Evil Dead II (1987)

Content Warning for Curse Words, Drugs and Violence

Where do I begin in describing all the reasons why Why Don't You Play in Hell? (2013) is such an essential watch? The humor is brilliant, and the performances are memorable. It’s wild and weird, filled with deliciously chaotic energy, and bloody, exaggerated violence.

Why Don't You Play in Hell? introduces us to the self-proclaimed “freakiest movie freaks in Japan.” There’s Director Hirata, the energetic, passionate leader; Miki, who is responsible for panning shots; Tanagawa, who captures the handheld shots; and Sasaki, their star who fights and dresses in the style of Bruce Lee. Together, they are known by the gleefully crass name, The F*ck Bombers. It’s no doubt that the scenes where the F*ck Bombers are present are the absolute best of the film. Hirata prays to the God of movies for the chance to create a perfect film, even if it means dying, and his passionate energy is infectious.

Muto is the leader of a local yakuza gang. Another yakuza gang attempts to assassinate him, but when the men arrive at his house, they find only his wife, who unleashes a torrent of violence upon the would-be killers. While much of the over-the-top violence is saved for the last half-hour, this gory whirlwind gives us an appetizer before the even wilder main course. For her literal overkill, Muto Shizue is sentenced to ten years in prison, but she is more upset that her bloodthirsty actions may lead to their daughter Mitsuko’s toothpaste commercial being removed from the air. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, the toothpaste jingle is such an earworm that it becomes a central in-universe meme.

Nightbooks, directed by David Yarovesky and written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis, is an adaptation of the children's book by J.A. White. The film follows Alex (Winslow Fegley), a young boy obsessed with scary stories and all things horror until one day, he doubts himself and vows never to write another scary story. This is the same day he is lured in by a witch Natacha (Krysten Ritter) and must write scary stories to survive. Once trapped, he meets up with another kid, Yasmin (Lidya Jewett) who has given up the hopes of escape.

The child-friendly horror is a somewhat rare thing, especially in the realm of movies with films like The House With a Clock in Its Walls and Goosebumps being some of the only somewhat recent releases. Having another addition to this small yet in-demand genre is wonderful. Also, the timing is perfect for parents and children wanting to start celebrating the spooky season. In this house, we celebrate Halloween through all of September and October.

Nightbooks succeeds in its ability to craft fun and scary moments that will keep horror-loving children entertained without going too far. But the biggest success is knowing that horror-loving kids want some amount of fright. So often films in this arena do not go far enough, assuming that any amount of fright is too much for every child.

Nightbooks is produced by Sam Raimi through Ghost House Pictures, and its blend of humor, memorable creature design, and POV forest shots brings to mind Evil Dead II. The scares in Nightbooks are well-crafted and the cinematography of the film captures different eras and styles of horror from the aforementioned Evil Dead style POV shots to silent horror and the art style of Fangoria covers and the nostalgic pull of Creepshow.

Malignant, directed by James Wan and written by Akela Cooper with a story from James Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Akela Cooper, tells the story of Madison (Annabelle Wallis), a woman who has horrifying visions of a string of murders, propelling her into a journey of self-discovery and self-worth.

Malignant build moments of genuine fright through utilizing every aspect of the frame to grab our attention. In scenes reminiscent of the style of horror found in supernatural films, the cinematography, and set design work guide us through the eyes of the characters.

A refrigerator door opening and the almost blink-and-you-miss-it rise of a couch cushion burrow into your brain, no matter how small the moment may feel. The film builds horror well through what might seem as mundane actions by latching onto the small, simple things we fear in real life.