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Movie Review – Charlotte (2022)

April 18, 2022 by Robert Kojder

Charlotte , 2022.

Directed by Tahir Rana and Éric Warin. Featuring the voice talents of Keira Knightley, Sadie Deogrades, Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, Mark Strong, and Marion Cotillard.

An account of German-Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon living in the south of France between 1941 and 1943.

Directors Tahir Rana and Éric Warin open their animated biopic of German-Jewish artist Charlotte Salamon (voiced by Keira Knightley, although there is an upcoming French version which will feature the talented Marion Cotillard filling in) having just finished what would go on to be her masterpiece (and what is considered to be the first-ever graphic novel), a series of roughly 1000 exquisitely crafted portraits summarizing the joys and tragedies of her doomed life. The decision to tell the story of Charlotte (or any artist) through animation is a sensible one that could yield beautiful results, but here, the filmmakers rarely find ways to liven or add emotional depth to the experience doing so.

When Charlotte’s romantic partner Alexander Nagler (voiced by Sam Claflin) expresses disbelief that she has finished her project already, she states that she had to rush and that there was no time. Even without seeing what led up to this moment, we can gather that Nazi oppression and war crimes are involved. However, when the film eventually catches up to that scene and the aftermath, there is some documentary footage to close things out where it’s mentioned that it was in Charlotte’s eyes the entire time that her time and life as an artist were on borrowed time. With that said, it’s important to report that the animation itself within Charlotte is so bland and rudimentary that none of that urgency is felt or conveyed through facial expressions. If anything, the animation is mundane and holds the narrative back aside from some lovely painterly transitions here and there.

Realistically, Charlotte is probably just as much an animated feature due to budget constraints as artistic intent. Either way, the script from Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis falls into the pratfalls of the standard biopic formula, shuffling Charlotte along from one period of suffering to the next. Worse, it’s often executed with such an overly hurried pacing that many moments of despair and trauma are bafflingly handled and filled with convenient plotting you can’t help unintentionally smirk at. Perhaps I’m just heartless, but this film’s approach to suicide is embarrassingly conceived and written, with key characters arriving on the scene just in time that it almost feels like someone is playing a sick joke on the characters.

In a nutshell, the story follows Charlotte aspiring to be an artist, forced to be separated from her parents as life in Germany quickly turns dangerous for Jews. She can flee the country and live with her grandparents, a crotchety grandfather (voiced by Jim Broadbent) who tears down her artistic ambition, and a depressed grandmother (Brenda Blethyn). Simultaneously, she falls for and grows closer to a doctor, debating running away from her grandfather, that resents her while demanding her life revolves around his needs.

There are some admirable elements to Charlotte , such as the strong voiceover work throughout (and my gut tells me the French version is probably even better in this regard and might even elevate emotional moments that do and don’t work here). The story of Charlotte Salamon is undoubtedly a fascinating one that deserves to be told. Hopefully, someday she will be given a more effective biopic treatment, or a definitive documentary, considering the footnote archival footage makes for the most compelling stuff here.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★  / Movie: ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check  here  for new reviews, follow my  Twitter  or  Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

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2017 Directed by Patrick Rea

The Doll Behind The Horror

A teenage girl is babysitting at a new house when she's accosted by a vicious, possessed doll. With the babysitter in bondage, the toy subjects her to a series of terrifying tales on the television, each story more grave than the last.

John Edward Lee Jessi Burkette Franco Castan Leslie Easterbrook Tamara Glynn Stephen Blackehart Roma Maffia Suzanne Quast Ari Bavel Katherine McNamara Casey Turner Nick Holmes Steve Brewster Sean Carmichael Sarah Agor Jen Dede Chris Lazzaro Myia Zadi Lonita Cook

Director Director

Patrick Rea

Producers Producers

Daniel Dowding Jesse Baget

Executive Producer Exec. Producer

Tamara Glynn

Ruthless Studios

Alternative Title

Charlotte - A Boneca Malvada

Releases by Date

08 aug 2017, releases by country.

83 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by {Todd} ★

"What do you mean you guys don't have a doll?" -The babysitter

A number of short horror films are collected with a wrap-around about a creepy doll holding a babysitter hostage and making the babysitter watch the film.

The babysitter had an excuse, I don't.

Review by Erin 🍺 ★

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS!  This was absolutely rank and felt like it went on for an eternity but I would die for those lil baby girl scout demons. So precious.

Review by 🦇 GORY B MOVIE 🦇 ★★★ 4

Surprisingly good! I had no idea this was an anthology film going in. I was expecting another Robert The Doll-like movie and was happy to find that this more like All Hallow's Eve 2 where they have collected some great short films and bridged them all together with a highly entertaining wraparound story.

Naturally, since these short films were not made to be in an anthology, the tone is very inconsistent, but if you go into this knowing that and view this as more of a short film fest I think you will be able to appreciate the collection for what it is.

My favorite stories were the girl scout one and the last one with the werewolves. Great stuff!

Review by Cropsy ★★½

This is a collection of random horror shorts from the last few years. Some are good, some are bad. The wraparound I thought was fucking hilarious. It's a fine time waster.

Review by DannyKnightmare ★★★ 3

This movie isn't an Annabelle knock off, it's actually a collection of some really good short films. They're low budget but all in all very well done! I felt one of them was unfinished but that was only disappointing cause I was invested in what was going on. Charlotte is in the wrap around book end story of the films and Honestly she was hilarious and if anything she reminded me more of Talking Tina From Twilight Zone then she did of Annabelle. Don't let the poster fool you.

Review by xillicis ★

The best short film was the one with the girl scouts. The rest ranged from pretty bad to pretty awful. The stories go by quickly enough too, so you do not have to suffer for too long.

It is almost bad enough to laugh at but unfortunately does not hit that mark.

Review by Snapped Ginger ★

Just because a film can be made doesn't mean it should..

Review by TheHalfR ★★★★★

This is the most intense film I've ever fucking scene. John Edward Lee's performance  makes Ryan Gosling from Blade Runner 2049 look like complete shit. I still have nightmares about this horrific and terrifying film. 10/10

Review by Kyle B. ½

Was this even an anthology movie? The fuck? Glad I wasn't sober for this fuckfest.

Review by Warren Gilbert ★★½

Despite the poster clearly aiming for the Annabelle audience out there this is actually a low budget horror anthology where an evil doll forces a babysitter to watch a collection of horror shorts. The following are included in this anthology (rating out of 5 in brackets at the end of each):

"Raggedy Damned" is the aforementioned wraparound and alternates between an actual doll and a child's hands in close-ups. Certainly not great, but slightly entertaining in its sheer stupidity (2.5).

"Counter Parts" starts things off promising, but ends up being probably the best of the lot. A woman loses her eyes and a leg in an accident so she goes to a voodoo lady and pays to exchange hers with…

Review by Chris Genro ★★½

I'm not going to lie this was pretty rough to get through. This has three of the biggest issues I have with anthologies. First a pretty weak wrap around story, second way to many stories, and third a pretty inconsistent tone. I understand after doing a little reading that these are a bunch of shorts grabbed from different directors and thrown together. Similar to an anthology film from last year called Patient Seven that I had similar issues with.

