watchitwombat

Where most modern horrors have become predictable, 'Bring Her Back' keeps you guessing. Delivering tense scenes, cover your eyes moments and genuine shock, rather than cheap jump scares.

You feel every bone crack and every piece of skin tear, thanks to the ingenious stunt work and makeup effects, bolstered by incredibly savage sound design. Making it easy to see why some of the body horror gear may be too much for the faint hearted - featuring one of the most brutal moments I think I've ever seen on screen.

The Philippou Brothers, Danny and Michael, excel at finding great young talent and this is no exception, with a cast of up-and-coming stars plus Sally Hawkins, who delivers an unsettling performance (and a flawless Aussie accent). For a pair of lads that come across as nutters in every interview they do, the brothers show a lot of maturity, especially in their camerawork and originality.

Like most horror films it's a very clear allegory, but it's still entertaining. There were some moments that could've been a bit clearer without needing to spell everything out, but then I guess we'd have had nothing to discuss in the car park afterwards.

You may need an exorcist to remove this movie from your brain, not just because of the body horror but because you'll probably be trying to piece the puzzle together the whole ride home.

• Nick

@WatchItWombat.

While fleeing his homeland, Theo washes up in a small Greek fishing village in the Aegean Sea. In order to survive and start his new life, he seeks to make a living from the island's primary source of income - fishing. After convincing the grumpy widower Hector to let him join his one-man crew, they discover they may have a lot in common. It's not all smooth sailing, as Theo must contend with a thug, determined to wreak havoc on his new life and sever his growing bond with Hector.

I spoke with the talented director and Brisbane local Jacob Richardson to find out why he wanted to tell this story on a remote Greek island. Jacob said he wanted to make a film that tackled his own experiences with his grandfather.

"He was dealing with the grief of losing my grandmother and I wanted to do so in a way that took our very small but universal story and told it on this big, expansive, mythic island - grounding it in a broader examination of the refugee crisis," Jacob said.

Jacob achieved what he set out to accomplish by creating a universal story that would work in any language, brought to life by a superb cast. Although they may be relatively unknown to some, the pairing of Costas Mandylor's Hector and newcomer Nicky Dune's Theo was a great move. The contrast of the two actors, one stoic and the other the epitome of youth, keeps you watching to see how they'll influence each other.

Despite the troubling themes of loss and survival, this isn't a 'woe is me' story. The Aegean shows us how we can deal with our losses and learn to create a new life for ourselves without forgetting those that we've left behind.

The breathtaking scenery and cinematography deserve to be experienced on the big screen, so I urge you to grab a seat in a boutique cinema and settle down for an emotional journey about the human condition. Lovers of heartfelt stories set against stunning backdrops, treat yourself to this charming tale.

The Aegean, in Aussie cinemas May 16.

• Nick

@WatchItWombat.

I understand the need for light and shade but the first 20 minutes of Dead Sea was so sickly sweet, I almost turned it off. However, stay on course and bloody action is lurking just around the corner.

When the first kill arrives, it hits you like a wet trout across the face and that's when things really change tack.

Although mostly set on a boat, there's some ingenious ways the action moves around, creating a somehow agoraphobic and claustrophobic setting all at once.

If you can suspend your disbelief, the premise and novel location make for a fun stalky slasher with some satisfying kills and suspenseful moments. Fans of nautical nightmare classics like Dead Calm (1989) and Triangle (2009) should jump on board Dead Sea.

Nick @WatchItWombat.