Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is a science-fiction buddy-comedy following Mike, a gangster who is about to get himself clean. However, his fellow gangster Nick has just time-travelled back from the future to warn him that he is going to die in a few hours, and the main person who could stand in their way is...Nick.

This is a very unusual gangster story. Almost immediately, we have a big party for the crime boss's son being released from prison, with our main characters on the periphery engaged in extramarital affairs. But the film doesn't want to linger too long on anything that could be considered 'normal' to a crime film. Nick comes to bundle up Mike, ask for his help with a job and sends the hapless gangster to chloroform his present-day self. This type of unpredictable, off-kilter and random comedy fuels this feature. It is absolutely hilarious the strange and dark places this film is prepared to go; whether that be Nick drawing a gun on a cashier over some sugar-free lollies or a mob boss having a heart-to-heart with his son about his kid being a foundling he discovered under a dumpster. Even the action sequences showcase a sense of well-choreographed humour; one character is bashed in the face with an urn full of ashes, while in another fight, a character manages to hook a combatant up in an embarrassing position with gym equipment.

The soundtrack for Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is absolutely on fire the whole way through. There's a lot of partying and dancing, with perfect tracks paired to these settings. But there are also some big moments in the film where music feeds the story. 'The Boys Are Back In Town' playing while the Nicks and Mike have their shootout is an awesome sequence, Ben Schwartz performing 'Why Should I Worry?' marks a strong introduction, and 'Don't Look Back In Anger' by Oasis accompanying the death of a main character drove that home incredibly.

Vince Vaughn, who played Future and Present Nick, was really interesting as this impassive but predestined gangster; Vaughn has a dry wit which made him completely likable even in moments of decent conflict. Eiza González, who played Alice, felt like one of the more grounded characters in this film; she often presented her frustration at how out of hand the evolving situation was becoming. Ben Schwartz, who played Symon, is a real bright spot in this feature; his introduction to the film is an absolute hook. Emily Hampshire and Dylan Playfair, who played Sam and Stoned Chasier respectively, work with Vaughn to round out a phenomenally funny gas station scene; Hampshire and Vaughn also have some chemistry worth noting in this. 

However, the best performance came from Keith David, who played Sosa. If you want a crazy antagonist who will take a screwy comedy wherever it wants to go, David is more than capable. In his first scene, David seems rather amiable, happy to be celebrating his son. It doesn't take long for him to suddenly flip and start threatening and cussing out the crowd. David presents as authoritative and relatively refined across the feature, a genuine mafioso at the head of his table. But this doesn't mean David is devoid of being funny. He riffs on Tatro constantly, pretending to be confused over Winnie the Pooh or growing frustrated that his son is so upset at having been discovered under a dumpster as a baby. David really leans into the comedy this villain can bring, without compromising the mean streak of the role.

I found this film to be on the back foot almost constantly. Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice is a sci-fi concept film at its core, but the time travel stuff feels extremely shoehorned in. There being two Nicks is interesting, but why there are two Nicks never really gels. Even having a scientist friend of Alice who has been working on a time machine is out there and doesn't integrate well into the story. But even the gang is strange; they're a mob collective of some kind, but we don't know what they actually do beyond general crime. Strangely, most of the gang members seem like frat bros telling one another stories about malfunctioning sexual organs and reminiscing about weddings of old. Occassionally the film realises it doesn't know how to explain anything without an awkwardly imposed black and white flashback. Even the interpersonal elements of the characters don't really work; Nick and Alice barely seem like they have a history, which makes the whole cheating storyline lose wind pretty fast. Mike and Nick are labelled as friends, but this doesn't seem especially likely. Frankly, it's hard to even fathom that Nick was capable of enough guilt to travel back in time to save his friend.

I found the visual style of this film to be utterly bizarre and often ugly. The fact that random shots descended into these out-of-focus, blurred, dropped frame rate sequences was hard to understand as a stylistic choice. The editing set an extremely slow pace and could have been tidier in a few scenes. The score was incredibly scattered, with the style of music weirdly switching up for different scenes at times. I felt confused by the intent of the score, which only really came to the party for a handful of moments.

James Marsden, who played Quick Draw Mike, just did not feel like a criminal at all in this; Marsden seemed baffled by the material he was working with at the best of times. Jimmy Tatro, who played Jimmy Boy, just felt like a bit of an obvious push for comedy; Tatro felt more like a college bro than the son of a crime lord. Arturo Castro, who played Dumbass Tony, had such a weird gag scene around dicks no longer working after a certain age; Castro really didn't belong among the criminal ensemble. Stephen Root, who played Chet, was a bit of a novelty fake-out scene; Root gives a passing strange effort at an eccentric character. Dolph Lundgren, who played The Barron, was really just in this for his height; Lundgren's imposing figure was kinda worse than Root's previous clowning of this role. 

