Reviews
WAR NEVER ENDS FOR THE DEAD: A Completely SPOILER-FREE Review of ‘BROOKLYN 45’
I’ve mentioned that Ted Geoghegan’s We Are Still Here is arguably the film that most influenced my current taste in horror movies. It’s a bombshell of a movie that completely sucker-punches you, with a climax that blew my mind when I first saw it. It’s my favorite ghost film of all time and a personal favorite I never get tired of watching. So, you can imagine how excited I was at the announcement of Brooklyn 45, and how worried I was knowing the expectations Geoghegan’s previous film had set. Although it’s an entirely different beast that shares some thematic similarities, Brooklyn 45 is both a worthy successor and just an incredible piece of cinema in its own right.
A Seance Gone Wrong
On December 27th, 1945, a group of lifelong friends who have come home from the war gather to comfort Clive “Hock” Hockstatter (played by Larry Fessenden), a colonel who lost his wife Suzie in a sudden and bizarre suicide on Thanksgiving. In Clive’s search for answers, he turns to the supernatural and requests the group perform a seance with him in a last-ditch effort for closure. When they agree, what answers their call to the afterlife turns a reunion into a fight for sanity, questioning who your friends truly are, with a deluge of secrets pouring out.
It would have been easy to make a pulpy, 1940s horror scenario out of this, something akin to the game Call of Cthulu (if your gm loved black-and-white war dramas). But Brooklyn 45 isn’t just an old-school throwback with some new-school sensibilities and modern special effects as the poster might suggest; it’s a lovingly crafted meditation on dealing with unexpected loss, and the hatefulness that can jump out of you as a result.
Exploring the Dark Power of Mourning
Many complex themes permeate Brooklyn 45’s story, but the most powerful of all is the dark, ugly power of mourning. Not grief, which you feel, but how you mourn to express that grief. There’s something dangerous about mourning and how it can change you: the fearful result of mourning ideals and codes, mourning the ones you’ve lost, mourning actions you’ve taken, and mourning the death of the choices you never got to make. Fans of We Are Still Here will be familiar with how that film deals with grief, given the plot.
But the difference between contacting the dead of an untimely death to contacting the dead of a suicide adds a new hard-to-swallow element that touches you in a way that is not deeper per se, but radically different and painful. That element is how mourning changes into something dangerous, and could change who you are (or who you’re trying to be).
Not all death is equal, and when you convince yourself that the blame falls on you, death can be leagues more devastating than you could ever imagine. The movie delves into the idea that when there’s an enemy, there’s a cause, but when you’re the enemy, the cause becomes much harder to fight for and discern. Mourning becomes less clear, and the fog of war inside consumes your thoughts. And Brooklyn 45 doesn’t just play with that fog; it forces you to investigate it and let it wash over you. You’re sent into an emotional no man’s land, accompanied only by a platoon that feels as likely to put a bayonet through you as they are to mend your wounds.
A Fully Thought Out And Dynamic Cast
And what a platoon it is! The cast here doesn’t just have this endless chemistry; they’re also all unbelievably in sync regarding their character dynamics. It’s one thing to be enjoyable as an ensemble, but to get you to believe these characters are playing out these decades-long relationships is a rare achievement that this film pulls off effortlessly.
Ezra Buzzington is especially enjoyable as Major DiFranco, who plays him with this stony demeanor and firmness of speech that I love, something reminiscent of Garland Brigg’s best moments from Twin Peaks. Archibald (Jeremy Holms) presents himself as all swagger and nice tailoring but slowly becomes the most emotionally complex character. It takes time for Bob (Ron E. Rains), the odd man out of the group being Marla’s husband, to come out of his shell, but when he does, it is glorious and genuinely heartbreaking. And it’s all thanks to Anne Ramsey as Marla that we get the tensest scene in the film, whose performance draws a line between two versions of the same character in an enjoyably dark way.
Larry Fessenden’s Show-Stealing Role
The star of the show is Fessenden, whose performance is uncanny. He shifts through the emotional spectrum in his monologue toward the film’s beginning in a way that makes you wonder how such an incredible character actor hasn’t been given heaps more movies to headline. From start to finish, he is pure dynamite, even with the state he’s in by the end.
