Frightening Strikes

  Kate: Lora Burke Beth: Tessa Kozma Hal: Colin Paradine Mary: Kristen MacCulloch Lewis: Nick Smyth Director: Craig Wallace Writer:  Craig Wallace & Ian Malone Release:  2021 From the opening scene this is an intriguing tale where nothing is as it seems to be. And "seems to be" is a theme running through the story which is the beauty of "Motherly", weaving a narrative through a labyrinth of secrets managing to be both intriguing and entertaining. Kate and her 9 year old daughter Beth have escaped a traumatic past and now find themselves hiding in isolation in a rural area. From the start, it's evident that there's tension between them, with Beth displaying defiance and a longing to be with her dad and Kate, who is protective but somewhat controlling and prone to outbursts of frustrated anger.  They are not entirely alone as help is on hand in the form of Hal who is there to keep an eye on them and ensure their safety, especially when Kate suspects that a...

  Winnie Carruthers: Jane Widdop David Carruthers: Joel McHale Henry Waters: Justine Long Bernie Simon: Jess McLeod Buck Waters: Sean Depner Director: Tyler MacIntyre Writer: Michael Kennedy Release: 2023 The title "It's a Wonder Knife" doesn't leave much to the imagination about its origins and, in the same vein as the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life", the film explores a parallel world where the protagonist, Winnie Carruthers, faces the consequences of a choice that shaped her town's destiny.  The story begins with Winnie heading to a Christmas Eve party with her best friend, Cara, whose grandfather is being pressured to sell his house by a local business magnate, the insufferable Henry Waters, who is on a mission to control the town through fair means or foul.  Winnie and Cara set off for an evening of pre-Christmas high-jinks but the party takes a dark turn when a masked killer embarks on a murderous spree. Winnie, however, manages to save the day, and ...

  Beth: Danika Vandersteen Lowen: Woodrow Graves Pete: Andrew Gillis Sam: Britt Loder Joseph: Terrance Murray Director: Seth A. Smith Writers: Seth A. Smith and Darcy Spidle Release: 2017 Grieving the loss of her husband, Beth (Danika Vandersteen) seeks solace in her mother's secluded beach front house, somewhere on the rugged Nova Scotia coast, hoping to recover and share precious moments with her son, Lowen (Woodrow Graves). The days here pass slowly as mother and son find comfort in a routine of housework, beachside play, and Beth's work as a paint marbling artist.  Their peaceful retreat takes a mysterious turn when an enigmatic neighbour Terrance Murray) takes an unsettling interest in Lowen and a young girl, Sam (Britt Loder), appears as another neighbour and ominously warns Beth about certain locals who "don't know they're dead". Strange events unfold and inexplicable noises shatter the quietude, growing evermore eerie and unnerving. Beth begins to...

Rebecca: Teresa Palmer Martin: Gabriel Bateman Bret: Paul DiPerisa Sophie: Maria Bello Director: David F. Sandberg Writer: David F. Sandberg and Eric Heisserer "Lights Out" wastes no time with an opening that immediately grabs the viewer's attention and sets the heart racing. Paul, working late, receives a call from his worried son, Martin, regarding his mother's mental state and assures him that he is working on a solution. Meanwhile, his assistant alerts Paul to the presence of someone in the building. As he prepares to leave for the night, he encounters Diana, the malevolent antagonist, who can only be seen in the dark and she swiftly hunts him down in a vicious revenge attack. Following this explosive start, Martin starts experiencing his mother's chilling nocturnal ramblings, and is so terrified that he is unable to sleep through fear of what might happen. When this leads to him falling asleep in the classroom, it triggers a call to Child Protection Services...

Estrella: Paola Lara El Shine: Juan Ramon Lopez Morro: Nery Arredondo Tucsi: Hanssel Casillas Pop: Rodrigo Cortez El Chino : Tenoch Huerta Caco: Ianis Guerrero Director: Issa Lopez Writer: Issa Lopez Release: 2019 Tigers Don't Cry isn't a horror film in the strictest sense. The horror is more of the human kind although it's interwoven with del Toro-esque fantasy visuals and supernatural visions, creating a modern fairy tale that will both enrage you and break your heart. The story opens, in an un-named Mexican city, with Estrella (Paola Lara) at school with her and her classmates having to take cover as a gunfight erupts outside. We are quickly exposed to the world of violence that surrounds Estrella and it’s clear that this is commonplace as she walks home past a dead body without flinching. On her return home, Estrella finds an empty apartment and waits for her mother to return. After many hours, she is driven to seek refuge with a gang of orphans who have built ...

Rose: Sophie Rundle Sam: Matt Stokoe Amber: Olive Gray Director: Jennifer Sheridan Writer: Matt Stokoe Release: 2021 Rose: A Love Story tells the tale of Rose (Sophie Rundle) and Sam (Matt Stokoe) who lead an isolated and challenging, albeit cozy, life in a small cottage in the wilds of a forest in Wales. You could be forgiven for thinking that they have survived some sort of post-apocalyptic event but their living conditions owe more to Rose’s mysterious medical condition than an external event. Rose’s condition is never fully explained but we get a clue as to what it might be very early on when you notice their different dietary requirements . They have very little contact with the outside world and live off the land with Sam trapping rabbits and growing vegetables while Rose spends her days tapping out a novel on an old-fashioned typewriter. As they move through the timescape of their strange little world, it’s clear that the couple are devoted to each other to the extent that...

  Summary and Review of Smile Dr Rose Cotter: Sosie Bacon Trevor: Jessie T. Usher Joel: Kyle Gallner Dr Madleine Northcott: Robin Weigert Laura Weaver: Caitlin Stasey Director: Parker Finn Writer: Parker Finn Release: 2022 After witnessing a bizarre and traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality. "Smile" gets to the point without preamble when Rose, a committed but overworked hospital therapist, witnesses the horrific suicide of a patient, which deeply affects her as she experienced her own mother’s suicide as a child. Before dying, the patient jabbers in a terrified fashion about something that has been stalking her. As she dies, she smiles in the most terrifying way and then the horror really begins. Soon after, frightening o...