QUEEN OF EARTH [2015]

Director Alex Ross Perry's psychological horror film Queen of Earth is the type of subtle terror that you're not fully aware of until it's already crawled deep into your psyche.
It's about two besties whose friendship is growing apart as they grow older, resulting in one of the girls to lose grip on her already fragile sanity.
Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss delivers a powerfully convincing performance as the nutty as a fruitcake women that is quite frankly very unsettling to watch from beginning to end.  The film runs along a baffling pace that isn't easy to jump onto until you realize that was it's sinister intentions. The heavy feeling of unease is built up wonderfully over long scenes of awkward conversations, nerve-wracking sound effects & music, disorienting camera shots and dizzying character confrontations that are hilariously uncomfortable to watch.  It's not a particularly pleasant watch but an thoroughly easy film to admire for it's masterful nightmarish execution.

4 salads out of 5

Spun (2002)

A drug culture movie that squanders a large part of its potential in trying to be edgy and off-kilter. A little restraint in the editing dept and more faith in the actors, all of whom seem very at home in their role, would've helped Spun feel less like an attempt to mimic Aronofsky.
Beneath the noise the spiralling narrative and the sharp cuts are some quiet moments that feel like a respectful nod to Linklater. It's during those scenes that the film has more to say than at any other time.

3 days speeding out of 5

WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY [2006]

Wristcutters: A Love Story is a romantic black comedy road trip flick from Croatian short film director Goran Dukić.

It takes place in a miserable afterlife world inhabited only by people who have committed suicide.  As dark & twisted as the unique idea is, it somehow comes off as charming and cute as well with an underlining melancholy thoughtfulness to give it brains.  It's filled with interesting characters both leading and bit parts, strange fantasy elements and stark photography.  It's greatest weakness is the third act which gets a bit messy but ties it up nicely by the final moments.

3½ black holes out of 5