I think toxic romance should qualify as a subgenre as horror, and I can't stand horror nerds that don't believe in subgenres. Like the kind of people who think that anything that isn't oozing shock value and gore doesn't count as "real" horror. The kind of people who say Flowers In The Attic is a psychological thriller or tragedy instead of a horror-tragedy.
Like how is tragedy not horrifying???
What is not horrifying about children being locked up, starved to death, and so completely cut off from human interaction that they develop an incestuous bond as a coping mechanism???
70 notes
·
View notes
just got out of a late showing of Talk To Me and I have thoughts!
⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️
so let's dive in while it's still fresh in my mind
Grief is a heavy player in this movie and that's what makes it so good. So much of what happens is because of Mia not being able to let go or face her grief. she's vulnerable to the spirits/demons/souls because she's lonely and sad and she's trying to find anything to make her feel.
The opening scene was absolutely amazing! it sets up how fucking crazy the movie is going to be. It brings us into the world where everything is for views, everyone is entertainment even when they're suffering. It's not the focus of the film but they way social media guides the story is interesting.
to add to the previous point, every time someone does the "game"/seance, the others whip out their phones with lightening speed. They laugh, they point their cameras at the possessed and scream and shout in joy regardless of what the possessed is doing. we see this in Daniel's first go which is a weird sexual possession that leaves him embarrassed and scared, whereas the group is laughing and recording. it's also what brings Mia to the hand in the first place, she keeps seeing the videos posted of people playing the game and having "fun"
I really liked the kangaroo scene because it was so jarring and the foreshadowing was just mwah. wonderful.
I will admit Mia got annoying because you want her to know that she should stop, but she won't. I was literally trying not to yell at the screen lol
on the other hand (ha hand), I get it. She was desperate, grief will do that to you, she just wanted answers and closure. And that can drive you mad.
The gore/violence in the movie was so good for a possession film! The Riley scene was intense and had the small amount of us in the theater squirming and yelling and gasping. And the limbo/purgatory scene although brief was not what I was expecting and it blew me away, it gave cronenbergian/yuzna's Society [1989] vibes.
the cast was very very good! Sophie Wilde played Mia with such an intensity and passion that drew me in even when I didn't care for her character's actions. And the supporting cast stood their own which was awesome because sometimes in horror those other characters can sometimes get pushed aside or fade into the background.
the sound design had me so tense! I swear I thought I was hearing things and not sure if it was me or the movie. We don't talk enough about sound when it comes to horror. It's honestly what really scares me, more than the actual scenes, it's the score that revs up my anxiety and fear.
All in all, the movie was really good! I'm not even a huge fan of possession horror but I was excited to see it and really glad that I did. I know it's been greenlit for a sequel which would be interesting depending on where they take the story but I'm definitely more interested in the prequel that they've already made!! I hope it gets picked up by A24 like the sequel is because I definitely would like to know more about the hand and mythology behind the "game".
Just to add on some more personal thoughts: It's interesting to me how often grief plays a role in horror. From Midsommar to Hereditary to The Babadook to classics like Pet Sematary, the list goes on. We are vulnerable when we're grieving, easier to let bad things in or ignore the people who love us who are trying to help. When I watch horror about grief, it gets to me more often than any others because I've known grief like a childhood friend. It's been with me my entire life. But I've learned to handle it better than I used to, and with movies like this it's a safe place for me to let it consume me, let it be messy and overwhelming like it is for the characters in the movie.
Anyways to wrap this up please go see Talk To Me! If you like possession movies you'll like it, if you like movies with deeper layers you'll like it, it feels like there's a little bit of everything to appeal to most horror fans.
181 notes
·
View notes
Just want to share these interviews with Chuck Palahniuk, the author of the horror novel Fight Club, about his thoughts on toxic masculinity and his book being used as an incel Bible. Long-story short, the dude comes off as a pretentious asshole who is completely devoid of artist integrity -- he doesn't give a shit about toxic masculinity or the impact his work has on society, negative or otherwise. He is the living embodiment of the phrase rich, white, cisgender gays will be the end of the queer community.
57 notes
·
View notes
Me, an absolute nerd when it comes to horror tropes and a huge fan of Stephen King’s works, seeing Roier wearing his Zomboier costume:
8 notes
·
View notes