[Review] - Evil Dead Rise (2023)

‘Evil Dead Rise’ is the latest installment in the long running ‘Evil Dead’ franchise. Gone is Bruce Campbell and in his place a close knit family led by a recently divorced mother (Alyssa Sutherland). After a violent earthquake rocks their rundown apartment, the kids stumble on the infamous book of the dead buried beneath the parking complex. Simple curiosity leads to disaster as the kids unwittingly unleash hell on earth. Soon after, the matriarch of the family becomes possessed by the deadites and once again, it’s spam in an apartment block.

‘Rise’ faithfully adheres to the tried and true ‘Evil Dead’ formula albeit with one major change. It transplants the action from a musty run down cabin in the remote forest to a deteriorating apartment block in downtown LA. The change of setting is somewhat appreciated. But unfortunately, ‘Rise’ does suffer from some of the same issues that plagued the 2013 remake.

Whereas the tone of the original trilogy was one of manic absurdity, ‘Rise’ is much more concerned with simply playing up the shock and awe factor by way of over the top gore. By comparison, Sam Raimi’s original films could be best described as anarchist as they played up an almost ‘Three Stooges’ style of physical comedy with gore in place of custard pies. Tonally speaking, ‘Rise’ is much more comparable to the sadistic nature of the 2013 remake. Although, to its credit, it does show a little more restraint. 

One of the most interesting things about the original ‘Evil Dead’ was how it presented the world surrounding it. The forest itself was a character in itself as it grew as equally deranged as those who were possessed by the deadites. By transplanting it to a rundown apartment, some of that feel is lost in the process as the apartment block has very little character. The residents that live within are all merely cannon fodder. As such, the apartment block itself isn’t exactly memorable.

That tangible quality of the world gone crazy is somewhat missing in ‘Rise.’ For instance, in the original ‘Evil Dead’, you have that surrealist moments such as the one where Ash reaches into a mirror only for it to turn into a puddle of water. It's surrealist flourishes like that which I could have done more with in ‘Rise.’

It does have some appeal. It’s nasty and grotesque in a way that should appeal to most hardcore of horror fans. The performances from all involved are very strong. Especially Alyssa Sutherland who once possessed gleefully hams it up to 11. It hits all the beats you expect from an ‘Evil Dead’ film. It’s incredibly slick in terms of production quality, but that may also be to its detriment. Another charm of the original film was its low budget punk rock nature. It was a film made by a group of ragtag friends for no money which only helped to lend to its absurdist charms. 

Much the same problem that plagued the 2013 remake, once you apply a slick studio budget, it does wind up stripping it a little of its modest charms. It’s a little like watching a garage band sell out to the corporate machine. As an ‘Evil Dead’ film? ‘Rise’ never quite lives up to the wild anarchic spirit of the original Raimi films from which it borrows. As a mindless gore fest? It's perfectly serviceable and adequate.

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Rating: 3 out of 5

-Daniel M

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[Review] - M3GAN (2023)

The killer doll has been a long-standing tradition in horror spanning all the way back to the 1920s with ‘The Great Gabbo.’ As time has progressed, so too has the technology powering the dolls. If you look back at the 1989 film ‘Child’s Play,’ it was most notable for its effective use of mechanical puppetry to convey a true sense of personality. Times change and technology advances alongside, but the core concept remains the same. There’s just something inherently creepy about the lifeless eyes of a doll and the imaginary bonds that a child can make with an inanimate object that makes for good horror material.

At this point, the killer doll story is well-worn territory and I’m convinced there is very little anyone could do with it to truly surprise me. Therefore, it goes without saying that ‘M3GAN’ does little to bring anything fresh to this premise. That's not to say its without its charms though.

After losing her parents in a fatal car crash, young Cady (Violet McGaw) is sent to live with her Aunt Gemma (Alison Williams). Gemma also works as a roboticist for a high-tech toy company and is in charge of a highly advanced prototype code named M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android). A life size doll powered by a sophisticated A.I. learning computer designed specifically to assist in caretaking duties.

Being a workaholic, Gemma struggles with her newfound role as acting mother to her niece. Meanwhile, after a faulty test, management scraps the M3GAN project, leading Gemma to give the doll to her niece. The doll imprints on Cady and the two form an inseparable bond. But as we’ve seen countless times over, it doesn’t take long until the doll goes from being an innocent best friend to violently overprotective.

‘M3GAN’ is the direct product of what happens when you take David from ‘Artificial Intelligence’ and cross him with Chucky from ‘Child’s Play.’ It touches on all the usual satirical points you'd expect from this type of film. The themes of consumerism, over-dependence on technology and fears of Artificial Intelligence gone awry are all explored. Its satire is sharp enough, but still pretty well-worn. You can roadmap the entire movie just by looking at the trailer alone.

Funnily enough, it wasn’t long ago that we had the 2019 ‘Child’s Play’ remake, which also shared similar ideas thematically speaking. In fact, I would say ‘M3GAN’ plays almost as a carbon copy of said remake, only with a feminine twist. I was in the minority who liked the ‘Child’s Play’ remake so it was a little jarring to see something that feels like a beat-for-beat copy so soon after. ‘M3GAN’ also feels like it could have been right at home as an episode of ‘Black Mirror,’ which I guess is only fitting when you consider the 1950’s ‘Twilight Zone’ episode ‘Living Doll,’ which a number of these stories owe a massive debt of gratitude.

It’s never particularly scary. The filmmakers are entirely aware. Thankfully though, it restrains itself from becoming annoyingly meta. Much has already been said regarding the meme-inducing moment of M3GAN learning a Tik Tok type of dance that was heavily featured in the trailer alone. It is indeed one of the notable highlights of the film. One could argue that there is nothing scarier than a rogue AI learning anything from the void of intellect that is Tik Tok .

Having said all of this, I could have done with a tad more in the way of genuine horror. Unfortunately, it does suffer from the PG-13 rating in terms of gore. There are points throughout where it feels like it became the victim of re-shoots. I could have done with just a little more of the red stuff had they let it have more of an edge. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they used a physical animatronic doll for certain sequences. The filmmakers do well to utilize a nice blend of a real actor, CG and physical puppetry, which winds up looking more convincing than not. Also, Jenna Davis does exceptionally well at capturing the cold, clinical HAL 9000-like voice in feminine form.

It’s always nice to see a studio take a chance on a low to mid-budget horror movie. I’m certain that if ‘M3GAN’ does well at the box office then we will see sequels to follow. Hell, given it was produced by Universal studios, perhaps one day we'll see a 'Chucky vs. M3GAN' if popular enough.

‘M3GAN’ is not terrible by any means, rather it’s just an incredibly run-of-the-mill nuts and bolts horror film. It’s the very definition of a B-movie. The material is well-worn as it goes in every direction you expect it to go. But still, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t at least enjoyable. Just don’t expect fresh water to be drawn from the well.