Without looking at who the directors are the best shorts are Tickle, The Judas Cradle and Howl of a Good Time and the MVP of the entire film is Get Off My Porch directed by Patrick Rea. So an extremely mixed bag of shorts for me. I wish I could be more positive. 2.5/5 stars.

Review by MaryJune Haines

For when your standards are below basement level.

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‘charlotte’: film review | tiff 2021.

Keira Knightley leads the voice cast of an animated feature that tells the story of German painter Charlotte Salomon, who was killed in Auschwitz but left behind an extraordinary body of work.

By Sheri Linden

Sheri Linden

Senior Copy Editor/Film Critic

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Charlotte is the second Holocaust-themed animated bio-pic to bow on the fest circuit this year. But, unlike Where Is Anne Frank , it’s not aimed at young audiences; tracing the last 10 years in the brief life of German artist Charlotte Salomon, the film deals head-on with depression and suicide as well as the Nazis’ genocidal war. Why use animation to tell such a harrowing story? In the hands of directors Eric Warin and Tahir Rana and their creative colleagues, it’s the perfect choice. The 2D imagery, a potent representation of Salomon’s preferred medium, gouache, allows us to see the world from her inspired, painterly perspective.

Warin ( Leap! ) and Rana (whose storyboard credits include the series George of the Jungle and Inspector Gadget ) have made a film that is, as a familiar opening title proclaims, “based on a true story.” But more than that, Charlotte is based on a work of art. The film is steeped in beauty at least as much as it is in sorrow, the dance of Mediterranean light — Salomon would spend a good portion of her final fears in the South of France — a vibrant counterpoint to the creeping shadow of hatred and violence.

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Venue: Toronto Film Festival (Special Presentations)

Cast: Keira Knightley, Brenda Bleythyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, Mark Strong

Directors: Eric Warin, Tahir Rana

Salomon was in her 20s, and in exile from her native Berlin, when she felt death closing in — not only because she was a Jew in Hitler-era Europe, but also because one side of her family was plagued by a predisposition toward self-destruction. That time was running out for her she was certain — and so she raced to create a series of paintings to document her memories and experiences. Titled Life? Or Theatre? — suggesting that perhaps not every entry is literally true — the collection consisted of more than a thousand visual vignettes on small sheets of paper, many of the scenes and portraits adorned with text (some consider it the first graphic novel). Salomon entrusted this fervent work to a friend; posthumously, it would be exhibited around the world, and today is housed in Amsterdam’s Jewish Historical Museum.

Salomon’s remarkable story of resilience and visionary talent has inspired plays, an opera, a documentary and a 1981 Dutch feature. Still, it’s surprising that she’s not more widely known. With its elegant style, affecting narrative and the vivid voice work of a mostly British cast, led by Keira Knightley (Marion Cotillard tops the French version), Charlotte could, in the right hands, bring Salomon’s work and biography to a wide international audience.

After a brief prologue that reveals a very young Charlotte trying to engage the attention of her fatally despondent mother, the story begins in 1933 Berlin, where the 16-year-old is being raised by her physician father, Albert (Eddie Marsan), and his second wife, classical singer Paula Lindberg (the late lamented Helen McCrory, in her final role). Theirs is a life of material comfort and privilege, but, as Jews, their situation grows more precarious each day. Paula’s latest recital is interrupted by Nazi brownshirts, and Charlotte’s maternal grandparents (Jim Broadbent and Brenda Bleythyn, both superb) leave Germany for the presumed safety of Italy.

Visiting them there, Charlotte meets an openhearted and well-to-do American, Ottilie Moore (Sophie Okonedo), while touring the Vatican. Once Ottilie joins Charlotte on the Sistine Chapel floor, where the teen has lain down in order to take in the masterpiece ceiling, a bond of nonconformist souls is forged. This, like most everything, provokes the ire of Charlotte’s perpetually belligerent grandfather. And though he’s not impressed by Ottilie’s invitation to her villa on the Côte d’Azur, within a few years he and his wife will join the refugees sheltered there.

Back home, Charlotte’s talent is so impressive that it secures her a place in an esteemed art academy, overriding what the school’s director refers to as “the unfortunate matter of your race.” He rolls his eyes when his secretary enters the room with a gung-ho “Heil Hitler” — a deft reminder that the Third Reich didn’t set up business overnight or with undivided support. But Charlotte’s aptitude can’t hold back the brutal tide for long, and she’s expelled.

The screenplay, by first-timer Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis ( Orphan Black ), points to the formative experience, for good and for bad, of Charlotte’s romance with Alfred Wolfsohn. Voiced by a broody Mark Strong, he’s Paula’s singing teacher (a relationship that could be clearer here) and a sensitive intellectual, traumatized by the atrocitities he witnessed as a teenage soldier in the trenches of World War I. He turns out to be a cad as well, a revelation that breaks Charlotte’s heart just moments before the barbarity of Kristallnacht explodes around them, the chaos affectingly rendered. The film takes care to convey the couple’s relationship as a sexual and artistic awakening for Charlotte, and to suggest the way some of Wolfsohn’s hard-won philosophy resonated with her, one jolting declaration in particular: “I couldn’t wait for life to love me” are words she’ll take to heart.

The movie, like its central figure, finds light amid soul-testing darkness, dislocation and oppressive uncertainty. After Charlotte is sent by her parents to join her grandparents in France, the film’s watercolor palette changes from shades of Old World gloom to the dramatic pink sunsets and kinetic blues of the Midi. Love blooms between Charlotte and Alexander Nagler (Sam Claflin), Ottilie’s sympathetic groundskeeper and himself a refugee. In his down-to-earth plainspokenness, Alexander is a striking contrast to Wolfsohn, and he’ll prove selfless in his devotion to Charlotte.

Her steadfast commitment to her creative work is notable, especially so when her grandmother, having suffered a psychotic episode, descends into deepening torment and her grandfather grows increasingly cruel. Alexander and a sympathetic doctor, Moridis (Henry Czerny), help Charlotte tend to the elderly couple, but the movie doesn’t pretend there are easy answers — and it doesn’t shy away from one particularly extreme choice that Charlotte makes.

As World War II rages and the Nazis occupy France, Charlotte is also faced with devastating truths about a number of suicides in her family — “a disease in the blood,” her grandfather calls it. Fearful that she too will succumb to this legacy of despair, if not to the goose-step of history, she embarks on Leben? Oder Theater? Ein Singespiel ( Life? Or Theatre? A Song-play ), working quickly and steadily for a year and a half, determined to capture her story and her family’s before it’s too late. “Only by doing something mad can I hope to stay sane,” she tells Alexander.

