Scream (2022) and Knock at the Cabin

A pair of horrors that are very different from each other.

Scream (2022)

Copycat murderers in ghost face masks are at it again. I'm not sure how many movies in this violent franchise slasher sequel / reboot is, but it is very self aware to the point of making fun of itself. While I didn't really expect much (I actually thought it was the original movie when I started it up lol) I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining it was.

Jenna Ortega is definitely the stand out of the cast, and while my wife correctly predicted the ending I did not. There are obviously some plot problems like, how did no one see a goon dressed like ghost face in broad daylight and "no! stay together!" (haha). I mean, now I want to watch all the other Scream movies so I guess it did something right?

Knock at the Cabin

In this M. Night Shyamalan film a couple and their adopted kid are held hostage in their remote cabin by strangers (led by Dave Bautista who is great here) who are trying to save the world. I was actually surprised by how little blood and gore there is, and its clearly an intentional cinematographic decision to cut away from most of the violence to really stick to it's psychological horror plot which kept me glued to my screen. Maybe it helps that I'm a Dave Bautista fan but this is one I can recommend.

Wednesday and Chainsaw Man

Snap twice and pull the cord.

Wednesday (Season 1)

Antisocial student Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) has a wide array of murderous skills, but the one she is best at is getting people hurt and getting targeted by a murderer at her new school is just what she needs to put on her detective hat to drive most of season 1's predictable story - but the acting, writing, cinematography and music make this very entertaining. Recommended even for people who have never heard of the Addams Family before, and I'm looking forward to season 2!

Chainsaw Man (Season 1)

This VERY well animated series might use a lot of bright colors but it is much darker, gorier and more adult in content than Wednesday. Our protagonist Denji spends half the time killing devils as he's fused with a devil himself that lets him become the titular "Chainsaw Man", and the other half of the time trying to get laid. Finally, an anime that gets a teenagers priorities right! The only downside is that some of these devils are freaking weird design wise, but that makes it unique I suppose. Again recommended, and another one I'll be waiting for season 2 on.