Mar '19
He may not be the type of household name horror director the way John Carpenter, Wes Craven and George Romero are. All the same, I am pretty impressed from what I have seen of him so far. He is only Forty and he has made some good films. What hits me, is that he seems to have this skill for taking unrealistic, or unworkable, concepts and finding the humanity in them. Here is my take on what I have seen:
Oculus (2013) - I absolutely loved this one. With an emphasis on dread over gore, it is a top-notch horror.
Gerald's Game (2017) - In my humble opinion, it successfully captures the feel of a Stephen King adaptation. Surprisingly more introspective, but well done film.
Hush (2016) - Silent chiller with great acting and an original premise.
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) - Surprisingly a lot more enjoyable and entertaining than it has any right to be.
Absentia (2011) - Absentia is very creepy, non-formulaic and more grounded in relatable personalities than the usual horror film filled with hottie victims and other stereotypes.
The Haunting of Hill House (TV Series) - In the middle of watching this. I like what I have seen, nice character development - nice atmosphere.
I have to see Before I Wake (2016) yet.
So, all-in-all, he is an efficient craftsmen.
What are your opinions of him, and his work?
Oculus (2013) - I absolutely loved this one. With an emphasis on dread over gore, it is a top-notch horror.
Gerald's Game (2017) - In my humble opinion, it successfully captures the feel of a Stephen King adaptation. Surprisingly more introspective, but well done film.
Hush (2016) - Silent chiller with great acting and an original premise.
Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016) - Surprisingly a lot more enjoyable and entertaining than it has any right to be.
Absentia (2011) - Absentia is very creepy, non-formulaic and more grounded in relatable personalities than the usual horror film filled with hottie victims and other stereotypes.
The Haunting of Hill House (TV Series) - In the middle of watching this. I like what I have seen, nice character development - nice atmosphere.
I have to see Before I Wake (2016) yet.
So, all-in-all, he is an efficient craftsmen.
What are your opinions of him, and his work?
I thought Oculus was going to be similar to supernatural movies like The Conjuring. To my surprise and relief, it isn't really like that and is much more interesting.
Gerald's Game is a well-made, faithful adaptation of a good book. Can't ask for more than that. I'm looking forward to his adaptation of Doctor Sleep.
Hush wasn't bad, but it could've been better. The main character being deaf was an interesting aspect and I liked how she used her skills as a writer to her advantage.
I didn't care much for Before I Wake. It looked and sounded like my kind of movie, with the kid's dreams and nightmares becoming reality. I just wasn't into how it played out.
Absentia is my least favorite. After being pleasantly surprised by Oculus, I hoped the same would be true for Absentia, but I didn't think it was anywhere near as good.
I haven't seen Ouija: Origin of Evil or The Haunting of Hill House. I've heard nothing but good things about The Haunting of Hill House and plan to watch it eventually.