I Just Want To Have Friends, like The Four Loves, is a form of Wish Fulfillment answering to the desire that some members of the audience have to form many. Horror comedies are notoriously tricky to get right. The majority of them fail to provide enough scares to be classed as a horror or enough laughs to be classed as. Movies Challenge October 2. Directed By Babak Anvari. Starring Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi. Tagline Fear Will Find YouTrivia The film was actually shot in Jordan. Im definitely a list guy. I love movie lists of all kinds, and am especially fond of yearly top 1. Of course, theres a downside to compiling such a list odds are you missed a few of the movies released over the previous 1. Such is the case with the 2. Under the Shadow. Simply put, it is a tremendous picture, and had I caught up with it theres no doubt it would have made my Top 1. Horror Films of that year. In fact, Under the Shadow is so good that it may have filled a spot on my Overall Top 1. Tehran, 1. 98. 8. The Iran Iraq war rages on, and has now reached the city Iraq pelts the Iranian capital with missiles on an almost daily basis. After being refused a chance to continue her medical training due to her past political activism, Shideh Narges Rashidi slips into the role of a housewife, and when her husband Iraj Bobby Naderi is drafted into the army, she and their daughter Dorsa Avin Manshadi find themselves all alone in a spacious apartment for their safety, Iraj begs his wife to take Dorsa and move in with his family in the country, but the stubborn Shideh refuses to abandon her home. As the days pass, Dorsa begins to complain that shes afraid, and doesnt want to be left alone or sleep in her own bed at night. When Shideh asks her why, the young girl confesses that one of her playmates, the nephew of their landlord, told her that a Djinn, a malevolent spirit that haunts the living, has found its way into their building, and is looking for someone to torment. Shideh tries to calm her daughters fears by explaining that ghosts are a myth, but when Dorsas favorite doll goes missing, the poor girl is convinced it was taken by the Djinn. Try as she might, Shideh cannot find the doll, and after a few creepy experiences of her own, she begins to wonder if Dorsas Djinn is, in fact, make believe, or if it is very real. Over the years, Ive grown weary of jump scares, especially when theyre combined with a dream sequence. Yet writer director Babak Anvari has managed to incorporate both of these now tired clichs into Under the Shadow and make them damn effective to boot I jumped each and every time I was supposed to, and because the films overall style remains consistent throughout were never quite sure when Shideh is awake and when she is dreaming. Avas-Possessions-2015-movie-Jordan-Galland-9.jpg' alt='Ava`S Possessions Full Movie' title='Ava`S Possessions Full Movie' />A goofy horror movie with little to say and not a lot to see, Avas Possessions sacrifices scares in favor of a rambling addiction metaphor that. SPA_PSA_02-thumb-860xauto-59606.jpg' alt='Ava`S Possessions Full Movie' title='Ava`S Possessions Full Movie' />The war also plays an integral part in the story, bringing an added level of tension to what is ultimately a very intense situation. To escape the bombings, the buildings other residents temporarily move away, leaving Shideh and her daughter to fend for themselves Shideh has promised Dorsa they wont leave until theyve found her beloved doll. In addition, one of the films most memorable scenes involves an unexploded missile that crashes into the upstairs apartment, leaving a crack in Shidehs ceiling that takes center stage once the supernatural thrills are in full swing. Also worth noting is the films strong central character wonderfully portrayed by Narges Rashidi, and when you take into account the setting and the time period in which this tale is set, the fact that the character is female is doubly impressive. Im not sure if the laws have relaxed over the years, but in the 8. Iranian women were required to wear a chador in public, and after a particularly harrowing encounter with the Djinn, Shideh grabs her daughter and rushes outside, only to be taken into custody by the military and threatened with a whipping because she didnt cover her head before leaving the apartment. The Djinn proves to be a formidable foe throughout Under the Shadow, but for progressive minded women in 1. Iran, tradition and law could sometimes be just as frightening. That said, the most notable aspect of Under the Shadow is undoubtedly the entity that haunts both mother and daughter. Over the course of the film, we do learn a little about the Djinn according to legend, it moves with the wind, and theres no telling where it will turn up or who it will bother. Also, Djinns supposedly steal a prized possession from the person or persons theyve focused their attention on, and until that item is recovered the Djinn will be able to track their victims every move it can follow them to the ends of the earth, if necessary. These bits of ghostly trivia aside, we know nothing about the spirit that has settled in Shidehs apartment building, including what form it will take mostly seen as a floating chador, it can also resemble people they know or why it chose Shideh and Dorsa as its prime targets. From start to finish, the Djinn at the center of Under the Shadow remains an enigma, and this makes it all the more terrifying. As we mentioned in our year end show on Horror Movie Podcast, some truly excellent horror films were released in 2. Still, I have no doubt I could have found room for Under the Shadow on my list had I seen it in time. My Overall Top 1. Right now, The Witch is resting comfortably in the 1. I really enjoyed Under the Shadow, I cant say with any degree of certainty that I prefer it to director Robert Eggers