The setting and tone of “The Black Phone” seems to be a interesting quandary. The trailers painted it as a really dark horror film and with the Blumhouse label, that also means approaching it under a specific budget constraint. Add to the fact that this is directed by Scott Derrickson who made the first “Doctor Strange” with Ethan Hawke here as the antagonist.

With the new remake of "Firestarter", there is potential and a necessary possibility of doing it in the more low budget Blumhouse tradition. But the reality is that the pull of the story never feels wrenching and particularly well-executed

The notion of anticipation and perception is an interesting beast. What Writer/Director Ti West does with his new film "X" is both reflexive but oddly surrealist in its eventual comeuppance.

This entry "Welcome To Raccoon City" reintroduces characters we do know in a different way more in tune with the haunted house motif before later bringing in recognizable elements of the original franchise. The movie is a different beast but still regaled at times by bad characterization.

"Antlers" works on certain assumptions and formulas but creates an interesting essence of character build while not delivering completely. While the progression is simple in terms of a genre tale of a mythic creature wreaking havoc, it is the human story that is the most complex.

With "Malignant", while the horror of the core idea has merit, its reasoning and eventual use is so asanine that it becomes generally laughable at parts (which is not a look that the director of "Aquaman" should be having).

With a film like "Mosquito State", the horror is bathed more in the metaphor of the life it is building and destroying at the same time.

In "The Swarm", hailing from France, there is a sense of loss and longing in the character of Valerie (played Suliane Brahim) who is growing locusts to create flour. But like anything...too much becomes overwhelming.

Suffice to say, "Old" has an idea of the metaphorical story it wants to tell while reflecting a real world ideal of what is for the greater good.