icocleric Reviews

Alice in Terrorland (2023)

Honestly Boring

[1/10 · 14 April 2024]

It was soulless garbage, and a shallow attempt to make the classic Alice in Wonderland into a horror, which other media will tell you this actually can be done well. This wasn't one of those examples.

The dialogue is awkward, and weird. The idea that Alice is being read the original, and in her fever dream is being taken to wonderland could have worked actually. But damn, girl your fever dreams are boring. Even the idea that her parents have passed and that has altered her mental state, has existed before. This just does that badly.

The costume elements are boring. The pacing is weird and doesn't work. And it has moments where it tries to be edgy but, it falls flat because it's trying too hard.

Schneewittchen und der Zauber der Zwerge (2019 TV Movie)

Fun But Flawed Fantasy

[5/10 · 18 March 2024]

This film had some really nice parts, but I think some of the pacing and structure was weird. So the later part of the film felt like it dragged on too much. As the film tried to add more plot to the story.

I think the film would have been better if there was more focus on developing Snow Whites personality. Either at the beginning of the film, or her time with the dwarves. I felt like the Evil Queen got more development than Snow White.

But I did like the fact the Prince wasn't out of the blue random, and he appeared a bit earlier in the film. So the romance between him and Snow White made sense.

What Happened at 625 River Road? (2023)

Confusing, But Spooky Moments

[5/10 · 10 February 2024]

The way it was edited, does make it a little bit confusing to follow. I get it's a mystery unsolved, but rather than flashes to things that happened, and a little bit more explaining at the end would have gone a long way. Like with the detective giving what he thought happened, and what they found at the house.

I loved the first night in the house, and shots from the outside with strange movements and shadowy figures. It looked really great and really added to tension of the film. It was a really interesting way of doing it, and I think it worked well.

The production value seemed pretty good and so did the acting.

Mutant Vampires from the Planet Neptune (2021)

The Soundtrack Was Really Great.

[6/10 · 9 February 2024]

I thought this film was fun, but did have pacing problems. So better editing would have turned this from an okay but fun film, into a really great film. The sound track was really great, spot on actually. I thought it captured a retro B-Movie feeling really nicely.

The creature design was cool. And the acting was good, with the relationship between the friends seeming pretty good and real. The lines didn't feel stiff or awkwards. There were some great one liners in there too.

It did have some horror comedy moments, but I think it didn't quite go far enough with the horrot comedy. That would have really turned this film into something amazing.

Aaviri (2019)

Cheesy, Borderline Comedic.

[1/10 · 8 February 2024]

This is really cheesy, and terrible. It's not got any tension or atmosphere at all. The child is really unlikeable, and bratty. The editing is not great, so it doesn't flow well.

The effects are so bad it's comedic. Like if the child weren't so annoying, this would be worth watching with friends for a laugh.

There's also little things that annoy me, like the house they live in looks like a show room, not any kind of home. The lighting is really weird, and makes everything look over exposed. Which also takes away from the atmosphere.

The music is way too intrusive, like you are always aware of it. And it's rarely complimentary to the scene.

Domino Day (2024– )

Modern Fantasy With Witches and Magic

[7/10 · 5 February 2024]

I bindge watched this because I found it really interesting. It's modern day fantasy with witches and magic, set in Manchester, UK. I actually wished it was a bit longer even.

The acting, and production quality was all higher than expected, even though it was an indie production. I think the actors did a great job in getting their characters across, which for the most part were well written. Nothing seemed flat, the characters were multi-facetted. I really liked the lead, and routed for her through-out.

It's very character driven drama, even though there a magical element to the plot. I would have liked more lore on the myths they used, but they really didn't shy away from the magic.

Some of the characters sadly did send you postcards on how they were going to turn out in the plot.

Catacombs (2007)

Strobe-tastic and Poor Editing.

[1/10 · 5 February 2024]

The Catacombs in Paris are actually very cool, so this film was terribly disappointing, and boring. It tried too hard to be edgy, and fell flat on its face, when it could have been a good premise for a horror.

ALSO EXTREME STROBE WARNING FOR MANY OF THE SCENES. For long periods of time, as well as flashing images. Which honestly adds to how terribly edited this film is. There's so much of it, it's headache inducing.

Then to go to one extreme to the other, how about black screens? Fun. Visually amazing to have a lot of in a film.

The acting is also pretty flat, and the lead unlikable with a lot of whining.

Suitable Flesh (2023)

Interesting and Fun Adaptation

[7/10 · 4 February 2024]

I found it a really fun adaption of Lovecraft's work. Of course it was a little bit campy, that was expected; but it had some nice touches going on. The cinematography has some pretty interesting things too, I was pleasantly surprised. Nice nods to the Cthulhu mythos even though it is not a huge part of the plot.

The acting was really good. Because there's some body snatching horror going on, you have characters who were meant to be in the body of another person, and I think you could tell who was who. I enjoyed the overall story.

It wasn't as scary or as tense as some horror out there, but it was still an interesting watch.

