Pregnancy changes you. Your body betrays you, your personality takes of fin wild directions, and it can feel like there’s a little monster growing inside you. And maybe there is!
Quick shout out to the trashy options that we never seem to be able to fit in: Baby Blood and Inseminoid.
5. Antibirth (2016)
This one is nuts. Chaos reigns some blighted wasteland where Lou (Natasha Lyonne) squats in an abandoned trailer, picks up shifts as necessary cleaning a motel, and abuses her body so relentlessly that it becomes the perfect breeding ground for…something.
There’s a lot going on in this movie, most of it unrelated to the plot but aesthetically in line. Writer/director Danny Perez basically creates a fairly realistic town just this side of Street Trash.
Lyonne is unhinged, unperturbable genius in this piece of insanity.
4. Honeymoon (2014)
How well do you really know the person you marry? Leigh Janiak’s Honeymoon taps into that anxiety and blends it a bit with pregnancy horror to basically make everything about that new, conjoined life feel alien and weird and murdery.
Rose Leslie is particularly effective as a woman in transition. Her performance is simultaneously tender and sinister.
Janiak nails the smalltown horror, conjuring a kind of sci-fi Let’s Scare Jessica to Death.
3. Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022)
Michelle Garza Cervera’s maternal nightmare is bright and decisive, pulling in common genre tropes only long enough to grant entrance to the territory of a central metaphor before casting them aside for something sinister, honest and honestly terrifying.
While it toes certain familiar ground – the gaslighting of Rosemary’s Baby, for instance – what sets Huesera apart from other maternal horror is its deliberate untidiness. Cervera refuses to embrace the good mother/bad mother dichotomy and disregards the common cinematic journey of convincing a woman that all she really wants is to be a mom.
Huesera’s metaphor is brave and timely. Brave not only because of its LGBTQ themes but because of its motherhood themes. It’s a melancholy and necessary look at what you give up, what you kill.
2. Prevenge (2016)
Anybody with any sense at all is afraid of pregnant women. With unassuming mastery, Alice Lowe pushes that concept to its breaking point with her wickedly funny directorial debut, Prevenge.
Lowe plays Ruth. Grieving, single and pregnant, Ruth believes her unborn daughter rather insists that she kill a bunch of people.
Why such bloodlust from Ruth’s baby? Lowe, who also wrote the script, divulges just as much as you need to know when the opportunity arises. At first, there’s just the macabre fun of watching the seemingly ordinary mum pick off an unsuspecting exotic pet salesman.
1. Swallow
Putting a relevant twist on the classic “horrific mother” trope, writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis uses the rare eating disorder pica to anchor his exploration of gender dynamics and, in particular, control.
Where Mirabella-Davis’s talent for building tension and framing scenes drive the narrative, it’s Bennett’s performance that elevates the film. Serving as executive producer as well as star, Haley Bennett transforms over the course of the film.
When things finally burst, director and star shake off the traditional storytelling, the Yellow Wallpaper or Awakening or even Safe. The filmmaker’s vision and imagery come full circle with a bold conclusion worthy of Bennett’s performance.
When a human being just doesn’t have enough meaningful ways to invest their time, they can go a little nuts. Here’s to the horror of life as the underappreciated, boxed-in, cast off and/or misused housewife. May they all draw blood.
5. Jakob’s Wife (2021)
Director/co-writer Travis Stevens (Girl on the Third Floor) wraps this bloodlusty tale of the pastor’s wife (Barbara Crampton) and the vampire in a fun, retro vibe of ’80s low-budget, practical, blood-spurting gore.
To see a female character of this age experiencing a spiritual, philosophical and sexual awakening is alone refreshing, and Crampton (looking fantastic, by the way) makes the character’s cautious embrace of her new ageless wonder an empowering – and even touching – journey.
With Crampton so completely in her element, Jakob’s Wife is an irresistibly fun take on the bite of eternity. Here, it’s not about taking souls, it’s about empowering them. And once this lady is a vamp, we’re the lucky ones.
4. The Stepford Wives (1975)
Ira Levin’s novel left a scar and filmmaker Bryan Forbes and star Katherine Ross pick that scab to deliver a satirical thriller that is still surprisingly unsettling. What both the novel and the film understand is a genuine fear that the person you love, whose faults you accept and who you plan to age and die with, has no interest in what’s inside you at all. You – the actual you – mean nothing at all.
