Pyewacket

A slow-burn horror that doesn't quite burn enough.

Before I get started let me just say that angst and anger are not the same thing. I have read so many reviews that have described the character of Leah as angst-ridden. Angst is fear or anxiety, often about the future, it is not the same thing as anger...

Leah is a teen living with her grieving mother. She likes black metal and the occult. She's not completely off the rails, still respects her mother, but she is clearly dealing with the loss of her father as is her mother. Her mum decides it is time to uproot from the family home and shift to a cabin in the woods. After a massive argument the angry teen summons a demon/witch/entity to kill her mum, and spends the rest of the fil...

Alone Alone 2020 ½ Rewatched 17 Sep, 2020

Surly goth teenagers dabbling in the occult have become a horror movie cliché, but with Adam MacDonald's follow-up to his excellent debut Backcountry, it is an effective and compelling slow burn. With great performances from the leads (including Laurie Holden of The Mist and The Walking Dead), it explores what happens when a troubled teen follows up on her darkest wish. The final act is creepy and disturbing even though it comes to an abrupt end too early leaving us wanting more.