Arctic Hollow (2024)

You Don't See Anything

[1/10 · 4 February 2024]

This was honestly awful. For most of the film you can see literally nothing. I know they are in a dark cave, but it was in desperate need of better lighting. So you could at least see more than pitch black, and the actors faces.

I have seen teenagers on YouTube do a better job with less budget. You couldn't see the creatures at all. You just heard roaring noises. I think I caught a glimpse of a claw?

As well as not being visually interesting. It was just all round dull. With little story, and dull acting. The concept seemed interesting, so it was a let down that it was this boring. It's the most boring film I've seen in a while.

Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast (2011 Video)

Terrible, and Flat!

[1/10 · 2 February 2024]

As a shark film lover I was deeply disappointed with this film and how boring it turned out to. I thought a film as dumb as the idea of a snow shark would have been a lot more fun.

But I hoped for really funny kills, but no. Just screaming them blood stains on the snow. The acting was so flat, and awkward. None of the actors sold this film to you, and the digalog was honestly terrible. Like how could you not have fun and give it your all with a concept like this?

The shark had the deepest range of acting, and it's not even real.

I don't know how a film this short managed to out stay it's welcome, but here we are.

Haunt (I) (2019)

Creepy and Solid Slasher Film

[7/10 · 31 January 2024]

The tension is very good, and the kills are brutal. It's a bit like a slasher meeting an escape room style situation. I love the fact the teens aren't dumb, they are really trying their best to be sensible and get out of the situation.

I think for me the let down is the lack of story, and motive for the killers. Explanation of some bits would have made it better. I think towards the end it looses some of the amazing tension from the start.

The overall quality of the film is very good, the masks are very creepy too. The acting was good, and it was beautifully shot. I didn't expect the ending so that was a lot of fun.

Rent-A-Pal (2020)

So Creepy, and Great Atmosphere.

[8/10 · 31 January 2024]

This was a clever and unexpected indie film.

Normally I only like slow burns if the pay off at the end is worth it, and it was.

Not only that but, the atmosphere this film gives is dark, and creepy and gives you enough intrigue throughout to keep you watching. The acting is great, the cinematography is wonderful, and it really all works hard to give you that retro 90s feel. Great soundtrack to match as well.

The rent-a-pal Andy is so creepy, and it works so well. But because only David is experiencing him for the most part, it keeps you wondering what is going on as it gets increasingly creepier It's nicely done that way. It being VHS adds to it feeling so very wrong.

The Titan (2018)

Great Idea, But What Happened to This?

[4/10 · 28 January 2024]

It starts off really cool, with some interesting concepts going on. However the story, and the entire film then switches, and starts diving down hill. It's like two film concepts smashed together, because they couldn't decide what angle to go with. Feeling like two directors of two different levels of skill made this.

The first half of the film is about what this guy is going through in order to forward humanity, since things on Earth are looking grim. With a bit of body horror. It's a mix of horror and Sci-fi.

The second half is about the wife trying to keep hold of her husband monster, but she has zero personality. And the husband can no longer talk, so her boring personality has nothing to bounce off.

The Badger Game (2014)

A solid indie horror with some unexpected twists.

[6/10 · 28 January 2024]

A solid indie horror with some unexpected twists. The acting is really decent, and the film had plenty of tension to wonder how this was going to go. Especially when things start to go wrong for the group.

Some moments were a little bit ridiculous, and I think this film might have even worked as a horror comedy if they would have leaned into that more. I think the film is still pretty enjoyable to watch.

Some characters are likeable, but some are really not in the right way. Like I fully understood the motives of two of the women involved, and I think they way that was shown did make the film stronger.

I would say the biggest part of this film is the character drama.

Don't Let the Riverbeast Get You! (2012 Video)

Wasted Potential

[2/10 · 28 January 2024]

The premise of this film could have been so good, but it just missed the mark for me. The story was okay, and I love a creature feature. I liked the design of the monster, with it's intentionally bad charm. I can respect an indie film getting themselves out there too.

The lines are awkward and I think that is intentional to lean into horror comedy, and a bit of nostalgia. But the delivery was so flat. I really wished they'd gone all in. Since everything was so flat, it just didn't produce any laughs for me.

Because of every actor being so flat, I found it a bit boring. If they would have gone all in, I would have loved it and been more entertained. Since I do enjoy "bad" horror.

H.P. Lovecraft's Witch House (2021)

So Boring My Soul Fell Asleep And Slipped Out of My Body

[1/10 · 28 January 2024]

I am a fan of Lovecraften horror, so I thought I'd give it a go even though it had a bad rating, and I wish I hadn't. Like how do you make Lovecraft's work boring?? How!? There's even lecture scenes were they just managed to make it even more boring, the delivery of the lines is just so flat.

This was mixed with periods of no dialogue over trippy scenes. Like why not edit parts of the lectures over these scenes? Rather than showing people also bored out of their minds?

There is no tension, no horror. The acting is terrible, the editing is atrocious. The plot is really weak. It's all round terrible. There is also a tentacle r*pe SCENE. Honestly it's not even funny bad, just boring.

6:45 (2021)

Fun But Could Be Better.

