Let’s exorcise some demons — real and metaphorical — with the 2024 indie horror films “Skincare” and “The Exorcism of Saint Patrick”.
Skincare tells the story of a beautician who is being stalked. It sounds like it is going to be an erotic thriller or a Lifetime movie. It has elements of both but manages to stand on its own.
Directed by Austin Peters in his feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Peters, the film follows a famed Los Angeles aesthetician who suspects a rival aesthetician who opens a boutique directly across from hers of stalking and harassing her. With the help of a life coach, the two embark on a quest to uncover the blackmailer’s identity, save her business, and clear her name.
Thanks to its strong writing, the Elizabeth Banks vehicle is able to take familiar tropes but never feel derivative. It leads to an odd mix of familiarity while providing something new and exciting. Plus, it is all based on a true story.
Skincare was theatrically released in the United States on August 16, 2024.
If only The Exorcism of Saint Patrick was as tightly written.
The indie horror fails to set a strong tone and is a confusing watch. Is it a commentary against gay conversion? A supernatural revenge thriller? A story about a man who is losing his faith? In its attempt to try to be all of these things, it ends up being none of them. Can two strong performances overcome the flaws?
Skincare and The Exorcism of Saint Patrick are currently available to rent on VOD.
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
Every week AIPT Movie Editor Nathaniel Muir and his cinema partner in crime Blake Heath discuss indie and genre movies you have have never heard of, the ones you cannot hear enough about, and the ones you never want to hear about again.
Episode 369: ‘Find Your Friends’ (2026)
Aside from Art the Clown, what has Damian Leone contributed to horror? We also come dangerously close to gatekeeping while we discuss what extreme horror is. Plus a discussion on the 28 Years franchise somehow leads to a talk about The Bride.
We spend a good amount of time talking about Find Your Friends. About 98% of it is spent on the film’s writing. It does not take long to realize this is not a good thing. There have been plenty of movies that have led to a discussion about the writing. There has been nothing like this one.
The movie clearly deals with sensitive subjects. But it does it in a way that downplays the circumstances, the victim, and its heady themes. It is so bad that we have to constantly reiterate how we are not shitty men. (Who knows? Maybe we are. But that’s a different matter.)
How bad was the writing for Find Your Friends? So much so that we were constantly filing in story beats to make it make sense to us. And even then, we were still frustrated by what we had seen. This movie had all the ingredients to tell a powerful story about how women are treated. It instead was content to erratically work towards its admittedly wild finale.
Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.
Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com
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Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror.
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