- Daniel M

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[Review] - Violent Night (2022)

Take a cup of Die Hard, a tablespoon of Home Alone, a little drop of Bad Santa and even just a dash of the 1994 comedy Greedy; pour all of these into a script writing blender, turn it to max and what do you get? You get Violent Night. With a list of ingredients this good, you might expect a new Christmas classic in the making. Unfortunately though, that’s not entirely the case here, as a fun premise is ultimately let down by a lacking screenplay.

The film follows Jolly Saint Nick (David Harbour) as he goes about his Christmas Eve duties. However, he’s anything but jolly rather he’s a jaded, embittered drunk who has just about had enough of the job. As he sits at a bar sinking his misery with a cold one, he laments that the magic is entirely gone from Christmas. Replaced by consumerism as everyone just wants more and more without truly appreciating what they have. 

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, a wealthy family is enjoying the misery of one another's company. That is until a team of elite mercenaries, led by a Christmas-hating mastermind who goes by the codename Scrooge (John Leguizamo), invade the estate looking to steal a hefty 300 million dollars located in a massive vault on the premises.

Little do they know that Santa also just happens to have arrived on the premises. Unfortunately for Santa, he finds himself stuck unwillingly in the night from hell as his reindeer flee in fear. Armed with only his bare fists, Santa transforms into John McClane as he takes on the team of mercenaries in a bloody game of cat and mouse.

On paper, there is a lot going for Violent Night that, in the right hands, could have been elevated into a true Christmas classic. But as it is, it kind of just labors in the middle of the road. David Harbour does well enough to carry the film on his back as the completely jaded and worn out Santa, but he is let down by a screenplay that never quite elevates into anything truly remarkable.

At the beginning of the film, we see a montage of Santa going from house to house in his drunken stooper, growing increasingly frustrated by the lack of Christmas spirit as an overabundance of Amazon packages claim real estate under each Christmas tree. One can’t help but be reminded of Billy Bob Thornton’s Bad Santa in these opening scenes and one could be fooled into thinking it might deliver something close to that jaded masterpiece. But sadly, that’s about as far as the film ever goes with the satire.

As he roams the estate silently taking on the mercenaries, he finds himself earning the trust of the plucky young Trudy (Leah Brady), who is still young enough to believe in Santa. The two bond as the night goes on, leading the film to find a gushy heart instead of going all the way with the initial jaded premise. 

 

Even Bad Santa, with its alcohol and vomit-stained jadedness, still managed to find a delicate balance between obscenely crude and raw beating heart. Sadly, Violent Night opts for one over the other, with somewhat disappointing results. Leah Brady and David Harbour play well off one another, but it just never elevates to anything truly remarkable or noteworthy. It just feels like it’s going through the motions. It never dares to take any real risks with the material opting to play it incredibly safe all around. For a film that wants to have a razor sharp edge, it’s remarkably toothless.

From the offset, the film establishes the wealthy family as a bunch of kiss ass snobs. They could almost be cut from the same loins as the McTeague family of the 1994 comedy Greedy. They kiss the ass of the wealthy Matriarch (Beverly D’Angelo) in the hope that she will impart the family fortune to one of them. Now that sounds like a deviously fun setup for which a better screenplay could have had some fun with. But sadly, the screenplay does absolutely nothing with any of this giving everyone nothing to do but to sit around and wait as Santa kills the bad guys. 

 

John Leguizamo has fun hamming it up as the leader of the mercenaries. But he, too, isn’t given anything major to work with other than sneering it up to the max. It just further drives home that the major problem with this film is the blandness of the screenplay itself. It merely provides lip service instead of ever daring to take a real risk.

But it’s not all bad though. As the title suggests, Violent Night does indeed deliver plenty of violence. If there is one thing the film does well, it’s the violence. Coming from Dead Snow, Director Tommy Wirkola has plenty of experience with setting up physical gags using gore to full comedic effect.

There are some inspired gags in this film that made me wince. At one point, the film goes full Home Alone as Trudy sets up a couple of booby traps of her own. But unlike Home Alone, we see the full effect of what happens when a nail pierces the skin. There is no denying the effectiveness of the physical gags in the film and Tommy Wirkola does very well staging some impressive sight gags.

With a better screenplay, Violent Night may have truly elevated into a jaded Christmas classic. The elements are all there for something better as a whole, but the film never manages to bring it all home. I applaud the attempt and while there are things I like about the film, namely David Harbour and John Leguizimo, unfortunately, I never got the feeling that I would ever want to revisit this on an annual basis. 

 

To me, the mark of an enduring Christmas classic is its replay value. They’re the ones you want to revisit every year again and again during the festive season. Sadly, Violent Night is just entirely middle of the road. It could have and should have been more but is let down by an all too formulaic screenplay that lacks the razor sharp edge it desperately needed to really drive it home.

- Daniel M

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[Review] - Rageaholic (2022)

 
Rageaholic marks the directorial debut of Yoshiki Takahashi. His most known former credit would be as the screenwriter of Sion Sono’s Cold Fish - a grizzly tale of murder between fish breeders which was actually based on a rather famous true crime story. With Rageaholic, Yoshiki trades in the intimate and claustrophobic tale of  murderous fish store owners in favour of something a little more ambitious in scope.

A lone hard boiled renegade detective (Yota Kawase) makes the grave mistake of letting his anger get the better of him as he inadvertently kills one of the main perpetrators in a hostage situation. As punishment, Fukama is sent to a medical facility in New York in order to rehabilitate his anger issues. Three years later, upon release, he returns to his small hometown of Fujimi in Japan, where he soon discovers that the town he once knew has changed rather drastically in his absence. As it turns out, a local Community Watch Dog group has taken advantage of Fukama’s mistake and used it to seize control of the neighborhood from the local police force.

With new found power going straight to their head, the Community Watch Dogs, led by a gleefully insane patriarch, seek to eradicate the so-called ‘dregs of society.’ At first, Fukama attempts to fit in and keep the peace as he resumes his role in the force. However, he is clearly perturbed by the overbearing surveillance state that has become Fujimi. In his former life, he sat on the fringes of what is considered legally and morally correct.
 

His former circle of friends consisted of the local strippers, bar flies and such types. But in this newly reformed Fujimi, Fukama can’t even light a cigarette in his own apartment without being chastised for it. The once thriving nightlife of the local bars is now dead and buried as loud speakers constantly blast overbearing messages of safety in a nauseatingly cheerful voice. The town is decorated with brightly colored yet entirely sinister propaganda posters reminding citizens of the watchful eye always looking over them. The world he once knew has gravely changed as his former circle of friends have been pushed to the outskirts of the city and forced to live in poverty.

At the outset, you could almost regard the film as something of a Japanese Demolition Man. The premise definitely rings familiar as Fukama is your typical grizzled hard-boiled cop pitted in a dystopian environment to which he clearly doesn’t belong. But on further thought, the film is a little bit more than just that. In fact, it’s actually a scathing satire aimed at the overly conformist nature of modern Japanese society.

An all too familiar and sad story in Japanese culture is the scrutiny of which anyone comes under if they even so much as display unsavory means publicly. For example, pop stars are treated as almost gods in Japanese pop culture. But if they put one foot out of line by the smallest of means, be it through recreational drug use or even just parading around a sexual liaison, they are almost instantly banished from the public eye without so much as a chance of redemption. This all feeds back into a strong sense of civic duty and conformity that is ingrained within Japanese culture.

