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Performances have remarkable textures, as the action is punctuated with extended thoughtful scenes. Adair is able to make Jamie a complex, engaging woman who struggles to make the right decisions but is doing her best. She finds it impossible to share her feelings, but her bond with Akaha's more open-handed Alex runs deep. So even in the most chaotic action sequences, their feelings keep us tightly involved. And supporting actors bring their own complexities to surprisingly nuanced roles.

Deeper human issues make this an unusually involving thriller. The way some people are willing to battle each other to the death, even when there's a common enemy out there, is the most horrifying thing on the screen. And the underlying personal issues provide further resonance, encouraging us to say the honest things that need to be said, support those we love and sometimes give each other a break. Of course, facing an army of the undead can make this a bit difficult.

themes, language, violence

25.Aug.23

Suri is terrific as a normal teen who realises too late that she's caught up in something seriously dangerous. She has a sparky connection with Marsh's Russ, a cute classmate who invites her to dance at a party. So their investigation in Karan's abandoned house bristles with all kinds of tension. As her parents, Bajwa and Sahay add strong emotional currents to the story. And Gabriel is excellent, adding both gravitas and compassion to her scenes, while also diving into the craziness.

The strain between Sam and her cultural background adds unusual textures to the film, including the suggestion that this soul-devouring monster is stalking her because she is rejecting who she is. So Sam is grappling with layers of guilt, which makes her sympathetic in an unusually complex way. Even deeper is Indian wisdom about never going to sleep with bad feelings, as they will only fester in the darkness. Although this gruesome and intensely nasty film is certainly not going to give you sunny, smiley dreams.

themes, language, violence

24.Aug.23

To match the spiky plot, the characters are also heightened, giving the film a camp, soapy sensibility that often feels lurid, perhaps like the inside of a pubescent mind. This gives the effect that we are looking right into the people on-screen, rather than merely watching them go through these situations. McKirnan is excellent in the focal role, giving Jonny a bristling resilience that has almost taken her over. Silverstone is wonderfully woozy and insinuating, while Liburd has a terrific grounding role that emerges from a key revelation.

There are all kinds of intriguing layers in Reeder's script that defy expectations, so the film is neither a standard teen coming-of-age nor slasher horror film. But elements of both combine to make what happens darker and deeper, and also surprising as the story takes several jagged swerves. And there's added meaning in the recurring theme about the lengths people will go to in their quest to look eternally youthful. But at its centre, this is a fresh celebration of female perception.

themes, language, violence

30.Aug.23