Monday, January 23, 2023

The Lair (2023)



Streaming Service: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: The Lair (2023)
Genre: Action, Horror
Length: 1h 36min
Rating: Unrated
Production/Distribution: Rather Good Films, Scarlett Productions Ltd., Ashland Hill Media Finance, Ingenious Media, Highland Film Group (HFG)
Director: Neil Marshall
Writer: Charlotte Kirk, Neil Marshall
Actors: Charlotte Kirk, Jonathan Howard, Jamie Bamber, Leon Ockenden, Troy Alexander, Harry Taurasi, Mark Strepan, Hadi Khanjanpour, Kibong Tanji, Mark Arends, Adam Bond, Alex Morgan
 
Blurb from IMDb: When Royal Air Force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair is shot down over Afghanistan, she finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker where deadly man-made biological weapons - half human, half alien - are awakened.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
I have heard some bad accents in my day, but none of them come close to what I heard in The Lair. It was almost impossible for me to concentrate on the script because the accents were basically parodies. Can’t call the movie a parody, though.
 
The Lair took itself seriously. They clearly wanted to deliver a full-on monster film for the ages. When it comes to the design of the creature, you could tell there was a ton of effort. There are very few flicks with the kind of monster featured in The Lair that succeed at creating a design that’s horrific, but still realistic. I can absolutely appreciate that.
 
The monster they built was every bit of what they were going for. It looked phenomenal in the underground scenes, but it also looked good when the scenes were brighter. That’s not easy to accomplish, even for much bigger productions. There needs to be credit given there.
 

Unfortunately, that amazing creature was dropped right into the middle of some serious bullshit.
 
There were not only tropes used, but straight-up stereotypes. It caused even the best acted character to feel hollow and unnecessary. There are also some attempts at comedy, but those moments are so out of place that they just feel awkward. Unintentionally cringey, even.
 
If you watch The Lair, do it with the lights off – so that you can get the full view of the glorious creature effects – and with a group of drunk friend who like bad movies. That would be the best way to get enjoyment out of it.
 
The Lair will be available for streaming on Shudder this Thursday, January 26.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 38%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 39%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score –4.5/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating 2/5
 
Trust-the-Dice’s Parental Advisory Rating: R
 
Movie Trailer:

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