Fukama and his friends are very much the outcasts of society. They live in the shadows. They live alternative lifestyles. They are the type of individuals which most in Japan would presumably just like to sweep under the rug and pretend they don't exist. In the eyes of the fascist Community Watch Dogs, they are nothing more than “the maggots of Japan.”

On the other hand, the Community Watch Dogs are the remnants of a very traditional Japan. They’re completely set in the old ways; unwilling to budge, sexist to the core and all too willing to violently punish anyone who steps out of line. Naturally, there is only so much of this that Fukama can take before he breaks and resorts to his old violent ways, leading to a remarkably entertaining and bloody climax.

Yota Kawase does very well here as Fukama. He’s an entirely likable and sympathetic Everyman. He’s far from perfect. At his core, he too is a product of traditional Japan and its savage ways. In some ways, he is no better than the fascists in charge, but unlike them, he still has some sense of right and wrong. Unlike them, he still has a strong sense of humanity at his core.

First time Director Yoshiki Takahashi shows a good sense of pacing. He does well to get to the meat of the bones at a brisk 100 minutes. Something I applaud him for, as most modern filmmakers seem to have lost all meaning of the word “pacing.” The film never drags and does very well to make its point without overstaying its welcome.

For a low budget film, it’s very well shot. It manages to find a good mid-ground between modern neon gloss and 70’s hard boiled grit without feeling overproduced. That being said, the low budget does occasionally rear its head. Especially during the violent climax, as it resorts to a mixture of both practical and CGi effects. Understandably so given the low budget. I can forgive the use of CGi blood, but some of the effects work did leave a little to be desired at times. Thankfully, it’s not all bad as the climax does work more than it doesn’t. There was one gag involving a fractured fist that was truly inspired and had me laughing with relish.

More than not though, Rageaholic serves as a very strong and all around well made satire. At its core, it has a genuine sense of boiling frustration regarding both the economic and social state of modern Japan. Much like Cold Fish before it, the social commentary is very strong and entirely condemning. Thankfully though, it never becomes too didactic with its viewpoint as it remembers to be entertaining first and foremost. All in all, Rageaholic is gleefully violent, darkly comedic and scathingly satirical as a whole.

- Daniel M 

 

-- Rageaholic is currently screening in Japan. There is still no word of an International Release as of this date. --

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[Review] - Last Night In Soho

A young, pretty and naive country girl heads to the big city with aspirations of becoming the overnight success story she always dreamed of. Only to be confronted by a barrage of perverted predators looking to feed on hot young flesh in return. Tell me if you haven't heard that story before? It’s an age old riff that we usually see play out under the neon-lights of a Hollywood backdrop. However, ‘Last Night In Soho’ transports this age-old story to the swingin’ psychedelic 60’s Soho in London.

Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is an aspiring young fashion designer who moves to Soho as she enters University for her first semester. Having grown up under the loving eye of her grandmother, she has developed a deep love for 60s Brit-Pop culture. However, this makes her stick out like a sore thumb amongst her more trendy dorm-mates leaving her as a target of ridicule. Seeking solace away from her catty roommates, she finds a cheap apartment for rent under the watchful eye of an edlerly landlord (Diana Rigg).

As Eloise’s head hits the pillow, she finds herself dreaming of Soho in the 60s. She dreams of a woman named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy); a strikingly beautiful doe-eyed blonde and also an aspiring singer. Sandie finds herself being charmed by a debonair named Jack (Matt Smith). It all seems too good to be true and with good reason as we quickly discover that Jack is not all he seems.

Eloise’s dreams then become nightmares as she watches Sandie descend into the sordid world of prostitution at the hands of Jack and his buddies. Meanwhile, Eloise’s own life turns to hell as the ghosts of the past seemingly cross over from dream-world into reality as they haunt her day-to-day life.

The 60’s is an era that certainly has an ever-lasting appeal. 60’s fashion comes in and out of style regularly amongst hipsters. Bands like Oasis still riff on The Beatles to this day. It was a time of sexual liberation and changing social attitudes. A time of emerging rock-and-roll. But it was also a time that had its own fair share of seediness boiling beneath the surface. Not unlike the world we live in today if you consider the likes of the ‘Me-Too’ movement. As times change, some things remain the same and that’s ultimately what is revealed at the heart of this dark parallel story.

Right from the outset, Thomasin McKenzie does well to portray Eloise as an old-soul stuck in a time period she doesn’t fit into. She lives in her own bubble, dancing around her room to Brit-Pop tunes. She has her own unique brand of oddball fashion as she is first introduced wearing a dress made from old newspapers. It’s all very clearly 60’s inspired. All of which makes her the perfect fish out of water upon entering the big smoke.

As she continuously enters the dream world of Sandie, she becomes more and more consumed by the glamour of nostalgia. She becomes more and more enraptured by the seemingly glamorous life of Sandie. So much so that she goes on to try and recreate Sandie’s physical appearance in a vain attempt to embody her.

One of the more striking visual highlights of the film is when Eloise first steps back into the past and finds herself bombarded by the bright garish lights of a cinema-marquee promoting ‘Sean Connery in Thunderball.’ Another sequence of note is an incredible dance number where the perspectives of Sandie and Eloise change constantly mid dance. It's very well executed as a whole. Alongside the gorgeous cinematography by Chung Hoon-Choo is a dazzling 60’s soundtrack to help build the mood. It really goes out of its way to capture the glamour of its time period.

But it also highlights the stark contrast between 60s Soho and the more dingy and worn-down present day Soho. For not only are the ghosts of the past haunting Eloise, they’re also still haunting the city landscape in general. It evokes much the same love-note feeling as Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ as it transports you back in time perfectly recreating an idealistic version of former ‘Soho’.

Being a Horror film though, it doesn’t take long for the glam to be stripped away exposing the real horrors lurking beneath. It’s here where Wright really excels. While this technically isn’t his first foray into the horror genre, it is most certainly a more straight laced horror film than anything he has made before. ‘Soho’ clearly takes its influences from the Argento school of Horror. Obviously, the Argento comparisons can’t help but be made given the visual flair ‘Soho’ has about it. Thankfully though, it still manages to find its own voice along the way.

As the time periods merge, the story further twists and turns. If there is maybe one critique to be had, it’s that it does get a little too familiar in the back-end and doesn’t entirely break new mould. But as a coming-of-age story meets psychedelic horror piece, it does pay off well enough in the end.

It doesn’t always make complete sense in the logic department. Though being a film of such high concept means it can get away with that from time to time. After all, this is a film that is more concerned about the theme than it is a cohesive logical narrative. In that department, the theme rings loud and clear. Even if that theme is maybe a little played out at times. Still, under the confident hand of Edgar Wright and company, ‘Soho’ makes for a most effective and stylish piece of psychedelic horror-cinema all around.


