Author: Joel Fisher

Sarlota (Natalia Germani) is returning to her hometown after learning about the death of her mother. Home seems to be a place full of bad memories and trauma for Sarlota as well because she’s still grieving over the loss of her sister in an accident which she blames herself. Also, her mother became physically abusive towards her as she put the blame for her sister’s death on her too.

Her town isn’t exactly the same as the rest of the world either, they have their own traditions and rituals which are steeped in religion, but it all seems to be born from old fashioned misogynistic views. However, Sarlota does her best to get through and find out how her mother died whilst the town grow increasingly suspicious of her and want to know exactly what she’s hiding.

Nightsiren is a poignant folk horror directed by Tereza Nvotová and co-written by Barbora Namerova. A film which builds its tension throughout, but never really goes into the areas it suggests to its audience to enforce the impact.

Sarlota is also dealing with a hernia, treating the scar left behind everyday and she manages to confide in Mira (Eva Mores) who helps her through her physical and emotional trauma whilst keeping their guard up around the men. Sarlota’s ex, Tomás (Marek Geisberg) is also there which makes matters worse and unfortunately, he seems to epitomise the attitude of the men in the town.

A horror film which looks more at the horrors of the human race rather than anything more supernatural, Nightsiren sets up things to suggest something of another world. Clearly displaying influences from such films as The Wicker Man, Nightsiren gives an almost too real depiction of a modern world and the things ingrained in our society.

Subjects such as religion and superstition are raised as excuses for their behaviour, to the extent that the townsfolk are given that kind of feel that only a community cut off from the rest of the world would have. However, as the credits roll the audience will be reminded that group mentality like this can bleed all too easily outside their sheltered walls.

Harry Bradshaw (Jake Waring) has never been in a worse position in his life. He’s trying to get over a relationship that ended and he’s also caught in a bad situation at work which could end up with him going to prison. He frequently visits his local pub to try and forget his problems, but a friendly barman named Geoff (Grahame Edwards) helps him to realise that his problems have easier solutions if he’s willing to look for them.

Orchid Moon is an introspective drama written and directed by Lewis William Robinson. Shot in black and white, it sets the mood for the kind of drama which is meant to be mulled over and thought about, perhaps putting the audience in Harry’s shoes.

Perhaps not the kind of film you would want to watch if you were recovering from a break up, nonetheless, Orchid Moon does its best to show that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It also does it whilst portraying a side of grief which is perhaps not often shown so tenderly.

However, there are issues with Orchid Moon besides its cryptic title. The film feels like it wants to tell an uplifting story about a man finding life after loss, but it also feels like it doesn’t want to tug at the heart strings too hard.

Whereas this could make the film feel more realistic, instead it may make the audience wonder if there was anything they missed. At a relatively short time of just over an hour, Orchid Moon may do what it sets out to do, but the audience may find themselves connecting some of the dots themselves.

All the cast do well, it’s beautifully shot and even a surprise cameo may even pique some viewers interests. It’s just a shame that Orchid Moon feels like the kind of film that wants to be more crowd pleasing, but may not want the limelight just yet.

Waring delivers a good performance that makes the audience feel for Harry, but the overall product doesn’t quite have the emotional weight that it needs to succeed.

Martha (Eline Schumacher) works as a cleaner in a local factory and she is very much alone. The men at her work all look down at her, not only because of her position, but because she’s a woman. One man, Luc (Pierre Nisse) takes pleasure in tormenting her and one day he takes it too far as he sexually assaults her.

The only man in her life that she can turn to is her brother, Félix, (Benjamin Ramon) but once she learns sees a different side of him, their relationship changes and even brings them a little closer.

Megalomaniac is a highly disturbing horror written and directed by Karim Ouelhaj. A film that never lets the audience get a moments peace as it hammers home just how vile and thought provoking it can truly be.

At the centre of the film is Martha and Schumacher’s performance is as profound as the film itself. As her life gets worse and she goes deeper into self-hatred, the audience can see Martha becoming broken and for some that may lead to pity and to others it may lead to fear.

