MY CALL: Ugh. Another weak SNDN sequel. Probably not even eventful enough for a spirited Bad Movie Tuesday. MOVIES LIKE Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: For more holiday horror, check out Black Friday (2021), Black Christmas (1974, 2006 remake, 2019 reimagining), Await Further Instructions (2018), Holidays (2016; Christmas), Better Watch Out (2016), A Christmas Horror Story (2015), Krampus (2015), Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010), Elves (1989), Tales from the Crypt Season 1 (1989; And All Through the House), Christmas Evil (1980), Silent Night Deadly Night (1984), Gremlins (1984), and Tales from the Crypt (1972; And All Through the House). I might skip Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984), The Oracle (1985), Silent Night Deadly Night part 2 (1987), and maybe even All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018).
With his brain completely exposed, Ricky Caldwell (Bill Moseley; The Convent, Boar, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, House of 1000 Corpses, Texas Chainsaw 3-D, The Blob, Smothered) awakens from his coma to stalk a young blind woman Laura (Samantha Scully; Bloodsuckers), with whom he shares a psychic connection. Like a modern Frankenstein’s monster, Ricky is drawn to Laura and he kills everyone in his path. In true cheesy horror style, this medical monster hitchhikes with a motorist who makes a bad hair transplant joke.
Director Monte Hellman (The Terror) follows up the incredibly lazy sequel Silent Night Deadly Night part 2 (1987), which set the bar for SNDN sequels pretty low… despite a wonderfully campy death by umbrella scene. Well, in the case of this sequel, despite a fresh premise and a lot of campy potential, this is a total slog.
There’s decent blood and gore. Though with little seen executed on screen and of lower than desired frequency, the pacing is sluggish. And even when the action is happening, it’s executed flatly, nearly devoid of intensity, shock, or fun. You might giggle at how clumsy the action is—but that’s about it. This is a real shame, because the movie exposition builds up this backstory of rebuilding Ricky’s brain and skull (after it was blown away at the end of part 2) and using his comatose brainwaves in experiments involving psychics (i.e., Laura). Yet still this readily devolves to an ultra-basic Halloween (1978) derivative where Ricky kills his way to his final girl homing beacon.
Truly, the main (or only) joy to be taken from this movie is watching the half-filled-with-blood upside-down bare-brain-bathing punch bowl on Ricky’s head.
Not good. Not recommended. So far, of SNDN 1-3, I think I’d only recommend part 1. Although the ideas are starting to get zany… and I do like that effort. Let’s see what happens with part 4 because, yeah, I’m gonna’ watch it.
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John’s Horror Corner: The Substance (2024), a Jekyll & Hyde body horror tale of renewal and addiction.
MY CALL: Wow. This film is… an experience. Everything about it is awesome, so much of the set and lighting and imagery is scintillating, yet this will make you wince from graphic medical imagery, psychological abuse, addiction, depression and gruesome body horror. MOVIES LIKE The Substance: For eternal youth-gone wrong, go for Death Becomes Her (1992) and Rejuvenator (1988). For more recently released, brilliantly made horror, Smile (2022), Smile 2 (2024), Heretic (2024), Immaculate (2024), Crimes of the Future (2022), X (2022) and Infinity Pool (2023).
This film could serve as a photographer’s portfolio. Slimy TV exec Harvey (Dennis Quaid; Pandorum) oozes gross old man chauvinism. Writer and director Coralie Fargeat (Revenge) weaponizes his worst qualities into an audio-visual spectacle as we watch and hear him tear and squeeze and smack and slurp his bright orange prawn lunch. In stark contrast is the aging but perfect and gorgeous Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore; Parasite), who strolls down pristine hallways of bright solid colors and whose hair is never a strand out of place. The colors, lighting, wardrobe and set design make this film a visual splendor.
After an accident sends her to the hospital, someone slips her some promotional material for The Substance, a treatment that rejuvenates at the level of cell replication. Of course, Elisabeth pursues this probably black market drug, obtaining it through the most shady of means, and then injecting herself with what I can only compare to the green glowing serum from Re-Animator (1985). Have Resident Evil (2002), Death Becomes Her (1992) and Rejuvenator (1988) taught us nothing?
