iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

As is the case with many found footage films, the actual horror in this movie takes a while to ramp up and get going, and it’s not exactly satisfactory once it finally gets there. An underwhelming effort all around.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 1h

My favorite moment in the film is probably this rather Lynchian one in which Gang receives a call from the actress sitting right in front of him despite the fact that she didn’t call him.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 1h

As food supplies and battery power dwindle, the team is left in the lurch as they increasingly lose the light and struggle to make headway in their production of the film. Then one of the lead actresses goes missing.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 2h

The shooting of the movie is fairly uneventful until strange things begin to happen and unnerve the cast and crew, such as glass bottles falling and shattering all by themselves, their food and water supply going bad, and unknown figures being seen wandering the site.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 2h

An odd man on the factory grounds explains that there is bizarre writing on the wall which wasn’t there days earlier, and nobody’s been present there in the interim. He warns them to be cautious if they decide to proceed with their production.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 2h

Despite the structural integrity of the building being a bit shabby, Gang feels it gives off the perfect creepy vibes he and his team are looking for.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 2h

The following day he’s planning to begin the shoot in an abandoned factory that is said to be the most terrible haunted factory in northern China.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 2h

As the casting gets underway, Gang is sure to remain on the lookout for his potential leading lady’s finest assets.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 2h

This is Gang De Meng (played by Zhang De Sheng), an ambitious director who’s getting ready to begin casting for his latest film.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 2h

This Mandarin-language horror film was a Canadian production but filmed on location in China, and with a title like Perfect Horror, it’s way too easy to rag on this film.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 2h

Movie of the Day: Perfect Horror (2016) * This film was released in China on December 14, 2016. * This film was written and directed by Dawei Lee, and was his second feature following The Evil Senior which released in China earlier that same year.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

This was a seductive ride and I enjoyed it very much, though admittedly it wasn’t nearly as pornographic nor as kinky as I’d have liked it to be in order to be most effective. My favorite thing about it was how the anger, frustration, and betrayal was channeled back into the art.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

…and pretty soon things get out of hand.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

The photo shoot gets underway…

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Charlie then announces that she’s in, leading to a heated conversation between her and Atticus. She’s tired of being accused of not being present enough and wants to break out of the suffocating box that she feels that has made Atticus act like an old man.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

After they finally deduce that Sebastian may be interested in having a foursome (which they’ve apparently done once before), he explains that he’d like to commission them to model nude in his final piece, one that captures the essence of relationships existing in the moment.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

As the evening progresses, the amount of drinking and flirtations increase proportionately while Charlie remains too consumed by her work to realize what is taking place right in front of her.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Upon attending a social party at the home of Charlie’s wealthy artist friend Sebastian (played by Mark Hapka) and his wife Naomi (played by Maya Stojan), Charlie and Atticus quickly discover that they are the only guests who’ll be coming.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Charlie (played by Maiara Walsh) and Atticus (played by Cameron Cowperthwaite) are a young couple in the big city trying to get things going. With a baby on the way and work obligations being obsessed over, they’re a bit frazzled.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Following last night’s screening about an obsessive relationship, it seemed only fitting that tonight we take a look at open relationships. This one was hot and steamy right out of the gate, shifting into a title sequence that reminded me stylistically of The Neon Demon (2016).

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Movie of the Day: Bight (2026) * This film was released online in the US on February 10, 2026. * This was the directorial debut of a feature for Maiara Walsh, who also wrote it along with Cameron Cowperthwaite, both of whom star in it as well.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I found this movie to be average at best and sorely lacking in scare factor. Instead, the real value in it resided in the manner in which it depicted relationships and showed that one’s true self is a separate entity from the part of us that's capable of being blinded by love.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

On the negative side, this film has a very commonplace and contemporary feel about it, and just as many modern horror films do, it amps up to ludicrous proportions for the final act which weakened the overall production for me.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Also, Inde Navarrette is a cute gal, and young audiences are going to like her very much.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

On the positive side, I liked the whole One Wish Willow subplot, and I loved that it went so far as to the point where Bear was actually calling One Wish Willow’s customer support for help. 😆

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The rest of the film is basically an exercise in “be careful what you wish for,” with Nikki becoming increasingly more obsessive about Bear while Bear simultaneously gets weirded out that Nikki is not acting under her own control.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

They end up going back to Bear’s house, where one thing leads to another and they share some intimate moments and even a kiss before Nikki comes to her senses, at least momentarily, and writes it off as a panic attack.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

