William Brent Bell’s ‘The Boy’ (2016)
This movie got 4 stars from me for its disturbing nature and play on a common fear that the viewer might not expect. This movie takes place in England, following an American nanny who’s been hired to watch over a rich family’s son— only to find that the son in question isn’t a human boy at all, but a life-sized porcelain doll. ‘The Boy’ is easy to understand and delightfully scary, but it might leave you checking your locks and walls for some time to come.
‘Conference’ (Konferensen in its original Swedish; 2023)
This movie gets a solid 3 and a half out of 5 stars from me, but it’s definitely a fun movie worth watching if you crave a modern take on the ‘70s slasher narrative. This movie takes place at a team-building conference that quickly turns deadly when accusations of corruption are thrown about, and a masked killer begins to brutally murder the attendees. This European flick doesn’t skimp on the gore, but delivers comedy and heart where Hollywood often fails. The movie is Swedish, but I watched an English dub on Netflix and it still held up in quality.
‘Annihilation’ (2018)
This 3-star film is based on a book, but trust me, there’s no need to read the story beforehand to understand the movie and follow a biologist and a group of scientists as they lose themselves in an unearthly landscape and become something far more than human. This is a colorful sci-fi body horror film with stunning visuals and a wholly unsettling atmosphere. I personally thought the ending fell flat, which is why it only receives 3 stars from me, but there’s no doubt that there’s substance here. You’ll likely enjoy this movie if your standards aren’t as high as mine.
