Tag: christopher abbott

You’re so scared of your kids getting scars that you become the thing that scars them. “Wolf Man” (2025)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Leigh Whannell
© 2025 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Another film about werewolf? Yes, please! I mean, I wasn’t that excited about it at first, but this one is worth it, trust me. If you’re looking for a horror that will make you scream while eating popcorn, then it’s not such case. This one is rather disturbing and the source of fear comes from very common and natural human relations. Interested? Let’s go! We get to know a father and a son, Grady and Blake (Sam Jaeger & Christopher Abbott). They go on a hunting trip during which they most probably run into a mysterious creature known in this area. In the 90s, a hiker disappeared and some locals say he was infected by “Hill Fever” and became dangerous. We may observe the relation between the man and the child, which is quite difficult and cold. Grady is very impulsive and authoritarian, which has a significant influence on Blake. Then we move 30 years later, where the boy is already a grown-up, has a wife and a daughter. Blake seems to be quite similar to his own father, even though he tries to limit his implusiveness. Soon we find out that Grady got missing and his son decides to take the whole family and visit his childhood home. And the rest is for you to see. Trust me, it’s not another “silly people go to an abandoned house”, although it may look so. In fact, the beginning of the film and presenting the relation between Grady and Blake is important. I guess you won’t be surprised to know that there will be a werewolf in the film, since that’s the main theme, but the whole story is much deeper than an average horror. The filmmakers focused on the topic of trauma that stays with us no matter how much time passes. The only thing we can do is trying not to pass it forward, which sometimes seems like an impossible challenge. Also, no matter how hard we try to avoid it, we must face those traumas in order to move on. It’s a common topic in drama films, yet combining it with a horror about a werewolf – that’s something unusual, which I personally enjoyed a lot. Plus, the whole atmosphere is creepy and it makes you more insecure than scared. Similar to the feeling some people might have experienced in their childhood. Perhaps they weren’t actually scared of their parents, but somehow unsure about their intentions and insecure about their own selves. This film will stay in my mind for quite some time and I hope you’ll give it a try despite its average ratings.

My rating: 7/10
S.

That small thought is all it takes to lose control. “Possessor” (2020)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Brandon Cronenberg
© 2020 Elevation Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

If you’ve seen at least one film by David Cronenberg, I bet your cinephile’s life is no longer the same. I’m not sure what to think about this director as most of his films make me question the meaning of life in a rather negative way, yet there are some that I could say I “enjoyed”. But am I a big fan? Nah. However, today’s production is actually made by David’s son – Brandon Cronenberg. And perhaps I’ll say something controversial here, but I do believe the younger generation has more potential to present. Still, if you think that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… you’re right, because Brandon seems to be following a very similar path to his father’s – just with a better equipment and idea where he’s going, if you know what I mean. In this film we meet Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough), an assassin who works in an unusual way. Instead of killing her targets herself, she possesses other people’s bodies and kills as them. All that is possible thanks to fancy brain implants and advanced technology, which we all know from sci-fi productions. After finishing her job, she has to commit suicide as the person she’s possessing and this way she may return to her own body. Easy? Well, judge yourselves. Except work, Tasya is a wife and mother, which becomes more and more difficult to manage. Since she constantly has to possess other people, she starts questioning her own self and who she actually is as a person. Detaching from her family would make things easier, but the woman doesn’t want to lose the loved ones. One day, Tasya gets another mission and a new person to possess. Even though she knows what to do, not everything goes as planned… but that’s for you to see yourselves. I have to say that Brandon Cronenberg way of writing screenplays speaks to me way better than his father’s concepts. I seriously enjoyed going into this film’s world and I felt like I was taken care of as a viewer – that I’d not get lost in the story at some point. This film is strange, but you shouldn’t expect anything else coming from men with that surname – and it’s a compliment, because we need some strangeness in cinema. However, it also makes you reflect on the topic of relations, at least that’s what it did to me. What if someone started possessing us – would we even notice? Or maybe that would be easier for some of us? And if so, how would we feel being surrounded by people, some of whom could be possessed by someone else and we would no longer know who we’re dealing with. Welcome to my mind, dear reader, that’s what happens when I get a sci-fi film. I personally love when filmmakers play with this topic of personal detachment and mind control, because it’s something that may be our reality in the future, who knows? And nothing scares me more than probable scenarios of the future. Give me a man with an axe chopping a group of people in a basement? Yawn. Give me a film about an advanced technology letting us possess each other? Ayuda, my brain is on fire! This film would need a bit of polishing to be more outstanding in its form, but I’m still satisfied. I’m looking forward to more questionable productions from the Cronenberg family!

My rating: 6.5/10
S.

I just want to be normal people again. “Black Bear” (2020)

SashLeave a comment
directed by Lawrence Michael Levine
© 2020 Momentum Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Today I’ve got a very specific production, which I find difficult to write about. I have a lot of thoughts in my head, but I wouldn’t like to say too much so I don’t destroy your experience of watching it. That is why I’m going to divide this post into two parts. First, I’ll tell you what it seems it’s about and then I’ll share how I read it, yet I’m asking you not to read the second part before watching the film. I saw it without knowing a thing and I’m glad nobody had spoiled it to me, so I wish you the same. Allison (Aubrey Plaza) is a filmmaker, who’s searching for inspiration. She meets a couple, Blair and Gabe (Sarah Gadon & Christopher Abbott), who are staying at a lake house in the Adirondack Mountains, and who invite her over to spend an evening together. During that evening, drama happens, which later evolves into something totally different. And I seriously don’t want you to know more and I recommend you to just press play now. When you finish, get back for the second part. SECOND PART OF THE POST BEGINS HERE. So, how do I read this film? For me it’s a picture that presents a woman who’s trying to deal with some kind of pain in her own way. As you can see, the film is divided into two parts. In one, Allison is the other woman, who’s strong and the drama between Blair and Gabe doesn’t concern her much. In the second part, she’s the one who’s not doing well, who’s lost in her own world and feels disrespected by her partner. People ask which one is real. And I guess there’s no good answer, that’s why this film is so interesting. I’d say that perhaps none of them are real, and then we get a totally different story. Maybe I’m overthinking it right now, but the ending gives me very positive vibes. I feel like it was saying “no matter what happens in your life, it’s up to you how to perceive it”. And it’s you who writes the final “screenplay”, despite several adversities that may occur. Am I being too deep? Maybe. But that’s how I see this film and I’m sure it’ll surprise you with a headache as well. Enjoy discovering your own version!

My rating: 6/10
S.