In ways that are stirring and lovely, Charlotte brings her paintings to life as she creates them, attentive to the movement of the brush and the interplay of color. The paintings that accompany the closing credits reveal how the animators (working in Canadian, Belgian and French studios) infused the film’s characters with Salomon’s aesthetic sensibility. Those characters are composed with an expressive and graceful simplicity that, combined with the cast’s fine work, captures their essence. Knightley’s performance communicates Charlotte’s youthful strength and spirited directness, combined with the uncanny wisdom of an old soul.

After Salomon’s story reaches its wrenching end, Warin and Rana offer excerpts of an interview with her father and stepmother, discussing their daughter’s posthumous artistic fame. It’s extraordinary documentary material, and a heartening testament to Salomon’s vision and her profound engagement with life. Asked whether his daughter was destined to die young, regardless of the Nazis’ murderous regime, Albert shakes off the suggestion of inescapable doom. His answer is swift and adamant: “Absolutely not.”

Full credits

Venue: Toronto Film Festival (Special Presentations) Production companies: January Films, Les Productions Balthazar, Walking the Dog, Sons of Manual Cast: Keira Knightley, Brenda Bleythyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, Mark Strong, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Sadie Deogrades Directors: Eric Warin, Tahir Rana Screenwriters: Erik Rutherford, David Bezmozgis Producers: Julia Rosenberg, Jérôme Dopffer, Eric Goossens, Anton Roebben Executive producers: Keira Knightley, Marion Cotillard, Sylvia Geist, Robert Lantos, Morgan Emmery, Jean-Charles Levy, Cédric Iland, Bastien Sirodot, Jim Sternberg, Joe Iacono, Mark Musselman, Heather Walker, Nancy Grant, Xavier Dolan Production designer: François Moret Character designer: Uwe Heidschötter Animation directors: Mel Olm, Cameron Hood Art director: Jeffrey Stewart Timmins Editors: Roderick Deogrades, Sam Patterson Music: Michelino Bisceglia Casting director: Kate Ringsell Sales: Sierra Affinity

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Charlotte review – absorbing animation about a remarkable artist, murdered at Auschwitz

Keira Knightley gives voice to Charlotte Salomon, the German-Jewish painter who said she killed her own grandfather after he abused her, in a powerful but flawed biopic

T his powerful but flawed animation depicts the brilliant German Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon, creator of a remarkable series of quasi-autobiographical gouaches entitled Life? or Theatre? , painted in the period of her exile in Vichy France from 1941 to 1943, before she was taken to Auschwitz and there murdered at the age of 26; the paintings themselves are now held in Amsterdam’s Jewish Museum .

The movie is part of a vital tradition of representing the Holocaust through powerful animated images, stemming back to Art Spiegelman’s graphic novel Maus . Screenwriters Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis have worked from the narrative suggested by the artwork, but also from a confessional document that remained unpublished until 2015, in which Salomon revealed, among other things, that she murdered her grandfather. The directors are TV animators Tahir Rana (making his feature debut) and Éric Warin; Keira Knightley (and Marion Cotillard in the French language version) voices Salomon, who was a talented young artist in early 1930s Berlin. Her father Albert (Eddie Marsan) is a prosperous doctor and decorated first world war veteran, and stepmother Paula is a renowned classical singer; she is voiced by Helen McCrory, in her final film role.

As the Nazi tyranny tightens, Charlotte is sent away by her parents to live in the south of France with her ailing, stricken grandmother (Brenda Blethyn) and glowering, increasingly angry grandfather (Jim Broadbent), a man embittered by the injustices of fate, antisemitic abuse and by the terrible history of suicide in the family, which has been kept secret from Charlotte. The three live initially in a handsome villa owned by a sympathetic American patron, Ottilie Moore (Sophie Okonedo), and it is in France that Charlotte begins to pour out her soul in her paintings, and where she (by her own admission) later killed her widowed grandfather.

This is an absorbingly told story; Knightley’s vocal performance is engaging and Charlotte’s face, in particular, is strongly and expressively drawn. But the film arguably fudges one of the most important issues of Charlotte’s life: her grandfather’s abusive relationshipwith her. It is shown here as mere unpleasant bad temper and cruel invective on his part, but Salomon, in the same posthumously published manuscript that is a source for the murder scene, indicated that he wanted to share her bed.

The film-makers have argued that there is not enough clear evidence for sexual abuse for this to be included. That is legitimate artistic prerogative. Creative licence is in any case in the spirit of the paintings themselves. But having taken at face value Charlotte’s claim to have poisoned her grandfather, it is disconcerting for this film to ignore abuse as motive, to omit any indication of the dysfunctional and predatory behaviour that would certainly explain Charlotte’s killing him. The murder is frankly unmotivated here; and even if it were supposed to be a type of euthanasia, a mercy killing for a wretched and defeated old man, that too is unsatisfactorily represented. It does not, though, detract from the wider force and sympathy of the story being told.

• Animation in film
• Keira Knightley
• Marion Cotillard

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Watch Charlotte with a subscription on Hulu, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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While it lacks the spark of its subject's remarkable work, Charlotte offers a worthy introduction to a remarkable -- albeit tragic -- real-life story.

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Keira Knightley

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Charlotte Review: A Breathtaking Animated Journey of an Artist's Life During the Holocaust

Charlotte Salomon (Keira Knightley) flees Nazi Germany for the French Riviera in Charlotte.

Charlotte is a breathtaking animated film that achingly tells the tragic journey of a visionary artist. Charlotte Salomon's "Life? or Theater?" consists of nearly a thousand paintings that depict her recollection of a harrowing upbringing. It is the largest work of art created by a Jew during the Holocaust. Born in Germany to a wealthy family, Charlotte Salomon's artistic gift documented the Nazi rise to power and discovery of dark secrets in her lineage. The film sublimely uses her artwork as a transition between scenes. The narrative stumbles occasionally with a time-focused reliance. But captivates overall with a deep emotional connection to its subject.

We first see Charlotte Salomon (Keira Knightley) in 1943 Côte d'Azur, France. She gives the kind Dr. Moridius (Henry Czerny) a suitcase of treasured paintings. The film flashes back to Berlin in 1933. A younger Charlotte remembers the death of her mother as a child. A brilliant painter and sketch artist, her doctor father, Albert (Eddie Marsan), and singer stepmother, Paula (Helen McCrory), try to get her a job as a tailor's apprentice. Lotte, as she is affectionately called, is good with her hands. Paula warns her that a life in the arts is difficult. Charlotte ignores her parents. She's accepted to the Academy of Fine Arts, a major achievement for a Jew in an increasingly racist Germany.

Several weeks later on a trip to Italy with her grandparents, Grossmama (Brenda Blethyn) and Grosspapa (Jim Broadbent), Charlotte meets Ottile Moore (Sophie Okonedo). The American heiress is impressed by Charlotte's talent and spirit. Charlotte returns to a Berlin overtaken by Nazi ideology. Jews have become the German government's primary target. On Kristallnacht, The Night of Broken Glass in 1938, a terrified Charlotte and Paula stand helplessly as Albert is taken. Her father's ordeal forces drastic action . Albert decides to send Charlotte to France; where Ottile Moore shelters Jewish children and refugees. Charlotte leaves her terrifying home for a beautiful paradise. But life on the French Riviera is not an escape. Her family's hidden tragedies and the evil Nazis follow.

