Various (director)
(studio)
18 (certificate)
(length)
26 August 2019 (released)
26 August 2019
Wither
There is a danger that folk horror is reaching saturation but it looks to be in good hands judging from this unsettling tale of a schoolgirl, her withered flower and a grotesque nursery rhyme. 4/5
Hana
From Japan comes a short firmly in the tradition of J-Horror but with a neat twist that leaves plenty to the imagination. If only Hana’s babysitter had been left with that. 3/5
Marianne
A bleak beautifully filmed short that wallows in imagery and the written word. Other than the reference to the most haunted home in England, there’s a certain style over substance here. 3/5
The Hitchhiker
A confident, coarse, brash and very funny tale from Australia of a group of girlfriends traveling in a dormobile. One is hiding a secret the answer to which could be in the form of the stranger they pick up. 4/5
The Dead Ones
One of the picks of the bunch as we are introduced to a couple in a flat, he having some very nasty scars on his face. They are not unique and picking up on another couple try to find a solution to their situation. Comically brutal with a neat twist. 4/5
Abyssus
This claustrophobic horror relies on sound and light as a man seemingly buried alive is further traumatised by noises that offset the viewer. 3/5
Glitter’s Wild Women
A frankly bizarre Canadian comedy of two slackers seemingly off their heads on a glitter that comes down from the heavens in a beautiful blue mist. It’s actually quite funny though you may find yourself asking why. 3/5
The Video Store Commercial
A throwback to the early 80’s as a store owner uses mock poor-quality video footage to advertise his store only to find he’s getting more than he bargained for and then some. 3/5
The Cunning Man
This could be lumped in a folk horror purely because it has a rural setting. But equally it’s a tale of magic and ritual as a pair try to con an old man into paying for carcase disposal. Though it is a matter that he has well in hand. 3/5
The History of Nipples
A gross, funny comedy that will have most people squirming as we see that Celtic myths about sucking king’s nipples sometimes don’t have much relevance in the modern day. 3/5
