Cinephile Vault

I am so so so impressed that I have been thinking about that show these past few days.

I dont think any director ever portrayed religious fanatics in a such masterful way! Also the crowd psychology, traumas, religious psychosis and so on like I was genuinely in shock. There were so many interesting aspects of a human nature portrayed so perfectly that if I get into it this post will be scrolled down by everyone lol

Question: Are other works from Mike Flanagan more or less on the same level? Should I expect the Midnight Mass level with his other projects?

Maybe I shouldnt have started with MM because it set the bar really high.

I am getting tired of the same old tropes in hollywood horror lately. It's always the same old ghouls or predictable undead plots. I just want horror that isn't all jumpscares for once. If that sounds right to you, drop something in the comments.

I already like some Ari Aster stuff, and thriller elements from Hitchcock movies

Hell of a Summer (2023) is the worst horror movie I’ve seen this year by some distance and one of the worst overall. Horrible acting, zero scare factor and the most unlikeable characters you’ve ever seen in a movie. Pure Americana trash, directed by 2 young clueless actors. Avoid by all means.

Wormtown (2025) on the other hand was a pleasant surprise. Very atmospheric and gripping movie with solid lead acting by its 3 protagonists. We’re deep in body horror B-Land, but it stands out both visually and psychologically. The less you know about it upfront, the better imo. Directed by Portugese Sergio Pinheiro.

I thought the original was decent but it’s quite outdated at this point.. I bought HHE(2006) many years ago and decided to watch it again and damn, it’s a very good horror movie! It hits on many levels and I honestly think it blows the original out of the water and it edges out the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake

I feel for some reason THHE (2006) is very rarely talked about and I’m not sure why? thoughts?

agree or disagree?

What are some scary movies you’d recommend with doppelgängers- but not necessarily twins. I liked the movie ‘Us’ and ‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’ is classically good.

Doppelgängers have always been interesting to me.

This entire show is absolutely incredible and the 5th episode made me legitimately spit take.

Seriously hope this show gets some Emmy love, it definitely deserves it more than most shows I've seen as of late.

I found it moving which I did not expect. It was very suspenseful and the villain truly scared me not in just a "im gonna kill you" kind of way. Thought it was a very well fleshed out portrayal of insane German scientist with ocd

There was way less "gore" than I thought it'd have and I appreciated the otherwise cleanliness of the entire atmosphere for such a disgusting conceptual film. I was very sad that they did not get away and I don't really understand why the Japanese guy decided to suicide in that moment bc he could've taken the doctor at the end. I do not think I would enjoy the 2nd one as much.

8/10
I loved the vibe of this movie. The fact that we discovered this sinister, eerie world level by level and it felt engaging and tense, while giving me a hint of Irish folklore and horror. First, the hotel, then the suite, then the basement, step by step we discovered this secret and it really was a haunted classic imo. The protagonist was human and flawed but not naive, and I liked that he came up with ways to escape and he wasn’t (too) stupid.
My criticism was that the ending was a bit too happy for me, but I get why it had to be like that. I’m also not a big fan of the “internal trauma doubles the external horror and the protagonist actually did something really bad in the past but comes to accept it right in the middle of the climax so he can overcome both the physical monster and his mental struggles”. It feels a bit overdone and an attempt to add a layer of depth.
There are some very memorable moments throughout the film and I’m always gonna be a sucker for witch movies and folk horror. It really shows that sometimes you can shape out a good scare by looking back at the whispers of the generations that came before you, and I like that. I like that a lot.
Overall, my DM top is:

1. Oddity
2. Hokum
3. Caveat
   Looking forward for his next projects!!!