Board 8 > I'm going to watch a Horror Movie every day in October

(+) Yeah! (+)

Two episodes into Bly Manor and so far it's a lot like The Innocents.

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jcgamer107 posted...

Two episodes into Bly Manor and so far it's a lot like The Innocents.

They're both based on the same story!

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Well that explains it then

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DAY 18: Summer of 84
On Shudder

Another Shudder Exclusive that didn't disappoint!

Summer of 84 is about a group of 80's kids who all decide to find a serial killer who is kidnapping children.

That's all that needs to be said about it. First of all, I'm tried of 80's aesthetic. For the love of god, stop sending us there for these kind of movies. Set it in the 90's or 00's or even in the present. This movie has no reason to even be set in the 80's.

That outburst out of the way, this movie isn't perfect by any stretch. It takes a while to really get started. I frankly didn't care for this movie until about 40-45 minutes in, when it starts to pick up and speeds into really good territory. The movie has that kids hanging out charm to it that almost doesn't prepare you for the shit that's about to happen. When it does, it is crafted so well.

The plot from that point on is very strong, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. The kids are likeable enough, I guess. I wasn't entirely in love with them. It's a story carried by it's second half, but the second half is enough to make up for it. It ends up having a very strong ending that, while I wish had a little more to it, I felt was still a great way to cap this off.

I recommend it if the concept interests you.

Rating: 7/10

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I am now watching the original US The Grudge.

I hate that I have to clarify the original now.

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The Original The US The Grudge: The 2004 Remake of The Japanese Ju-On: The Grudge, The Third Entry in The Grudge Franchise Based on The Two Short Films Katasumi and 4444444444.

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DAY 18.1: The Grudge (2004)
On Peacock

You know, I remember being really impressed and scared of this movie sixteen years ago. Now? Uh... I dunno. This version seems lacking a bit.

The Grudge is about a substitute nurse who appears in a haunted house with creepy meowing and croaking.

So okay, I haven't seen the original Ju-On (which I think is happening this weekend), but I wanted to use this as a refresher on the one version I did see so I could compare them. But I want to get the positives out of the way.

This movie does the creepy stuff really, really well. There are some iconic things that happen here that you can't forget, while there's other things that are... well, entirely forgettable and not great. But when it hits, it hits hard.

Well, onto the negative. The plot is... kind of not great to me? I think it's presented as kind of a mess. Not that I don't like it jumping around like it did, because I think that part was fine, but my issue is with certain parts. Like why the fuck bring the sister in this at all? She's entirely irrelevant to everything and just serves as a diversion, even if her portion is actually pretty good. But I just felt like "Why am I watching her?" I also feel that the whole backstory of the events and haunting is also not exactly compelling. I won't get too much into it here, but I just found myself underwhelmed by it. Made even worse that it's just a big giant story dump that's just not really telegraphed in the story at all? Like we don't get any hints to any of this at all. Just straight plot dump. I don't like that.

All of that said, it's still not a bad movie. I think the scares are creative enough to really sell it, even if they don't all land.

I feel like when I see Ju-On I'll recommend people just watch that instead though, as I understand it's supposed to be superior to the US version in most every way.

Rating: 6.5/10

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I am now christening my brand new TV by watching Insidious!

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DAY 19: Insidious
On AMC

I happen to adore this movie a lot, like most James Wan pictures.

Insidious is about not a haunted ghost, but a haunted person lost in a demonic astral plane.

It's just a really good, really scary, really chilling movie. I don't have too, too much to say, but it has a lot of things that make James Wan movies feel special. There's a certain style that stands out while also feeling iconic. The red faced demon is legit just great, each time you see him. The score is incredible too and helps accent absolute dread when you hear those string instruments go off.

It has a unique astral plane kind of take to it too, and I like how evenly it navigates you through the narrative, starting as a simple haunted house kind of deal until it escalates to the utter freaking madness you get in the final act. I think James Wan might be one of the best ever at evoking dread and terror in movies, and this isn't an exception.

I love watching this movie and all the creepiness it has to offer.

Rating: 9/10

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Movie #19, Sinister. I really didn't think much of this for maybe the first hour or so, then jesus it got me good. Bravo, movie

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I maaaay end up watching Sinister again, but it's always felt like a really special movie to me. I always love watching it. I have only seen the sequel once that I've heard some people say is better but I'm like... There's no way.

