Tag: Subconscious

Film Review: Resident Evil (Columbia Pictures/Constantin Film/Davis Films/Subconscious/Vertigo Entertainment/PlayStation Productions/Sony Pictures Releasing)

By: Jesse Striewski

Many years ago back in 2002, I went to the drive-in (yes, there were still some around at that time) with some friends to see the very first Resident Evil film based on the popular video game on the big screen. It was a fun enough night out, but aside from Milla Jovovich running around in that skimpy red outfit, there was not all that much memorable about it, and I lost interest with each and every subsequent sequel and reboot released since.

So when I first heard there was to be a second reboot this year, I was less than ecstatic about it to say the least, as I’m sure many others were. Yet knowing the man behind last year’s Weapons, Zach Cregger, was set to write and direct this time around gave me some hope that it might finally be done right this time, and that instinct was proven right in the theater this past Friday night.

The film wastes no time, instantly jolting viewers into the fast-paced world of courier Bryan (Austin Abrams, also from Weapons) who agrees to take a last-minute, time sensitive package from one hospital to another at the end of his shift on a dark, snow-filled night up the mountains.

Things quickly go haywire once he encounters (and runs into) a strange, already injured woman on the road that eventually attacks him and a police officer. From that point on, its sheer chaos, following Bryan’s footsteps, running from “monsters” and seeking help from one destination to the next.

There’s some brief supporting roles from Zach Cherry, Paul Walter Hauser, and Kali Reis, but Abrams honestly holds the film on his own. There’s also enough tension and jump scares to keep viewers on the edge of their sets, and many of the special effects are reminiscent of such creature features of yesteryear as John Carpenter’s The Thing from 1982. (And thankfully, things never get too dumbed-down that it gets turned into a straight comedy movie, as is so often the case these days.)

Make no mistake about it, this is the type of horror film experience most audiences hope to have (and by all means should have) when going to the theater. It’s a definite breath of fresh air that indeed helped rid the nasty taste still leftover from the last horror film I recently endured (Evil Dead Burn), and every bit worth the price of admission.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Film Review: Weapons (New Line Cinema/Subconscious/Vertigo Entertainment/BoulderLight Pictures)

By: Jesse Striewski

Despite some slight interest at first glance, I was initially hesitant to see Weapons thanks to so many modern horror films bordering on the absurd (2024’s Longlegs and the X series comes to mind) or excessively violent these days. But similar to the likes of say, Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, Weapons is just unique enough to be an entertaining ride all of its own.

The film centers around the aftermath of a group of young students, all in the same elementary school class, who mysteriously vanish in the middle of the night at the exact same time without any explanation, and intertwines the stories of several individuals connected to the event.

Alex (newcomer Cary Christopher), the only student from the class unaffected by this, ultimately holds the secret via a very distant (and very sinister) aunt named Gladys (played with ease by Amy Madigan) who just came to stay with him and his parents.

The atmosphere is top notch, and high caliber acting from Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Aiden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, and Benedict Wong, all contributes equally to the proceedings. There’s a realistic vibe to it all that makes it all that much more unsettling.

While not without the occasional flaw or two, Weapons still holds just enough interest and creepiness suitable for appropriate Halloween viewing this year; give it a whirl if you have not yet done so.

Rating: 3/5 Stars