FILM REVIEWS:
825 FOREST ROAD (USA 2024) ***
Directed by Stephen Cognetti
The new Shudder original horror flick 825 FOREST HILL begins with a shaky and confusing start. It takes a while for the film to get its footing, which occurs once it is made clear to the audience the three main subjects of the story.
The story is told in 3 chapters, called Chuck, Elizabeth and then Maria, who are the names of the three principal characters in the story. The story unfolds with each of the character’s point of view of what occurs, with more missing information give to the audience as the film progresses.
The film centres on Chuck Wilson starting a new life after a family tragedy when he moves to the town of Ashland Falls with his wife Maria and little sister Elizabeth. But he quickly discovers that the town has a dark secret. The ghost of Helen Foster has terrorized residents for decades, since her own suicide back in the ‘40s. Finding Helen’s old home is key to ending the hauntings, but the address they have doesn’t match any of the town’s existing streets. When Chuck realizes his family might be in danger of Helen’s wrath, he takes it upon himself to locate 825 Forest Road before it’s too late.
The theory, which is quite the implausible one, requires that everyone believe that burning down the house on 825 Forest Road would destroy the curse and Helen Foster herself. Trouble is that all the street names have been changed and Chuck tries to locate whee the old 825 Forest Road is now located.
825 FOREST ROAD contains both strengths and weaknesses. The strengths include the director’s build-up of events and the scary set-pieces. Director Cognetti has proven in his previous feature, also with a haunted house theme, the HELL HOUSE LLC franchise, that he can do wonders with the house hallways, and open doors, dolls and creates or shadows that lurk in the shadows of the background.
825 FOREST ROAD, besides being a horror movie, also works as a family drama since there are plenty of family conflicts in the story. The enmity between the wife and the husband’s sister is one. The husband has never informed the wife he had a sister but now they all move into the same residence. When things move around the house, like Maria’s mannequin, she immediately blames Lizzy. As predictable cliches go, the two females eventually bond to overcome the menace that is present in the house. The film has a strong female slant with Chuck seen often as an indecisive though supportive person. It is the females that make the decisions in the story. Even the menace is due to a mother and her daughter. The problem of bullying and not addressing the issue as well as mental health leading to suicide are two other current topics addressed in the film.
One complaint is the confusing ending, which matches the confusing opening.
825 FOREST ROAD has been touted as a scary horror film and Shudder managed to pick it up for streaming on April 8th.
Trailer:
BANGER (France 2025) ***½
Directed by So Me
When cops recruit a has-been DJ (Vincent Cassel) to bust a quirky criminal gang with ties to his rival, he spots a chance to mix his way back to the top with a banger.
The premise looks simple enough, but the story, scripted by So-Me, Elias Belkeddar and Baptiste Fillon is given a huge twist in its setting of club music, drugs and the DJ clubbing experience. The result is a film that, though flawed, is totally entertaining for being over-the-top aided by the excellent nuanced performances especially of Cesar nominated Best Actor Cassel (READ MY LIPS, MESRIN 2) and a supporting performance of Alexis Malenti (LES MISERABLES) as one of the heavies called Molotov. Cassel mimics the mannerisms of the typical DJ with all the moves and gestures almost perfectly
The director So Me? Bertrand Lagros de Langeron, known professionally as So Me, is a French graphic designer, animator, director and music producer. He is the art director for Ed Banger Records and also releases his own tracks on that label. Hence, the film title, likely used to promote his label.
This film has its origins in a TV series he directed. In 2021, he directed and wrote one of the six episodes of the Canal+ miniseries, 6 X Confiné.e.s. This is the episode "Scorpex", in which Vincent Cassel plays the main role. Cassel plays a DJ named Scorpex. So Me drew on his personal experience at Ed Banger Records to design this episode. This episode has been expanded into BANGER.
The DJ experience is captured by So Me with great attention to detail, showing both the dizzy highs and lows of the business. As in all clubs, drugs come into the picture. The music and crowd scenes are great, with super re-mixes on display to be heard and even dance with.
The film is touted more as a comedy than an action crime thriller. Cassel, as DJ Scorpex is no action hero in the film, but his character’s DJ talents or mis-talents are used. Scorpio does not beat up any bad guys. The lack of action is replaced by suspense set-ups that could have worked better in the film’s climax. Still, BANGER is a worthy effort that succeeds in areas where So Me knows best.
BANGER is an original Netflix film that is opening for streaming this week.
