The CineFiles: 2025

Saturday, October 4, 2025

THE GIRL WITH THE NEEDLE (2024)

Directed By: Magnus Von Horn

Written By: Magnus Von Horn And Line Langebek

Cinematography: Michal Dymek

Editor: Agnieszka Glinska

Cast: Vic Carmen Sonne, Trine Dryholm, Besir Zeciri, Joachim Fjerstrup, Tessa Hoder, Ava Knox Martin, Ari Alexander, Benedikte Hansen

Copenhagen 1919: A young worker finds herself unemployed and pregnant. She meets Dagmar, who runs an underground adoption agency. A strong connection grows but her world shatters when she stumbles on the shocking truth behind her work.

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This is a film that is hard to talk about as it is definitely a film. You should watch before fighting out too much information about the film so that you can discover what the film offers.

So if you haven’t seen it already, please stop reading this review as to discuss it. You can’t help but spoil part of it, though I will say this is definitely an experience.

A historical tale filmed in black and white in Germany. This is a film that you admire the acting in the filmmaking, but it’s not a film. You will watch repeatedly due to it subject matter as it is definitely a hard watch after a while.

The film does start out bleak, but it also at time seems to offer mercy and forgiveness that you think that the main character might still have a chance at a good life or things turning around for her only for it to become bleak again and things turned tragic.

especially when you get to the third act of the film, which is where the audience will be tested as to whether they can finish the film and go further it’s not what is shown on screen, but what the characters do that will be the thing that will be upsetting for most of the audience. Especially where in the end it reveals that this is based on a true story.

as when you’re watching the film, you’re just wondering like what kind of sick mind came up with this storyline and did it have to be as harsh but then the truly scary part is that it’s not necessarily an extension of the writer directors imagination, but presenting the facts to a certain extent

The film is breathtaking in a way in which it begins at first you think it’s gonna be a rags to riches story but it seems to be a rags with hopes of riches gets a taste of riches get thrown back into rags and at the worst moments sort of gets lifted up only to be thrown down and even lower than they were before.

It humanizes even the violent characters giving a twisted reasoning for their behaviors as the film tries to end with a little bit of hope that you wonder is it too late and have the characters gone too far for that

One of the amazing aspects of this movie is the lead played by Vic Carmen Sonne. as an actress she is quite a chameleon because though her character is pretty here, she’s so run down and grab that she has common looks, but has a look that stands out and then as a film goer, you remember her from the controversial movie HOLIDAY in which she played pretty much a cat woman, a sugar, baby, who all these men desired and literally were harming each other over her and here she’s treated like a little nothing

If anything this film ends up being a survivor story the cinematography black and white film is so beautiful and timeless that even though it’s said in the past, it feels like something that could still happen today when people are at their lowest.

This is one of those films where you know you’re never going to watch it again necessarily more because of the subject matter because it’s a beautifully made film. The filmmaking is exceptional, but the subject matter is hard for anyone to take and watch, even if not showing graphically just the thought of it the horror, the horrors.

No one can understand why the story needs to be told but also you wonder once you know the twist does it lose the power of it as if you go into this film blind and let it build you’re going along a journey where you don’t know where it’s going to lead, and then that choice happens And has its effect on subsequent views if you choose to, is the filmmaking still powerful now that you know the twist, does it stay as strong on a repeat view it or was this meant to be a one and done?

For all the praise that movies like the sixth sense for instance gets and it is a well-made movie, but it doesn’t hit as hard once you know the twist so would it be quite as remarkable or stand the test of time without it. As always, I guess that is up to the individual. As some will keep watching just for the innovations or the filmmaking or the performances or they’ll find something to come back for. No matter how grizzly it might eventually become or even just to study it to see the clues if any early on order to see how it affects them slowly going to where they know the film is going to go.

as always, I will warn this is definitely not a film for everyone. If you are highly sensitive I would definitely say skip this movie maybe read up about it instead as again the film isn’t glory or even a violent, but it is subtle and it’s horror that will haunt and disturb you.

Grade: A

Friday, October 3, 2025

THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER (2018)

Directed By: Douglas Sikes

Written By: Christopher Ford

Cinematography: Luke McCoubrey

Editor: Megan Brooks and Andrew Hasse

Cast: Dylan McDermott, Charlie Plummer, Madisen Beaty, Samantha Mathis, Emma Jones, Lance Chantiles-Wertz, Jonathan Riggs, Mark Nash

A picture-perfect family is shattered when the work of a serial killer hits too close to home.

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This film is an interesting take on a serial killer. Where it asks what would you do if you found out that your parent might have been a serial killer.

