{ "version": "https:\/\/jsonfeed.org\/version\/1.1", "title": "One Star Classics", "home_page_url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/", "feed_url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/json\/", "icon": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/WeWalk\/resources\/touch.png", "favicon": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/WeWalk\/resources\/favicon.png", "language": "en", "authors": [ { "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/", "name": "One Star Classics" } ], "items": [ { "title": "Dangerous Animals", "date_published": "2025-10-10T09:00:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/dangerous-animals", "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/dangerous-animals", "image": "https:\/\/onestarclassics.com\/\/depos\/dangerous-animals\/dangerous_animals-222382862-large.webp", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi" } ], "content_html": "
\"Movie<\/a><\/div>

Now, here\u2019s an unexpected treat of Tim Tam<\/a>-like proportions: Dangerous Animals<\/em>, a tense thriller set on Australia\u2019s shark-infested Gold Coast, with a killer performance by Jai Courtney. The film is a mix of Ozzie serial-killer fare \u2013 ozploitation<\/q> \u2013 and a large chunk of stay-out-of-the-water<\/em> tropes which, in this case, work. Being stuck in the water with sharks is never not scary. Why mess with the formula?<\/p>\n

It has a fairly simple plot, Dangerous Animals<\/em>. Zephyr (Hassie Harrison), an American surfer living in Australia, is abducted by Bruce (Courtney), the captain of a shark-tour boat. Bruce (who shares his name with the shark in Jaws<\/em>, trivia fans) has more than a simple fascination with sharks and harbors a bit of a penchant for feeding living victims to the animals. All while filming it on an eighties-looking camcorder. Not surprisingly, Dangerous Animals<\/em> turns into a cat-and-mouse game between Zephyr and Bruce.<\/p>\n

So, there\u2019s not a whole lot to the story, and that\u2019s perfectly fine. A film like this rests largely on the actors, and both Courtney and Harrison do more than anyone could reasonably ask of them. Particularly Courtney \u2013 who, judging by his looks, has entered the Sammy Hagar phase of his career \u2013 hits a home run, portraying Bruce with charm and unhinged menace. The two characters\u2019 t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eate is as natural-feeling as one could hope for in a high-concept plot like this. The supporting cast is equally adept. <\/p>\n

\n \"Jai<\/a>\n
Separated at birth: Jai Courtney and Sammy Hagar.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Director Sean Byrne, too, does a lot with little. Dangerous Animals<\/em> does, for the most part, take place far out at sea, and lingering shots of the boat in the vast, empty ocean give a good feeling of how trapped Zephyr is. Rarely has something so open felt so claustrophobic.<\/p>\n

Ninety minutes is a long time for a cat-and-mouse film like this, but between the performances and the restrained visuals, I never found myself looking at my watch. Dangerous Animals<\/em> is appropriately tense throughout. Granted, things start becoming a bit far-fetched toward the end, and I\u2019m guessing Byrne and screenwriter Nick Lepard might have lost some confidence in the story\u2019s pacing, which is too bad. Up until then, the movie never felt like a genre parody, and while it still doesn\u2019t quite get to that level, there are moments when it\u2019s flirting with it. Still, at least it\u2019s not boring, and it does give Courtney a chance to put a little mustard on the ham.<\/p>\n

A couple of small speedbumps don\u2019t take much away from what is a tense little thriller that surely will give you galeophobia.<\/p>\n

\n

Fun fact!<\/strong> Galeophobia<\/q> can both mean fear of sharks<\/q> and fear of cats<\/q>. Sounds like something that could be the concept of a true farce. (The more you know<\/a>.)<\/small><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>
Ratings<\/caption>
Site<\/th>Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One Star Classics<\/a><\/strong><\/td>4\/6<\/td><\/tr>
Letterboxd<\/a><\/strong><\/td>3.01\/5<\/td><\/tr>
IMDb<\/a><\/strong><\/td>6.4\/10<\/td><\/tr>
Rotten Tomatoes<\/a><\/strong><\/td>87\/100<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>" }, { "title": "825 Forest Road", "date_published": "2025-10-08T09:00:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/825-forest-road", "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/825-forest-road", "image": "https:\/\/onestarclassics.com\/\/depos\/825-forest-road\/og.webp", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi" } ], "content_html": "
\"Movie<\/a><\/div>

