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Wrong Turn (2021)
Wrong Turn (2021)
2021 | Horror
8
7.0 (11 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Well now, I watched this reboot of the semi popular Wrong Turn series with absolutely no knowledge of what was going to happen, expecting it to be more of the same, and was gobsmacked when it turned out to be a genuinely excellent slice of modern horror.

Firstly, the usual body count teenagers are all very well written. There's enough character building to care when they start to die, their reactions to said deaths are believable and human, and they are a set of protagonists who want to survive, not just cannon fodder. Lead actress Charlotte Vega has a huge part in this positive.
The regular set of cannibals are nowhere to be seen, and the antagonists this time around are a secluded community of mountain hunters known as The Foundation. They live off the natural earth and become entangled with the main characters after one of their ranks is killed in self defence. The narrative explores these two groups, and how both make decisions based on assumption of character and class. It's an interesting notion that elevates this movie beyond your standard slasher.
The leader of The Foundation, named Venable, is a genuinely imposing character. He has some great monologues, and actor Bill Sage really leans into the role. I'm hoping a sequel gets made just to see more of this dude as well as Charlotte Vega.
The gore on display is pretty damn impactful, only showing what it needs to, but making sure it sticks in your head. The whole runtime boasts some gorgeous cinematography as well, the filming location of the Ohio trail providing some breathtaking scenery.

I don't know what else to say. I was expecting the same old shit, and was instead presented with a great looking, well paced, and powerful horror feature that had me glued to the screen until the credits finished (the credit scene is a fantastic way to end things by the way so be sure to stick around.)

Well played Wrong Turn, well played.
  
A Legacy of Murder
A Legacy of Murder
Connie Berry | 2019 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kate Finds a Christmastime Murder
Kate Hamilton has traveled to the small village of Long Barston in England. Her daughter, Christine, is spending her semester break working at Finchley Hall as one of several college aged interns who work on the premises, and Kate can visit Christine and her new friend Tom Mallory, a policeman she met in Scotland and is falling for, before heading back home to Ohio to spend Christmas with her mother. On her first day, Kate is taking a tour of Finchley Hall. The guide is talking about the murders that have taken place on the estate when a scream interrupts her. Kate and several others run to find one of the interns dead. The police are quick to label it murder. With Tom on the case, it is cutting into the time Kate thought they would have together. But she can’t help but worry. Is Christine in danger since she is an intern?

I’ve just teased the first couple of chapters, so things obviously get off to a fast start. However, the pace is uneven, especially early on in the story. I know part of that is me since Kate loves England much more than I do, and her wonder at spending time there didn’t translate to me. However, there is a good mystery here, with some decent twists and surprises. The climax is page turning and perfect logical. The characters are absolutely wonderful. We have a rather large cast, but I never had any issue keeping everyone and their relationship to the events unfolding around Kate straight. While the book is set in December, there is so much going on we don’t get lots of scenes directly related to Christmas, although I certainly enjoyed the references to the season we did see. This book isn’t quite as strong as the first one, but I’m glad I read it. This is a series that anyone who loves the British Isles needs to pick up today.
  
Not That I Could Tell
Not That I Could Tell
Jessica Strawser | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Six women from the small town of Yellow Springs, Ohio decide to get together for a few glasses of wine and some conversation on a Sunday night. This is the first time they have all been gathered together like this. Surprised that their baby monitors are able to reach to Clara's backyard, they enjoy the childless night. The next morning, one of them is missing. Is foul play a part of the disappearance or did Kristin simply walk away from her life? Admittedly, even though they have been neighbors for a while, no one really knew each other all that well. Will the police be able to find Kristin? Did her husband have something to do with it?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm not sure why, but I had a hard time connecting with this book. While I was intrigued by the story, I didn't find myself drawn to find out what was going to happen next. It took me 10 days to read this book which is very rare for me.

What would you do if you woke up from a girls night out to find out one of the girls and her twins had disappeared in the middle of the night? Gone without a trace. Most of the women felt guilty because they couldn't remember what had happened the night before and if Kristin had said something that would help to locate her now. Everyone looks to Clara who lived right next door and who's son was in class with Kristin's twins, but she knows as much as the others, which is not much at all. How well to we really know our neighbors? We're on the outside looking in, but do we really know what goes on behind closed doors? Kristin's husband, Paul, the local OB/GYN seems like the kind of guy everyone would like, but what secrets of his own is he hiding. Did he do something to make his family disappear? After almost a month, the police have all but given up the search, but incidents in the neighborhood, cause them them to question whether they should or not.