Today's Horror Highlights commences with impressions of Nicholas Woods' The Axiom (2017). Also: a trailer for The Untamed and release details for Prankz, which is now available on Amazon Prime.
The Axiom Impressions: The Axiom is a deeply intriguing vessel that explores familiar waters in the most creative ways possible.
Written and Directed by Nicholas Woods, The Axiom stars Hattie Smith, Zac Titus, Nicole Dambro, Taylor Flowers, and Michael Peter Harrison. It follows a group of friends who get tricked into going into the woods to rescue McKenzie's (Hattie Smith) sister, who mysteriously disappeared in those same woods. Once in the wilderness, the gang slowly discovers that not only are they not alone, but that they may have entered another dimension.
There is a lot to unpack when discussing this film, so let's start with the axiom itself. It is an opening to other worlds much more terrifying than our own, and we only learn about this phenomenon through the characters who accidentally stumble through it. Once in another dimension, the friends each encounter extremely creepy creatures and strange occurrences. Which gets to my favorite highlight of The Axiom: the overall aesthetic and look of the creatures. The imagination that went behind the look of the monsters was something I hadn't seen before. The lady wrapped in a white sheet still sits with me. Her look would make for an excellent Halloween costume.
The performances from Taylor Flowers (Edgar) to Hattie Smith were spot-on and very believable. The characters felt like friends. They bicker and argue but also joke around with and understand each other. Everyone was so solid, I really cannot choose a "standout" performance, but I will say that Taylor's performance really struck a chord with me. It's difficult to balance so many emotions all at once and have it not seem hokey or forced, and he nailed it.
I really enjoy learning things as the characters do in a film, so "being in the dark" can really ramp up the suspense. However, because there is a lot of mythology and lore to unpack here, and we don't really get answers until the back end or so, I found it to be a bit confusing at times.
To wrap things up, The Axiom was really enjoyable to watch. It found a unique way to spin its tale, the performances were impeccable, and the mythology was very intriguing. I wish that I could watch the film again and again so that I could unpack even more from this story.
Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.
The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).
Daily Dead's Official Podcast! Daily Dead's Official Podcast!
