Film 2500 - Leviticus

Intro: May the horror fest continues!

Film 2500: "Leviticus" (2026), directed by Adrian Chiarella
Watched: From the projector
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: I think this movie is enjoyable, but not as life-changing as the reviews would like you to think. I still had a good enough time, but yeah, I was expecting something a bit different.
Specifically, "Leviticus" reminded me of other films, particularly "It Follows", but also other recent Australian movies like "Talk to Me" (the young protagonists of both movies) and "Bring Her Back" (the ritual part of both stories). With the latter two, it's more a similarity in tone and general vibe, whereas I think there's a genuine likeness to "It Follows"'s story, as literally the monster/creature follows the protagonists to attack them in both movies. Don't get me wrong, I'm not pointing it out to say it's a bad thing, but simply that this came to mind when I was watching this film.
Other than this, I do believe that the best way to describe "Leviticus" is through the words of a review I read online, which went roughly like this: homophobia is the real monster in this story. And I think it's so true.
I mean, there is an actual monster: an entity that impersonates the person you desire the most to then attack you: in this case, as the two protagonists are gay and in love, they basically get attacked by each other, but the "monster" version of themselves. And because this entity gets summoned through some sort of supernatural conversion therapy ritual, it is indeed a case of homophobia at its core. And when you think that the protagonist's mom is also involved in the ritual... it makes it even more upsetting.
Because of these unusual elements, I enjoyed the movie's take on this issue combined with an unexpected horror setting, which is quite refreshing. Additionally, the actors playing the two teenagers in love (Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen) are quite good, and their performances really carry the film, considering they have to portray both the normal and monstrous versions of their characters. On top of that, I didn't expect to see Mia Wasikowska in a movie again (here also producing), as I thought she had retired from acting -- which she clearly didn't, although she stepped away from the Hollywood spotlight.
All in all, I think "Leviticus" presents an interesting take on queer youth -- in Australia, specifically -- and is able to demonize homophobia in such a tangible way that is rare to see on the big screen, especially in the horror genre. That said, I wouldn't say I was blown away.
Cast: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, Davida McKenzie, Mia Wasikowska.
Box Office: $8.6 million
Worth a watch?: It's an interesting combination of queer cinema and horror, a genre that rarely engages so openly and honestly with teenage gay characters. If you're looking for a story that is gay and scary at the same time, go for it. Especially because, for once, i'ts not a product from the US or the UK. This film has an interesting point of view and occasionally delivers on the horror as well. If you're looking for a more traditional scary movie, then look elsewhere.
Awards: /
Key word: Desire.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2466 - Bring Her Back

Intro: I remember watching the trailer and thinking I really wanted to see this movie. Then I never actually got around to it when it was out in theaters. So, one evening when my twink boy was at mine, we decided to give it a go.

Film 2466: "Bring Her Back" (2025), Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
Watched: From the computer
Language: English
Watched with: Bill
Thoughts: I surely enjoyed it, but I wouldn't say I'd watch it again anytime soon. Reality is, I had big expectations for this one because it was Danny and Michael Philippou's follow-up movie (and only their second overall) after the unexpectedly good "Talk to Me". I say unexpectedly only because I knew nothing about that film and watched it on a whim, not because no one expected it to be good, mind you. Anyway, with this one I definitely had expectations, which we all know what that means. "Bring Her Back" is a decent horror story supported by an amazing Sally Hawkins performance. I would say she carries the whole movie herself, but that wouldn't be entirely true, as her younger co-stars are quite good as well. Sora Wong and Billy Barratt work well off each other, and you'd believe they're actually step-siblings; Jonah Wren Phillips undergoes a physical transformation for the ages, and at such a young age the visual result is absolutely impressive. What I would consider the weakest link of "Bring Her Back" is the plot. It delivers the conventional horror scares, but the mystery behind it all is fairly easy to figure out by the midpoint. From then on, the story lost me a little, in the sense that I was more interested in seeing whether my theories were correct than actually following along and enjoying the movie. I think if you've seen a fair share of horror movies before, it's not too difficult to figure out what's cooking before the screenplay decides to tell you. I understand it's hard nowadays to deliver a truly original story—especially in the horror genre—so I wasn't too bothered by it, but I remember thinking about it while watching the film, and that feeling has stayed with me since. Especially now that I've seen "Obsession" twice and "Backrooms", two of the most successful horror movies of all time, both of which came out almost back-to-back. And with "Weapons" and "Sinners" making such a splash last year, both culturally and at the Oscars, it's impossible not to keep that in mind when checking out other horror films.
Cast: Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally Hawkins.
Box Office: $39.1 million
Worth a watch?: Solid enough, but not the most original horror movie I've seen recently. If you liked "Talk to Me", give this one a go..
Awards: /
Key word: Grapefruit.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2465 - Lee Cronin's The Mummy

Intro: God love a movie about ancient Egypt, pyramids, mummies and old curses. So when I heard about this film - from an Irish director, nonetheless! - I couldn't wait to go to the movies to see it!