It’s the idea of trophy wife taken to a diabolical extreme (as even the outright trophy wife isn’t long to last, what with the inevitability of aging and all). The term Stepford Wife worked its way into the lexicon, and there’s a clear pot boiler, B-movie feel to this film, but it still leaves a mark.
3. Dumplings (2004)
Fruit Chan’s Dumplings satirizes the global obsession with youth and beauty in taboo-shattering ways.
Gorgeous if off-putting Aunt Mei (Bai Ling) balances her time between performing black market medical functions and selling youth-rejuvenating dumplings. She’s found a customer for the dumplings in Mrs. Li (Miriam Yeung ChinWah), the discarded wife of a wealthy man.
With darkest humor and sharp insight, Chan situates the horror in a specifically Chinese history but skewers a youth-obsessed culture that circles the globe.
The secret ingredient is Bai Ling, whose performance is a sly work of genius. There are layers to this character that are only slowly revealed, but Ling clearly knows them inside and out, hinting at them all the while and flatly surprised at everything Mrs. Li (and you and everyone else) hasn’t guessed.
Gross and intimate, uncomfortable and wise, mean, well-acted and really nicely photographed, Dumplings will likely not be for everyone. But it’s certainly a change of pace from your day-to-day horror diet.
2. Swallow (2019)
Putting a relevant twist on the classic “horrific mother” trope, writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis uses the rare eating disorder pica to anchor his exploration of gender dynamics and, in particular, control.
Where Mirabella-Davis’s talent for building tension and framing scenes drive the narrative, it’s Bennett’s performance that elevates the film. Serving as executive producer as well as star, Haley Bennett transforms over the course of the film.
When things finally burst, director and star shake off the traditional storytelling, the Yellow Wallpaper or Awakening or even Safe. The filmmaker’s vision and imagery come full circle with a bold conclusion worthy of Bennett’s performance.
1. Watcher (2022)
If you’re a fan at all of genre films, chances are good Watcher will look plenty familiar. But in her feature debut, writer/director Chloe Okuno wields that familiarity with a cunning that leaves you feeling unnerved in urgent and important ways.
Maika Monroe is sensational as Julia, an actress who has left New York behind to follow husband Francis (Karl Glusman) and begin a new life in Bucharest.
Monroe emits an effectively fragile resolve. The absence of subtitles helps us relate to Julia immediately, and Monroe never squanders that sympathy, grounding the film at even the most questionably formulaic moments.
Mounting indignities create a subtle yet unmistakable nod to a culture that expects women to ignore their better judgment for the sake of being polite. Okuno envelopes Julia in male gazes that carry threats of varying degrees, all building to a bloody and damn satisfying crescendo.
We can all agree on one thing: 2020 blows. It hasn’t been
great for movies, either, what with every major film being pushed back until at
least autumn. But, as is always the case, these challenges have created
opportunities for spunky little movies ready to come into our homes, where we
spend so very, very much time now, and help us make it through The Great Pause.
These are our favorite films of the first half of 2020.
10. Capone
You’ve seen Capone on film: films about him, films containing
him, films about gangsters reminiscent of him. A lot of these movies have been
great – some of them classic. But you have never seen Alphonse Capone the
way writer/director Josh Trank sees him.
Wisely, Trank realized Tom Hardy
would be able to translate his vision.
The film focuses on the final year of the
infamous mobster’s life—the adult diapers and dementia year. Hardy finds
the faulty humanity in this character. His depiction of Capone’s confusion is
unerringly human, and in his hands Trank’s macabre humor never feels like
mockery.
Trank’s loose narrative is less concerned with
the scheming, criss-crossing and backstabbing from underlings trying to find
the money than it is with Capone’s deterioration, and that’s what makes this
film so gloriously odd. No doubt some viewers will be disappointed—those who
tuned in to see Hardy play a badass at the top of his game. My guess is that
the reason one of the finest actors working today was drawn to Capone was the
opportunity to do something just this unexpected.
9. The Lodge
Several Fiala and Veronika Franz follow up
their creepy Goodnight Mommy with this “white death” horror that sees a
future stepmom having a tough time getting to know the kids during a weeklong,
snowbound cabin retreat. Riley Keough is riding an impressive run of
performances and her work here is slippery and wonderful. As the unwanted new
member in the family, she’s sympathetic but also brittle.