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I am now watching Creep.

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DAY 19.1: Creep
On Netflix

What a fun, creepy, charming film.

Creep follows a videographer who goes to a cabin in the woods to record a man who is dying of cancer for his son who may not be alive before he is born. The man becomes increasingly more eccentric until the videographer feels like he may be in danger.

This movie is funny. This movie is creepy. This movie is really unsettling. It has such a minimal cast and does the absolute best with it. There's monologues here that are just so damn good. There's just scenes where you just feel legitimately unsettled and creeped out.

It's filmed mostly via handheld camera, which works for the movie as a concept just fine. It also really just finds a way to make this concept very, very unsettling as well. I was surprised how much I felt like I wanted to get the eff out of this world I'm in with this movie.

Overall, I recommend Creep. If you're interested in just a sleek, simple movie that will give you the creeps, watch it.

Rating: 7.5/10

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I am now watching Children of the Corn.

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DAY 20: Children of the Corn
On Hulu

This is a movie I never watched the entire thing of.

Children of the Corn is about a bunch of children who start to play with cults by murdering all the adults in their town. A couple then comes across them and must survive these crazy cult children.

It's a good movie. I enjoyed it. Creepy kids be creepin'. The score is especially note-worthy and really drives home the mood this movie is supposed to evoke for you.

It's a simple story, overall, and I think my main issue with it is that the pacing isn't all there for me. It feels like a lot of meandering around before it gets anywhere interesting or good. That said, when it does get good, it's very good. The effects are cheesy, but I'm sure they were pretty impressive for the time. I do find a lot of the premise and story pretty silly at points though.

It's a Stephen King classic that gets by on its best parts. I enjoyed it, but I don't think I've ever been blown away by this movie by any stretch.

Rating: 6/10

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That movie also had a ridiculous number of sequels. Like I remember going into video stores and seeing Children of the Corn 10: Malachi's Revenge or somesuch

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Recommend: The Autopsy of Jane Doe
On Netflix

So I feel like a lot of people haven't seen this, but they probably should. It's an absolutely fantastic horror movie. A coroner father and son duo work late with an unidentified corpse. Soon, creepy and scary stuff happens and they think it's linked with the body.

This is actually a legitimately chilling and scary film. I found myself actually unnerved when watching it, and I thought it wouldn't be nearly as good as it was. You're second guessing everything in front of you by mixing physical threats with psychological ones. It's an awesome movie. Go out of your way to watch it if you haven't!

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I am now watching the original Fright Night.

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Watching hatchet and so far it is awesome.

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Hatchet has such an amazing cast of idiots fleeing the killer it makes the whole movie better than it would be

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Movie #20, Nightmare on Elm Street reboot. Not really a bad movie, but I think if you're gonna reboot something as honestly great as the original Nightmare you better stick the landing, and this didn't quite get there

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DAY 20.1: Fright Night (1985)
On Amazon Prime

So this movie was incredibly fun and an interesting take on vampires.

This flick is about a kid whose neighbor is a vampire and killing people. He enlists in the help of a washed up actor who pretended to be a vampire hunter on TV to deal with the vampire.

What can I say? It's a funny, charming movie. This is made by the same guy who did the original Child's Play, so if you enjoyed anything comedic in that movie, you'd probably like this too.

This movie is really strong in terms of just giving you a good time. It wastes no time getting into the plot. It doesn't tease you with "Oh is he a vampire or not?" No, you know he's a vampire and they skip a bunch of the BS that a lot of other movies would probably spend time on. With this cast of characters, it really heightens the movie. The actor in particular is pretty outstanding and a shining part of this movie.

It's a take on vampires that, while the vampire does things you expect, it still feels fresh. And for 1985, these effects are pretty outstanding. I really have very little negative to say about it. This movie does exactly what you want it to: entertain and give you a fun time with vampire antics.

I recommend this.

Rating: 7.5/10

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I am now watching Eraserhead.

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DeathChicken posted...

Hatchet has such an amazing cast of idiots fleeing the killer it makes the whole movie better than it would be

Are any of the sequels decent?