Trailer:
THE FRIEND (USA 2024) ***½
Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel
Scott McGehee and David Siegel (SUTURE, MONTANA) deliver another wise, insightful character drama, this time on man’s best friend in the form of a Great Dane. Dog lovers (myself being a big breed owner of a Rhodesian Ridgeback) will love the film as it includes the behaviour of dogs with respect to their owners and differing situations. Iris (Naomi Watts) has had a long, complex friendship with Walter (Bill Murray, shown in flashbacks). Walter is an irresistible charmer, a brilliant author, a lover of many women, and a master at letting down loved ones. When he dies suddenly, Iris is left to deal with all he left behind — three ex-wives with unfinished business, his interrupted literary legacy, and his beloved beast Apollo (Bing). The film shows how dogs calm down and form companionship with human beings like many doggie movies, and it turns out to be quite a tearjerker. And the dog steals the show.
Trailer:
THE MARTIAL ARTIST (USA 2024) **
Directed by Shaz Khan
THE MARTIAL ARTIST is a sprites drama, with MMA as its setting, The drama deals with the protagonist, having to deal with himself as the biggest obstacle while his family also struggles.
When MMA rising star Ibby “The Prince” Bakran shines in a local fight, the world’s largest promotion company offers him a deal he can’t refuse. Now aligned with the sport’s top developing athletes, Ibby has a clear path to becoming great. Consumed with the limelight and all it has to offer, Ibby burns the candle at both ends and soon his fighting takes its own hit. As his star begins to fade, he points the finger at everyone but himself, becoming withdrawn and pulling away from his family who never wanted him to fight. Desperate to reconnect, his mother reveals the reason for her fear and the long-held truth about his father’s death. With nowhere else to turn, he travels to his homeland to find answers from his estranged grandfather. In the majestic mountains of Pakistan, Ibby works to find what he’s lost; but first, he must face his biggest opponent yet: himself.
THE MARTIAL ARTIST has similarities with Sylvester Stallone’s Academy Award Winning Best Picture ROCKY. Both films star, and are written and directed by one person. Shaz Khan co-wrote with Michael Ross Albert, directs and stars in THE MARTIAL ARTIST. That is clearly a hard journey and a passionate effort, undoubtedly. THE MARTIAL ARTIST is a messy and overdone effort, but not for want of trying. Still, THE MARTIAL ARTIST, at least it can be said, flaws and all, is not a boring watch for the actors who do their utmost best to make the film work.
When Ibby gives some money to a homeless man as he leaves a store, the homeless man returns the money. “I am only trying to help,” Abby says. To which the homeless says: “You are not ready.” Indeed Abby is not ready as the rest of the film shows,
Though the film is listed as an American countryman origin, the film has more of a Pakistani feel to it. The main actor is Pakistani and the first big action fight is supposed to take place in the desert mountains, supposedly in Pakistan, The film is largely in English with no Pakistani spoken.
The film falls into intense melodrama, especially in the family scenes. Shaz Khan acts as if he is the best actor on the planet. The flight scenes are violent enough and are exciting enough to distract the film from its flaws. The actress playing Ibby’s mother is the best of all and she tries her damnest best to make the film work. Whether the party of Ibby travelling to Pakistan to meet his grandfather works is up to the audience to decide but it makes the film lean more towards drama than action.
THE MARTIAL ARTIST opens in theatres on January 31st. A Pakistani MMA ROCKY? That is what the filmmakers hope but hope and expectations are all way below the film’s results.
Trailer:
PROMISED HEARTS (Niyala) (Indonesia 2025) **
Directed by Anggy Umbara
After Niyala achieves her dream of becoming a doctor, an arranged marriage into a wealthy family suddenly throws her life into total chaos.
The film opens with the main characters as children. Niyala is first seen as a little Muslim girl with a headdress, a girl with big dreams but with an ailing mother. Her child sweetheart is Faiq and the two go away from their fishing village to study. Meanwhile, her father goes into debt and in order to meet the payment, Niyala is forced into an arranged marriage with the lender’s son, Roger. Niyala dislikes Roger even as a child when he used to pull her hair and bully her,
PROMISED HEARTS is the English title of the Indonesian film called Miyala, which is the name of the story’s protagonist. The film is based on an Indonesian novel that plays like a perfect soap opera with lots of melodrama. There is nothing exceptional in the storytelling and the film moves along like a textbook example in filmmaking.
Running at 2 hours, the film is a quite tedious watch as the audience is forced to watch a human sob story unfold on the screen. The film is so-called beakers at the mother’s dying bed, her last word to Niyala were to follow one’s dreams. This includes the love between Faiq and Nikyala.
The one plus of the movie is the Indonesian setting. It is exciting to see the lives of the Indonesians in a typical fishing village. The film is also shot in Indonesian Malay, which Malaysians are also able to understand.
PROMISED HEARTS is a Netflix original film that opens this week for streaming on Netflix.
