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Matt Donato

Matt Donato

@matt64 3 Followers 0 Following

Professional critic. Most recently published in Paste Magazine, Ign, and The A.V. Club.

65 Reviews

The Thing with Feathers
7
The Thing with Feathers

...wraps us in the wings of grief as we fall into its nastiest depths, and lifts us out with gothic hopecore appeal.

Outlaw Johnny Black
6
Outlaw Johnny Black

...charming ode to Black-led Westerns of the Fred Williamson and Jim Brown era through costume design and cameos—and that’s what’s so frustrating. Is the film a parody or revitalizing the canon? I’m not sure...

V/H/S/Halloween
6
V/H/S/Halloween

...a mixed bag of candy-coated frights.

Obsession
8
Obsession

...should and will put Barker on the map as a horror filmmaker you need to watch.

The Black Phone 2
7
The Black Phone 2

Ethan Hawke returns as The Grabber, not of flesh and bone; he's a boogeyman in your nightmares, yet the pain he inflicts leaves real scars.

The Lost Bus
6
The Lost Bus

...an unexpectedly haunting watch.

Sting
6
Sting

...feels like a regression across the board, and while still serviceable in stretches…honestly? Sting deserved better.

The Bad Guys 2
8
The Bad Guys 2

...an even better gateway heist movie than the original.

History of Evil
5
History of Evil

The Iranian American filmmaker glibly imagines a nation led by fear in the name of protecting “culture,” blended with mediocre haunted house signatures.

The Seeding
5
The Seeding

Clay’s instincts as a director are spot-on when it comes to generating visual appeal and motivating performances.

Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever
6
Nightwatch: Demons Are Forever

...a suitable sequel with progressive thinking, solid performances, and unsettling vibes. Bornedal establishes sound reasons to revisit the surviving Nightwatch characters and successfully injects new blood into the fray.

Bad Things
6
Bad Things

Paramount to the film’s success is Rankin... ...an actress with astounding physical expressiveness. Rankin’s ability to outwardly project a mental breakdown is top-notch, authentic...

The Puppetman
6
The Puppetman

...a blend of true crime and sadistic supernatural killers...

Mother, May I?
8
Mother, May I?

...authentically, vulnerably, fantastically acted, and achingly wounded with a personal appeal.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3
9
Sonic the Hedgehog 3

Keanu Reeves and two Jim Carreys kick Sonic The Hedgehog 3 into enjoyable overdrive.

The Machine
5
The Machine

...earns its chuckles when scenes lean into the exceptional surrealism of an exaggerated alternate reality...

V/H/S/Beyond
8
V/H/S/Beyond

...the most cohesive, best arranged, and most creatively complementary V/H/S yet.

Elevator Game
6
Elevator Game

...better suited for horror fans who might not even consider themselves horror fans (yet). That’s not as pointed a dig as it sounds—everyone needs somewhere to start.

Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F
7
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F

Redemption, thy name is “Axel F.”

Exhuma
8
Exhuma

...a freshly squeezed horror refresher. That might sound like pedestrian praise, but competency always reigns supreme.

The Conference
8
The Conference

...one of the better slashers released this year if you’re in the mood to watch liars and brown-nosers get hacked, skewered and brutalized to bits, pulling overtime at the right moments.

Blood for Dust
7
Blood for Dust

...a satisfactory interpretation of American hardships and making ends meet...

Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2
6
Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2

It boasts a nastier midnight-movie appeal, radical practical effects, and a brisk 90-minute runtime.

You'll Never Find Me
7
You'll Never Find Me

...finds horror in humanity’s existence—but that doesn’t mean it fails to be relevant and horrifying.