
The horror genre has historically always been a great asset for studios aiming to cash out quickly, but it has also been a realm through which greatly talented filmmakers have been able to venture into the larger film industry. Since expenditure is more moderate, horror films allow plenty of opportunities for creativity for the filmmakers and the studios. Moreover, the fact that the genre has a loyal following helps since fans tend to go for the offering regardless of its standard. But this year has been rough riding for horror, with multiple high-budget features underperforming at the box office. The one positive is that this has enabled several smaller films from independent distributors to make their mark.
This Halloween, here is a set of quirky newer horror films that caught our attention in one way or the other. While one of them has an iconic central role played by Nicolas Cage, another one managed to reawaken the dead mockumentary genre. In no particular order, here are five of the best ones of the lot.
Longlegs, which was directed by Oz Perkins, triumphed in domestic sales as the most commercially successful feature film distributed by the art-house distributor Neon. As always, doubts about Nicolas Cage’s faith seem strategically misplaced. It was eerie but bizarrely charming to see Cage as a serial killer. Though only giving the character limited on-screen time, the film focused more on him. The movie character was dwarfed by the larger-than-life Longlegs, who scored memorable make-up and a tragic context a horrendous figure the audience warmed to immediately. It was impressive how the slow-burn style of the film, which was accented by an extensive homage to The Silence of the Lambs, served to deepen the already complex plot.
There was a time not long ago when mockumentaries took Hollywood by storm; Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield were quite the box office giants. But, as with many trends, so too this one had a relenting crescendo followed by a prolonged dip. Late Night with the Devil was in no way a smash hit, but for its distributor, IFC, it was a gold mine. The plot follows the events after a host tapes an episode with a girl who is probably possessed by Satan himself.
Sweeney is known for her breakout performance in the HBO series Euphoria and following immediately after with a romantic comedy film Anyone But You. Not so long after her blockbuster theatrical run in the film, she starred in an Immaculate. The film follows the story of an American nun who is sent to Italy to an Abbess in order to assist in delivering softly the devil’s child. Immaculate is said to have plots similar to that of The First Omen, which came out around the same period. What elevates Immaculate, however, is Sweeney’s powerful performance in the central role and the bloody stunning conclusion of the movie.
Mammootty played Bramayugam in a film directed by, Boracay Sadasivan. The director created waves with his talents first witnessed in a Malayalam horror movie Bhoothakaalam few years back and raised the bar with his subsequent offering of a black yl white folk horror film Bramayugam where the magician Ghatak astoundingly played by Mammootty. It concentrated on harrowing issues like self-sabotage, gender violence, and haunting memories of one fatm. Even with an absence of jump scares and other obvious signs of a mainstream horror flick, the movie was successful at the box office as well.
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