Wind River ###-1/2
Revolving around an unexplained death, missing bodies and a lot of snow, this slow yet taut thriller is acted superbly by Jeremy Renner and the other Olsen twin, Elizabeth, as FBI agent Jane Banner. Although it plays like a TV movie, on the big screen it was absolutely engaging. Formulaic as anything but certainly enjoyable.
The Cured ###
A strange and somewhat maudlin tale starring Juno (2007) actor Ellen Page, this little film deals with a post-zombie apocalypse. The plague that wiped out much of Europe has been cured and people are grappling with how to reintegrate the once-infected back into the community. While the theme may sound appealing and the actors’ performances are all fine, it felt like a rehash of the far more engaging, superb British series In the Flesh (2013).
Tokyo Vampire Hotel ###
The after-midnight extreme showings that take place from 1-6am every night of the festival are fantastic. This is when the real nutjobs come out. Journalists kick back, most people are incredibly high on life and the films are a mixed bag of insanity. This Japanese production comes courtesy of Amazon, who bought the rights and pieced it into a series. Those of us who got to see the hilarious and disgusting two-hour gore-fest can never unsee the carnage. Japan has long since waved goodbye to conventional genre cinema, so the graphic sexual trysts, entrails and Tarantino-style violence should come as no surprise. In a word: incredible, if you like that sort of thing!
Seklusyon (Seclusion) ##-1/2
When you think of the Philippines, what comes to mind? It very likely isn't director Erik Matti's latest ghostly creep feature, based on a true story. Shown at the midnight extreme screenings, this bloody film set in 1947 tells the tale of Anghela Sta, a child who can seemingly heal the very ill. But is it faith or the devil empowering her? The church gets involved and the whole plot goes a bit pear-shaped. Quite the odd one!