The Black Gloves

From the opening titles, filmed in black and white, this film grabs you by your scary bone and never lets it go. More psychological and inferred scares than out and out in your face jumps and shocks, it slowly builds to a gut-wrenching finale where we a re re-introduced (or introduced for the first time, as it is kind of a prequel) to our friend The Owlman, a creature of such dread and horror, he will surely go down in the annals of monsters in fims in years to come. With his clawed hands, and otherworldly appearance, he stalks the stately home in the remote Scottish highlands, and no doubt the future dreams of all who watch this, and its unchronological sequel, Lord Of Tears. He pops up in shadow, and out of the corners of the eyes of our protagonists, and never fully reveals the true horror of his dread purpose and appearance until almost the end of the film. But it is worth the wait. Featuring the wonderful talents of Lexi Hulme and Jamie Scott Gordon (who was so powerful and haunting in Brewster and Daly's last film The Unkindness Of Ravens) and set in Baldurrock House in the Scottish Highlands, the remote setting and claustrophobic feel created by the black & white photography, really add to the all-pervading feel of doom and dread through which our Owlman prowls with sinister intent. Macarena Gomez, stars as the dememnted ballet teacher, trying to rebuild the confidence and career of a prima ballerina (Huime), somewhat over zealously. Hulme shows such innocence and fragility in one moment, and is boistrous and coquettish the next, it is hard to determine who out of the two is most damaged. Into this mix comes Gordon's psychologist, fresh from his own version of hell, after losing a patient at the hands of her deranged uncle, he sets out to redeem himself by trying to cure Elisa (Hulme) of her stage fright. Little by little, the madness that is inherant in the very walls of the house spreads to all concerned, bringing murder, decapitation and the aforementioned Owlman to a masterful and bloody conclusion. Dircted with panache and a real feel for the noire films that this draws so heavily upon by Lawrie Brewster, and with a soundtrack so evocative and creepy contributed by Joni Fuller, what you have here is a throwback to an age when scares were more in the mind and just out of view of the eye, rather than full-on total blood-bath crazy of todays horror movies. A welcome change to sit through and an immensely enjoyable trip back in time. Don't miss this. It is a real feast for the senses.

This movie is about some magical gloves or some nonsense with a lot of ballet as this Gordon guy whines and cries about his lover and eventual wife having delusions. The end is somewhat satisfying as he finally picks up some ballet moves of his own. 3/10.

The Black Gloves

Before I continue with the review let me just say that The Black Gloves is a VAST IMPROVEMENT over Brewster's previous Owlman film. The production value has exceptionally risen in terms of acting, cinematography, editing and visual storytelling. In his earlier work I was able to recognize moments of cleverness, significant ideas buried within and a unique voice peeking through. This is the first film I can confidently say that all those aspects have come into fruition.

Brewster returns to the story of the Owlman, this time blending gothic horror and noir with an arthouse aesthetic. At moments the film has a similar tone to the work of Jean Rollin, the way in which Brewster poeticizes death. At times it tends to have the visual feel of a gothic Bava film but leans more on the visual style of classic gothic films from Hollywood. I am pleased to say that his vision storytelling wise and visually is one of a kind and can't be compared to many directors, therefore creating a unique cinematic world.

Unlike Lord of Tears Brewster decides to utilize a more atmospheric approach to evoke the feeling of terror, which is effective and is complimented by black and white cinematography. The photography in this film is nothing short of gorgeous. I took note of Brewster's use of the wide angle lens and subtle dutch angles. As a cinematographer myself I highly admire that.

Lastly, I am happy that there is finally a "new monster" introduced into cinema. There has not been one that stood out to me that is considered significant since the days of 70's/80's horror (Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Jason etc.) The Owlman's visual look, and presence on screen is is appealing and leaves me wanting more..

Lawrie Brewster and Sarah Daly have now added the latest in their stunning horror films with The Black Gloves. A prequel (of sorts) to 2013's Lord of Tears, Hex Media revisits the lore of the Owlman and the infamous mansion in the countryside.

Continuing his tradition of art meets horror, Brewster decided to film the movie in black and white. The result is a noir-horror experience that evokes some of the same feelings as Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock.

Brewster's choice to shoot in this style brings horror back to its roots. No need for gore, creepy effects or jump scares - The Black Gloves uses classic effects and story to chill you.

One of the best aspects of this film, in contrast to its predecessors, is the prevalence of internal shots. Whereas The Unkindness of Ravens was mostly shot outdoors, and Tears split its time between areas, much of the Black Gloves is spent within the halls of that iconic mansion.

Clever use of camera angles and lighting create a haunting atmosphere that rivals more expensive films. From breezes blowing curtains to figures in silhouette, I can only imagine the nightmares I'd have staying there.

Daly's story gives a strong backbone to this film, a classic horror mystery that still surprises. The tale focuses on a psychologist, haunted by his former patient's death and visions, as he looks for answers from a former prima ballerina who has suffered great horrors.

Told in a classic form, Daly's script brings to life the madness of the two leads: the psychologist just starting his journey and the ballet instructor who's long since been there. Add in the ballerina herself, caught in the middle of this psychological and supernatural thriller, and the result is riveting.

Of equal importance is Brewster's direction, which creates visions and nightmare sequences that are almost Kubrickian in their genius. I particularly enjoyed one piece of imagery that made no sense until the end of the film, providing a moment of strange realization.

I continue to celebrate the wonder that is Jamie Scott Gordon, who portrays the psychologist, Finn Galloway. He brings such life, turmoil, and darkness to each of his roles and he carries these films, even when part of an ensemble.

Macarena Gómez is an excellent actor with a long list of accomplishments, but I had similar criticisms to those I had for Alexandra Hume in Lord of Tears. At times her melodramatic performance as the instructor, Lorena Velasco, pushes the limits (even for a noir film); yet, there are moments of brilliance, where she's wonderfully disturbing and compelling.

In contrast, I felt Ms. Hume's portrayal of the ballerina, Elisa Grey, reaches a new level. She conveys such emotion with few words, and when she speaks it adds gravity; even better is her dancing, particularly a disturbing sequence in the hallway towards the latter part of the film.

Brewster and Daly continue to produce fantastic films while never falling victim to the same tropes. Each of their movies stands apart as their own style, while still brilliantly marrying art and horror.

My only complaint is that Hex Media isn't over here in America, so I can't see their latest work until it's already on disc and sent over.

If you're reading this: please bring your filmmaking to the United States!

I give The Black Gloves a chilling 4 pliés out of 5.

I cant believe there are so many 8-9 star reviews on here. They must have watched a different movie. With all the raving about Moloch the Owl Man, he barely features in the movie at all. The overacting is so hammy and overwrought it was hard to watch. There are also some outrageously bad accents from the two leads, one Scottish, and the other, well I'm not quite sure what it was supposed to be. This definitely had a 50s B movie feel about it, but very little in the way of horror. The use of black and white only serves to highlight the inadequacies in the direction and effects. There is little in the way of storyline, apart from the a very basic one, and even that is disjointed and poorly delivered. All in all an extremely underwhelming effort.