Girls Against Boys

2012 / d. Austin Chick
          

While the story may not appeal to everyone, and some may feel that this type of rape-revenge has been done before, I believe the minor differences in this film go a long way to set it apart. There is one clear victim and even though her actions are heavily influenced by a “wild card” character so to speak, her reactions to her own behaviour are not typically that of the victims we are used to seeing in this subgenre. The mental state of the characters ranges from enjoyment to indifference with little regret and, at times, it creates a very twisted form of comic relief. With beautiful cinematography, very stylized and not at all gritty as one would expect, I only found myself disappointed with a few slow motion shots toward the end. These shots were great in the beginning, but when the story progression is already slow, the last thing I wanted was each individual shot matching the pace. Good performances and a solid amount of blood. The last death was my personal fave.

The Possession

2012 / d. Ole Bornedal
             

The lengths a kid will go to get her divorced parents back together! If you have ever seen an exorcism film then you have seen this one as well; the majority of scenes could have been taken directly out of any other film on the subject, and the story was just as predictable. The only decent performance was given by Kyra Sedgwick, everyone else felt out of place and in most scenes the performances felt forced to the point of bordering on the comedic. The effects weren’t too bad, but if there was anything that stood out it wasn’t noticeable enough to remember. The only worth while thing in this film is the poorly paced storyline of the young, hip hop loving Rabbi – otherwise I would rather be watching The Exorcist II. Yeah, I went there.

The Caller

2011 / d. Matthew Parkhill
              
Upon first glance, the cast, featuring Rachelle Lefevre and Stephen Moyer may have you thinking that this is a vampire film, and a title like THE CALLER may lead you to believe that a babysitter is being harassed; luckily no such plots exist in this film. After passing it over on our last 30 Netflix viewings, we decided to give it a chance. We urge you to as well. This is a dark, suspenseful thriller consisting of stalker-like phone calls that force the main character into a paranoia that takes a very interesting turn. The result is a plot that makes this film unlike the others of it’s kind. While it is not filled with gore, the story and suspense will be enough to keep you intrigued until the end credits roll. Fantastic cast and excellent cinematography. Eerie in the vein of WHEN A STRANGER CALLS, where just the voice on the other end of the phone is enough to get under your skin. Check it out!