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TNT’s “The Alienist” Offers Gruesome Murder, Excellent Acting, & More in First Three Episodes

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Caleb Carr’s novel, The Alienist, has been described as Silence of the Lambs meets Sherlock Holmes, and it isn’t hard to see why. The murders inside its covers are some of the most brutal I’ve ever read, and its killer could easily give Hannibal Lecter and Buffalo Bill a run for their money.

The story blends fiction with history including the role of Theodore Roosevelt long before his years as President, when he served as a police commissioner trying to exorcise the corruption from the New York Police Department.

It also takes into account the history of psychiatric practice in the 19th century including the term “alienist” itself. It was believed that a man or woman who suffered from mental illness was alienated from their nature and therefore the doctors who treated them were called alienists.

In other words, there were a lot of layers to this story and adaptation was going to be a tough needle to thread…

So, when I settled in for the first episode of TNT’s adaptation of the best-selling book, I wondered just how they’d go about dealing with its particular brand of violence and the melding of historic fact and fiction. They did it, in a word, masterfully.

The Alienist centers on a series of murders in New York City in 1896. The victims, young and impoverished boys barely into their teenage years who have been pulled into a life of sex work, are largely faceless, and their murders raise little alarm among the city’s police force, and even less among society at large despite the details of their deaths.

Their eyes have been removed, you see. Their genitalia has been cut off and stuffed into the mouth, one hand removed, and a series of cuts across their torsos have left them almost disemboweled.

Enter Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, an alienist with a reputation for being a renegade among his fellows, who believes that by using what they learn from the murders, they can create a portrait of who this murderer is. It was an idea unheard of in the late 1800s, and it sets in motion a chain of events you have to see to believe.

Daniel Bruhl brings Kreizler to life with a measured skill. Every gesture and expression is exact and planned, never giving away more than what he wants the audience to know.

In his hands, Kreizler is more than the title character. He is a skilled man with a mind ahead of his time whose every win and loss is monumentally personal to him.

Luke Evans plays John Moore, an illustrator for the New York Times who moves almost casually between high society and the slums of New York. In the novel, Moore is the voice of the narrator and Evans perfectly portrays the man’s uncertainty in a world where his profession is being made obsolete with the advent of the camera.

Rounding out the leads, Dakota Fanning plays Sara Howard, an ambitious young woman who wants to be New York’s first female detective and who is already making inroads to that position by being the first woman to ever work, in any capacity, in the NYPD. Fanning’s considerable acting talents are on full display proving that she’s made the move from child actress to adulthood with alacrity.

Dakota Fanning, Luke Evans, and Daniel Bruhl in TNT’s The Alienist

Special mention should also be given to Douglas Smith and Matthew Shear who play Detective Sergeants Marcus and Lucius Isaacson, a pair of young, sibling detectives eager to embrace new schools of thought in forensics. The Isaacsons bring much needed humor and exuberance to the series that helps to necessarily ease the tension in certain scenes.

Writer Hossein Amini and director Jakob Verbruggen along with an excellent production crew have re-created 19th century New York on location in modern day Budapest down to the finest details, and a special nod must be given to costume designer Michael Kaplan who clothes the characters in authentic materials and textures.

In their capable hands, New York is a living breathing character of its own that is equal parts decadence and filth-covered poverty.

Verbruggen has managed, in each of the first three episodes, to methodically build a tension that is palpable as new clues and murders reveal more about the man behind them while simultaneously offering the audience a growing list of suspects.

“The Alienist” airs Monday nights on TNT (check local listings for times), and it’s a perfect fit for horror fans who love a good mystery with a brutal serial killer as its villain.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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