Jaeden Martell, a kid who has yet
to deliver a less than impressive turn, is the human heartbeat at the center of
the mystery in the cabin. His tenderness gives the film a quiet, pleading
tragedy. Whether he’s comforting his grieving little sister or begging Grace
(Keough) to come in from the snow, his performance aches and you ache with him.
There’s no denying the mounting dread the filmmakers create, and
the three central performances are uniquely effective. Thanks to the actors’
commitment and the filmmakers’ skill in atmospheric horror, the movie grips
you, makes you cold and uncomfortable, and ends with a memorable slap.
8. Why Don’t You Just Die!
Given that 75% of writer/director Kirill Sokolov’s Why Don’t You Just Die! takes place
in a single apartment—one room of that apartment, really—you might be surprised
to learn that it’s an action film.
It’s pretty heavy on the action,
actually, amplified by inspired framing, kinetic cinematography, sometimes
hilarious but always eye-popping choreography, and blood. Just a ton of blood.
With a spare script, visual wonder and energy to burn, Why Don’t You Just Die! promises
to snatch your attention like a duffle bag of cash and hang on until exactly
enough blood is spilled.
That’s a lot.
7. The True History of the Kelly Gang
Planting its flag unapologetically at the
corner of accuracy and myth, The True History of the Kelly
Gang reintroduces a legendary 1870s folk hero through
consistently bold and compelling strokes.
Director Justin Kurzel and screenwriter Shaun
Grant – the duo behind the true crime shocker The Snowtown Murders nine
years ago – go bigger this time, trading spare intimacy for a tableau of grand
visual and narrative ideas.
With a direct nod to the moment when “the myth
is more profitable than the man,” Kurzel spins an irresistible yarn that
manages to balance the worship of its hero with some condemnation for his sins.
And as the road to Kelly’s guns-blazing capture unfurls, the film incorporates
elements of both a tense crime thriller and a Nightingale-esqe
reminder of savage colonialism.
6. Capital in the 21st Century
New Zealand filmmaker Justin Pemberton has
assembled an array of scholars and historians (including Thomas Piketty, author
of the source book) for a 103-minute presentation that is so informative,
measured and concise it should earn you college credits.
There are graphs, illustrations and pop culture
snippets from film and television that Pemberton weaves throughout the lecture
material to attract the eye and boost the film’s overall entertainment value.
But make no mistake, his mission is about breaking down the 400 years of
history that explain the social and economic precipice we’re teetering on right
now.
And while some of the lessons are not new (i.e.
we need a strong middle class) the context here is so vivid and relevant many
observations may land with an echo of “eureka!” inside your head.
5. Never Rarely Sometimes Always
With her 2013 debut It Felt Like Love, Eliza
Hittman brought a refreshing honesty to the teen drama. At its core, Never Rarely Sometimes Always could be seen as
Hittman’s kindred sequel to her first feature, as two friends (Talia Ryder and
a stunning Sidney Flanagan) navigate a cold, sometimes cruel world that lies
just beyond the hopeful romanticism of first love.
NRSA shows
Hittman in full command of her blunt truth-telling, demanding we accept this
reality of women fighting to control their own bodies amid constant waves of
marginalization.
Just three films in, Hittman has established
herself as a filmmaker of few words, intimate details and searing
perspective. NRSW is a sensitive portrayal
of female friendship and courage, equal parts understated and confrontational
as it speaks truths that remain commonly ignored.
4. The Vast of Night
Opening with vintage Rod Serling welcoming us
to “Paradox Theatre,” director Andrew Patterson unveils an incredibly polished
debut, one that’s full of meticulous craftsmanship, effective pacing and
wonderfully engaging storytelling.
Peterson’s commitment to production
and sound design results in a totally immersive experience. The period details
– from costumes to recording equipment – are more than just historically
correct. Paired with the rapid-fire, comfortably lived-in dialog from
screenwriters James Montague and Craig W. Sanger, they create a throwback
setting that charms without the tell of undue effort.
Peterson also flexes confidently
behind the camera, moving from extended tracks to slow pans to quiet stills,
all in service of the film’s wondrous tone. With Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz
leading a stellar ensemble, what could have been a generic sci-fi time filler
becomes a smart parable with an eerie grip.
3. Swallow
Putting a relevant twist on the classic
“horrific mother” trope, writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis uses the rare
eating disorder pica to anchor his exploration of gender dynamics and, in
particular, control.
Where Mirabella-Davis’s talent for building tension and framing scenes drive the narrative, it’s Bennett’s performance that elevates this work. Serving as executive producer as well as star, Haley Bennett transforms over the course of the film.