It may be a lonely camp, but it is a camp I enjoy being in nonetheless: The Stephen Cognetti Camp. I wholeheartedly stan his Hell House, LLC<\/em> tetralogy, and I look forward to its conclusion, set to stream on Shudder at the end of this month.<\/p>\n

In the meantime, we have 825 Forest Road<\/em>, Cognetti\u2019s first outing outside of the Hell House<\/em> franchise. This, too, is a haunted-house movie, and while critics didn\u2019t fall over themselves to recommend it, I have a soft spot for it. At its best, it\u2019s an effective horror movie that relies more on a tense undercurrent than on cheap jump scares.<\/p>\n

We follow Chuck, who, after the death of his mother, moves to a small town with his wife and his sister, Isabelle. Isabelle has fallen into a depression after her mother\u2019s death, and as she struggles with her health, she starts experiencing supernatural occurrences. Turns out one Helen Foster haunts their new house \u2013 a ghost with an affinity for torturing those suffering from mental illness. To rid the world of the ghost, we learn, you have to find and destroy her former home, 825 Forest Road, an address that seemingly doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

I suppose that\u2019s a bit of a twist on the formula, and when 825<\/em> works, it works well. The implied presence of something in the house is creepy and, as with Hell House<\/em>, Cognetti cleverly utilizes what you don\u2019t really see. Blink, and you\u2019ll miss a slight movement right in the back of the frame.<\/p>\n

The film is broken down into chapters based on the main characters\u2019 POVs, which serve as puzzle pieces to move the plot along. Small details that mean nothing from one person\u2019s perspective may be integral to another character\u2019s experience. I don\u2019t think anyone would accuse 825<\/em> of being particularly deep, but if you put your phone away for ninety minutes, it will pay off. There are details at play here.<\/p>\n

Other things don\u2019t work quite as well. The movie looks very<\/em> digital and could have benefited from moodier (or any type of) lighting. Stark photography works in found footage films \u2013 in regular<\/q> movies, it takes away from the immersion. I don\u2019t think this comes down to any incompetency from Cognetti and team, but limited budgets tend to rear their ugly heads during small productions like this.<\/p>\n

And, as also tends to be the case with low-budget films, the actors are quite a bit older than the characters they portray. Particularly, Isabella looks more like an adult-ed student than the college kid she is supposed to be. It\u2019s not a huge deal, but it does take you out of it.<\/p>\n

That aside, 825 Forest Road<\/em> is an effective, if slightly overlong, horror film, one that is eerie enough to be a good Halloween-season watch. And, perhaps more importantly, it serves as proof that Cognetti has a future outside of the Hell House<\/em> franchise.<\/p>
Ratings<\/caption>
Site<\/th>Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One Star Classics<\/a><\/strong><\/td>3\/6<\/td><\/tr>
Letterboxd<\/a><\/strong><\/td>2.32\/5<\/td><\/tr>
IMDb<\/a><\/strong><\/td>5\/10<\/td><\/tr>
Rotten Tomatoes<\/a><\/strong><\/td>33\/100<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>" }, { "title": "V\/H\/S\/Halloween", "date_published": "2025-10-06T09:00:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/v-h-s-halloween", "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/v-h-s-halloween", "image": "https:\/\/onestarclassics.com\/\/depos\/v-h-s-halloween\/og.webp", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi" } ], "content_html": "
\"Movie<\/a><\/div>

As clockwork, Shudder released its latest entry in the V\/H\/S<\/em> franchise on the first Friday of October. A Halloween-season tradition if you so like. These movies had their ups and downs over the years, and, in my mind, they didn\u2019t fully find their footing until last year\u2019s Beyond<\/a><\/q>. I haven\u2019t necessarily had huge issues with earlier entries, but the way they often tried to be almost obsessively edgy could get old. Over the last few years, the anthologies have felt more like directors trying to one-up each other more playfully \u2013 sure, the episodes can still be disturbing, but not in a you might be trying a bit too hard<\/q> type of way.<\/p>\n

