fatamorgana-40208 Reviews

When Evil Lurks (2023)

A fresh take on a tired genre...

[7/10 · 11 November 2023]

This movie is wild from start to finish, probably my favorite horror movie so far this year. The special effects are really good and practical. No CGI garbage. It's not written with the intent of lightening the mood with stupid attempts at humor. It's as serious as can be and some of the violent scenes are shocking and like nothing ever before seen on film. It might be a bit much for the squeamish but for hardcore horror fans... they will love it. The scene with the dog and the little girl made me jump in my seat. And the image of the mother walking down the road with the little boy in her arms might be the sickest thing evr filmed... It was very original. I liked this movie a lot!!

Dead Mountain (2020)

Very good show!

[8/10 · 12 June 2023]

If your familiar with this story you know there's lots of conspiracy theories surrounding the tragedy that befell these hikers. This show touches on every one of them and a few I wasn't aware of. It blends folklore mythology, nazi experiments, UFO invaders, and the KGB as potential suspects without ever crossing the line to silly tropes or unbelievable explanations. It is shot beautifully. The snow scenes and mountain shots are amazing, and they give a great perspective of what these hikers were up against. It is shot in black and white and in color which lends a gritty, realistic vibe. The ending was very satisfying too. This show was focused throughout the eight episodes and never wavered from telling the most logical truth. Very well done!!

History of the Occult (2020)

Not your typical horror film...

[7/10 · 28 May 2023]

History of the Occult is not a documentary or a mockumentary. This is a movie. It's not filled with possessed little girls climbing on the ceiling or evil ghosts. It's not supernatural, paranormal, or even scary... And I'm thankful. This movie is all about building suspense through a simple premise- a news station is going to expose a satanic conspiracy among the political powers of Argentina.

The movie is cryptic and deliberately vague. If you need movies spelled out for you than this isn't a movie you'll enjoy. The ending is not neatly wrapped up, you'll have to think about it afterwards to make sense of it, and that's what makes it good.

The Outwaters (2022)

Run as fast as you can from this movie

[2/10 · 10 March 2023]

I don't even know where to begin describing how bad this movie really is. A part of me has sympathy for the people who put this together and believed that it was good. It was not. This movie is beyond terrible. Another part of me feels sympathy for the people who spent money on this and wasted two hours of their life.

This was atrocious, one of the worst movies I've ever seen. The hand-held shaky camera gimmick should go away now because of this movie. It a tired overused hack and this movie will give you a headache because it's done so poorly. It is completely boring for the first hour. Then it becomes a series of disconnected pointless images swathed in so much darkness you can't see the creature that's supposed to be in the movie!! By the end, all logic and reason is gone and you are left with an empty feeling... the feeling of being swindled into watching a pile of garbage....don't waste your time.

Mandrake (2022)

I wanted to like it...

[5/10 · 25 February 2023]

It seemed like there was much potential to be had here but it just slipped away somehow. The film quality and scene locations were great, seeming to set everything up for a dark, twisted and impactful little folk horror movie. But it just never materialized.

Stereotypical characters followed a stereotypical plot and ended up at a stereotypical ending... if they had focused more on the woods and the mandrake and the evil magic at work, it could have been a great movie, I think.

This is a good "ten o'clock Saturday morning movie to pass the time." But I wouldn't recommend caring about it after 6PM.

Too bad, it felt like there was a lot of missed potential...

Moloch (2022)

All in all, a good movie

[7/10 · 25 February 2023]

This is well shot, with decent special effects and a good creepy vibe to it. I think it took several different horror movie ideas and transformed it just enough to make something original and entertaining.

The acting was good enough and the writing was sufficient. No complaints there. And I really liked how the director took the inevitable point in the movie where history had to be explained and managed to have it all come together at the part when the school play was happening. I thought that was really smart and timing-wise it worked perfectly in the movie.

If you are looking to be entertained for a couple hours this movie will do just that for you.

A Wounded Fawn (2022)

Nothing special....

[6/10 · 25 February 2023]

I see a lot of reviews using the term "arthouse." But it seems to me that it's really just a term to describe a movie that's abstract and different than your typical movie. Most directors follow a formula of a scripted standard storyline that leads to logical conclusion. And "arthouse" movies don't care about anything standard or typical... so the ratings for any movie in this genre will be all over the map.

I am not an "arthouse" fan, nor do I care for the term. But this movie is still entertaining and offers a varying perspective of serial killer/stalker movies no matter what label it falls under.

I can understand the dislike for it and at the same time I can see the love for it. It's definitely not for everyone. But if you're tired of the same old kind of movie with retread ideas and worn-out tropes, then you might enjoy this.