Related: The Duke Review: The Heartwarming True Story of an Irrepressible Dreamer

Animation Punctuated by Stunning Paintings

Charlotte's story is told with relatively straightforward animation punctuated by her stunning paintings. This visual contrast serves a key purpose. Charlotte's coming-of-age is rife with sadness. But she has moments of joy. Finding love, friendships, and expression in her work. She's surrounded by a hideous prejudice that festers into deadly violence. Charlotte's teachers recognize her immense skills but degrade her as a Jew. The paintings serve as vivid snapshots of her encounters. Directors Tahir Rana and Éric Warin masterfully incorporate them at points of inflection. Charlotte matures in a place that hates her existence. These are powerful moments that carry the weight of the film.

Charlotte ebbs and flows with its bulleted structure. At this time, Charlotte was here, doing specific things with these exact people. Tahir Rana and Éric Warin should have been more flexible in the plot's delivery. A biopic has to illustrate important events. Charlotte lays them out too directly. This Wikipedia-esque execution somewhat blunts the artistry in better parts of the film.

Charlotte includes shocking revelations recently uncovered after decades. I give the filmmakers credit for not glossing over them. Her struggles, how she faced them, good and bad, are integral to understanding a complex young woman in an awful time. The film's final act is heart-wrenching.

Marion Cotillard voices Charlotte in the French version of the film. It is also the final performance of the brilliant British actress Helen McCrory. Charlotte is produced by January Films, Balthazar Productions, Walking The Dog, and Téléfilm Canada. It will have a limited theatrical release in the United States on April 22nd from Good Deed Entertainment.

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Charlotte streaming: where to watch online?

Currently you are able to watch "Charlotte" streaming on The Roku Channel, Tubi TV for free with ads or buy it as download on Amazon Video, Vudu. It is also possible to rent "Charlotte" on Amazon Video, Vudu online

A teenage girl is babysitting at a new house when she's accosted by a vicious, possessed doll. With the babysitter in bondage, the toy subjects her to a series of terrifying tales on the television, each story more grave than the last.

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Sting (2024) Movie Review

Plot summary.

C harlotte, an odd tween living in Brooklyn, discovers a spider. We see it come from outer space, but to her, it is a random one that can mimic sounds, so she makes it a pet. One that she has no problems feeding the many roaches that infest the building her grandmother Helga, and Helga’s sister, Gunter own and Charlotte’s step-dad, is the building supervisor of.

But Charlotte never expected this spider, no bigger than her fingertip, to grow and grow, eventually wanting far more than a handful of roaches.

Character Guide

Character description(s).

Charlotte, an artist and comic book writer, lives and plays in an old apartment building owned by her grandmother or her grandmother’s sister. Her activities include traversing the building through the vents, figuring out her place in her new blended family, and creating ideas for new comic panels.

• The actor is also known for their role in “ The Secret Kingdom .”

Helga is Heather’s mother. She has memory issues that cause her to often forget who people are and what she is doing, and it creates comical moments.

Gunter is Helga’s sister and the owner of the building, who is known for being cheap, rude, and cold.

Ethan is the building supervisor for now. When he isn’t fixing sinks or the boiler, he is trying to work on the comic Charlotte created, for which he does the art.

• The actor is also known for their role in “ House of the Dragon: Season 1/ Episode 6 ‘The Princess and the Queen .’”

Heather is Charlotte’s mom, who recently had a second child and is back to work, trying to deal with her mother’s mental decline and her aunt’s attitude. All while dealing with Ethan trying to build a connection with Charlotte, navigating her daughter thinking her father is in Thailand, and Charlotte being difficult just because she can.

• The actor is also known for their role in “ Look Away .”

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• Horror movies featuring popular fears

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Charlotte Felt Like An Authentic Weird Kid

Weird kids in horror movies are expected as much as jump scares and things going silent before something happens. But, with kids, they can be very hit or miss. They become like Haley Joel Osment in his childhood horror films or one of the many you almost wish the killer would have gotten first – like Georgie in “ IT .”

As for Charlotte, you appreciate her because she is a weird kid in the best way. She draws cool comics, partly because her stepdad is an artist, and she looks up to him and while you can see her potentially being shown as this badass kid, they don’t allow the character to lose her humanity.

Charlotte is still someone who isn’t even a teenager yet, hanging onto the idea her biological father will come back, that her new younger sibling won’t replace her, and maybe her step-dad isn’t exploiting her ideas to make a career for himself.

Separate all the stuff with Charlotte’s pet spider, and you will see an interesting drama here.

Helga and Gunter Were Comical

With Helga and Gunter fitting Eastern European stereotypes, they play comic relief throughout the film. Helga is a kind, barely English-speaking woman who is slightly silly and lovable. Gunter? She is the cold European woman whose kindness is shown out of obligation.

But, despite Gunter being touted as a cheap slum lord, there are moments when she interacts with her sister Helga, drunk, or even with Charlotte, that can make you laugh. Are they funny enough to make this a horror and a comedy? No. However, Gunter and Helga do cause unexpected laughs.

On The Fence

Ethan and charlotte’s relationship.

The relationship between Ethan and Charlotte is, at times, a bit weird. You can see there is a level of closeness between them, but it’s also a horror movie. So as you watch him tuck her in, have her on his lap, and definitely take advantage of her creativity to boost his career, you are led to wonder if Ethan is being misjudged or if the film is building up to a reveal to make him potentially being killed justified.

It’s one of those things that makes you wonder if the spider will solely eat the bad people in the building who deserve to die.

Heather Was A Bit Of An Afterthought

Heather is Charlotte’s mother, Ethan’s partner, who you know exists, but doesn’t have much in character development. We know Charlotte’s father left her for unknown reasons, that she helps take care of her mother, Helga, and that she is employed in the kind of job that allows her to work from home.

But, as much as you can see Charlotte has a whole story that could exist without the horror element, Heather’s existence seemingly is only to boost Charlotte and barely be seen as a individual.

Background Information

Content Information

• Dialog: Cursing
• Violence: Violence Against Animals, Dismemberment, Blood
• Sexual Content: None
• Miscellaneous: Depiction of Corpses, Body Horror, Drinking

The post Sting (2024) Movie Review first appeared on Wherever I Look and is written by Amari Allah .

Screen Rant

Cash out review: john travolta negotiates with his ex-lover in funny action heist caper gone wrong.

John Travolta plays an international criminal taking up one last job, only to encounter his FBI agent ex-lover as the bank heist goes awry.

• Mason and Amelia's broken relationship forms the emotional core of Cash Out .
• The supporting cast is great, but characters are one-dimensional.
• Despite being predictable, Cash Out is fun, with room for a potential action franchise.

