernatural, which bring multiple levels of strength to the movie. Those elements of magic and witchcraft are nicely shown, and blood often makes a stylish entry, looking even better in the presence of snow. The atmosphere feels always suitable, and the emotional side also makes an entry at times with confidence. The witch becomes a metaphor for the Ukrainian resistance with ease, as there is the talk about ancient folktales. The mood of folklore is at the best with dark forests, candle-lit interiors and ritual elements while being bold with its true reflection of war-related violence among the weak.

The claws of flaw :: The movie seems to stop trying at times, and keeps moving on the ordinary path when there was so much of a chance for greatness. With the Ukrainian side taken, one would wonder if the feeling of one-sidedness will be omnipresent. There is only one kind of portrayal of the Russian side, and showing the two sides in black and white will not be satisfying at all times, with the grey side definitely missing. Despite the understanding that invasions can keep being brutal, the grey side is expected at some points. Even though the movie is rather short, we feel that there are moments when it stretches from within, and some moments could have just been avoided. We feel that some touch is lost in between, as a venture through the classic revenge in a tale of brutality and chaos. The male protagonist is killed too early and there is no character development regarding him. The villains just seem like the usual antagonists without any variety between them. All women characters other than the protagonist does not seem to rise that much and pales in comparison to her.

The performers of the soul :: The movie is strongly and soulfully led by Tetiana Malkova, who remains at the core, setting the bar high. It has always been easier to portray vampires and zombies than witches these days, and we are lucky enough to have a good one here with a fine performance as the supernatural creature. The romantic side was also strong with her, as it was where her transformation began and went on to the other. The romance feels as much real as the revenge and the feelings behind them are portrayed very well. The next one to catch our attention is Oleksandra Pankova who also leads the way in an act of revenge, and this search to bring deaths to the violators also has the same intensity, even though not that much of witchcraft and sorcery. Taras Tsymbaliuk as Andriy does a good job as the lover and Olena Khokhlatkina as Yevdokiya plays a believable aunty with magical roots. The villains in the form of soldiers does fine even though too restricted in the second half with nothing much to do.

How it finishes :: We have had our movies with the presence of witches, from the action adventure of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters to a more classic kind with The Witch and much twisted versions from Russia like Baba Yaga and Mara that went the divergent way in comparison to what we have been seeing in Hollywood. This is only the second Ukrainian movie on this website after The Rising Hawk which also had its moments, and I would love to expand on this Eastern European movie collection, as some of the finest movies from the Romanian work named The Whistlers to the Serbian film The Balkan Lane are from that side. Still, let us hope that there will be no more wars to become background for future movies, and that there can be imaginary battles or some Nosferatu to replace the same. Until then, we watch this movie, and enjoy it even though not without some small troubles that come here and there. One can find that there is something about this movie, which can also have a sequel, and by that time, there will be no war, but lesser problems running in the background.

Release date: 22nd August 2024
Running time: 100 minutes
Directed by: Andriy Kolesnyk
Starring: Tetiana Malkova, Oleksandra Pankova, Taras Tsimbalyuk, Olena Khokhlatkina, Pavel Vyshniakov, Ivan Sharan

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Tarot

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Vampire Owl: So, vampires can now try these too?

Vampire Bat: Well, vampires are all about beliefs, the myths and legends.

Vampire Owl: We are the demons of humans who come out of their hell.

Vampire Bat: We are surely much more than that when awakened.

Vampire Owl: The question remains about what we are to those humans.

Vampire Bat: Why would you want to know about what they think?

Vampire Owl: I want to know what they feel to be different from what they know, for I shall sacrifice my identity to be better than their thoughts.

Vampire Bat: We will always be what we are, of blood and eternal night.

Vampire Owl: There are no better nocturnal creatures, I know. Ours are classic horror stories of many nights.

Vampire Bat: Go for more of horror then, fellow vampire, stay furious.

[Gets a butterscotch shake and three cups of ginger tea].

