Drag Me To Hell - 2009 * * * *

She's going to hell.

Having not been bowled over by the 'Evil Dead' movie that Sam Raimi directed I was hardly expecting that this movie would have much of an impact. However I was really surprised. The whole film is done pretty much with tongue-in-cheek and its great to see a director taking the mickey out of himself by making the film slightly comical. The idea of the story is fairly simple - a young woman with a prosperous job and nice boyfriend refuses to extend a loan to Mrs Ganush, a scary, haggard looking woman who comes to her bank begging for them not to repossess her house. The old woman, (who has a fake eye and delights in coughing up phlegm into her handkerchief)decides to curse her and unless the curse can be lifted within three days she'll be taken to hell.
It doesn't sound very scary as horror movies go but there are plenty of typical jumpy moments that you wouldn't expect and a really terrifying performance from the woman who plays Mrs Ganush. She really isn't somebody you would care to meet in a dark alleyway, or even a bright one. Plus the ending really makes you squeal, and for once it seems that horror movies do not always turn out happily ever after at the end.
I wouldn't go as far as to rate this movie as the best of the year (I really don't think I could rate just one film with that title anyway regardless of how good it was) but it certainly is worth a couple of watches to see a director who doesn't take himself to seriously.