What a cold, cold month it has been, but not so much for the movies! We’ve got some pretty good choices this month, and I would like to draw your attention in particularly to films such as Small Things Like These, if you’re in the mood for a slightly emotional drama, and The Vourdalak, if you enjoy stylised horror with a fun twist. With something for everyone, January’s Tiny Tapes ought to keep you going into the brighter days of February (too optimistic?).

This month’s TTRs consists of: Back to Black, The Black Phone, Carry-on, Challengers, Civil War, The Devil’s Bath, Exhuma, Heretic, It Ends with Us, The Order, Robot Dreams, Saturday Night, Small Things Like These and The Vourdalak.

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson
Writer: Matt Greenhalgh
Cast: Maris Abela, Jack O’Connell, Eddie Marsan, Lesley Manville, Juliet Cowan

It’s a shame sometimes, after the passing of a celebrity, that people continue to profit off of them. It seems highly unethical. Having said that, sometimes it’s a good way to remember them. Back to Black seems to fall somewhere in the middle of the moral spectrum. Charting Amy Winehouse’s (Abela) rise to fame, the film goes through the ins and outs of her relationship with her husband/ex-husband Blake (O’Connell), her battle with drugs, alcohol and her mental health, and the depths of her talents. Amy is shown to be a fierce woman, but where she was fierce she also gave in to her weaknesses at times. However, considering the film was approved by Amy’s estate, it’s likely it is filled with biases, particularly where her family is concerned. Although it paints Amy in a light we all seemed to already know her by, and the performances and fantastic, particularly from Abela and her vocals, the film doesn’t really seem to give an accurate portrait of life in the throes of fame and shies away from getting into the nitty gritty of it all.

Director: Scott Derrickson
Writer: Scott Derrickson, C. Robet Cargill, based on the short story by Joe Hill
Cast: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, E. Roger Mitchell, Troy Rudeseal

Ethan Hawke returns in another creepfest, but this time, he is the creep. Young Gwen (McGraw) has strange psychic dreams that drop hints of the whereabouts of some missing children. When her own brother, Finney (Thames), is kidnapped, Gwen relies on her abilities to find him, in spite of their abusive father’s misgivings. The short story by Joe Hill packs a lot in a few pages and yet doesn’t give a whole lot away, and so you’d be forgiven for thinking the film would expand on the more intrinsic aspects, but it does not. Rather, it adds more characters to lengthen the plot rather than explore the supernatural side of the story, which leaves it wanting on the whole. The performances are strong, and Derrickson does create a good atmosphere that blends the supernatural with the very real terror of a kidnapping, but there could have been more depth to the characters and the supernatural. A sequel is due this year (as of writing), so hopefully that will widen the universe, along with Derrickson’s own short film for the V/H/S horror anthology series, in which he already began to expand this world a little (specifically the episode named Dreamkill in V/H/S ’85).

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Writer: T.J. Fixman
Cast: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Tonatiuh, Logan Marshall-Green, Dean Norris

In a similar vein to Die Hard, Carry-On sees an innocent TSA agent caught up in a Christmas Eve terrorism plot when he is blackmailed into allowing a particular carry-on bag through security, with his pregnant girlfriend’s life on the line. It’s certainly quite action-packed, but the pacing and plot becomes monotonous and a little hole-ridden in the middle, though it does pull it back by the end. Egerton puts in a strong performance (and, dare I say, a convincing American accent?), and although Bateman’s performance is also good, his villainous character is as stereotypical as they come. Probably not the kind of movie you want to see if you’re travelling at Christmas, but good for any other time.

Director: Luca Guadagnino
Writer: Justin Kuritzkes
Cast: Mike Faist, Josh O’Connor, Zendaya

Competitive tennis players Art (Faist) and Patrick (O’Connor), close friends since their childhood, find their friendship supremely disrupted by Tashi (Zendaya), a tennis player-turned-coach, as they both develop feelings for her. Guadagnino puts his familiar stamp on this film with his recognisable directing and options for the soundtrack (collborating again with Trent Reznor and fellow NIN collaborator Atticus Ross), and it works very well for Kuritzkes’s dramatic and psychological, mind-games-playing script. The three lead actors put in strong performances, with Faist and O’Connor having excellent chemistry with each other and individually with Zendaya. The differences that twelve years makes is often undetectable, making some of the time jumps a little rough to keep up with, but overall it’s a sturdy drama that is made further poignant with its seamless soundtrack.

