17/42
From the chilling to the risqué, here are five horror films you might have missed
Scenario
A fading celebrity takes a black market drug: a substance that replicates cells and temporarily creates a younger, better version of themselves. There’s nothing scarier than being human, and these films delve deeply into the inhuman ways our bodies can betray us. Ray Liotta was cast in the film in February 2022, but died in May of that year before he could film his scenes. Dennis Quaid replaced him, but Liotta is still mentioned in the director’s “Notes of Thanks” during the credits.
Appeared in The 7PM Project: September 20, 2024 episode (2024)
The toilet mirror reappears intact after being repeatedly broken during the fight sequence. Elisabeth Sparkle: There was some slight abuse of the substance. Special thanks in the credits goes to the many extras in the theater scene, who were covered in blood. Pump It UpWritten by Michael Hall, Leonardo StellaStarring Earl GregoryProduced by Julien Deguines.
She then receives the offer to create a younger version of herself (Margaret Qualley) using the substance referred to in the title
I have to admit that I did Madame Fargeat a disservice with my review of her first film (“Revenge”), because at the time I perceived it as a pseudo-feminist rape-revenge thriller with considerable logical problems. But now it’s clear to me: the “message” is just the starting point, otherwise she mainly wants to have fun and bring her wonderful style to the people, which I really liked in her first film. This time it was clear from the beginning: there’s no need to even think about the suspension of disbelief: the no longer very young TV celebrity Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), now a prima ballerina in a fitness program, is rejected by her producer (Dennis Quaid) because of her age. But to do that, you have to follow some rules and that’s becoming increasingly difficult, especially for the younger version, with serious consequences.
And huge, huge respect to Demi Moore!
And that’s where Fargeat comes in, even more so than with “Revenge”. Body horror at its finest, almost making Cronenberg, Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna look like newbies. Other horror films are also happily referenced (including The Shining, Carrie and Freaks) without feeling forced or slavish. On the other hand, this film isn’t scary in any way, even though there are effects that will really bother you (I’m just saying “spinal cord puncture”), there’s plenty to laugh about for all the over-the-top action.
It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and be portrayed like that!
Check out our list of exciting new films from this year’s film festivals, including Venice, TIFF, New York Film Festival and more.