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Reviews
Hypochondriac (2022)
An Intense and Fascinating Psychological Thriller
Hypochondriac is both a brilliant character study and a moving portrayal of the real life horrors of childhood trauma and mental health disorders.
Zach Villa is outstanding as Will, giving a raw, charismatic and gripping performance as he portrays the character's battle with his past trauma and his weakening grasp on reality and his relationship with boyfriend Luke, played by Devon Graye.
The film masterfully plays in the horror genre to tackle real issues. As the film states it is based "on a real breakdown" of the the writer and director Addison Heimann.
It is intense and thought provoking, beautifully shot and edited, with some killer visual effects and creature design, and great performances by the rest of the cast.
It's also quite hilarious, with perfectly paced moments of dark humor. The "google" scene being particularly notable.
See it!
Sissy (2022)
A Brilliant Horror with Clever Social Commentary/Satire
Saw this film at Overlook and absolutely loved it.
The blend of comedy and horror is masterful and the effects in the film, both digital and practical, are stunning and horrifying in all the right ways.
Aisha Dee as Cecilia is hypnotic in the role and while trying not to give anything away, she plays the complexities of her character brilliantly. Similarly the rest of the cast are a delight, including Emily De Margheriti as Alex, perfectly playing the role of the "bully".
Again, no spoilers, but the film turns the idea of a bully revenge flick on it's head with a cleverly written script lampooning our social media driven age. There are some great twists and turns that will keep you guessing and some truly shocking moments.
Definitely give it a watch!
The Summoned (2022)
A Twisting Faustian Thriller
Saw this film at Overlook and was totally blown away.
The cast is incredible, with standout performances by the impressively talented J. Quinton Johnson as Elijah, Salvador Chacon as the swarmy Joe, Emma Fitzpatrick beautifully handling the complexities of her character Lyn, Frederick Stuart as the enigmatic Frost, and a total show stealer in Angela Gulner as Tara (seriously, she has numerous brilliant moments I don't want to spoil).
The film is beautifully shot and executed. Especially when you hear some of the stories of the difficulties faced during filming, it's quite a remarkable feat.
Also not quite a spoiler, but there's a truly stunning musical performance by Johnson and Fitzpatrick.
Admittedly the film is a slow burn and while it takes a while to get going, once it does it takes off with a force that will have your head spinning in the best way possible. Moments that may have you scratching your noggin in the early stages are all paid off in a clever series of twists and turns playing off the classic Faustian morality tale.
It's certainly no gore fest, but it's a brilliantly executed thriller that stands out in the genre. I'm already excited to watch it again when it comes out in July as it's clear it'll be even better with a second viewing.