X (2022)

IMDb plot summary: In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives.

Directed by Ti West. Starring Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Brittany Snow.

X is a horror film about a group of young adults who rent out an old mostly-empty farm in which to shoot an adult film, while the owners of the farm lurk around being generally ominous. And then people start dying. It's kind of a vague horror story that leans more into the vibe than into clear narrative answers for anything that's happening, and while that mostly works, I do find myself wishing I had a deeper understanding of what the actual motivation was for any of these character. Without that, though, it's still a semi-interesting slasher pic with a creative atmosphere. And after this and Infinity Pool, I am fully on the Mia Goth train. She brings such an unusual energy to everything she does, and while I forgot about the details of both of these movies pretty quickly after watching them, the image of Mia Goth wandering through the worlds sticks with me. I know I've sworn off franchises, but I am tempted to go ahead and watch Pearl, the companion piece to this one, to see if that is a more satisfying watch than this one.

How it entered my Flickchart:

X < The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

X > National Treasure: Book of Secrets

X > Outbreak

X < The King and I

X > Hellfighters

X > Like Crazy

X > Life of Pi

X < King Kong (2005)

X > Up Tight!

X < Cropsey

X > Belfast

Final spot: #2170 out of 3823, or 43%.

Tremors (1990)

IMDb plot summary: Natives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.

Directed by Ron Underwood. Starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and Finn Carter.

Tremors is a fun comedy sci fi thriller about a town that discovers the surrounding desert is full of enormous worms that are starting to attack the citizens. It was especially fun to watch this shortly after Them!, which also features oversized creepy crawlies borne from nuclear experimentation, but where Them! was solemn and cautionary, Tremors is playful and high-energy. We get a beautifully distinct cast of characters, each of whom bring their own perspectives and solutions to the table, and watching them interact and try tactic after tactic to save their town is just such a fun ride. There's not a lot of depth to either plot or character growth, but that's not what the film is trying to do, so it's not missed. While I don't typically lean into gross-out horror, some of the worm death moments are viscerally icky in a way that I really enjoyed -- a couple moments I laughed out loud at how unexpectedly gooey it was. Overall, a delightful watch that I had a good time with.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Tremors > The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Tremors < Elf

Tremors > The Tragedy of Macbeth

Tremors > The Country Girl

Tremors > Auntie Mame

Tremors > Father of the Bride (1991)

Tremors > National Lampoon's Vacation

Tremors < Till Death

Tremors > The Palm Beach Story

Tremors > H.M.S. Defiant

Tremors < The Menu

Final spot: #973 out of 3822, or 75%.

Borrowed Wives (1930)

IMDb plot summary: Peter has to be married by midnight or else his inheritance goes to his uncle... Who happens to live in a "haunted house".

Directed by Frank R. Strayer. Starring Rex Lease, Vera Reynolds, and Paul Hurst.

Borrowed Wives is a 1930 comedy about a man who is set to receive an inheritance from his grandfather as long as he is married by a certain time. He has plans to do so, but his fiancee's plane is delayed and he is forced to find another woman to pose as his new wife at the last minute, and chaos ensues. The plot and stakes in this one are beautifully simple, and they have a great deal of fun playing with all the ways this could go wrong. It's not an incredible or terribly memorable film -- I didn't walk out of this film necessarily remembering any of the specific jokes, but I did have a general sense of having had a good time, and sometimes that's all you need from your movies. It feels very much like one of those infinite playful mysteries that local community theaters put on as a reliable crowdpleaser, and it is that.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Borrowed Wives > The Blues Brothers

Borrowed Wives < In the Name of the Father

Borrowed Wives > Dan in Real Life

Borrowed Wives < The Country Girl

Borrowed Wives > Logan

Borrowed Wives < There Will Be Blood

Borrowed Wives > Moonwalker

Borrowed Wives > Moby Dick

Borrowed Wives > Orgazmo

Borrowed Wives > Monsters Vs. Aliens

Borrowed Wives < Nine to Five

Final spot: #1257 out of 3821, or 67%.

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

IMDb plot summary: Two adults and a juvenile break into a house occupied by a brother and sister and their stolen children. There, they must fight for their lives.

Directed by Wes Craven. Starring Brandon Quintin Adams, Everett McGill, and Wendy Robie.

The People Under the Stairs is a horror film that follows Fool, a young boy who becomes entangled in a nightmarish journey when he breaks into a seemingly abandoned house to steal a valuable coin. The film masterfully weaves social commentary and horror, creating a thought-provoking yet terrifying narrative. Fool stands out among other protagonists in the genre for not only his intelligence but especially his empathy. These surprising traits add depth to the story and make his survival a compelling focal point. Much of the film's brilliance lies in its restraint, revealing only fragments of the disturbing backstory. This enhances the horror, as our imagination fills in the gaps. Another one of the film's strengths is its unexpectedly empowering conclusion, which serves as a satisfying resolution to the characters' struggles. This contrast to traditional horror endings sets "The People Under the Stairs" apart, leaving viewers with a sense of hope and victory. If this is what Wes Craven is capable of, I really have to pay deeper attention to his filmography. This film demonstrates that he can create a film that is both chilling and thought-provoking in all the right ways.

