Film Jeffrey Zhang Film Jeffrey Zhang

Film Review: Crimes of the Future

Body is reality. Surgery is the new sex. David Cronenberg’s first feature in eight long years acts as a furtive peek into a carefully crafted, crumbling dystopia. In a world where graphic surgeries are the only form of entertainment remaining, Crimes of the Future explores — with a demure thoughtfulness — the complexities of art and performance in an increasingly uninhabitable society. Come for Cronenberg’s body horror resurgent, stay for the perfect weirdo performances from Viggo Mortenson, Lea Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart. Minor spoilers ahead…

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Film Jeffrey Zhang Film Jeffrey Zhang

Film Review: Malignant

More Saw and Dead Silence than The Conjuring and Insidious, James Wan’s Malignant takes a gruesome detour from mass appeal horror back into the land of subversive terror. A Frankenstein’s amalgam of giallo, camp, and body horror, Wan’s latest takes pages from Argento, Cronenberg, and even De Palma to deliver the wildest of gory rides. Nothing will really prepare you for the nasty surprises Malignant has in store for you. Minor spoilers ahead…

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Film Jeffrey Zhang Film Jeffrey Zhang

Film Review: Old

M. Night Shyamalan revisits the stylings of The Happening with his rapid-aging horror thriller, Old. A labored reach for existential poignancy undone by an absurd, awkward, and alien script, Shyamalan’s latest is a far cry from the halcyon days of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, and The Village. Even with some great horror beats, your mileage will depend entirely on just how much you can stomach Shyamalan’s particular brand of unironically stilted messes. Minor spoilers ahead…

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Film Jeffrey Zhang Film Jeffrey Zhang

Film Review: Possessor

A psychedelic cocktail of gruesome violence and cerebral sci-fi, Brandon Cronenberg’s Possessor pushes the boundaries of the body horror genre pioneered by his father. For his sophomore feature, Cronenberg crafts a tech-fueled nightmare sprung from his perverse vision, utilizing the dueling talents of Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbot to deliver a twisted, body-swapping experience unlike any other. Minor spoilers ahead…

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