Month at the Movies: September

What a month at the movies September was! When you compare it to the massive disappointment that was the summer of 2016, the gap in quality is humongous. This is possibly the toughest list I have had to create as there was so much quality and I wouldn't want it any other way. I was fortunate to see 13 different movies this month in what was a very solid month overall.

If you aren't aware of this series, I pretty much go through the month and rank the movies that I saw that month based on a combination of quality and how much I enjoyed the film. So lets get into the list! 

13. Anthropoid

The only movie that I didn't particularly like this month was 'Anthropoid'. A very slow and uneventful build up made the film feel very tedious and downright boring. The finale is very solid but a poor start had already done the damage. Not the most compelling period drama you'll see and if you wanted to learn about the events surrounding 'Anthropoid', then you'd probably be best watching a documentary.

Final Verdict = C-

Check out my review for 'Anthropoid' here

12. Blair Witch

The surprise continuation of 'The Blair Witch Project' was a very mixed bag when it comes to a modern horror movie. There were many flaws in this movie, none other than the excessive use of terrible jump scares made this film hard to root for. However there are moments of genuine terror, including the final act that is truly frightening. An average horror movie that lacks consistency but still a reasonably enjoyable watch.

Final Verdict = C

Check out my review for 'Blair Witch' here

11. Ben-Hur

The remake of the highly successful and multiple Academy Award winner was always facing an uphill battle. It was hard to see what would actually be done better in this remake and it appeared to be true. Nothing was done particularly bad but with nothing being improved, it makes you question why it even happened. It would be harsh to say that this is a bad movie though, just pretty average.

Final Verdict = C+

Check out my review for 'Ben-Hur' here

10. The Infiltrator

Bryan Cranston delivers yet again, this time as Bob Mazzur who is infiltrating drug dealers, a different approach to the subject matter compared to 'Breaking Bad'. Unfortunately the film struggles to find focus and doesn't get that interesting until later on. Once it reaches that point, the film does burst into life having a very strong finish. It wasn't enough though to make this a great film but a reasonably good watch nonetheless.

Final Verdict = B-

Check out my review for 'The Infiltrator' here

9. Morgan

Morgan looked set to take the success of last years 'Ex_Machina' with impressive trailers that showed a Frankenstein's monster set up. Unfortunately, the film couldn't decide between going all out with the action or to use the effective slow build apparent in 'Ex_Machina'. Anya Taylor Joy shines again though showing why she's one of Hollywoods best young actresses, see her scene with Paul Giamatti for evidence. An entertaining film throughout that could've been so much more but unfortunately didn't completely deliver.

Final Verdict = B-

Check out my review for 'Morgan' here

8. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Tim Burton seems to have more misses than hits recently but thankfully, 'Miss Peregrine' was a step back on the right track for the visionary director. A fun film with that classic Burton darkness combined fairly well with the interesting characters really helping the film. These characters could have been explored deeper which was a missed opportunity and some poor CGI holds the film back from shining. Hopefully Burton can build on from this and get back to the heights he previously had reached.

Final Verdict = B-

Check out my review for 'Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children' here

7. The Girl With All The Gifts

Zombie movies are one of horrors sub genres that has been exposed to death recently to a stage where you think most ideas surrounding it have already been done. 'The Girl With All The Gifts' brings a fresh look at the genre with more intelligence featuring in the film, especially with the "hungries". Paddy Considine and Glenn Close are great in this film which isn't your normal look at a zombie film. There are some puzzling aspects within the film especially surrounding the creatures but overall, this is an entertaining, morally complex film.

Final Verdict = B

Check out my review for 'The Girl With All The Gifts' here

6. Kubo and the Two Strings

From Laika comes yet another great original story, this time disguised as a Japanese myth, 'Kubo and the Two Strings' is one of the most beautifully animated movies of recent times. A fun story with interesting characters made this easy to watch with great work from the voice actors. At times there were scenes that seemed to be filled with exposition that slowed it down and hurt it but nothing too severe to sabotage the quality of this film. If it wasn't for 'Zootropolis', this would probably be my top animated movie of the year.

Final Verdict = B

Check out my review for 'Kubo and the Two Strings' here

5. The Magnificent Seven

It seems as if remakes are a constant feature at the cinema these days but I cannot deny that I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Magnificent Seven'. A phenomenal cast where Ethan Hawke shines, the classic fun western feeling is captured magnificently well. Some great action set pieces make this is a film that the summer was crying out for and was delivered just too late. True entertainment with themes of revenge running through it, this is a remake done right.

Final Verdict = B

Check out my review for 'The Magnificent Seven' here

4. Don't Breathe

I love how great 2016 has been for horror movies. 'Don't Breathe' can be added to the list of great horror movies as it's intriguing premise and dark twist work very effectively. Another example of how modern horror should be made, 'Don't Breathe' was a low budget success that deserves more attention. Tense throughout with great filmmaking aspects makes this a film that appeals to more than just your horror fans. Be sure to see this one if you can.

