February

Much appreciated. Sophisticated and subtle. Great job in the sound department.

Those who have not witnessed Kiernan Shipka's talent in "Mad Men" will surely find here some convincing material to make up their minds. The other two main actresses were also remarkable, however for exclusively aesthetic reasons, I must add.

Concerning the plot, I believe it is important to emphasize its non linear nature : a key element to reconstruct the overall "Stimmung".

I must criticize the trailer, despite having been convinced by it to approach the movie in the first place; the allusions to "erotic charge" are deeply misleading and cast a negative influence on the viewers, distracting them from the main, yet hidden, theme of the movie : the Occult. I rarely experienced a more discrete and effectively symbolic handling of such a complicated and debated matter. The way the Occult's first appearance on the scene is connected to the principal plot twist is also deeply satisfying. The final scenes also need to be focused on : they both bring the missing pieces in the plot and offer an open, surprising end.

My only critic would regard the excessive abundance of implicit hermeticism : some traits of the story could and should have been properly expanded (Kat's parents, some more details about Rose, a more complete view of the boarding school, the true origins of Kat's "sickness", just to make a few examples).

Im glad I found this movie; unfortunately it had a limited release and there was not much buzz about it. So when I found it, I did not expect much. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Although there is not much originality, it was well done and made me uncomfortable!

The tone of the movie was dreadful and was beautifully supported by the score, the cinematography, and the acting. The pace of the movie was slow, but the payoff was excellent. No cheap jump scares, the right amount of gore, and a clever plot.

Horror fans should definitely give this movie a watch!

Blackcoat's daughter has been sitting on my watchlist for a little while now. I was intrigued by it's mystery and eeriness, but something told me this won't be as great as I think it will.

And that little voice was right. Blackcoat's daughter had a massive potential. Not just that, it was very close to reaching that potential by having all the right details and twists in the plot. I think it was the execution that made the whole thing flop.

When you're watching it and assuming you're a fan of horror, you know there's something good there, but there's also a lot of that "wait what?" filter over it.

It's like listening to an almost good joke at a family gathering from your cousin. You know there's something hilarious about it, but your cousin is probably telling the joke the wrong way. So everyone is kinda lost, smiling awkwardly, and not sure about what they just heard when the joke's over. Then someone googles the joke and everyone gets that "ooooooh, right, that's actually pretty funny' moment.

Same thing with this movie - it took me a Youtube explanation video to understand that the idea behind the movie was actually genious.

I love it when the viewer has to use their brain and untangle a plot. But there's a line, where if you make it too mysterious, the audience just loses the thread completely.

* TBD is an interesting film that is GUARANTEED to polarize horror lovers. It's a very simple narrative from a story standpoint, but what it lacks in narrative it's saved in spades by atmosphere and mystery. This is more of a psychological-thriller than a splatter-fest or hack-and-slash.

* So let's get the obvious out of the way, yes, it's a slow movie. It's a slow burn and I'd even say the climax is rather tame (not lame) in terms of gore/excitement/reward. Yes, it builds to a somewhat bloody climax but it's not balls to the wall crazy, so I'm afraid some will think the slow burn 70 minute build up isn't worth the wait.

* The movie is a classic case of style over substance. The gray color palette and dreary snow gives the movie its potent atmosphere. Throw in a great soundtrack/score (note: the music isn't like "It Follows" where you can listen to individual tracks). This movie's music perfect compliments specific scenes and builds some tension. It's a great addition even if it's not something I would go to Youtube and listen to compared to other horror soundtracks.

* This is a good slow burn horror movie, it's not perfect (mostly because the story is bare bones), but it's definitely watchable thanks to the three female leads. All of them are fantastic! So if you think you can handle a slow burn (with a more thought provoking climax opposed to a splatter fest) then this is something you should check out!

'The Blackcoat's Daughter' is a dark and brooding suspense about two pretty but very different teenage girls left behind at a religious boarding school during a winter break. The eldest girl has devised to stay behind and has made plans to visit her boyfriend. The younger, more reserved girl seems anxious, and grows distraught about her dilemma. Our third lead character is a mysterious and troubled young woman (Emma Roberts) who has fled from a psychiatric institution and is making passage towards the school. She's helped by a concerned middle-aged couple.

The film cuts erratically from girl to girl, to the girls together with the two remaining staff members, and to the traveling young woman. Interwoven with these cuts are some brief and confusing flashbacks. All hell begins to fly loose and the audience is tasked to make sense of it. This is fun for some, but frustrating for others.

The tempo is mostly slow and the mood is dreary, but it's not tedious to watch. The sound effects and track were way over the top and became a distraction. I'm convinced that a blind person could piece things together just with the sound and a basic description of the scenes and characters. The set and costumes were unremarkable and lent nothing... a solid D. The acting was largely convincing and our three leading ladies did very well, B+ or better.

Those who appreciate thoughtful suspense that presents the audience with a puzzle with minor twists, then you'll certainly enjoy this. It's for this reason that I strongly advise viewers NOT to read any reviews that contain spoilers or an extended synopsis, nor seek out trailers or clips. This is a good date or bestie movie for those who can enjoy a macabre suspense. It allows plenty of conversational material during and following.

There are some moderate horror elements to the movie, increasingly so towards the end. These elements won't repel those who don't normally enjoy horror flicks nor fulfill the explicit horror fans.