Jason and Shawn review: Skew and Familiar

Skew

Jason: I love movies that fuck with you, and Skew fucks with you. Is what's happening real? In the cameraman's brain? Or is something wrong with the camera itself? That's what Skew is all about, Charlie Brown! Skew is more about psychological horror than visceral thrills, although there are a few of those. The viewer's task is figuring out the link between what is happening and what is happening on camera. You have to work a bit to enjoy this movie. If you're up to the task, you'll have a fun ride. Simon, the cameraman, unnerved me almost as much as the killer in The Poughkeepsie Tapes. I'm giving Skew a Good and encourage horror fans to watch it.

Shawn: Hello found-footage movie. I’m about done with these now. Truly. With that said, at least this was a decently entertaining story. For my last unbiased review of a “footage” movie, I’m glad it was this one. You better make one hell of a found footage movie to pull me out of retirement. This was a low budget, odd duck of a movie. It was a bit uncomfortable, with a shorts shitting moment or two. But I wasn’t embarrassed by the stain it left. Not bad. Better than some big budget, found footage movies, and a way better ending. Decent into madness. Dig that shit a lot. Ugly feet, Bad movie.

Familiar

Jason: Much like the short film Anna that we featured on the blog back on Halloween, Familiar packs more into 24 short minutes than most features put into 90. We get a whole story, an entire character arc, and some really gruesome imagery. All within what a normal movie considers its first act. Familiar moves. I credit director Richard Powell with that. He knew he had a short amount of time to tell his tale, and he cranked it out. I'm going to need to watch Familiar a few times to take it all in, but I consider that a pleasure. And, like Skew, this movie fucks with you. Is everything we're seeing real, or in the character's head? We're given no hard answers, but the ride is well worth it! A Good from me.

Shawn: Wow. Twenty-four minutes filled with an intensity that is driving, unknown and scary in a way. This film did in 24 minutes, what most motion pictures cannot achieve in two hours.Hey big budget flicks, remakers, and superhero ruiners, pay attention: This is original, well done, and in my head an amazingly satisfying flick. Will I watch it again? Fuck. Yes. The pure rawness captivated me from the onset. “Oh god, don’t let this pig touch me…”. Good.

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