What is most inventive of the film is that for a film about a serial killer and his killings. There is only One scene of true violence and luckily it’ not that explicit. Even as it delves into the killings throughout.

The killisngs take place in the midwest in a heavily religious Community. Where it is happening right beneath their noses, by one of their own.

The true reason for the killings is more about power and control. Though eventually what seems to have kept him at bay was if he couldn’t have the actual thrill of the kill. It was the memory and having evidence as reminders.

The second half shows that while this is based on various serial killers. It’s not a true story. As no one would admit to the actions of the third act.

The film presents it’s story bare and matter of factly. It doesn’t go for anything gratuitous or exploitive. It plays more like a racy Tv-movie of the same subject. Only not trying to put it down or diminish it’s strength in storytelling. It just feels there is little subtlety and goes for just straight shooting. Though there is a narrative disturbance that is creative and effective to

A degree. Maybe because it also revolves around an actor who was a big television star.

The strength of the filmmaking shows in that ot’s a horror film, built on tension and not gratuitous violence or sex ABD again for a film that couldneasilt have been a television movie on the subjects. It’s still haunting the audience after the film is done. Putting it’s Characters to make the hardest decisions in the worst situations.

Dylan Mcdermott and Charlie Plummer both hit it out if the park in their roles. Which have so many layers and depth. That you constantoy believe them.

In the end thenfiom breaks down into a character study of a father and son. The actions and suspicions set forth. As at first it plays like a mystery and then once learning the truth. The consequences of each actions.

Grade: B-

Thursday, October 2, 2025

THE HONEYMOON KILLERS (1970)

Written & Directed By: Leonard Kastle

Cinematography: Oliver Wood

Editor: Stanley Warnow And Richard Brophy

Cast: Shirley Stoner, Tony Lo Bianco, Doris Roberts, Mary Jane Higby, Kip Mcardle, Barbara Cason, Marilyn Chris, Dora Duckworth

An obese, embittered nurse doesn't mind if her toupee-wearing boyfriend romances and fleeces other women, as long as he takes her along on his con jobs.

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This is a failure for me personally. As I heard about over the years, but never took the leap to watch it until recently, as I had even seen a more modern retelling of the tale that it is based on. The 2006 film Lonelyhearts, which starred John Travolta, Salma, Hayek, James Gandolfini, and Jared Leto. This is way better

This film is based on a true crime case of a con man who specialized in romancing and marrying women and stealing their money, and then he met a lonely nurse who fell head over heels for him, and then helped him and his cons but soon they turned deadly as they would begin to kill their victims rather than Just abandon them and run away

What is surprising for this film is that you feel like an accomplice as you watch it you still have an overview, but you’re always there with them and all points of this time and it just has a gritty realism in it that is so believable so that even when eventually, the film turns violet it feels more realistic and you feel sorry for the victims as we have gotten to know them a bit

So at no part, do we root for these killers but we somewhat find ourselves repost, but also a little bit emotional when the nurse part who is seems to be the most cold hearted as she seems to be the one who does the killing most of the time just continuously keeps finding out that her partner has slept with these women that he promised he would never do

He seems to be the one more in charge at first shocked at her behavior, but soon giving the orders and she seems to become his henchman of sorts, as well as as his partner

This film was originally supposed to be directed by a young Martin Scorsese, but he ended up not making it past pre-production and was taken over by another director Donald Volkman, who then was fired and finished with another director

This is one of those treasure cast of films that at first seems like it’s gonna be a cheap bee movie that you would see at a drive-in though it’s so surprisingly well made and the fact that it also takes you off guard when you were expecting, maybe a more harmless, exploiter film and you find this film, surprisingly dramatically resident and more of a thriller than an out and out horror film

It also works again by us, getting to know the victims, even as we know they’re fate and know it’s coming up if personalizes their deaths a little more, and makes it more gruesome and sad than originally intended, especially one victim that you don’t expect them to really carry out and while it happens off screen. You feel like they have reached a new low.

As violence is introduced slowly in the sub at first the killings, though torturous, we don’t really see the handiwork though soon we’re pretty much in the same room as the violence is happening it seems like with each victim, the film and the killers up the game and the violence.

No, this film is definitely a gem not only for true crime aficionados. It truly stands out in the field and sets itself apart. That feels more truthful than a lot of them out there.

As even the 2006 film Lonelyhearts, based on this case focuses more on the cops in a bit on the killers, this film, we only truly see the killers point of view and a bit of the victims point of view.

This is one of those films that packs such a punch you want to learn all about the true crime case right after you watch it.

Grade: A -