I like different and I like "out there" ideas... this movie is both...

What Josiah Saw (2021)

This movie should get more love...

[8/10 · 25 February 2023]

This is a drama/psychological/mystery/thriller/horror movie all rolled into one.

It's about a family torn to shreds by an abusive father and the tragic ending that results from his actions. It is a slow burn, but it's done in a way so that each child of that abuse gets to reveal their characters to the viewer. It's dark and sad and might stick with you even after you've watched it.

But the actors are all great. The writing is really good. It's atmospheric, unpredictable, and entertaining. While many horror stories lack character development. This movie is entirely about characters and the horrors they've endured, as well as the horrors they've committed.

This is good movie.

Post Mortem (I) (2020)

Not sure what all the dislike is for...

[6/10 · 25 February 2023]

I'm confused about the hate for this film. It's dark, creepy, and atmospheric. They clearly put a bunch of money into the budget and used it very well. It may be a bit cliched and predictable at times, but the movie serves its purpose.

It tells the story of a man who photographs the dead for loved ones to have a keepsake of them. The photographer goes to a town infested by ghosts and with the help of a little girl they figure out how to rid the town of the restless spirits.

It's not terrible... Are people really disappointed a twelve-year old child actor wasn't as good as Meryl Streep? The lead actor didn't have the same acting chops as Daniel Day Lewis? What are people's expectations going into this?

I have no idea. It's a silly ghost story, ridiculous in its very premise like every single ghost movie ever made. Ghosts aren't real!!

But there are a hundred other worse ghost-story movies than this, I promise you that... I've watched em... this isn't that bad.

Saloum (2021)

Better than half the horror movies out there

[6/10 · 25 February 2023]

I guess I wouldn't call this straight horror so much as it seems like more of an action/folk movie.

It's about three men who kidnap/save a drug kingpin to earn a hefty payday. It appears the men are no more than bounty hunters and that we are watching an action flick. But as the movie progresses, we learn they are good men who fight for "the little guy" and are regarded as heroes. When their plane is sabotaged by one of the three men, it is revealed that the place they end up hiding out at is run by a sex trafficker/abuser. The men kill him and then discover they must fight their way to freedom, through evil itself.

For such a simple premise, this movie manages to be pretty profound and entertaining at the same time.

Deadstream (2022)

Much better than expected.

[8/10 · 25 February 2023]

If you're like me, you're tired of shaky hand-held cameras in horror movies and distrustful of a horror movie being scary when it also calls itself a comedy... this film does both and pulls it off really well.

I had nothing to watch the other night and I put this on with no expectations but being disappointed. Glad I was wrong.

Nice job by the makers of this film to pull off a genre that has been beaten like a dead horse these past couple of decades. This movie is scary, creepy and has a little "Evil Dead" vibe to it, while managing to be original. And the comedic elements, which are genuinely funny, really set the tone for tension and relief from scare to scare... This is probably my favorite hand-held shaky cam movie out of the hundreds that copied "Blair Witch." Nice job...

Satan's Slaves 2: Communion (2022)

A slow build up...

[7/10 · 25 February 2023]

While I did like this movie, I think it was the victim of being the second movie in a trilogy. Everything that happened could have been done in an hour instead of the two-hour run time it had.

But it was beautifully shot. Many of the scary scenes are carried out to perfection with excellent lighting, or lack thereof, and the creepiness was off the charts. The characters were good, the story was good. It's very hard to make an entire apartment building scary but Joko Anwar did a fantastic job. I am a big fan of his work.

This movie was basically a set up for the next film to follow. But if you want to be scared at home while watching a movie, this has the ability to do that...

Mad God (2021)

If you like this sort of thing, you'll love this movie

[7/10 · 25 February 2023]

This movie is dark and brooding and remains that way for the whole thing. So if you're looking for an uplifting message, look elsewhere... But if you like stop motion animation and enjoy a dark tale then you will really like this movie. I watched it for the first time and kept scratching my head the whole way through until I realized what it was about.

While I was watching the movie I kept trying to figure out what it all meant. It seemed confusing and allegorical, like a puzzle meant to be solved. But at the very beginning of the movie, there are excerpts taken from Leviticus that explain God's wrath upon humanity. Once you realize those passages from the bible are there for a reason, you will see the movie for exactly what it's meant to be.

God, who is the old man, is sending down his angels to earth to carry out his vengeance. And it's as simple as that.

It is visually awesome. The scenes are nightmarish and unlike anything you've seen before. That alone makes it worth watching. (I specifically loved the "nod" to Harry Hausen's Cyclops creature in the beginning as the angel is descending to earth.)