indie sensation. One day in the near future, I hope to watch both The Witch and Under the Shadow back to back, to decide once and for all which movie will fill that final spot on my 2. But regardless of which one I ultimately choose, The Witch is an extraordinary motion picture. And so, for that matter, is Under the Shadow. Netflix right now. Its got all the WTF moments Picture REX Features Myles. GoodeHorror comedies are notoriously tricky to get right. The majority of them fail to provide enough scares to be classed as a horror or enough laughs to be classed as a comedy. Netflix. However, Get Out, Jordan Peeles directorial debut released in UK cinemas this week, manages to pull off such a balancing act in style. Its not alone, though. Netflix has numerous titles capable of making you jump out of your seat one minute and rolling on the floor the next. Heres a look at 1. The Final Girls. The super meta The Final Girls sadly bypassed UK cinemas last year, despite being one of the finest examples of the sub genre in years. Here, Taissa Farmiga, along with her group of friends, are transported back to the set of the cult 1. Malin Akerman. However, the characters they meet arent aware that they are in fact just the figment of a scriptwriters imagination. Its a clever premise that gives the film a chance to both mock the conventions of the old school slasher, and pack the kind of emotional punch you wouldnt normally expect to see in a horror comedy. Grabbers. This 2. Irish monster flick was made for a relatively paltry sum of 5million, but it is just as technically impressive as most big budget Hollywood affairs. Richard Coyle Coupling and Ruth Bradley Humans star as two police officers whose jobs suddenly get a whole lot more interesting when their sleepy island town comes under attack from a pack of bloodthirsty aliens. The ingenious twist here is that these grabbers have one fatal flaw, which makes their choice of boozy Irish community particularly misjudged theyre allergic to alcohol. The Oc Season One Episode 18'>The Oc Season One Episode 18. What We Do In The Shadows. Directed by New Zealanders Jemaine Clement Flight Of The Conchords and Taika Waititi Hunt For The Wilderpeople, What We Do In The Shadows throws yet another element into the horror comedy mix the mockumentary. Following the fortunes of four vampires ages ranging from 1. Housebound. Housebound stars Morgana OReilly Neighbours as Kylie Bucknell, a failed ATM thief whos sentenced to house arrest in the childhood home that her mother swears is haunted. Of course, Kylies initial scepticism about the houses supernatural tendencies soon fade when she begins to witness paranormal activity herself. Combining old school scares with post modern dark humour, this Kiwi production suggests New Zealand is fast becoming the natural home of the horror comedy. Zombieland. Following the brilliant Shaun Of The Dead, you wonder why anyone else even bothered making a zombie horror comedy. But Ruben Fleischers Zombieland is definitely worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as Simon Peggs breakout hit. Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, Woody Harrelson and recent Oscar winner Emma Stone play four random survivors who decide to become unlikely road trip buddies in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. At just 8. 7 minutes, Zombieland certainly doesnt outstay its welcome, while the talented cast appear to be having just as much fun as the viewers. Prince Of Tennis Episode 136. Theres also a surprise cameo which despite being eight years old we still wont spoil for you thats gone down as one of the most memorable in recent Hollywood history. The Voices. Ryan Reynolds as a serial killerGemma Arterton playing a severed head kept in the fridge A talking cat named Mr Whiskers hellbent on encouraging his master to kill If The Voices sounds absolutely bonkers, then thats because it is. Described as a cross between Psycho and Dr Doolittle, this underrated pitch black comedy sees Reynolds deliver one of his greatest performances as a deeply troubled bathtub factory worker whose seemingly humdrum life is anything but. Scary Movie. Hear us out. Yes, the Scary Movie franchise quickly became lowest common denominator garbage simply making pop culture references became a good enough substitute for plot, characterisation and actual jokes. But although dated and hit and miss, the 2. And you have to admit, the ever watchable Anna Faris sells the hell out of it. Young Frankenstein. An oldie but a goodie. In fact, with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 9. Young Frankenstein is the most acclaimed horror comedy on Netflix by quite some distance. An affectionate spoof of the Frankenstein pictures of the 1. Mel Brooks black and white classic also picked up several Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, boasts a brilliantly over the top performance from the late great Gene Wilder and more than makes up for the lacks in frights with belly laughs. Avas Possessions. From the most famous film on the list to the most obscure, Avas Possessions may appear to be one those cheap and nasty knock offs that swamp Netflixs horror section. But it actually turns out to be a smart and witty take on the exorcism genre that focuses on the part of the story where most films would cut to the end credits. Santa Clarita Diet. The best horror comedy of the past 1. This 1. 0 part Netflix original sees Drew Barrymore having a ball as a married realtor who one day discovers that she is in fact a sorta dead and b a full blown cannibal. Funny, gory and unashamedly ridiculous, this is one diet undoubtedly worth sticking with. Netflix 1. 0 best TV shows and films available in March, including Grace and Frankie, Iron Fist and Line of Duty. MORE What is Big Little Lies, when is it on and how can I watch itMORE 1. NOW TV this March.