Greetings again from the darkness. It’s safe to say all seven deadly sins are on display in the first feature film from director Lee Haven Jones and screenwriter Roger Williams. In fact, by the time the end credits roll, it seems likely a few more sins have been added to the list. The film definitely serves as savage commentary on the attitudes of the elite class, especially the nouveau rich, while also scratching the itch of those who prefer their horror filled with creepy atmosphere.
We first glimpse Cadi (Annes Elwy, LITTLE WOMEN, 2017) as she staggers up to the front entrance of a home in the country. Looking wet and disheveled, Cadi is late for her gig as the help for a dinner party. Rarely speaking and often staring blankly at family members through mysterious occurrences, Cadi works with Glenda (Nia Roberts), the lady of the house, to prepare the three-course meal. We know something is off with Cadi and her ominous presence, but this is no normal family she’s contracted with. Glenda’s husband Gwyn (Julian Lewis Jones) is a Member of Parliament and the kind of guy who boasts about shooting the two rabbits on that evening’s menu … despite the fact that we know he didn’t. Their two sons are Guto (Steffan Cennydd), a guitar-playing drug addict who has recently moved back home after an overdose in London; and Gweiryydd (Sion Alun Davies), an odd young man training for a triathlon and enjoying his own spandex a bit too much.
The house itself is also a character. Stark, cold and modern, and displaying abstract art that represents the local land, it seems quite out of place on the farmland. So we have a house that doesn’t belong, a dysfunctional family that’s out of place, and Cadi who is the biggest outlier of all. Things get more bizarre once the guests begin to arrive. Euros (Rhodri Meilir) is a shady agent/businessman who we learn has helped Gwyn and Glenda reach a new level of financial success by leasing out their farm land to companies drilling for resources. It turns out the dinner party is a ruse to get their neighbor Mair (Lisa Palfrey) to join in the newfound riches. We quickly note that Mair’s dress, demeanor, and reaction to Glenda’s showing off this lifestyle, puts the two families at odds. Mair’s husband’s delay in joining the party is a more important detail than originally thought.
This is a rare Welsh-language folk horror tale, and though it’s not lacking in blood, its best elements are the excruciatingly slow-burn beginning as suspense builds in regards to Cadi’s motives/powers/intentions. This haunting pace with chilling scenes and odd characters keep us in an anxious and unaware state for the first 2/3 of the movie. This is no modern day Cleaver family, and the sons are no Wally and Beaver. The nuanced approach allows us to build disgust towards the family and how they’ve exploited the land and other people for their own success, while also trying to interpret Cadi.
Going against nature is becoming a more frequent topic in films these days, and the payback is often harsh and unkind. Cinematographer Bjorn Bratberg expertly captures the interior and exterior moments, while composer Samuel Sim provides eerie background accompaniment. Lee Haven Jones has not taken a traditional approach to horror, and the creativity and atmosphere will likely be appreciated by many.
In theaters and On Demand beginning November 19, 2021
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. The horror-comedy genre boasts many movies that can be described as ‘a blast’ or ‘a wild ride’. Director Casey Tebo and writer Andy Greskoviak wisely jump on a topic that lends itself all too well to this genre: the whole mess we call Black Friday shopping. Ingeniously setting this in a toy store (“We Love Toys”), focusing on the stressed-out employees, and assembling what seems like the perfect cast, the filmmakers somehow come up short, due mostly to a paucity of effective one-liners and visual gags so necessary in a project like this.
Greetings again from the darkness. This is Mexico’s official Oscar submission for 2021 Best International Feature Film. Written and directed by Tatiana Huezo (her first narrative feature), the story is adapted from the 2014 best-selling novel by Jennifer Clement. It’s an unusual film that lacks a traditional plot, and instead focuses on the daily lives within a small village in Mexico.
Greetings again from the darkness. Do you collect stuff? Does your stuff have meaning to you? Are you obsessed about saving your stuff? Documentarian Vincent Liota looks at the psychological aspects of how we treasure our treasures. In the montage opening, President Jimmy Carter and the Pope tell us not to put value on material items, while others tell us our saved objects represent memories that take us to our happy place. Liota even includes the “Rosebud” clip from CITIZEN KANE.
Greetings again from the darkness. Despite Irish ancestry, during my childhood, Ireland was vaguely described as a place to avoid due to the Northern Ireland Conflict (also known as The Troubles). In contrast, the childhood of writer-director Kenneth Branagh was smack dab in the middle of this political and religious mess. This autobiographical project is a sentimental look back at his youth and the connection to his career as a filmmaker. This is very attractive and appealing filmmaking, and one that acknowledges the violent atmosphere without dwelling on it.
Greetings again from the darkness. We tend to think of ‘coming-of-age’ movies as centered on teenagers as they face the challenges of transitioning into adulthood. The reality is that folks come of age during different phases of life (and some seemingly never do). Filmmaker Joanna Hogg continues her autobiographical look back with the follow-up to her exceptional 2019 arthouse film. Is it a sequel? Technically, yes; but it’s more of a continuation, and the two parts actually function best as a single 4-hour story.
Greetings again from the darkness (on the edge of town). The old adage goes, “Music soothes the savage beast”. But what if it’s the savage beast playing the music? Let’s go back more than 40 years to 1979. In March, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident occurred, sending shockwaves through the U.S. An activist group of musicians led by Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt and others founded MUSE (Musicians United for Safe Energy) and scheduled concerts for awareness. The concerts were better known as “No Nukes”, and were followed up by a best-selling album and videos. Performing at two of the Madison Square Garden concerts in September were Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band. All these years later, Springsteen has re-mastered the original footage and packaged it as a remarkable and breathtaking 90 minute concert film that is a must-see for any Bruce fans of yesterday or today.
Greetings again from the darkness. His name has been derogatory punchline for as long as any of us can remember. Labeling someone ‘a Benedict Arnold’ meant they had been disloyal to their team, club, organization, or group of friends. But those of us who are not Revolutionary War historians actually know very little of his story – in fact, few know anything beyond his being a recognized traitor to the United States. Director Chris Stearns, using historian James Kirby Martin’s 1997 book, “Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered”, offers us a deeper and more comprehensive look at a man who was more complex than the epithet he was branded with.
Greetings again from the darkness. Writer-director-editor-actor Jim Cummings’ 2018 film THUNDER ROAD was quite popular on the festival circuit, and Cummings is back with another story of a stressed out man … at a time when the world doesn’t much care about stressed out men, especially those who carry themselves with a heavy dose of self-importance. Cummings and co-writer, co-director, and co-star PJ McCabe have delivered a satire on traditional Hollywood in the shape of a whodunit with dark comedy that teeters into thriller territory.
Greetings again from the darkness. We’ve seen most of this before in a long list of inspirational sports stories where the beleaguered, tough as nails coach comes in and unites a rag-tag team while teaching life lessons. However, with (2-time Oscar nominee) Michael Shannon cast as the coach, we know there will be at least one performance worth watching. The screenplay is from Vojin Gjaja and it’s directed by Michael Mailer (son of 2-time Pulitzer Prize winning author, Norman Mailer).
Movie Reviews from the Dark 