This film never stopped struggling to make its oddball concept work. I would give Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice a 4.5/10.

Hoppers

This review may contain spoilers!

Hoppers follows Mabel Tanaka, a young student advocating for a glade that Beaverton's Mayor, Jerry, wants to build a motorway bypass through. When she stumbles across a science project that allows her to become a robot beaver, Mabel uses this 'hopping' technology to incite a wildlife rebellion against the humans.

Does that little blurb for the film above sound a bit crazy? Well, it is. Hoppers is unabashedly a zany, creative tour de force with a concept that just sets out to be fun. From a young age, we see Mabel as someone who loves animals and the natural world; it's the place that grounds her when she gets mad. It's also the place she connects with her grandmother, who teaches her to be peaceful and find calm in this world. Leaping forward to Mabel as a high-energy university student passionately protesting the city destroying this magical place she had growing up, we see Mabel still feels righteous and headstrong about those who endanger nature. This film has an awesome way of presenting the fight for the environment, even showing the viewer how ecosystems are disregarded and destroyed for industrial expansion. The sci-fi component is initially bizarre, but a fun leap into seeing the animal world. The animals have been pushed into one tumultuous environment with the city creeping further and further into their wood. It's here that Mabel meets King George, who sees things a lot more black and white than Mabel does. He believes all creatures are capable of trust, that we all live in one big pond together, and that trust might leak, but it can be mended. While Mabel incites change so that the animals can return home, she is also learning from George that reason and common ground are good places to fight from, too. Watching Mabel set aside her differences with Jerry to stop the Insect King, a megalomaniacal butterfly in the final act, is an important aspect of this story. It shows that two people standing on opposite sides of the divide can find a place to be better if they talk and learn from one another; watching Mabel and Jerry actually work together to clean up the glade by the end of the film was a real emotional sucker punch for me.

Pixar is really back in action with this one; the animation is so adventurous. I thought those neat, realistic details in nature were impressive. For a lot of years, that metric was how real the water looked, but for Hoppers, you can see it in how the long grass bends and sways, or how each rock has a different pattern of lichen upon it. Yet, the animation isn't just about grounding you in something real; it has a vibrant design brimming with colour that made me think of that joyful spark you see when a young kid falls in love with a picture book. The score for this feature hits all of the right emotional beats, and I loved the soundtrack they paired with this. 'You Make Me Feel Like Dancing' being played as Jerry's favourite song was a comedic high point of the film.

Piper Curda, who voiced Mabel, is this real fiery fighter for nature and what she loves; Curda's voice work brings this young rebel to life. Jon Hamm, who voiced Mayor Jerry Generazzo, is remarkably charismatic despite initially being placed as an antagonist; Hamm lends a ton of comedy and heart in equal measure. Kathy Najimy, who voiced Dr. Sam, is this very high-strung scientific mind; she shows a lot of care for Mabel while being this highly stressed presence for the hopping beaver robot. Meryl Streep, who voiced the Insect Queen, was a real imperial presence; Streep doing a bit of grandstanding aggression as this monarch butterfly was brilliant. Karen Huie, who voiced Grandma Tanaka, is one of those gentle grounding voices in the film; Huie is at the emotional centre of the first act completely. Lila Liu, who voiced Young Mabel, really introduces us to that fiery anger Mabel has; but we also hear her first love for the natural world from Liu. Eman Abdul-Razzak, who voiced the Insect Prince, is a classic evil antagonist; a genuine shiver when he declares he is going to pupate. Vanessa Bayer, who voiced Diane, is such a good voice gag for such an intimidating character; Bayer plays a good contrast to the scenes she is in.

However, the best performance came from Bobby Moynihan, who voiced King George. This character is an absolute sweetheart, probably one of the most likable roles I've seen in animation in a while. George is a genuinely good and kind leader; he puts his people first every step of the way. Moynihan crafts a role with a lot of compassion, who sees the good in others and believes in doing the right thing. He isn't always action-first, but he becomes inspired to take action more across the film without compromising his values. Moynihan's work here is wonderful; it left me feeling pretty inspired by a little beaver wearing a crown.

I mentioned before that Hoppers sounds a bit crazy, which means it is often very daring and creative. But sometimes it is just a bit too bonkers for its own good. The film struggles to introduce the hopping technology; it's a big shift that is quite an extreme tonal shift the film stumbles through initially. I also found the big conflict with the Insect King at the end of the film was a bit much. It made sense that the film went that way, but it went in a direction that was difficult to contain after it had gone that far. This was a big climax that probably needed to be workshopped just a little more to get it there.