-Daniel M

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[Feature] - A Look Back At Little Star by John Ajvide Lindqvist

For the past few years now, John Ajvide Lindqvist has become one of my favorite horror authors. The man made his name a few years back with his most well known work, Let the Right One In. A classic story of a bullied 12 year old boy befriending a vampire. The novel became so quickly beloved that it earned two feature length adaptations of both Swedish and American origin. Much has already been written about Let the Right One In. Hell, I've even written about it here on this very blog. However, not much has been written about his follow up novels. To date, I’ve read almost everything that has been translated into English.

But there is one novel of his in particular that continues to stand out in my mind. That being his 2010 novel, Little Star. A brutal and, at times, darkly funny satire aimed at the Teen Idol sensation. Little Star is an examination of what can go wrong when idol worship is taken to its extremes. It just might also be the best work he has written thus far. Yes, I’d even put it above Let the Right One In.

Little Star tells the story of two teenage girls, Theres and Teresa. Theres is indeed a very peculiar young woman. As a baby, she was left for dead in a plastic bag out in the middle of a Swedish mushroom field. However she is discovered by a man named Lennart who just so happened to be out picking mushrooms in the field. Lennart notices the baby in the bag and breathes life into her only to discover something shocking.

As the baby cries out, he notices a single pitch perfect note within her cry. Being one part of a former one hit wonder pop-duo, Lennart instantly notices the pitch-perfect notes and decides to take the baby back home to his wife. His wife who just so happens to be the other half of that aforementioned one-hit wonder pop-duo.

Back at home, Lennart decides he will keep the baby down in the dark cellar. He does this as a means of keeping her pure and clean from the outside world for he plans to harness her raw musical talent. His wife Leila is far from pleased with this but has long since resigned to her husband's domineering ways and doesn’t dare argue. As time goes on, the baby girl grows up with no real knowledge of the outside world to speak. Two things are for certain though, not only does she develop into a strikingly beautiful young girl, but she also develops the singing voice of an angel.

Fan Art belongs to scarletgothica.com

To keep her from wandering outside and arousing suspicion or curiosity, Lennart makes up a story that there are big people and there are little people. The big people want to eat the little people. If she wants to stay safe then she needs to stay hidden in the cellar. Naturally, this warps her mind leaving her in a constant state of paranoia. After this, she begins to clutch to an electric drill as she sleeps at night for fear of the so-called big people.

As Theres grows older, her only real contact with the outside world is through Leila and Lennart’s middle aged son, Jerry. Jerry has a number of mental issues himself based on his own tortured upbringing at the hands of school bullies. Realizing her for being as much an outsider as he is, he takes an affectionate liking to the girl.

Naturally things go horribly wrong as Lennart’s plan backfires on him. Theres eventually snaps and brutally kills Leila and Lennart with her trusty electric drill. Jerry comes to pay his parents a visit one day only to discover his parents dead on the ground. He quickly decides to take Theres out of the house and back to his apartment in order to protect her.

Fanart Source HangingRabbit

Meanwhile, in a nearby working-class suburb, we meet the other girl. We learn about Teresa from birth up until she enters those awkward teenage years. Her mother doesn’t quite understand her while her father doesn’t have much time for her thanks to a new promotion at work.

As a child, she had difficulty fitting in with the other kids. She does eventually make one friend. A boy named Johannes who quickly grows to adore her like a little puppy dog. For a while, the two become inseparable. It can be said that while he adores her, she still kind of keeps him at arm's reach based on her own peculiarities. But as the two enter puberty, their friendship begins to fracture as Johannes starts to gain the attention of the new pretty girl in school. Meanwhile, Teresa goes the other way as she gains weight, develops terrible acne and becomes entirely self-loathing.

Heartbroken and alone, Teresa begins to withdraw into herself. Her only outlet for her pent up frustration being through the internet as she begins to master the art of trolling under anonymous accounts. She also shows a flair for writing poetry as she spends her days writing on a site where users can submit amatuer poetry. It’s here where she first captures the attention of Theres. Theres encourages her to keep writing her poetry and from here the two quickly strike up a friendship. Leading to the makings of a very dangerous and destructive partnership.

The thing that fascinates me most about Little Star is that it is the one book of John’s that actually deviates from his usual formula. The usual formula of a Lindqvist book is that of the ordinary coming into contact with the other and watching how it plays out. Little Star doesn’t strictly adhere to this formula and instead tells the story of what happens when the other meets the other. 

Neither of the girls are supernatural beings. Instead, they are clearly two very mentally disturbed girls who eventually coax the worst out of each other. Two very important themes emerge from this parallel story. One being the argument of nature versus nurture. And the other being the dangers of idol worship.

One of the major questions asked in the novel is what makes a psychopath? Theres is very much a one dimensional character. She doesn’t really kill out of malice rather she kills out of both what she perceives as self-defense and curiosity as to what is inside the head of another person. At a young age, Theres grows obsessed with a portable CD player gifted to her by Lennart and asks him as to where the music comes from. Lennart tells her that the music comes from inside people's heads for lack of a better answer. This leads to Theres dismantling her one prized possession for no other reason than to find the music within. As she grows older, she is constantly complimented for the amazing power of her singing voice. Lennart and Leila express nothing but love for that voice of hers.

Therefore when she kills Lennart and Leila, it’s not really out of malice, rather she opens their heads to try and find the quality of ‘love’ inside of them. Other than this, she also has an intense mistrust of adults in general thanks to the lie fed to her by her surrogate father. Jerry tries to correct this later on but that deep seeded suspicion of the big people is something she will most likely cling onto for the rest of her days. In many ways you could argue she is the product of nurture as her actions are purely based upon her sheltered upbringing. She knows no better than what she has been taught.

On the other hand, Teresa had a very painstakingly normal upbringing. While misunderstood by her parents, they are still very loving, attentive and trying their best with her. Unlike Theres, she grew up with an understanding of right and wrong. She has a full understanding as to how the world works. And yet, there is still something not quite right about Teresa.

She doesn’t show outward emotion and is very obsessive about certain things. There are hints here that she is somewhere on the autistic spectrum as she is painstakingly logical. For instance, as a little girl, she doesn’t understand why the other kids would want to play make believe as she is very logical and to the point. On that point, both Theres and Teresa share this hint of autism as they both have their own traits. For Theres, one of her traits being she does not like to be touched. Eventually when Teresa meets Theres, she becomes almost entirely possessive over her as their friendship grows. Little by little, Teresa’s true nature is revealed as we watch her moral decline into becoming a full blown psychopath.

The pair then become an internet sensation as Theres records a song with lyrics written by Teresa called Fly. The song quickly becomes an overnight sensation on Youtube. As is described in the book, Theres singing voice has a certain hypnotic quality about it. At first, I believed this to be a hint of the supernatural as is typically the case with all of John’s previous works. But on further reading I don’t believe this to be the case.

Rather the song and it's awkward lyrics become an anthem for the equally lost and confused. Supernatural power is replaced by the simple strangeness of celebrity status and how all it takes to speak to the lost is to play on their deep seated insecurities. Theres has a wonderful voice that can draw you in, but it’s just as much Teresa’s words that hold an equal amount of power. Further playing up that singer-songwriter dynamic between the two.