As the story of a retired criminal drawn back into one last job, there’s nothing in Cash Out that we haven’t seen before, an action heist that, despite its clichéd concept, is still loads of fun. With John Travolta as the notorious international criminal Mason Goddard and Kristin Davis as his ex-lover and double-crossing FBI agent Amelia Decker, Cash Out is more about traversing an awkward break-up than it is a classic heist caper. With lots of tongue-in-cheek humor, first-time director Ives has delivered a movie that knows it’s a little bit ridiculous but just runs with it.

When Alex discovers a potentially market-crashing flaw in a major digital currency, she becomes involved in a dangerous game with powerful figures who will stop at nothing to protect their interests.

• The action heist has a solid central relationship
• Cash Out's story is entertaining
• The story beats can be very cliché
• Cash Out could've used a lot more of Travolta and Davis

Cash Out starts with a standard set-up of two lovers posing as luxury car enthusiasts, only to be quickly revealed as experienced criminals in the midst of a job who were taking off with the vehicles. However, this meticulously planned heist was quickly turned on its head when Amelia flashed her badge and, after two years of conning him, revealed she was an FBI agent who had finally gathered enough evidence to take Mason in . Although Mason and his crew get away, Travolta’s character is left dumbfounded, heartbroken, and ready to call it quits on his life of crime.

John Travolta Must Negotiate With His Ex While Trying To Pull Off One Last Job

Mason and amelia’s unresolved relationship is at the center of cash out.

The funniest moments in Cash Out come from Mason and Amelia trying to negotiate with one another with all the polite mannerisms of an ex-couple meeting up for coffee to clear the air.

Amelia’s betrayal of Mason is the emotional core of Cash Out , and it's compounded by her being the lead negotiator after he's trapped inside a bank following Mason’s inept brother Shawn (Lukas Haas) forcing him to pull off one last heist. The funniest moments in Cash Out come from Mason and Amelia trying to negotiate with one another with all the polite mannerisms of an ex-couple meeting up for coffee to clear the air after their split. As the heist goes wrong due to Shawn’s poorly staged plan, Mason scrambles to clean up his brother's increasingly worsening mess.

There are plenty of twists and turns, conspiracies, and high-stakes action throughout Cash Out , but it is also somewhat stilted and predictable, with the chemistry between Travolta and Davis, who viewers will know as Charlotte from Sex and the City , being slightly off. The hip-hop artist Quavo and The Fast and the Furious actor Noel Gugliemi provide support in their roles as Anton and Hector, two heist crew members playing good-cop-bad-cop with the bank hostages. Overall, the cast of Cash Out give acceptable performances, but there are no standout roles, and the characters suffer from being a little too one-dimensional.

Throughout Cash Out, there are many themes that come to the forefront involving Mason and Amelia’s relationship , the fraught but loving brother relationship between Mason and Shawn, and an ever-deepening conspiracy involving the true nature of the heist. While these themes and ideas give Cash Out plenty to work with, as a swift 90-minute movie , they also end up overwhelming the concept. With plenty of moving pieces, none of the recurring themes feel like they're given enough attention, nor are they explored thoroughly enough to be truly effective.

Cash Out (2024)

Despite flaws, ives delivers an enjoyable heist movie, while cash out is a lot of fun, it doesn't live up to travolta’s best action movies.

The heart of Cash Out is in the love story of Mason and Amelia , but, as the consequences of the heist take over the plot, I found myself wishing for more screen time between the pair. This lack of focus in the film's main relationship becomes even more frustrating after the CIA goes over Amelia’s head and her role as negotiator is superseded by another agent. Hilarious interactions, like the hostage trade where Mason immediately gives into Amelia’s requests because they're fair, should have been given more time to shine.

This is not the last we’ll see of Mason Goddard and Amelia Decker, whose open-ended story could act as the beginning of a new action franchise for Travolta.

Overall, Cash Out is a fine action movie, and Travolta does well with the material, although it pales in comparison to the glory days of Face/Off . Reportedly, a sequel has been filmed by director Randall Emmett (via WLOX ), known for producing movies like The Irishman , so this is not the last we’ll see of Mason Goddard and Amelia Decker, whose open-ended story could act as the beginning of a new action franchise for Travolta. While Cash Out doesn’t live up to the best heist capers, it’s a lot of fun and doesn’t pretend to be anything more than that.

Cash Out is now on digital and in limited theaters.

The 10 Best Charlotte Gainsbourg Movies, Ranked

Daughter of two of the most iconic personalities of the 1970s, the Cannes Award winner is a talented actor in her own right.

Known for her collaborations with the Danish director Lars von Trier , Charlotte Gainsbourg has been familiar with the film and music industries for a while. Naturally, this comes as no surprise, considering that she is the daughter of 1970s actor and style icon Jane Birkin and musician Serge Gainsbourg . At only 12, the multi-talented star made her musical debut with the film Paroles et musique . Over time, Gainsbourg also pursued an acting career and went on to win the Cesar Award (twice), as well as the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award.

Because she prefers independent films over blockbusters, this acclaimed actor may not be the most recognizable name in cinema. Still, Gainsbourg is certainly talented and knows how to showcase her acting in complex roles throughout her filmography, which often features dark and thought-provoking themes. From The Cement Garden to Melancholia , these are the best Charlotte Gainsbourg movies, ranked by greatness .

10 'The Cement Garden' (1993)

Director: andrew birkin.

When she was around 21, Gainsbourg showcased her talents in her uncle Andrew Birkin's drama, The Cement Garden , which focuses on four children (Gainsbourg, Andrew Robertson, Alice Coulthard, and Ned Birkin) who attempt to cope with their mother's passing. Between hiding their mom's decomposing corpse in a makeshift concrete sarcophagus and trying to hold things together in their isolated house, the siblings' lives prove not to be easy, and their mental health slowly begins to deteriorate.

Given the mental health themes the film addresses , which span from trauma to incest, Birkin's film is probably not everyone's cup of tea (though that is mostly what's expected from Gainsbourg's controversial but undeniably intriguing body of work). Still, it is a compelling movie that deals with gender roles and social order, leaving an imprint on viewers for better or worse. The story is based on the 1978 novel of the same name written by Ian McEwan .

Watch on Amazon Prime

9 'The Accusation' (2021)

Director: yvan attal.

As the title suggests, Yvan Attal 's 2021 movie centers around a court case. The story involves a young man ( Ben Attal ) married to an essayist (Gainsbourg) known for her radical feminism. When he is accused of rape by a young woman ( Suzanne Jouannet ) he meets on vacation, Adam claims his alleged victim is lying for revenge.

The Accusation illustrates each of the protagonists' lives and how they are impacted by the allegation, and Gainsbourg successfully brings a key character to life in this well-crafted adaptation of Karine Tuil's 2019 novel of the same name . While the courtroom film is on the same level as, say, last year's Oscar-nominated Anatomy of a Fall , Attal's film is still a tense legal drama that will likely appeal to those who like the niche category.

Buy on Amazon

8 'I'm Not There' (2007)

Director: todd haynes.

