Reviews_of_the_Dead

This was a film that I got the chance to see via screener thanks to Emma from Fusion Entertainment. Seeing that this was an independent 2025 film, I like to check out films like this to help round out my end of year list. The title obviously comes from the old adage, so I kept that in mind. Outside of confirming this was a 2025 release and in the genre, I came into this one blind - no pun intended.

Synopsis: follows the story of Anna (Whitney Peaks) who grieves the death of her parents as she moves from New York to Florida to stay with her grandmother. She falls in with some other teens, but when she sees a grisly act of violence, she finds herself trapped.

We start with this by learning the lore of Sandman. This entity targets bullies, taking their eyes while they cry in pain. It then begins in the past. It doesn't tell us the year, but we are seeing a young woman in bed. We then shift to a cheerleading routine. The cheerleader we're focusing on is May (Michika McClinton). Something happens, she falls through the platform they're performing on. She then wakes up, screaming and bleeding from her eyes. We also see a dark hourglass to which something places two eyeballs in.

The film then shifts to the present day. Anna is dropped off by a taxi at her grandmother's house. From what we learn, these two have never met. Like the synopsis says, she's moving here due to her parents tragically passing away. There seems to be a history of family trauma, since grandmother May (S. Epatha Merkerson) never met Anna or her father from what I'm gathering. Things are awkward as she is shown around the house. There is only one rule. May's room is locked and she doesn't want Anna going in there.

This place is a culture shock for Anna. She takes a walk and ends up at a dock where she meets Shawn (Finn Bennett) and Julie Cross (Lake Giles). They offer her a beer and they spend the afternoon together. When it is time to return home, she goes through the woods where she comes up on an odd tree. She notices that May's name is carved on it. Anna is into photography so she takes a photo.

I should also include here that Patti (Golda Rosheuvel) is Anna's aunt. She works at the local grocery store and brings things for her mother. These two don't get along though as she leaves the bag with Anna. She then takes off in a hurry. May isn't overly warm toward Anna so they start to distance themselves.

This then brings us to the catalyst event. Shawn is a mean drunk. One afternoon, they're hanging out on a bridge when Conner (Carson Minniear) is practicing rollerblading. Shawn messes with him and this results in the boy getting hurt. His arm is broken. Shawn panics, wanting to leave him where he is. Anna demands they help him to which Julie agrees. They both chicken out though. Patti asks the boy what happened, having a history of being bullied herself. This is when she teaches the boy about a way of getting revenge, it is through summoning the Sandman.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start then would be that there is interesting mythology here. Using the Sandman like we are here is fascinating. He haunts his victim's dreams, turning into terrifying nightmares. Now I'm not the biggest fan of dream sequences as I think it is something that is a cheap way to scare and is overused. I am more forgiving here, since this entity's history is directly in the lore. There were other things that I had bigger issues with.

Now that I've set that up, let me delve deeper into what I did like. This film has a poignant look at bullying. It is interesting how it is played out here as we're seeing one aspect be a generational trauma. May was the popular girl at school and then she was blinded. We see it is by this entity but it was considered a freak accident. May is cold and mean. It is good to have a character like Patti who doesn't want to be around her. May is also set in her ways and particularly about how things are done. Merkerson was solid in bringing this role to life. This makes for tense situations where she is in the room with Anna, as she can't see but is trying to sense her. I liked utilizing that to help build the atmosphere.

Then from here, I did want to shift over to our group of teens. Anna is an outsider and there aren't many young people to hang out with. Shawn and Julie aren't necessarily bad people. I do like framing them as grey characters. Shawn is a jerk when he's drunk. He then is afraid of getting into trouble so he just continues to double down. Julie is complacent in the physical abuse that Shawn is doing. She could do the right thing, but instead she sits idly by. Anna falls into this as well, just going slightly farther. There's a great scene when Conner carves this trio's name on to the tree. We see what happens when Shawn tries to do the same thing, but it disappears. I do love that the curse only allows those who deserve punishment.