So what motivates them exactly? Why is Theres so desperate to have her incredible voice shared? I guess the answer is that she’s still searching for that quality of ‘love’ expressed to her by Lennart and Leila. Her motivations aren’t driven out of anything material, rather they are simply driven by her search for that certain quality inside people's heads. The same motivation could be said of Teresa. That Teresa is ultimately just searching for love and acceptance in which she misguidedly finds through Theres.

When the song blows up in popularity, Teresa becomes so deeply depressed that she is committed to a mental hospital for a brief stay. Her depression comes from the fact that she no longer feels like the song belongs to the both of them anymore as it attracts the attention of more lost young girls. One day, she goes to visit Theres only to find Theres interacting with another girl thus she breaks down completely as she believes that she is no longer important to Theres. This goes back to her very possessive nature over Theres in general. But on a side note, it is also maybe a sly comment on the nature of an artist letting their baby go out into the public. I think the key to this is that neither are searching for fame; rather they are simply searching for ‘love.’ In this moment, Teresa feels that ‘love’ and affection shared between them is being snatched away from her. 

Eventually they find themselves the leaders of a group of outcast teenage girls. Teresa comes to realise that none of these girls pose a threat to her shared bond with Theres and begins to accept this wolf pack of sorts. The one common thread all of these girls have is that they are entirely lost at a delicate time in their life. Some of them were abused. All of them feel overlooked and discarded. They’re deeply insecure and desperately yearn to be noticed. The same insecurity that maybe drives young girls to sexualise themselves in front of web cameras.

As such, they all become hopelessly devoted to their idol as they feel she is the only one they can truly identify with. There is also certainly the factor that Theres seemingly knows exactly what to say to all of these girls almost as if she were a crazed cult leader. She is the one person that understands them the best. Or perhaps the real truth is they simply are what they are and all it takes is a little bit of nurturing to coax it out of them. A little bit of nurturing delivered by a voice that can melt hearts and crush brains while at it.

All of which leads to a gruesome massacre orchestrated by these girls. Lindqvist’s writing captures the awkward and painful teenage years of a teenage girl so wonderfully well that you would almost believe he was one. He truly gets inside these girls' heads and finds out what makes them tick. Jealousy, insecurity, anxiety and the strive for finding love and acceptance remain at the heart of this dark fable.

With Little Star, there exist some parallels to his debut novel. Loneliness remains a key theme through both novels and much like Oskar finds himself attracted to the first person to understand him, so too does Teresa fall for Theres. As too does the search for identity and love come through in both novels. However, unlike Oskar and Eli, where Eli’s blood lust is simply driven by a need to survive, Theres and Teresa’s bloodlust is entirely senseless to everyone bar themselves. Hence their ‘love’ becomes one of a ver perverse and destructive nature to everyone that crosses their path as they become the Alphas’ of their dedicated wolf pack. 

Come the end of the novel, Teresa does try to justify their actions with a final letter that she sends to the media. “You will ask why?” she writes before answering her own question with a simple “BECAUSE! Because we were once nice little girls. We once screamed and wept on cue. We worshiped ourselves when you made us stars. We bought ourselves from you.” Making Little Star an entirely fascinating case study into the minds of two thoroughly disturbed individuals and what happens when they find one another.


-Daniel M

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[Feature] - Let the Right One In (Or A Meditation On The Nature Of Love)

Let’s jump way back to 2009. It was another day stuck behind my desk in a dreary office pushing paperwork through the system. It was a bright warm March day outside and there I was stuck in a cold office dreaming of escape. My plan for that weekend was to go and see the then-newly released film adaptation of Let the Right One In. At that point in time, I had become obsessed with the novel it was based on. The skeptic inside of me didn’t truly believe any film version could do the novel full justice, but I still knew that I had to see it based on my newfound love of the novel alone.

So it was release day of the film and here I was stuck in my office bored out of my mind. Much like a vampire's unrelenting thirst, I knew I needed my fix and I needed it right then and there. I couldn’t stand to sit at that desk for another second knowing that the film was playing for audiences. I had to get out and I had to go and see this film. So I tabbed over to the website of the one art-house cinema in Sydney that was playing it and looked up session times.

There were only three sessions that day and the next session was two hours away. I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I picked up my office phone, dialed my boss's extension and feigned a severe stomach cramp. Thankfully my boss bought into it and let me “go home.” Yeah, right! I wasn’t going home. I was hopping on the next train into Sydney to enjoy my day off! Being that I worked only 10 minutes away from Sydney, I hopped a train and made a mad dash to Oxford Street and bought my ticket.

I sat in my seat with my skeptic glasses on as I truly didn’t believe they could capture what it was that made the novel so riveting. The lights dimmed, the curtains drew back and the film began. Two hours later and I felt that ecstatic sigh of relief wash over me. Even with its many omissions, the film still managed to capture the raw bloody heart of the piece. It also managed to win me over in the exact same way the novel already had. It was a moment of pure ecstatic bliss for me.

Ever since that fateful day, I’ve lost count as to how many times I’ve re-watched it. I’ve watched it with English Subs, I’ve watched it without English Subs. Hell, I’ve even watched it with the Japanese dub as an exercise when learning Japanese. It is something of a yearly tradition for me as the film now just plays on an eternal loop somewhere in the back of my mind.

Adapted for the screen by the original author John Ajvide Lindqvist, the film wisely strips down some of the novel's more lurid pulpy detours and finds the raw beating heart of the piece. That being the story of Oskar and Eli. Two outsiders who find solace and comfort in one another.

Oskar (Kare Hedebrant) is very much an outsider and is incapable of fitting in. He lives with his divorced mother in an apartment complex just outside of Blackeberg - a blue collar suburb in Sweden. His mother is overworked, underpaid and trying to do her best as a single parent. He spends the occasional weekend with his father out in the countryside where they seemingly have a good relationship. He has delicate and almost effeminate features which makes him an obvious target for the bullies at school. An ongoing bullying that has clearly resulted in a total loss of self esteem.

In his spare time, he dreams of grizzly revenge upon his tormentors. He does so by brandishing a carving knife and stabbing away feverishly at a tree outside of his apartment complex pretending as if it were the bullies in question. He also keeps a scrapbook of newspaper articles regarding local murder cases. To say he is off-kilter is to say the least.

One cold winter's night while looking out of his bedroom window yearning for a change, he notices the arrival of strange new neighbors. A 12 year old girl named Eli (Lina Leandersson) and a balding man in his late 40s named Hakan - presumably her father. Little is known about the pair other than they travel light and keep to themselves. But then a mysterious string of murders rocks the suburbs of Blackeberg as Eli’s presence fractures the small community.

Let the Right One In serves a few different readings. On the one hand, it’s a dark coming of age story. Another reading of the film could be that it’s the story of how a vampire finds and manipulates a Renfield-like figure to serve them. Another analysis could describe it as a social commentary on how the vampire's presence shines a light on the entire community’s inherent loneliness. There is also the outside theory that Eli doesn’t exist at all and she is just a manifestation of Oskar’s pent up rage.