When things finally burst, director and star
shake off the traditional storytelling, the Yellow Wallpaper or Awakening or even Safe.
The filmmaker’s vision and imagery come full circle with a bold conclusion
worthy of Bennett’s performance.
2. Shirley
Director Josephine Decker’s languid style
seduces you, keeps you from pulling away from her films’ underlying tensions,
darkness, sickness. She specializes in that headspace that mixes the story as
it is and the story as it’s told, which makes her a fitting guide for Susan
Scarf Merrell’s fictionalized account of this slice of Shirley Jackson’s life.
Decker manipulates the pacing,
melancholy and sensuality of her tale beautifully, drawing a stirring
performance from Young. But my god, what she gets from Elisabeth Moss and Michael
Stuhlbarg.
Moss and Stuhlbarg play Shirley
Jackson and her husband, Stanley Hyman. To witness two such remarkable talents
sparring like this, aided by a biting script that offers them ample opportunity
to wade into the sickness and dysfunction of this marriage—it’s breathtaking.
The result is dark and unseemly,
appropriately angry and gorgeously told—fitting tribute to the author.
1. Da 5 Bloods
A heist movie on the surface, Da
5 Bloods is clearly about a great deal more than making it rich. Writer/director
Spike Lee has a lot to say about how those in power tell us what we want to
hear so we will do what they want us to do.
As is always the case with Lee’s
films, even the most overtly political, deeply felt performances give the
message meaning. The entire cast is excellent, but Delroy Lindo is
transcendent.
Lindo’s never given a bad performance in his 45
years on screen. As commanding a presence as ever at 68 playing Paul, Lindo
again blends vulnerability into every action, whether funny, menacing or
melancholy. His MAGA hat-wearing, self-loathing, dangerously conflicted
character gives Lee’s themes a pulse. This may finally be the performance to
get Lindo the Oscar he’s deserved for ages.
It should surprise no one that Lee’s latest
happens to hit the exact nerve that throbs so loudly and painfully right now,
given that he’s been telling this exact story in minor variations for 30+
years.
Nobody wants to go out, and even if you did, there is nowhere to go. So, hunker down and let us help you find something to watch. Here’s what’s new in home entertainment.
Like Todd Haynes’s 1995 film Safe, Swallow shadows
a lovely homemaker with little of merit to occupy her time who eventually falls
prey to an unusual malady.
Dressed like something out of a 1950s pantyhose ad, Hunter (a transfixing Haley Bennett) fluffs pillows, prepares dinner, and waits for her husband Richie (Austin Stowell) to come home from work. She’s so grateful. Just really thankful, she nods in a hushed, respectful, humble tone.
You might think that pregnancy would give Hunter something meaningful to do with her time: prepare the nursery, read up on parenting, that sort of thing. But the only thing she really wants to do now is to swallow things she shouldn’t.
Putting a relevant twist on the classic “horrific mother” trope, writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis uses the rare eating disorder pica to anchor his exploration of gender dynamics and, in particular, control.
At times almost Hitchcockian in its suspense, anxiety and balance of gender hysterics, Swallow feels urgently present but simultaneously old-fashioned. The costume choices, the vacant expression Hunter wears like a mask, the way she smooths and tucks her hair—all of it rings with the tone of the dementedly June Cleaver-esque.
Where Mirabella-Davis’s talent for building tension and framing
scenes drive the narrative, it’s Bennett’s performance that elevates the film.
Serving as executive producer as well as star, Bennett transforms over the
course of the film.
The path Swallow takes is eerily, sometimes
frustratingly similar to Haynes’s Safe. Both films cover similar themes,
both take on a meticulously crafted visual aesthetic, and both boast
incandescent lead performances. Indeed, Bennett here is every ounce as
believable and touching and transfixing as the great Julianne Moore as Haynes’s
brittle heroine.
But where Haynes played things a little too ambiguously to
satisfy an audience, Mirabella-Davis embraces clarity—although first he flirts
and then dances with it before the full bear hug. The first half of this film
is almost sleight of hand, the filmmaker telegraphing imagery too meticulous
and obvious.
When things finally burst, though, director and star shake
off the traditional storytelling, the Yellow Wallpaper or Awakening
or even Safe. The filmmaker’s vision and imagery come full circle with a
bold conclusion worthy of Bennett’s performance.
