This is a post where I want to spotlight three of last year's summer horror movies. They are getting awkwardly bundled together, because I didn't have enough titles for a ranking post the way I did back in 2024 - I really don't have anything to say about the "I Know What You Did Last Summer" legasequel or the last "Conjuring" movie. On the other hand, trying to pair these leftover titles up thematically with other movies kept falling apart, so I'm just going to write bullet reviews for all three now, before they get any staler. Some minor spoilers ahead.
Let's start with "Dangerous Animals," which is a horror movie starring Hassie Harrison and Josh Heuston as Zephyr and Moses, a nice young couple who end up on a boat with a maniac. The maniac is a man named Tucker, played by Jai Courtney, who likes feeding people to sharks and filming the results. "Dangerous Animals" is a co-production of Shudder and the Australian Kismet Films, and directed by an Aussie, Sean Byrne. This means that it's set on the coast of Australia and Jai Courtney gets to use his native Australian accent. And Jai Courtney with an Australian accent is so much better at acting than when he's trying to sound American. He's properly menacing in this movie! There's even nuance!
So, despite what the poster would have you believe, this isn't so much a shark movie as a serial killer movie that also involves some shark attacks. And it's good enough that I don't think anybody will mind too much about the confusion. As a survival thriller it's a lot of fun, with plenty of twists and turns and fairly smart heroes to root for. The tension is terrific. People also get eaten by sharks. However, the main events in psycho killer movies are always inevitably the psycho killers, and Jai Courtney acquits himself very well in the role. This was a pleasant surprise, and I'll look forward to Courtney's future endeavors. Well, as long as he's not trying to sound anything but Australian.
On to "Together," the body horror movie starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco, and directed by another Australian, Michael Shanks. Brie and Franco play Millie and Tim, a couple in a long term relationship who have decided to move to a rural community together, but are now having doubts about their further commitment. While hiking in the woods nearby, they encounter a mysterious cave that causes their body parts to start sticking to each other whenever they get physically close. This is also the movie that got pulled from Chinese distribution after digital alternations were made to one of the minor characters to change a gay couple into a straight one.
"Together" has a couple of interesting visual concepts, which are executed very well. However, the material around the big effects-heavy sequences is half-baked, with a central metaphor that doesn't really work. The relationship anxiety taking on a physical manifestation is a good idea, but it doesn't quite sync with the way Millie and Tim's relationship is progressing, and the challenges they face. Nothing about their issues seem to be about losing individuality or autonomy, which this brand of body horror would suggest. Also, the worldbuilding is very haphazard, with a cult in play, seemingly at random. I feel some patience and encouragement is appropriate because this is a small film being helmed by a first timer, but "Together" really fell apart by the end.
Finally, a few words on "Him," which put out a fantastic trailer a few months ago. This is the horror movie set in the world of professional football, directed by Justin Tipping. An up-and-comer named Cam Cade, played by Tyriq Withers, attends a weeklong training event hosted by the current reigning champion, Isaiah White, played by Marlon Wayans. However, Isaiah's methods are extreme, and his behavior is concerning. Also, since Cam suffered a traumatic injury, he's been seeing visions of demonic and disturbing figures. Isaiah's incredible success as a player couldn't possibly be because of supernatural forces, now could it?
I seem to like "Him" more than the average viewer. I suspect that it's because I'm not put off by artsy, esoteric horror like "Berberian Sound Studio" and "Infinity Pool" that don't have a whole lot of coherent story, but do have a lot of surreal, abstracted, disturbing imagery and sound design. "Him" is trying very hard - perhaps too hard - to be as showy and stylized as possible, with very aggressive visuals that convey a lot of intensity. At times it's aping music videos and NFL commercials, while pulling out a ton of visual tricks - pulsing lights, X-ray vision, Kubrickian symmetrical compositions, religious and folk horror imagery, and more. The trouble is that very little of this is scary or compelling. The performances are good and the concepts are interesting, but the skill level in the execution isn't there yet.
"Him" gets frustratingly close to being something special - close enough that I hope everyone involved with this movie gets more chances in the future to try again.
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