So, V\/H\/S\/Halloween<\/em> then.<\/p>\n

This may be the first movie to hit a home run fully, or at least has been the closest one to do so. This comes down to a host of things, including a streamlined framing narrative. Bryan Ferguson\u2019s diet-soda-trial-gone-horribly-wrong, Diet Phantasma<\/q>, is morbidly funny with some great (practical?) effects. It does not play into the individual segments, and that\u2019s all for the better. A lot of the V\/H\/S<\/em>s have tried that, and it usually hampers the episodes with an unnecessary need to incorporate a secondary storyline.<\/p>\n

The first segment, Coochie Coochie Coo<\/q>, is probably my favorite. Two high-school trick-or-treaters get trapped in a house filled with missing persons who have been transformed into adult babies by The Mommy<\/q>. And, she is on the hunt for more children. The story is disturbing, but it also contains a good dose of humor.<\/p>\n

Ut Supra Sic Infra<\/q>, meanwhile, follows a well-trodden trope of unplugged analogue telephones that ring out of nowhere and unleash a curse on those who answer. It\u2019s well-acted and has some fun effects. It may feel a bit too<\/em> slick compared to the pulpier segments, though that\u2019s a champagne problem more than anything.<\/p>\n

A cautionary \u2013 and snort-worthy \u2013 tale on taking too much candy, Fun Size<\/q> feels like a meta commentary on the found-footage genre and the corporatization of the candy industry. There\u2019s even a good barb on trad-wives<\/q>.<\/p>\n

Kidprints<\/q> serves as the most disturbing episode of the bunch, playing into the kidnapping hysteria of the nineties. Needless to say, here it turns out to actually be true, and, not surprisingly, things take a turn. Objectively, the Alex Ross Perry-directed episode is likely the best one, with some proper Tales from the Crypt<\/em> vibes.<\/p>\n

Finally, Home Haunt<\/q> follows a Halloween-obsessed family that takes it all one step too far after spinning a haunted record in their ghost house<\/q>. Turns out the haunted mansion becomes just that.<\/p>\n

V\/H\/S<\/em> episodes are always a mixed bag, but this is the most consistent I\u2019ve seen in any of the films. There\u2019s nothing that is less than entertaining, and none of the segments made me lose attention. An excellent entry this year, and also the first V\/H\/S<\/em> I probably will rewatch.<\/p>
Ratings<\/caption>
Site<\/th>Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One Star Classics<\/a><\/strong><\/td>5\/6<\/td><\/tr>
Letterboxd<\/a><\/strong><\/td>3.12\/5<\/td><\/tr>
IMDb<\/a><\/strong><\/td>7.9\/10<\/td><\/tr>
Rotten Tomatoes<\/a><\/strong><\/td>92\/100<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>" }, { "title": "Descendent", "date_published": "2025-10-03T09:00:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/descendent", "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/descendent", "image": "https:\/\/onestarclassics.com\/\/depos\/descendent\/og.webp", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi" } ], "content_html": "
\"Movie<\/a><\/div>

Another year and another movie from another Justin Benson\/Aaron Moorhead acolyte. This time it\u2019s Peter Cilella\u2019s turn, with his UFO-abduction(-maybe) film, Descendent<\/em>. While not quite up there with last year\u2019s Things Will Be Different<\/em><\/a> (from Benson\/Moorhead collaborator, Michael Felker), it does a good job at balancing semi-surreal images with conventional family drama. If Benson\/Moorhead is its own genre \u2013 and, at this point, I think it is \u2013 Descendent<\/em> fits squarely into it.<\/p>\n

The film follows Sean (Ross Marquand), whose partner, Andrea (Sarah Bolger), is pregnant with their first child. Sean is stuck in a dead-end job as a school security guard, one he holds onto in the hope that it will become a stepping stone into the lucrative private security market. One night, after being called to check on a broken alarm in the middle of a rainstorm, Sean climbs onto the school\u2019s roof to fix a flickering light. As the lightning strikes around him, an irregularly moving shiny object appears, and everything flashes white. Two days later, Sean finds himself in a hospital bed, with no memory of what happened, other than fleeting glimpses of his own UFO abduction. Or, is his psyche playing a trick on him?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re familiar with any Benson\/Moorhead movies (and it should be mentioned that the duo serves as producers here), it\u2019ll come as little surprise that Descendent<\/em> is a weird watch \u2013 and, not in a bad way. After the incident, Sean finds himself with newfound artistic abilities and begins drawing images that seem to appear randomly to him. On top of that, he sees fleeting visions of himself as a severely troubled mental patient and a therapist who tries to figure out what his drawings mean. Even more bizarre, when Sean finally decides to see a therapist in real life, it is the same woman he had seen in his visions. Or are his visions actually reality?<\/p>\n

