Scary, thrilling, human and well-written. Despite all the odds Kong is a great horror film.
A team of explorers and soldiers travel to an uncharted island in the Pacific, unaware that they are crossing into the domain of monsters, including the mythic Kong.
I wasn't expecting this to be good and rightfully so, after decades of atrocious Kong films the odds weren't in this film's favour. However by abandoning the iconic plot and creating a new story, with predominantly new characters we have a winning film.
Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston are brilliant, both create well-structured characters who are relatable and can maintain audience attention. Samuel L. Jackson is a perfect antagonist and the supporting cast, including John Goodman and John C. Reilly are great in their roles.
The CGI and cinematography are great and really pull the audience into the film's reality. I was surprised at how scary and violent the film is. It is a true homage to the 1920s horror films, complete with jump scares and a scary amount of carnage. My only complaint is occasionally the dialogue became too focused on exposition and felt clunky, otherwise it was a strong script.
Overall a fantastic thrill-ride, which could easily spawn a brand new horror franchise. A must see thriller.
4 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of Roadshow Entertainment