Funny Games begins with an idealised, upper-middle-class family, driving through lush green woodland, beside sun-baked lakes, and playing “guess the classical composer” on the car’s audio system. The mild serenity of Handel and Mozart is then smashed by the movie’s title, appearing in huge red letters across the screen, accompanied by the most stygian piece

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  Set amidst the beautifully desolate scenery of the Joshua Tree desert, Head Count is a suspenseful slow burn that delves into folklore and urban legends through a threatening presence that hints toward the uncanny valley. Elle Callahan is able to create a meticulous feeling of impending dread in her debut full-length feature film, which

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Death Games Cover Photo

The “Death Game” is an unofficial genre of thriller wherein a set of humans (or at least sentient beings) are pitted in a contest where the consequence of failure is the player’s last reward. The appeal isn’t hard to explain – the premise packs immediate tension as characters are faced not only with the threat

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Cure 1997

 In this short article, I want to write something about Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cure (1997). Yet, I do not want to present a common review, but I want to offer a somewhat more poetic piece on the rather scandalous truth of Kiyoshi’s mystery-horror masterpiece. Cure follows Detective Kenichi Takabe (Koji Yakusho) as he is tasked to

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