Popular reviews

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  Review by Tony the Terror ★★★★ 4

  This is a very good and sadly very relatable psychological horror film about generational trauma and the damage a parent can do to their child when mental illness goes unchecked.

  The fact that the main character is a gay man hit that much closer to home. Had this been about him dealing with his father instead of mother, I could have been watching a dramatization of my own life! Luckily my story isn’t nearly as grim as this, but it is a horror movie after all. 

  Yes, the hallucination that the main character often sees is an almost dead ringer for the rabbit in Donnie Darko. I almost wonder if that is supposed to be a sort of homage to that…

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  Review by sirvived ★★

  A slow-burning descent into madness, that blurs the lines between reality and delusion. I’m a bit conflicted about how I feel about this film as it oscillates between a frighteningly dark family drama and perhaps a silly, over the top portrayal of mental illness. Though some sequences are quite memorable, there's just something with how it's put together and how some of the lines are delivered that are distracting. Overall, it's quite disappointing but at least it boasts a great performance by Zach Villa.

  2022 Horror Ranked

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  Review by Justin LaLiberty ★★★★ 1

  queer body horror that’s both sparse and erotic; an impressive debut and one that embraces the more abstract fringes of the genre while not alienating those that just want to be scared — but there are some moments here that will be jarring for even the more jaded genre vets

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  Review by Deathy ★★★★

  Score : 8/10 ✅

  The powerful fear of what trauma does to our body and mind, is so enigmatic and incomprehensible yet so perceivable. This is where Hypochondriac is willing to take us with a very eccentric character; on a journey of facing his demons, overcoming emotional trauma and trying to rationalize a state of mind that isn’t tangible.

  From the perspective of a horror film, it works to some degree to freak us out but the movie is at its strongest with the psychological thriller view of how a character can become his own worst enemy. It’s a challenging film in a way, it doesn’t exaggerate mental illness position, makes most of the encounters with other characters feel like…

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  Review by Andrei Girard ★★★

  This film had so much potential. Too bad, it lacks in execution. It's such an interesting exploration of childhood trauma and relationships, presented in the form of a somewhat metaphorical/hallucinatory horror film. I was so captivated by this character and his story. This film is funny at times, sweet at times, creepy at times, unsettling at times and incredibly sad at times. There are some emotionally painful moments in this film, and it feels realistic in the way it deals with mental illness and how it gets to affect the way a person interacts with other people, which means it interferes with every facet of a person's life, showing the importance of having someone supportive on your side. From an…

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  Review by joshrowley ★

  Curious; familiar; overhyped; predictable; repetitive; short; slow; unengaging; uneven; unfunny; unscary.

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  Review by Steph_h ★★½

  This starts off nicely and dives into the leads issue of feeling as though something is wrong but everyone keeps telling him it’s stress (which has actually happened to me so I’m kinda suprised this didn’t hit me hard) .. then there’s his boyfriend who just wants him to open up and a decent amount of the film is spect on relationship drama - which works well actually.. but the development of his issue is ok .. at a certain point things started to feel a little silly and a lot of it just too reminiscent of Donnie Darko which was very hard to shake .. the story was sacrificed for trippy visuals and spooky moments which didn’t progress anything or look that great. So we watch this guy spiral and it just doesn’t wind up feeling realistic enough I think .. I love the concept but not the way it unfolds..

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  Review by Sara Clements ★★½

  Despite a boisterous leading performance and timely commentary on the flaws of the health care system, Hypochondriac lost me midway and its title left me confused as to what it was really trying to say especially after such a compelling manifestation of mental illness.

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  Review by JAWSH 🌃 ★★★

  🎃 Hollow’s Eve SPOOKAVAGANZA! 2022 🍂👻
  New Horrors + Queer For Fear 🌈

  The potential of this one!
  A queer, latine man being tormented by traumas of the past and the potential mental illness of his present as it slowly eats away at his daily life. Considering the many issues a lot of latine, queer people face and the overall attitude of topics like mental illness and health in general within the latine community (we do not like going to the doctor), Hypochondriac had the opportunity to really bust the topic wide open.

  As it stands, it's a capable psycho-drama. Zach Villa is the best thing about the film, he's charismatic and sells the film, something that's is very good…

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  Review by Brad Henderson ★★★★★ 2

  HYPOCHONDRIAC is a perfect queer horror film that deals with mental health and emotions. Scary, weird, heartfelt, and beautifully photographed. Hope this one gets out there in a big way because not only is it good - it’s actually helpful in knowing you’re not alone. #SXSW2022

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  Review by Graham ★★★

  into the abyss
  a painful history, chasing
  scratching at this fragile present
  filling up the future
  disposing of my thoughts
  once, i saw hope in this windswept life
  a time beyond the memories
  but now all feels lost
  a world crushing in
  never ending aimlessness
  come back to me mother
  return my sanity, rescue me
  or go your own way
  into the abyss

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  Review by Joe Lynch ★★★

  Very impressive psychological horror debut that has some stunning anamorphic widescreen images that stick with you and two fantastic leads that make you believe this relationship is going to be seriously tested by the main characters mentally terrifying journey along with some effective DONNIE DARKO-inspired creepy figures looming in the darkness.