Needless to say, none of this plays out well with Andrea, who loses a valuable partner in the second half of her pregnancy.<\/p>\n

I could dive deeper into the plot, but, frankly, there is a lot<\/em> going on in what is a slow-moving ninety-minute movie. If I were to guess what Descendent<\/em> really is about<\/q>, I presume it\u2019s the fear of fatherhood. Sean had a traumatic childhood, with his mother dying at a young age and his father committing suicide not long after. Sean\u2019s feelings of abandonment sit at the core of a man who is intently obsessed with protecting his family. The overarching question is whether what\u2019s going on with him is a result of alien experiments or a side-effect of his fall.<\/p>\n

Descendent<\/em> is, like most Benson\/Moorhead movies, an acquired taste. You don\u2019t have to dig far into reviews to find viewers who expected a more straightforward UFO-abduction horror, and were flummoxed when they got an existential thriller. Turning Descendent<\/em> on solely for Halloween-night scares is probably not a great idea. If, however, you want to feel uncomfortably lowkey creeped out, then there are plenty of things to like.<\/p>\n

This is Peter Cilella\u2019s directorial debut \u2013 before Descendent<\/em>, he was mainly an actor who appeared in a couple of Benson\/Moorhead movies. He\u2019s generally a talented performer, and, not surprisingly, does a good job working with Descendent<\/em>\u2019s cast. All the actors deliver solid performances. Visually, too, the film looks good, utilizing grayed, washed-out colors that appropriately reflect Sean\u2019s mindset. It might not look overly exciting, but that is largely by design. The music, too, underscores the mood of the story \u2013 a good mix of the forlorn and the eerie.<\/p>\n

I will say that even though I do like a slow churn, it probably wouldn\u2019t have hurt to chop off ten or so minutes to improve the flow. Things get a little stuck in the mud when we approach the climax. And, while I don\u2019t think the ending is unsatisfying, it does feel like a couple of plot threads weren\u2019t fully completed. That\u2019s not to say I want everything tidied up, but some things are needlessly left hanging.<\/p>\n

Still, Descendent<\/em> is a movie that deserves a second \u2013 and even third \u2013 watch. It might not be for everyone, but if you\u2019re into a good mindbender, then it certainly is worth your time.<\/p>\n

Descendent<\/em> is currently available on VOD.<\/strong><\/p>
Ratings<\/caption>
Site<\/th>Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One Star Classics<\/a><\/strong><\/td>4\/6<\/td><\/tr>
Letterboxd<\/a><\/strong><\/td>2.85\/5<\/td><\/tr>
IMDb<\/a><\/strong><\/td>4.7\/10<\/td><\/tr>
Rotten Tomatoes<\/a><\/strong><\/td>88\/100<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>" }, { "title": "Clown in a Cornfield", "date_published": "2025-10-01T09:00:00-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/clown-in-a-cornfield", "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/clown-in-a-cornfield", "image": "https:\/\/onestarclassics.com\/\/depos\/clown-in-a-cornfield\/clown.webp", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi" } ], "content_html": "
\"Movie<\/a><\/div>

It\u2019s tempting to call Clown in a Cornfield<\/em> Temu Terrifier<\/em><\/q>, unfair as it may be: The movie was adapted from books written before Art kicked off our current clown-isance. Still, that Shudder wants to ride the wave with Cornfield<\/em> is obvious, and I\u2019d be fine with that, had they delivered something that was at least somewhat interesting. In the grand scheme of things, this is a clown movie that falls flat, and Fredo \u2013 bless his little heart \u2013 is a third-tier rent-a-clown who lacks any and all of Art\u2019s charisma. It\u2019s a whole lot more Jester<\/em> than it is Terrifier<\/em>. (Don\u2019t watch Jester<\/em>.)<\/small><\/p>\n

