The Guest

Director: Adam Wingard

 

It’s nothing short of a difficult start to open the festival but this year’s first film really set the bar high for those to follow. Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett have been Frightfest regulars for years. With previous hits A Horrible Way to Die, VHS 2 and last year’s crowd pleaser You’re Next, it was no surprise to have them return with their latest film, slick eighties style thriller The Guest. With knockout performances from our very own Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) and star on the rise Maika Monroe teamed with a stylish, super cool eighties soundtrack, this action thriller proved a major success with the audience and made most people’s top five lists.

 

Dan Stevens plays David, a soldier who has been discharged and decides to visit the Peterson family, claiming to be the best friend of their son who died in action. Only meaning to stay for a night, Mrs Peterson takes to David and two nights turn into three and so on. The Peterson’s daughter, Ana (Monroe) starts to suspect that David harbours a dark secret and may not be who he says he is but it’s nothing he can’t vouch for. Everything carries on as normal until some of Ana’s friends start to die in mysterious circumstances. Before long it becomes clear that David has a problem and the family have to act before it’s too late.

 

There is just something so intrinsically cool about this film. The way it is shot draws you straight in; as soon as we meet David we automatically know we’re going to love his character in some way or another. From defending the young son from bullies and chaperoning Ana to parties, he is an emblem of charm and sophistication. Once again we have another eighties soundtrack, reminiscent of the John Carpenter classics, with similar music in both Cold In July and Blue Ruin this seems to be a trend for thriller directors at the moment and to great effect.

 

The action sequences are inventive and unpredictable and Da Stevens steals every scene he’s in which is pretty much all of them. Far from the upper class, prim and proper character of Downton Abbey, Stevens is on the rise and has to be the latest young talent on the block. Oozing charisma and dynamism he is the face of the film and he carries it effortlessly. Wingard and Barrett have delivered yet another superb thriller that delivers on all levels and proves that a simple story and a stellar cast go a long, long way.

 

R5/5

 

 

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For

Director: Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller

 

Next up on our Thursday schedule was the long awaited sequel to Robert Rodriguez’s 2005 comic book crime caper adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel. After nine years of patience we were finally rewarded with an above average second instalment. There was never any expectation that it would live up to its predecessor, but there is enough in this film to keep both males and females entertained.

 

The film follows a few stories. These interweave against the dark backdrop of corruption and crime and feature a mixture of familiar and fresh new faces. It gets a bit confusing because characters who had died at the end of the previous film i.e. Marv (Mickey Rourke) are still knocking about but these are relatively minor issues in a film which is all about breaking the rules. Dwight McCarthy returns, this time caught up in a plot harboured by his ex-lover Ava Lord (Eva Green). He gets caught up in a web of lies and deceit and all things Sin City. Josh Brolin steps into his shoes, picking up where Clive Owen left off (again, a timeline thing) and he does so effortlessly. Brolin’s fierce, butch face inhibits every inch of Dwight’s personality and he plays the role well.

 

Marv (Mickey Rourke) crosses over into the other stories as well as holding one of his own. Once again his memorable physique and hard as nails approach to everything steals the show and we’re glad that Rodriguez has bent the rules so he could reappear. Jessica Alba also returns as Nancy, hell bent on revenge after senator Roark (Powers Boothe) killed Hartigan (Bruce Willis). Alba is once again perfect in the role and gets to give Nancy more of an edge this time around with more to do; not simply a pretty face.

 

Talking of pretty faces, Eva Green’s character is a little redundant and besides stand around in the flesh ninety percent of the time, Ava doesn’t really have a lot to do but Green does the best she can in a limited role. Last but not least to add to the new cast is Joseph Gordon Levitt as Johnny, the typical confident jock who will stop at nothing to prove he can beat Senator Roark at poker and really be the best there is. Cheeky smile and suit in tow Gordon-Levitt is splendid in the role and gets to have fun as one of the more likeable characters. All in all Rodriguez’ second outing is entertaining and as aesthetically pleasing as the first with the benefited addition of 3D. However, you can’t help but feel that even after all this time in limbo the film was still rushed and could have done with being a little longer and more developed.

 

R3/5

 

 

Zombeavers

Director: Jordan Rubin

 

We all love a good creature feature to lighten the tension, whether it be full on monsters or zombies or perhaps a bit of both? Well tie the two together and you get the hilarity that is Zombeavers! Piranha meets Cabin Fever in this entertaining and ridiculous horror comedy, the best way to finish off the first night. The film follows the cliché group of college kids who venture out to a cabin by the lake for a long weekend; a chance to drink, party and get up to other shenanigans of a sexual nature.

 

Of course all goes well until our young victims get preyed upon by beavers who aren’t looking so hot. A classic case f toxic waste entering into the water supply has left the creatures feeling a little ill and hungry for copious amounts of human flesh to feat on! That pretty much sums up the film and although you may think you know exactly who will die when and who will be that lucky survivor (if anyone) the story may actually surprise you and the script proves to serve some hilarious one liners. Sure some of the acting isn’t great and the characters are irritating but it comes with the territory. Zombeavers does what it says on the tin and for the late night Thursday film it was certainly a good choice.

 

R3/5