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Fantasia 2019: ‘Homewrecker’ is a Polite Canadian’s Cautionary Tale
Actress Alexandra Essoe (Starry Eyes) makes her move into feature film writer with Zach Gayne’s directorial debut, Homewrecker. It’s a lively and entertaining Canadian horror-thriller that embraces its deep roots in the category of indie film.
Homewrecker follows Michelle (Essoe), a young interior designer who gets roped into a sudden and highly toxic relationship with eclectic and exuberant Linda (Precious Chong). After the two have a brief interaction at their shared gym, Linda finds Michelle in a local coffee shop and is determined to be fast friends. Linda’s enthusiasm quickly morphs into obsession while Michelle frantically tries to find a polite excuse to leave. Michelle’s discomfort turns to terror as Linda amps up the crazy, trapping Michelle in her home for a twisted tête-à-tête.
Homewrecker explores our inherent tolerance and patience, questioning at what point we listen to those warning bells and see those red flags. When do we just say “fuck politeness” and get the hell out of there? It’s not an easy answer (especially in Canadian society; being polite is our natural state).
Michelle doesn’t quite know when to say no, which spurs Linda on in her motorcade of personality. She opens herself up by sharing intimate details that only cause Michelle to shrink away as she’s hounded by this barrage of positivity. It’s easy to feel Michelle’s discomfort — Linda is sharing a lot, very quickly — and it’s no stretch to empathize with her in this awkward situation.
There’s a “Chekhov’s gun” moment as Linda is leading Michelle through her home, which the astute observer will appreciate. This dramatic principle states that if – in the first act – you have a pistol on the wall, it must be fired in the following act. A wall-mounted sledgehammer serves as a representation of Linda’s growth and progress thus far (making you wonder what she was like before the hours of therapy and personal breakthroughs). It’s an object that is so comically out of place that there’s no way it won’t come back to serve some violent purpose.
For all its earnest efforts, Homewrecker stumbles through stiff blocking and clunky direction. The script is the standout here, and it does a lot of the heavy lifting. It contains a certain honesty and quippy humor that are actually quite endearing.
Essoe falls naturally into the role of Michelle; it’s easy to empathize with the character as you cringe along with the awkward early stages of her journey. Chong is rather convincing in her role, leaning in to Linda’s off-kilter, manic energy. She pushes herself right to the edge and wavers there, hovering dangerously between harmlessly quirky and full-blown maniac.
The pacing is a bit wild, with an impromptu third act musical number that’s just so absurd that it actually kind of works. The action feels over-rehearsed, which — while far safer — doesn’t do a ton of favors for realism.
That said, it’s refreshing to see a thriller that focuses almost entirely on two women and their relationship. It’s notable that Homewrecker focuses on Linda, a character that’s just past her young buxom ingenue years, but whose youthful energy is maintained and exaggerated in a way that is often encouraged by Pinterest boards and cheeky clip art. Fridge magnets reading “Well behaved women often make history” and drink straws adorned with “Liquid therapy” litter her home, painting her in an innocent and “fun” light that’s misleadingly coy.
Produced on a modest budget, Homewrecker is uniquely Canadian. Torontonians will likely recognize some of the filming locations, but, more than that, the signature Canadian politeness is the catalyst for Michelle’s whole ordeal. There are several opportunities for her to leave (or not even enter in the first place), but she – like Linda’s neighbor – ignores the red flags that are frantically waving in front of her in favor of playing along and not saying no. It’s a cautionary tale in engaging with strangers.
While it lacks the polish of a studio film, Homewrecker is an entertaining and quick story (it clocks in at just under 75 minutes), easily digestible as an afternoon snack. The cinematography, direction, and the performances are just what you’d expect from a small indie film, but there’s something charming about it. If you’re looking to expand your cinematic social circle beyond studio hits and popular indie titles, give it a chance, you might find a new friend.
Homewrecker is playing as part of Fantasia Festival’s 2019 lineup. For more films, check out their website or keep an eye out for our reviews.
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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt
Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.
In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.
This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.
Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.
“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”
The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”
The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.
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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time
It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?
It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.
Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.
Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.
The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.
It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.
The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.
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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween
Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.
The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.
This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.
This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.
“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”
But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.
This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.
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