By |

Hola folks! 

It has been a WHILE! But after some time off from the podcast and to take care of a couple personal matters, we are back to blogging! And I want to start off with a general disclaimer that having watched a bunch of horror over the last month, I have become increasingly disillusioned with the genre as a whole. And I feel like it’s me! My opinions on some of the more recent films that have come out differ widely from the popular opinion. But I also think I know why… 

Films like Malignant and The Night House were high on my watch list for several reasons. But I came away from both disappointed and also concerned. Disappointed because I had expected a different movie in both cases and concerned about the direction that horror is heading in in general. I’ve learned that allegorical films like The Power or Relic do nothing for me. And I think therein lies my gripe with the current state of horror. 

I enjoy the genre because I like the feeling of being scared. In a very similar way to how people enjoy roller coasters, horror films give me a thrill that I don’t even have to move for! But I feel that today’s films are moving in a direction that almost requires writers and directors to create an entirely new sub genre. To put this point into context, it’s like going on that roller coaster you always enjoy but midway through, the ride slows and you have to complete a rorschach test.

Horror these days seems to want to do too much with a genre that is designed to do one thing. I miss the scars damnit! Again, I am aware that I sound like an old man that refuses to accept the gradual change that occurs with anything over time. And maybe I am, but I also refuse to believe that there are no filmmakers out there who feel the way I do and will continue to make films like Hell House LLC and Insidious. 

I apologize for this longer than intended intro rant, but it is a major reason why the films I’m covering today are not the most recent. However, that takes nothing away from the fact that I, as someone who watches a lot of film, hadn’t seen any of them until a few days ago. The main thread connecting each is the found footage way in which they are shot, but apart from that, each of these films were well done in their own right. So without further adieu, let’s get to the scary stuff!

The first film I happened upon is the newest of the bunch and was strikingly original in my humble opinion. It’s called The Medium and I actually brought it up a couple of posts ago. It follows a Thai film crew who is making a documentary about a medium named Nim. Nim supposedly embodies the spirit of a local deity. But their film takes a hard right when it becomes abundantly clear that her niece, Mink, has become possessed by not just one but hundreds of evil entities. The final act is a showdown between a possessed Mink and a shaman friend of Nim’s.

I won’t give too much away here but there are a few scenes during Mink’s possession that are truly chilling. She also boils a dog alive which, the dog lover in me had to turn away from. And given that last little tidbit, this film will also work for those horror junkies out there who prefer a heaping helping of blood and gore. The Medium offers a little something for everyone and apart from that, it’s shot beautifully and captures the rustic beauty of northern Thailand. It came out in 2021 and you can catch it on Shudder and Amazon Prime Video.

The next film I want to cover is the South Korean flick, Warning: Do Not Play. This little ditty follows a young horror film director looking for inspiration for her next movie. During the process, she hears about a banned horror film that premiered at a college festival. She tracks down the student who directed it and they have a sit down to discuss the movie, but in so many ominous words and warnings he tells her to forget about it. She then breaks into his home and steals the original copy only to unlock a reel of terror and tragedy. 

Sure, the old cursed film gimmick has been done before, but given my opening statement, I don’t need anyone to reinvent the wheel. The scares are good and the story is intriguing. In fact, it unravels more like a mystery than it does an in your face horror film. It’s subtle in its own way but when you’re close to thinking, “This isn’t that scary…” it drops a fright right in your lap.I watched Warning: Do Not Play on Amazon but since it came out in 2019, I’m sure you can find it in several places. 

The final film I want to talk about is, I feel, the strongest of all the contenders on this list. It’s not often I have to turn away from the screen during a horror movie. However, The Borderlands (or Final Prayer as it’s called in America) made me do just that. This panic inducing flick follows a group of investigators from the Vatican who are sent to a church in South West England that is rumored to be the site of a miracle. However, that miracle turns out to be something entirely different than your traditional weeping statue.

The Borderlands is great for a multitude of reasons, the first being Gray Parker. Gray is the comedic counterpart to his unhumourous comrade named Deacon. Even in it’s darker moments, Gray provides some levity and keeps the other characters grounded. Horror films that utilize comedy well are few and far between so to say I was impressed by how well Robin Hill played Gray’s character says a lot. 

The second is of course the scares. If you’re a fan of jumpscares like myself, then you will enjoy this film. They are not overly done or thrown in unnecessarily but used at the exact right moment. And while I will not give any spoilers, I did say there was a scene that made me turn my head… It happens when Deacon goes back to the church by himself, at night, after the priest committs suicide. 

And finally, if you enjoy a movie with a good if not bizarre twist at the end, then this is also the one for you. The Borderlands spends a fair portion of the film in the good/evil/demons/angels realm. But there comes a point in the third act where you realize that what they are dealing with is something that sits outside the realm of traditional religious circles. However, this is not to the detriment of the film and reminded me of the end scene in A Dark Song where you’re (at least I was) baffled as to what is happening on screen. This sucker came out in 2013 so you can probably watch it almost anywhere (I caught it on Amazon Prime).  

All in all, in a time where horror has taken a dip in quality for my own personal tastes, these three flicks gave me hope that the genre will continue to provide purists like myself with unfiltered horror that isn’t diluted with too much subplot or allegory. 

I hope to get back to posting weekly like I did prior to the launch of The Grave but life is hectic at the moment! Between moving into a new house, renovating, a fifteen-month-old, a day job, the podcast and life in general, time is a rare thing to have much of these days. So, please bear with me during this turbulent time and I promise, I will post when I can. And as always, stay tuned for some more creep content… whenever that happens.

❤

Josh