Film 2465: "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" (2026), Lee Cronin
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: Ok, let's be honest here: I didn't have big expectations for this one. I mean, I do have a fascination with ancient Egypt, I always have, so stories like this one are always a go for me. That said, I have to admit that, given the production budget ($22 million), the lack of star power (Jack Reynor is really the only recognizable face for English-speaking audiences) and the very demure marketing approach, I was expecting "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" to be an absolute abomination of a movie. And don't get me wrong, it isn't great, but it's also better than I expected, which genuinely surprised me.
First of all, the scope of the story is surprisingly big: we start in Egypt - first Aswan, then Cairo - before moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We move around, we chase some people, we relocate... and none of the locations ever feel cheap. It's not just an ugly green screen and a fake background. So I was quite impressed. Additionally, the visual effects aren't too bad and really help convey the story and its visual elements, especially when it comes to the little girl turning into the mummy (no spoilers here, it's literally on the movie's poster). I mean, you can tell they had to keep an eye on the budget, because some elements of the story are simply told to the audience rather than shown, but I understand the limitations and respect the effort. With what they had, they did a great job.
But I was mostly impressed with Lee Cronin. I have no idea who this man is, but he managed to:

• Put his name on the poster before the title of the movie in true horror style - I mean, I'm sure it was mainly because of trademark reasons, but hey, it is what it is.
• Secure funding for this crazy story about a cursed girl who turns into a mummy, possesses her siblings and, together, they desecrate their grandmother's corpse. Not the easiest pitch to sell to a studio.
• Produce this movie on a decent budget, put it out there and even open to $13.5 million and #3 at the American box office!

I mean, good for him! He had a vision and stood by it, and I respect that. Again, the movie isn't a masterpiece, but after considering all of the above, I have to admit that the whole operation behind "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" leaves a different impression. More than that, I'm glad that so many original stories are making their way to the big screen lately, and this is just another example of a (moderately) successful original IP that serves its purpose: telling a new story, entertaining its audience and providing a good time. And a good time I had.
Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Verónica Falcón, Hayat Kamille.
Box Office: $90 million
Worth a watch?: I've seen better movies, but I've also definitely seen worse. The story works well enough up until the end, when the whole ritual just sort of happens and you're not quite sure how or why. But I mean, do we really need to know? No. You can perfectly enjoy the crazy ride that is "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" and move on with your life without any problem.
Awards: /
Key word: Nectarine.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2420 - Shelby Oaks

Intro: I didn't want to see this movie and only agreed because I thought it was a different film... and I only realized it once the show started.

Film 2420: "Shelby Oaks" (2024), Chris Stuckmann
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: The movie equivalent of a scam. One of the worst movies I've watched this year.
It's trying to channel "The Blair Witch Project" so hard that it's annoying to watch the story unfold. It's cliché after cliché and adds nothing to the horror genre.
Cast: Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Keith David, Sarah Durn, Derek Mears, Emily Bennett, Charlie Talbert, Robin Bartlett, Michael Beach.
Box Office: $6.6 million
Worth a watch?: I really didn't like it. Forgettable — personally, I wouldn't waste my time.
Awards: /
Key word: Broken glass.
Trailer
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Bengi

Film 2401 - Together

Intro: I was curious to see this movie, the trailer seemed interesting.

Film 2401: "Together" (2025), Michael Shanks
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I'll be honest, not a big fan of this one. It's not bad per se, it just didn't deliver to the potential of its premise.
The imagination is there, the story has some interesting twists - althought the biggest one you can see it coming from a mile away - but ultimately "Together" is not as gripping as you would expect. The body horror and physical stunts are great - the visual effects really help here - but there's something missing and ultimately the movie didn't resonate too much with me. Something similar we've seen last year could be "The Substance", but that movie reaches a level of iconic that is never matched here. Dave Franco and Alison Brie are really committed though, and they're a great pair on the big screen.
Cast: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, Damon Herriman, Mia Morrissey.
Box Office: $32.3 million
Worth a watch?: "Together" could be the baby of "The Substance" and "Midsommar", although this movie never reaches the peak that the other two films are able to achieve. It's not bad, but not great either.
Awards: /
Key word: Muscle relaxers.
Trailer
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Bengi