What follows is the cell replication scene; the emergence of her other self “Sue” (Margaret Qualley; Kinds of Kindness, Poor Things, The Leftovers). It’s visceral. At first, the gore is almost medical with crude wound stitching, graphic injections and fluid drawings, at-home transfusions, emerging from a body like it was a chrysalis, the spilling out of guts, pus-crusted wounds, and advanced disease-like skin and joint ailments.
Once in the swing of her use of The Substance, Elisabeth’s other/younger self “Sue” lives with a desire to forget her old self. However, this lifestyle comes with very strict rules. And breaking those rules has permanent degenerative consequences. Those consequences seem to include the psychological embattlement between Elisabeth and Sue, sowing distrust and eventually trying to sabotage each other. One side of her becomes addicted to youthful fame, the other side of her a reflection of the cost of that addiction. This wanders us into some ambitious special effects territory and some very graphic, very brutal, very bloody violence.
The finale transitions us from an already big suspension of disbelief and transports us into a slapstick horror fantasy that smacks strongly of Society (1989) and a GWAR concert! It gets really, really wildly gross.
This film really is something. I think it makes for a great medical horror, body horror, psychological thriller, and addiction horror. Moreover, the acting, writing, set work… everything about this film is awesome. This is not a film to skip and I better see some Oscar nods for this!
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John’s Horror Corner: Smile 2 (2024), one of the very top satisfying horror experiences of the year.
MY CALL: For non-highbrow popcorn horror, this is outstanding. Everything about this movie is well done, from the acting to the atmospheric dread to the gore and the fun scares. It was intense and visually pleasing all at once. I even liked the ending. MOVIES LIKE Smile 2: Of course, Smile (2022). And in similar theme, perhaps The Ring (2002), One Missed Call (2008), and It Follows (2015). But in similar quality, I’d turn more towards The Substance (2024).
Attempting a comeback after a substance abuse blowout, young pop star Skye (Naomi Scott) is having a tough time. She is haunted by her past, and now haunted by horrific visions of sinister smiles after an infectious evil infiltrates her mind.
This trauma-transmitted demon enters Skye when she witnesses her schiz’d out drug buddy Lewis (Lukas Gage; The White Lotus, Euphoria, You) horrendously mutilate himself with a gym weight in one of the most gloriously graphic scenes in recent horror history. WOW! This is truly a macabre inspiration and a grossly beautiful mind child of the director and effects team. And this is how this spiritual virus spreads… after feeding on the suffering of its present victim, the victim dies. Whoever witnesses this death becomes the new host, which toys with her mind with all the facility of the Devil himself.
Now afflicted with the Smile (2022) demon, Skye endures unimaginable trauma. We (i.e., she) witness the most terrifying nudity of 2024, traumatizing car crash aftermath imagery, bloody matricide, and a jaw-droppingly horrendous case of unintentional elder abuse. And then there’s the violence—the very, very violent violence. There is so much truly intense imagery that it’s often thrillingly hard to watch.
Skye is planning her comeback tour as all this is transpiring. Good Lord, all the music video scenes look every bit as brilliant as actual high budget music videos; and Skye’s mental breakdown outbursts feel quite convincing for a wealthy, privileged pop starlet. And while she’s clearly a painfully over-privileged, histrionic star, we feel for the mania she suffers. It’s a lot and it’s cruel. Watching Skye go through all this is stressing the crap out of me—in a “good” way, I guess. Her manic episodes become really intense. The hair pulling makes me wince every time.
With all this come great jump scares. I know they’re usually a cheap tactic. But these are some Grade-A, carefully curated jump scares that complement Skye’s paranoia. And it’s not all jump scares. This film infects viewers with a deep sense of dread; scenes slowly draw us in and toy with our anticipation. Oh, but there are also some gruesome creature effects to be enjoyed. That Smile (2022) demon is a gangly horror to behold. So much bonkers, wild, unnerving imagery!