What is the movie about? :: A group of friends from the same college, Haley (Harriet Slater), Grant (Adain Bradley), Paxton (Jacob Batalon), Paige (Avantika Vandanapu), Madeline (Humberly González), Lucas (Wolfgang Novogratz) and Elise (Larsen Thompson) rent a mansion in the middle of nowhere to celebrate Elise’s birthday in peace. They have some drinks and try to enjoy their time away from city. Haley and Grant just had a breakup, and to make things feel better, Haley read their fortunes using some very old seemingly hand-painted tarot cards taken from the basement. Elise gets the High Priestess, the first card which seems to be scary enough to feel something sinister; Lucas gets the Hermit; Madeline is attached to the Hanged Man; Paige becomes the Magician; and Paxton finds the Fool. Finally, a reluctant Grant receives the Devil while Haley herself does not find it too surprised as she gets the Death card and remarks that the love will be the death of her. Even though Paxton feels that he saw a shadowy figure outside, things go on without any incident.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As the group returns to campus, they tend to forget about the tarot readings. But on the very next night, Elise feels that there is something in the attic, and there she is attacked by a strange creature, resembling the High Priestess on her tarot card, and after being pushed down the attic, she is killed using ladder. Haley tries to console her grieving friends as they all wish that one of them was with Elise on that night. The very next night, Lucas is terrorized by the Hermit from his tarot card and chased into the restricted area of a nearby train station. He keeps running away from the chasing monster, but ends up being killed by a speeding train. The group gets together and tries to figure it out as two of their friends are already dead. Haley feels that there is some relation between her readings and how her friends died. She talks about the same to her friends. But it seems that they need an expert on this. But what they come to know would not make them any confident about surviving? Can at least some of them remain alive in the end?

The defence of Tarot :: The movie does offer some genuine scares, and the demons on display here brings the scares really well. These creatures are nicely detailed, and suits the situations really well. The environment nicely moves to horror with ease whenever there is the supernatural coming in to take a soul to the other world. The different deaths make fine impact, and the variety in them needs some appreciation beyond the usual. The fear factor is always present, and in the darkness of the night, gets even better in evil and terror. When one wonders how the next death can happen in a situation, there is that quick appearance, like in the case of that bridge. The flashback remains spooky, and adds to the scary elements with the curse that keeps the creepiness factor high enough. There are many Eastern European myths which could come in here, and a Cabin in the Woods environment with them going back to where it all started would have been nice, but lives are already lost when the chance is there in the movie.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does miss out on some of the chances which it could have easily taken, especially related to the death – the first one could have been the most classic of them all, and the second one could have taken another twist. The supernatural menace could have taken lives in a Final Destination mode or with even better varieties. Some more violence could have also made an entry, as this is that kind of a movie when we look at it from a distance. There is a certain amount of laziness or easy-going mode seen at some parts. There were so many paths which the movie could have taken after those initial moments of unleashing the curse. The darkness of the movie needed to have that special punch, something which Until Dawn could display in a better way. Sometimes, we do feel that all these might not be enough to make the victims think enough, as they often end up looking in the internet instead of anywhere else, even after having an expert out there. Just like those strange horror films, sticking together is not an option here too.

The performers of the soul :: Harriet Slater leads the way as the true protagonist of the movie who tries to the save everyone including herself. With a depressing past and a breakup, the character needed the attention she has provided the same. Her desire to genuinely solve this problem and even take the blame can be seen reflected here. Avantika Vandanapu is the next person who catches our attention, and plays a character that we wish to see survive in the end. She would make a fine scream queen in another horror movie as we witness the signs. The run from the magician is a sign indeed. Jacob Batalon is the one who brings the funny side to the screen, and he does the same well to keep the humour alive in between all the horror and deaths. Humberly González and Larsen Thompson goes through the unexpected deaths well, and the fear factor is well-displayed with them as death stalks all around. Olwen Fouéré scores as the tarot and astrology expert in between all the never-ending curses.

How it finishes :: Tarot makes its horror working with the usual stuff and a little bit of addition to go with the same. Let us not fall into the trap of negative reviews, as we horror fans are better than that, and we know that most of the critics do not rate the films of the genre well enough. But this one thrives on its supernatural side, and keeps the horror moving forward. There is death lurking in the shadows, and the audience is surely aware of the same, as they wait for the evil to pounce upon the youth whose fate was told through the tarot and horoscope. While watching this movie, I had the feeling that this kind of topic would suit a Malayali horror film more, as this deviation from the usual methods of the genre directly aligns with many traditions we see around. After all, there is no shortage of myths and legends for us, and the connection could be more easily established. Let horror come back to us, and we will accept it as a common thing in life, unlike the very rare elements like romance and feel-good.

Release date: 3rd May 2024
Running time: 92 minutes
Directed by: Spenser Cohen, Anna Halberg
Starring: Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley, Avantika Vandanapu, Wolfgang Novogratz, Humberly González, Larsen Thompson, Olwen Fouéré, Jacob Batalon

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Nosferatu

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Vampire Owl: Finally, our Count is coming back to the big screen.

