THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER - LAFF 2018 Review

2018
Directed by: Duncan Skiles
Starring: Charlie Plummer, Dylan McDermott, Samantha Mathis, Madisen Beaty

It can be painfully difficult to recognize the faults of our parents. They love, support, and provide for you. They are the center of our worlds for a large portion of our adolescence. Many of us are unable to fully appreciate how screwed up our childhoods were until we enter adulthood. For Tyler, (Carlie Plummer) that possibility becomes apparent far sooner.

Tyler is about as all American as they come. A level-headed young man raised in a small working-class community. He's a Boy Scout and attends church every Sunday. When he accidentally uncovers his fathers (Dylan McDermott) cache of sadistic pornography he becomes suspicious that he could be the son of Clovehitch, a local serial killer who was never apprehended.

Director Duncan Skiles never takes the expected route with any of the somewhat familiar ground he covers in THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER. Kassi (Madisen Beaty), the town weirdo who helps Tyler uncover the truth about his father, is a perfect example. In most films, she would be the dreamy goth girl who only exists to further the plot, but Skiles allows Beaty to flesh out a real character with her own motivation and agency. She is an outcast due to her personal experience and trauma, not just an extension of the protagonist's sexual fantasy.

Similarly, the film changes perspective towards the end of the second act and has one of the more disturbing torture scenes in recent memory. It's not violence or gratuitous gore that Skiles enlists to unnerve the audience, instead, he uses patience. He lingers on moments to the point they are almost unbearable in their realism. Some of the details seem to be inspired by real-life events and we are given a grounded look at a mass murderer. Nothing in CLOVEHITCH feels exploitative or sensational, every moment exists to further the narrative. In fact, the film is more about the mysteries that exist in all of our upbringings than an exploration of what causes one to kill.

IFC Midnight will release the thriller, THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER in theaters and available on VOD and Digital HD on November 16, 2018.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE Ending Explained

MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a complex and surreal film directed by David Lynch, known for its non-linear narrative and dreamlike sequences. The ending is open to interpretation and has been the subject of much debate among viewers. Here's a breakdown of the ending: Diane's Dream vs. Reality: Throughout the film, there are two main narrative threads: one follows Betty/Diane's dreamlike experiences in Hollywood, and the other delves into Diane's harsh reality. The ending reveals that the majority of the film has been a dream constructed by Diane Selwyn, a failed actress, as a means to escape the guilt and pain of her actions. Betty/Diane's Descent into Madness: Betty, played by Naomi Watts, represents Diane's idealized self—a hopeful and innocent aspiring actress. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that Betty's story is unraveling, and her identity begins to merge with Diane's. This culminates in the revelation that Betty is merely a construct of Di...

Final Destination Bloodlines Set to Bring Fresh Horrors to the Franchise

The long-running and fan-favorite horror series Final Destination is set to make its return with Final Destination Bloodlines, bringing a new chapter of supernatural terror to the big screen. Scheduled for a theatrical and IMAX release on May 16, 2025, in the U.S. (and internationally beginning May 14), the film promises to continue the franchise’s tradition of chilling premonitions and inescapable fate. The upcoming installment features a fresh ensemble cast, including Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, The Flash), Teo Briones (Chucky, Will vs. The Future), Richard Harmon (The 100, The Age of Adaline), Owen Patrick Joyner (Julie and the Phantoms, 100 Things to Do Before High School), and Anna Lore (They/Them, Gotham Knights). Also joining the cast are Brec Bassinger (Stargirl, Bella and the Bulldogs) and horror icon Tony Todd, who reprises his role from the original Final Destination films. Todd, best known for his chilling portrayal of the titular character in the Candyman fra...

Blu-ray Review: Presence

Steven Soderbergh’s Presence is not just a ghost story—it’s a deeply personal, introspective, and stylistically daring supernatural thriller that stands out for its bold use of perspective and moral depth. Shot entirely from the first-person point of view of a spirit, the film immerses the viewer into the consciousness of an unseen entity navigating a family’s domestic unraveling. It’s not only a technical experiment, but a story with emotional weight, subtle revelations, and a chilling undercurrent of tragedy. Premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and released by Neon in early 2025, Presence has become a sleeper hit, earning $10.5 million on a modest $2 million budget. Directed, shot, and edited by Soderbergh, with a script from veteran screenwriter David Koepp, the film offers an experience that is simultaneously eerie, emotionally nuanced, and structurally inventive. From the very first frame, Presence makes its unique perspective clear. The camera doesn’t merely observ...

FOLLOWING FILMS

Search This Blog