How it entered my Flickchart:

The People Under the Stairs > The Blues Brothers

The People Under the Stairs > Elf

The People Under the Stairs < Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

The People Under the Stairs > Jeopardy

The People Under the Stairs > The Fabelmans

The People Under the Stairs > Black Panther

The People Under the Stairs > Breaking Away

The People Under the Stairs > Grease

The People Under the Stairs > Short Term 12

The People Under the Stairs < Cam

The People Under the Stairs > Network

Final spot: #482 out of 3820, or 87%.

Nate and Hayes (1983)

IMDb plot summary: A swashbuckling adventure which takes place in the mid-1800's on the South Pacific islands where bloody raids and battles were once the rule of the day.

Directed by Ferdinand Fairfax. Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Michael O'Keefe, and Max Phipps.

Nate & Hayes is an adventure film that follows swashbuckling pirate Captain Bully Hayes and his unexpected companion Nate Williams, as they navigate treacherous waters and dangerous foes in the South Pacific. This was part of my watchthrough of John Hughes' screenwriting credits, and I definitely noticed traces of his comedic style sprinkled throughout. Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of a pirate is... unusual at best, but kind of fascinating, and the film commendably leans into a buddy comedy trope that doesn't rely on "which of us gets the girl." However, despite these unique elements, Nate & Hayes suffers from a lack of depth and ultimately doesn't leave much of an impression. Worse, the film's take on race definitely has not aged well, and it makes several of the scenes of our characters cavorting around quote-unquote "exotic" locations nearly unwatchable. At best it's bland, at worst it's actively unpleasant.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Nate and Hayes < The Blues Brothers

Nate and Hayes < National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Nate and Hayes > Joseph: King of Dreams

Nate and Hayes < A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy

Nate and Hayes > Fedora

Nate and Hayes > First Man

Nate and Hayes < The Omen

Nate and Hayes < Avanti!

Nate and Hayes < Diana: The Musical

Nate and Hayes > Alfie (2004)

Nate and Hayes < The Machinist

Final spot: #3158 out of 3819, or 17%.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil (2010)

IMDb plot summary: Affable hillbillies Tucker and Dale are on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin when they are mistaken for murderers by a group of preppy college students.

Directed by Eli Craig. Starring Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, and Katrina Bowden.

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil revolves around two well-intentioned hillbillies, the titular Tucker and Dale, whose vacation takes a nightmarish turn when a series of misunderstandings lead a group of college kids to believe they're psycho killers. The film's comedy really leans into the farcical nature of these misunderstandings with fatal consequences, and it works perfectly. At least one of the death scenes got a genuine out-loud laugh from me. But more surprisingly, the movie stands out for its unexpected depth of empathy. While it plays with the country vs. city stereotypes, it portrays both Tucker and Dale as relatable and endearing characters, while also giving the city kids more complexity than mere caricatures would get. This blend of humor, horror, and heart is perfectly balanced, with comedic moments complementing rather than detracting from the tension. Overall, I'm glad I finally got around to watching Tucker and Dale. It's a delightful and refreshing horror-comedy, proving that a twisted premise and genuine empathy can make for a strangely charming horror experience.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > The Blues Brothers

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > Key Largo

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil < Secretary

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > Jeopardy

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > The Fabelmans

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > The Last Unicorn

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > 56 Up

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > Women Talking

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > Network

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > The Legend of 1900

Tucker and Dale vs. Evil > The White Tiger

Final spot: #478 out of 3818, or 87%.

Them! (1954)

IMDb plot summary: The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.

Directed by Gordon Douglas. Starring James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, and Joan Weldon.

Them! tells the story of a small town in the desert plagued by mysterious deaths, and the team of scientists and researchers who come in to investigate. While it's pretty well-known in pop culture what the cause of all this is, the movie doesn't reveal it until much later in the film, so I'll keep it a surprise in my review. The opening scene with the police picking up a terrified silent young girl wandering along in the desert sets a haunting tone that the rest of the movie doesn't quite hold -- but the movie is still very good. While the dialogue occasionally gets heavy-handed, the movie excels in crafting a sense of mystery with how skillfully it's paced. And it was delightful to see a female researcher given as much expertise as her peers, despite being objectified by other men around her. This was the first in a series of movie recommendations given to me along the theme of "horror movies with social commentary," and it fit that bill perfectly. Definitely worth watching!

How it entered my Flickchart:

Them! > The Gray Man

Them! > Dark Passage

Them! < Secretary

Them! < Jeopardy

Them! > Kismet

Them! > Au Revoir Les Enfants

Them! < Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Them! > Don't Drink the Water

Them! > Picnic at Hanging Rock

Them! < Mildred Pierce

Them! > Split

Final spot: #749 out of 3817, or 80%.