Monday 21 October 2024

VOD: Natty Knocks (dir: Dwight Little, 2023)

"What's a payphone?"

This seemingly by-the-numbers low-budget horror-thriller has a lot of the genre trapping in play - small town, Halloween Eve, burning a 1970s 'witch', present day son taking revenge on the children/grandchildren of the persecutors - mixed with fan-pleasing stunt casting of Bill Moseley, Danielle Harris, Robert Englund and director Dwight (H.) Little.  In spite of its genre familiarity, there is an effort made to make the story reasonably grounded, with divorcing parents and the effect on children, possible domestic abuse and 'teens' who actually talk like real teenagers.  It feels like there is a lot going on its lean running time, there is a subtle atmospheric music score throughout by Misha Segal, and whilst the movie offers nothing that is really scary, it is quite interesting to see how the story plays out and how all the elements (just about) come together.
 

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