Final Verdict = B+

Check out my review for 'Don't Breathe' here

3. Deepwater Horizon

Based on the 2010 BP oil spill, 'Deepwater Horizon' is one of the most powerful movies of the year. It tells the story of the crew where 11 men died on that unfortunate night and director Peter Berg displayed the horror and braveness that occurred. Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell and John Malkovich all do great jobs in making this film even more impactful in a film which shows a side of the story that wasn't documented so well. A true disaster film that did a great job of portraying these men as the heroes they are on the Hollywood screen.

Final Verdict = A-

Check out my review for 'Deepwater Horizon' here

2. Hunt For The Wilderpeople

Perhaps the best comedy of the year has once again came out of the wacky and brilliant mind of Taika Waititi. The story follows the incredible journey of a young wannabe gangster and a grumpy Sam Neill in the New Zealand wilderness and the results are fantastic. Funny throughout the whole film, this film really is one that has snuck up on audiences. Again, this film needs more attention and is well and truly worth seeing.

Final Verdict = A-

Check out my review for 'Hunt For The Wilderpeople' here

'Blair Witch' Review

In 1999, the world was shocked by 'The Blair Witch Project' as the horror film introduced a new frightening found footage style. Many thought that this film was real footage which was helped by one of the best ever advertising campaigns for a movie ever. 17 years later, it seems as if the tale of 'The Blair Witch' is still alive as 'Blair Witch' is now here to test its hand at scaring audiences worldwide.

James (James Allan McCune) wants to explore the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland after new footage of his sister Heather emerged online. She went missing years ago and tales of the Blair Witch were heavily linked but nothing could prove this or find the remains of Heather. Along with some friends, they gain the help of two locals as they look to find James' sister whilst also filming a documentary. As the night goes on, they realise that the legend is not only true, but much more sinister than they could have possibly imagined.

For months, this film was packaged as 'The Woods' before it was revealed as 'Blair Witch' at Comic Con. Apparently, the film has been in production for five years which makes it one of the best kept secrets in Hollywood today. Following pretty much the same story as the original, 'Blair Witch' showcases both what is good in horror but also what makes the genre unbearable at times.

To start on a positive note, 'Blair Witch' at times is most definitely unsettling. The dark settings of the woods are things of nightmares and the film does a great job of creating a creepy atmosphere. Clever sound editing makes you feel startled by the slightest of things such as twigs snapping or little movements in the trees, which really plays with your mind. This leads you to be on edge, as it creates tension with you expecting to be frightened by something that can come out of anywhere. The atmosphere is eery throughout which proves to be really effective throughout the film.

However, the film unfortunately uses similar techniques to be incredibly lazy throughout the movie. One of the main gripes about horror movies is to do with the use of jump scares, mainly false ones. This will consist of something not really that scary happening but a huge noise goes off that pierces your ears giving you a fright. The scene isn't scary, the noise just makes you jump without the film actually doing anything. This happens so many times in 'Blair Witch' and it really stops this movie from excelling. There are so many moments when the characters will jump in front of the camera and shout "Hey" to get the attention of their friends creating very cheap jump scares. They constantly use this as well, not even freshening the scare up with something else. Incredibly lazy and really disappointing to see.

The film follows six young adults who each are fairly bland. The main protagonist James is motivated by his sisters disappearance but, that is really the only thing that we learn about his character. No traits or qualities of interest really come into play which can be said about the others. James' potential love interest Lisa (Callie Hernandez) is a little better as she is a filmmaker and overall a decent person. However, she again isn't that interesting and the relationship between her and James seems abrupt as it fails to convince you that they could be a pairing. Lisa however does provide a good reason to how these events are being filmed, giving a fresh and understandable look into the found footage style.

 Brandon Scott and Corbin Reid make up the couple of Peter and Ashley, both being fairly disposable characters. Neither are likeable and don't possess any good qualities rather than being rude and whiny before they even come into course with the 'Blair Witch'. That leaves us with the pair of locals, Talia (Valorie Curry) and Lane (Wes Robinson). With this pair comes to the two opposite ends of the spectrum. Talia has pretty much nothing to do in the film, doing nothing memorable or useful for that matter. Lane however, is by far the most interesting character, carrying a shroud of mystery with him which keeps you questioning about him. You are unsure about what he is really like which adds an extra something to the film as you don't know what to expect from him. It's a shame that the film didn't take more of an advantage with this as they could have looked to do something slightly different with the tale.

The last twenty minutes of the film are really its saving grace. As you get sick and tired of the terrible jump-scares, you finally get what you wanted from the movie: genuinely scary moments. The finale really pays off as you are gripped by the movie as it gives you what you wanted all along. Scary and tense provides a great ending to a horror film that looked to be going the completely wrong way. It's also a shame to see this as you see the capabilities of the creators in this film as they create scenes and situations that are frightening.

Overall, 'Blair Witch' is a pretty average horror movie due to the extreme differences in quality at times. Some weak characters and cheap scares could have made this completely unbearable. However, the film is saved by great sound editing and an ending that works incredibly well. A strange watch due to this as 'Blair Witch' brings both the good and bad in the horror genre..

Final Verdict =

So have you seen 'Blair Witch'? If so what did you think of it? I hope that this review was useful for if you were planning on seeing the movie. Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my review, it is much appreciated!

By Angus McGregor