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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

This is a fun article. All hail Sinister, the scariest movie ever!

https://screenrant.com/sinister-movie-scott-derrickson-scariest-horror-study-science/

It's a fair choice. Very well done movie. Though I guess it was only a pool of 50, but that's still a nice title to have.

PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

I am now watching Eraserhead.

My condolences.

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DAY 20.2: Eraserhead
On HBO Max

what the fuck

Rating: 5/10

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DAY 20.2: Eraserhead
On HBO Max

Okay, serious review I guess. But still what the fuck.

Eraserhead is a movie I can't even begin to summarize.

I usually like David Lynch. I thought I knew what i was in for. It's just a David Lynch movie, I thought. It'll be weird.

I don't know what the fuck I just watched. There is a semblance of a story there and I spent most of the time trying to piece together the themes for the absolute fucking acid trip of a film this was.

I don't feel like I was tremendously entertained, but more just... intrigued. Because in David Lynch's mind, I'm sure this made perfect sense. But I'm here vaguely understanding it. I still don't feel like I do entirely. It's just a really, really bizarre movie that I just don't understand.

Where this gets points is the actually good directing. David Lynch, for all his fucking strangeness, knows how exactly to film a movie. And the cinematography is on point.

Another plus is the soundtrack. It's a droning, industrial sound that is just... like, unnerving. You feel unnerved just listening to it throughout the entire movie. It really adds onto it when the other noise is this horrific noise from HIS CHILD OR WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT THING IS or the probably 20 lines of dialogue.

The imagery is really just... unsettling. Even set pieces. They feel uncomfortable. They feel dirty. They feel strange and makes you feel like you shouldn't be there. And the absolute strangeness of what you're witnessing is just difficult to even look at. But it's so good at giving you that sense of uneasiness.

You could make this movie and have it less... I guess incoherent? You could do that and have it be really good. But... instead we just get this. It gets 5/10 purely on directing, soundtrack, and imagery. I literally cannot fathom scoring it more than that. I don't know what I watched.

Only watch this movie if you want to see what is one of the strangest movies ever made. Other than that, if you're just looking for something to watch, I probably don't recommend it.

Rating: 5/10

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I need to watch something that I know is good so I'm not taking a chance on a Shudder movie. I'm watching the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

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DAY 20.3: Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
On Shudder

So I don't know who needs to hear this at this point, but Texas Chainsaw Massacre is an absolute classic film.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is about a group of friends going on vacation, but then they run into insane psychopaths.

I don't need to go any further into than that. You guys knows Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But man. It's been I want to say at least 15 years since I last watched it. This is such a god damned classic movie. It manages to be tense and uncomfortable and terrifying all at once, since the first freaking murder.

The first murder comes out of nowhere and from there it just amps up with such incredible pacing. Chainsaw chases are just completely terrifying. They just are. It's such a deadly, awful, brutal, ugly weapon, and they make a terrible noise, and it's just amazing how something so simple works so well.

And I think this simplicity is what a lot of the other movies are missing. This is honest to goodness such a simple movie to follow. They waste no time giving you backstories, or explaining stuff. You just have a group of fucking depraved, disgusting, irredeemable, horrible human beings who want to murder and torture people. That's it. And it's somehow a more compelling narrative. Their motivations are simple. They can't be reasoned with. They're not predictable. They actively take complete pleasure in everything they do. They are so sadistic and evil and that's why they're such good villains.

The realness of this and the complete grit is another reason why this movie works so well. Nothing feels outlandish. Everything looks just so grimy and real that you just can't help but feel like it might actually be able to happen. The "based on real events" text at the beginning helps with that. But what helps keep things tense is that they're so unpredictable you just don't know what will really happen next.

The music works really well with this movie. In fact, all the sound cues do. They add to the feeling of dread throughout the film.

It's a grotesque, horrifying, thrill ride that is just... impossibly good. If you've never watched the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, then go out of your way to do so. Honestly? I think I give it a 10/10. I think it's just heads and tails above most other horror movies.

And man. That closing scene. There is just an image that sticks with you. 15 years later and I could remember that part more than anything else in the movie.

Rating: 10/10

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Great write-up for Texas! I know this has been said countless times before, but the whole documentary tone of Texas just gives it such a realistic edge that is really just so hard to match.