Before the upcoming Timothée Chalamet -led Bob Dylan biopic was in the works, Cate Blanchett stepped into the shoes of one of her most memorable and challenging roles in I'm Not There , earning an Academy Award nomination. Todd Haynes 's movie on the life of t he singer , where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.

While she doesn't have a huge role in Haynes's film, Gainsbourg successfully plays the wife of Heath Ledger's Robbie Clark — a character that represents Dylan's time in Greenwich Village and illustrates the collapse of his marriage. All in all, the musical drama I'm Not There is an entertaining and unconventional biopic that features great performances, with many actors portraying the legendary artist at different stages in his personal life and career. Those curious about the upbringing and life of the singer will likely enjoy it.

I'm Not There

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7 'An Impudent Girl' (1985)

Director: claude miller.

Claude Miller 's touching coming-of-age An Impudent Girl (original title: L'effrontée ) sees Charlotte, played by Gainsbourg, as she is raised without a mother, who died giving birth to her, in a run-down neighborhood. Even though she is only 13, antisocial Charlotte is seemingly ready to be an adult. She eventually meets a pianist prodigy named Clara Bauman ( Clothilde Baudon ), who improves her life in just about every aspect.

An Impudent Girl is not only a solid showcase of Gainsbourg's talent as a child actor (she earned a César for her first lead role) but also an incredible advertisement for France's stunning countryside locations, featuring a few beautiful shots that will persuade audiences to schedule their next vacations. On top of the acting performances and cinematography, Miller's movie features an interesting storyline that will keep audiences curious.

6 'Antichrist' (2009)

Director: lars von trier.

In her third collaboration with controversial director Lars von Trier, who is known for his explicit depictions of sex and violence in film, Gainsbourg brings to life one of the two unnamed protagonists ( Willem Dafoe stars as her husband). The story centers around a couple who retreat to their cabin in the woods in hopes of repairing their broken hearts and troubled marriage. However, nature takes its course and soon enough things go from bad to worse.

This polarizing arthouse horror movie is uncomfortable and disturbing (and certainly not the kind of film one would want to watch with their parents). However, Antichrist is somehow still intriguing enough to keep audiences' interest thanks to its bizarre turn of events, which results in a nightmarish but unforgettable ride. Like Dafoe's, Gainsbourg's performance, which earned her a Best Actress award at Cannes, certainly adds to Lars von Trier's movie's quality, elevating it to higher ground .

Watch on Criterion

5 'Nymphomaniac: Volume 1' (2013)

Like Antichrist , Nymphomaniac is not for the faint of heart, as it provides audiences with an explicit portrayal of hypersexuality that some may find a bit disturbing. Gainsbourg stars as a self-diagnosed nymphomaniac in this erotic arthouse film. She looks back at her sexual experiences, from childhood to the age of 50, alongside the man ( Stellan Skarsgård ) who saved her after a beating after he takes her to his house for tea.

As expected, this Lars von Trier movie caused quite a stir when it was released due to its explicit nature. Whether one likes Nymphomaniac or not, though, it is impossible to deny the fact that Gainsbourg's efforts as an aloof and disconnected young woman were impeccable . While the second volume may spike viewers' curiosity, the philosophical first installment is arguably better crafted.

Nymphomaniac Volume I

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4 '21 Grams' (2003)

Director: alejandro gonzález iñárritu.

Based on a story by Arriaga and Iñárritu and starring Sean Penn as an ill mathematician married to Gainsbourg's determined Mary Rivers, 21 Grams is an enthralling, non-linear psychological crime drama surrounding the consequences of a tragic hit-and-run accident that brings together the mathematician, grieving mother ( Naomi Watts , who earned an Oscar nod), and a Christian ex-convict (Benicio del Toro also in an Academy Award-nominated performance).

In addition to how stylized it is, the excellent performances are undoubtedly the highlight of Alejandro González Iñárritu's engaging movie, and Gainsbourg does an incredible job at playing her role . The film serves as the second part of Arriaga's and Iñárritu Trilogy of Death , preceded by Amores perros (2000) and followed by Babel (2006). Audiences who enjoyed it may want to check those out next.

Rent on Apple TV

3 'Kung Fu Master!' (1988)

Director: agnès varda.

Directed by the one and only Agnès Varda , the "grandmother" of the French New Wave, Kung Fu Master! illustrates Gainsbourg (as talented as ever in an early role) and her real-life mother, Jane Birkin, as a mother and daughter in this complicated tale of love and motherhood. The movie mostly focuses on a lonely mother in her forties, Mary-Jane, who gets too absorbed in a sentimental affair with a 14-year-old boy ( Mathieu Demy , Varda and Jacques Demy 's son).

What's so singular about Kung Fu Master! is its execution of a provocative and controversial premise, which, through the eyes of Varda, could only, somehow, result in something graceful. Despite its truly unsettling narrative and the scenarios it paints, Varda's beautifully shot film is compelling in the sense that it observes and questions why such a relationship between an adult and a child could ever happen and provides audiences with food for thought instead of immediately taking a moral stance.

2 'The Passengers of the Night' (2022)

Director: mikhaël hers.

This vastly underrated Mikhaël Hers is one of Gainsbourg's finest despite being little acknowledged. Set in 1981, the story follows a woman who has been left by her husband, consequently finding herself alone and responsible for caring for her two children. When she lands a job on a nighttime radio show, Elisabeth meets Talulah ( Noée Abita ), who she decides to take under her wing, too.

Dealing with themes of identity, self-discovery , and loneliness, the fascinating The Passengers of the Night is a touching and mature film, even if its plot may sound simplistic. Thanks to its nuanced premise and flawless execution, Hers' personal flick is the right pick for audiences who are into slice-of-life films. Furthermore, this lowkey drama also benefits from strong performances, particularly Gainsbourg's.

Rent on Amazon

1 'Melancholia' (2011)

Gainsbourg's last Lars von Trier so far is the 2011 psychological drama Melancholia , which centers around two sisters (Gainsbourg and a depressed Kirsten Dunst ) whose relationship is put to the test when a mysterious new blue planet called Melancholia threatens to collide with Earth in a near future scenario. The film examines the two halves, illustrating the reactions of both sisters to what the future holds.

While Dunst arguably steals the spotlight , Gainsbourg still delivers an incredible performance as the anxious Claire in von Trier's achingly beautiful movie . Melancholia is a must-see movie that addresses mental health, offering audiences a compelling illustration of mourning and melancholia through the two protagonists. It is said to be the second film in von Trier's unofficially titled Depression Trilogy , with its predecessor being 2009's Antichrist and its sequel, 2013's Nymphomaniac .

Melancholia

Watch on Netflix

NEXT: How Gaspar Noé's 'Lux Æterna' Blends Metafiction With Humor

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‘Abigail’ Review: Horror by Numbers

In this cheerfully unambitious vampire movie, a bloodsucker is shut up in an old mansion with some nitwit criminals. Will there be gore? You bet.