Writer and director Parker Finn (Smile) returns for his second feature film. There’s a nice cameo connection to part 1 (e.g., Kyle Gallner; Smile, The Cleansing Hour, The Cleanse, Jennifer’s Body) creating an awesome opening sequence. Also an awesome ending! This was an awesome horror movie! Can Parker Finn just do all the new horror movies now? With how much I have enjoyed Smile 1-2, I need more of this guy’s work!
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Bonus Episode – Cuckoo, Abigail and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – The Dan Stevens 2024 Retrospective
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.
Mark and Zanandi analyze and discuss Cuckoo, Abigail, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire in an effort to figure out which Dan Stevens performance is the best.
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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A Complete Unknown (2024) – Review
Quick Thoughts – Grade – B – A Complete Unknown is a solid biopic that gives Bob Dylan fans what they want (lots of Bob Dylan music). The James Mangold directed film leans into the biopic formula, but refreshingly avoids Dylan’s early years by focusing on his rise to fame between 1960 and 1965.
Based on Elijah Wald’s book Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night That Split the Sixties, A Complete Unknown focuses on a 19-year old Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) showing up in New York to chase fame and fortune as a musician. Helping him along the way are Woody Gurthrie (Scoot McNairy) and Pete Seeger (Edward Norton), who first meet Bob when he shows up at Guthrie’s hospital to pay his respects to the ailing Guthrie. Under Seeger’s guidance Dylan starts playing at local venues and eventually becomes one of the most iconic performers ever. Along the way, he starts a relationship with college student Sylvie Russo (Elle Fanning), and also begins a tumultuous affair with Joan Baez (Monica Barbaro). From there, the movie showcases his greatest hits during the time period and leads up to his performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
While pitching the movie to to Dylan, Mangold explained that the movie was about “a kid suffocating in Minnesota, and he leaves behind his family and his friends and everything he knows, and goes to New York City and invents himself anew and becomes successful, makes new family and new friends, and starts to suffocate [again].” It’s an interesting concept for a biopic and it keeps the Dylan mystery alive while making sure that audiences have plenty of songs to listen to as Chalamet performs close to 40 songs. What’s neat is that there are enough clues amidst all of Dylan’s lies (he never was part of a circus) to piece together his mindset. Whether it’s a conversation about the 1942 film Now, Voyager, his constant songwriting, or his desperate fight to not be put in a box, Dylan is a guy who has decided to pursue his musical career by reinventing himself into something different.
Since it’s a James Mangold (Walk the Line, Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, Ford v Ferrari) directed film, the performances are unsurprisingly excellent. Monica Barbaro and Boyd Holbrook steal the show and legitimately pop as Joan Baez and Johnny Cash. The best moment of the film comes during a beautiful moment involving Cash attempting to move his car out of a parking space (and failing) and then offering Dylan some chips. Timothée Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, and Dan Fogler are all solid and their performances hit all the right beats” To prepare for the role, Chalamet spent five years learning how to play guitar and harmonica and insisted that the set be closed off to ensure no false steps while he inhabited the headspace of Dylan. Impressively, Chalamet Norton, Barbaro and Holbrook provided the vocals for the songs and they sound great.
One of the best things about the film is the cinematography by Phedon Papamichael (Walk the Line, Ford v. Ferrari, Sideways, Nebraska). His framing and lighting feel like classical perfection and the angles used to capture each performance keep them feeling fresh. The biggest drawback of the film is there’s about 4,000 shots featuring people looking at Dylan like he’s changed their entire world. The reaction shots look great, but they get a bit distracting as they happen just about every 30 seconds (I’m exaggerating here, but you’ll see what I mean).
Final thoughts – A Complete Unknown is a well made biopic that will thrill Dylan fans. I’ve been lucky enough to watch it twice already and it will most certainly be a crowd-pleaser.
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The Movies, Films and Flix Podcast – Episode 594: Risky Business, Tom Cruise, and Glass Eggs
You can download or stream the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker (or wherever you listen to podcasts…..we’re almost everywhere).
If you get a chance please make sure to review, rate and share. You are awesome.
