Movie Review: NIGHTMARE RADIO – THE NIGHT STALKER

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN / Staff Writer

Posted: May 2nd, 2023 / 06:08 AM

NIGHTMARE RADIO: THE NIGHT STALKER | ©2023 Trinity Creative Partnership/Reel 2 Reel

Rating: Not Rated
Stars: Paula Brasca, Agustin Olcese, Anjella Mackintosh, Belle Mary Hithersay, Marie Ruane, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Karen Griffin, Corey Rutledge, Andrew Fleming, Shannon Lahaie, Meghan McNicol, Sophia Davey, Cassandra Magrath, Michael Lorz, Sean Weil, Anthony Del Negro, Nancy Nagrant, Pooya Mohseni
Writers: film based on a concept by Michael Kraetzer; Camilo Zafforo and Taz Pereyra (“Nightmare Radio – The Night Stalker”), Ryan J. Thompson (“Playtime”), Garret Shanley (“Foxes”), Nathan Crooker (“Playback”), Julien Maisonnueve and Trevor Botkin, story by Adam O’Brien & Julien Maisonnueve (“Insane”), Mia’Kate Russell (“Liz Drives”), David M. Night Maire (“Chateau Sauvignon”)
Directors: Charly Goitia (“Nightmare Radio – The Night Stalker”), Ryan J. Thompson (“Playtime”), Lorcan Finnegan (“Foxes”), Nathan Crooker (“Playback”), Adam O’Brien (“Insane”), Mia’Kate Russell (“Liz Drives”), David M. Night Maire (“Chateau Sauvignon”)
Distributor: Trinity Creative Partnership/Reel 2 Reel
Release Date: April 18, 2023 (digital)

If one follows the individual credits of NIGHTMARE RADIO – THE NIGHT STALKER, it’s evident that the anthology is put together from a series of unrelated shorts. These come from a variety of countries, including Argentina, Ireland, and Canada.

What’s interesting is that, even though the shorts were made oceans and sometimes years apart, they share a horror-appropriate visual style and décor. Some of them also share too much ambiguity.

The titular interstitial segment, directed by Charly Goitia (aka Carlos Goitia) and written by Camilo Zafforo and Taz Pereyna, centers on Candy Blue (Paula Brasca). Candy runs her midnight-into-the-wee-hours broadcast from her home, and welcomes her audience to “Nightmare Radio, where horror stories never end.” Candy invites listeners to share scary stories that have happened to them.

Naturally, most of Candy’s incoming calls are things that happened to a friend of a friend of a friend, or in a bad dream. But Candy’s reality is that she is being threatened by a man, Jack (Agustin Olcese), who met her once and is now going full incel.

The segment “Playtime” is trippy but effectively disturbing, with at least one good jump scare.

Candy herself opens a story about “a bored, lonely woman.” This is “Foxes,” about am unhappily married photographer (Cassandra Magrath) who becomes increasingly fascinated with the wild foxes behind her house. More dreamlike than nightmarish, this one is prismatic, but it works whether one relates to the photographer or her husband.

“Playback” is creepy, but too abrupt to have much impact.

“Insane” has a wonderfully eerie old hospital location and good lore, although it’s too self-referential at times (one of the main characters is a horror filmmaker, who talks about the quality of the shots), and has a climax that feels like it would have benefitted from a twist.

“Liz Drives” has an intriguing premise that might work better as a feature. As it is, it’s pleasingly startling and bizarre, but deserves a tighter ending than the one it gets.

“Chateau Sauvignon” lovingly reproduces a TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE look in its production design, and the sense of a short horror story in its narrative. Again, it feels like it should finish on a punchier note.

And then we’re back to the wraparound, which seems like it ought to explain how it arrives where it does.

NIGHTMARE RADIO – THE NIGHT STALKER is intriguing in illustrating a common sensibility between the filmmakers. It is definitely instructive as an example of international cinema. But it would probably be better all around if so many of the filmmakers didn’t seem so blasé about their finales.

Follow us on Twitter at ASSIGNMENT X
Like us on Facebook at ASSIGNMENT X

Latest Buzz

Movie Review: NIGHTMARE RADIO – THE NIGHT STALKER

An international horror anthology with a radio program wraparound

Article Source: Assignment X
Article: Movie Review: NIGHTMARE RADIO: THE NIGHT STALKER

Related

Related Posts:

Leave a Comment

Assignment X Poll

Newsletter subscription status

Latest Buzz

Movie Review: NIGHTMARE RADIO – THE NIGHT STALKER

An international horror anthology with a radio program wraparound

Article Source: Assignment X Article: Movie Review: NIGHTMARE RADIO: THE NIGHT STALKER

Related

Related Posts:

Leave a Comment

Assignment X Poll

Article Source: Assignment X
Article: Movie Review: NIGHTMARE RADIO: THE NIGHT STALKER