Were you expecting some kind of Halloween related segment,
well tough because ultimately you can watch horror movies at any time of the
year as opposed to relegating a single day to discuss them all. What I am going
to discuss today though is the best and worst movies of October. Sadly this
month hasn’t been as promising as it could have been, with many seemingly
promising productions coming to a frustratingly disappointing result, from a
psychological thriller starring Emily Blunt that turned out to be as dull as
dishwater, to a Tom Cruise action vehicle that felt like a ‘Mission: Impossible’
film if you put exactly half the effort into it.
That being said, when this month hit its high points they
were some of the highest points of the year so far, with the big studios, independent
and foreign markets all delivering some truly amazing entries. In fact for what
feels like the first time in ages I even have an honourable mention outside of
the usual top three, with ‘In a Valley of Violence’ being worth some
recognition. But now the best three.
3: The Girl with
all the Gifts
The first zombie film in years that actually manages to
expand upon the genre and carve a fresh identity in the sea of oversaturation
that is the market today. Despite taking familiar elements of its predecessors
the way it spins them into a more socially conscious story that ignites our
deepest fears of imprisonment, warfare and environmental change, as well as
throwing us, head first, into a more disconcerting scenario with some harder
edges to deal with. It is genuinely difficult to believe the film’s miniscule
budget due to how excellent Colm McCarthy’s direction is, and the director
expertly uses his apocalypse as a backdrop for his own claustrophobic and
personally intimate thriller.
2: Doctor Strange
Marvel’s psychedelic trip into a new dimension may have the
outlines of their standard cinematic stories, but the unique style and vision
that lies within ‘Doctor Strange’ is able to distinguish it as a unique and
fantastic entry to the franchise. Not
only is the film creative and innovative on a visual level, but its action
scenes are all wonderfully and intriguingly crafted as well, with director
Scott Derrickson using the Marvel platform to unleash his own trippy
sensibilities. Surrounded by a magnificent the supporting cast of Mads
Mikkleson, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tilda Swinton, in the titular role Benedict
Cumberbatch makes Stephen Strange completely and utterly his own, and I look
forward to seeing his interactions with the rest of Marvel’s rostra in the future.
1: Under the
Shadow
It is rare for a horror movie to feel as socially and
culturally relevant as Babak Anvari’s astonishingly crafted tale of
supernatural entities invading a war torn household. It uses its scenario to
reflect the fears and trepidations of its central characters, as well as a soul
wrenching metaphor for the culture she inhabits. Blending both neo-realism and
nightmarish style, Anvari is somehow able to balance both tones perfectly, and
make them feel so heavily intertwined that it is hard to imagine the movie
working with a single misplaced aspect. It also helps that it is unnerving to
say the least, with the sound design, cinematography and central performers all
being used to great effect to generate a sense of sheer and utter entrapment.
And the worst…..
Inferno
The question of why anyone is bothering to keep this
franchise afloat in this day and age is impossible to answer, and the only
question that can generate an equal amount of confusion is how they were able
to convince talents like Ron Howard and Tom Hanks to sign up for it again.
Actually a more confusing prospect would be trying to decipher any of the
convoluted, exposition heavy, intellectually insulting plot points of this
film. Sadly not even Hanks or Howard can save this sinking ship and we can only
hope that an inferno is where this franchise will be cast to next. 
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