Something in the Dirt (2022)

I feel bad about this...

[5/10 · 21 February 2023]

I just want to start off by saying I love Spring, Resolution, The Endless and Synchronic... which is why this 5 rating is hard to do for me. These guys are so good and the world of supernatural occurrences they've created are unique and awesome. But this movie just failed on too many levels.

One, the budget had to be the cheapest budget they've ever used. Filmed almost entirely in an apartment room with an occasional outdoor scene, it felt cheap and looked cheap. That alone is not enough to make it bad. But when you take into consideration the boring plot and lame dialogue, this movie ends up being just plain bad and uninteresting.

Two, the premise was weak...a man, Justin Benson, moves into an apartment and has weird, strange happenings occurring around him. A giant crystal ashtray (?) floats in the air once in a while and stops floating. Lights go on and then they go off. Justin Benson's weight drops lower than it normally is. This is the extent of the strange events that have he and Aaron Moorhead so consumed you'd think they were looking for the holy grail. Instead, they spout nonsensical theories about crystals and gravity and electro-magnetism. In the end, while nothing has been explained or solved, Justin Benson just floats off into the sky.

Seriously, as bad as this sounds, this is the entire movie. It's so disappointing. I guess the best directors have a flop once in a while...this movie is their flop. I can't recommend it to anyone.

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018)

Highly relevant movie now...

[7/10 · 15 February 2023]

This movie came out in 2018. It may have meant one thing back then, but right now I think this movie is extremely relevant and is far better than the bad reviews it's received.

This movie is NOT an action movie. It is a drama centered around a militia group that has gathered in a hideout after a mass shooting attack against the police. The characters immediately realize that one of their own militia members is most likely responsible for the attack and the rest of the movie is about the interrogation by an informant to find the culprit.

The mood and tension are good. The actors do a decent job to bring the subject matter to life. And the writing is something that may have been unrelatable five years ago. But, today, it should resonate with every viewer. It's a not-so-subtle inquiry into what rights citizens should be allowed to have and what rights to safety they are promised. And I think it poses the question without ever preaching or deciding for the viewer what the correct answer is. It simply tells a story and leaves the rest up to you...if you stick through this one, I think you'll enjoy it.

Crimes of the Future (2022)

"Wow!" is one way to describe this...

[7/10 · 5 February 2023]

David Cronenberg is either a genius and this movie is a metaphor about artists, inner beauty, and the interpretation of those two things or he is a madman and this movie is nuts... or maybe it's a little of both... This movie is pure Cronenberg, don't think otherwise. If you want bizarre, twisted and sexually charged taboos, this entire movie is tinged with all three. Unfortunately, the plot moves slow but if you prepare for this before you watch this movie you might well enjoy it. The writing is good, the acting is good enough and the film, of course, is well shot. I'm not going to give away any details but it's fearless film-making with no apologies... I can appreciate that.

Old People (2022)

Old people are creepy....

[6/10 · 4 February 2023]

This movie sets up the idea of old people driven to a murderous rampage. But it is really a statement on society's treatment of the elderly. This is a good idea and the premise alone can bring plenty of creepy and scary moments for a movie. But this idea is overshadowed by the elderly having unbelievable strength and agility even though their bones are old and their muscles weak. It became too silly to take seriously and kind of lost its way. Good for a single viewing to pass some time but not much else.

8/10 on the creepy scale... There's something easy and convincing about transforming regular elderly people into scary unpredictable beings with hidden agendas.

7/10 on the originality scale... The idea was fairly fresh and interesting.

5/10 on the believability scale... too many times characters were doing dumb things to move the plot forward. It could have succeeded without the bad choices.

Overall, I would give it a 6/10.

Vengeance (II) (2022)

Funny, smart, and deep

[7/10 · 29 January 2023]

This is a very good movie. Well written, funny and profound all at the same time. I had no idea what to expect going into this. I thought it seemed strange to see. BJ Novack in a movie that sounded like it had an action movie title. The first five minutes consisted of him and another guy acting like a couple of smooth-talking ladies men and I thought..."This might not be for me...." I'm glad I stayed to watch the rest. The movie is written to be funny and satirical, which it really is, but at the same time it is profound and deep... BJ Novack's character goes to Abilene to attend the funeral of a woman he slept with once, someone he knows absolutely nothing about at all. The woman's brother insists she was murdered and enlists Novack's character to help him solve the murder. The story that unfolds from there is a metaphor about the state of our country today. He shows, explains, and spells out perfectly the great divide between Middle America and the East/West coasts.