Let's then shift over to discussing the entity. I'm not going to spoil things, but we do get a backstory about it. It is tragic and makes sense why it targets bullies. I thought that was fine. What is interesting here is that we are getting a watered down version of Pumpkinhead. The problem there is that there are no stakes so it loses tension. The look was fine. It did remind me of the Canker Man from Before I Wake. I like how it appears. It is in the background which makes me uncomfortable. I'll credit the cinematography and framing. I love the idea of the title and what the Sandman does. This does end up feeling a bit generic outside of that.

Moving down over then to discuss the rest of the filmmaking aspects. I do think that the cinematography and the framing were good as I said. The practical look of the creature was as well. I'll also credit Ben Bladon for being the body. Using a physical human was a solid move. There is CGI here. I am a bit more forgiving since we are dealing with nightmares and dream logic. They do creepy things with the effects. I also thought that sound design worked to help build the atmosphere. The problem is that this ends up as a slow burn that struggled to hold my attention.

All that is left then is the acting performances. Since I haven't come out and stated it, I wanted to give credit to Peak. I thought she was good as our lead. She plays it stoically, but that's the trauma of what happened with her parents weighing on her. She's also not sleeping well as she is tormented by this entity. That made sense to me. Bennett is solid as this bully who gets his two friends into trouble. Giles works as the other friend. She and Anna should stand up to Shawn but they're guilty for allowing it to happen. Merkerson is good as this older woman who has turned bitter for what happened to her. Rosheuvel also worked in her role. Credit to Minniear and the rest of the cast to round this out for what was needed.

In conclusion, this delves into interesting mythology surrounding the Sandman and offers a poignant look at bullying and generational trauma through its characters. While there are strong performances, particularly from Peaks and Merkerson, as well as effective cinematography and sound design, the film ultimately suffers from a lack of stakes and a slow burn that struggles to maintain momentum. It feels like a watered-down version of similar concepts, leading to a largely generic haunting experience. Unless you are specifically drawn to this subgenre, this film is not one I would readily recommend as I do think it will fade into obscurity.

My Rating: 5.5 out of 10.

This is a film that was brought to my attention by Aaron from A&B Horror. This was one that he brought to the Dreadcast, to which we both are contributors. He had an interview lined up with the writer/director and asked if I'd be interested in joining. Ahead of that, I was able to check out the screener of this film. The limited information that he shared and that this is a 2025 horror release, I came into this one blind.

Synopsis: Three masked attackers terrorize a college-town diner late on a Friday night. Their leader orchestrates increasingly brutal murders of the customers for fun over several hours.

Now this starts with a disclaimer about containing truly evil acts. It jumps over to extreme close ups of people being interviewed by the police, telling their account of what happened on this fateful night. We never truly get a good look at the people when we come back to these. There's then another warning about this being a dishonest retelling of events. Something to also note here, this premise seemed to stem from a Reddit post about the combination of ketchup on waffles. The people that enjoy this are considered psychopaths.

It is from here that we see two masked individuals. One wears a white one, played by Ian O'Boyle, while his friend is in blue, Rob Rappa. They attack a homeless man, where humiliate and shoot him with a gun. We then see this duo dancing in outrageous ways.

We then see an interaction between Abby (Czarissa Moreno) and her sister. The former is going out on dates and bringing guys home. Her sister is annoyed, calling her names. We then see her out with Ryan (Hector Rivera). Things went well and outside of her place, she asks if he's hungry. There is a diner around the corner that they could go to, extending the night. It is on their way there, they pass by the duo from earlier. They currently aren't in masks and they're joined by a third guy, played by Max Unlu. They call Ryan names, get him agitated and try to provoke a fight. Abby keeps things calm as they separate.

Our couple comes into the diner that is full of other people who have been partaking in drinks. The best way to describe this is a nicer Waffle House, for those from the United States. There are people who are a bit too drunk, throwing food and arguing with the waiter. Things take a dark turn though. The guys we saw outside donned their masks. Unlu is wearing red. They lock the doors. This takes the night in a series of psychological and physical torture as well as murder.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I want to start is that this is an intense film. It sets the stage by showing us that part of this is found-footage. The Blue is carrying a camera. He also seems to be better friends with The White. The Red is someone they bring on for this night at the diner. He gets under the skin of The White. It feels like we're there with aggressors and the victims. This idea I'll come back to. I'll then end out this section by saying, this feels like a combination of Man Bites Dog, Funny Games and Trash Humpers.