All of which are perfectly applicable readings that may hold some weight when analyzing the film. For the sake of not going overboard, the two readings I am choosing to adhere to today are the Renfield theory and the nature of love as is presented in the film. At its heart, I believe Let the Right One In is a meditation on the nature of love presented under the guise of a horror film.

In many ways, Sweden is perhaps the perfect backdrop for a vampire film. It’s cold, desolate and it gets nice and dark fairly early with the sun setting somewhere around 3pm in the afternoon. What better environment for a vampire to dwell in? Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography perfectly captures this as the film rarely sees daylight. Although the interesting thing about it is the manner in which it tends to overexpose its artificial lighting.

Most horror films tend to play with shadow and light for mood. Yet Let the Right One In plays out its horror under the exposure of mostly exterior street lighting that bounces off the pure white snow blanketing the ground. It’s an interesting contrast in regards to how most horror films play as here the scenes of violence tend to be exposed out in the public eye for all to see. Hoyte Van Hoytema would go on to refer to this method of lighting as ‘Spray Lighting.’ It’s as if you could capture dull electrical light in a can and spray it like a can of hairspray.

Also, the film's use of dialog is very sparse and almost poetic. Alfredson has said that he almost wanted it to play as if it were a silent film. The entire film is remarkably restrained in its presentation. It never once force feeds you its information and instead gives a slow steady rhythm allowing you just enough breathing room to contemplate its events as they transpire.

Much the same as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy stripped the glamour out of spying, so too does Alfredson strip the glamour out of vampirism. Vampirism in this film is treated as nothing more than a ravaging illness. Eli’s need for blood is like that of a disease. Early on in the film, we see a hungry Eli. Her eyes are wide, pupils dilated, her skin malnourished. Her clothes are clearly scavenged from Charity Bins. In their first meeting, Oskar notes that she smells bad. A noteworthy observation considering later on after she has fed she specifically asks him “do I smell better?” It quickly brings to mind the parallels of a drug addict. Only Eli’s drug of choice is one she desperately needs in order to survive another night.

Initially Eli chooses not to do her own bidding for the shred of humanity she clings onto. We glimpse this humanity in the one instance where she is forced to kill. After she has fed, she buries her head into the victim's chest implying her deep seeded guilt. Instead, she sends out Hakan to do her bidding. The only problem being is he’s a terrible killer. When I say terrible, he is almost the Mr. Bean of serial killers in his ineptitude! Take his first victim in the film as an example. He literally traps and kills his victims in a highly exposed public area and is ultimately interrupted by two locals walking their dog.

It implies one of two things. That he has maybe not been doing this for very long or he is tired and weathered. The biggest change between the novel and film is the removal of Eli and Hakan’s backstories. In the novel, it is explained in vivid detail that Hakan is actually a pedophile and has been freshly acquired by Eli to do her bidding in exchange for certain services. The film wisely drops this as Tomas Alfredson stated that he didn’t feel he could tell that story without it overshadowing the core story between Oskar and Eli.

It’s a wise choice that works in the film's favor as it gives breathing room for the audience to interpret the true nature of their relationship. Perhaps he is a Renfield-like figure that has been with her for a long time? Or perhaps he has been freshly acquired? Although, I do believe there is a shred of the pedophilia plot still in the film as is evident by one particular scene. A scene where Eli caresses Hakan’s face as he quivers at her touch. The reaction given by Hakan at the stroke of her hand is almost uncomfortably sexual in nature.

Eli first notices Oskar as he stabs away at the tree with his knife and takes an immediate interest in him. Initially she does try to guard herself as she warns him that they can’t be friends. But as the nights pass, the two find themselves anticipating each other's presence at the Jungle Gym in the small playground outside of the apartment complex. Soon after, the pair strike up a friendship over a shared love of puzzles and such.

After a savage whipping with a tree branch by his bullies, Oskar eventually confides in Eli about the bullying at school. Eli urges him to strike back. Strike back harder than he dares. This ignites a new strand of long lost self-confidence in Oskar as he applies for weight training the next day at school. Suggesting that all it really takes to get you out of your funk is the sign that someone else may actually care and believe in your potential. Eventually he does strike back earning him a brief moment of relief from their torment.

Their friendship continues to blossom and soon after they find themselves on a first date at a local fairground. Oskar buys a bag of mixed candy and offers her a sample. She politely declines knowing full well that she can’t eat them. Oskar feels that sting of rejection and drops his head to the ground. Noticing his hurt, she accepts the candy and eats it but can’t hold it down and runs off to throw up. Oskar follows her and spots her regurgitating to which he then embraces her. But curiously Eli does not return the hug; instead through a close up, we notice a pained confused expression on her face as she asks Oskar whether he likes her or not. Oskar confesses with a simple “yes” to which Eli drops the first vital clue as to her true nature. “Would you still like me even if I wasn’t a girl?”

Given Eli’s backstory from the novel is almost entirely omitted from the film. One could interpret this as a sly clue of her true nature. However, for those who have read the novel, it is the first clue to something else entirely regarding her gender. While the film never fully explores the nature of Eli’s true gender outside of one brief shot (if you’ve seen the film, you know which one I’m talking about), the line still holds weight nonetheless.

If a vampire ever were to be a real thing then would sex and gender really even matter to them anymore? Outside of physical pleasure or perhaps the practical means of seducing a victim, what good is sex and gender when you are physically incapable of reproducing? Moreover, what good is sex and gender when you’re physically trapped in the constraints of a 12 year old body?

With sex and gender out of the equation, what does love really boil down to? Isn't it true that most normal people seek companionship searching for the potential of reproducing and starting a family? Or do we seek companionship to relieve us from our loneliness? But what does this mean when that will never be an option to you as you are doomed to wander the Earth for an entirety by yourself?

Much has already been said about the Renfield reading of Oskar’s role in all of this. Given some of the clues presented throughout the film, it is certainly a viable reading. We know Oskar has a fascination with real-life murder cases, we know he has grizzly revenge fantasies. He certainly doesn’t seem to consider the value of life as he treats murder as if it were a sick game to some degree. It’s certainly not hard to look at him and see a potential Renfield in the making. Nor is it hard to see that part of his personality being the potential attraction for Eli. But for me, that theory has never really held much weight due to the in-practical nature of it.

Why would Eli recruit a 12 year old boy? Wouldn’t a 12 year old boy be more of a hindrance than a benefit as a whole? How can a 12 year old boy apply for an apartment to live in as they move town to town? How can a 12 year old boy physically take down a grown man or woman? In fact, why does she really need a Renfield when she has supernatural powers? These practicalities always kind of shattered that theory for me with any real thought. Oskar would pose much more of a threat to Eli’s safety than any benefit.

Based on the evidence thus far, I believe Eli’s acceptance of the candy is yet another sign of her going against her better judgment. Of course, you could say it could be a ploy to earn his trust, but given the body language conveyed in the scene, I do believe it's another moment of Eli giving in to her desire for companionship.