Mark and Erik talk about the 1983 cult classic Risky Business. Directed by Paul Brickman, and starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay and a glass egg, the movie expertly tackles teen angst and 1980s business practices. In this episode, they also talk about movie soundtracks, expensive movie cars, and Guido the killer pimp
If you are a fan of the podcast, make sure to send in some random listener questions (we love random questions). We thank you for listening, and hope you enjoy the episode!
You can download the pod on Apple Podcasts, Tune In, Podbean, or Spreaker.
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By Erik Hofmeyer
Every once in a while, a good example of a “tweener” movie pops up that straddles genres, and critics and audiences aren’t sure what to make of it. That was exactly the case with the 2009 “comedy” Couples Retreat co-written by Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn, and also starring Malin Akerman, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Kristin Davis, Kali Hawk, and Faizon Love. It had sprinkles of comedy, romance, and some drama with its genuine commentary on relationships, but it didn’t go hard in any one area to make it bite or stand out.
The plot focuses on four couples who take off to a tropical-island resort called “Eden” in support of one couple (Bell & Bateman) who were considering a divorce. Ironically, it’s nothing like the 90s flick Exit to Eden that marketed Dan Aykroid and Roise O’Donnell as police officers investigating a heist, but instead it delivered kinky sex resort escapades. Here, on this different Eden, the couples were thinking jet skis, partying, drinks, etc., however they were surprised the resort was indeed serious about a strict couples coaching program. As they reluctantly participated, all the couples realized they needed a tune-up.
Critics were likely expecting an offshoot of Old School or Made but came out annoyed by the lack of edgy, uproarious laughter. Vince Vaughn and John Favreau had a proven writing history of authentic dynamic, sharp witted conversations, and heartfelt undertones, and that’s what they delivered. I’m not sure why audiences expected anything different. I’m sure people were also wondering “who is Hollywood to tell me what a healthy marriage looks like?” So, expectations were subverted, and the movie was hammered with a 10% critics score (39% audience score) on Rotten Tomatoes.
Here are a couple reasons why Couples Retreat should be revisited.
A “streaming movie” in disguise.
Couples Retreat would be under-whelming experience in a theater, but it’s way better than most of the original “romantic comedies” in the past few years. I’d say the only recent rom-com better than Couples Retreat would be Anyone But You, but I digress.
Screen Rant published a neat article in January 2024 when fellow “rotten” (49% Rotten Tomato score) and 2009 movie, The Proposal, made its way to the Netflix Top 10 list 15 years after its release. The article discussed how new rom-coms are released fairly regularly on streaming platforms with much lower budget productions. For example, Couples Retreat had a $60M budget. In contrast, Anyone But You had a budget of $25 million, and an AI search estimated the average rom-com movie budget in the past 5 years is somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million. Additionally, newer rom-coms typically don’t land the big-name actors of past years, with the exception of Jennifer Lawrence in No Hard Feelings. It goes to show that there’s still interest in the genre, and it’s a matter of time before other overlooked rom-coms resurface.
Couples Retreat would fit in perfectly today as streaming services crank out all kinds of hybrid, genre blending movies for more diverse audience bases. There’s more room to create with dramedies, adult animation, superhero dark comedy, etc. Take a look at Richard Linklater’s Hit Man, for example. There are elements of comedy, thriller, and romance in this big “hit.” There’s lots of room for these types of hybrid topics that don’t fit cleanly into one box.
Favreau’s and Vaughn’s script was more original than the audience realized.
- Most movies or shows about groups clustered at a beautiful destination revolve around a juxtaposition between the gorgeous scenery and something nightmarish or a scathing societal critique. For example, The Banshees of Inisherin, Midsommar, or The Beach. Whereas Couples Retreat used the beautiful destination as a tool for positive outcomes.
- It was a rom-com by committee. The movie strayed from the rom-com mold by featuring four featured couples instead of one couple. Each had their own distinct storyline and rom-com tropes of “lightbulb moments,” “grand gestures,” and happy endings.
- The “great sidekicks” trope was substituted with funny supporting characters on the island. For example, Ken Jeong pulled off a fantastic therapist and delivered some of the funniest lines in the movie about hypothetical guns and comparing Bateman’s character’s approach to the marriage as “puppy cradle death syndrome.”
