Author: dlepikcom

“Nyctophobia” (** out of four) was a pedestrian horror thriller about twin sisters and their friend (Bianca D’Ambrosio, Chiara D’Ambrosio, and BJ Tanner) who find themselves trapped in a supernatural blackout with various monsters with their only hope of survival being the light of their cellphones. Nowhere near the worst of this disreputable genre and is relatively well-made and decently acted but is really more-of-the-same and predictable. At least it’s compact and short at 1 hour and 17 minutes.

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“Grieve” (*1/2 out of four) was a monotonous muddle about a recluse (Paris Peterson) who retreats back to his family’s forest home after suffering a personal loss but soon finds that an ancient evil and force is lurking in the darkness and threatening to overtake him. Exquisitely shot by Evan Henkel and with an eerie music score by Theresa Brown but it all adds up to nothing, since the central story is drab and inert. Directed by Robbie Smith who is the vocalist for Heavy Heavy Low Low but based on this effort needs to set his filmmaking sights a little higher.

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“Cinderella’s Curse” (*1/2 out of four) was a disconcertingly awful “remake” of the 1950 Disney tale about Cinderella (Kelly Rian Sanson) who summons the help of her fairy Godmother (Chrissie Wunna) to enact bloodthirsty revenge against her stepmother Danielle Scott) and her vicious sisters (Lauren Budd and Natasha Tosini). Hard to believe that this could be made after the similarly titled (and similarly terrible) “Cinderella’s Revenge” which was just released last month (!) but no one ever accused horror filmmakers of too much originality. Like that film, this one is mean-spirited and gruesome and as needless as a glass slipper.

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“Horizon: An American Saga- Chapter 1” (*1/2 out of four) was a grueling “epic” Western chronicling a 15-year span of pre-and-post Civil War expansion and settlement in the American west in which a settler (Angus MacFayden), a lieutenant (Sam Worthington), a sergeant (Michael Rooker), a grizzled colonel (Danny Huston), and a retired gunslinger (Kevin Costner) all intersect. Ambitious story is also long-winded and incredibly dull as it plods on for over 3 hours; Costner is dull too and also directed and incorporates many elements from his earlier “Dances With Wolves” and “Open Range” but the film this may remind you most is “Heaven’s Gate.” Supposedly, 3 additional entries are planned.

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“In A Violent Nature” (*1/2 out of four) was a disposable horror thriller about a rotting corpse (Ry Barrett) who somehow comes back to life intent on reclaiming a lost locket and will slaughter and dismember anyone who gets in his way. This all worked better when it was a guy named Jason and the series was called “Friday The 13th.” Pretty gruesome at times but other than that pretty much a waste of time. Mostly filmed in 2021 and then re-edited and re-shot to no avail.

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“Family Practice Mysteries: Coming Home” (**1/2 out of four) was a passable suspense melodrama about a compassionate doctor (Amanda Schull) who moves back to her hometown but her seemingly perfect life is disrupted when a new patient dies and she is drawn into a web of investigation and murder involving a police detective (Brendan Penny) with whom she becomes romantically involved. Best thing about the movie is Schull whose strong and sincere performance helps you overlook story holes but it gets progessively sillier before it’s overheated climax.

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“A Quiet Place: Day One” (*1/2 out of four) was a maddeningly dull continuation of the series set in NYC about a woman (Lupita Nyong’o) who finds herself in the midst of an alien invasion by unearthly creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing and she struggles to survive in the city. Allegedly a prequel to part II and not a follow-up but who cares? There’s still precious little excitement or interest from a story in which there is hardly any dialogue or action. Series fans (I’m not) may like this better but for others it’s well…..too quiet.

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“Blackwater Lane” (** out of four) was a meandering horror melodrama about a woman (Minka Kelly) who drives by a stranded motorist who she later learns is murdered and this sets off a chain of events that worry her concerned husband (Dermot Mulroney) and her best friend (Maggie Grace) and lead to an investigation from the police (led by Natalie Simpson) who believe she is connected to the murder. Overlong and overbaked as it goes over overly familiar territory although decent performances and filmmaking help to keep it marginally watchable. Based on B.A. Paris’ novel “The Breakdown”.

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