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In a virtual one-man show, Kular gets us on Harri's side before he plunges into this horrific nightmare. He's so taken aback that dealing with each thing that happens feels almost surreal, pushing him to the brink. It's a complex, demanding performance that cycles through all manner of emotional and physical reactions. The most pointed encounter is with a neighbour (Tomelty) who has known Harri all his life but now has doubts. As the masked intruders, O'Neill and Johnson are unflinching.

This is a clever approach to the paranoia most people feel about being unjustly targeted by internet trolls, even if the film's extreme approach eventually undermines the authenticity. There is also a steady flow of convenient details and a number of seriously grisly action beats. And where the series of events goes is harrowing in ways movies like this usually don't dare to get. And in the end, the film has something properly bleak to say about the legacy of racism.

themes, language, violence

17.Sep.23

Roberts and Farrow nicely underplay their roles as genuinely decent people who are forced to kill marauding villains just to survive. Even as things get viciously serious, they find ways to drop punchlines into the dialog while taking no prisoners in the action. And the cast around them is just as enjoyable, especially Misaljevic's mix of surly adolescent and freaked-out little kid. And when her parents return home, Spencer-Nairn and Therriault are so ridiculous that they almost steal the show.

As people keep arriving at this farmhouse, there are twists and turns in the narrative that make everything increasingly silly leading up to a fateful ritual in the barn. It's all so amusingly entertaining that we don't mind that there are no underlying themes to make the mayhem more involving. A few emotional reactions add a hint of resonance, but our main reaction is to laugh at the properly disgusting nastiness as it escalates into an absurdly deranged finale.

themes, language, violence

27.Aug.23

Even with the relatively simplistic character design, these people have endearing personalities, each with a distinct sense of humour. Dialog offers continual insight into both the young people and the adults they encounter, creating relationships that are unusually complex. These teens may seem like losers, but they're also intrepid when they need to be, facing the challenge of a nutty desert cult that's planning a nefarious midnight ritual. Along the way, Passero adds wonderfully creative touches everywhere.

This is a remarkably well-assembled little film, telling an utterly bonkers story with knowing humour and some real heart. It's unsurprising that the narrative takes a couple of major twists along the way, offering some clever whiplash moments while propelling the high-energy mayhem in new directions. And since the characters are so endearing, there's an added bite to the suspense. We like them so much that we cheer for each inventive thing they do to get out of this alive, against the odds. And we also hope they'll save the world, of course.

themes, language, violence

24.Aug.23