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By Manohla Dargis

A cheerfully obvious splatterthon, the new horror movie “Abigail” follows a simple, time-tested recipe that calls for a minimal amount of ingredients. Total time: 109 minutes. Take a mysterious child, one suave fixer and six logic-challenged criminals. Place them in an extra-large pot with a few rats, creaking floorboards and ominous shadows. Stir. Simmer and continue stirring, letting the stew come to a near-boil. After an hour, crank the heat until some of the meat falls off the bone and the whole mix turns deep red. Enjoy!

That more or less sums up this movie, a horror flick that’s serviceable enough to make you occasionally giggle or flinch, yet is also so aggressively unambitious that it scarcely seems worth griping about. It centers on the kidnapping of the title character (a fine Alisha Weir), an outwardly self-possessed 12-year-old ballerina who’s snatched one night by a half-dozen genre types. A formulaically diverse cohort of underworld bottom feeders (played by Dan Stevens, among others), these Scooby-Doo-ish chuckleheads come with divergent skills, histories and expiration dates, and are largely tasked with padding the reed-thin story and dying horribly.

The filmmakers — it was written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick, and directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett — have outfitted the story with the usual particulars. Much of the movie unfolds inside a sprawling labyrinthine mansion that looks like it was imagineered by an amusement park designer who scanned some old horror movies while thumbing through picture books on the history of the European aristocracy. There are suits of armor flanking the front door, a bearskin rug on the floor, an empty coffin tucked in a corner and oddly, given the genre circumstances, some fresh garlic in an otherwise derelict kitchen.

There are some tangy bits, including Giancarlo Esposito, who enters, barks some orders and soon leaves the kidnappers alone with Abigail in the mansion while they wait for her father to pay a ransom within 24 hours. Once this narrative stopwatch begins, the crew members — who also include Melissa Barrera, Kathryn Newton, Will Catlett, an amusing Kevin Durand and Angus Cloud (who died in 2023 ) — banter and pose, grimace and scream while managing to be lightly appealing and entirely disposable. At one point, the filmmakers nod at one of their influences with a shot of Agatha Christie’s 1939 mystery novel “ And Then There Were None ,” about a group of people who are enigmatically offed.

“Abigail” has been described as a take on “ Dracula’s Daughter ” (1936), one of the horror films in Universal’s vault, some of which it has resurrected in some fashion. The press notes for “Abigail” name-check a few vampire titles, but “Daughter” isn’t among them, and for good reason because there’s little to link these two. That’s too bad; the earlier film is a true curiosity. It stars Gloria Holden as a countess who preys on men and women alike, and begs a doctor to help her with her “ghastly” condition. With its lesbian overtones, the movie is a vexed and tasty text — censors urged the studio to avoid suggestions of “ perverse sexual desire ” — and the countess a complex villain in a film that is very much worth a look.

Abigail Rated R for gore and more gore. Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes. In theaters.

Manohla Dargis is the chief film critic for The Times. More about Manohla Dargis

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‘The King Tide’: An Island Town Rots with Moral Decay in Canadian Folk Horror Fable [Review]

The opening scenes of director Christian Sparkes ’ The King Tide set an ominous tone: a powerful storm takes down the power lines of a small island town as a pregnant woman loses her child while her dementia-suffering mother sits nearby. In the morning, as the town takes stock of the damage and the power is restored, a surprising discovery is found in an overturned boat in the harbour: a baby girl…with the ability to heal.

Writers Albert Shin and William Woods , working from a story by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby , treat the story as something of a morality tale mixed with a fable. Following the cold open, the action jumps ahead 10 years at a point when the unnamed island (the film was shot in Newfoundland, Canada) is thriving. The fishing is bountiful, the islanders are self-sufficient and have cut ties with the mainland, and most everyone is happy.

As characters are prone to saying, it’s all thanks to Isla ( Alix West Lefler ), the miracle baby who has grown up worshipped by the islanders. While Mayor Bobby Bentham ( Clayne Crawford ) and his wife Grace ( Lara Jean Chorostecki ) endeavor to raise Isla like any other little girl, the reality is that the island’s entire ecosystem revolves around her miraculous powers. It is only because of Isla that they survive; every aspect of their lives – from medicine to food – relies on her.

Each day the citizens line up for their allotted time with the young girl – be it to stave off breast cancer, like Charlotte ( Kathryn Greenwood ), or recover from another night of heavy drinking like former doctor, Beau ( Aden Young ). There’s even a predetermined schedule for when she will go out on the boats and use her power to lure fish into the nets.

One fateful day, Bobby succumbs to peer pressure and alters Isla’s schedule at the last minute to accompany cod fishermen Marlon ( Michael Greyeyes ) and Dillon ( Ryan McDonald ). A childish game with fatal consequences is played, but with Isla indisposed, a young boy, who would have otherwise been fine, dies. And while the rest of the community grieves, it is Isla who is completely shaken and, unexpectedly, loses her powers.

Suddenly the entire balance of the island is thrown off. Folks like Grace’s mother, Faye ( Frances Fisher ), who relied on Isla to keep her dementia at bay, suddenly reckon with mortality, while the food security of the town is called into question. Faye’s late-night “support group” meetings take on an urgent and secretive tone and the townspeople claim ownership of Isla’s time despite Bobby and Beau’s protests that she needs rest to recover from her trauma.

Like the best thrillers, the politics and personalities within the community come into play as morals are compromised and the good of individuals vs the collective is played out in increasingly desperate situations. The King Tide excels because it is interested in exploring the competing motivations of the townspeople, while also resolutely refusing to paint anyone as inherently good or bad. These are desperate people, determined to remain independent and free from outside interference, while protecting their trapped-in-amber way of life.

These developments work because there’s a humanity to the characters and The King Tide wisely relies heavily on its deep bench castoff character actors to drive the conflict. Crawford is the de facto protagonist of the ensemble and he’s also the most straightforward character: Bobby is a good man and a loving father, but he’s no white knight. At several points in the film, his willingness to acquiesce to the demands of the community and retain his power causes events to spiral further out of control.

Even more fascinating are Grace and Faye, two commanding women whose capacity for maternal love is matched – or eclipsed – by their own self-interests. A mid-film discovery about Isla’s power reframes Grace’s priorities, ultimately pitting her against her husband. As a result, Grace is incredibly compelling and frustrating (in a good way) and Chorostecki, who has done great genre work on both Hannibal to Chucky , plays the moral ambiguity exactly right. Grace is a fascinating and flawed human character in a film filled with them.

The same goes for Fisher, who deftly balances Faye’s grandmotherly love for Isla with the needs of the community and, by extension, her own health demands. In the hands of a lesser performer, it would be easy to hate Faye for her actions, but Fisher’s performance perfectly captures the fierce determination and fear that drives the island’s matriarch.

Finally, there’s Aden Young, The King Tide ’s secret weapon. The ten-year jump reveals that Beau has undergone the most significant transformation: while everyone else has benefitted from Isla’s powers, her presence has eliminated the need for a doctor. With the clinic effectively shuttered, Beau has become an alcoholic; a shell of his former self with no purpose.

