3×3 Horror Reviews from a Busy 3-Day Weekend

On By kyraalexandriaIn Cinema, Reviews

Longlegs, Lovely, Dark, and Deep, and Arcadian.

Much to my surprise, we are in fact, already in mid-July which means my long ago pre-planned long weekend has come and (mostly) gone. I took off Friday to sleep in after attending night 1 of Lucky Daye’s Algorithm tour, and surprise surprise: ended up at the movies. So began a fun, fright-filled weekend. Let’s discuss, spoiler-free as always!

Longlegs (2024) ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I am speaking only to fans of slow, dark, moody horror: run, don’t walk. Longlegs is truly for fans of film, those who can love how a project made them feel even if they forget what the film is about. I am far from an expert in film, just a big fan so while I don’t have the technical language, I found myself awed by the camera angles, the colors, the lighting, the sound design in this film. There is a lot about this film that struck me even though the plot doesn’t quite stick the landing in the final act. But what I would say is a nice treat about this film: it is surprisingly unsettling for a slow horror; I usually have to sacrifice mood or intrigue in horror, but this film is a feast in both regards. If you’ve seen any of the posters for this film, you already know the vibes; they put me in the mind of Saint Maud with good reason. I love this kind of film because you actually have plenty of time for the dread to flow through your body—I became more afraid as the film built even as the pacing held steady. Nick Cage, Maika Monroe and Blair Underwood all give excellent performances but I consider that a given. My last thought is: if you’ve heard enough to decide this is your kind of movie, go see it in theaters. This is a viewing experience that is significantly improved by an enormous screen, surround sound & total darkness.

Lovely, Dark, and Deep (2023) ⭐⭐⭐ ½ /5 

If you missed this independent horror release in theaters last year, you’re not alone! The limited release didn’t quite align with my schedule, and Lovely, Dark, and Deep has been on my ‘must watch’ list since then. This is another slow one which y’all know is my jam. Plus, it’s set in the woods which is my favorite place! Let’s see, what else did they ace: casting Georgina Campbell, easily one of the best rising scream queens, creating an intriguing lore, nailing some nightmare-inducing, “what am I looking at?!” visuals, and an ending that startles then simmers. Now some misses: there’s a ~30-minute dream sequence in the second act; it’s much too long and adds confusion where none was before. There’s also some unimpressive acting from the supporting cast that pulled me out of the film a bit. Overall, I think this film has enough familiar elements to feel predictable before moving in some unexpected directions. While I’m cured of my FOMO from missing the theatrical viewings, I am still pleased to finally have caught this one!

Arcadian (2024) ⭐⭐⭐ ½  /5

Who knew my weekend would feature so much Nick Cage? Arcadian is, at its core, a creature feature. Everything takes a backseat to the creature in this film: the plot is pretty standard coming-of-age fare. The acting is just fine: Nick Cage and Jaeden Martell are solid, while the third co-star, Maxwell Jenkins, struggled to keep up in my opinion. And the shooting style didn’t work for me personally: shaky cam eugh. Okay, so a lot of this film is just mid but the creature. My goodness, it is altogether nightmarish: a fascinating amalgamation of the creatures that could survive an apocalyptic disaster: it mimics, distracts, is noisy and is violent. I really don’t want to say much more than that because I’m not exaggerating when I say the creature is the best part of this film. A lot of the film also takes place in the dark which I believe really serves the intrigue of the creature and dunks you straight into why it’s challenging to defeat and so terrifying for the characters to encounter. All in: this film was entertaining, had some quality tense moments and has just enough heart to resonate dully. 

Have you seen any of these films? Sound off below: which ones scared you most?

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