Intense thrillers involving the government and the military conspiracies sounds like something straight out of Hollywood blockbuster, but this time, the focus is on Africa. The one man against the world, trying to save his family is a trope that is used across all genres and we’re all very familiar with it, but this is refreshing take from South African writer/director, Travis Taute who is getting flex his feature film muscles.
Full review can be read over at Filmhounds HERE.
Often short films can capture the strange and bizarre far better than a feature can. In those few minutes we can enter a universe, a home, a being and feel completely warped by what we’ve witnessed. Fantasia Film Festival always has a selection of delightfully and sometimes downright disturbing to offer in their short programme. Highlighting a selection here that really do leave you wanting more.
The Lovers (Dir. Avra Fox-Learner, USA)
A woman with an over dependant roommate feels as if her relationship might hinder her new found romance. Sharing her thoughts, neither knows where this afternoon will lead them.
Whenever a tarot deck appears in a film, there is a sense that we’re not actually meant to know what the reading really means. Here, it is a teaser as one card lays unturned until the gruesome end, taunting us with what it means to the two women. The rather cute set up and sweet hand holding in the park, lulls us into a false sense of security and how we think this story will go. But the third act is so nonchalant, its perfect.
Puss (Dir. Leah Shore, USA)
Stuck in her apartment during the pandemic, Samantha, lonely and horny as hell, tries to find ways get to laid before she goes crazy.
As we are living through this pandemic and having suffered lockdown, some of us still in this situation, we all know how frustrating it is to not do the things you would do with no restrictions. Samantha’s relatable struggles will hit home to many people and find the absolute true humour in her behaviour and her avenues to try to get laid. When the story takes a turn for the very weird indeed, its almost a shock when it turns out its not all a vivid dream she’s having. Although slightly off key, this fantastical element that appears near the end is entertaining enough to pull off.
The Last Word (Dir. Lucas Warin, France)
A writer struggles to write when he discovers he has a certain power.
The classic, writer sits alone in a café trying to write something but keeps crossing out all their idea, or in short, the struggling writer keeps failing, isn’t new but if a writer is the focus, there is a million things that could be created. In this case, the writer’s ability to conjure in front of him what he writes is a fun little story. But this is very much like a certain Ruby Sparks but in a much smaller scale. Thankfully the cruel playful twist at the end makes up for this slightly unoriginal story.
Sexy Furby (Dir. Nicole Daddona, USA)
After the death of her beloved father, a reclusive girl living in the picturesque countryside decides to take her own life, only to have her life changed suddenly by an encounter with a man sized Furby.
This story is as bizarre as it sounds. In such a short time frame, so much is layered between the scenes, you want to try and take every little detail in because you want to make sure you actually saw what is happening. Told near completely through voiceover except for a few spoken lines at the end, this story about a girl who tries to kill herself but is distracted by the presence of a man sized Furby is nothing but entertaining. Played out like a melodrama complete with dramatic close ups and Vaseline on the lens, as well a conversion to Jesus and with a sinister pizza cutter ritual, Sexy Furby is a rare beast of a film, beast intended. A mixture of horror, dark comedy and the weirdest of the weird fantasy, this makes you excited to see what else director Nicole Daddona has in store next.
These days it’s rare to come across a film without having any prior knowledge of it. With posters, trailers, stills and various degrees of social media coverage, you can find out so much about a film before you even see it in the cinema. Or at home. The Beta Test was shrouded in mystery after it was selected at Berlinale and secured distribution which is what has given this film its edge. On the surface, it seems like similar stories about the wealthy and obnoxious pawns of Hollywood who swan around acting like they own the town until one small thing makes them stumble but it’s the execution of this strange tale that makes it stand out from all those other stories and makes you wonder, what’s really going on.
Full review and coverage over at Filmhounds HERE.
Despite having doubts Natalie goes ahead with her wedding to Bakkies, but after an unexpected violent incident, Natalie seeks refuge with her beloved horse only to end up accidently shooting someone. Panicked, she seeks help from her best friend Poppie, now heavily pregnant and also eager to escape their small town. Meanwhile police officer Captain Beauty Cuba who awaited the arrival of her fiancé who is being released from prison after 15 years, only to find out he’s be accused of murder again. Beauty soon pieces together what has happened and is hot the girls heals has they ride for Johannesburg and freedom.
Full review is over at Filmhounds HERE.
One day director Alice Lenay notices that the camera on her computer flashes red on and off several times then suddenly stops. Wondering whether this is a hacker, a ghost, a spirit, she decides to investigate through a serious of conversations with friends and acquaintances. Sharing their ideas of what this red light could be, what does this possible hacker want and trying to communicate back and whether it is a good idea.
Full review and coverage is over at Filmhounds HERE.
Ghosts are real. At least that that is what we have to accept in Martyrs Lane. As the apparitions we witness are no actually named as ghosts. It is clear from the start that something haunts this family at the centre of the story but never setting in stone that this is a supernatural focused story. Never getting the whole picture with explanations to certain actions, no matter how small, coming a lot later in the film.
Full review and coverage over at Filmhounds HERE.
Nicolas Cage has become his own genre, his legacy proceeds him and with each film he appears in, you never really know what to expect. Whether it will be an action thriller with blood, guts and pain or if he will turn to the strong silent character actor. His unpredictability is what draws us to the screen to watch him in whatever he is doing next. The film may be called Pig, but this is most definitely a Nicolas Cage opus.
Full review and coverage over at Filmhounds HERE.
In a secluded haven, far away from the city, the Glasshouse serves as a sanctuary for a chosen few. Years after a debilitating disease, The Shred, which causes memory loss has affected most of the people on the planet, a family lives within the safety of the house. Growing planets for oxygen for just the five of them, they protect their home by shooting any intruders. But when the eldest, B, takes in a stranger believing they may know where their lost brother is, each family member start to question whether they really are safe in their Glasshouse.
Full review is over at Filmhounds HERE.
Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break is that latest fresh view on the desire to be famous but with a humorous British twist. There will be dancing, there will be blood and there will be glitter, at all costs.
Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.
Adaptations can be hit and miss no matter the genre, even if they have a good story at the heart. True stories can be manipulated and changed to have a more cinematic edge. But Zola is a whole other hybrid. This is where adaptations and true stories collide in a brightly coloured neon mess and it’s a thrill ride that doesn’t include a mass load of action sequences. Just like Zola herself says, it is kind of long but full of suspense.
Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.