These actors show off their full potential because of Geoghegan’s clever script, which utilizes a closed space perfectly. We get shocking twists throughout, with jaw-dropping dialogue that makes for some stunning interactions, all contained in one parlor room. Gripping scenes that evoke horror through paranoia and dashes of black comedy that make you jump between “that’s hilarious” to “that’s awful” feel like they’ve translated impeccably from the page of the screenplay.
Brooklyn 45 Is An Immersive Period Piece That Will Haunt You
I’ve talked a lot about how great this is as a dramatic thriller, which it is, but it is also a genuinely scary horror movie. Brooklyn 45 doesn’t fit into a neat genre box (most great horror films don’t), but when it fully embraces one of those genres, it does them perfectly. There’s tension built throughout the movie for the scares, and when they come, they hit hard.
While most of the special effects are simple, there’s an elegant execution to them that leaves a disproportionately massive impact. There are doses of shock throughout it, ranging from your run-of-the-mill frightening to downright horrifying. It’s not for gorehounds—don’t expect blood and guts flying, but it uses its most gruesome moments in a way that made me squirm in my seat. The final practical effect at the climax actually made me turn away from the screen, just because of how it’s shot, framed, and the amount of time you get face to face with it made me uncomfortable. Good uncomfortable, but good lord, that image will be burned into my brain.
Set design as bespoke as the period-accurate costuming makes the film’s vibes immaculate, as does a clean soundtrack that plays its part well. In this séance, all the visual candles flicker at the right time, the house audio rattles on cue, and the phantoms of cinematography come out to play. This is usually the part where I would say the things I didn’t like, but I’m hard-pressed to find them, so let’s get to the
Brooklyn 45 Is a Must-Watch Horror Film
Brooklyn 45 is the kind of film that completely immerses you and keeps you guessing what will happen until the final frames. It’s a haunted house that will have you pounding on the door, begging to be let out—but not for the usual reasons you’d expect. If you’re looking for a simple weekend watch that could be your next favorite, give this a try. It’s what happened to me. Watch it immediately.
Brooklyn 45 is now streaming on Shudder!
Most people find that stretching their dollar still barely gets them by in today’s economy. I am very particular about what I spend my spare money on regarding extracurriculars. And no one likes to feel like their money is wasted. Madame Morbid Trolley Tours wasn’t an experience I had been familiar with. Maybe that’s because I’m chronically offline for most of my life. So this leads to the perfect question: in today’s turbulent economy, is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours worth the price? The short answer is unquestionably, yes. But it’s more than just a simple yes.
My wife and I arrived at the designated meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. A handful of minutes later, a gorgeous, e-candle-lit trolley pulled up to the side of the road. We were greeted by impeccably on-brand Allison Chase, our tour guide, and trolley driver ‘Mad’ Matt Zaller. The wonderfully cheery duo invited us on the trolley, and the tour was set to begin.
400 Years of Death, Destruction, and Infrastructure
After a welcoming video intro from someone who knows a thing or two about busting ghosts, we set off on the inaugural Madame Morbid Trolley Tour in its ninth year of operation. From the Brooklyn Naval Yard all the way to Dumbo, and more, this tour magnificently chronicles 400 years of history, the good and the bad, expertly. No matter how much you think you may know about Brooklyn history, I can bet there will be something new learned within the first 15 minutes of the tour. From the first-ever plane crash to one of the worst theater fires in history, this tour covers tragedies that the greatest horror writers couldn’t conceive.
The Deadly [Charming] Docent
Allison Chase led the fascinating tour in character from the moment we stepped on the trolley until our departure. But Allison’s character was not forced or fake; you could feel Allison’s passion for not just morbid history, but the accuracy of it. Some of the stories we heard were steeped in historical context, and it was not boring for a single second. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is not your standard full-talking tour. It’s a mixed-media adventure of some of Brooklyn’s darkest moments.
During “downtime” (the times between locations), we were edutained by mini documentaries (that were quite funny). Some of the “downtime” was filled with traffic trivia (I won a needle pen!). And other times were show-and-tell-like, with objects passed around for us to examine. But there was never a moment of silence that wasn’t purposeful. All in all, Allison’s knowledge and passion shone like the luminosity of a full moon.
Is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours Worth It?
