Cold in July (2014)

Directed by Jim Mickle
Written by Nick Damici and Jim Mickle, based on the novel by Joe R. Lansdale
Starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, Don Johnson and Vinessa Shaw

After a man is forced to kill an intruder in his home, a man finds that he and his family are being stalked by the father of the man he killed. But he soon uncovers secrets that the Sheriff's department are hiding and teams up with the man who has been stalking him to find the truth.

An intense and dark psychological thriller where every discovery twists and turns the plot down a completely different path than it was on. Backed by great performances by the unlikely trio of Michael C. Hall, Sam Sheppard and Don Johnson, this film kept me on the edge of my seat.

The most frustrating thing with films nowadays is predictability. Yes, sometimes you can overlook it and still enjoy a movie. But to me, the best ones keep you questioning exactly what's going on. Throughout this movie, I was unsure of what would happen. Every time I thought it was going to go one way, it went in a completely other direction.

Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance film festival in 2014, it has been named with the several other greats from that year, including "Whiplash" and "The Skeleton Twins". It is just another example of the great films independent filmmakers can make.

My Rating: 7/10

It Follows (2014)

Written and Directed by David Robert Mitchell

Starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Jake Weary and Daniel Zovatto

A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after getting involved an innocent sexual encounter.

When I first heard about this movie, I had no interest in seeing it whatsoever. But when it came out, I heard only good things. Everyone told me I should go see this movie. And what I watched on that screen was exactly what I thought it would be. It was just OK.

This movie was nothing spectacular, like I had been told. It was your average horror movie with young adults having sex and being stupid in creepy (not even scary) situations. The entity that followed the main character around was less intimidating than a spider. They stated several times "it only walks, no matter how fast you travel". I've had more intense chase sequences in Mario Kart.

"Why's it taking so long to get here?"

This film is not without it's positives. While at it's core, it is just your average horror movie, the plot is actually quite unique and at times it is quite suspenseful. It's just nothing to write home about. Granted, while I do see a lot of horror movies, I am rarely impressed with them. It's just not a genre that I love. I love them when they're great, but that's rare for me. So perhaps I'm not the best judge for horror movies.

My Rating: 6/10