Mum’s the word when it comes to Meatloaf
Clemons cracks it as plucky heroine
This week’s recipe is a tribute to my mum who sadly passed away recently.
She was the person who gave me my passion for cooking and has left me with many happy memories of time spent in the kitchen together.
I now have possession of many of her handwritten recipes which I will be sharing with you over the next few weeks. For this week, let’s start with one of her all-time favourites for which she will be well remembered.
The thing that everyone laughs about is the fact there is coffee in the gravy... but it works!
Even in this spoiler-heavy era, where an entire film’s plot can be ruined by one photo posted online, you sometimes get lucky enough to go into a movie blind.
That’s what happened for me with the Blumhouse-produced Sweetheart, which I decided to order to join my ever-increasing pile of lockdown DVD viewing.
I was vaguely aware of the premise – a girl named Jenn (Kiersey Clemons) who washes up on a small tropical island and quickly realises she isn’t as alone as she thinks – but that was it.
The ensuing 82 minutes were a genuine surprise as what unfolded was one of the most clever-yet-simple mystery-horrors I’ve seen in some time.
I’m not going to lie, I may waffle a fair bit in this review – even more so than usual! – as I really don’t want to give anything away for anyone lucky enough to give Sweetheart a watch.
And, if you do, you should stay clear of the trailers and marketing material too; just sit back and enjoy.
What I will say is, Clemons (Bad Neighbours 2, the Flatliners remake) has never been better; her plucky heroine is put through emotional and physical challenges that make what Tom Hanks endured in Castaway seem like an afternoon stroll in the park.
Blumhouse don’t always get it right, but it’s a studio not afraid to take risks with its horror output and it gives J.D. Dillard the directorial reins for only the second time in his feature film career after 2016’s Sleight.
Dillard and co-writers Alex Hyner and Alex Theurer’s script cleverly turns expected tropes on their head and refuses to burden Jenn with the type of dumb decision making to inflict many a horror heroine.
Much of the movie is set at night, with moonlight and camp fires leaving a lot to our – and Jenn’s – imagination in terms of what is lurking within the darkness.
Gore is used sparingly but effectively and the sense of helplessness affecting Jenn is palpable.
If I’d seen Sweetheart in its initially intended cinematic form last year it would have been a prime contender for my top 10 flicks of 2020.
But I was maybe better off in the darkness of my own home as I could at least turn the light on when things got too intense!