The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour was not just a fun night out for my wife and me, but it was a delightfully dark night of edutainment. It should also be noted that ‘Mad’ Matt’s driving skills were fantastic. There was a time when I had become enamored with how Matt handled the narrow streets of Brooklyn before realizing that I needed to refocus my attention on Allison. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is an exceptionally fun evening of horror and history that will make you think twice next time you walk down the streets of Brooklyn. It is worth the money, and then some. There’s no better activity for a cold, dark October night than the Madame Morbid Trolley Tour.
For more information on Madame Morbid Trolley Tours, and to get your tickets, click here!
I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should have watched the Stephen King adaptation Cujo a million years ago. First of all, I was a voracious King reader in middle school. The other thing I was obsessed with during those years was Friends. You know, the show that hinges a major episode’s subplot on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) watching Cujo for the first time. Whatever the reason was, I never got around to it, but I’m rectifying that oversight now.
What is Cujo About?
Cujo tells a relatively simple story. Donna Trenton’s (Dee Wallace) a housewife who’s cheating on her husband Vic (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) with local handyman Steve (Christopher Stone). There’s no accounting for taste, because Vic is 10 times hotter and Steve doesn’t own a bed frame. Look, Donna. I know Vic has that awful David Hasselhoff hair, but I promise the 1980s will end sooner or later. It’ll be OK.
Donna’s attempted termination of this affair ultimately leads to its discovery. Amid this drama, her car breaks down at a mechanic’s isolated farmhouse, trapping her and her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). You see, the mechanic’s dog, Cujo, freshly christened with rabies, is patrolling the area and attacking everything in sight.
Dee Wallace Is Cujo’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
It would be impossible to start a worthwhile review of Cujo without praising Dee Wallace. The woman is a genre icon, naturally. Think about this: She had only appeared in seven theatrical movies before starring in Cujo. Four of those movies are The Stepford Wives, The Hills Have Eyes, E.T., and The Howling. But this woman didn’t become an icon simply by accidentally stumbling into some iconic titles. She is simply terrific as Donna, using her darting eyes and taut expression to deliver oodles of subtext. You instantly get the sense of how trapped she feels by marriage and motherhood without her uttering a single word.
A good performance is vital, here. Because there’s a hell of a lot of drama to get through before she’s trapped in that damn car. But Wallace instantly shoves you into Donna’s perspective, whether you like it or not. This makes it all the more potent when she is menaced by Cujo. Her desperate attempts for survival, also impeccably performed, have true weight because she seems like a real person. She is also given an incredible scene partner in Danny Pintauro. The future Who’s the Boss? star, who was only six when shooting Cujo, has a perfect everychild quality. His innocence heightens the peril. But so does that fact that he is just as irritating as every six-year-old you’ve ever met.
This movie truly captures how annoying it must be to be stuck in a life-and-death situation with a child. This is a compliment, I swear! Donna is worn down by every aspect of the situation, including her own son’s inability to cope with it. And this ratchets up the tension even further, to an almost unbearable degree.
Cujo Is a Mixed Bag, But Worthwhile Overall
The movie doesn’t work if Cujo himself doesn’t work, and at first I was real worried that he wouldn’t. In the first half, the St. Bernards that play Cujo onscreen are often shown to be wagging their tails in delight. Which kind of undercuts the reality of the situation, I’d say. But the editing and the special effects step in to fix what animal training couldn’t. The attack scenes in the second half are constructed with quick cuts that never let you get too much purchase. It’s a good approach for keeping viewers off-kilter.
Also, Cujo becomes less and less recognizable as a cuddly canine the further the movie gets. It’s a simple trick, really. He ends up getting coated with more and more slime. Saliva, pus, blood, and what have you. This is good for making him feel like a true movie monster. Plus, it’s a good mirror for the sliminess inside the car as it gets covered in sweat, blood, and grime.
The second half of the movie ultimately works like gangbusters. It’s a shame that Cujo is too cowardly to get Donna and Tad in the car before the halfway point. This decision is somewhat faithful to the book’s structure as I remember it. However, it diminishes the weight of the long days that they spend in the car. We really need to feel that crushing stretch of time, and we don’t. When Tad is suffering from dehydration, it’s not a gut punch. Honestly, I just found myself asking, “Already?” It’s good that they gave the movie a happier ending, because the classic grimdark Stephen King finale wouldn’t have landed.
Is Cujo Worth Watching in 2026?
At the end of the day, Cujo is a solid movie and I’m glad I finally watched it. However, it’s not such a stone-cold classic that I’m not at least a little intrigued by that upcoming Netflix remake…
