cyphomandra

In chronological release order today.

Nosferatu (1922): I enjoyed this enormously! I think it might be the oldest film I've ever watched, so this was a fascinating look back at a modern art form in its infancy but also a genuinely rewarding piece of art on its own merits. Of all the Dracula adaptations I've seen, this one felt like it distilled the story down to its purest essence. It was incredibly clean, evocative storytelling; I didn't think it was possible for such an old version of such a familiar story to scare me, but some of those scenes of the advancing count with his spidery fingers and dead, staring eyes were genuinely chilling. Also, it is downright criminal that greatcoats for men are no longer in style. All men should wear greatcoats, all the time. And high-rise trousers, and cavalry boots, and those gorgeous floofy shirts and cravats. Loneliness epidemic, my arse. 'Dating is so hard for men these days', my arse. Put on a fucking greatcoat and watch the ladies all clamour to pass their dance cards under your nose.

The Ritual (2017): In honour of their friend who was killed in a burglary gone wrong, four ageing British uni mates go on a hike in the Swedish wilderness for which they are all utterly unprepared. But the comedy of errors turns deadly when they stray along a woodland "shortcut" and find themselves being stalked by some malevolent, godlike force that dwells among the trees. This had a really great atmosphere, stunning visuals, and a cast of forgettable idiots who I could 100% believe would make every single one of the stupid decisions that led to their demise. There was a moderately compelling emotional through-line about the guilt complex of the Main Forgettable Idiot (I have genuinely already forgotten his name) who was present at the burglary but froze up in fear instead of defending his friend. But mostly I was in it for the gorgeous, spooky tour of a Scandinavian forest, livened up every now and then by a disembowelment (tastefully depicted, as these things go!).

Oddity (2024): I'm struggling to describe the plot of this movie without either giving away major spoilers or just making it sound very silly. I don't want to make it sound silly at all. It has its moments of levity, but it also does a really good job of blending paranormal horror with a far more grounded and mundane human evil; I really enjoyed it. It's an Irish horror film about a woman with psychic abilities investigating the murder of her sister. It's a modern setting but with a rich, old-timey atmosphere, full of quaint antique shops and centuries-old converted houses (the main filming location was the old stables at Bantry House, a real 1730s heritage location in County Cork, Ireland) and the claustrophobic halls of an old forensic hospital. There are some great hauntings and supernatural scares but there are also just so many vibes. And the ending left me with a genuine smile on my face, which is not what I was expecting from a movie this dark.