Now that I've set it up, let's start with the filmmaking techniques. We get a combination like I said of The Blue filming with a camera, bringing in shades of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer to watch later. It is coupled with filming in a more conventional style. Even this latter has a sway to it, almost like we are watching things happen but not stopping it. That adds an intimacy to the events we watch later. We're seeing from the point of view of the masked men as well as their victims. There's that idea that if the victims banded together from the start, they could put an end to it. Instead, though, people sit ideally by, hoping that they're not targeted. This in turn doesn't exempt them from being next. The filming style works well here.

Then to stick with this, the attacks aren't necessarily on the screen. This is a credit to the framing. There is one that is behind batwing doors. We hear the guy screaming and then the aftermath. It made me cringe though knowing what was being done. There are practically done effects which help. This is strategic in how they're shown which adds to the realism. There are also quick cuts to allow our brains to fill in what we think we're seeing. The sound design adds to building this atmosphere. I also dug the opening song as well as another one that we got later into the movie. It adds to the vibe and helps build the anxiety to the attacks.

I'll then shift to the story, but this is limited there. It is more of a character study. What is interesting is that we never truly learn much about the masked men. There is an interesting scene where The White removes his covering to talk to Abby. That makes sense. She saw him earlier in the night and he revealed that it was him. The title of the film comes back into play. I'm not sure if The White is insane. From the things he said, he has lost some grip on reality. There's also this idea that he was someone who was intelligent but didn't necessarily go to college. The synopsis alludes to this being a college area, causing him to lash out at students. Now this is conjecture so credit to the movie for sparking the consideration.

Since this is more of a character study, let's discuss the acting performances. O'Boyle is such a menace. He is terrifying without going over the top. When he blows up at The Red or the victims, it is terrifying. It comes out of nowhere. Moreno and Rivera are good as the two leads. She is given more to develop her character. What I give her the most credit for is how broken she is at the climax. It is sad but well done. Rappa and Unlu are solid as The White's helpers. Credit as well to Theissen who takes on a couple of smaller roles as well. The other victims in the diner are solid as well. They're believable, which is all you need here.

In conclusion, this is an intense and disturbing character study that excels in its filmmaking techniques, particularly its unsettling blend of found-footage and conventional cinematography. While the narrative is sparse, the film's strength lies in its exploration of the masked attackers and the harrowing psychological and physical torment inflicted upon their victims. O'Boyle delivers a chilling performance as The White, supported by solid portrayals from Moreno and Rivera. This film will undoubtedly resonate with fans of extreme horror, drawing comparisons to titles like Man Bites Dog and Funny Games. However, due to its graphic and unsettling nature, it is not a film I would recommend to every viewer.

My Rating: 7.5 out of 10.

This was a film that when I learned about it, it went high on my list for must-sees for 2025. I was unable to get to the theater to see it so I waited until it hit VOD. Now that it is, I made it a Featured Review for Journey with a Cinephile. The buzz I heard was good. I was able to avoid most spoilers ahead of finally seeing it.

Synopsis: Following the death of their father, siblings uncover terrifying secrets within the secluded home of their new foster mother.

We start this with seeing rituals being performed. There's a heavy set guy making a circle. What makes this eerie is that someone is filming everything. This helps set up the atmosphere that we'll come back to later.

It then shifts over to Piper (Sora Wong). She is at a bus stop and decides to talk to a group of girls. They're rude toward her and it is here we learn that she's blind. Her stepbrother, Andy (Billy Barratt), shows up to take her home. They are quite close. Something of note is that whenever one of them believes the other isn't telling the truth, they'll say 'Grapefruit'. You have to drop the lies if you're hiding something.

This duo then comes home to a grisly discovery. Their father has passed away in the shower. They try to do what they can to revive him, but it doesn't change the outcome. Andy is just shy of being old enough to become Piper's guardian. They're going to have to go into foster care until then. Wendy (Sally-Anne Upton) is assigned their case. She tells them that she found a placement for Piper. It appears this woman has had 'problem' children in the past so she won't take Andy. When he was a boy, there was trouble. He begs to at least meet her to plead his case to stay with Piper.

