Movie Review - Companion

Director: Drew Hancock
Genre: Science Fiction/ Thriller
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Rupert Friend, Harvey Guillen
 
Description: A weekend getaway with friends at a remote cabin turns into a chaos after it’s revealed that one of the guests is not what they seem.
 
Review: “Companion” is a crazy genre mix full of plot twists and ingenious jokes. So it goes without saying that the film is best enjoyed without any prior knowledge.
 
A group of young people go away for the weekend to a remote house, where things don’t go as planned. The sweet, somewhat naïve Iris is tagging along with her new boyfriend Josh to spend it with his friends. It becomes clear early on that the film is set in a near future. AI has taken off an become an integral part of society. Josh has a self-driving car, that is operated by his voice. The on-board computer does the rest. It takes a bit longer to realize that there is more than a hint of unease in the relationship between Iris and Josh. While she idealizes their relationship as a model of romantic perfection, he is more of a rough-and-ready type. When Irisi indicates that she is a little nervous about meeting his his friends, who don’t really like her, Josh dismisses her concerns with a lighthearted ‘everything will be fine, just don’t be weird’.   
 
The tone is set for the weekend when they arrive and here to come are many plot twists. And when you think there can not be anymore surprises, there are. Jack Quaid is really good I his role, as a bit of a jerk to the mostly likeable characters he usually plays. But a round of applause for Sophie Thatcher. What a wonderful performance!
 
I really loved this film, it’s unique and original and just kept surprising. And Thacher really stole the show. But please, go see this film without watching the trailer.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Heretic

Director: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Hugh Grant, Topher Grace

Description: Two young religious women (Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East) are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a strange man (Hugh Grant).

Review: Two young women go door to door to spread their religion. Many people do no appreciate such practices, let alone take them seriously. Consequently, the task of sisters Barnes and Paxton is difficult. Who would allow themselves to be convinced of a controversial faith in an afternoon? Yet that doesn’t stop the women from passionately proclaiming their beliefs.

In the pouring rain, sisters Barnes and Paxton finally knock on the door of Mr. Reed. He seems to be the only one open to their story. Mr. Reed is not easily persuaded, however; he has done thorough research on several religions.

The whole setting creates a strong sense of unease. Although Barnes and Paxton calmly answer the critical questions, the atmosphere is uncomfortable. Mr. Reed says his wife is baking a cake, but she never shows; Reef himself does not have the best social skills and asks some sensitive questions.

Hugh Grant, as Reid, undoubtedly steals the show. He has a perfect balance of charisma, charm and obnoxiousness. Despite his likeable demeanor, he is intimidating and convincing as a psychopathic bad guy.

The concept of “Heretic” is entertaining, but lacks some depth. Directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods attempt to provide profound insights into religious dogma via Reed’s sadistic cat-and-mouse game, but unfortunately don’t get beyond surface level.  

The cinematography stood out to me, especially an impressive shot in which one of the sisters appears to be running through a miniature version of the house. That was phenomenal. And the psychological element is quite good, but the pretentious undertone doesn’t work in its favor. Moreover, Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher are completely overshadowed by Hugh Grant. It’s his movie and the focus is on his role. And the conclustion was a little bit of a let down. 

I have mixed feelings about “Heretic”.

Rating: 3/ 5

Movie Review - The Boogeyman

Director: Rob Savage
Genre: Horror/ Thriller/ Mystery
Runtime: 98 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Sophie Thatcher, Chris Messina, Vivian Lyla Blair, David Dastmalchian
 
Description: Still reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl (Sophie Thatcher) and her younger sister (Vivian Lyla Blair) find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it’s too late.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 44: A HORROR MOVIE
 
Review: Horror movies come in all shapes and sizes, but the ones that really like to scare you often follow the same pattern: in the first half a series of terrifying scenes and in the second half figuring out the mystery and defeating the evil. Usually there is some breathing room to recover from the tension. “The Boogeyman” refuses to follow this pattern and keeps the horror in until the very end. the pauses in between are very short and that works.

Sadie’s mother has recently died, and despite the fact that she and her younger sister Sawyer are very eager to talk about it, their father, himself a noted psychologist, sends them to an outside therapist. He himself gets a man at the door who tells them that his children have been murdered by a monster in the closet. Shortly thereafter, strange occurrences begin to take place in Sadie’s house as well, especially around Sawyer.
That brief conversation between Sadie’s father and the help-seeking intruder is all that matters in Stephen King’s short story. The makers of this film use it as the basis for a plot and build on it. King’s 1973 story has been made into a short twice before, and a stage play. For this new adaptation, with a runtime of over and hour and a half, a lot has been successfully made up.

First, it’s about more than just a monster under the bed. The boogeyman symbolizes the dark, consuming power of grief. The harper family is immersed in grief that the sole remaining parent does nothing about, because he is not yet ready to fully face the truth. That festering infection is displayed in the form of a creature that can even mimic the voice of the deceased mother. Until the very end, this theme is present.

Secondly, it’s just creepy. All the cheap tricks are skillfully used to sink viewers deeper into the chair. They are not given rest to recover from that. This causes the unpleasant experience that a horror film is supposed to produce.

Besides unnerving shots of dark corners and corridors, the monster’s voice is highly disturbing. It is a kind of demonic impression that varies between flawless imitation of someone who knows the characters and animal sounds from the deepest caverns of hell. The idea of hearing such a sound in the darkness of the bedroom is pure horror. And it’s what you can’t see that scares the most.

Where the story has that extra layer, the characters are a bit flatter. The younger sister is just a little girl who likes to sleep with the light on. Fatherly love is a little more complex, but isn’t focused on that much. Sadie is the teenager who has no desire to be seen at school as “that girl whose mother died”. And some of her friends act so antisocial towards her and her situation that it feels implausible. But Sadie is the only character that gets a but more depth.  

“The Boogeyman” is definitely a contender of the most scary film of the year, because scary and effective it certainly is.

Rating: 4/ 5