- A search on IMDB about “marriage counseling movies” unearths a pretty light list of results. The psychology-angle seems to be dominated in the TV content realm with shows like “Shrinking,” the Frasier reboot, etc.
Summary
Ultimately, Couples Retreat was successful as it hauled in $171 million in sales. Critics weren’t as kind as it was hammered as “tepid,” “lethargic,” or taking too long to get moving. Critics weren’t necessarily wrong, however, the movie should be revisited because it was on an unconventional island (pun intended) in a sea of other high-profile rom-coms. Instead of relying on raunch or pushing comedy in the audience’s face, Couples Retreat tried to capture relatable themes, such as the dangers of pushing off vacations or rediscovering spontaneity, into relatable storylines without getting into too much melodrama. Writing an uplifting comedy about marriage counseling is a tall task, which we think is ripe for re-discovery on Netflix.
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John’s Horror Corner: The Shaft (2001; aka, Down), the “elevator horror” remake you probably never knew existed.
MY CALL: A great cast, a nonsensical plot, and intelligent homicidal elevators make for a just serviceable enough remake of a just rare enough subgenre (killer machines) movie to be maybe just worth watching. MORE MOVIES LIKE The Shaft: The obvious choice is Devil (2010), which is fantastic. The Platform (2019) is a different take on “elevator horror,” but it would still make a decent themed double-feature. There’s also The Lift (1983; aka, De Lift), Thang Máy (2020) from Vietnam, and Elevator Game (2023).
Writer and director Dick Maas returns nearly two decades later to deliver this remake of The Lift (1983; aka, De Lift). The plot points and highlights are all the same, only now the writing and acting are a bit better, the movie is somewhat expanded, and the budget and cast are much better. Like Sam Raimi had Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2, so does Maas have The Lift (1983) and The Shaft (2001).
The Millennium Building in New York has 102 floors and 73 elevators, which start having some mechanical problems. But once a security guard is decapitated by an elevator, elevator-phobic Lt. McBain (Dan Hedaya; Endangered Species, The Hunger, Alien: Resurrection) is on the investigation. After more gruesome accidents accumulate, elevator repairman Mark (James Marshall; Gladiator, Twin Peaks) teams up with investigative reporter Jennifer (Naomi Watts; The Ring 1-2, Goodnight Mommy, Children of the Corn IV) to get to the bottom of these strange deaths.
Some of the murderous elevator shenanigans reach wacktastic levels of CGI mayhem. None of these scenes are particularly good… but if you walked into this in the mood for a fun bad movie then you’ll enjoy a good laugh. Like the 1983 original, the mystery leads to biological computer chips that reproduce and take on a mind of their own in the form of a goopy fuse box.
The finale leads us into a third act that is more like an action movie than a horror movie. There’s bazookas, explosions, and intelligent elevator systems that somehow have telekinetic control over elevator cables. Kinda’ fun… really dumb. Adding to the fun is how you’ll recognize so many actors from the cameos, which include Edward Herrmann (The Lost Boys, The Town that Dreaded Sundown), Michael Ironside (Children of the Corn VII, The Vagrant, Prom Night II, Still/Born, Extraterrestrial, Scanners, Turbo Kid) and Ron Perlman (The Last Winter, Pacific Rim, Hellboy 1-2, Cronos).
The writing is very bad. Though, still not as bad as in The Lift (1983). And to be totally fair, while still a bad movie, it’s a much better bad movie than the original. I enjoyed both of them enough not to regret these viewings.
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John’s Horror Corner: Insidious 5: The Red Door (2023), this horror-lite sequel is like the Diet Coke of Insidious.
MY CALL: This recent attempt to defibrillate the franchise is a finely produced “soft PG-13” horror that seems best suited for anyone who felt that parts 1-4 were too scary. MOVIES LIKE Insidious 5: Insidious (2011), Insidious Chapter 2 (2013), Insidious Chapter 3 (2015; a positive review and a more negative review), and Insidious 4: The Last Key (2018). I’d also suggest venturing deep into the Waniverse with The Conjuring (2013), Annabelle (2014), The Conjuring 2 (2016) and Annabelle: Creation (2017) to round out the first half of the The Conjuring Universe.
