Le Calendrier

The Advent Calendar was one of the last horror films of the year that had a chance to break through, but unfortunately it too will only rank among the more mediocre pieces. It is getting quite a bit of praise abroad, but I guess that's more because it's primarily a drama with light horror elements, and people usually like that. It's a story about an attractive girl in a wheelchair who gets an antique advent calendar from a friend. She has to eat a chocolate every day and the surprise that appears will cost a few people their lives. The premise is fine, and if the makers had been more playful and daring this could have been a little sibling to The Final Destination, but there was not a single kill that grabbed me, there's hardly any atmosphere or suspense, and the only thing on the horror side that I liked is a decent-looking demon, but it doesn't appear very often. The rest of it wasn't worth much. Too bad, France their feet too close to the ground, the film drags quite a bit at times, but thanks to the original premise and a few interesting scenes it's not downright discardable. Story 3/5, Action 1/5, Humour 0/5, Violence 2/5, Fun 3/5 Music 2/5, Visuals 3/5, Atmosphere 2/5, Suspense 2/5, Emotion 1/5, Actors 3/5. 5/10. (2021.12.23)

Alright, let's dive into the negatives first to clear the air. 1) The storyline feels rather unoriginal, recycling themes from movies I've already seen countless times. 2) I've never been fond of French cinema. 3) I'm not going to arm myself or turn on all the lights when I go to the bathroom at night. 4) With no dog to protect me, my cat would likely knock me down and play it off as an accident. That covers most of it, unless I mention the lack of thinking required. Despite these drawbacks, the film managed to entertain me, and I was pleasantly surprised by the French creators' decision to steer clear of today's politically correct trends. The main actress was convincing, and despite increasing circles under her eyes, she was quite nice to look at, and I found myself rooting for her throughout the film. The appearance of a cenobite added a layer of intrigue reminiscent of horror classics like Hellraiser and Sophie's Choice. Although I didn't experience the full-on terror I expected, the film held my attention from start to finish, which is saying something. / Lesson learned: You wouldn't believe what you can walk off. (2023.10.28)