_Thrist_ is an odd one. It's a vampire movie, but not really. It reminded me of many other movies: _Coma_ (1978), _The Omen_ (1976), _Rosemary's Baby_ (1968), _Hellraiser_ (1987) - for some parts of the score. Although, when I was trying to figure out why it felt so familiar, I had to take a moment to reflect on the plot: a girl is taken by a cult and broken for their twisted aims. Oh, right, that's _Martyrs_ (2008). All of that being said, the movie suffers from bad direction and some equally-poor acting. Overall, it felt very disjointed, like you have the vampire angle, and basically a Satanic story (read: blood cult), then the movie goes off the rails in the second act and turns into a gothic mind bender. By the end, it almost became a thriller/action movie. Just too much going on, and at the same time, not enough. To its credit, this does have a unique take on the vampire story, however it fails to stick the landing. Another piece that bothered me was that there is a reoccurring supernatural element in what is otherwise a very grounded story. Like, okay. Which is it? Recommended to no one. Total time waster.

This was pleasant surprise. It had the village vibes of The Wickerman (the proper version), enhanced by Australian accents and hairstyle and fashion that our trendy parents would have had. And of course helicopters (because helicopters were once a valid sign of evil). But the concept was an interesting twist on a couple of old themes, generally downplayed so it to focus more on ritual than gore. If you like old mild horror, I recommend checking Thirst out.