The Surfer - London Film Festival

 

Though The Surfer is quite rightly a psychological thriller, there are elements of horror that creep in and feel all too like well-trodden tropes that are used time and time again in other films of the same genre. After the event, The Surfer seems oddly placed at Cannes, where it screened earlier this year. 

When a surfer (Nicolas Cage), hoping to buy a house in the desired location, Luna Bay, has an altercation with a group of aggressive locals, his situation begins to deteriorate rapidly.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Conclave - London Film Festival

 

When it comes to stories set in or centred around the Catholic Church, there is an expectation. Either a horror, cheap or classy or a story about faith. Conclave touches upon the crisis of faith but it is never delves too deep. Instead, and most refreshingly, Conclave is a thriller with elements of a murder mystery, except with no murder, but intense one the less. 

When the Holy Father dies, there is a vacuum left behind. Cardinals scrabble to secure votes who they believe is the right candidate. It is left to Cardinal Lawrence, the Dean of the College, to organise Conclave, where all the cardinals are summoned to choose the next Pope. But through secrets and sabotage, Lawrence discovers the favourites each have something to hide. But will it be too late to before the wrong person to chosen to be Pope. 

From the very start, there is a sense of loss and ambition in the air. As some cardinals close to the late Pope grieve, others have already rallied votes in preparation of Conclave. This very clearly establishes the tone of the film, this is not about religion, thankfully. The intrigue and suspicion is set and it is left to Lawrence, played with absolute reverence and stability by Ralph Fiennes, to investigate along with his colleague, Monsignor Raymond O’Malley to find out exactly what the cardinals are planning. Each cardinal represents a faction of the church, each vying for control, wanting change or waiting to continue the late Pope’s work. It is continuously noted by several characters, these men are not perfect, they are all flawed.

The Gutter - London Film Festival

 

It’s been a long while since we’ve had decent sports film that wasn’t about mainstream sports. When it comes to bowling films, Kingpin and The Big Lebowski comes to mind, even though the latter isn’t about the sport it only features. Always angled as an American pastime and a fun hobby or something to do with friends on a Friday night, The Gutter manages to keep this image alive as well as creating the most ridiculous and hilarious scenarios and characters that have been seen on the big screen in a long while. 

When Walt accepts a job at AlleyCatz, a dive bowling alley, he discovers he’s a naturally gifted bowler. Along with ex-pro bowler herself, Skunk, a frequent drinker at the alley’s bar, they decide to hit the road to take part in tournaments. But when legendary champion Linda Carsen hears of Walt’s success, she decides to come out of retirement and put him in his place. 

The lack of actual laugh out loud films being made and more importantly, being seen is quite low. Aside from the narrative, the most important aspect of the film is the comedy, then maybe bowling. Directors Isaiah Lester and Yassir Lester know exactly what they’re doing. Casting their friends they’ve made working on different shows and through stand up, the array of comedic and dramatic talent alike really makes this film, as well as the fantastic costumes, particularly worn by Walt. Holding the plot up with their excellent off beat chemistry, Shameik Moore as Walt (no last name) and D’Arcy Carden as Skunk are highly entertaining. Susan Sarandon is also highly affective as the cold-hearted legendary bowling champion, who scenes steals without lifting a finger. 

The comedy, no matter how ridiculous, is non-stop, literally from the opening shot to the final showdown. The Gutter is an absolutely delight, and actual breath of fresh air amongst the mediocre offerings that get left by the studios. The real gems are always found exactly where some of the jokes from the film are found and the name of the film.

Timestalker

 

Alice Lowe’s debut feature, Prevenge (2016), is a comedy slasher that is revered amongst horror (and comedy) fans. Having also co-wrote Sightseers (2012), the black comedy about two caravaners who go on a murder spree, there was some expectation about what to expect from Lowe next. A historical science fictional rom-com like Timestalker was definitely not on the bingo card. 

Throughout the centuries, Agnes falls in love with the same man, and each time ends up dying, only to be reincarnated to relive the same scenario. Trapped in what feels like a never-ending loop, she must come to terms with the truth staring in the face the whole time.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Unit 234: The Lock Up

 

Storage units can offer a wealth of surprises, usually of the unexpected variety, or those that will haunt you for weeks. For such a mundane location, films that heavily use or are set in storage units need to have one hell of a narrative to keep the story going. Usually a horror or a thriller, you’d never have a rom-com set exclusively at a storage unit, with fair few unscrupulous characters and a twist that you may see coming, but at least you were entertained. Unit 234: The Lock Up is just entertaining enough that you can forgive its benign location. 

Laurie, owner of a remote storage facility, once run by her parents, ends up working the night shift after her plans fall through. After becoming suspicious of a very persistent man, claiming to own a unit, Laurie discovers an unconscious man locked in Unit 234. The man, Clayton, is chained to a gurney and missing a kidney. Laurie finds herself having to fight off a dangerous gang who are determined to retrieve Clayton, by any means necessary.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

The Substance

 

There is so much to absolutely love and admire about The Substance, as well get frustrated over and grumble about. The general consensus with the film seems to be that is it gloriously bloody, disgusting for sure yet the narrative is questionable. But the praise for the performances for both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley is consistent, they are superb. Having won the Best Screenplay at Cannes 2024 and the intriguing teaser making the rounds, there was a buzz around the film and expectation on how this body horror would shape up. 

When Elizabeth Sparkle, award winning actress and decades long host of an aerobics show, is fired on her 50th birthday, she makes a drastic desperate decision. She is offered a black-market drug, the Substance, which produces a younger, more attractive version of herself, thus giving her another shot at holding the spotlight. But after her alternative self takes advantage of the strict rules, resulting in devastating non changeable effects to her original body, things go from bad to monstrous. 

Going by director Coralie Fargeat’s first feature, Revenge, you are right to expect enough blood spilt that the entire set will be painted red. Where Revenge was literally what it said on the poster, The Substance is more up for debate and there are far more questions to be answered throughout the film, as well as not all of them being answered. This strange bizarre satirical body horror (with some science fiction thrown in) boasts a fascinating concept but with a 2-hour 20-minute run time, there is far too much indulgence gore and crotch shots with less focus on the narrative. 

Shooting from disorientating angles, making use of the long corridor at the studio and the choice of close ups to really express the most disgusting moments, made for an intriguing film. All coupled with the concept of the drug and the complicated rules. A stand out scene in the film is most avidly the birthing of Sue, Elizabeth’s younger version. The ripping of skin and extracting of fluids, the film became a visceral treat for the eyes even before any large amounts of blood was spilled. With a large focus on the characters’ bodies, their stark pale skin against the white titled floors was especially pleasing, design wise, to view on screen. As the film progresses though, so does the body gore, particularly the end section. But all this blood and disturbing images hold a purpose, the themes at the heart of the film, image and beauty. Though Elizabeth Sparkle is still beautiful, her image is outdated and considered too old to even be considered for a revamp of the show. Enter Sue, young, beautiful, wears that pink one piece with ease and is able to pelvic thrust throughout the show without batting an eye. Though we get to see, quite obviously its about beauty standards and how women are treated but at the core of the film is Elizabeth and how she views herself. At one point, after the effects of the drug have take its toll on her, she stops referring to Sue as someone else as she has throughout the story. She finally admits out loud that she hates herself, which may explain her finally grotesque form. There could have been a deeper dive into her psyche but there is only a strange acceptance of herself, eventually, but one that is met with a reaction you see coming a mile off. 

Both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley do give fantastic performances, the former especially during her French cooking phase in the film. Fargeat’s idea is in danger of being better than the execution, but there is more merit the film than there is to be disgusted by.