What happens when the gift takes on a different meaning? Not necessarily semantic value.
A monkey with cymbals (in this movie with a drum) is apparently the most classic gift to give children, but in this movie they probably should have provided a replacement note.
A director returns to one of the short and chilling stories from the rich repertoire of a horror artist.
I checked whether this is another interesting take on one of his stories or the complete opposite.
A Carnival of Horror You know when a movie immediately shows what it really is? Without too much mental confusion, without a long and frustrating backstory that’s how it is done in this movie.
From the very first scene, emphasis is placed on grotesque elements and dark humor, so the director effectively signals to the viewer what kind of fun and chilling journey they are going to dive into.
As mentioned, the center of the plot follows twins: Al and Bill, as they find a mechanical monkey toy with a drum (it was replaced from the cymbal version to avoid copyright issues with Disney “Toy Story 3” starring the classic model), which they did not know was not an ordinary toy, and the consequences of holding it in their laps increase as many mysterious deaths occur in the town.
This is roughly a very small part of the plot.
Considering it is based on a short story, the director, who also wrote the screenplay, included some touches from his unique style to the story, not necessarily something frightening (depending on the person), but more in the creepy, chilling and humorous direction.
On the surface, this aspect is the least good in the movie.
Personally, I connect very much with the concept that it does not take itself seriously.
However, it drives something less frightening and sometimes also somewhat predictable from the moment the twist is revealed, not necessarily because the plot is “stupid.”
After all, the whole idea in the end is the curiosity to know when the “next death” occurs, there is no ridiculous and deep plot, but it is definitely thoughtful.
Therefore, you will have questions that you do not really get answers to, such as where the toy came from originally and even if you start thinking deeply about things, you will probably have to settle for various theories or go read the original story.
For some viewers, I can understand why they would not connect to this concept because if you are looking for some brilliant plot?
This is not the place for that.
However, an element the movie rides on is its satirical side.
It is a horror comedy, and it does this in a way that vaguely reminded me of the days of horror parodies, only here the script allows actors to react in an extreme and sarcastic way, expressing differently from all seriousness that is supposed to be in the plot and believe it or not, it works excellently.
The plot has two different periods of Al and Bill, past and future/present. Apparently, it can be seen that there is a slight decline in pacing and plot. Nevertheless, despite these small aspects, the effects in the movie still manage to deceive us, and the excellent humor remains on the same quality line even though the second act loses a bit of its initial charm.
Also, the best tip I can give is to go to the movie with an “open mind,” so you will find the experience more satisfying and entertaining.
Precisely because it does not take itself seriously, precisely because it drips grotesqueness and humor, these are its strongest points that will keep you in suspense and curious about what will happen next, just do not give much importance to the plot.
Even if you understand the “point” of the movie in the first minutes, it still leaves quite a few extreme surprises later that make another franchise look like a prototype next to it.
This, of course, shows how many twisted and diabolical ideas exist over the years behind the minds of movie creators that have not yet been touched. Already in the previous movie of the director, I said that what was missing was an interesting plot.
Now I am happy to report that plot wise, we have not really progressed, but this does not necessarily harm the current movie.
The previous and this movie are two completely different projects.
While the former tries to be a more serious film with emphasis on psychological tension, this one takes the psychological horror aspect supernatural to the extreme.
Starting from the presentation: this movie is much lighter in tone.
It is not necessarily a film that will make you afraid, but more in the creepy and gross direction.
The director gave himself a rare opportunity to run wild, go in different directions and produce an enjoyable horror work, not requiring deep thought and entertaining almost throughout.
It is a completely different style from standard horror films.
Also, thanks to excellent editing, the comedy is elevated to high levels, combining the charming and witty script in a fun way.
For example, more than once we saw that the death scenes are the diabolical creation of the director, and thanks to impressive cinematography, it surprisingly works well for this plot.
Additionally, the cinematography keeps the viewer in suspense all the way. It is conveyed through classic shots typical of horror films, and through deliberately engineered filming enhancing the various death scenes and showing us many details on the set such as many protrusions on objects, close ups of the terrified faces of actors at moments of fear and the creepy face of the monkey.
The director wanted to pay respect in this adaptation and succeeded in his creative way.
He included some references to previous works that appeared on the big screen.
The work is a creation that could make its source proud when adapted to cinema.
It was not necessarily on the level of the giants, but it has a certain charm that is different, probably the exaggerated humor that one can easily connect with or the bloody scenes.
The director wanted to show that it is okay to laugh at such a painful subject as “death” in a way that does not make you hate the work and I deeply respect that.
One can agree that the movie is almost completely led by two actors.
They show great talent and even made me think they were different actors, even though the voice was almost completely identical.
The two main actors are like yin and yang completely different in perception, approach, and character.
This allowed them to bring another layer mainly because of the script, giving them a wide range of options to go wild and show different styles of talent, both comedic and traumatic.
Both actors deliver a cold, funny, and fantastic performance.
The supporting and cameo cast, despite their intention to advance some plot aspect, have very minor roles, mainly providing humor and nothing more.
There is no impressive acting display like the main characters.
They do not have much script to work with and mostly just deliver the extreme comedic gag for our eyes to move on to the next scene.
The entire enjoyable work was done under production studios owned by a notable producer.
It is worth emphasizing that this is not a high budget effects movie.
The collaboration with the distribution studio adds up to about 10 million dollars.
It does not have many impressive locations, but the practical effects quality, including the design of the monkey model, gives it a remarkable aesthetic.
Today it is common to see low budget horror movies, but only some successfully pass the real test, and this movie exactly meets these parameters.
Verdict The movie is a great treat for horror fans.
It does not contain deep messages or a broad plot to paint a world over the viewer, though to its credit, this aspect is not needed.
The director took one of the creepy short stories and in the end leaves behind a wonderful combination of horror and comedy.
Even though the second half is somewhat stretched and very predictable, it did not prevent the director from executing it excellently with cinematography, editing, and practical effects.
If you are okay with creative (and gross) death scenes with sarcastic humor and a plot that does not take itself seriously but is completely wild and fun… this movie is definitely for you.
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