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Saturday is Horror Day #148 – We Need to Talk About Kevin, Saw IV

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

We Need to Talk About Kevin

Every expectant parents dreams about the baby they are having, of their hopes and dreams for the new life they are bringing into the world. But sometimes reality is a far cry from what they envisioned.  Such is the case with Eva (Tilda Swinton) and Franklin (John C. Reilly). From the beginning, Kevin (Jasper Newell) was different. At first nonverbal, he was strong-willed and defiant. If he didn’t want to do something, he didn’t do it, and no one and nothing could make him do it. Even after he began to speak, he was rude and condescending. He refused to be toilet trained and was wearing diapers when he was six or seven years of age, deliberately soiling himself to force his mother to clean him up.

Eva tries, but he pushes her away at every turn. And when Franklin is around, he doesn’t exhibit the same

psychotic behavior. Eva is at her wit’s end. Getting pregnant again was not on her agenda, but it happened, and they welcomed a daughter, Celia (Ashley Gerasimovich). Celia is a sweet child, who adores her older brother, despite the horrible way he treats her. An unexplained accident leaves the poor girl with only one eye. Eva knows who is to blame, but nothing is done. She tries to talk to her husband but he doesn’t listen because he doesn’t want to hear or see what she does. And then the unthinkable happens…

This is a very chilling story, one which will especially resonate with parents. Love isn’t always the answer, and not all children are sweet and innocent. Some are just born bad. The story goes back and forth between the present and the past, and what leads up to the present. You can figure out something is wrong by the things you don’t see in the present. What do you do when your child is a monster? Is there a point at which unconditional love has to take a back seat to reality? Tilda Swinton is great as Kevin’s mother, and Jasper Newell shines as Kevin. It’s a hard film to watch, yet very compelling at the same time. I give this film 4 Stars.

Saw IV

John Kramer (Tobin Bell) may be dead, but the games are far from over. John’s legacy continues through his newest assistant. Who is that? That would be telling, now wouldn’t it. Now let the games continue!

The Saw franchise is far from over, and new puzzles await. Detective Rigg (Lyriq Bent) is put to the

test, as are various other law enforcement officials, such as Agent Straham (Scott Patterson) and Detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) and Agent Perez (Athena Karkansis, who you might remember from Manifest).  As usual, John’s games target those who deserve punishment for something, but he gives them a chance to save themselves, but at a price.

This installment is not lacking in gory games or twists and turns that will leave you wondering what the heck is going on, and who is playing a game of their own. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #146 – Saw III

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Saw III

Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) awakens to find himself in quite the predicament – chained inside of a bathroom. But not just any bathroom, one that was obviously the scene of a horrific crime. Blood smeared everywhere, dead men grotesquely displayed. And the only tool he can reach is a hacksaw. He furiously saws at his chains, but to no avail. And then he spies what was clearly someone else’s solution to the dilemma. The question is, can he do the same thing?

Lynn (Bahar Soomekh) is a doctor whose marriage is clearly suffering, but she doesn’t seem to have the stamina or the will to deal with the estrangement between herself and her husband. She leaves for her night shift at the hospital, her husband’s last words ringing in her ears – “I want a divorce”. At work, she can’t seem to focus on what she should and is told to go home. But Lynn is unexpectedly kidnapped by a strange figure and wakens to find herself in her own precarious predicament. She has a deadly contraption fastened about her neck and the rules of this strange game are explained to her – she must keep John Kramer alive or Lynn will die!

John Kramer (Tobin Bell) has a new protegee, former junkie Amanda (Shawnee Smith) who is assisting him in his games. She has kidnapped Lynn to keep John alive. She has also kidnapped a man named Jeff (Angus Macfadyen) who is grieving over the loss of his son, killed in an accident. He is set to undergo tests of his own, under Amanda’s watchful eye, and just maybe he will be able to take his revenge on the man who killed his son. Let the games begin.

The third installment in the Saw franchise may just be the best one yet. Beneath the surface story of bloody violent games, Saw III is about revenge vs forgiveness. There is a lot going on here beneath the surface, as well as the usual scenes of violence and gore. Makes you think about what you would do if you found yourself in a similar situation. I really enjoyed this film. I’ll give it 4.25 Stars.

Saturday is Horror Day #131 – Saw II

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Saw II

Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) has a troubled relationship with his son Daniel (Erik Knudsen). The rebellious boy is acting up and getting into trouble. Eric Matthews gets mad at him and yells at him to leave if he wants to so the boy does. Eric finds himself investigating a murder with his partner Kerry (Dina Meyer), but there’s a twist – the killer has left a personal message for the detective. What is going on?

The victim was someone Matthews knew, although facial recognition was impossible due to the way the

man died. But he recognized his unique tattoos and knows he was someone he once put away. Matthews reaches out to his son, to no avail, but soon finds himself immersed in the case as it becomes obvious the killer is none other than Jigsaw. Acting on certain evidence, they locate John Kramer (Tobin Bell), and it seems like a slam dunk…but, of course, it isn’t. The detectives discover a bank of monitors which reveal several people on camera who are trapped together somewhere…including Matthews’ son Daniel. Kramer explains about the nerve gas that is slowly killing them if they don’t get out within a certain period of time. But he says if the detective is patient and waits, he will get what he wants. Of course, Matthews chooses otherwise. Let the games begin…

The second installment of the Saw series is every bit as bloody as the first, maybe more so. And there are definite twists you won’t see coming, including a previous location. The first death in this film was memorable to me, as I looked at what needed to be done and realized I would just have to die too, I couldn’t do what it would take to get free.

I absolutely love this series, but I know it isn’t for everyone. The scene with the pit filled with needles made me cringe. I don’t think I would have the nerve to go into that. Looking forward to rewatching the rest and also the tenth Saw that is coming out at the end of September. I give this film 4.5 Stars.