How much horror cred would I lose if I say I like TSM2 more though? :O

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Snake5555555555 posted...

the whole documentary tone of Texas just gives it such a realistic edge that is really just so hard to match

I love original TCM for this reason especially. Original Last House on the Left did it first, but TCM does it even better. I was at a group viewing of it a long time ago - we were all joking around for the first half, and then were in complete silence for the 2nd half. Once things start to go bad they go to complete shit, and by the time you reach the dinner scene, your nerves are shot.

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God that dinner scene. Just the start of that dinner scene is the scariest shit. It's so simple but works so damn well. You feel quite literally everything from despair to fear. And then as it goes on and on it's so much more twisted in ways you can't even understand the depravity. You could write a dissertation on just the dinner scene itself.

Also, I am now watching Nightbreed.

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Watching Hatchet 2.

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Movie #21, The Hills Have Eyes. This was right up there with Texas Chainsaw in how fucking dirty the whole movie felt, lol

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DAY 21: Nightbreed
On Peacock

This was a very fun action horror movie.

Nightbreed is about a guy who ends up joining with hell monsters to combat a man dedicated to stopping them at any costs.

I can't really give a better description without giving away too much honestly. lol This is a Clive Barker flick, and it's one of his better ones I think. It's got a really solid plot that's enjoyable and has awesome pacing. The action is on point as well.

David Cronenberg of all people plays a really awesome character that was a stand out, and I wasn't aware he was a great actor too! But all of the characters are just fun and enjoyable and it's seriously just a really rich movie.

I don't know what all to say, but I definitely recommend this for people who want to watch a horror action thriller with a lot of creative ideas. It's something special and a standout of all of Clive Barker's works.

Rating: 7.5/10

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Watched hatchet 3. 2 and 3 were bad. Watching unfriended.

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Recommend: Misery
On AMC

So Misery is a Stephen King film that I absolutely adore. It stars Kathy Bates as an obsessed fan of her favorite author who ends up breaking his leg in a car crash in a snow storm. She decides to take care of him, but he begins to see the extent of her obsession with him.

What can I say? It's an all time classic and it's Kathy Bates at her best. The pacing is great and there are moments in this movie that are just absolutely unsettling. Go out of your way to watch Misery. It's one of the best.

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Also, I will be watching The Empty Man in theaters tomorrow if I feel safe going to it. I feel like movie theaters are suffering a lot, and I want to support the movie written by one of my favorite comic book writers. Also, I feel like nobody will be there on debate night on a Thursday. lol

But for now I will watch Insidious 2.

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DAY 21.1: Insidious: Chapter 2
On AMC

I feel like consensus on this has to be "good but not nearly as good as the first movie."

Insidious: Chapter 2 picks up where the previous film left off, but it appears an entity has attached itself to the patriarch of the family and won't let go.

It's really good. It's just, you know, not as good as the first. The visuals are there. A lot of the scares are there. The sound cues are on point, but this movie just doesn't have what made the first one so special.

I think this is just because the story doesn't lend itself to have a lot of legitimate scares to it. In the first movie, we had a lot of unknown spookiness and general scary BS. In this one, we just don't. We have a lot of lore. We have a lot of talking. We have a lot of slow, plodding scenes. While they have payoffs, they just lack a lot of what made the first special, and I actually think a good part of the reasoning for this is also because we kind of know what is happening. Like, we know precisely how this story is, generally, going to go. Nothing is a shock. The reveals aren't groundbreaking.

While Patrick Wilson does good work in this movie, it still doesn't match up to the absolute terror in the first one. It's been a while since I watched this one and I just remember the same sort of disappointment, but on a second watch I was able to figure out why I felt so disappointed.

But this movie isn't bad, not by any stretch. It's just not an incredibly special movie like the first one is. And that's fine. I enjoyed it. I just always feel this sense of disappointment when I watch it. It's still great and worth a watch though, despite me sounding pretty down on the film.

Rating: 8/10

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Watched wrong turn. It was bad.

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Should've stuck with Unfriended!

Anyway, watching Creep 2!

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DAY 21.2: Creep 2
On Netflix

Man, what a good ass movie.

Creep 2 is about a serial killer who hires a female videographer to record him for a day.

