Unforgettable
Harking back to the days of Single White Female and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Unforgettable is a time capsule of thrillers from the late 80s and early 90s. Rosario Dawson plays Julia Banks, an online editor who is finally taking the plunge and moving in with her boyfriend. Said boyfriend also has a daughter who lives with her mother, Tessa (Katherine Heigl), who really doesn’t appreciate Julia’s presence. It’s not long before she’s trying to mess up the new stepmum’s life in the all the ways you’d expect from these psycho-based thrillers.
Directed by Denise Di Novi and written by Christina Hodson (Shut In), it’s easy to believe that Unforgettable is a straight-faced parody in line with Lifetime’s Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig vehicle, A Deadly Adoption. After all, why else would Heigl turn it up to 11 in her first scene if not to overtly telegraph the fact that she is the baddy. Alas, as the film trundles along, it becomes apparent that what was believed to Grade A quality apery is really just poor acting decisions. Dawson comes out on top of this whole heap, and that’s not saying much sadly.
Unforgettable will undoubtedly become a camp classic in years to come, but for now, be warned!
Straight on Till Morning
A young naïve Liverpudlian, Brenda, seeks a new life in the crazy world of London. Wanting ever so desperately to have a baby, the woman-child kidnaps a man’s dog, returning it to him in the hopes of a blossoming romance. The man in question is Peter, a psychopath who believes everything is for him to control.
A sadistic blend of Secretary and Peter Pan, it all makes for uncomfortable viewing. This is mainly down to the fact that deep in its cold centre, this is almost a love story. No matter how manipulative Peter is, Brenda will stand by him.
Mean-spirited, gritty and with a gut punch of an ending, Straight on Till Morning is the possibly the closest Hammer will ever be to producing a romance.
The Nanny
The Nanny is the least Hammer Horror film Hammer has ever produced. Bette Davis comes out swinging as a devoted family nanny looking after a young boy, recently returned from a home for the disturbed, who accuses her of trying to kill him. Director Seth Holt cranks up the tension and as ward versus nanny in a battle of wits, the real question is who is telling the truth.
Skilfully shot with a lean script, The Nanny demands a spot on anyone’s DVD shelf.
John Noonan 