What to Watch This Weekend: Trollhunters, Old, Last Letter From Your Lover, Sexy Beasts, Sword Art Online, Quiet Place Part II, Spiral, Initiation

For The Timeless Romantic: The Last Letter From Your Lover (Netflix)
The Last Letter From Your Love has two intriguing storylines, some amazing fashion and style, and some wonderful views of the French Riviera to fall in love with.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Ridiculous Reality Show: Sexy Beasts (Netflix)

Sexy Beasts is the most fun and ridiculous reality dating show you can watch, with a silly premise that makes for some interesting dates and lets these individual's personalities shine through!  For more information, check out the review!

For The Trollhunters Fans: Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (Netflix)

Trollhunters: Rise of Titans continues the Tales of Arcadia trilogy with some beautiful animation and larger than life encounters that will determine the fate of the Trollhunters world.  For more information, check out the review! 

For The Disappointed Trollhunters Fans: Sword Art Online (Netflix)

I have heard lots of mixed results with the Trollhunters ending, but for those looking for something else to watch after Trollhunters, check out Sword Art Online, an animated series that features a fantasy setting with some technology.  

For A Twisted Aging Story: Old (Theaters)

Old has a mysterious story, some very nice performances and small touches, and a trademark M. Night Shyamalan twist ending, but the quirks and odd dialogue might cast some shadows on this beach vacation.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Tense, Quiet Evening: A Quiet Place Part II (Paramount+)

A Quiet Place Part II continues the Abbott's story with the same amazing sound effects and trademark muffled horror that made the first movie such an auditory treat.  For more information, check out the review!

For The Next Chapter in the Book of Saw: Spiral (Redbox)
Spiral's star power, brutal challenges and effects, and police procedural story will draw you down into this next chapter from the Book of Saw.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Crazy, Murderous Horror Party: Initiation (Redbox)

Initiation's college slasher party is amplified with great practical effects, brutal deaths, a good amount of tension, and a social media message.  For more information, check out our review!

What to Watch This Weekend: Wrath of Man, Paper Tigers, Columnist, Water man, Judas and the Black Messiah, Human Factor, Initiation, Sons of Sam

For A Darker Guy Ritchie Experience: Wrath of Man (In Theaters)
Wrath of Man has Ritchie's trademark sharp writing, style, and a solid Statham performance, but with a darker tone and more intense action.  For more information, check out the review!

For The True Crime Fans: The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness (Netflix)

The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness details a fascinating theory and the brilliant but flawed proponent of it with amazing clippings, clips, and plenty of research.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Bloody Good Free Speech Satire: The Columnist (Virtual Cinema)

The Columnist is a stylish and entertaining satire--fueled by Katja Herbers's wonderful performance--about the dangers of social media and the very painful effect that online activities can have on real people.    For more information, check out the review! 

For A Crazy, Murderous Horror Party: Initiation (Theaters and Digital)

Initiation's college slasher party is amplified with great practical effects, brutal deaths, a good amount of tension, and a social media message.  For more information, check out our review!

For A Fascinating Historical Documentary: The Human Factor (In Theaters)

The Human Factor is a fascinating look at peace in the middle east, with great narration, clever effects to keep the viewer engaged, and a humbling look at just how complicated this issue really is.   For more information, check out the review!

For A Family Film Dealing With Real Issues: The Water Man (In Theaters)
Nomadland highlights a different, beautiful lifestyle with a very human performance by McDormand, amazing cinematography, and a wonderful sense of community.  For more information, check out the review!

For A Thoroughly Entertaining Martial Arts Film: The Paper Tigers (In Theaters and Digital)

Paper Tigers will knock you out with its wonderful comedic style, over the top and over the hill characters, and the amazing camaraderie and heart of the main trio.  For more information, check out our review!

For A Powerful Film About Racial Injustice: Judas and the Black Messiah (Redbox)

Judas and the Black Messiah is an amazing, powerful film that chronicles the short life of a charismatic leader, and highlights ideals and injustices that are still relevant today.  For more information, check out the review!

