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"New Life," directed by John Rosman, recalls David Cronenberg's early films like *Shivers* and *Rabid* with its blend of grotesque disease, dangerous infected, and a hint of corporate conspiracy. The story tracks Jessica (Hayley Erin), a fugitive harboring a lethal pathogen, pursued by Elsa (Sonya Walger), a fixer with ALS linked to a shadowy organization. Its slow tension builds to unsettling, Cronenberg-inspired horror, with practical effects showing bodies twisted by a primal plague.

Rosman echoes Cronenberg's knack for unease and bodily betrayal-think less *The Fly*'s transformation, more the raw paranoia of his earlier works. Jessica's flight and Elsa's fraying resolve add human weight, while the conspiracy lurks subtly in the background. The Pacific Northwest setting lends a stark chill, and a mid-film shift keeps it engaging, though it lacks Cronenberg's deeper bite.

"New Life" is an interesting watch, particularly for its nods to Cronenberg's early style. It's a solid debut with strong performances, offering a fresh take that fans of that era might appreciate, even if it doesn't fully match its predecessor's intensity.

A Flatline in Horror

*X-Ray* (a.k.a. *Hospital Massacre*), directed by Boaz Davidson, is a bewildering misfire in the slasher genre. Despite a decent premise, it fails to deliver scares, tension, or even unintentional laughs, leaving audiences stranded in a hospital of absurdity.

Davidson, whose other films often reflect his nostalgic preoccupations with his youth in Israel, brings none of that introspection here. Instead, *X-Ray* is a chaotic blend of paranoia and melodrama, with an over-the-top musical score that feels like it's trying to compensate for the film's lack of real suspense. The blaring, melodramatic crescendos are more exhausting than thrilling, making every scene feel like a miscalculated attempt to amplify tension.

The paranoia that runs through the film never builds into anything meaningful; instead, it feels like a hollow echo of greater themes, perhaps unintentionally gesturing at ideas about control or divine will-the kind of vague "Elohim" undertones that never materialize into anything coherent.

Barbi Benton is given little to work with, her performance reduced to wandering through implausible scenarios in a lifeless hospital setting. However, the few moments when the camera hovers near Benton's pelvic bone offer a strange and fleeting delight, an almost absurd reprieve from the rest of the film's tedium.

Even by the forgiving standards of '80s slashers, *X-Ray* is a disappointment: a loud, paranoid, and utterly forgettable mess.

This is a solid effort with strong character development and a semi-original story. The special effects, especially the practical ones, were outstanding-some of the best I've seen in a while. The CGI was good, though it could have been improved. The villain or monster was well-conceived, though the hunting sequences felt overly lucky. The film opens with a truck hitting a deer, so luck seems to play a big role in their game hunting. I didn't recognize any of the actors, but they all delivered excellent performances. There are some genuinely funny moments, including a scene involving a tick that was both hilarious and an effects masterpiece. The weakest aspect was the attempt to set the film in 1986; it didn't feel authentic to the era. The only 1980's thing was the pocket Simon. I would have believed it was 1996 instead, and if that had been the chosen setting, this would have been a perfect debut for director L. Van Dyke Siboutszen.