Another 2024 genre fest has come and gone, just in time for the commencement of spooky season! Don’t miss our coverage of Beyond Fest after the jump…
Films
ABOVE THE KNEE
Director Viljar Bøe’s previous film, Good Boy, expertly twisted the tension, building to a satisfying, if wildly bizarre, finale. Thus, expectations were high for his newest feature, aptly titled Above the Knee. An effective sprinkling of body horror elements never pushes the envelope far enough to satisfy the gorehounds in the audience. Still, there can be no denying some effective moments of cringe visuals and thought-provoking ideas that puncture under the skin. Amir (Freddy Singh) cannot stop obsessing over his left leg. He sits on it, imagines himself crippled, even secretly parades around in a wheelchair. What would happen if he cut it off completely? The film’s slow build-up creates a haunting atmosphere, filled with decaying imagery and Amir’s emotional detachment. A distant and subdued performance from Freddy Singh seems apt, given an eventual reveal of the character’s backstory. Amir’s downward spiral plays out as expected, with no real consequences for his actions. The lack of emotional resolution or accountability aims to depict the grim reality of Amir’s choices, but ends up falling flat instead.
A DESERT
Rob Zombie called: he wants his aesthetic back. There is a reason what he does works so well, probably because he has the proper cast and a gritty polish to back it up. A Desert has no such luck. Attempting to blend a hillbilly style with the shock and awe of Hitchcock’s Psycho and the strangeness of David Lynch, the filmmakers cannot seem to commit to the story they are trying to tell. A noir, a disturbing blood-soaked extravaganza, a trippy road trip movie—A Desert attempts to be all of these things at once, and does none of them well. Landscape photographer Alex (Kai Lennox) makes a living from exploring abandoned locales and dilapidated buildings to take his eerie pictures. In its opening scene, an unnerving creepiness settles in as Alex explores an old movie theater to set up camera equipment when he hears a noise. Never again does A Desert achieve this level of atmosphere, instead offering a lengthy setup where Alex travels from one place to the next with virtually no dialogue whatsoever. Eventually, he meets greasy-looking Renny (Zachary Ray Sherman) and his sister, Susie Q (Ashley B. Smith), during a trashy motel stay. During a night of debauchery, Alex photographs and parties with this odd couple, and things get weird. Before long, Alex realizes neither may be good news. A Desert constantly jumps around tonally, contentedly rehashes large swathes of the movie ad-nauseam, and drags on so long it will make viewers feel as if they are trapped in the desert with its thin caricatures. Nonsensical moments, such as a long scene where Renny counts down from twenty-four, or a preposterously bad line delivery, made me want to leave and never return. A Desert is a new contender for the worst movie I have even seen in a theater, and I am honestly baffled that it even exists in the first place.
GHOST KILLER
For what should have been a quirky/spooky homerun, Japanese import Ghost Killer fails to interest beyond its riveting action spectacle. After being murdered in the opening scene, hitman Kudo (Masanori Mimoto) begins appearing to innocent college student Fumika (Akari Takaishi). Their grudges soon synchronize, granting Fumika supernatural powers fueled by Kudo’s thirst for revenge. To help be rid of his “grudge,” Fumika has been tasked with tracking down Kudo’s killers, and putting a stop to them once and for all. The action scenes, though excellently choreographed, go on far too long. In the Mortal Kombat world, this would mean well after they call for a “Fatality.” This, coupled with an overuse of slow-motion and a thin storyline leave much to be desired.
SALEM’S LOT
Full review at the link.
TERRIFIER 3
Full review at the link.
For more information about Beyond Fest, including ticketing, head over to the official festival website.