Director: Alex Garland
Writer: Alex Garland
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Nick Offerman, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson

Films set in a dystopian future are nothing new, but sometimes a film comes along that acts closer to a premonition than a piece of fiction. In the near future, the United States is in complete disarray due to its unnamed president turning fire on American citizens. As a result the, ‘Western Forces’ of mainly California and Texas are set on assassinating the president. Amongst the turmoil are print journalists who risk their lives to document everything they see, and even things no one is meant to see. It’s certainly a stark depiction of a world in which America rises up in a way not seen since the last American Civil War of the 1860s, and as harrowing as it is at times, particularly with its commentary on racism and prejudice, it portrays a solidarity amongst the majority of a country’s people that is rare to see in reality. The film doesn’t really present anything new, particularly in the use of the POV of media journalists, but it serves as a strong reminder of what genuinely could be.

Director: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
Writer: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
Cast: Anja Plaschg, Maria Hofstätter, David Scheid, Natalija Baranova, Lukas Walcher

Sometimes true horror lies within our own mental state. Based on the book Suicide by Proxy in Early Modern Germany: Crime, Sin and Salvation by Kathy Stewart, The Devil’s Bath follows a short time (around the turn of the 18th century) in the life of Agnes (Plaschg) and her descent into despair and depression after her marriage to Wolf (Scheid). The film instantly goes in on a disturbing note, moves quickly to a high note, and then viewers bear witness to Agnes’s declining mental health for the rest of the film. It is thoughtfully written, fantastically performed (with Plaschg in particular proving her acting chops), beautifully shot, and the overall production design easily transports viewers to a time when the devil was responsible for absolutely anything and everything negative that a woman could go through.

Director: Jang Jae-hyun
Writer: Jang Jae-hyun
Cast: Kim Go-eun, Choi Min-sik, Lee Do-hyun, Yoo Hae-jin, Kim Sun-young, Kim Jae-cheol

You generally cannot go wrong with a Korean horror movie. In Exhuma (파묘), shaman Hwa-rim (Kim Go-eun) and her protégé Bong-gil (Lee Do-hyun) team up with Feng shui master Sang-deok (Choi Min-sik) and mortician Yong-geun (Yoo Hae-jin) to rid a family of an ancestor’s murderous spirit. This film not only features decent creeps, but it has an interesting plot that involves much of Korea’s turbulent history, particularly with the Japanese occupation, as well as incorporating traditional shamanistic rituals (which are likely to be intriguing to non-Koreans). Jang Jae-hyun cleverly uses practical effects to keep things as realistically frightening as possible, and the performances are top-notch, particularly from Kim Go-eun.

Directors: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Writers: Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Cast: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace, Elle Young

Religion has always been a source of horror, both physical and psychological, for many creatives, and so we are bestowed with yet another film that takes that genre and runs. Young Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes (Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (East) come to the home of Mr. Reed (Grant), a man who initially appears open to learning about the Mormon religion, but in reality has thoughts that run much deeper and creepier place. The film begins with promise, but quickly seems to devolve into arrogance and a poorly researched history of worldwide religion. Where it was probably supposed to have deeper meaning it ends up only surface level. The creep factor is fairly decent, and Grant’s performance is a nice step away from his normal monotonous roles, but the climax and its ultimate “messaging” was disappointing and felt patronising.

Director: Justin Baldoni
Writers: Christy Hall, based on the novel by Coleen Hoover
Cast: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj, Brandon Sklenar, Kevin McKidd

It almost goes without saying that this movie has courted some real controversy, both for its handling of the subject matter (domestic violence) and the way it was promoted by its stars on release, not to mention the reported extremely sour relationship between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Putting all of that aside, the film itself really is incoherent and, seemingly, not well researched. Lily (Lively) grew up in a home where her father would regularly beat her mother. As a result, she’s very aware of men who may act in the same way as her father. When she meets the apparently perfect Ryle (Baldoni), she finally feels settled. That is, until her first love, Atlas (Sklenar) reenters her life, and Ryle starts to behave very differently. The film is very similar to the novel, particularly in the way it doesn’t seem to really delve into the DV insightfully (in spite of author Hoover apparently growing up in a DV household). Ryle is supposed to be this shade-of-grey type character, but are there really grey areas when it comes to abusers? It just comes across as very muddled and unfinished, and Lily is not a particularly likeable character herself.

