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Reviews
Ghostwritten (2021)
Must-see psychological thriller
If you're in the mood for a ghost story, don't miss this one. It's about a struggling novelist with writer's block who gets a free place to stay on a remote island. Sounds perfect, except it's the dead of winter and something's wrong with the house.
The acting is terrific; Kate Lyn Shiel does a great job of setting the tone with her creepy narration. It's dark, moody, and mysterious. Jay Duplass is convincing as a desperate but likable writer, and he adds some dark humor with his delivery of the lines. I laughed aloud in some scenes.
The director, Thomas Matthews, skillfully tells the story, mixing what appears to be archived footage and memories past, while building suspense throughout the film. It's fast-paced and fun and will keep you guessing-and on the edge of your seat-until the end.
Lost Holiday (2019)
Fun, funny, and fast-paced
Someone working at a film festival recently recommended this to me, explaining it was her favorite in the festival. I enjoyed it. It's a fresh take on the sleuth genre with a strong female lead who tries to solve a missing person mystery to distract herself from her own problems. It's about close friendships, learning to grow up and embrace adulthood, and moving on from old flames. The two leads are convincing as old friends with their inside jokes and easy millennial-esque banter. Kate Lyn Sheil is superb playing the many dimensions of her bold, adventure-seeking character, while Thomas Matthews wins the laughs as her counter point and side kick with his reaction shots and silly antics. The story-telling is nicely done with good pacing and montages that allow the movie to be pretty short. The score is unusual with some renaissance-era music at times, but it all seems to work, especially a beautiful piece on the cello written by James Iha. Definitely worth a watch, especially for those short on time (it's a zippy 70-odd minutes).