I will leave it at that, but Creep 2 is just a great movie. Minimalist, but you don't need much more than that. This is such a perfect continuation of that story, as it follows the first film in such a way that it works so well. It takes what worked with the first movie and just makes it more... I don't know, intimate?

Mark Duplass as the serial killer is just a completely compelling character. Put this man in more movies because he's an incredible actor. He just evokes such feelings of unease that you don't know how to react. So much charm and so much looming dread. That dude is awesome.

I would say that while the first movie had a much strong middle, this movie has a much stronger end. I'd definitely recommend these movies. They're short, charming little films that do a lot of clever stuff. They're an easy watch and it's absolutely worth it to see Mark Duplass kill it in these roles. And the first movie is absolutely required before watching this one. It just isn't as good of a movie as the first one unless you've seen it.

Rating: 7.5/10

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Ratings Through Day 21!:

Must Watch:
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - 10/10
The Wailing - 10/10
The Haunting of Bly Manor - 9.5/10
Alien - 9/10
Hellraiser - 9/10
Insidious - 9/10
Spiral - 9/10
The Mimic - 8.5/10

Great Movies:
Beach House - 8/10
Insidious: Chapter 2 - 8/10
Killer Klowns From Outer Space: 8/10
The Room - 8/10
Child's Play (2019) - 7.5/10
Coherence - 7.5/10
Creep - 7.5/10
Creep 2 - 7.5/10
Fright Night (1985) - 7.5/10
He's Out There - 7.5/10
The Hitcher (1986) - 7.5/10
Nightbreed - 7.5/10
Paranormal Activity (5): The Marked Ones - 7.5/10
Sleepaway Camp - 7.5/10
Devil's Gate - 7/10
Haunt - 7/10
Knock Knock - 7/10
Mama - 7/10
My Bloody Valentine - 7/10
Summer of '84 - 7/10
Trick 'r Treat - 7/10

Pretty Good:
The Grudge - 6.5/10
Lore (TV Series) - 6.5/10
The Ruins - 6.5/10
Scanners - 6.5/10
Children of the Corn - 6/10
The Neon Demon - 6/10
As Above So Below - 5.5/10

Below Average:
Eraserhead - 5/10
The Gallows: Act II - 4.5/10
The Nun - 4/10
Behind You - 3.5/10
Paranormal Activity (6): Ghost Dimension - 3.5/10
Coyote Lake - 3/10
Paranormal Activity 4 - 3/10

Trash:
The Gallows - 2.5/10
The Bye Bye Man - 2/10
The House of the Witch - 1.5/10
Deadcon - 1/10
When a Stranger Calls (2006) - 0.5/10
fear dot com - 0/10

Recommend:
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
CAM
Head Count
Hereditary
I See You
The Lodge
Misery
Slasher (TV Series)
The Wretched

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PrivateBiscuit1 posted...

Should've stuck with Unfriended!

Anyway, watching Creep 2!

I watched unfriended. It was alright. It was unbelievable at points on mechanics despite the plot of course.

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I don't think I've ever seen the original Wrong Turn, but Wrong Turn 2 is one of those movies that's so bad it wraps all the way around into being pretty fun

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Watching Victor Crowley. Not expecting much after Hatchet 2 and 3.

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I am now watching Crawl.

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Solid killer nature movie.

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DAY 22: Crawl
On Hulu

Yo, fuck gators guys.

Crawl is about a girl who goes to find her father in the middle of a hurricane. She finds him in the basement, but she also find a group of alligators. As the house begins to become more and more flooded, they need to escape.

This is a surprisingly awesome movie, coming to you straight from Sam Raimi. I'm surprised how much actual dread and fear there was throughout this movie, and how big the stakes are. Gators are fucking scary y'all. But the pacing for this film is out of this world good.

The underlying plot between the girl and her father is also really well done, as simple as it is. But it does a great job selling you on it. They're both acted incredibly well and you feel for every single thing they go through.

There's not too much to say, honestly. It's a straightforward film. But it's extremely well done and you'll have a great time if you watch it.

Rating: 8/10

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Movie #22, REC. This is straight up one of the scariest movies I've ever seen, mainly because it's exactly how I'd see a zombie apocalypse playing out IRL. Panic, no one having a clue what to do, racism, cops making everything worse

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