Shook (2021)

 Forgettable home-invasion-with-a-twist boiler.

Social media star Mia agrees to pet sit her sister's doggo while said sister goes off to get some medical treatment.  Because someone is murdering local dogs, as you do. 

While watching doggo, Mia is menaced by the creepy neighbour and her vapid influencer friends are simultaneously targeted by a Deranged Psycho (tm) who mutilates them as Mia fails to answer questions.

So, yeah, we can assume someone watched Scream and thought they could do better.  They can't.

If this seems familiar it is probably because you've seen Black Christmas.  Or Halloween.  Or Scream.  Or a any of a thousand better films.

Daisye Tutor is very good as Mia. She effectively has to hold the whole film together as she is often the only character on screen for large amounts of time, and none of the rest have any development. 

But the rest of the film is a mess, with an incoherent plot, poorly presented characters, a setting that doesn't feel real, an irritating visual style and twists that make the film less interesting, not more.

There are a couple of nods to Halloween - Mia stalks about with a knife like JLC and there is a bit where she hides in a closet, and a bit of Black Christmas thang going on, which suggests a level of knowingness on the part of the film makers.  But that barely elevates it to the level of Scary Movie.  And that's a low level.

And it seems to go on forever.

Star Rating: *