Movie Reviews
Movie Review: 'Trap' – Catholic Review
![Movie Review: 'Trap' – Catholic Review Movie Review: 'Trap' – Catholic Review](https://catholicreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/review-trap.jpg)
NEW YORK (OSV News) – Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan can be credited with a certain degree of originality in the crafting of his thriller “Trap.” And, though the film as a whole turns out to be an odd mix of interesting plot twists and yawning improbabilities, there’s little on screen that would bar older teens from reaching into this cinematic grab bag.
Can a brutal serial killer successfully double as a suburban family man? As far as seemingly devoted dad Cooper (Josh Hartnett) is concerned, the answer is yes. Among those buying into his act is his typical-teen daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue).
To reward Riley for an outstanding report card, Cooper brings her to a concert by her favorite pop star, Lady Raven (Saleka Night Shyamalan). As Riley enthuses over the music, Cooper notices that an unusual number of police officers seem to be present at the event.
He eventually discovers that the authorities, led by profiler Dr. Josephine Grant (Hayley Mills), had obtained a clue indicating he would be there and now have him completely surrounded. Time for some quick thinking.
Is the idea that a psychopath could carry on healthy loving relationships such as Cooper has with Riley, his wife Rachel (Alison Pill) and his young son Logan (Lochlan Miller) intriguing or merely absurd? Certainly the origin story of Cooper’s madness – he’s haunted by visions of his overbearing mother (Marcia Bennett) — is straight out of Freud’s bargain basement.
So the proceedings come across as more than a bit muddled. And the concert scenes go on too long as well. But the action is restrained, objectionable elements are few and, to the extent that any message is conveyed, it’s that decent people can be almost as resourceful as a homicidal maniac.
The film contains mature themes, brief harsh violence, a few gory images, a couple of instances each of profanity and crass talk, numerous milder oaths and a single rough term. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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Movie Reviews
‘AIR FRYER SLAUGHTER’ (2024) – Movie Review – PopHorror
![‘AIR FRYER SLAUGHTER’ (2024) – Movie Review – PopHorror ‘AIR FRYER SLAUGHTER’ (2024) – Movie Review – PopHorror](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/airfryerslaughterbanner.jpg)
Air Fryers are one of the most appreciated and streamlined cooking inventions in modern history. Not since the George Foreman grill have we seen so many people swear by a new kitchen trend. But what if the Air Fryer became an instrument of destruction with bad intentions? That’s the question we answer in Air Fryer Slaughter, the newest cult horror comedy by MMH Productions.
That’s about all we’ve got when it comes to plot, but there’s still plenty that will satisfy fans of Troma-style horror. Air Fryer Slaughter has an impressive array of violence on display, that results in a showcase for the SFX department. Eyes are poked out, faces melted, and body parts fly as our bulky antagonist moves impressively from place to place. Air Fryer is framed much like Freddy Krueger, with puns and quips to go with his trail of dead bodies.
But Air Fryer isn’t just a mechanical maniac, he’s also a viewer to a television reel that hosts a lot of cameos from indie horror standouts. Destruction must also be hard work, because Air Fryer goes on a few sexual quests as well, adding some nudity and laughs to our list of classic horror tropes.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/rsz_afs_2-2-450x600.jpg)
Air Fryer Slaughter is shot on video and seems to leave the door open for sequels and spinoffs in a shared world of schlocky cult horror. Fans of this sub-genre will certainly find this as a worthy addition. It’s available now on DVD.
Movie Reviews
The Substance – NZIFF Closing Night 13th Floor Film Review
![The Substance – NZIFF Closing Night 13th Floor Film Review The Substance – NZIFF Closing Night 13th Floor Film Review](https://13thfloor.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Shamin-225x300.png)
The 13th Floor’s Shamin Yazdani has been busy sitting in the dark, catching as many NZIFF as she can including The Substance on Closing Night. Here is her review and a summary of what was good and not so good at the Film Festival.
And just like that, my NZIFF experience (and selection of auteur films) comes to an end with the closing night film, The Substance.
During the film’s introduction, the audience is forewarned that we are in for a wild ride and to expect to be on the edge of our seats. In my version of events however, it’s a ride worth skipping and a seat worth ejecting.
Better on paper than on screen, the concept of The Substance, while strong, is met with weak execution by filmmaker Coralie Fargeat. Some very salient and relevant issues are acknowledged in the movie (namely aging, conflicting ideologies between the new and older generation/s, the way in which we (women?) contort ourselves in the pursuit of unattainable perfection, “the grass is greener” etc) but ultimately Fargeat falls short in examining these concepts in any meaningful way. She instead leans into lazy tropes, endorses and perpetuates the male gaze through the uninspired fetishisation of the female body, and in the final act, takes an unexpected turn into absurdist territory, which doesn’t land. It drones on in a self-indulgent attempt to provoke and shock for little reason other than to be memorable, and that’s not a good enough reason to waste two hours and 20 minutes of anyone’s time. TL;DR what it delivers in aesthetic it lacks in substance. How meta!
The Silver Lining – the closing night film was by no means a reflection of the calibre of this year’s selections (and hopefully not an indication of 2025’s lineup)! My ratings:
We Were DangerousXXXx
Head South XXXX
The Crossing XXXX
Sasquatch Sunset XXXXx
Eno XXX
The Substance XXx
Shamin Yazdani
Shamin is an Iranian New Zealander and multi-hyphenate creative engaged in storytelling across diverse mediums and platforms. She began her professional journey in the UAE and London, steadily advancing to creative producing in broadcast television. Shamin’s contributions in film and creative direction have featured on various platforms and publications including BBC World News, Vogue Arabia, Elle Arabia, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia, The Gulf Film Festival, MENA Film Festival, and London Shubbak Festival.
Movie Reviews
Here’s What People Are Posting On Letterboxd After Watching “It Ends With Us”
![Here’s What People Are Posting On Letterboxd After Watching “It Ends With Us” Here’s What People Are Posting On Letterboxd After Watching “It Ends With Us”](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2024-08/19/20/enhanced/19eb4a8df6c2/original-608-1724099770-2.jpg?crop=1245:651;3,89%26downsize=1250:*)
Since It Ends With Us was recently released in theaters, the book adaptation has garnered a lot of attention for the way it was marketed to audiences, as well as the alleged drama that unfolded between the cast and the film’s director. But while a lot of people have opinions about these above topics, what about the movie itself? Well, let’s just say people have a lot of thoughts. Below, we rounded up some of the most opinionated Letterboxd reviews of It Ends With Us:
Note: We provided copies of the reviews underneath the images just in case the text is hard to read.
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