However, Megalomaniac’s dark nature is not merely to shock its audience, but to also expose them a side of life that they may find uncomfortable. So uncomfortable in fact that it’s hard to watch, but also hard to look away.

Just when the audience may think that they’ve seen everything that the film can give them, Megalomaniac goes further, only to ensure that the audience gets the point. Misogyny and the patriarchy can be a difficult subject to tackle, with some finding it easier to appease the male audience. However, it feels like director Ouelhaj wants to drive the message home and does it unflinchingly.

Possibly one of the best horrors if not one of the best films of the year, Megalomaniac will stay with you long after the credits roll. Visually striking and truly mind-breaking in a way that cleverly spells out everything it wants to say, Megalomaniac feels like it will come for you in the middle of the night and stay in your head forever.

Willow Song (Valerie Tian) hasn’t had the greatest life and addiction has led her down a dangerous path. Living in poverty, she has to do what she can and she’s helped along by her best friend, Flea (Ingrid Nilson). However, their relationship is becoming increasingly toxic. Willow also has to do what she can to make ends meet and that means making deals with shady men like Wolf (Adam Lolacher) in order to get money.

Then one day it feels like her life comes crashing down around her. She loses her job and her home and soon ends up turning to her life long friend, Dani (Elfina Luk) for advice. Giving her a place to stay, Dani treats her like family, but eventually Willow’s past is going to catch up with her.

The Curse of Willow Song is a supernatural drama written and directed by Karen Lam. Shot in black and white, the movie is given an almost arthouse feel, but the realistic portrayal of a recovering addict is what grounds it.

As Willow goes from place to place, person to person in order to straighten her life out, it feels like nothing is going her way. Nobody believes her when she says she’s still clean and a particularly unsettling job interview puts her into a tight situation.

However, as everything comes to a climax, this is where the supernatural horror elements kick in. Something which some audience members may find unnecessary whilst others will enjoy the surprise.

Thankfully, the meld of the special effects and the artistic cinematography seem to work well. The trouble is that the themes of the everyday and the other worldly seem out of place. There could have been something deeper in Willow’s addiction mirrored with her powers, but they only seem to be there for an exciting finale.

This unfortunately makes The Curse of Willow Song feel like a story which is on a surface level. Whilst not trying to evoke something such as Stephen King’s Carrie, it unfortunately may leave the audience feeling cold as they may not know what it all means.

Just over 50 years ago, a script was starting to come together for director Robin Hardy’s debut feature. Inspired by ancient Pagan rituals, The Wicker Man came together with a star cast including Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland and of course Edward Woodward. Having enough confidence in the script written by Anthony Shaffer, the film went into production, with the result being the best film that Christopher Lee said he was ever involved in.

50 years later and The Wicker Man not only gained cult status, but became revered as one of the best British films of all time. However, it didn’t start out that way and the lightning in a bottle story of how it came about is fascinating.

The Wicker Man: 50^th Anniversary Edition arrives on bluray on 25^th September and it gives its audience everything they may have wanted from the film. Including the theatrical, director’s and final cut of the film, there are also hours of special features. Including a location guide with Robin Hardy’s son Justin, interviews with the director himself and Christopher Lee and even a documentary about the enduring power of Summerisle.

Fans of the cult movie can also find out many things that they may or may have not known during discussions of the film. Things such as the mystery of Britt Ekland’s bottom to the shocking way some of the film reels were discarded and even how it was marketed (or wasn’t, as the case may be).

Relegated to B-movie status before the main feature, The Wicker Man soon took on a life of its own as the word spread. Christopher Lee himself was involved in getting critics to see the film and it just feels like it was worth the effort.

Now, remastered into 4K, The Wicker Man is given the respect it deserves as it stands proudly with the best that British horror has to offer. Fans of the film can delve into the special features, but also enjoy the posters, art cards, special collector’s edition booklet and even a copy of the soundtrack which still sounds so good.

For a film that was brought out to so little confidence by its distributor who had only dealt with the Carry On films, it feels like it’s The Wicker Man’s day in the sun. Keep your appointment with The Wicker Man 50^th Anniversary Collector’s Edition and you’ll not regret your visit to Summerisle.