Welcome one and all to the latest instalment of "Shameless Promotion". In my past posts I have talked about everything from Raleigh Ritchie to Lore to my latest post about Dead Awake This post will be about another horror film that is more than just another horror film, "XX". I bought "XX" from Amazon on DVD.
"XX" is a horror anthology that is written and directed by an all female roster. The film is broken into 4 segments and linked together by a rather unsettling animation of a walking dollhouse directed by Sofia Carrillo.
The first segment is entitled "The Box" which is directed by Jovanka Vuckovic and based on the short story of the same title written by Jack Ketchum. The story follows a seemingly normal family who are travelling on a train. The son, Danny, meets a man with a box and curiosity gets the better of the child as he asks to see what's inside the box. The man obliges and soon after Danny refuses to eat. The same fate befalls the rest of the family except the mother, Susan, who is baffled as to why her family have stopped eating after finding out what is in the box.
The second segment is entitled "The Birthday Party" and is directed by Annie Clark and written by Clark and Roxanne Benjamin. This story follows Mary, a frustrated and slightly odd mother as shes plans her daughter, Lucy's, birthday party. Things get a little stressful as Mary discovers her husbands dead body in his office. What happens next is a mixture of terror and farcical comedy.
The third segment is entitled "Don't Fall" which is written and directed by Roxanne Benjamin. This story follows four friends: Paul, Jay, Gretchen and Jess as they are in the desert exploring. The friends discover a sinister cave painting depicting a strange creature that soon begins to make its presence felt.
The fourth and final segment is entitled "Her Only Living Son" which is written and directed by Karyn Kusama. This story follows Cora and her wayward son Andy. Cora is called to her sons school after he attacks a classmate. His behaviour has become more and more dark and he seems to be going through a few more changes than the normal puberty issues. What transpires next is a subtle nod to a classic horror film about the spawn of a certain dark lord.
"XX" is being celebrated for one simple reason; all of the films are directed by female directors, hence "XX". Whilst I think this an incredible achievement I think it's also sad that more female writers and directors aren't given a chance especially in the horror genre. "XX" is a fantastic film that is a testament to how four very different films can show the true versatility of the horror genre.
"The Box" is generally unsettling in the best way. I was baffled and confused as to what was in the box and why it caused such a devastating effect on the family involved. This segment played on the age old belief that sometimes a persons curiosity can get the better of them,
"The Birthday Party" is darkly funny and as I said farcical in places to the point I found myself laughing at such an unfortunate event.
"Don't Fall" plays into a more modern horror style featuring possession and the tragic group of friends that fall into predictable characteristics.
"Her Only Living Son" is an enjoyable mix of modern gore filled horror and classic horror story telling.
All in all "XX" has something for every type of horror fan, each writer and director brings their own unique voice and vision for what a horror film should be and I would love to see if these films could perhaps translate into long form feature films. Whilst I felt "Don't Fall" felt a bit flat I was still entertained. "The Box" is by far the best segment of the film as I was genuinely disturbed by it.
I would also like to talk about the animated segments that tie the whole film together. It was delightfully strange and just weird. I may have to find some more of Sofia Carillos work.
Overall "XX" is another horror film that has fallen under the radar slightly. I thoroughly enjoyed "XX" as it was something refreshing and original in the sometimes repetitive horror genre.
As always if you have any comments or thoughts please leave a comment below or follow my on social media by clicking one of the links at the right hand side of the homepage.
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