The ending was a total shock and caught me completely off-guard, as if I'd somehow managed to forget the name of the movie I was watching. This is well written and acted (Great job by Ashton Kutcher.... never thought I'd say that sentence in my life, but he was very good in this movie) The setting was great, capturing the feel of rural America perfectly. And the message that we aren't so different after all was told without a hint of the typical Hollywood, elitist mentality that we are sometimes subjected to... Kudos to BJ Novak for delivering a winner! Can't wait for his next movie!!

Carter (2022)

Expect crazy and you won't be surprised when crazy is what you get

[6/10 · 18 January 2023]

This movie is deliberately over the top, but some people seem to have a problem with that. It lets you know in the first ten minutes you're in for a wild, wacked-out, violent action movie. It doesn't pretend to be anything else. And I liked it for this reason.... Everybody believes Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan can take on dozens of people at a time, without a scratch. But this movie is silly for it? If you want a movie that doesn't care about your sense of taste or what you consider realistic... than you will like this movie. It's completely over the top, unrealistic, and nuts... but it's also entertaining and breaks the mold of typical action movies.

I for one don't ever want to watch Jason Statham as an action hero... that's ridiculous!

Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

Like beating a dead dinosaur....

[4/10 · 18 January 2023]

If you took Jurassic Park then removed the good writing, good acting, realistic action and originality this is the movie you would be left with... a soulless cash grab from a franchise that stopped caring about viewers a long time ago... My favorite part was watching dinosaurs in ice cold snowy conditions... do the producers and director not understand that reptiles are cold blooded? They literally can't function in cold weather... believe all the bad reviews, they're correct.

Now the interesting part, we'll see how long this review stays up. I've had some negative reviews of other shows and movies completely removed for no reason. They were not offensive, rude or disrespectful in any way, yet they were censored... makes me wonder how much influence movie studios have over this site and whether any of the good reviews are legitimate...

Hellraiser (2022)

Don't go out of your way for this one...

[5/10 · 10 October 2022]

I think all the low reviews got it right. Bland, unnecessary, slow, and unmemorable. It almost felt to me as if they edited out the gory scenes or trimmed them up to be less bloody. I loved the idea of a female "Pinhead," but her voice was nowhere near as intimidating as Doug Bradley's and there was nothing worth remembering about her words. They seemed to turn completely away from the pain is pleasure aspect of it like they were attempting to make it a PG13 movie or something. I thought they had a descent back story to roll with (a struggling addict who is always looking for pleasure in the form of drugs) but couldn't manage to tie it into the "The Box" except by making her stumble across it by accident. Lost opportunity there, I think... All in all, it wasn't terrible, and it certainly wasn't great...it was just another so/so horror movie to join a long list of recent mediocre outputs...

Pig (I) (2021)

If you like boring...

[5/10 · 5 December 2021]

I can't imagine what the high rating is for. This movie is nowhere near a 6.9. This is a five at best. Slow. Pointless. It makes an effort like it wants to be something substantive, but Nicholas Cage has decided to stop acting when the camera is on him and this movie suffers for it.

Risen (2021)

Unfortunately the bad reviews have it correct

[4/10 · 29 October 2021]

The CGI was some of the worst I have ever seen. But I was able to look past it because that has nothing to do with the writing or acting. But...the writing ended up taking a left hand turn and the acting from the lead actress was just...bad. There's really no other word for it.

The movie begins with the interesting premise of a meteorite striking a small town and killing everyone it comes into contact with. A scientific team is assembled to investigate and this is where the movie should take off, but it doesn't. For a silly reason some of the dead citizens are brought back to life but don't do anything for the entire movie. Then two-thirds of the way into the movie they take one of them to the site where the meteor strike occurred and a large plant has grown there (horrible graphics show this) Then the once dead guy they brought there suddenly can speak and he explains to the female lead that she is actually an alien and she is the one that called the alien life to come to earth.

Yeah...it's as bad as it sounds...

Wer (2013)

A fresh version of an old idea

[7/10 · 10 October 2021]

This is just a different take on a werewolf story. It's modern and updated. It has a realistic feel. If you're sick of the 'same 'old/same 'old' when it comes to lycan movies than this might be worth it for you. It's gruesome, gory, violent and best of all...different. I appreciated the effort to keep a teen love story out of the mix...

Midnight Mass (2021)

Mike Flanagan is the best!!!

[8/10 · 3 October 2021]

Always original drama story telling encased in a cool little horror plot. First with The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor and now with this. I absolutely love this guy!! This is the guy that could finally take the Stephen King stories, The Stand, Salem's Lot, and The Talisman, write great screenplays for them and give them the justice they so deserve.... I hope someone from Hollywood is paying attention to this guy.