Vampire Bat: This one is not really the true Dracula Uncle.

Vampire Owl: Well, Count Orlok is not lesser than Count Dracula.

Vampire Bat: I have heard from humans that this Orlok is an illegal version.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are no such rules in vampire kingdom, right?

Vampire Bat: Human rules need not apply here, but we should know.

Vampire Owl: We will never really know the humans.

Vampire Bat: We will know everything except their inherent evil.

Vampire Owl: Well, which is why we do not transform humans into vampires anymore.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that they want to; the greed for eternal life and perpetual youth.

[Gets a tea cake and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) is a recently married young woman who has had too many nightmares in her life in the past, and it is revealed that her recent bad dream about being married to death and everyone around her dead. It is revealed that while looking for consolation from her loneliness and depression in life, during her random chants and prayers, she had ended up creating a psychic link with Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), or what they villagers of Romania used to call Nosferatu, with Romanian roots. The nocturnal creature of pure evil had marked Ellen from thousands of kilometres away, and this connection often led her into situations of seizures and sleepwalking. She keeps having hallucinations and a feeling of being with death, from which escape seems almost impossible. She has been living in the German town of Wisborg with her husband Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) and is irreversibly in love with him as it seems, but this connection seems to have journeyed through the unimaginable, the darkest of the woods and deepest of the rivers and lakes.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is then that Thomas accepts the offer to sell the partially ruined Grünewald Manor to a reclusive lord named Count Orlok located somewhere in Romania. Ellen talks about her nightmares and pleads Thomas not to leave for those unknown lands where a certain cursed evil lurks, but the offer from his employer is too much for him not to accept this opportunity of a life time. He leaves her in the care of his wealthy friend and famous shipbuilder Friedrich Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his wife Anna Harding (Emma Corrin) who lives with their two little daughters. As he arrives at the Carpathians in the Transylvanian area of Romania, Thomas is warned not to wander around during the nights and not to visit Orlok. During the same night, he still wanders around and witnesses a group of gypsies running a ritual with a fully naked woman on a horse which ends with the exhuming and impaling a vampire’s corpse with a wooden stake, ending the undead life with a lot of blood coming out of its mouth. The next morning, he finds no help or support, and leaves for the count’s castle alone and on foot.

And what is to follow as the Count maintains all the control over the world known to him? :: In his castle, Count Orlok welcomed Thomas as the aristocrat that required respect at all times. But soon, his existence as something more than human is revealed to Thomas, who hopes to escape, but the paths of the castle only lead to the crypt where the count is sleeping in his coffin, and he is not able to attack him as the vampire awakens, and so do his demonic hounds. He understands that he will have to remain a prisoner in the castle forever, as the document which the count made him sign might not be the Romanian version of the deal concerning the property, but a document dissolving his marriage to Ellen and the vampire had also taken his locket, containing a lock of her hair. He understands the vampire is going after his wife, and jumps into the river below the castle to escape. But the count has already started his journey and has infested a ship which is on its way to Germany. He will not stop at anything unless he becomes together with Ellen. Can anyone stop this evil from embracing her and also spread through the whole of Western Europe? Or will the blood-seeking demon have a blood feast that will last forever?

The defence of Nosferatu :: The movie achieves atmospheric horror and thrives with the sound effects as much as the visuals. There is fear running through the air, as we rarely see a world thriving on light here. The psychological side very strong here, and the performance of Lily-Rose Depp is truly magical here, with so many moments to remember, and the final few moments of her is out of this world. I cannot stop myself from not being the new admirer of Johnny Depp’s daughter as I have been a fan of him. I can say that I have never seen the main female character of any version of Bram Stoker’s work getting such attention which is supported by a performance of grandeur. The connection to the demonic creature and talk about all of this terror has never been so perfectly detailed and connected to the female lead. Nicholas Hoult and Willem Dafoe works the roles just as expected, while Bill Skarsgård’s demon is something we have not seen before, well divergent in looks and actions to create more terror. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corin move through expected paths. These are not just characters, but people who immerse us in their wisely created world with fine performances.