Later on in the film after Eli’s true nature has been exposed, we come to the one scene that is the lynchpin for the entire film. Let the Right One In takes its title from the Morrisey song ‘Let the Right One Slip In.’ It plays on the old vampire rule that a vampire can never enter a premise unless they are invited in. It also plays on the idea of letting the right person into your heart. After Oskar learns the truth about Eli, she shows up on his doorstep. Oskar beckons her to come in but Eli knows full well she can’t enter unless invited in. Oskar refuses to invite her in and instead taunts her to enter the apartment. With a reserved frown on her face knowing what is to come, she enters. Almost immediately blood starts to pour from every orifice of her frail body. Coming to his senses and seeing the tremendous amount of pain she is in, Oskar finally invites her in.

Elsewhere, the scene has been called a “haemophilia of rejection.” This leads to another intriguing aspect of the scene that further plays against the manipulation theory. There’s no real reason for Eli to tempt this fate. Even if she is manipulating him, there’s no real reason to tempt potential death. She knows at that moment that Oskar is angry at her. She knows full well what will happen upon entry and yet she still proceeds to give Oskar that power over her anyways by entering. I would argue this is a moment of Eli putting her complete trust in Oskar’s hands. It’s a pivotal moment in their budding relationship.

It’s Eli giving him the ultimate power; you can destroy me right here or let me live. It seems a massive leap of faith to take for someone who is just manipulating another person. Or you can look at it from the other perspective, that Eli is preying on Oskar’s vulnerability. Certainly viable but I can’t think of anything more pivotal to building trust with another person than putting your entire existence in their hands. Or maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic?

Eli then lays it all out as honestly as she can for him regarding her true nature. She confronts Oskar on his desire to kill. Oskar defensively refutes that he “doesn’t kill”, but she insists that he would like to kill if he could. She then tells him “I do it because I have to.” She then asks him to “Be me...for a little while.”

While it's easy to interpret this as her directly asking him to do her bidding I feel that there is another layer to this request. I don’t believe she’s asking him to do her bidding. Rather she is making a plea to his humanity and asking him to understand that this isn’t a game for her. That killing is a matter of life and death for her. In this scene, we catch a brief glimpse of an elderly Eli; it’s quite literally a ‘blink and you will miss it’ moment.

Another thing the film never really explains is Eli’s mental capacity. Is she a child trapped in a permanent state of Arrested Development? Or is she an adult trapped in a child's body? Unlike Claudia from Interview with the Vampire, whom clearly develops the mind of a full grown woman but is trapped in a little girl's body, Eli’s predicament is uncertain in this rendition. Although, there is a sly brief visual clue that shows Eli sleeping in a bathtub as she clings onto a Teddy Bear. Perhaps a sign that there is still a child-like nature to Eli. It’s hard to say as the film never provides a flat out answer.

However I do believe this scene in particular further highlights a moment of Eli being completely and utterly honest with Oskar by simply asking him to fully understand her plight for what it is. This is the point where they are beyond the lies in their friendship and have come to fully recognize one another for their true nature.

As the unexplained murders continue through the suburb of Blackeberg, we come to meet the other residents of the community. Most notably the small gang of drunkards who hang out at the local Chinese Restaurant led by Lacke (Peter Carlberg). Lacke is a Blue Collar schlub. Beaten down by life, he wallows in self pity. He seems to care more for his best friend Jocke then he does for his attentive and caring girlfriend Virginia (Ika Nord). In an early scene, he notices Hakan dining at the restaurant by himself and tries to befriend him in hope that he will pay for the group's drinks, only to be rejected. Lacke is in many ways a potential foretelling of the fate that may be in store for Oskar should he stay in Blackeberg.

Unfortunately for Lacke, Eli’s thirst can only be held at bay for so long and one of her victims just so happens to be his best friend. After Hakan fails at his one job, Eli takes it upon herself to do the deed. As Jocke walks home from the Chinese Restaurant, Eli preys on his good natured vulnerability posing as an injured child and kills him before drinking his blood. However, this event is witnessed by a Cat Loving Recluse named Gosta from his overlooking apartment.

Gosta informs Locke what happened; however, by the time the gang arrives at the scene of the crime, the body has already been removed and dumped in a local river by Hakan. Thus Eli’s presence shatters this small group of friends as Lacke becomes increasingly obsessed with finding and hunting down the person who killed him. Eli’s presence once again shines the light on their loneliness.

With Hakan now deceased after meeting an unrelated tragic end and Lacke hot on her tail, Eli is put in a position of vulnerability. Eventually a broken Lacke, who has now lost everything that is dear to him including Virginia thanks to Eli, tracks her down and conspires to kill her. He finds her in the darkened bathroom, completely vulnerable, sleeping in the bathtub while hugging her teddy bear. Unbeknownst to Lacke, Oskar is sleeping in the other room and happens to hear him enter the apartment.

Armed with his knife, Oskar is put in a moment of kill or watch as his best friend is killed. The fact that he approaches Lacke as his back is turned is certainly telling of the ends he is willing to go to in order to protect her. Fate intervenes as Oskar’s startled cry of shock awakens Eli. Eli leaps up and lunges at Lacke’s throat as Oskar shuts the door and walks back to the kitchen. The camera tracks outward focused on the closed door. Throughout the entire film, we never actually get to see Eli's true nature up close in any of her kills as the camera always remains at a distance.

We then cut back to Oskar who is now visibly shaken at the sounds of Eli killing Lacke. It is here where he is finally confronted with the reality of death. That it’s not just all fun and games like he fantasizes about and that there is an actual gravitas to killing. It is here that perhaps he finally comes to understand the true burden of Eli’s predicament having been faced with it. Afterwards, a blood soaked Eli returns to the kitchen and finally returns the hug from their first date before finally giving him a tender bloody kiss in a moment that finally pits them as equals.

Much like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is less a spy film and more a meditation on lonely men so too is Let the Right One In less a horror film and more so a meditation on the nature of love. It's the age of the two kids that make these questions all the more fascinating. They're right on the cusp of verging sexuality and while they are aware of that, they are still just inexperienced kids.

For Oskar, it could be seen that he mostly has a puppy dog crush on Eli. It makes perfect sense seeing that she is the first one to grant him affection in this manner. For Eli, maybe she is aware and maybe she is using his attraction to her advantage...or maybe she's just another lonely soul who yearns to connect with someone she sees to be an equal? It removes the sexuality and seduction of the vampire almost entirely and instead tells a vampire story that is on the awkward and painful cusp of puberty. It questions the nature of love in a way that I really haven’t seen from any other vampire film before it and that is what remains entirely fascinating to me.

That and I think this film is an interesting depiction of loneliness and how Eli's presence shines the light on everyone's almost child-like loneliness. That aspect of it actually reminds me a little of George Romero's vampire film Martin and how Martin's presence kind of shines the light on the decaying community around him. The same could be said of Eli as her presence helps to further the decay of a small community. But as her presence destroys all around her, there is but one who is ultimately saved in his own right.

