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Kill List (2012)
Kill List (2012)
2012 | Horror, Mystery
7
6.3 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Performances are strong (1 more)
Gruesome and Violent in a very effective way
The ending is very divisive (1 more)
Lots of elements are left unexplained
Intense, memorable but lacks clarity
Contains spoilers, click to show
Kill List is a very British Horror, that follows a clearly damaged ex-soldier that is drawn into the world of hit-men and assassinations in order to earn his way out of financial trouble.

Featuring a number of recognizable British tv actors, and a interesting edit style that chops out extraneous seconds here there and everywhere, often overlaying conversational narrative over a shot displaying a different scene, effectively giving you two informational elements at the same time.

It has some brutal violence, as the two hitman proceed to move down their list discovering generally bad people, which allows the viewer to avoid the moral conflict that might otherwise complicate the premise.

There are nods that the people hiring them know more than they are letting on, and the film builds to a slightly confusing crescendo with an ending similar to another very controversial horror film of recent years, that will shock some and disappoint others.

Overall it is an enjoyable but challenging film, that would have benefited from signposting a few more of the confusing elements more clearly, though the ending and its insinuations are more than likely intended to be of a vague and open nature by design.

Violent, upsetting and very dark in theme, Kill List is definitely a horror, and definitely not one for those of a weak constitution...it is flawed, and not a classic but it certainly is a solid choice for a rainy evening.
  
Tales From the Crypt (1972)
Tales From the Crypt (1972)
1972 | Horror
7
7.8 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Sometimes I feel I'm trapped in a recurring nightmare with an endless succession of Amicus-style horror anthologies. This one sticks nice and close to the formula as a bunch of nasty people are shown their eventual comeuppances by the movie's host: there's an evil Santa Claus, zombie versions of some well-known actors, another appearance by the Amicus crawling hand prop, and so on.
By no means actually scary, but good camp fun; the downturn in the British movie industry means this films like this one can attract really impressive casts. You nearly always know what's coming next, but it's pacy and varied and entertaining stuff.
  
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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Dead Set in TV

Aug 18, 2019 (Updated Oct 25, 2019)  
Dead Set
Dead Set
2008 | Drama, Horror
8
7.5 (33 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Dead Set in short - a six part British drama series, set around a zombie apocalypse, where most of the story takes place in the Big Brother house.
It's also from the mind of Charlie Brooker - the creator of Black Mirror, and the results are pretty good.

The opening episode deals with an eviction night of the British Big Brother series, where everyone involved both on camera and behind the scenes go about their usual business.
As a virus takes hold and chaos quickly ensues, the Big Brother housemates are trapped inside the house - which happens to be pretty secure.

The way that Dead Set is shot is frantic when the action starts. It's nasty and gritty whilst keeping a British dark humour sort of charm without ever going full comedy. In fact, the series is really quite bleak throughout.
The episodes run at 20 minutes each with an extended pilot, clocking in at just over 2 hours and it managed to hold my attention throughout.

Of course, being a Charlie Brooker project, there's an underlying message - as the zombie horde surrounding the house grows and grows, even in death, the public are drawn towards trashy reality shows.

Considering Dead Set is a TV show aired on Channel 4, it's pretty impressive. Well worth checking out for anyone who enjoys horror.
  
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Lee KM Pallatina (951 KP) Aug 19, 2019

I watched this during it's original airing and really enjoyed it, it helped that I enjoy zombie movies, gritty brit flicks and am an adam deacon fan.
Still have the dvd.

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LeftSideCut (3778 KP) Aug 19, 2019

@Lee KM Pallatina it passed me by when it originally aired unfortunately. It's only in the last few years that I watched it. Thought it was great though đź‘Ť

Attack the Block (2011)
Attack the Block (2011)
2011 | Action, International
A silly, fun British horror
When I first saw this at the cinema I absolutely loved it, but I haven’t really seen it since. On watching it again recently, I have to admit it’s not quite as good as I remembered but it’s still a very enjoyable film.

It’s a very B-movie esque horror film, with very low budget, lots of blood and a fairly unknown cast. Of course a lot of the cast have now gone on to bigger things (John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker and Luke Treadaway mainly), but they’re still very good and great to watch in this. The plot is fun and a little bit silly, and the aliens themselves are very well done. They’re creepy and pretty terrifying, without being overly complicated and there’s a lot of good physical effects thrown in here in addition to cgi. The most annoying thing about this film is the language. I completely understand why it has been set on a council estate in London, that’s part of the entertainment, however some of the slang and gang type language grates after a while. It’s difficult to understand and a little bit irritating after a while. Aside from this it’s a very enjoyable low budget horror that’s worth a watch.
  
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Jack Reynor recommended Peeping Tom (1960) in Movies (curated)

 
Peeping Tom (1960)
Peeping Tom (1960)
1960 | Horror, Thriller
7.8 (16 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"When Peeping Tom was released in 1960 it was savaged by critics who’d seen the film at a special press screening. Those British critics must have been outraged with Michael Powell, whom they had trusted as a director who would reinforce their British identity and value system. That trust must have been completely broken by this scathing indictment of voyeurism and extreme violence. There are many similarities between this and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, released the same year, and Hitchcock shrewdly avoided press screening his film after having seen Powell’s fate just a few months before. Powell’s career was over, with the exception of a few obscure projects, but the culture of slasher films was just beginning. And whether people realized it or not, this was ground zero. Critical reappraisal of Peeping Tom has secured the film where it belongs, in the category of crucially important cinema. Personally, I prefer Powell’s film to Hitchcock’s, but both should be regarded as examples of great horror cinema that demands critical thought and analysis."

Source
  
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
1973 | Horror
7
7.5 (6 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Broodingly effective British horror movie is strikingly unlike anything else of its time - not much resemblance to a movie by Hammer, or Amicus, or AIP. Four people move into a haunted house for a week; their beliefs about the supernatural vary, but they are forced to agree there is something funny about the place...

Understated, almost pseudo-documentary atmosphere works in the film's favour; the actors also know to underplay it until the big histrionics are required. Unsettling soundtrack by radiophonic genii Delia Derbyshire and Brian Hodgson is a major plus. The script goes a bit nuts towards the end (don't think too hard about the plot) but the journey to get to this point is more than worthwhile.