Franchise Timeline SIDEBAR: Here are the movies in chronological order… Insidious Chapter 3 (2015), Insidious 4: The Last Key (2018), Insidious (2011), Insidious Chapter 2 (2013), Insidious 5: The Red Door (2023).
Nine years after the events of Insidious Chapter 2 (2013) and memory suppression hypnotherapy to forget the horrible events and The Further, we catch up with the Lamberts. They have just lost their kids’ grandmother, gone through a divorce, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) is about to leave for college, Josh (Patrick Wilson) is trying to find ways to reconnect, and both of them feel displaced without knowing why. We don’t spend a lot of time on this introduction, but the emotional tension feels palpable and credibly lived-in.
Dalton has lived with the knowledge that he spent his 10th year of life in a coma, and he understands very little about it much to his frustration. But as both father and son wrestle with their past, Dalton’s new art professor (Hiam Abbass) mentors him to disconnect from this past and embrace the future. In a class exercise, Dalton’s Further-suppressing hypnosis seems to be reversed and he effects on paper The Red Door. Meanwhile, Josh seeks medical help for the emotional fog and disconnection in his life, beginning with an MRI, which likewise seems to trigger a reopening to his connection to The Further. Both endure unpleasant visions, including a truly horrifying (or maybe just ultra-gross) vomit scene. For me, this grossness was the best part of the movie.
And now, of course, this means we revisit The Further. Unfortunately, this doesn’t come with the unique demons and harrowing visuals of past sequels. These visuals feel simultaneously unoriginal and phoned-in, with monstrosities which feel much less otherworldly (but more like simple goblins or zombies), and seem less powerful, menacing and dire than past Further demonic iterations. So unless the goal was to lighten the franchise for a younger, greener, weaker-stomached audience, I’d say this otherwise well-produced and well-acted sequel is something of a failure. Moreover, it completely squanders the atmosphere and terror for which it was once known. The creep factor in this movie is perhaps an all-time franchise low, and the cultivation of dread is woefully very limited. Even the revisited, once-terrifying denizens of this spirit realm are now presented as little more than glimpses of Carnival Funhouse Horrors.
This movie starts out strong, middles moderately, and finishes weakly. With all of the teen-college vibe and the generally lighter execution of the horror, this is about as PG-13 as PG-13 gets. But it’s definitely well made in terms of the non-horror components of the film. All told, I hope this can be the end of it. Instead of trying to defibrillate this franchise again, can we just try something new instead?
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MFF Quick Reviews – Hard Truths, MadS, Gladiator II, Memoir of a Snail and Evil Does Not Exist
With Awards Season in full-effect I’ve been watching a lot of the contenders to make sure that my ballot for the Georgia Film Critics Association is as thorough as possible. In a perfect world it would be great to write 1,000 words about these films, but since I don’t have the time I wanted to write some quick reviews to share my thoughts about some cool movies.
Hard Truths – Grade – A
In a year of excellent performances, Marianne Jean-Bapiste’s performance as a tormented and depressed woman named Pansy – may be one of the finest. She’s already been nominated for a plethora of awards and I hope the momentum continues all the way to the Academy Awards (Her first Oscar nomination came in 1997 for the Mike Leigh directed film Secrets & Lies). Hard Truths works because of the humanity it finds in Pansy as she’s stuck in a world of grief and distress that’s articulated with outbursts towards family, friends, clerks, strangers and pretty much everyone else. Between Jean-Bapiste’s performance, Mike Leigh’s (Secrets & Lies, Happy Go-Lucky, Vera Drake, Mr. Turner) direction and writing, and Dick Pope’s cinematography (Mr. Turner, The Illusionist), Hard Truths feels alive and vibrant. Jean-Bapiste’s is at her best when she’s verbally berating her husband Curtley (David Webber), harping on her son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) and becoming somewhat human while interacting with her kind-hearted sister Chantelle (Michele Austin). You need to watch Hard Truths before putting together your 2024 “best of “ list.