The story, as far as there is one, follows Aaron and his daughter, Quinn, who recently moved to the small town of Kettle Springs. The locals are weird, still reeling from their economy tanking after the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory burned down. Almost as soon as Quinn arrives, Fredo appears and starts taking down her friends, one by one. Why? Who knows \u2013 there\u2019s some explanation toward the end that feels more like an afterthought. What we really have is an excuse for a clown to chase down teens.<\/p>\n

The best way I can describe the first hour of Cornfield<\/em> is generic.<\/q> Or, more appropriately, boring.<\/q> Not much happens, and we sit through character setups that go nowhere. All respect to the actors, but it\u2019s hard to portray compelling high-schoolers when you are conservatively in your mid-twenties. Will Sasso tries his damndest as a small-town sheriff, but has no material to work from. Only Kevin Durand is able to add some juice as the town\u2019s unhinged mayor.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the first hour. Bafflingly, the last thirty minutes feel like they\u2019re from a different movie. The jokes fly, and even work at times. The kids<\/q> trying to operate a rotary phone? Genuinely funny. There are even plot twists that work.<\/p>\n

For some, that could be enough \u2013 sitting through a slough-y hour might be worth it for a fairly entertaining last third. I don\u2019t think I can get on board with that. The movie is never scary or tense, and the story remains a big fat nothing through and through.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if I can recommend Clown in a Cornfield<\/em> to anyone, though that\u2019s neither here nor there. The movie did well at the box office, and there are two more books just waiting to be adapted. Good for everyone who worked on the film. I\u2019d like to say I wouldn\u2019t catch the sequels, but let\u2019s be honest: My completionist impulses will drag me back in, if only to complain about it.<\/p>
Ratings<\/caption>
Site<\/th>Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One Star Classics<\/a><\/strong><\/td>2\/6<\/td><\/tr>
Letterboxd<\/a><\/strong><\/td>2.62\/5<\/td><\/tr>
IMDb<\/a><\/strong><\/td>5.6\/10<\/td><\/tr>
Rotten Tomatoes<\/a><\/strong><\/td>73\/100<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>" }, { "title": "Terrifier 3", "date_published": "2024-10-18T13:10:02-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/terrifier-3", "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/terrifier-3", "image": "https:\/\/onestarclassics.com\/\/depos\/terrifier-3\/MV5BNzc2MWUyYzctY2E4Ny00ZTlmLThjNTMtMTViZGI5NjcyN2EzXkEyXkFqcGc@._V1_.webp", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi" } ], "content_html": "
\"Movie<\/a><\/div>

I don\u2019t think it\u2019s possible to have a hot take<\/q> about the Terrifier<\/em> franchise anymore, but I\u2019m still going to attempt one: These movies have not become crossover hits because<\/em> of their gore; instead, they have become hits in spite<\/em> of it. Of course, people passing out from graphic scenes will cause a word-of-mouth buzz, but if the movies had nothing going for them beyond that? They would not show up at the theaters, and Terrifier 3<\/em> would not be America\u2019s number-one movie. (Granted, the latter is every bit as unbelievable as the plot of this movie.)<\/p>\n

So what is it with these movies that resonate not just with gorehounds but with the average cinemagoer? The actors certainly are a part of it. David Howard Thornton has by now taken Art the Clown to a Freddy Krueger plateau, and the character\u2019s demented comedic routines are genuinely funny. A childlike run-in with a drunk Santa may just be Thornton\u2019s finest moment in Terrifier 3<\/em> and even the franchise as a whole. Lauren LaVera has equally made her Sienna a final girl<\/q> with more personality than a stereotypical incarnation of the archetype \u2014 here, she ups the performance, too, and the forcefulness of her line delivery brings an intensity to scenes that usually would serve as filler.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say I think people are lining up to watch Terrifier 3<\/em> for its plot-driven virtues. Which is fine. While Sienna and her brother, Jonathan (Elliott Fullam), deal with their psychological issues after the events of Terrifier 2<\/em>, we\u2019re not watching another A24-y trauma<\/em> film. (Not that there\u2019s anything wrong with those movies, but man, trauma is close to becoming a tired genre trope.)<\/p>\n

