The Depraved (2011) Movie Review

A group of people are led into the vast Berlin underground thru a secret entrance in a club by a local guide. That is the set-up for the movie The Depraved. I have to say that does seem like fun (with a guide, during the day, with water, snacks, and dressed appropriately). So how is this horror movie and should you see it ?

The Depraved (2011) (IMDB)

The Depraved (2011) movie poster
Urban Explorer (2011) movie poster

If you are going to get lost in a maze-like space it’s always a good idea to make sure it is dark, damp, underground, and full of trash, rats and bugs because naturally, that makes for a better horror movie. As far as a movie set-up goes, other than some bad decisions we have a strong concept to work with. Without getting into specifics about the plot there becomes a reason why the group needs to split up, because that is always a good idea in a horror movie that NEVER leads to any complications, EVER.

Now one thing about the version I watched was that the parts in German where not subtitled, but in a horror movie the context is enough to understand what is happening. There are a few versions on YouTube in other languages where you will not understand the German. I don’t think it hindered the “plot”. There is typically a place to stream this movie for free that includes the subtitles if you need them, but most of the movie is in English. So how is the movie ? Terrible. 4/10. I will say that the ratings and reviews on this movie are closer to 5/10 on sites like IMDB (currently rated at 5.2) and it was not a bad enough movie to make my list of the 10 Unbelievably Bad Maze Movies to Never, Ever Watch.

The original title of the film was Urban Explorer and it can still be found on some sites under this name. Sadly the title change does not change the movie. Oddly, the movie does have multiple award wins, including 4 from Screamfest in 2011.

Here is a trailer to get you pumped to NOT see this ! Or watch it. You do you.

Vivarium (2019) Movie Review

I watch any movie that features a maze or labyrinth as part of the plot. Usually that means some great maze movies that I would recommend everyone watch. How is Vivarium ? Let’s find out….

Vivarium (2019) (IMDB)

Vivarium (2019) movie poster

So Vivarium is a comedy horror film starring Imogen Potts and Jesse Eisenberg as a young couple looking to purchase their first house. They stop into the Yonder Homes rental office and decide to visit the development where they are shown house #9. The sign as they pull into the development says “Quality Family Homes. Forever”. Looking back as I write this, the forever was an omen. Everything from there on out goes wrong. The rental agent mysteriously leaves them and despite a full day of driving they cannot find their way out of the development, continually driving in circles stuck in a maze of identical looking homes. Exhausted, they spend the first night in the house eager to try exiting again the next day.

And the next day.

And creatively the next day.

And again, and again. . But they are stuck. Forever ?

Invisible workers that can never be caught are dropping off food and taking trash, and one day the drop off something a bit more interesting with a note that says if they complete a task they can leave.

Things get weird (wait they weren’t already weird ?) from there. And creepy. And finally a bit crazy.

This is an interesting concept for a movie but the last 20 minutes could have been improved. Still I liked the movie better than the critics and would recommend it as a free stream/ library rental. It certainly is worth having a conversation about with friends. What would you do in this situation ? What the heck was going on ? etc. What’s was the deal with ****** (spoiler free question !!!) ? And when you are done watching the movie, if you were interested, you will search for “Vivarium ending explained”.

This movie is the longer version of the short film Foxes (2011) from the same director. The theme is the same with a slightly different story, and I would recommend it. You can read my review which includes a link to watch the entire movie.

One of my favorite parts of this movie is the thumbnail for the trailer below ! We’ve all felt this way.

I give this a 6.8/10 because I enjoyed the concept and the acting. I think this movie is best watched with others so it can be discussed after watching.

In The Tall Grass (2019) Movie Review

In The Tall Grass (2019) Movie Review) IMDB

In The Tall Grass (2019) movie poster

By Netflix - Google, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61796066

Stephen King has written some great stories through the years, many of them have been made into movies, but not all of them successfully. How did Netflix do with their adaption of he and his son’s novella ? Let’s find out.

A man and woman are driving down the road in the middle of a vast sea of fields in Kansas. The woman is visibly pregnant. They need to stop on the side of the road because she has become nauseous. During the stop they hear a cry for help from a young boy who says he is lost in the tall grass beside the road. Can they save him from the grass ? You hear his mother yell at them to not come in. They go in after him. And so it begins.

While there is no maze per say in this movie, the tall grass is difficult to walk through and continually makes the characters lost no matter which direction they move. Well, there are a few points in the maze like tall grass that work as anchor points - you can find that out in the movie. The couple finds out they are not alone in the tall grass, but they are having trouble leaving it no matter what methods they try. This is Vivarium, but in a field instead of in a housing complex.

The acting is good enough. The story is interesting. The feeling of being lost is conveyed well with the cinematography. But, overall it does not quite land in the must see category. The poster is excellent. I really like the upside down photography - it fits the movie well.

I give it an 6.3/10 for having a great premise that was entertaining. I bet the book is better though.

Here is the trailer for the movie:

Andron (2015) Movie Review

What happens when you combine elements from Cube, The Matrix, The Maze Runner, The Hunger Games and The Running Man into one movie? Do you get the greatest sci-fi film of all time ? Let’s find out. I also want to mention that I found 2 different versions of the movie poster. One with Alec Baldwin and one without. Which do you prefer ?

Did it make my list of The 10 Best Maze Themed Movie Posters ? Would I have mentioned this post if it had not ?

Andron (IMDB)

Andron movie poster
Andron Movie poster

Also known as Andron: The Black Labyrinth the film starts with people awakening in an unknown place without any memory of why they are there (my reference to the the film Cube). The place is very dark and industrial and set-up in a very confusing maze like fashion (The Maze Runner). Slowly the group (called contenders) finds out that only 1 of them can escape the maze and win their freedom (The Hunger Games). The game is controlled by evil corporations in the future (this takes place in the year 2154) and they are connected into a neural network (The Matrix). Oh, and the world is watching (The Running Man). We also have stars Alec Baldwin and Danny Glover who are definitely not just cashing a paycheck in this one. Definitely not. So then, this IS the greatest movie you have never seen right ? I just hadn’t heard of it before because it’s a hidden gem ????

No

It’s terrible. With bad effects, numerous plot holes, bad acting and really no character that you want to cheer for or against. The bad guys go down like Storm troopers in outfits made by your aunties crafting group. The special effects give special a bad name. If you want to hate watch this, make sure you find it streaming for free. I will say that the difference between what you think about the movie after watching the trailer versus watching the actual movie are wide. Watch the trailer below and you might think this movie is worth watching….it’s a trap. It makes me wonder if the trailer is a meta way of experiencing Andron. Like by watching it, it tries to entice you into the labyrinth of watching the actual movie. And you might think. Wait, that makes no sense. Exactly. Just like the “plot” of this movie.

AVOID. 3/10. This movie does make my 10 Unbelievably Bad Maze Movies to Never, Ever Watch.

My recommendation is, if you want to enjoy this movie read the reviews on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes rather than actually watch it. It is rated (as of this writing) at 2.7 and 0% respectively. Here is one of my favorite reviews which is short but to the point and I can only I assume was made on an anonymous account so nobody could track who had actually watched the movie:

“I wish I could unwatch this.” - Rotten Tomatoes User