Initiation Review: A Bloody Good Party Slasher

Release date: May 7, 2021
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed By: John Berardo
Written By: John Berardo, Brian Frager, and Lindsay LaVanchy
Starring: Lindsay LaVanchy, Jon Huertas (“This Is Us”), Isabella Gomez (“Head of the Class,” “One Day at a Time”), Froy Gutierrez (“Teen Wolf”), Gattlin Griffith (Green Lantern), Patrick Walker (“The Resident”), Bart Johnson (“High School Musical 3: Senior Year”), Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon (Selma) with Yancy Butler (Kick-Ass 2) and Lochlyn Munro (“Riverdale”)

During a university’s pledge week, the carefree partying turns deadly serious when a star athlete is found impaled in his dorm. The murder ignites a spree of sinister social-media messages, sweeping the students and police into a race against time to uncover the truth behind the school’s dark secrets…and the horrifying meaning of a recurring symbol: a single exclamation mark.

Initiation takes the college environment and cranks it up to eleven with a crazy party that leads a strange and disturbing situation.  The party and fraternity scenes are well done, with good lighting, over the top bro characters, and plenty of college craziness.  And once the murders start to happen, you get a different kind of craziness.  It wouldn't be a good slasher film without some deaths, and Initiation has some brutal ones.  You can tell that the killer enjoys this aspect as the kills take some time and are turned into brutal messages.  The film uses good practical effects for these deaths, which makes them all the more brutal.  Some of the blood looks fake but overall this slasher does a great job with the essential part of a slasher film.

Initiation tries to tell a story influenced by social media, and the movie does a good job with this aspect.  It has an interesting use of social media throughout, with events happening on people's phones projected on the film so you know what is going on.  It is a nice touch that lets you see what social media is talking about whiteout having the film cut away from the action.  It has been done before in films but it is still a good use of the screen.  The story has a good arc but overall I felt like it didn't develop enough.  The movie had a really long build up before the first kill, which was a nice touch as it let you get to know these characters and their situation.  But once the murders happened the movie seemed to have a bloodbath of deaths, only to then conclude.  It feels like this film could have had a few more story elements and maybe a reprieve form the murders, and it makes this story seem to be over shortly after it gets exciting.  But Initiation does a lot right; it's a good indie horror film with strong female characters and important social media messages.  

Initiation's college slasher party is amplified with great practical effects, brutal deaths, a good amount of tension, and a social media message.

Watch it.

If you liked this review and want to see more from Watch or Pass, please consider 

following us on our various social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube. 

Initiation is available in theaters, digitally, and on demand on May 7, 2021. For showtimes, click here.

For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

This site contains affiliate links. //Commerce or this site may be compensated when you click through links on our site.  

Interview: Lindsay LaVanchy co-writer & star of Initiation, College Slasher w/ Isabella Gomez and Lochlyn Munro

 

Lindsay LaVanchy discusses Initiation, how she became involved with the project, and filming a movie on both USC and UCLA campuses! We also discuss some of the deeper messages in the film and her own party experiences. So give it a watch and make sure to check out Initiation in theaters, digitally, and on demand on May 7, 2021! Directed By: John Berardo Written By: John Berardo, Brian Frager, and Lindsay LaVanchy Starring: Lindsay LaVanchy, Jon Huertas (“This Is Us”), Isabella Gomez (“Head of the Class,” “One Day at a Time”), Froy Gutierrez (“Teen Wolf”), Gattlin Griffith (Green Lantern), Patrick Walker (“The Resident”), Bart Johnson (“High School Musical 3: Senior Year”), Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon (Selma) with Yancy Butler (Kick-Ass 2) and Lochlyn Munro (“Riverdale”) Synopsis: During a university’s pledge week, the carefree partying turns deadly serious when a star athlete is found impaled in his dorm. The murder ignites a spree of sinister social-media messages, sweeping the students and police into a race against time to uncover the truth behind the school’s dark secrets…and the horrifying meaning of a recurring symbol: a single exclamation mark.

Please subscribe to be updated on the latest videos!