Happy Monday! Hope you had a really nice weekend. I went a little weird for today’s recommendation. You have been warned.
Today’s movie is for Spring (2014), streaming on Prime Video (w/ ads) and Shudder. This low-budget creature feature romance, directed by duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival where Guillermo del Toro called it “one of the best horror films of this decade.”
Here’s what it’s about: Boy meets girl. Boy falls for girl. Boy finds out girl might be a primordial mutant creature. Unemployed and reeling from the death of his mother, burnt out twentysomething Evan (Lou Taylor Pucci) escapes to the Italian countryside where he falls for Louise (Nadia Hilker), who harbors a secret. [Trailer // 109 mins]
Why you should watch it: Take Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise and merge it with the classic Universal monster movie Creature from the Black Lagoon and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get Spring. However, that description might be too referential for a movie as singular as it is.
Lovecraftian in its story, but mining tropes from genres like romance, body horror, and even comedy, Spring constantly keeps you guessing (and entertained) as it slowly unravels its disturbing mystery. Still, it manages to be smart, funny, romantic and, most importantly, weird — my favorite genre.
🍷 Pair it with:
The Cabin in the Woods (dir. Drew Goddard)
📺 Buy or Rent: Prime Video | iTunes | YouTube
Have a terrific week. It’s going to be a good one.
See you Thursday —
Karl (@karl_delo)