March - 2021

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Wrong Way: Sickle's Take on "The Toll"

Wrong Way: Sickle's Take on "The Toll"

The Toll follows a rideshare driver and his passenger as they get lost on a back road. When the car breaks down, the passenger begins to question her driver's motives as the driver questions strange happenings around the car. Soon they come under attack from an entity seeking a "toll". The Toll Review The Toll is another perfect example of an unfortunate divide between concept and execution. I have long been a proponent of the perspective that the quality of a film can waver

Electrifying Results: Sickle's Take on "Phobias"

Electrifying Results: Sickle's Take on "Phobias"

Phobias follows a man who encounters an entity that travels through electronics. After the encounter, he wakes up in a secret lab that is forcibly performing experiments on people by exposing them to their phobias in order to turn the byproduct of their fears into a weapon. Phobias Review Let's face it...Anthologies are a different breed, and in general just can't be evaluated like other films. Part of our perspective on reviews is that horror movies can and often should be e

Maximum Effort: Sickle's Take on "Slaxx"

Maximum Effort: Sickle's Take on "Slaxx"

Slaxx follows a young woman, Libby (Romane Denis), who gets her dream job at a clothing store that boasts sustainability and fair trade. When a pair of pants from the new line come alive and begin murdering the staff, the woman must discover the reason behind the possessed pants rampage in order to stop it. Slaxx Review If you couldn't tell by the synopsis, Slaxx is a new horror comedy exclusively on Shudder. Not even making it to a 90-minute runtime, this movie doesn't try t

True or False: Sickle's Take on "Come True"

True or False: Sickle's Take on "Come True"

Come True follows a young woman who is struggling with insomnia due to recurring nightmares with disturbing imagery and a shadowy figure. She decides to attend an experimental testing project to hopefully solve her sleeping problems. As the experiments take unusual and suspicious turns, and her nightmares accelerate in quantity and intensity, she begins to question the goal of the testing and the connection with the sinister presence haunting her subconscious. Come True Revie

Identity Crisis: Sickle's Take on "Shook"

Identity Crisis: Sickle's Take on "Shook"

Shook follows a social media influencer who comes under attack from a mysterious person while dog-sitting for her sister. Shook Review Innately different but apparently flawed, Shook is about right down the middle of potential and execution. The acting is average, the plot is disheveled, but the directing is well conceived. The visualizations and treatments are well structured throughout, but they are sadly wasted amidst a plot that was more concerned with having as many twis

Being Vigilant: Sickle's Take on "The Vigil"

Being Vigilant: Sickle's Take on "The Vigil"

The Vigil follows a man who is asked to look watch over a dead body through the night for his former Orthodox Jewish community, but a dark entity begins to make itself known to the man as he struggles with his past and his faith. The Vigil Review We're in March, and usually at this point in the year, some films start to stand out as top-10-of-the-year candidates. The Vigil is the first that comes to mind as far as achieving that goal. A film that focuses heavily on its story

Right Turn: Sickle's Take on Wrong Turn (2021)

Right Turn: Sickle's Take on Wrong Turn (2021)

Wrong Turn (2021) is a remake of the 2003 film of the same name that follows a group of 20-somethings that stumble off the beaten path in the Appalachian mountains and find themselves face-to-face with a secluded group of peoples deep within the woods. Wrong Turn Review This remake of the once-long-running franchise (six films ran in the original set from 2003 to 2014) follows only the bare bones of the initial plot piece of the original film, following the term "remake" in i