Review: The Crucifixion



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Religion and horror go hand-in-hand. From exorcisms to home blessings, clergy play a role in a great many of films and while many of these movies have entered a repetitive territory, filmmakers are constantly looking for new ways to bring in religion. Movies like Deliver Us from Evil brought a more detective mystery vibe and The Exorcism of Emily Rose made the court proceedings take center stage. Following this direction and more closely related to the latter, is The Crucifixion.

Following a young journalist investigating the death of a nun in what appears to be an exorcism gone wrong; The Crucifixion valiantly attempts to join the reconstruction of the exorcism subgenre with flairs of blame placed on mental illness and poverty. The story, which eventually finds our lead, Nicole, played by Sophie Cookson (Moonfleet), face-to-face with something truly horrific, works best when grounded in tense, atmospheric horror but the inclusion of an array of supporting characters muddles the existing ones development. Nicole is unapologetically smarmy and career-driven, she's a welcome change from the reactive female characters in horror before her, but ultimately not that compelling.

The fact of the matter is, The Crucifixion isn't as complicated as it would seem, nor as successful in its execution. While it traverses new territory with a fresher concept, it never fully invests in its characters or spins a story interesting enough to warrant its existence. Among the drama that unfolds, there are some effective scares, but even these aren't enough to overcome a plot that rambles on.

The Crucifixion does its best to be its own story but definitely falters into familiar territory. For an indie, smaller release, it's definitely more impressive than other releases this year. But, when so many horror films are breaking new ground or maintaining conventions, but providing excessive scares, The Crucifixion is watchable, but easily overlooked and even more easily forgotten. 4 out 10.

Best in Show: Geriatric Nightmares (Pt. II of II)

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5. Mary Shaw (Dead Silence)
Before horror director James Wan invested himself into the world of Insidious - feature a horrific ghost lady - he reinvigorated our fear of puppets and the ventriloquists who operate them in Dead Silence. Brimming with jump scares and a genuinely terrifying old lady in Mary Shaw, Dead Silence is deeply unsettling. She is a relentless entity with control over some horrifying dolls. Mary Shaw is easily one of the more underrated horror villains out there, often forgotten alongside bigger projects in Wan’s repertoire.


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4. Woman in Black (The Woman in Black)

Is the Woman in Black an old woman? Maybe not, but her dark, frumpy outfit and ghastly image certainly evokes a sense of geriatric horror. She's the type of character that isn't the most distinguishable in age; after death her ghoulishness isn't easily linked to what her age could have been. While she chases young people more than adults, she is all around scary and will stay caught in your brains for some time.

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3. Deborah Logan (The Taking of Deborah Logan) 

On the list of old people in horror, no one is more worthy of inclusion than Deborah Logan in The Taking of Deborah Logan. While Deborah's feeble stature and disarming personality may make you think you're about to rest easy, be warned, you're about to see something that'll surely keep you awake. Equally endearing as it is horrifying; this found-footage film will make you question the sincerity of your cuddly grandma, but also will you to hold her a little closer. Deborah is, by and large, one of the scariest old women in horror. Whether her mouth is agape or she is simply telling you off as many stubborn old women do, Mrs. Logan is anything but friendly.

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2. Mrs. Ganush (Drag Me To Hell) When Drag Me to Hell came out, it drew the attention of plenty horror fans. Featuring plenty of comical laughs and some eccentric imagery, the film was an enigma among off remakes and conventional horror films. Mrs. Ganush, the witchy villain that curses loan officer Christine is all types of spooky. Her haunting composure, visceral stare and wicked demeanor all make for an elderly character that should strike fear in viewers. The movie's comedy will certainly throw you off, but Mrs. Ganush will constantly remind you that what you're watching is most definitely a horror movie.

1. Nana & Pop Pop (The Visit)

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Talk about a plot twist. At the center of 2015's The Visit is what seems to be a loving - although odd - pair of grandparents, is instead something far more sinister. When Tyler and Becca go to visit the parents of their mother who hasn't seen or heard from them for many years, things start off well enough; cookies, games and plenty of grandparent activities. But, as things slowly unravel it becomes clear to both the siblings and the audience that things are really, really wrong. Nana and Pop Pop are weird, really weird. So weird in fact, that they do things like crawl around in the dark, chase their grandchildren under the porch and say things that aren't quite right. The Visit balances some more comical moments with absolutely terrifying ones. The grandparents are deceivingly old, but by far some of the scariest antagonist in horror history.

Best in Show: Geriatric Nightmares (Pt. I of II)

So often, horror fans turn to creepy children and commend their talent and ability to scare often overlooked but most definitely necessary, elders in horror can provide some truly terrifying moments. This week's list covers the most horrifying old people in horror. So grab your quilts, your knitting needles and a cat because these aren't your typical, loving grandparents.

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10. Old Woman (Devil)

While perhaps too young to be called "elderly," Jenny O'Hara's role as the old woman in M. Night Shyamalan's Devil is everything an older woman in horror should aspire to be. Deceptively innocent and entirely unsettling, O'Hara's character may end up being a part of a relatively predictable twist, but it doesn't stop her from greatness. She's an iconic older female in horror and worthy of this spot.

