Hello, and welcome to another edition of Twisted News! We are digging back into the roots of horror, so follow me down the winding path if you dare.
Halloween snuck up on us like a black cat in a cemetery. The market has been introducing a lot of new-age horror movies lately. Ones that are more psychologically geared to give you genuinely horrifying nightmares. That makes you think of its possibilities beyond the realm of fiction.
When people think of horror, they imagine blood and gore, the Saw franchise, a murdering clown, a man in a hockey mask hacking up teenagers, or even a doll that comes to life for overkill. Essentially, things that would never happen in real life. Well…except some of those are completely possible but were overdone to give you the shock factor they intended.
As of writing this, I’m in the middle of two seasons, Teacup on Peacock, which gives me The Walking Dead vibes but in a small town. The development of the story is intriguing. And Grotesquerie on Hulu. This is one of Ryan Murphy’s babies. You might recognize the name, and if you guessed American Horror Stories, then you guessed correctly. This show delivers some grotesque images resulting around religion, but mid-season, it changed directions. I’m still trying to figure out if I like this method, but I’m invested.
For this spooky season and plenty of new options to choose from, I decided to dig into four of them to let you know if it’s worth watching. Without further ado:
–First up with have: Apartment 7A, R, and on Paramount+.
When a struggling young dancer suffers a devastating injury, she finds herself drawn in by dark forces when a peculiar, well-connected, older couple promises her a shot at fame.
The main character, Terry Gionoffrio, dreams of being a dancer and having her name on a marquee. When a freak accident puts her on the shelf, she is still determined and ambitious to achieve her goal. Taking medication to alleviate the pain, she auditions one after another to wow her judges but can never do so.
One day, she follows one of the judges to get another opportunity but runs into an old couple who want to help her. They give her a free place to stay and a loving atmosphere. Things start to take a turn as she notices random bruises on her body and wakes up in her boss’s bed but doesn’t remember anything. Other residents in the building are caught in secret conversations and express that they don’t want to be a part of it anymore. A part of what? Then, Terry discovers that she isn’t the only one the old couple had helped out.
Terry becomes a star of the show overnight with her name on the marquee, but at what price?
This story was just another version of your typical Satan worship. I found the trailer was more appealing than the movie itself.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
–Second, we have Talk to Me, R, and on Paramount+.
A group of friends unleash supernatural forces with an embalmed hand.
It starts with a vague opening: one to introduce the storyline and the second to introduce the main character. We follow Mia, an outcast among her peers, dying to do anything that will get her to fit in. A new trend is circling the internet, and teenagers are throwing parties that entertain an embalmed hand as the party trick. If they touch it, then they can see dead people. The kids use it as a thrill, like a drug, until one incident causes the younger brother of her best friend to be possessed, and it doesn’t end well.
Outcasted again, she now has to save everyone, including herself. But things take another drastic turn, and she is forced down this rabbit hole of no return.
This movie was geared for the scare factor. Loud, unexpected noises intended to jump scare you, the typical ‘shink’ sounds of a knife when present, and some scenes that were over the top to give you the gross factor. It appeared as if the pieces of the puzzle were thrown into the movie without any extra thought of whether it worked well.
There was nothing spectacular about this film.
I give it 1 out of 5 stars.
–Third, we have House of Spoils, R, and on Amazon Prime.
An ambitious chef opens a restaurant on a remote estate where she battles kitchen chaos, crushing self-doubt, and a haunting presence who threatens to sabotage her at every turn.
We follow Chef, the head cook at a restaurant but wants to take charge of her own establishment. She comes into possession of a hidden gem, a house tucked away in the woods. Chef is inspired, but things start to take a weird turn when she finds a secret garden. The history of what happened to the owner is sprinkled throughout the story, but when Chef learns the truth, she hallucinates. Bit by bit, she becomes crazier. Will the past turn her into a master chef or hinder her?
This movie reminded me of Simply Irresistible but a darker version. This story definitely tried to get you on the gross factor.
I give it 2 out of 5 stars.
–Finally, we have Hold Your Breath, R, and on Hulu.
In 1930s Oklahoma, amid the region’s horrific dust storms, a woman is convinced that a sinister presence is threatening her family.
Margaret Bellum, a mother of two girls, is alone in dealing with the looming threat of deadly dust storms while her husband is away on business. Night after night, she experiences nightmares due to the loss of a child, and her worry increases while she tries to keep everyone safe. Margaret will do anything to keep her daughters safe no matter the cost, but she slowly realizes her sanity is questioned and that the threat is closer than she thinks.
This story chips at the psyche. In each scene, you see a shift in the character as little things make themselves known. It entertains what is real or fake, giving scenarios that are possible even in today’s time. What grabbed me tightly was that it didn’t stop with the mom.
I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
And, there you have it, folks. There were some winners, but also ones that didn’t do it for me. I used to be the gal who enjoyed a good “what goes bump in the night,” but it manifested as what is really going to keep me up at night. What attacks the psyche where I believe it could happen in real life?
What leaves your mind twisted?
Until next time!
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