It works immediately as Nikki comes back out to the car and invites Bear inside for drinks and conversation. Her behavior is erratic, childish, and impulsive, as she seems to swim in and out of knowing what she’s doing and not knowing.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

One night when driving Nikki home, Bear blows his chance to tell her how he feels when she surprises him by asking if he likes her first, which he instinctively denies out of fear. He then wishes upon the One Wish Willow that Nikki would love him more than anyone in the world.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

While shopping for a gift for Nikki, Bear buys a novelty toy called a One Wish Willow that claims to grant a wish when broken.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Baron “Bear” Bailey (played by Michael Johnston) has romantic feelings for his childhood friend Nikki Freeman (played by Inde Navarrette), but he can’t seem to find the right words nor the right time to tell her.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

I was definitely excited going into this one because while I was only familiar with one other Curry Barker production, a horror short called The Chair (2023), I absolutely loved that one and even shared it with director friends of mine. That set the stage nicely for this release.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Movie of the Day: Obsession (2025) * This film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada on September 6, 2025 and opened theatrically in the US on May 15, 2026. * This film was written and directed by Curry Barker.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

This film was able to achieve hazy moments of beauty that could be felt in addition to simply being seen and heard. It was extremely well made and well acted. The liberating “transgressions” inherent in this film are freaking glorious. Loved it.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

For me, Tarryn Wyngaard was as essential to the telling of this story as the story itself. She not only plays Anna, she *is* Anna.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The film then began to tinker its way into disturbing territory which is when I really began to love it. If you don’t know me yet, then you probably don’t know that I’m most in my comfort zone when mass audiences are uncomfortable.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Things get interesting once Anna finds a framed photo of a young woman on display who very closely resembles her own love interest Vicki (played by Liza Van Deventer) from back at the Foundation where she learned her caregiver skills.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

It doesn’t take long before angels whisper in Sarel’s ear about Anna being a devilish sinner, despite the fact that he doesn’t even know that she is secretly a lesbian. He lectures her about staying on a righteous path and maintaining an unpolluted spirit that is free of sin.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Once she arrives at the property, Anna meets Sarel and can see that he’s a man who does not seem to have all of his mental faculties intact any longer. Still, Dr. Basson assures her that things will go fine if she just sticks to the schedule.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Dr. Basson (played by Alida Theron) explains everything that Anna needs to know about taking care of Sarel. She explains that he can be childlike (which is fascinating in light of what I just said about Anna), and that she need make sure he takes his medicine regularly.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Despite being reprimanded and guided by her elders toward a more wholesome existence, Anna has a wonderfully unbridled childlike curiosity and borderline mischievous nature to her personality that’s a pleasure to behold. Lovely lady.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

This is Anna Pohl (played by Tarryn Wyngaard), a young woman who is being sent to a remote farm where she will act as caregiver to a former pastor and theologian named Sarel Cilliers (played by Johan Botha).

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

This film was released in 2022, the same year that another South African horror film, Bradley Katzen’s The Domestic, opened as well. I reviewed that one in March of 2025 and it was a solid effort, so I went into this one hopeful.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Movie of the Day: Peacock (2022) * Originally titled Pou in its native Afrikaans, this film was released online in South Africa on September 2, 2022. * This was the directorial debut of a feature for Jaco Minnaar, who wrote it as well with David Cornwell.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

“People don’t take trips. Trips take people.” -Diana Marsh

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

While the film is decidedly unimpressive for the most part, Melissa Leo is excellent as retired seminary academic Diana Marsh whose research helps Maddie to better understand what she’s up against. I’ve loved Leo since seeing her expertly portray Susan Plummer in the Equalizer series.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

He also discovers damage to his vehicle that Maddie recognizes as the exact same type of scratches that were on the car in the wreck on the highway.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

He pockets that shit as if he was Bobby Brady with that goddamn cursed tiki idol in Oahu, but naturally he doesn’t mention it to Maddie. In the days that follow, Tyler begins to glimpse a tall male figure who keeps appearing with increasing frequency.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Their excursion is derailed when they witness a multi-vehicle collision on a desolate stretch of Nevada highway. Amongst the religious bric-a-brac littering the road after the accident is a carved wooden figure that Tyler finds himself drawn to.

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Vasuri 🧐 @vasuri.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Our tale surrounds the relationship of Tyler (played by Jacob Scipio) and Maddie (played by Lou Llobell), a young engaged couple who are traveling cross-country on a three-week road trip.

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