The plot is in itself refreshingly simple \u2014 Art is back five years after the events of the second film, which ended with Terrifier<\/em>\u2019s final girl, Victoria (Samantha Scaffidi), rebirthing him. The latter serves as somewhat of a tool to give Art a minor backstory, but again\u2026 the plot is more of a driver to deliver impressive visuals and no-holds-barred horror. Go for the scenery, not the destination, so to speak. This is a simple Art-chasing-Sienna story at its heart.<\/p>\n

Much like its predecessors, Terrifier 3<\/em> looks great, too. The whole franchise has a sort of washed-out, bleak look, which sets it apart from the golden glows or green-tinted horror aesthetics that have saturated the market for the better part of a decade. Terrifier 3<\/em> speaks an eighties visual language.<\/p>\n

Really, the only thing I did miss from the first entry of the trilogy was its dream-like quality, which I truly enjoyed. I suspect that atmosphere was due to a lack of actors and locations, and it wouldn\u2019t make sense to rethread it in a third film, but still \u2014 the heart wants what the heart wants, even when the heart is wrong.<\/p>\n

All to be said \u2014 much like its predecessors Terrifier 3<\/em> offers a lot more than gore. The practical effects and make-up are all incredibly impressive, of course, but they also serve as set dressing. I watch these movies for Art\u2019s Freddy-like schtick, great acting, and elegant visuals \u2014 and Terrifier 3<\/em> excels in all of them.<\/p>
Ratings<\/caption>
Site<\/th>Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One Star Classics<\/a><\/strong><\/td>5\/6<\/td><\/tr>
Letterboxd<\/a><\/strong><\/td>2.85\/5<\/td><\/tr>
IMDb<\/a><\/strong><\/td>6.3\/10<\/td><\/tr>
Rotten Tomatoes<\/a><\/strong><\/td>78\/100<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>" }, { "title": "V\/H\/S\/Beyond", "date_published": "2024-10-06T09:21:15-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/v-h-s-beyond", "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/v-h-s-beyond", "image": "https:\/\/onestarclassics.com\/\/depos\/v-h-s-beyond\/Untitled.webp", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi" } ], "content_html": "
\"Movie<\/a><\/div>

Another October, another V\/H\/S<\/em>; this time better than the past couple of years. To be clear, I don\u2019t downright love this anthology, but half of the shorts are of high quality.<\/p>\n

The wraparound story focuses on alien abductions, and it\u2019s\u2026 fine. Abduction\/Adduction<\/q> has the bones to make a good story, focusing on a Chinese-Canadian family that may or may not have had an alien encounter. The problem is that it feels disconnected, and the various threads never really connect in any meaningful way. Still, as a setup for the alien-centric theme, it does the job well enough.<\/p>\n

Of the three stories that do work, the last one is the best\u2014not surprisingly, when you look at the pedigree behind it. Stowaway<\/q> was directed by Kate Siegel, based on a script by her husband, Mike Flanagan. We\u2019re talking major horror royalty here.<\/p>\n

The story switches between being funny and freaky, with a wannabe documentarian tracking down extraterrestrial encounters in the Mojave desert. When she finally finds a UFO\u2014while taping over her daughter\u2019s birthday video (there will always be more birthdays!<\/q>)\u2014she finds herself trapped within it, facing the possibility of being whisked away to another galaxy. It\u2019s well written and well shot\u2014and the body horror truly lives up to the anthology\u2019s beyond<\/q> label.<\/p>\n

Fur Babies<\/q> is co-directed\/co-written by OSC-favorite Justin Long, and it features the type of weird, dark humor you\u2019d expect from the man. An animal-rights group investigates a doggie daycare, which, seemingly, also performs taxidermy. It\u2019ll come as little surprise that the owner doesn\u2019t stop with K-9s. (Amazingly, too, there aren\u2019t any triggering moments for dog lovers. (Also, maybe I should\u2019ve used pedigree<\/q> here instead.))<\/p>\n

Finally, Justin Martinez\u2019 Live and Let Dive.<\/q> Southbound<\/em><\/a>, where Martinez directed The Way In<\/q> and The Way Out<\/q>, still ranks as my favorite horror anthology, so no surprise this episode hits home. It might even be visually V\/H\/S\/Beyond<\/em>\u2019s most captivating segment.<\/p>\n