Like Bobby, Beau is the easiest character to root for because of his selfless desire to protect Isla, but Young (renowned for his work with Crawford on Rectify ) unlocks the character’s tragic pathos and, in the process, becomes the film’s emotional anchor.

Framing the moral decline of the islanders and anticipating the unexpectedly devastating climax is the natural beauty of Newfoundland. As shot by cinematographer Mike McLaughlin , there’s a steely beauty to the geography, resplendent with rocky cliffs, pounding surf, and gusty bluffs that reinforce the islanders’ isolation.

There’s a fierce pride in their struggle to survive independently, evident in the simple lodgings and the antiquated alarm bell that is rung whenever fishing ships from the mainland stray too close. It’s a chilly, atmospheric calling card for one of the most picturesque provinces in Canada, but it is a perfect complement for the folk horror narrative.

Armed with serene, beautiful cinematography, murky moral developments, and a deep bench of talented character actors, The King Tide is a quiet gem that demands to be seen. It’s one of the year’s best genre films.

The King Tide is in theaters April 26, 2024.

Joe is a TV addict with a background in Film Studies. He co-created TV/Film Fest blog QueerHorrorMovies and writes for Bloody Disgusting, Anatomy of a Scream, That Shelf, The Spool and Grim Magazine. He enjoys graphic novels, dark beer and plays multiple sports (adequately, never exceptionally). While he loves all horror, if given a choice, Joe always opts for slashers and creature features.

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‘Infested’ Review – One of the Best Spiders Attack Horror Movies in Years

It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a tried and true, serious-in-tone creature feature, or at least one in which the creature in question is a real-world animal and not a fictitious monster. This sub-genre often finds its roots planted firmly in horror comedy or, intentionally or not, camp. So it’s refreshing that Infested   (formerly titled  Vermin ), Sébastien Vaniček ‘s feature directorial debut, takes a deathly serious approach to the material. There’s still plenty of fun to be had with these spiders, but there’s nothing fun ny about them.

30-year-old Kaleb ( Théo Christine ) is a small-time grifter with a passion for small critters. His hopes of opening a reptile zoo with his friend Jordy ( Finnegan Oldfield ) were squashed years ago when an argument drove the two friends apart. Kaleb makes up for his lost dream by lining the walls of his room with vivariums filled with creepy-crawlies. He purchases an exotic spider for sale in the back office of his friend’s shop, not knowing that it is extremely aggressive and venomous. Shortly after bringing it home, the spider escapes. Kaleb barricades his room in the hopes of containing it, intending to look for it later, but the photosensitive arachnid has a mind of its own and quickly wreaks havoc in the building

Make no mistake: this isn’t just one spider loosed in an apartment complex. This spider, lovingly named Rihanna by Kaleb, mates rapidly (the timeline for the film is a day, maybe two), and its offspring grow to 10 times the size of their parents. This happens multiple times over the course of the film, ensuring that the stakes escalate rapidly and adds more variety to the set pieces. One particular sequence sees our characters forced to slowly make their way to the end of a dark hallway lined with spiders before the timer on the light switch runs out and its easily the highlight of the film.

A big fear walking into Infested was that it was going to be chock-full of CGI spiders (the days of Arachnophobia are long gone). Thankfully, Vaniček and his team have employed practical spiders when they are able, using CGI to enhance the scenes that involve hordes of them. In the early stages of the takeover, Vaniček and cinematographer Alexandre Jamin keep the spiders out of focus in the background behind unsuspecting characters, masking what could presumably be dodgy effects work. The really  big spiders that populate the third act are fully computer-generated and look the most cartoonish, especially when seen under bright light, but a plot point that sees the local authorities shut off the power to the building ensures that the more lackluster effects are hidden behind dim lighting.

Vaniček and his co-writer Florent Bernard keep things moving at a brisk pace, but falter in the climax, where they try to cram in a few too many emotional resolutions between characters. Add in a dash of ACAB social commentary, and the film nearly buckles under the pressure of everything it’s trying to do. That this is all happening in a climactic parking garage face-off against the spiders leaves little room for any of it to resonate. It’s not a movie-killer, but it does detract from the experience. More successful are the early, if brief, glimpses into the lives of the tenants, whose early sense of community quickly turns sour once the arachnids begin to take over.

Infested   may not fully stick the landing when it comes to the emotional beats, but the journey there is more than worth the watch. Full of moments that will get under your skin (I kicked my legs up more than a few times in my screening), Vaniček has crafted what is possibly the best “when spiders attack” movie in over 30 years, and that is no small feat.  Infested , for lack of a better phrase, has plenty of bite.

Infested is now streaming on Shudder.

Editor’s Note: This Fantastic Fest review was originally published on September 24, 2023.

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Tarot Release Date, Trailer, Cast & Plot

By Elton Fernandes

Tarot is an upcoming horror film directed by Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen. It follows a group of young adults who mess around with a set of tarot cards. They soon find their lives in danger with supernatural forces targeting them one by one. After the trailer was released in early January this year, the film has received a lot of attention. Let’s find out more about the movie, including its cast and plot.

Here’s everything you need to know.

Release date — when is Tarot coming out?

Tarot’s release date is May 3, 2024.

Originally titled “Horrorscope” this film had a release date of June 28, 2024. The film was announced in June 2022, after which the release date and title, both went through some changes. The release date later changed to May 10, 2024, before finally settling on May 3, 2024.

Trailer — watch it now

You can watch the Tarot trailer below:

The trailer shows a group of young friends gathered in what looks like an old house. One of them finds a pack of tarot cards in the premises, and decided to bring them out. Unafraid of the consequences, and breaking the sacred rule, the group indulge in tarot card readings. Soon, they are haunted by the evil from within the cards.

Cast — who is in Tarot?

Tarot’s cast includes:

• Harriet Slater
• Jacob Batalon
• Humberly González
• Stasa Nikolic
• Olwen Fouéré
• Larsen Thompson
• Adain Bradley

Plot – what’s the story about?

It follows a group of friends who violate the sacred rule of Tarot readings and soon face the terrifying consequences.

A group of college friends decide to have their fortunes read from a mysterious tarot deck. However, they soon learn that they made a big mistake. One by one they are attacked in ways that reflect the predictions from their tarot readings. Realizing that the cards are more than what they appear to be, the surviving friends must find a way to break the curse and beat this evil force before it’s too late.

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In a Violent Nature

An ambient horror slasher that methodically depicts the enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and retribution of an undead monster in a remote wilderness. An ambient horror slasher that methodically depicts the enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and retribution of an undead monster in a remote wilderness. An ambient horror slasher that methodically depicts the enigmatic resurrection, rampage, and retribution of an undead monster in a remote wilderness.

• Andrea Pavlovic
• Cameron Love
• 3 User reviews
• 17 Critic reviews
• 65 Metascore

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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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User reviews 3

• Apr 16, 2024
• May 31, 2024 (United States)
• De naturaleza violenta
• Low Sky Productions
• Zygote Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 34 minutes

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