5 Horror Picks for 2022: Me vs. Them Rotten Tomatoes

5 Horror Picks for 2022: Me vs. Them Rotten Tomatoes

The following are films I hadn’t yet screened for the purpose of comparing others’ ratings to my own. Always one to choose the hard way when an easier one fits better, I decided to climb into the ring with one of the SmackDown Champs of film criticism: Rotten Tomatoes. Yes, them Rotten Tomatoes. I selected the following five horror films from among those collectively bestowed with tip-top ratings by their critics. Suffice it to say that standing toe-to-toe with my betters, I’d like to think I gave as good as I got.

5 Horror Picks for 2022: Me vs. Them Rotten Tomatoes

1. Dawn Breaks Behind the Eyes

The bright, grainy texture of this film, with its deep shadows, then followed by stylized title, may have you checking to make sure of the release date. The visuals harken back to the Hammer Gothic horror classics from the 70’s. But this production design is deliberate, filmed on the site of a gorgeous countryside Gothic castle. The plot uses film-within-a-film to explore the afterlife experience, and indeed takes place in the 70’s, judging from the attire, music, and slang like “sock it to me.” Two main twists give this work real impact: First, the reveal of the ‘movie within,’ about halfway into the film proper, when it wraps. Second, a mock invasion at the wrap party by a second wave of guests acting crazy and yelling, “Helter Skelter.” The dimensional shifts and delightful twists so effective throughout most of the film get a bit tattered towards the end. There’s a fire that hops around the plot, but whether a metaphor or referencing an actual event isn’t clear. Conceptually, besides a few scenes intercut of the director and his AD wife rehashing the movie-within’s ending, we’re not sure where characters finally end up, or who’s left, either in body or spirit, when they get there, but the implication that time has no meaning is very apparent. In German with English subtitles.

Ratings: R.T.: 100%   Me: 8.75/10

2. Luzifer

Shot in the Tyrolean Alps, this film has been consistently categorized as horror and/or supernatural, but I don’t think so. Certainly there are horrific passages in it, but also passages of great beauty, none more than the Austrian Alpine region itself. The story of Maria, a recovering alcoholic, and her sweet-natured disabled son, Johannes, is closer to an allegory in the vein of “Lord of the Flies.” But since Maria chooses her isolation, “Walden” may be closer to the mark. Taking its theme pragmatically, the conflict of Luzifer boils down pretty lean: nature threatened by ‘progress.’ Living off the grid has Maria blending her devout Catholicism with her own hybrid folk religion, complete with rituals and totems. Johannes and his beloved falcon, Arthur, represents the pure nature-bound simplicity of their exile, while the corporation building a ski resort nearby stands for the brutal march of commercial exploitation, eventually brutally coercing Maria to sell her land. One notable symbolism is that of flight: Johannes has Arthur, organic and graceful; the corporation uses drones intruding on the quiet mountainous panorama with their angry buzz. Inspired by true events. In German with English subtitles.

Ratings: R.T.: 100%   Me: 9.5/10.

3. The Innocents

The ideas behind the plot in this thriller from Norway are very familiar. Four pre-teens come together at a high-rise during the summer, each with their own baggage, and possessing unusual talents we’ve seen before; Village of the Damned is probably the most apt. This film distinguishes itself through some ingenious twists and remarkable performances, especially by the kids themselves: Ida, disgruntled caregiver to her autistic older sister, Anna; Ben, who has more bruises than accidents can account for; and Aisha, whose single mom appears clinically depressed. The filmmakers are no less than inspired in presenting parents as abusive in contradictory ways. Ida and Anna’s parents do so out of love and devotion; they yoke their daughters into stifling co-dependency, on the one hand reinforcing Anna’s helplessness, on the other consigning Ida to obligation and servitude. Ida takes Anna to the playground and meets Ben, who is already internalizing the abusive behavior from his mother. Without much thought to abandoning Anna, Ida goes off with Ben, where he shows off his gift of telekinesis offhand, as though it were his Pokemon card collection. Meanwhile, Aisha joins Anna sitting alone, and they connect telepathically. Once all four meet up, to their delight they discover they can combine and strengthen their talents and play off each other. Soon enough, however, Ben gets a too fond a taste for payback. Eventually his redirected rage galvanizes — at first instinctive, then deliberate — and the remaining three resolve to stop him, in spite of well-intended interference from grownups. What sets this film apart isn’t the spectacle of superpowers, as in Firestarter, but the potential of empowerment, which the filmmakers demonstrate in a very original and satisfying way when Ben finally meets his match. This ending is so intriguing it begs for a sequel.

