REGRESSION

Ethan Hawke

REGRESSION (2015). Written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar.

In 1990 Detective Bruce Kenner (Ethan Hawke of Sinister) investigates a case wherein a 17-year-old girl, Angela (Emma Watson), has accused her father, John (David Dencik), of raping her. She also tells stories of numerous masked people -- Satanists -- coming into her room and holding unholy rituals. Kenner doesn't believe in Satan, but he does believe that there are cults of Satanists performing rituals involving animal and even child sacrifice. As he investigates further, he becomes more and more paranoid, and is convinced people are following him. He also discovers that at least one police officer, George (Aaron Ashmore of Fear Island), may be one of the Satanists.

Hawke and Aaron Ashmore

One thing I liked about Regression is that it isn't the usual sub-literate Church vs Satan movie. I believe the lack of supernatural and grisly events is what turned many critics against the picture, as it is absorbing, well-acted, and well-made for the most part. Hawke and Watson are fine, and there is also good work from Ashmore, Dencik, David Thewlis [Wonder Woman] as a psychiatrist, Peter MacNeill as the chief of police, Lothaire Bluteau as a creepy Reverend, a dynamic Dale Dickey as Angela's grandmother, and Devon Bostick as her troubled brother, Roy. (If I have one quibble about the film is that it's hard to feel complete sympathy for a character who throws his son out of the house for being gay, although this is not necessarily condoned.) 

Verdict: Nominal horror film has the courage to eschew graphic, nauseating gore and keep the devil out of the equation. ***. 

FEAR ISLAND

Aaron Ashmore, Benna O'Brien, Haylie Duff, Kyle Schmid

FEAR ISLAND (2009 telefilm). Director: Michael Storey.

A group of friends travel to an island for fun and games, but first discover that they have a stowaway, Megan (Lucy Hale), and then that an unknown person is playing pranks that become increasingly nasty, leading to many murders. The movie is mostly a flashback after Jenna (Haylie Duff) is found on the island in shock. Other characters include cute Mark (Aaaron Ashmore), slick Kyle (Jacob Blair), his brother Tyler (Kyle Schmid), Ashley (Jessica Harmon), and Keith (Jim Thorburn), who has some sort of relationship to the brothers. Trying to find out what really happened are Detective Armory (Martin Cummins) and a shrink named Dr. Chalice (Anne Marie DeLuise). Fear Island is suspenseful and intriguing, boasts a good, talented cast and competent direction, and has some good twists as well. 

Verdict: Enjoyable thriller from Canada. ***.