Evil Does Not Exist – Grade – B+
Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, this beautiful film features one of the best scenes of 2024 and builds towards an ending you won’t forget. Like Hamaguchi’s Oscar nominated Drive My Car, Evil Does Not Exist excels during its quiet moments that showcase the gorgeous Japanese mountain village of Mizubiki, and inhabitants who call it home. The movie focuses on the hubbub around a glamping (glamorous camping) site that will potentially be built on the mountain. The highlight of the movie is a town meeting between the local residents and two developer representatives who constantly say “We’ll take that into consideration.” Evil Does Not Exist focuses on what happens when companies don’t respect what they send downstream and the effects it has on people who rely on the steam’s clean water. If you’re looking for a patient and beautiful film, I totally recommend that you watch this movie.
MadS (2024) – Grade – B+
If you’re looking for a thrilling French film about a zombie apocalypse that is filmed in one take you will love MadS. Directed and written by David Moreau (Them), this madcap thriller focuses on what happens when a college kid named Roman (Milton Riche) comes across a heavily bandaged woman who hops into his car and promptly kills herself. This kicks off a wild night of infection spreading as Roman drives to his house to hide the body, and then goes to a party with his girlfriend Anais (Lucille Guillaume). In a fun turn of events, the narrative shifts its focus to Anais as she succumbs to the zombie infection and starts rampaging all over her town. Guillaume deserves some sort of award because she delivers a free-wheeling performance that is loaded with wonderful tics, screams, and twitches as she rides around on a bicycle looking for prey. The great thing about MadS is that it’s all about chaos and simply wants to revel in the insanity of a zombie apocalypse. It’s an audacious and wonderfully acted experience and I really hope more people watch it and enjoy the insanity.
Memoir of Snail – Grade – A
Directed and written by Oscar winner Adam Elliot (Mary and Max), Memoir of a Snail is a tragicomic exploration of loneliness that is equal parts bleak and hopeful. The story focuses on twin Australian siblings Grace Pudel (Sarah Snook) and Gilbert Pudel (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who are separated after the death of their paraplegic alcoholic father (who loved his kids dearly). The book-loving and melancholic Grace is sent to the city of Canberra where she’s adopted by a kind married couple (who are also swingers), and the pyromaniac Gilbert is sent to live with hyper-christian apple farmers in Perth. Things are bleak for both of them, but Grace finds solace in her hoarded collection of snails and her friendship with Pinky (Jackie Weaver), an eccentric woman who takes Grace under her wing and provides needed companionship. It all leads to a heartwarming finale that’s most welcome after 90-minutes of abuse heaped on the central characters. For a film that’s loaded with abuse, death, melancholia, theft, fetishes, electric shock punishment, arson, and Alzheimer’s, Memoir of a Snail manages to leave the audience uplifted – which is quite a beautiful feat.
Gladiator II – Grade – B
Gladiator II is a lot – and I love it. While talking to fellow film critic Aaron Neuwirth he told me that it’s a “perfect Mark movie,” and I agree. The following list breaks down why it’s a perfect Mark movie.
- The opening battle scene features dozens of catapults and trebuchets that are catapulting rocks and explosives at two opposing armies. An added bonus is that some of the catapults are attached to Roman boats that are about to smash into the large city walls of the North African kingdom of Numidia. This makes me very happy.
- SHARKS! There is a naval battle in the coliseum between gladiators led by Lucius Verus Aurelius (Paul Mescal), and a boat of unlucky Romans who are swiftly defeated. The best thing about this fight is that the Romans were able to transport hungry sharks to the coliseum. These hungry sharks eat the unlucky combatants who fall in the water during the fight. It’s insane – and I love it.
- Denzel Washington delivers a front kick to Paul Mescal. I don’t want to say much more, just know that it’s awesome.
- I’m a big fan of Aftersun, so seeing inde-darling Paul Mescal battling Pedro Pascal in a $200+ million budgeted film is incredible.
Overall, Gladiator II is an ambitious and chaotic mess that works because of the solid performances (Denzel Washington is the best) and bombastic battle scenes.
Movies, Films & Flix 