Positives and negatives :: It can be said that there is no movie based on Bram Stoker’s work that has provided an emotional and haunting touch like this one, and a terrifying vampire movie becoming an emotional tale of love and selflessness keeps us rooting for the film even more, like never before. The movie basically like music which strives for a fight against the most terrifying form of evil with love. By the end, here we know that as evil always finds a way, so does goodness and self-sacrifice. Finally, we know that the melancholy of the main character is not hers alone, but of all of us. It is a poetry on what it takes to thrive against the most ancient forms of evil. The sequence in the forest makes a fine reflection which is to come, and there are some classic shots in the castle that elevates this movie to a psychic-psychological mood which is rarely seen in the adaptations. The final image from where the camera zooms out reflects the same, and that too with a melancholic beauty. There is also some work with demonic possession, which is actually shown without any overdose. This is indeed a fine Gothic work that reflects the Victorian Age even when not in Britain. The one thing that we might really be missing is the Brides of Dracula.

How it finishes :: This is the one movie which becomes a fine divergent tribute to both the 1922 version of Nosferatu and the many later versions of Dracula as well as the original book, along with being a different entity in itself. There seems to be so many inspirations, and many creative ideas placed around here. This version is sure to be remembered as a classic in future, no matter problems critics would find, which would be lost in the process. This version might be the one which needs even more attention than what it has managed. This is that version of the vampire that maintains all kinds of feeling which are related to a vampire as a nocturnal creature that feeds from the lifeforce of humans. There are not many movies which can pay homage to so many of its predecessors and still remain something new. This one, with some fantastic performance and an atmosphere which would put even the high-budget movies to shame, manages to rise and seek theatre experience – it is quite depressing that the movie was not really found in theatres when it released.

Release date: 25th December 2024
Running time: 132 minutes
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Willem Dafoe, Katerina Bila

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Orphan: First Kill

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember watching the first Orphan movie earlier?

Vampire Bat: I do not remember like that. I remember back in centuries.

Vampire Owl: You are not supposed to go that long back with memories.

Vampire Bat: Well, Uncle Dracula goes back longer than that.

Vampire Owl: He can go back as long as the vampire elders can go infinitely.

Vampire Bat: You know the elders. They don’t count.

Vampire Owl: They have been further violent during these years.

Vampire Bat: It is quite natural, considering their loss of fangs.

Vampire Owl: The lost fangs can be recreated with the help of the witches.

Vampire Bat: I hope it is not left in the hands of Doctor Frankenstein.

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

What is the movie about? :: Leena Klammer (Isabelle Fuhrman), a thirty one year old woman with the appearance of a ten year old child has been locked in psychiatric hospital in Estonia for a long time, but has been planning an escape for a long time. She finds a way by hiding inside the car of Anna (Gwendolyn Collins), an art therapist, whom she kills after breaking into her house. She temporarily finds a new home in her place. She looks up for missing girls in the United States of America, and finds that she looks similar to a girl named Esther Albright. For her, it also seems to be an interesting home to live. This gives her a new idea, and she pretends to be the same American child who had gone missing a few years ago. She gets herself found in a children’s park by a police officer who has absolutely no doubts about her, as she has planned the whole thing really well. Allen Albright (Rossif Sutherland) and Tricia Albright (Julia Stiles) get the news that their disappeared daughter has been found in Eastern Europe, and couldn’t get any happier as they were sure that she was lost forever.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Tricia brings her home, she begins to have doubts about her soon enough, as she has forgotten that their grandmother died, and has developed some painting skills which she never really came close to possessing. Detective Donnan (Hiro Kanagawa) and the child psychologist Dr Segar (Samantha Walkes) feel that there is surely something wrong about her, but they don’t really know what it is. She seems to be rather too different, and doesn’t act like a child at all times. She doesn’t seem to get along well with the brother Gunnar Albright (Matthew Finlan) either. Soon, it turns out that there are family secrets that are being hidden in the house. Leena keeps getting closer to her newly discovered father-figure, which upsets the others in the family. Soon, she will be facing her family which suspects her, but she has her plans to rise above those doubts. But how long can she go on playing this role which only seems to get more and more difficult for her? She would have to get rid of the detective soon enough, but is that an easy job to do? How can she achieve this without being deported back to the mental asylum back in Estonia?

The defence of Orphan: First Kill :: This movie is powered by that antagonist who continues to be a favourite among the horror lovers, and that stays as an advantage. The atmosphere here is interesting, and the setting provides an assurance that there will be some nice moments to remember. The early setting of the mental asylum is more than just interesting. We keep feeling that there could be something more coming up at all times in the first half, the big reveal only set things up well for a grand battle of women. The movie’s hesitation often has it lagging, but it does manage to make things better in the very next scene or so. The cast members do manage to overcome them all, and this selection of the leading performers comes as an advantage. The movie is also a reminder for us to not fall a prey to the cute ones, especially children who are not too far away from the Lord of the Flies situation of William Golding. Well, the cutest among them all might be the one diabolical evil creature which needs to be feared at all times.