It is here that we meet the mother, Laura (Sally Hawkins). She previously had a daughter, Cathy (Mischa Heywood), who drowned in their swimming pool. She was blind like Piper. From the moment we meet her, we see that she's a bit off. The children are intrigued by her though. Andy is in a tough spot. If he rocks the boat, Laura is reporting to Wendy how he is doing and it could jeopardize his guardianship. Laura also has a son, Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), who is an odd boy. The more we see of his interactions with Laura, there is abuse going on here.

Laura does good things for these siblings. She makes sure that they get to their father's funeral. Andy and her bond over their trauma. As the synopsis says though, she has darker reasons for things that she does. She also is setting things to ensure that Andy doesn't get in the way of her grand plan. He is left at home with Oliver and even lets him out of the room that he's locked inside. This leads to disastrous things that could put the plans in jeopardy.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I'll start is that something that was said ahead of seeing this was that it had a great atmosphere and heavy subject matter. I knew that this dealt with the trauma of losing a child, which hits me harder now that I have two children. There is a great scene where Laura wants Andy to open up to her and they play a game where they will talk openly. He asks her how she dealt with the loss of Cathy and she says she didn't. That was great and it always puts him at ease, since it shows that you don't necessarily have to get 'over it'. It helps explain why she's so quirky. There is more to it as well.

Where I want to start is this dynamic between Andy and Piper. The story starts with seeing their dynamic before their lives are devastated by the death of their father. There are then subtle things that are introduced, like us learning that Andy has things in his file about getting into trouble. He's not 18 yet, so they're not sealed. This also takes place in Australia, so I'm not sure if there are different rules. The pressure is on him to not get into trouble until then. Laura knows this and manipulates him. There is gaslighting that happens and it made me anxious so credit to the filmmaking. Piper is blind so there are things that she doesn't see. There are also elements from when she was too young to know as well. These were aspects that I liked, as well as Wong and Barratt's performances.

Now something interesting is that this is the follow up film for the Philippou brothers, Danny and Michael. I thought that I heard somewhere that this was the film they wanted to make first, but since it was heavier, they did Talk to Me instead. These would go well together. Both involve rituals with communicating with the dead. From the title of the film and then meeting Laura, it shouldn't come as a surprise as to what her end game is. The ritual here is much more intense and what it does to the people involved, especially since most of the participants aren't willing, if given the choice. I do love how it explains this opening ritual we see and how that factors back in.

I think then I'll shift over to the acting performances, since at the heart of this being a character study. I've already brought up that our leads are dealing with trauma, grief and loss in different ways. Hawkins plays such a monster. She's coming from a good place, but what she's doing to people is horrific, especially to children. I can't fully fault her though because I can't imagine what I'd do in her position. I'd hope it isn't this. I also feel bad for Barratt's character. His performance is great though as he's a fighter. What he goes through to protect Piper. There's also making up for past sins. Wong is good in her role. Credit to Phillips to what his character goes through. His role is more with body and facial expressions. That worked. Heywood works in her minimal role. She's more of a specter haunting Laura. Other than that, Upton and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.

That then brings me to filmmaking. This film has great brutal effects. We go into body horror with things that Oliver does. This ritual in general is based in the subgenre as well. How this was filmed with the cinematography and framing was great. That helped to hide the seams. I'm sure there is CGI here. It worked well to not stand out but to enhance. The last thing is that the effects made me cringe so much. I'd say that the soundtrack and design worked to build the atmosphere. If I have a negative and I wasn't sure where to put it. The ending does drop the ball. From everything that they built to, I do like the redemption angle. It sounds like there were a couple endings in mind from what I read and personal reasons was why this route was taken.

In conclusion, this delivers on its atmospheric promise and delves into heavy subject matter with a nuanced approach to grief and trauma. While the film shines in its character dynamics, particularly between Andy and Piper, it boasts strong performances from the entire cast, especially Hawkins and Barratt. It's not without its minor flaws, such as a somewhat underwhelming ending. The Philippou brothers showcase their talent for creating unsettling rituals and effective body horror. Ultimately, I would recommend for those who appreciate intense psychological horror with a strong character focus but be aware that the challenging subject matter and brutal effects may not be for everyone.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.