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Diagnosis: ‘Unsane’ is Tone-Deaf (Review)

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How much is too much?

This is a question that horror filmmakers have been confronted with since the inception of the genre. The idea of horror is to offend. To scare. To disturb or upset. But at what point does a filmmaker cross the line from “Willfully Upsetting” to “Irresponsibly Exploitative”?

Don’t ask Steven Soderbergh.

Claire Foy in Unsane

On the surface, Unsane has all the makings of a cool, modern horror film. The main gimmick of the film, that the entirety of it was filmed on an iPhone, is admittedly unique. It gave the whole film a gritty, letterbox look which I was a big fan of from the onset.

It is also worth noting that Claire Foy, Joshua Leonard, Jay Pharoah, and Juno Temple all give great performances as the film’s four main characters.

With that out of the way, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of it, shall we?

This is a film that revels in the terror of women, and one woman in particular. Sawyer Valentini (Foy), who has been relentlessly stalked for the past two years by a mysterious man named David Strine (Leonard).

Now, I am all about a gritty, honest film that deals with the dangers of toxic masculinity, male violence, and the fear that many women are subjected to at the hands of men who believe they are their property.

But this was not that film.

UNSANE behind-the-scenes

Instead, when Sawyer seeks help for her PTSD (brought on by her years of running from her stalker), she is unwillingly admitted into a mental facility as part of a scam the facility is running. The more patients they have enrolled, the more money they receive.

So now we’re dealing with two big issues: violent men, and mental health care. And to top it all off, Sawyer soon learns that her stalker has somehow secured a position as a well-respected orderly in the hospital.

This begs the question: how the hell did the stalker somehow set himself up at this facility, knowing that Sawyer would eventually seek it out herself, and get admitted there?

Was it a coincidence? Does he somehow have mind-control abilities we don’t know about? Was this the only mental health facility within two-hundred miles of where Sawyer was living? We never find out.

This major hole in the plot admittedly bothered me early on, and maybe it helped to taint my opinion of the rest of the film. But I don’t think so.

It is difficult to get into the exact specifics of what I found so egregious about this film without spoiling it, so I’m going to put a warning here for…Vague Spoilers?

Read at your discretion.

Juno Temple in UNSANE

Horror is, at its core, a genre where no one is safe. I have seen (and made) plenty of horror films where, by the end, every single character has perished in some terrible, twisted fashion, and I was not the least bit offended by it. That’s the nature of the genre! Bad things happen.

This is not a film that ends in such bloodshed. In fact, as R-rated horror goes, it’s really not all that violent. But it is the few sequences of violence in this film that gave me pause.

Sexual violence against women is something we are confronted with daily in today’s world. We are living in the era of #MeToo; we are watching as men in positions of power are brought down by women who decided they would not be treated as second-class citizens anymore.

It feels like an important, exciting time to be alive.

I honestly believed, at the onset, that this was going to be a film that had that message at its core. Women can be bad-ass survivors. Fear can be beaten. We, as humans, can work together to survive even in the most terrible of conditions.

I expected an angry movie. A haunted thriller which dealt with the fear that can come just from being a woman in today’s world.

But my hopes were not to be realized.

A Flashback from UNSANE

Sawyer is a savvy protagonist. She is brave, and she is willing to do whatever she has to do to survive the terrible situation in which she finds herself. She is not the ‘terrified woman’ we have seen in so many horror films in the past. She looks her stalker dead in the eyes and tells him she is not afraid.

I really wanted to like her!

But she also has no qualms with allowing another woman, totally not in on her plans in any way shape or form, to be sexually assaulted and nearly raped so that she can escape from her captor. She literally uses a mentally ill person as bait, going so far as to shove the poor girl out of the way so that she can escape. She turns around just in time to see her unwitting accomplice, all the while begging for her help, get her neck snapped.

It may be worth noting, at this point, that this plan revolved around the fact that Sawyer knew this woman was actually attracted to her, meaning she would trust her just enough to give her a moment to steal a weapon from her.

The only gay character in this film gets drugged, sexually assaulted, and finally killed.

The other major violent scene in this film features its only black character being tortured with electrocution, and finally drugged to death.

I was not thrilled by this.

Claire Foy, mimicking my facial expression at this point in the film.

And look, I get it. It’s horror. It’s shock-value. If I’m offended, that means the movie did its job, right? I should just get off my high-horse, and understand that this movie was not meant to be pretty. That it was meant to upset me.

But I say ‘no’.

We cannot be lazy and allow a film to get away with meaningless exploitation simply because it is a part of a genre we love. This only contributes to the stereotype that we fans of horror movies lack good taste. And I know, because I have been a part of this sub-culture for a long while, that we do not.

There are plenty of movies out there that tackle the exact same issues as Unsane without pushing past these same boundaries. Green Room, Neon Deon, Mullholland Drive, and many others come to mind. Movies which deal with violence, hatred, racial tension, feminism, and what it is to be human. Movies that make a point.

I am not saying that women can’t die in horror films. I am not saying that black people can’t die in horror films. But their deaths should not be meaningless. They should not be done for shock value.

There is a glimmer of hope, though. Unsane was shot with an iPhone. A freaking iPhone! 

So I’m speaking now to all my fellow filmmakers out there. If you’re sitting there, reading this, thinking ‘I could do better than that’, then do it. Go out there; grab some friends and a recording device, and make a movie.

Unsane just didn’t know any better.

I think we do.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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