Director: Justin Kurzel
Writers: Zach Baylin, Gary Gerhardt, Kevin Flynn
Cast: Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Marc Maron, George Tchortov

Based on a true story and the book The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, the film follows an FBI agent on the trail of a white supremacist terrorist group in the 1980s known only as the Order. Much of the film is heartbreaking, not just within the actions of the Order, but the rhetoric they push. It is a sad and frustrating reminder that some people continue to believe in white supremacy. There is however a vein of hope that runs through the film, in that people are willing to push back and fight against racism. Law’s performance as FBI agent Terry Husk embodies much of that hope, and that seeps through to other characters and to audiences. Hoult is menacing as Bob Mathews, the leader of the Order, and very much carries much of the film through its more poignant events.

Director: Pablo Berger
Writer: Pablo Berger, based on the graphic novel by Sara Varon
Cast: Ivan Labanda

It’s always great to see a film (live action or animation) that transcends verbal language. When Dog finds himself feeling lonely, he buys a robot friend and their friendship quickly blossoms. That is, until Dog is forced to abandon his robot, leaving both of them finding it difficult to move on from one another. It’s quite a simple tale, but its underlying themes of loneliness, companionship and moving on are explored sweetly and relatably. It has no dialogue, leaving the animation and the wonderful soundtrack to tell the story and to evoke any emotional responses. It’s little surprise it was nominated for multiple awards in 2024.

Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan
Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien, Emily Fairn, Matt Wood, Lamorne Morris, Kim Matula, Finn Wolfhard, Nicholas Braun, Cooper Hoffman, Andrew Barth Feldman, Kaia Gerber, Tommy Dewey, Willem Dafoe, Matthew Rhys, J. K. Simmons

Everyone knows of Saturday Night Live, the American comedy sketch show, right? Even if you’ve never seen an episode, guaranteed you’ve heard jokes or songs that have spawned from it, or seen clips online. Saturday Night charts the first night the show ever went live on October 11th, 1975, from its disasterous rehearsals up to the minute it goes live. We meet much of the original cast (not the real-life actors, of course), and are privy to many disputes and meet dramatic personalities. This film might be more suited to American audiences, or at least those very familiar with Saturday Night Live, especially in its early days. It’s a fun look behind-the-scenes of one of the most famous television shows in the world, and most certainly will have some raised eyebrows from those still alive to see themselves portrayed in such a way that must feel somewhat fourth-wall breaking. A lot will go over your head if you’re not all that up to date on everything SNL, but there is still some entertainment to be gleaned from it, which is kind of what SNL is all about anyway.

Director: Tim Mielants
Writers: Enda Walsh, based on the book by Claire Keegan
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Eileen Walsh, Emily Watson, Clare Dunne

Just before Christmas in Ireland, 1985, Bill (Murphy) stumbles upon a pregnant, mistreated girl at a convent, a situation that reminds him of his own single mother and the life she had thanks to the kindness of others, as well as his own five daughters. Unsurprisingly, Murphy’s performance is what immerses audiences in this story. His ability to physically convey emotion, both through the eyes and his body language, is exactly what his quiet, kind-hearted character needed in order to drive home the themes and situations. The film itself is wonderfully shot and features excellent supporting performances across the board. It is a real reminder of the need for human kindness and the bravery it takes to stand up against those that are in a position to give, and yet refuse to do so.

Director: Adrien Beau
Writer: Adrien Beau, Hadrien Bouvier, based on The Family of the Vourdalak by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy
Cast: Kacey Mottet Klein, Ariane Labed, Grégoire Colin, Vassili Schneider, Adrien Beau

Consider this to be a vampire film unlike any you’ve seen before. When he is robbed and loses his horse, Marquis Jacques Saturnin du Antoine (Klein) finds himself at the home of a man named Gourcha (voiced by Beau), who is missing after going to fight some Turks that had previously attacked their village. Gourcha’s family welcome Jacques into their home, but upon Gourcha’s shocking return, the family become divided, with some believing he has become a vourdalak (similar to a vampire), and Jacques finds himself getting involved when Gourcha becomes violent. It’s a wonderfully gothic film that is timeless in its style, weaving influences from different films and genres across the past century, particularly clear in its use of Super 16mm film. The puppet used for Gourcha initially seems absurd to the point of comedy, but as the film progresses, it becomes a real figure of fear. The story itself is superb and underscored with individual characterisations that are the foundation of this insane and enjoyable horror.