The claws of flaw :: Orphan: First Kill doesn’t raise the level from the original movie at all. There were so many opportunities with this idea when going back, but that much is not taken here. This one has also come too late for anyone’s liking, as the gap between the original and this prequel is rather too much. The antagonist does seem to have a more artificial look in comparison to the looks in the first flick. Yet, there are also too many similarities with the first movie, and we also have the absence of surprises here, with twists not getting the required strength either. We know too much about the main character as we have watched the earlier film, and bringing a certain secret ingredient was a necessity. We could have also had some creepy sequences around here which could have managed to balance the situation, but such an attempt is also not made here. It is only with another prequel set almost completely in a mental asylum in Estonia that the bar can be raised now.

The performers of the soul :: Isabelle Fuhrman continues to make Esther an interesting character, a role which she had performed at a young age, and made it a thing of quality. Isabelle does have a challenge in here, as despite the experience that she may have earned through the years, she is still not of that same age anymore. In comparison to her other roles, her work as Esther or Leena is something that has her raising the bar each and every time. Julia Stiles makes another strong character here, and two main lady characters show their strength even further when they are standing against each other, even when not showing the hatred that much. Rossif Sutherland also has his moments here. Matthew Finlan comes out strong in the later stages of the film, and that too when less expected. Gwendolyn Collins makes an initial impression well, and it is sad that she had to disappear too early. Hiro Kanagawa also leaves a mark, and needed more time on screen.

How it finishes :: Orphan: First Kill cannot be compared to the original movie which set something up so well, and it was also something which felt much innovative at that time. The fans would have been expecting a film which would score better than this one. After all, Esther has become a horror icon like no other, and the earlier movie’s twist was something which people didn’t really except. But the prequel has been organized well, and we can see that at the end of the movie, things come together well to bring the possibilities of the next one on to the scene. This one does deserve to become a much longer franchise with a deeper idea about the origins of the main character given. A fine psychopath of the antagonist’s level can do magic for the genre. After all, movies like these serve as those the reminders that we cannot trust anyone, especially someone with the cute side on display – this is a mad world indeed, and has the worst in store for us.

Release date: 19th August 2022
Running time: 99 minutes
Directed by: William Brent Bell
Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Rossif Sutherland, Hiro Kanagawa, Matthew Finlan, Julia Stiles

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Speak No Evil

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Vampire Owl: We cannot be ordered to speak no evil.

Vampire Bat: You can surely live without speaking evil for a day.

Vampire Owl: But we are supposed to be the true undead evil.

Vampire Bat: There are no written rules about the nature of evil.

Vampire Owl: So, there is no chance of being pure evil above them all?

Vampire Bat: Well, you have already watched See No Evil.

Vampire Owl: Yet, I find no relation between that movie and this one.

Vampire Bat: Yes, this is a Danish movie and the first of its kind reviewed here.

Vampire Owl: That took some time to find a review.

Vampire Bat: Well, you know the world – as busy as it can get.

[Gets a vegetable pizza and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Bjørn (Morten Burian) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch) are a couple from Denmark who is having a long vacation in Tuscany, having some fantastic Italian food and becoming part of the culture. Their only child Agnes (Liva Forsberg) is also with them. During one of their explorations of the tourist destinations, they come across another interesting couple Patrick (Fedja van Huêt) and Karin (Karina Smulders) with their child Abel (Marius Damslev) who cannot talk, as he was born without a tongue, seemingly suffering from congenital aglossia. Even though this family is Dutch, they get along with the Danish family quite well. Bjørn and Louise find the new friends to fun-loving and respectful to other cultures as much as people. Later, the Dutch couple also provides them with an invitation to visit their house in the countryside of Netherlands. The two are excited about another foreign trip, and this time, they could drive all the way to the location and would be able to stay at a new place without spending that much, like the best offer ever. It is eight hours of drive, and when they final reach the new destination, the hosts seem to be really polite and understanding.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The two groups seem to get along, but not for long. The hosts seem to intentionally forget about Louise’s vegetarianism and also seem to be abusive to their own child. One day, they go on a dinner in a restaurant where there are more arguments which also occur on the way back. Back in the house, the couple find the hosts intruding into their privacy again and again, while also making strange decisions for Agnus. They decide to leave and finally does the same, only to return for the doll which had gone missing in the house. The hosts apologize and convince them to stay. But this reconciliation does not stay for long, as the hosts seem to repeat similar if not the same mistakes again and again. Then, Bjørn discovers a cabin just behind the house, and there he finds a secret which he should not have known. Now, as he knows this truth, there would be no more staying at this house. He decides to leave with his family, but it is not so easy. The sinister mysteries of the hosts might have enough backup to keep their secrets hidden from the outside world. Can he save his family in time or will he realize that nobody gets out alive from these things heard and seen?

