gillman11

Urgh. This year's seeking profundity by brutalising young women effort.

Clearly talent in front and behind the camera, all completely wasted on a tick box exercise in outrage - the aforementioned misogynist violence (and some of it is indefensible), rape, incest, auto cannibalism and so on and so forth.

Striving for the heights of Kieslowski or Haneke and falling down because everything it does has been done before and can only be that shocking once or twice but here we are 20 years later with people attempting to pull the wool with the same old shtick.

I didn't hate it but it profoundly bored me.

After witnessing the death of her father, a young woman has a mysterious experience which leads her to believe that she is intended for a higher purpose.

Deliberately paced and slow burning, Ruth Paxton and Justin Bull's film manages to portray the existential horror without (too much) reliance on gross out or trope-ish apocalyptic imagery.

The slow burn unravelling of proceedings is sustained by smartly controlled filmmaking and excellent performances, particularly the double leads of Sienna Guillory and the extraordinary Jessica Alexander.

It's final scene feels a tad familiar but doesn't lessen the strength of what's gone before.

Well worth a look for admirers of films like Violation, Censor and Saint Maud or Von Triers mid period films, particularly Dogville and Melancholia.

Sneaking out a couple of days before Halloween 2021, a PA reboot that avoids most of the clunky canon that's hobbled the last few entries in the franchise.

It plays fast and loose with the found footage angle with a establishing shots, a couple of third person views and incidental music (!)

Overall its fairly predictable, most viewers will probably guess where its going from the opening couple of scenes.

As it moves towards it conclusion, the production design and effects become quite impressive and the three leads are never less than watchable so although it's pretty average, any horror fan will find much to like about its climax.