NEW YEAR, NEW YOU (2018) Reviews and overview

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New Year, New You is a 2018 American survival horror film directed by Sophia Takal (Always Shine;V/H/S) from a screenplay co-written with Adam Gaines (Into the Vault). The movie stars Suki Waterhouse, Carly Chaikin and Kirby Howell-Baptiste.

The movie is the fourth entry of Into the Dark,  a horror event series each inspired by a holiday from Blumhouse’s TV studio.

Plot:

A social media star celebrates New Year’s Eve with her childhood friends, but a fun game of secrets turns into a terrifying fight for survival…

Reviews:

” …a twisted little chiller that, in addition to featuring four solid female performances, keeps you off guard all the way up to the finale. It’s major plot pivot is a joy to be surprised by, and its character curve from obsessive antagonist to antiheroic protagonist is an inspired one. It may take a while to make its trenchant societal statements, satirically so, but the wait is worth it.” Arrow in the Head

“It’s a chilling story that only gets darker and more complex as it goes on. It also doesn’t shy away from an incredibly bleak ending that makes her point with eerie poignancy. Takal doesn’t try to overextend herself and this boiled down take on friendship and jealousy gone wrong is arguably the best addition of Into the Dark to date.” Bloody Disgusting

“Takal and Adam Gaines use their screenplay to challenge all the bourgeois ‘influencers’ online who’ve likely spent their teenage years bullying others and now make thousands, even millions, off acting holier than thou and preaching from the digital pulpit without any self-awareness.” Father Son Holy Gore

“Although New You shares some thematic similarities with Takal’s Always Shine, this is her most traditional and fully realized work in the horror genre as a director. It is not so gory compared to Blumhouse’s theatrical films, but it definitely offers up a ghoulish   of human nature.” J.B. Spins

” …the film is far too savvy to forgo the courage of its convictions, giving us a wonderfully spiteful ending that suits the theme of the evening. New Year, New You is a dark diamond, a cheerfully cynical and salty black comedy to ring in the new year with.” The Movie Waffler

“Takal entertains the audience for 90 minutes, giving us a story of the shifting dynamics of female friendship and the demands of a new year for a social media-driven society. Horror has mined a lot of themes, but this one feels fresh and will ring true, particularly for women who may have felt the pressures of the deluge of diet and exercise messages every January.” The Playlist

” …loses some of its grip in the final stretch, though, as the psychological warfare gives way to standard terror-in-the-house shenanigans, with moments of implausible behavior. Nonetheless, there are nice touches of satirical humor spicing the mix up to and during the climactic action, and the movie leaves us with an amusing fadeout.” Rue Morgue

“It’s clunky both in concept and execution, and then followed by a cheap stinger that will make the film dissipate from memory more quickly than if it had really landed its punch. Still, given how January is the month when studios dump awful horror movies they couldn’t get out before awards season, this isn’t a bad way for genre nuts to start the new year.” RogerEbert.com

” …this episode of Into the Dark is very much a slow burn. It’s a character driven study in tension and Takal takes her own sweet time with the initial build-up before getting into all the action. All that great character work pays off in the end, of course, so it’s best to just sit back and enjoy the ride.” The Scariest Things

Cast:

  • Suki Waterhouse
  • Carly Chaikin
  • Kirby Howell-Baptiste
  • Melissa Bergland
  • Isabella Acres
  • Mia Ella Clyburn
  • Michelle Haro
  • Bianca Lopez

New Year, New You premiered on December 28, 2018, on Hulu.

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