The defence of Speak No Evil :: The movie is a beautifully evil reminder that humans are inherently evil, and trusting strangers would only land you in terror. The idea that people have a lot of capacity for goodness is proven to be wrong, but you would have already known that if you had a look at the rich keeps earning for, and moves on walking on the bodies of the poor. A charming family with a kid can easily be evil, make no doubts about it, as people point to living with families with children and staying close to them as safer options. The dark visuals add to the same, and it is a fine deviation from the light and colourful visuals of the beginning stages. There are some nice twists and revelations in here, and the moments where we feel that things are going to be better, but then darkness engulfs them all. The script is indeed well-designed with mastery over the proceedings to make sure about it. The fact that this movie explores evil as a natural thing rather going deep into its roots makes us remember to be careful about strangers again – a long time after our parents told us to keep away from them. Well, this is the psychological thriller with class that teaches the same.

Positives and negatives :: The movie can be rather shocking with its revelation, as it uses kids as bait to create an atmosphere of safety – but this is a terrifying reality for kids as much as adults. The feeling that children would be spared is a myth here, as the movie points to a fate that will repeat itself. There is a certain twist related to that, and a clue is left with the kid in the early stages of protagonists’ stay there. It also points to the title of the film itself, as evil shall go unspoken. The next big clue is indeed about the profession, and that also leaves something for the viewers to hold on to. The movie could have been a little bit quicker with the early moments though. But once it opens the box of weirdness, the level is elevated all of a sudden – then we remember that there were moments which pointed to this situation with some shots and music earlier itself. This is the kind of movie which makes one think twice before going on a cheap trip with family just because someone provided a sweet invitation. Well, the wise has always said that cheap cannot mean better, and there are many hidden terrible costs that one would have to pay.

The performers of the soul :: The performances here surely deserves an applause, as only four adults really get the chance to do a lot in this movie. None of these characters go against evil here, as some are part of it and others are too weak to stop the never-ending progress of evil. Among the main characters, it is Sidsel Siem Koch plays the most balanced one – she feels that there is something wrong much earlier, and wants to leave. Here is a character played naturally and realistically without pretensions. Morten Burian plays the main character who makes a little too many mistakes and has his family paying for it in the end – the feelings are well-justified in his case. Fedja van Huêt plays the psychotic character really well, and we feel that there is something more about him early enough. Karina Smulders who plays his partner in crime might feel like a sweet young lady who can be nothing less than a lovely host, but the peaceful side of her enjoying the terror can also been seen. Liva Forsberg and Marius Damslev makes children with scope for some nice roles. Hichem Yacoubi plays the other notable character here, and does that pretty well.

How it finishes :: Speak No Evil is that one film which deserves to be among the creepy horror with a misanthropic side to it that feels very realistic. It could be the reason why it will return in 2024 in the form of an English film starring big names like James McAvoy and Mackenzie Davis. The movie serves as a cautionary tale against going for cheap options instead of the safe ones and trusting strangers in remote location. It reminds us that not all invitations mean that we are welcome, and not all smiles are truly what they seem to be. It also adds that a family with a mother and a kid does not mean anything, and living with families rather than bachelors do not make the situation any safer. The protagonists of the film learn this the hard way, and the movie happens to be an entertaining dark adventure related to the same. This is the first Danish movie reviewed on this website, and I am only glad to have chosen this one instead of the many others. This is the thriller that dares to take the risks and manages to score high due to its ability to go beyond the limitations.

Release date: 17th March 2022 (Theatre); 14th October 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Christian Tafdrup
Starring: Morten Burian, Sidsel Siem Koch, Fedja van Huêt, Karina Smulders, Liva Forsberg, Marius Damslev, Hichem Yacoubi

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.