Ratings: R.T.: 97%   Me: 9.5/10

4. X

Much more than a fresh take on the slasher sub-genre, Ti West’s latest addition to his canon explores a number of timely themes, particularly the keynote of stereotyping seniors with respect to sexuality and feminism. The plot is straightforward, even a little trite–at first. The action revolves around a group of wannabes making a porn film on a shoestring in the days before video. They rent a cottage on a remote farm owned by an elderly couple, Howard and Pearl. There is the requisite blood and guts, of course, and the movie-sex seems perfunctory compared to the discourse off camera, as it did in Boogie Nights. What truly sets this film apart is the authentic tenderness which overshadows the play-acted lust and exchanges about Vietnam and the Generation Gap. The crew treats their hosts with due respect to their faces, but with condescension when out of earshot. But these savvy seniors catch on which spurs them to murder and set up misadventures for their tenants to vent their mutual frustration. Pearl’s ‘sickness,’ as Howard puts it, is also his own: their shared sexual repression and grief over lost years and thwarted passions which sets their fury ablaze. But by the same token these two recapture their last flames of intimacy, if only briefly. Because the film deals with familiar issues, it’s more audacious than scary, but there are a number of pretty tense moments. As we might expect, there is one lone survivor from the bloodbath: Max Minx, masterfully portrayed by Mia Goth in a dual role as the elderly Pearl. With a very cool twist at the end, this flick is a true stand-out.

Ratings: R.T.: 94%   Me: 9/10

5. Sissy

A chance reunion between childhood best friends, Sissy and Emma, ends up as a gore-fest at a hen’s weekend. However, the film begins on a lighthearted note. Sissy is now ‘Cecilia, a life coach internet ‘influencer’ of some distinction with lucrative sponsorship. Emma invites her to the weekend bachelorette bash along with her fiancée, Fran, and two other friends, Tracy and Jamie. These rekindling scenes have a warm, giddy quality. Cecilia shuttles the hen’s group to the remote ‘cabin,’ hosted by Alex, the primary school bully that Sissy had disfigured in response to a brutal taunting. Alex still has a facial scar as a result, and now seems hell-bent on exacting revenge on Cecilia, confronting her at every turn. Emma, however, stands by her old friend, and in a touching bathtub scene, encourages her. At this point, the plot goes off the rails, taking the entire cast along with it. Cecilia’s dogged determination to stay put, in spite of Emma’s support, is puzzling. While Alex’s relentless antagonism is understandable, the rest of the group’s rapid-fire arguments challenging Cecilia’s livelihood reflect more of Alex’s cruelty rather than concern for consumers. Though Cecilia’s meek reply was absolutely correct, her awkwardness in the face of this confrontation is not so mystifying. Off-the-cuff rebuttal is a gift given to a very few. All things considered, I found it difficult to reconcile Cecilia’s abrupt, panicked flips in behavior that sent her bouncing in and out of lunacy. I had hoped for some clue to Sissy/Cecilia’s past relating to underlying mental instability that explained such an extreme reactions. But as such, the kills seemed disconnected, hovering between accidental and gratuitous. Kenneth Lampl composed a peculiar score that’s difficult to describe, but so loud that at times it obscured the conversations. But there is still much to appreciate in Sissy. The performances all around are fluid and engaging throughout, as much a credit to the director as the actors. The dialog is fresh and spontaneous, and the visuals are striking, especially an amazing moment when the creepy painting animates and jeers at Cecilia.

Ratings: R.T.: 97%   Me: 7/10

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