Woodyanders
Architect Ben Williams (a solid performance by Gerald Webb) and his fed-up alcoholic wife Linda (sharply played by Diahna Nicole Baxter) move their dysfunctional family into a new house that turns out to be haunted. The bickering Williams clan must band together as a strong unit in order to stave off this formidable supernatural threat.Director Christopher Ray, working from a compact script by Victoria Dadi, Jon Klondelik, and James Klondelik, relates the engrossing story at a brisk pace, ably crafts a spooky atmosphere, makes fine use of the funky and sprawling titular abode location, and puts a welcome and refreshing emphasis on eerie mood over excessive graphic gore and cheap jump scares. Moreover, it's nice to see a horror film with well-drawn black main characters that's done in a completely straight and serious manner instead of played for crude laughs (with the notable exception of a witty spin on that classic Eddie Murphy joke about how black people would automatically leave if they discovered that their house was haunted). The sound acting from the capable cast keeps this movie on track: Aurora Perrineau as the sassy Ashley, Melvin Gregg as the brash Alex, Bill Cobbs as sinister real estate agent Paul, Eddie Steeples as helpful voodoo priest Lucas St. Michelle, and Richard Grieco as a creepy ghost. The surprise grim ending packs a startling punch. Both Alexander Yellen's slick cinematography and Knappy's shivery score are up to par. An on the money fright film.
Michael Ledo
Architect adulterer Ben Williams (Gerald Webb) and his alcoholic musician wife Linda (Diahnna Nicole Baxter) move into a large home we know has issues from the brief opening scene. The kids Alex (Melvin Gregg) and Ashley (Aurora Perrineau) prefer the days when they were a dysfunctional family. The kids are told at school, "you're next" as creepy things happen around the home. The haunting escalates to the point where they call in a Voodoo priest (Eddie Steeples) to exercise the spirits. Things start out good...Amazon and IMDb description includes material that is near the end of the film, but not really a spoiler. The fun is in the jump scares and creepy stuff...including creepy dolls. It was an enjoyable film. Bill Cobbs did a nice job.Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