[5/10 · 26 January 2024]

I know this idea has been done before, but I think this had some cool takes on it. Like why do the other towns folk know so much about them both? Why do some of them even tell him that he knows what he needs to do? I think more of the creepy towns folk would have been cooler the more days they went through the same day.

Like unlike other things that repeat the day other people seem to know more than the couple, and playing into this would have made it fresher.

So I did think it was a fun watch. A little bit more of an explanation at the end would have been better, just the stuff to tie the beginning and how it all started to the end.

The location was pretty and the acting overall was decent.

Goodnight, Light (2023)

It Was Almost There

[4/10 · 25 January 2024]

I thought it had good things going for it, but I think it just missed the mark of being a good film. I also wouldn't say it was supernatural horror, it was more slasher horror. A good reason for a slasher horror to occur though.

There was way too much of the teen/young adult drama. Like some of it was useful to forward the plot, but better editing would have gone a long way. It took me a while to see how certain things were meant to be tied together.

The film quality and acting was decent enough for the most part. Some of the side actors weren't great. I did think the set up was a good one, it just needed presenting that little bit better.

After the Flames: An Apocalypse Anthology (2020)

Pretty fun anthology series.

[6/10 · 24 January 2024]

The film wasn't as polished as it could be, but it wasn't amateurish either. It was a fun watch overall; and didn't lack too much quality either.

Anthologies are always a bit tough, because naturally some stories will be stronger than others. I thought the first two were the weakest, and at first I thought they were sticking too much to a narrow theme. But then they got a lot more interesting.

With some pretty strong stories in there. I thought the kids telling the stories was a nice way to have them presented together. I did see the end coming, but it doesn't come from nowhere there are little clues throughout. Which is fun.

Primbon (2023)

Great Film, but I Would Love More Myth Details

[6/10 · 24 January 2024]

We all have legends of going into the woods, and bring replaced by something not human... I would have loved to have more details about the myths about that added to this film, being not familiar with the culture. Like what kind of spirits troubled this family?

I did like the fact the family drama did bring out the characters really well.

Appart from that I thought it was beautifully shot, the location was gorgeous, and the acting was really good, with some really nice creepy moments. I enjoyed the overall storyline and had a lot of fun watching it.

Supernatural horror is my favourite kind of horror.

Multiverse (II) (2019)

Drama Driven Sci-fi

[6/10 · 23 January 2024]

Being a bit of a science fiction nerd I did really like this film, and the drama quantum entanglement brought to the film.

It's worth noting that the film isn't high budget, so the sci-fi elements are that of the theory of multiple universes, and multiple universes caught in entanglement having an effect on this group of friends. So it's very character driven. So it's very drama based as well as being sci-fi.

But I thought the acting was really good, and they did pretty well with the theory, and how it'd work. I found it really interesting. The quality of the sound, and picture were all fine aswell.

The Basement (III) (2017)

Missed Potential

[3/10 · 21 January 2024]

The students that go down into the basement are all so horrible, and unlikeable that when something happens you really don't mind. It is hard to get into a film when you don't like the characters.

It's hard to route for people who set fire to people, calling them freaks and offering them a taste of hell before they die, and who are more than happy to leave friends behind.

The set up was interesting, although the start of the film is boring. I liked the twist at the end too. The "monster" was really creepy and well done, it would have been nice if they would have had the budget to back it up.

The Unearthing (2015)

It Just Ends???

[2/10 · 18 January 2024]

I really didn't like it, and supernatural horror is my favourite, because I often love the story behind it. Even if aimed at a younger audience.

The music breaks any and all suspense, because it is this light cheery music, that gets in the way. Despite the short run time, we have a really long library montage, that could have been much shorter. Then the film ends abruptly. Not really explaining anything, which was really disappointing when you're here for the mystery.

The female lead is incredibly unlikeable and mean. Which makes it harder to get into the film.

The quality of the filming sound and lighting look good though.

Nursery Rhyme (2017)

Tragic, but Interesting.

[5/10 · 18 January 2024]

Trigger warnings for domestic abuse, and child abuse. The Mother has flashbacks about the abuse she suffered as a child, and the reasons why she left her husband. There is quite a lot of them too, it tells the reasons why she moved. But they are intense.

The plot is simple, Mary moved to get a new start for her and her daughter. And it's very character driven about her, and her new neighbours bring willing to help her settle in.

It is not the biggest budget film, but there aren't glaring problems with it. The acting is okay enough, but it's not the best you're going to see. Overall I thought it told a tragic tale in an interesting way.

Arisen (2015)

I Lost The Plot? Have You Seen It?

[1/10 · 17 January 2024]

The synopsis made it sound interesting, but it was kind of terrible, and boring. The plot is barely there and the scenes are poorly edited together in a way that makes little scene. The acting ranges from terrible to aggressively average. One of the characters was weirdly homophobic for no good reason, like it didn't add to the plot or anything.

The sound quality is absolutely awful, there parts you can't hear the dialogue because of things like the wind, or bad music. Overall it just wasn't engaging in any way, it was all round very rough. Even down yo the conversations not feeling remotely natural.