Today we look at two moderately recent horror films: Dead Bloom 2026 and Diabolic 2025
The first thing to say about Dead Bloom 2026 is that is isn’t officially an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s “A Color Out of Space”. But watching this film that’s pretty much all you’ll think about if you’ve read the Lovecraft story.
The set up is different. Instead of a malevolent something falling from the sky we have a malevolent something leaching into the ground after being dumped, apparently illegally, and buried. From then on it’s pretty much the Lovecraft story in a contemporary isolated farm setting with a contemporary family.
The photography is very good. The directors know how to compose a shot for full effect and how to use differing levels of light, shadow, and color. This is a great looking film. They also do something remarkable: they don’t rush their scenes. Single shot sequences are allowed to play out in a leisurely manner. This would be annoying if each shot weren’t composed so carefully.
The soundtrack is excellent, if a bit overstated. The sound effects are good if, again somewhat overstated, but that’s pretty much standard for genre films.
The actors are all pretty good. They do seem to be just a bit too aware of the film they are in. Performances are just a little over the top.
This isn’t a great film but it is entertaining. It’s fairly common fright film fare. It does stand out with it’s prodigious use of practical effects. There are a lot of them and they are well done. The ick factor is strong with this one. I’ve seen a lot of disturbing cinematic stuff and was delighted when, several times during the movie I found myself saying “NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOO!” at some of the unpleasant stuff on the screen.
This one is included with Amazon Prime and is also streaming on Tubi.
“Diabolic” 2025 is about a young woman recovering from something very traumatic in her upbringing in a radical offshoot of Mormonism. It’s based on the experience (minus the supernatural trauma) of one of the co-writers. The young woman in the film has little to no memory of the terrors of her upbringing. We do, as the opening shows us just how sadistic zealots can be, usually towards helpless young women.
Sidebar: Can we please move away from the cinematic trope of having an emotionally damaged lead character have apparent and obvious supernatural stuff happening to them all being dismissed by the other people in their lives. This worked in “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson and the film adaptation “The Haunting” 1963 because the book and the film are very well written. The film is the absolute manifestation of the perfect haunted house movie. So if you’re not Shirley Jackson or Robert Wise just let this trope die. Thank you.
End of Sidebar
This is a very good movie with some startling shocks and some great practical effects. The cast is first rate. The cinematography is excellent. It all just works. I’m intentionally vague here as you should see this movie. It’s worth your time.
This one is streaming on Pluto and available for rental on Amazon Prime.
Not sure what’s up next. Providence will provide.
See you then
