Arcadian (2024)

Direction: Benjamin Brewer
Country: USA

In its second collaboration with actor and co-producer Nicolas Cage, director Benjamin Brewer (The Trust, 2016) brings us a post-apocalyptic horror tale set in a world overrun by lethal nightly creatures that frantically clap their jaws before massacre anyone in their path. Cage portrays Paul, a vigilant father of two teenage boys, the impulsive Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins) and the resourceful Joseph (Jaeden Martell), whom he instructs in defense techniques and survival strategies. When Thomas fails to return from the nearby Rose Farm before nightfall, panic ensues, and danger looms both inside their farmhouse and beyond its walls.

Arcadian rightfully earns its place among contemporary apocalyptic films, kept engagingly off-balance between horror tale, family drama, and teen romance. The special effects and characterization are awesome, but the tale risks running out of ideas at some point. However, it denotes a firm command of tone and decent visuals. The creepy, original monsters are a motivation and a mystery; Cage, who is revealed to have a special ability to return from the dead, discloses the bravest of the hearts; while the youthful energy and recklessness of the boys inject vitality into the story. 

The handheld camera work may be a minor drawback for some viewers, and opportunities for deeper exploration of character dynamics and the catastrophic events could have been better utilized. Nonetheless, Brewer's direction demonstrates unwavering commitment, resulting in what is arguably his strongest work to date.

Godzilla Minus One (2023)

Direction: Takashi Yamazaki
Country: Japan

If you enjoy adventure films with a combination of intense action and dramatic flair, Godzilla Minus One might be the movie for you. Directed by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki, the film offers a visceral and fast-paced fantasy with striking visuals and a strong sense of conviction. Yamazaki employs blockbuster tactics to depict multiple dangerous situations with a radioactive Godzilla wreaking havoc on a postwar Japan. 

The story revolves around Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a former kamikaze pilot turned deserter and sea-mine extractor. His lack of courage brings shame to many of his fellow countrymen. However, when he encounters Noriko Oishi and her rescued orphan baby, he discovers a new purpose in life. As Godzilla heads to Tokyo, Koichi sees an opportunity to redeem himself and prove his bravery and piloting skills.

The film explores strong anti-patriotic sentiments associated with the loss of war, mixed with a sense of unity among a group of civilians led by former naval weapons engineer and strategist Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka). Despite some plot holes and sentimental moments, Yamazaki enhances the film with stylized visuals, well-composed frames, and knockout sequences that blend ferocity with desolation. The director bends the rules of the genre by providing reinforced visual effects and relying on an intense musical score. While Godzilla's new roar is a result of a simple amplification of the original, the overall experience feels fresh and new.

Dream Scenario (2023)

Direction: Kristoffer Borgli
Country: USA

In Dream Scenario, Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli continues his exploration of stubborn, obsessive characters, taking viewers on a tortuous journey into the world of unexplainable dreams and unexpected fame. On the heels of his previous work, Sick of Myself (2022), Borgli's first English-language feature is a bizarre and exhilarating tale that thrives on complexities and dilemmas, offering an unconventional cinematic experience. The filmmaker doesn’t aim to deliver a blatant message in this well-told fantastic story that, even not for everyone, will likely earn the appreciation of adventurous film fans. 

The film grabs hold in a powerful way, as long as we can let ourselves be carried along by its complexities and dilemmas. It tells the story of Paul Matthews (Nicolas Cage), a respected biology professor who mysteriously appears in the dreams of strangers. The narrative takes unexpected turns as Paul transitions from a passive bystander to an aggressive force, leading to fame, scandal, fear, and even a sexual encounter with a young woman played by Dylan Gelula.

Horror fantasy blends with psychological drama and dark comedy as Borgli, combining imagination and technique, explores dysfunctional aspects of modern life. The structure may challenge some viewers, but those who stay engaged will find plenty of awkwardness offering a distinct cinematic pleasure. In summary, the surreal and ambiguity never dwindle the emotional stakes.

Huesera: the Bone Woman (2023)

Direction: Michelle Garza Cervera
Country: Mexico / Peru

This Mexican chiller written and directed by Michelle Garza Cervera, signing here her first feature film, has its way in terms of mood, visuals and storytelling. On top of that, it comes with an insightful message about motherhood, a recurrent subject in horror movies, but one that's rarely treated with such peculiarity and gravitas.

Bolstered by a nervy plot that was executed with efficiency, Huesera: the Bone Woman tells the horrific story of a fearful young woman, Valeria (Natalia Solián), who, after receiving confirmation of her first pregnancy, becomes haunted by a sinister figure and occult forces that interfere with her body and behavior. Self-doubt, emotional confusion and furious delirium impel her to participate in a dismaying ritual led by a trio of witches. It can be her salvation or her ruin. 

This anxiety-inducing exercise in horror, engrained with creepy reality/dream dualities and heavy dark music, also works as a metaphor for unwanted lives camouflaged by false happiness and marked by family and societal impositions. 

Cervera is adroit at manipulating dark settings, dragging us into Valeria’s disturbed psyche and making us hostages there. Huesera, a downright effort composed with trenchant expressions and a spellbinding atmosphere, prefers subtle suggestions to overt statements.

Moon Garden (2023)

Direction: Ryan Stevens Harris
Country: USA 

Moon Garden, the daring sophomore feature by Ryan Stevens Harris, is a freakish visual delight told from an unconventional perspective. Redolent of works by Jan Svankmajer, Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton, the film follows a sweet 5-year-old girl, Emma (Haven Lee Harris), who wanders through a scary subconscious realm filled with dark phantasmagoria while trying to leave a comatose state.

The girl is often encouraged by whispered messages from her parents (Augie Duke and Brionne Davis), who are locked in an unhappy marriage. She avoids coming across invisible entities and grotesque monsters with teeth that seem to claim her soul, but occasionally bumps into sinister men whose intentions are uncertain. Once in a while, her mind erupts at the surface, recalling past moments of love and self-confidence. This gives her the strength and courage to keep going. 

A simple story at the core opens up vast possibilities for experimentation, and the director, who has been working as an editor since his feature debut - Virus X (2010) - finds some magical love among petrifying horror and chaos. The inventiveness of detail makes it a sensory experience; one of those that is hard to stay laser-focused as the screen gets crammed with such a proliferation of bizarre elements. 

With warped sounds enhancing the industrialism of the setting, this twisted fairytale is pretty darn hypnotic.