Some Kind of Hate

My very first review on here.

The movie was definitely decently gory. It comes into problems because there are too many characters, but it brings something a bit different than the average horror movie.

Be ready for a low budget, and a lot of teen angst, as well as a somewhat slow start. But if you know what it was like to be bullied, this film can hit some cores in your memory.

No nudity, which is a bit sad, especially with the obvious sexual undertones in the film, but what can you say

It's independent and it shows. But it's good for a rent or a Netflix when you have nothing better to do. Just be ready for the angst.

It sickens me to see how poorly people rate horror movies these days. I once belonged to a group of horror movie fans, but now I am alone.

Don't get me wrong. I hate B-movies. I hate the majority of Redbox horror movies that most people have not heard of. But this movie is truly something good and special, and to see it thrown in the gutter by people who I would have trusted as my horror loving peers, has disappointed me.

I remember seeing "It follows" a couple years back and I thought it rocked. It was a throw back to 80s horror that I really appreciated it. So I did some google searches looking for the next "It Follows". That is when I came across my first internet review of Some Kind of Hate.

When I watched it, I was not disappointed. I guess you could call this film a cult horror classic, since it is apparent from other reviews, that a very unique clique of people will appreciate this film for what it offers.

From storyline, to acting, to environment, to just the feel and soundtrack and nature of the film, I really enjoyed it. If I was looking at these IMDb reviews, I would never have given it a chance.

The plot and dialogue is simple, but interesting. One of the main characters is victim is extreme bullying. Karma takes spiritual form and comes back with a vengeance. It's not filled with the gore and special effects throughout the movie you might see in most horror movies that make it to the big screen, but its got story and heart. For the record, I would give it 1 star less than It Follows. But this still is a good movie, worthy of re-watching over the years.

The first 30 minutes are really solid, which is more like a psychological drama-thriller than anything else.

But on the 30 minute mark that changes and it throws a supernatural twist on you which feels really random and took me out of the movie for a bit, but once I accepted that this is what the movie is like now I slowly but safely started getting into it again.

And even though the movie most certainly is not without it's flaws I must say that this wasn't too bad of a watch, even though it's nothing spectacular but yeah I've seen hundreds of horrors that are a lot worse than this for sure... Seen hundreds that are better as well but that's beyond the point lol.

And the acting is pretty good, and the gore is excellent, one complaint would be that occasionally the cast speak really low and it's hard to hear over the dark melodies being played in the background but overall not too shabby, better than I expected considering the rating of (currently) 4.6/10 for sure.

5.5/10 from me, or rounded up to a 6.

Some Kind of Hate is a not half bad B horror.

The premise is not that novel but different enough to be interesting. I suspect this titles primary audience is late teens and twenty somethings. Those who are fresh enough from school to still remember how horrible and cruel other teens can be.

The main character is a supernatural entity who is summoned by the pain of bullied, victimized teens. The storyline is pretty basic but it builds quite well. That said, the violence and self abuse scenes can be a bit on the harsh side at times.

For a B title the acting is quite good too. The whole cast but, in particular, the male and female lead and the girl who plays the vengeful spirit, really offer up decent performances.

Combine all these elements and you have a reasonable horror flick on your hands. Six out of ten from me.

The cover/poster was very unnerving and the advertising likewise. Really liked the concept too, not an original one perhaps but it sounded really intriguing and was already admiring it tackling a heavy and daring theme that resonated with me, having been badly bullied myself. All those things were enough to make want to see it.

'Some Kind of Hate' turned out not to be a great film, there are issues here. But for a low-budget horror recent viewing as part of one of my many quests recently, 'Some Kind of Hate' is easily up there with the few ones that was actually decent. When it comes to the reviews, can see both sides, found it to be a film with obvious strengths but also one that is easy to find fault with. Am one of those whose feelings are mutual, but admired what it set out to do, it doesn't waste its idea and its tackling of the theme was brave.

Lets start with the good things. 'Some Kind of Hate' looks good, there is a sense of dark unsettlement, some very creepy gore and make-up, the editing was at least cohesive and the photography not trying to do too much but having enough to stop it being static. The music is suitably ominous and there is tension, creepiness and suspense when the film gets going. The second half is very unnerving and boasts some well-timed and inventive kills.

The acting is much better than average, with the standout performances coming from Grace Phipps and especially Sierra McCormick, the latter being both frightening and poignant. Did find myself identifying with Lincoln, having been a bully victim and being introverted, though Moira is more interesting and should have had the bigger focus. Was at least engaged for much of the duration, had no trouble understanding what was going on, was emotionally invested and at no point was my intelligence insulted.

As aforementioned, there are drawbacks too. The first third is a bit slow and ordinary, it could have gotten to the point quicker and had less of the slightly dull setting up. The script is quite a big weakness, it is not always easy to take it seriously, there is some awkwardness and cheese and it could have been tighter.

It is agreed that some of the film does get silly, didn't buy some of the victims/bullies' reactions before their fates, no sense of genuine fright and with a too "trying to make conversation at a reunion" chemistry, that does undermine the build up somewhat. The sound quality is not always well balanced with it tending to favour the music. Would have liked more development to the characters, only Lincoln and Moira are developed quite well while the others are fairly sketchy despite the film doing a good job making one hate them.

All in all, better than expected though not without things to criticise. 6/10 Bethany Cox