Its Friday then… Woohoo, time for a quick turn around to get to the cinema after work. Im not sure why i went to work today i should have taken the rest of the week off oh well. Lets go see the new horror movie which letterboxd keep talking about.

So clearly its more than just Letterboxd word of mouth. Because i arrived after getting my coffee at 6pm & sat down & i was sold out. So much so that two guys in their early 20s moaned that i was in their seat… erm no i booked this seat 2 weeks ago lads. I had to show them on my app that this was my seat, they were the 2 next to me, which were clearly empty. It so mainly ages upto mid 40s that were there for this & when we were leaving they said that the 8:30 & 9:20 showings were sold out too.

Trailers, Alien (nah) Speak no evil (maybe) The long tree Hallie Berry film (maybe) Deadpool (yes) & there was one more, i know it wasnt my cuppa tea though.

& then the film started… 6 people walked out during the film which i thought was odd, while the rest of us sat on the edge of our seat. Someone even let out a very large sigh when it was over.

I know ive only just got into watching Nicholas Cage in recent years, but other than his performance in Pig, this is his best. By a long way (im including Unbearable Weight in this too). I would really like for him to be up for best supporting actor at next years globes as a minimum, he was incredible & so freaky & his mannerisms… wow! Also the way they created that look for him, it wasnt until he was actually fully on screen in Act 3 when you really did see it was Cage. I mean yes that voice is instantly recognisable but he was so so good. Yea i know im asking a lot, but this time last year i was asking for RDJ to get recognition so this year im doing it with cage. Ahhh imagine Cage v Pascal at the oscars… that would be crazy.

I think the twist for movie buffs isnt shocking. I worked out who that little girl was quite early on, so when it was revealed i was like well that was obvious. That being said there was another twist, which i didnt see coming which did have me thinking hang on woh hold on a second. I did think it would have worked better if it was another character, but they didnt realise it. That was very clever.

Lots of clever cuttings when deaths are about to happen on & off screen, very creative. & then when you did see them on screen they were rather grim & horrific & thats why im glad i saw this early evening &not late at night another reason for not going to see late night horror films. Very uncomfortable viewing at point.

I know i know all horror films go back to religion & cults & crazy beliefs set in by the church donkeys years ago, but this wasnt one when i was expecting it to do that. But yet here i was sitting in a cinema being told this is all because we dont believe in god. Also is the church still that big a thing that people would expect & just accept wheat happened because of it.

The flashbacks were very cleverly used. We didnt get too many of them but when we did they worked well & had the correct feel to them to enhance the story, it wasnt just for the sake of it. Also they all came with a very spooky score. The score just in general was very eery, but the flashbacks, it gave me goosebumps.

Shout out to the make up department for making Cage look like that, & come of the costumes & bloody scenes due to deaths were incredible. It added to the whole thing (think the one with magots made some of the people leave the cinema).

It was well written & well paced. I’ve talked about some horror films this year have bored me into looking at my watch & then being like oh my god weve got 40mins still to go. Not this one, when i thought act 3 was ending it then got going so i looked at the time & was very happy there was another 20mins of the film left. It was so good at getting the story telling correct. Even the breaks from the horrors were well spread. Some of the subliminal screen shots were not nice to see but it added the suspense.

Well theres having an organised mess & then there hoarding & then there was that house.

Who had the theme music from the price is right appearing in a movie this year on their bingo card? hands up, i know one of you did.

If you are in a horror movie & have repressed trauma why live in the woods on your own? Seriously?

The film gave you decent jump scares, a creepy villain &a story you could actually invest in. & very good performances. It was a horror film, but damn it was an intriguing story too that left you on the edge of your seat.
Letterboxd the hype for this one was correct.