Needle

The Australian horror movie Needle tries to be a different slasher with a different type of killing spree and is somewhat original in that respect. It features some nicely done special effects, even though it forgot to include an interesting climax to the story, so it does not work as a movie. The characters also do not work, and if this were simply about a series of deaths, it would have exactly the same effect. (21/10/2019)

I’m not 100% sure that it’s good that Australia is getting attention again because of this film. But first I should explain what Needle is. It’s a teenage slasher, a sub-genre that is basically immune to originality, with an average of one interesting idea per decade (Halloween / A Nightmare on Elm Street / Scream / Final Destination), so I don’t mind much that it failed to surprise me in anything. What I do mind, and very much, is that it wasn’t fun, not even a little. I don’t quite understand who the creators are trying to appeal to, for me it was boring below-par, something we’ve seen many times over the years. (12/11/2010)