MFF Streaming: Reviewing the lesser-known horror films on Netflix

Netflix is loaded with horror films and the majority of them are not good. You could easily pick the wrong film and find yourself watching a soul crushingly bad movie. In order to prevent this from happening I’ve taken it upon myself to scour the depths of Netflix in order to sort out the good from the bad. The following post quickly reviews five films and hopefully gives you some information on whether or not you should watch them.

Dark Was The Night

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I love that Kevin Durand (Reel Steal, Noah, Blade 2, Winter’s Tale, Smokin’ Aces,  Legion)  finally got to star in a film and show some emotional range. I bet he loved every second of not being a thug or villain. However, this creature feature is bogged down by way too much backstory and a somber tone that prevents anything from being enjoyable. I get the character arc, (a man coming to grip with loss) but it takes away from anything that could’ve made this movie fun.

If you are a fan of Kevin Durand I totally recommend you watch  Dark Was the Night. However, if you are indifferent to the Durand stay away.

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Tremors 5: Bloodlines

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Tremors 5 ain’t Shakespeare but it will appease Tremors fans.  It is a capably made little direct to DVD film that is way better than it has any right to be. The Tremors world has always been a pleasant place that features cheeky monsters, breezy plots and likable people.  The light tone and banter of Tremors 5 make for a fun 90 minutes that helps you remember why Jamie Kennedy had a decent run back in the day. Is Tremors 5 a good film? No. Is Tremors 5 a solid addition to a direct to DVD creature feature series? Yep.

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Let Us Prey

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Let Us Prey is a nasty little Scottish film that revolves around a very bad night at a police station. When I say “nasty” I mean really nasty. The characters are all villains and the blood and guts are aplenty.  I like actor Liam Cunningham (Dog Soldiers, Game of Thrones, Centurion) in pretty much everything so I gave Let Us Prey a chance. If you like deranged people doing deranged things to each other you will love this film.

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From the Dark

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From the Dark tells the age-old story of a nice couple being attacked by an ancient beast. The small Irish film does a solid job establishing a claustrophobic setting and not explaining away the monster via a lame backstory or convenient harbinger. The biggest knock against it is that it adds nothing new to the creature feature genre. It is well made but disposable.  If you dig standard creature features you will appreciate this little film.

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Preservation

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I’m not sure why Preservation exists because there is basically nothing to it. Preservation tells the story of a camping trip gone awry. The three main characters start off likable enough but it all devolves once the killers identities are revealed. I feel like this is a one concept movie. The director/writer came up with a decent idea and failed to build anything around it. The poster is cool though.