This year’s “Welcome to the Blumhouse” concludes today with the final two films, Madres and The Manor. It continues this overarching theme of featuring underutilized—or ignored—characters in the genre. And both deliver with very different strengths.
Recommended: “Welcome to the Blumhouse” BLACK AS NIGHT & BINGO HELL Review
MADRES
With their first child due soon, Beto (Tenoch Huerta) and Diana (Ariana Guera) relocate from Los Angeles to a small farming town far from the city. As they settle into their new community, Diana begins to experience complications alongside frightening visions. As she digs into the history of the town, she may uncover something much more horrifying than the things haunting her.
Directed by Ryan Zaragoza and written by Marcella Ochoa and Mario Miscione, Madres is a slow-paced film that while not inherently scary, showcases different horrors. I did find the story to drag in the first two acts, but the third act takes a horrifying turn, as the true story that inspired the film is explained. And it will have an ending that will deeply disturb and stick with you well after the credits roll.
THE MANOR
Though Judith (Barbara Hershey) feels young at heart, her ailing health convinces her that it’s time to move into a nursing home. She’s quickly put off by some of the staff’s aggressive practices and the disturbing decline of her roommate. Though her sanity comes into question when she begins seeing a figure she believes is preying on the others.
The Manor is perhaps the most familiar supernatural haunt of the four films released this year, but that doesn’t mean it’s predictable. Written and directed by Axelle Carolyn, the film utilizes some creepy elements and mild jump scares alongside a moody atmosphere. The mystery builds at a great pace and the ending subverts expectations, offering a nicely packaged story.
Watch both on Amazon Prime Video today!
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