Movies
Bell finally moved on from The Boy franchise and comes with something new. Of course, new is relative when you're talking horror films, Separation is just another attempt to turn personal tragedy into horror. That's okay though, genre cinema hinges on execution and Bell proves himself a capable director. The marriage between Maggie and Jeff runs on its last legs. Maggie wants to gain custody of their daughter, but Jeff isn't willing to go down without a fight. Maggie looks to be on the winning hand, but out of nowhere, a car runs her over and leaves her for death. It's a bittersweet victory for Jeff. There's a bit too much time spent on the drama, which is only borderline acceptable. Luckily, the creature designs are awesome, and the horror bits are moody and tense. The little twist at the end is quite unnecessary, but Bell is smart enough to keep the ending open-ended. Certainly not the greatest horror flick around, but quite entertaining nonetheless.Read all
A very messy prequel. I wasn't a big fan of the first film, but Bell isn't the worst horror director, so I was willing to give this one a fair shot. Crazy plot twists aside, it's the premise that never really worked for me. Fuhrman is 25 now, and somehow she still has to pass for an 11-year-old girl? A tough sell. Leena escapes from a mental institution and cons her way into an American family, posing as Esther, their long-lost daughter. She adapts quickly, but not everybody is buying her story. What Leena doesn't know is that the family has a few secrets of their own, and she doesn't fit into them. Fuhrman is a complete miscast, the plot is pretty ridiculous and the horror elements are dull. The film isn't all that tense either and the dim cinematography is a bit of a downer, but there are a few enlightened moments that give First Kill a little extra flair. Not enough to save it, but at least it's something.Read all
Pointless and soulless sequel. I quite liked Bell's first film, but at least that one had something new to bring to the table. This is little more than a feeble haunted doll flick. Some decent scenes at the end, but the entire run-up to the finale is tame and derivative. And even though they left the door open for a third film, let's hope Bell will go on to direct something better.