Goldbeater

A great idea and a compelling draw to the whole series, but it gets more and more predictable as the minutes go by and it kind of fizzles out into nothing in the rushed finale.

Guillermo del Toro has come out with a very solid horror anthology on Netflix, where he gives space to filmmakers who have only been around for a short time, and although the quality of the individual parts traditionally fluctuates, as a whole it is still a highly above-average spectacle that I would have liked to see another season of. Lot 36 (Guillermo Navarro): A great idea and a compelling draw to the whole series, but it gets more and more predictable as the minutes go by and it kind of fizzles out into nothing in the rushed finale – 60%. Graveyard Rats (Vincenzo Natali): An unsurprising but entertaining horror tale of a classic cut, though I can imagine a chase with a reanimated corpse in narrow underground passages in a different, separate and far more horror-effective version – 65%. The Autopsy (David Prior): The first story driven by a likeable character (played by the charismatic F. Murray Abraham), and the first downright satisfying episode that beautifully manages to capture the atmosphere of 1950s literary sci-fi/horror stories. Also, after The Autopsy of Jane Doe, another excellent procedural horror film from the autopsy room, and that doesn't happen until the second half. I must follow David Prior in the future – 80%. The Outside (Ana Lily Amirpour): This is one of those rare cases where the predictability of the plot is assumed and it doesn't matter at all, on the contrary it underlines the overall point of the story. The cinematography and the behaviour of the characters are very weird – 70%. Pickman's Model (Keith Thomas): It has a slower pace, which is understandable for a short story set over a span of a few years, but once things get going towards the end, it's a classic Lovecraftian ride. And I loved the casting of both the sinister Glover and Ben Barnes, whose mustache and grey streak in his hair work perfectly as an age-makeup – 75%. Dreams in the Witch House (Catherine Hardwicke): Another H.P. Lovecraft adaptation in quick succession, but this time it is unfortunately the weakest and also the most "horror-ish" episode of the whole anthology. Bland, outdated, unimaginative – 40%. The Viewing (Panos Cosmatos): An audiovisual genre feast. If you know what to expect from the director of Mandy and Beyond the Black Rainbow, that's exactly what you'll get! Panos is simply awesome and I can't wait to see what he does next. A superbly cast, cinematographed, musically performed and overall hypnotically led episode, in short, the essence of what I would imagine to be the highlight of the entire anthology – 85%. The Murmuring (Jennifer Kent): I can see why this particular story was intended to be the conclusion of the entire miniseries. Although the horror element is very stale and wouldn't have been enough on its own, the eighth installment works very well in the portrayal of normal, one-dimensional characters played by well-chosen actors. It's more of a dark relationship drama than a horror movie (and some of the users here can't stomach that – a couple of the reviews on this episode made me downright nauseous), but as an ending to an entire anthology, it's very thought-provoking, functional and with a very human message – 75%.

No, it's not as shit as the users here try to make it out to be. Piranha II: Flying Killers is a film that found itself in total creative hell and was indelibly affected by the battle between producer Assonitis and hired filmmakers Miller Drake and James Cameron, under whose name the film eventually fell. It's generally comparable to many Italian horror flicks of the 80s. The film itself offers plenty of fun, action and cute practical special effects. The creative choices are very strange and some of the secondary character lines could have been cut from the film, but what the hell, it's still entertaining. And where else will you see flying piranhas? In James Cameron's filmography, this may be one of the less memorable sequels, but lovers of trash will definitely enjoy it.

Piranha, or how else to follow up the big-budget Jaws than with lots of little low-budget Jaws. Joe Dante's first independent film has plenty of directorial flourishes and ideas, plenty of action scenes for such a low-budget film, and some well-shot crowd hysteria. The script could use some polishing, especially when it comes to the main characters not being seen as the architects of the plot (something that could have been avoided), but I still find the film quite functional in the context of the time. And Dick Miller is a total dick here.

Well, what can I say, City on Fire is no Towering Inferno. Instead of putting the characters in a cramped space with no escape, the filmmakers chose the open setting of an entire area of a burning city and then immediately looked for convoluted ways to get the characters into cramped situations. That is certainly not a good way to build tension. Still, at least a thumbs up for the sincere effort and practical special effects.

The weak lead character and the slow pace slightly undermine the film, but both can ultimately serve the effectiveness of the finale, which works well as satanic horror film and religious satire. As a result, this is a very solid genre film, one which we can only envy our northern neighbours here in Czechia.

Flamboyant costumes, set design, make-up, dancing, performances, and all this over and over and over again. The plot begins as simply, unnecessarily and built on scripted crutches as it is resolved in the finale. And it doesn't really matter, because Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is nothing more than another padding link that has no significance to the franchise other than introducing new characters that can be used in the future. The 160 minutes are a total blowout, because Ryan Coogler practically got a blank check to do whatever he wanted. To its credit, it doesn't try to throw in a joke every 5 seconds like Thor: Love and Thunder, but even so, the little bits of humor here are embarrassing to the point of sticking out like a sore thumb over the rest of the film. Visually it's nice and it can entertain the audience, but for me it's a largely useless film, or nothing more than the essence of the whole lame Marvel Phase IV. Useful note: There’s no post-credit scene, go home.

It's a bit heavy-handed and crass, but Argento manages to duplicate the atmosphere of the older giallo films quite nicely, and especially thanks to Arnaud Rebotini's pulsating score, Dark Glasses is a stylish spectacle from a fan for the fans. And thumbs up for the practical effects.

The next time I want a similar viewing experience, I'll give the the money for the cinema ticket to the nearest homeless guy to go to my house for two hours and give me a "boo" every two minutes. I'll save myself a trip to the cinema, do a good deed, and with his alcohol breath, I'll even get it straight as 4DX. Technically it's nicely shot, the effects are solid, it doesn't offend in any way, and despite its lack of originality it hides a solid horror theme, but what's the point if the filmmakers trade horror atmosphere for constant cheap jump scares? Even the transitions between scenes are cut quickly and with a strong sound effect to make it worthwhile. This is a really bad viewing experience for me, I didn’t enjoy it. Those two hours were excruciating.

A completely unconventional film about friendship that begins with the fact that the friendship suddenly ends unilaterally. Of playwright Martin McDonagh's films to date, The Banshees of Inisherin is by far the most intimate and reminiscent of a stage play, so don't expect any dynamic action. The alternation of humour (often very black) and depressing themes has always been a strength of this British screenwriter and director, but this is a roller coaster of contradictory emotions that, despite the numerous bursts of laughter at the end, will leave you totally depressed. The performances of all involved are superb, especially Colin Farrell's incredible portrayal of the guileless and headstrong Irish misfit.