Nickelodeon never quite knew how to handle Invader Zim. Better still, it’s all beautifully presented with a unique CGI animation style that adopts an almost stop-motion aesthetic, and features a phenomenal voice cast that includes Maya Rudolph, Terry Crews, and Jane Krakowski. Based on the book by Lois Lowry, The Willoughbys tonally blends The Addams Family, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and the works of Roald Dahl-plus a dash of Wes Anderson’s trademark “rich people malaise” for flavor-to present a delightfully dark animated fable that’s mischievous enough for younger viewers, while avoiding schmaltzy tropes about “the importance of family” that older watchers will be tired of. After putting up with years of abuse, the Willoughby kids have finally had enough-and hatch a scheme to get rid of their cruel parents and find a family that actually cares about them. Unfortunately, they’re less enamored of their four children-Tim, Jane, and twins Barnaby A and Barnaby B (the parents having given up any pretense of caring about their progeny by that point). Walter and Helga Willoughby love each other very much, with a passion that’s withstood years of marriage. In lesser hands, its core “save the world” narrative thread would feel repetitive, but director Kim Tae-hyung blends familiar influences with some surprising twists to elevate this into a hidden gem of the genre. A slow-burn Korean horror, The 8th Night generally eschews jump scares, instead chilling viewers to the bone with masterful pacing, deeply unsettling imagery, and a nerve-shredding score. The only problem? Park doesn’t want to get involved. As two detecitves follow the trail of desiccated and deformed corpses the demon leaves in its wake, a young monk and exorcist named Cheongseok (Nam Da-reum) is charged with finding his predecessor Park Jin-soo (Lee Sung-min), fated to bring the great evil to a final end. A forgotten myth-until a shunned researcher opens one of the caskets and unleashes this ancient evil on the modern world. Millennia ago, the demon that brought suffering to the mortal plane was split in two, with its eyes locked away in separate chests to prevent it regaining its power. It’s a bit too self-aware in places, but definitely one for the shouldn’t-be-as-good-as-it-is pile. Director Leigh Janiak masterfully walks a tightrope between lampooning and homaging horror classics-it’s impossible to miss contrasts to the likes of Scream, Halloween, and even Stranger Things-but it’s all done with such love for the form that Fear Street has established itself as a Halloween staple. Stine, with lashings of gore and a tone drawing on ‘80s slasher flicks that delivers some genuine scares over the three films. The trilogy, originally released over the course of three weeks, emphasizing its connected nature, transcends its origins as a series of teen-lit novels by R. Soon, a group of genre-typical teens are drawn into a horrific legacy dating back to the 17th century, dodging serial killers, summer camp slayings, and vengeful witches along the way. The first installment introduces viewers to the cursed town of Shadyside, where a string of bloody killings has labelled it the murder capital of America. Spread over three time periods-1994, 1978, and 1666-the Fear Street trilogy is one of the cleverest horror releases in Netflix’s catalogue. This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
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