The irony being that the real horror of Let the Right One In comes more so from the humans than it does Eli herself. The savagery of Oskar's bullies is perhaps far more inhumane than anything Eli is forced to do simply because its born out of a choice to be cruel rather than a necessity. Or perhaps the real horror comes from Oskar’s final choice. To leave the shackles of a society to which he will never fit into and join Eli as he fully embraces the monster blossoming within. Depending on your moral stance; it could be seen as a happy or tragic ending and that’s the beauty of it. But one thing is for certain in my mind, come the end, I do believe Eli grows to regard Oskar as her equal. Something that she could never do for the likes of Hakan or any other companion she may have had along the way.

The film has stayed with me ever since that first screening and has continued to linger on in my mind ever since. This film came at just the right time for me. At a time when I was growing jaded by the horror genre, this film came into my life with its many questions and reignited my passion for the genre and sub genre as a whole. It’s a film that defies the genre and transcends into something more than just horror or drama. It’s quite an amazing little film that still holds the same power over me that it did all those years ago. All I can say is thank goodness I feigned illness to get out of work that day. Because I got something very special in return.


-Daniel M

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[Review] I Am The Tiger

I Am The Tiger is the final installment to John Ajvide Lindqvist's 'locations' trilogy. The ‘locations’ trilogy consist of I Am Behind You -- a peculiar little tale about a group of Caravan campers who find themselves stranded in an endless field of grass -- and I Always Find You -- a hybrid of autobiography meets fiction.

The most perplexing thing about the previous two novels is that they ultimately left the reader with far more questions than answers. I will confess that I honestly had no clue what was happening come the end of I Am Behind You, while I Always Find You started to bring some of the pieces together but still left me with more questions than answers. Both of those novels were filled with riddles and unanswered questions but still thoroughly entertaining in their own right.

Most of the questions I had from the previous two books were finally answered. Although not all as there are still some lingering questions to be had. But for the most part, the puzzle pieces of the previous two novels finally come together in an immensely satisfying climax.

It tells the tale of Tommy T. A true crime investigative journalist whose star power is on the decline. But his deep dive into a series of mysterious suicides throughout Sweden just might be his ticket back to the top. Through his connections in the underworld, he learns of an elusive new Drug Kingpin on the rise known only as ‘X.’

Meanwhile, on the other side of the tracks, Tommy’s ADD riddled 17 year old nephew Linus is getting in way over his head. Having found success in selling his ADHD medication to students since he was 13, Linus has built his own little empire of sorts. But opportunity presents itself as Linus finds himself with an offer to distribute a fresh batch of Cocaine. Desperate for a better life, Linus sets his aims a little higher at a cost.

But unbeknownst to both of them, there is a force of evil at play far greater than either of them could have possibly imagined.

I Am The Tiger marks a bit of a style departure for its author. While Lindqvist has been very well versed in writing horror, here he tackles the Nordic crime thriller. What results is a well crafted Nordic crime thriller that halfway meets the typical paranormal world of its Author. Yet in typical Lindqvist fashion, he has crafted another equally fascinating, sad and horrific tale of what happens when the ordinary comes into contact with the other.

Lindqvist writes with vivid detail. Mood and atmosphere has been a strong point of Lindqvist's writing for a long time and I Am The Tiger continues to highlight his gifts as a writer. There is an entire chapter in the book that is simply dedicated to presenting the cracked history of the suburb that Linus lives in that gives a great mental backdrop for what is to come. What was once a once promising and thriving community on the rise has been reduced to a wasteland for the poor and drug addled.

While I can’t profess to be up to date with drug lingo, some have noted that in the original Swedish text Lindqvist made up drug terms for lack of knowledge on the subject. Having read the English translation, I can’t say anything really stood out to me as glaringly troublesome in those terms.

What came through most for me is Linus’ desperate need to escape. His father - a former successful jockey - is now a paraplegic trapped in the confines of a wheelchair and unable to form a sentence after a tragic horse racing accident. His mother is overworked and underpaid. Social security benefits help the family manage to survive another day. Linus is a bright kid in general but is mostly unfocused due to his ADHD. He and his best friend Kassandra have a need in their hearts to escape this wasteland. But that need will unfortunately come at quite a cost.

I was absolutely captivated by the tale of Tommy T and his wayward nephew Linus. Especially the somewhat tragic tale of Linus and his sordid adventures into drug dealing. But even more horrifying is the eventual reveal of the elusive X and their role in all of this. Especially given some of the reveals and how they play into the prior two novels of this trilogy.

Although it is only a small part of a larger story, it still manages to stand well enough on its own two feet. At least more-so than the prior two installments of this trilogy. As entertaining as they were they were largely puzzling novels that felt more like an enigma at times. Thankfully I Am The Tiger brings it all home and makes the entire trilogy worthwhile. Yet, if you’ve never read either of the previous novels and came into it blind then I still think you would get an immensely satisfying tale that stands very well on its own two feet.

But if you take all three books together then it becomes clear that this is one large story that slowly takes its time to reveal its pieces. When put together the entire story is never anything but utterly captivating. Hell, I was impressed he even managed to sneak a Let the Right One In reference making this long-time fan very happy to see.

At 482 pages, I Am The Tiger is quite a gripping page turner of a Nordic crime thriller/horror.

All in all, this was a thoroughly satisfying conclusion to a trilogy that has often left me mystified and puzzled but always fascinated. Finally the pieces all came together and I have to say that for me, it was well worth the ride.

-Daniel M

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[Review] My Cherry Pie

Three down on their luck criminals find themselves holed up in an abandoned Hospital for a night of unspeakable horror in the new film, My Cherry Pie. A low budget Australian horror film from Directors Addison Heath and Jasmine Jakupi.

The film follows a trio of criminals all high on acid and fresh on the lamb. However, their car just happens to break down outside of a non-functioning hospital. Here they are greeted by a charming if not strange man named Edwin -- played by Glenn Maynard -- who offers them shelter at the hospital for the night. Upon arrival at the hospital, they meet Edwin’s niece Cherry Pie, played with child-like relish by Trudi Ranik.

It quickly becomes clear to one of the trio that all is not what it seems, but his mates are too distracted by Cherry’s beauty to notice. Alas, a night of mayhem ensues as one by one they become hunted by a hooded killer.

My Cherry Pie clearly takes its inspirations from the great slashers of the 80’s. Most of its inspirations can be seen in some of the set design itself as iconic horror film posters hang from the walls. Hell, at one point it even manages to evoke Dario Argento’s Suspiria with a red and blue tinted ballet performance given by Cherry herself. Given the low budget, it actually does have some decent gore effects and overall is very well shot and edited.

Not to mention, it has a very proud Ozploitation feel about it -- especially in regards to the trio of criminals. All of whom have a very laid back larrikin chemistry. Some of their earlier dialog is genuinely quite funny at times.

At a brisk 80 minutes, it wisely doesn’t out stay its welcome and delivers a tight solid little genre piece. All in all, My Cherry Pie is a fun blood soaked throwback to some of the great slashers of the 80s and it is a highly enjoyable little slice of Indie Horror.

 
-Daniel M

 

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