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9. Mr. and Mrs. Ulman The House of the Devil

Must be the season of the Devil because The House of the Devil has been clearing lists on this blog for the past few weeks. Extremely multidimensional and easily applicable to plenty of horror tropes and angles, this film has a lot to offer. And, when it comes to scary old people, this movie's got it down. The Ulmans are deeply troubling. From their first scene and encounter with Samantha, it's clear something isn't quite right with the darkly lit, black-wearing couple. The unveiling of their sinister intentions won't shock anyone, but the results are absolutely terrifying.

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8. Lorraine Massey (The Shining)

One of the scariest parts of the mega classic, The Shining, is the crazed woman first encountered by Danny in room 237. The Shining is legendary and the horrific Lorraine Massey deserves the notoriety often reserved for the Grady twins. Her character is deeply unsettling. From shape-shifting to her ghoulish figure, she is truly the stuff of nightmares.  Whether coming after Danny or making out with Jack Torrance, Lorraine Massey is a scary reminder that looks can be deceiving and even the least visibly menacing characters can be horrifying.



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7. Minnie and Roman Castevet (Rosemary's Baby)

It's so nice when you move into a new apartment and the neighbors are friendly. But, sometimes, friendliness goes a little too far and the results are downright unsettling. In Rosemary's Baby the elderly neighbors of the Woodhouses are exactly what you'd want to avoid in an apartment hunt. Sure, they come across as sweet and innocent but, like many older characters in horror, this pair is deceptively evil. Kind of similar to the Ulmans of The House of the Devil, this classic and infamous duo never seems quite right in the head.

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6. The Old Woman (Insidious)

While Insidious is filled to the rim with scary creatures, ghoulish characters and ghastly children, it's the old woman in a black gown that is truly at the core of this horror film. What makes her so scary is the fact that she moves subtly through The Further while still maintaining an ice cold grip on her victims. If Josh was any of us, I'm sure we'd be equally afraid to take photos knowing there's a chance she's nearby. While some of the bigger bad spirits in Insidious get some of the scariest scenes, there's no denying the permeating fear and dread presented by The Old Woman's perseverance.

Best in Show: Unsuspecting Travelers Abroad (Pt. I of II)

Horror has a long history of inflicting itself upon the unexpected. Especially abroad, travelers often get way more than they bargained for. With summer fast approaching and the need to explore outside of our borders itching at the adventurous, this week's list looks at the best horror movies about travelers abroad. Ignoring the somewhat problematic nature of painting foreign lands as particularly dangerous, these free-for-all movies are often complete descents into chaos.




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10. Out of the Dark

While not the most cohesive film, Out of the Dark is a rare indie horror film that feels scary. Offering a share of jarring moments featuring dead, bandaged children and terrifying shadows, the film wasn't much of a critic or commercial success. Its problematic painting of the mysticism of the third world - although met with a certain tone of first world oppression - didn't do the ghost story any favors. But, Out of the Dark is plenty horrifying. It follows a mother positioned to take over her father's business in South America, whose family is haunted upon arrival. The movie gets twisty as discoveries are made and the mother's daughter goes missing. Out of the Dark is ta telling story of how American misdeals can come back to bite you.



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9. They're Watching

They're Watching is a pretty ridiculous movie with a fun, engaging plot and pretty much zero basis in reality. Following an American home makeover TV crew in Eastern Europe, They're Watching plays completely into the traditions and mystic nostalgia of the area while providing the occasional scare and intentional laugh. It's a terrifically odd movie destined to scare few, but entertain all. It's placement on this list is mostly thanks to the sketchy villagers surrounding the makeover home who make for deeply unsettling moments.



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8. Wolf Creek

This movie is bleak. Wolf Creek is a gritty portrayal of suffering at the hands of a maniac. Following a pair of British 20-somethings who travel into the Outback with an Australian, Wolf Creek is a stark cat-and-mouse chase of disturbing proportions. It's a film that features little relief or absurdity and instead focuses on unsettling the viewer through very real possibilities of kidnap and torture. For some viewers, Wolf Creek will most definitely be too much, but who could blame them? This film is so painfully executed that the awfulness these characters experience, you feel, too.



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7. The Ruins

The Ruins is pretty typical for a mid-2000s horror movie; dumb young adults doing dumb, adventurous things and paying for it. But none of these aspects stops this film from being terrifying. Featuring a mysterious Mayan ruin with viciously alive vines, The Ruins makes adventure feel all too worthless. From the Cabin Fever inflections of attempting to strip your body of the infection to the off-center mimicry of the plants, this movie will leave viewers afraid of going anywhere that's not a particular tourist trap. In The Ruins, unmarked means death.



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6. Borderland

For detractors of Wolf Creek, heed this warning: Borderland is not for you. Following a trio of college friends who get swept up into a satanic crime cult, Borderland takes everything displayed by Wolf Creek, adds dimensions of the occult and tosses it into a small Mexican city. It's gory and gratuitous violence; all exasperated by harsh lighting and intense camera work make for a romp that'll make stomachs turn. Borderland has some of the intrusive nature of Americans into other's lands and nails the ignorance of youth perfectly.