A birthday party group is set to skydive when they, for all intents and purposes, are sideswiped by a UFO. Forced to jump unprepared\u2014some without parachutes\u2014only some make it down alive, where they\u2019re faced with alien hunters.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a tense race, and the effects look better than I can imagine the budget truly should allow.<\/p>\n

The two remaining stories are the Bollywood-centered Dream Girl<\/q> (which does feature a killer dance scene) and Stork<\/q>, which looks like Doom<\/em>-meets-Resident Evil<\/em>. (The video games, not the movies.)<\/p>\n

Look, V\/H\/S\/Beyond<\/em> streams on Shudder, and if you already have a subscription, there\u2019s no reason not to watch this anthology. The three aforementioned segments are very good, and the rest is just fine. It\u2019s not going to be life-altering, but it\u2019s an entertaining two hours.<\/p>
Ratings<\/caption>
Site<\/th>Score<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
One Star Classics<\/a><\/strong><\/td>3\/6<\/td><\/tr>
Letterboxd<\/a><\/strong><\/td>2.91\/5<\/td><\/tr>
IMDb<\/a><\/strong><\/td>5.8\/10<\/td><\/tr>
Rotten Tomatoes<\/a><\/strong><\/td>90\/100<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>" }, { "title": "Things Will Be Different", "date_published": "2024-10-05T08:38:09-07:00", "id": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/things-will-be-different", "url": "https:\/\/tt.onestarclassics.com\/things-will-be-different", "image": "https:\/\/onestarclassics.com\/\/depos\/things-will-be-different\/Untitled.webp", "authors": [ { "name": "Remi" } ], "content_html": "
\"Movie<\/a><\/div>

So, here\u2019s one for those of us who like a movie that messes with our minds.<\/p>\n

Things Will Be Different<\/em> follows recently reconnected siblings Sidney and Joseph, who, after performing a heist (as one does), take shelter in an abandoned house that exists outside of time and space. How did they find such a place? Well, it\u2019s not entirely unlikely it found them.<\/p>\n

After two weeks pass, the pair find their teleportation closet(!) blocked, and they receive a message: Somebody will sooner or later show up in their dimension, and Sidney and Joseph will need to kill them before they can return home.<\/p>\n

Things Will Be Different<\/em> is Michael Felker\u2019s first film as a director, after previously having worked as an editor on multiple Justin Benson\/Aaron Moorhead projects. If you are familiar with those guys\u2019 movies, you will have a good idea of what to expect here, and Things Will Be Different<\/em> shares similar DNA with films like The Endless<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Convoluted as it is at its root, Felker does a good job of not trying to overexplain things. We know the siblings are stuck in some sort of pocket dimension, and a handful of rules are disclosed\u2026 but that\u2019s it. As weeks turn to months, Sidney starts piecing together where the siblings actually are, and while this doesn\u2019t give a definite answer, it\u2019s just enough to have something to hold onto. <\/p>\n

Now, Things Will Be Different<\/em> would have fallen apart if the two characters weren\u2019t portrayed at least semi-grounded, and both Riley Dandy and Adam David Thompson are well up to the task. While they easily could have played them screaming Why us?!<\/q> to the sky, they instead scale it back to something relatable. Nervous, on edge, and at times angry\u2014yet mostly at relative peace with knowing what they need to do.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s really all there is to the movie, superficially speaking. The two of them stuck together in and around a house they can\u2019t leave (one of the few rules), waiting, wondering\u2026 It\u2019s tense, and it\u2019s easy to sympathize with the characters. Why are they picked as the assassins? And who are they going to kill? The questions nag at us, too.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure any of these types of movies can end on a 100% satisfactory note, but Things Will Be Different<\/em> left me guessing until the end. And thankfully, it didn\u2019t try to answer most of the larger questions. I do believe the answers are<\/em> in there, but they are something we need to find ourselves. Things Will Be Different<\/em> is, luckily, deserving of repeated viewings. Even if not everything becomes clear, I truly do believe things will be different on the second watch. That\u2019s a testament to how well-made this movie is.<\/p>\n

That Soundtrack<\/h4>\n

There are some banging originals in Things Will Be Different<\/em>\u2014to wit:<\/p>\n