guacamole. Books

The fact that I liked Longlegs despite going in so biased against it speaks to how well writer-director Osgood Perkins executes his bleak, dread-filled vision. Perkins’ previous works Gretel and Hansel and The Blackcoat’s Daughter did have a great atmosphere, but failed to engage me on the level of story and character. On the other hand, Longlegs has the advantage of following the classic serial killer movie template, giving it a strong narrative backbone upon which to hang that great atmosphere.

Last week, on The Acolyte, Sol finally gets around to telling his side of the Osha and Mae flashback we saw in “Destiny.” This week, on The Acolyte, we watch an episode written by Charmaine DeGraté and Jen Richards and “Destiny” co-writer Jasmyne Flournoy and directed by “Destiny” director Kogonada. I phrase it that way because there’s no way we’re seeing the actual story Sol is telling to Mae, since there are a couple of scenes not from his perspective.

Kill lives up to its title and then some, delivering a practically relentless spectacle of brutal, bloody, bone-crunching violence. I breathed a sigh of relief when the credits rolled and my heart rate was allowed to go back down to normal. Make no mistake, Kill is a visceral, emotionally draining watch that’s a real treat for action fans but not for the faint of heart.