A film that comes with the title A Nun’s Curse you almost know what to expect. And sure enough there’s the ghost of an evil nun, an abandoned asylum and the expected back story that links them. When sisters (and their respective partners – both potential and established) end up lost and in an abandoned building, their night goes from bad to worse as the villainous Sister Monday makes a reappearance decades after she disappeared.

Our Scooby gang of four fit their stereotypes well but the film struggles to give them much to do beyond these. Attempts at humour are juvenile and dated, jarring when they should be enhancing the chemistry the group has. It’s a shame for the performers because they are perfectly watchable and would be something close to good if the material was even a smidge better. When the film takes it slow during its second act it actually comes close to endearing, in no small part thanks to Erika Edwards, Kristi Ray, Damien Maffei, and Gunner Willis.

A Nun’s Curse creaks under the weight of the tropes it is playing out, spending much of its running time establishing the threat its protagonists’ face. Lacking the gloss and confidence of other examples of the genre, Tommy Faircloth’s film must rely more than others on its ability to scare. For a ghost story it lacks the required melancholy to break out heart. For a slasher there’s just not enough gloop. For a folk horror or an entry in the occult the story is just too expected. And for anything in between there’s too much a reliance on loud jarring sound effects and ominous ethereal music to get the film through its running time. You ache for this to be a better, more interesting watch, and the flashes that do show promise quickly fade away.
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The film’s big strength is its location. Director Faircloth frames it well, lingering on the shadows and make it feel genuinely sinister. Some of the night time shots are effective, and it certainly is a locale that lingers in the memory. And genre mainstay Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp) is terrific fun as the film’s antagonist Sister Monday. But a well-chosen shooting location and an effectively cast villain besides there really isn’t much to recommend A Nun’s Curse. Religion has played an integral part in horror and there are numerous examples of films that use it to chilling effect. But this is not one of them and is more for a horror completest.

Sometimes films can come along with little fanfare and blow viewers away. This is the case with Andrew Patterson’s exceptional directorial debut (he also edits here), an intimate period piece that will charm, intrigue and enthral genre fans.

Tapping into the nostalgic delight of the likes of old-school anthology series The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limit, The Vast of Night takes viewers back to the 1950s, and follows the events of a single night in New Mexico. Fay is a teenage switchboard operator, while Everett is radio DJ who brims with confidence. Together they dig into a strange sound that people keep reporting that may point to the existence of life in the great unknown.

The Vast of Night is a perfect example of how to craft a blockbuster without the budget to act. It is both an intimate character piece and a sci-fi with expansive ideas and one eye looking out to the cosmos. It feels like it has been a long time since a work has so successfully captured why it is audiences are so drawn to stories about encounters with extra-terrestrial life. The look and sound of the piece is exemplary, recreating the period without overwhelming it with references (which the likes of Stranger Things and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark have all fallen into). The costumes are delightful, the settings evocatively crafted and all framed perfectly by the film’s confident camera work. M.I. Littin-Menz’s cinematography is fabulous with a particularly exceptional shot that kicks off the second act. The music is suitably evocative of the period and it is remarkable that this is Erick Alexander and Jared Bulmer first credit as composers. All involved will be names we associate with exceptional genre works going forward.

The ensemble brims with talent, with the actors balancing the shift in tones with skill. It helps that writers James Montague and Craig W. Sanger have put together a whip smart and pacey script that comes across as a delight to act out. Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz are perfectly cast in the central roles, bringing personality and charm to their characters. McCormick is a sparkling screen presence, with Fay being a likeable protagonist for the story being told, whilst Horowitz has a swagger and charm that perfectly suits his character. 
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Everything about The Vast of the Night sings. It’s a funny character piece, an endearing intimate period work and a sci-fi that is genuinely able to unnerve and intrigue. Any fears of a static watch due to the rather dense text being performed is unfounded given the skill behind the camera that brings this film to life. I wouldn’t be surprised if The Vast of the Night ends up in my top films of 2020, it’s that strong. ​

 Mirrors are evil things, and this is something very evident in today's film Behind You. Behind you is directed by Feature Film debuting duo Andrew Mecham and Matthew Whedon following the story of two sisters who are forced to life with their Aunt Beth after the death of their mother. Beth has a dark past however, conflicted of murdering her sister as a teenager Beth was sent to a mental hospital. Released Beth became a recluse but it wasn’t Beth who killed her sister that fateful night. The sisters Claire and Olivia find themselves in the middle of a supernatural and demonic battle as Claire becomes possessed by a mirror based demon who is trying to use Claire as a vessel into the world.

So on a rare occasion Behind You is a film I actually choose to watch off my own back which wasn’t a review screener, what a novel concept right? This is feeling more like the podcast lately. Joking aside I actually really enjoyed this film. We are treated to an unknown cast who actual had some acting talent, unlike the last film I reviewed Don’t Run. The kids are great in this, Beth is a brilliant character played by Jan Broberg who you may remember from the 2012 remake of Maniac, the role of psychotic aunt isn’t an easy one to get right but she has hit the right notes with this one.

I love the story in this one. Less on the scares and more on the atmosphere the film takes a used concept like a demon in the mirror and uses it subtly to add the much needed tension into a quiet film. The characters back history was well thought out and seemed more realistic than the usual haunted house type of storyline, putting Beth in a mental hospital for the death of her sister.
I always like the addition of mirrors in film, It is a great piece of folklore used. Candyman does this well as does Mirrors but it is an aspect that this film uses sparingly, but in a good way. Yes Behind You is one of these rare films that don’t pound out the idea till its dead in the water which is nice to see.

With a brilliant story and a great cast, not to mention very good direction and style, Behind you is 100% worth a watch during Lockdown.