Dave Franco, who voiced the Insect King, was a big part of what didn't work in act three; Franco's exaggerated delivery just blew the top off what the story was doing. Eduardo Franco, Tom Law and Melissa Villaseñor, who voiced Loaf, Tom Lizard and Ellen respectively, were a friend ensemble that never left much of an impression; these characters often lumbered right behind the two leads and barely seized the story for themselves. Aparna Nancherla and Sam Richardson, who voiced Nisha and Conner respectively, were just background elements to Najimy; neither performer really had their own way of making an impact. Isiah Whitlock Jr., Steve Purcell, Ego Nwodim and Nichole Sakura, who voiced the Bird King, the Amphibian King, the Fish Queen and the Reptile Queens respectively, were an ensemble that didn't really make much of an impression; a unique group that was never really more interesting than their visual introduction.  

A simple message, but an effective one: human or animal, we are all in this pond together. I would give Hoppers an 8.5/10.

Project Hail Mary

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Project Hail Mary is an adaptation of the Andy Weir novel of the same name. The film follows Ryland Grace, a high school science teacher who cracks the mystery of saving Earth's dying sun. Sent on a one-way mission to save the sun, Grace must work alongside an unlikely ally to save his world.

This is really what sci-fi is all about. When you think of a film that uses science to elevate the viewer and propel us out into the void of space, we often think about Star Wars or Guardians of the Galaxy. But Project Hail Mary gives us Ryland Grace, a man who has woken up alone on a spaceship after an induced coma. He is desperate to reconnect with his identity, and he feels the isolation of being alone on this ship. This film introduces Rocky, an extraterrestrial character who has ventured through the stars to save his homeworld as well. This meeting is where the film gets really refreshing. It's not a moment of tension, nor aggression. This is a film in which the characters learn about one another, and they discover how to communicate and develop a bond through their shared circumstances. What kindles from this is a friendship that defies a difference in species; it is a moment in which two scientifically minded beings show compassion for one another. The chemistry developed between this duo is the beating heart of this film and gives so much when the film really puts this pair on the rocks. I also think the story of seeing how Grace comes to be in space is a good one; he proves himself to be more than his mettle. But when he fails himself on Earth, he makes up for it by choosing to be self-sacrificing for Rocky later in the feature. This is a marked point about bravery, and what the true meaning of it looks like. I adored the humour and fun this film was willing to have with itself, knowing it could slip quite easily into wonder and thrills. There is also a powerful message for your day-to-day human being here about uniting in the face of global threats to our planet's natural environment.

This is a movie with very practised hands on the wheel. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have a visual feast set before the audience here; the camera work glides you through the spaceship Mary. Yet I even think those helter skelter shots when Grace is chasing down an idea are electric moments of cinematography. The visual effects will blow you away; the astrophage farming scene is a real standout moment for Project Hail Mary. I also have to rave about the practical effects that are on display here; the physical set of Mary is a treat, but nothing compares to the work done to craft the puppet that is Rocky. Daniel Pemberton does the score for this, and it is a broad spectrum lending moments of levity and tension alike. I liked a lot of the more folksy soundtrack too, though Hüller's performance of 'Sign of the Times' is the real winner.

Sandra Hüller, who played Eva Stratt, was a woman with the weight of the world literally upon her shoulders; Hüller is very clever about portraying Eva as amenable, while also making it clear that she understands the burden she carries. James Ortiz, who portrayed Rocky, is a master of puppeteering and voice work; Ortiz and Gosling sculpted a bond that this film lives or dies upon. Lionel Boyce, who played Carl, is an unexpected moment of comedy and camaraderie; Boyce doesn't work in the world of science here, yet he forges a really sincere bond with Gosling in their scenes.

However, the best performance came from Ryan Gosling, who played Ryland Grace. It feels like every time Gosling takes a swing at the moment, he is hitting that ball out of the park. This role is going to sit pretty high on his filmography. Gosling really entertains when we first join him; an amnesiac Grace waking up in a state and trying to get his bearings is quite the opener. I found this character a real joy to follow; he is charismatic and very well-intentioned. Gosling makes a point of having him feel very grounded, a bit dorky and yet uncertain within himself at times. I loved the journey to discovering bravery within Ryland Grace; it's a terrific moment of character growth that drives the feature. Gosling knows this movie is all heart; it's a really compassionate piece. You couldn't have a better lead for it.

The alien is so good, I absolutely love Rocky. Yet I couldn't help but feel there's a first contact story in this that feels a bit glazed over. It never seems that alarming to Grace that he makes first contact. Maybe that's because Grace's initial fear is played for comedy, or perhaps we just aren't allowed to sit in the gravity of it. But I do think seeing that alien ship for the first time could have been given a more grounded moment of response. I also felt learning that Grace had been cowardly as a big twist to come a little late. It no longer felt convincing given what we had seen in the modern day at that point.

Milana Vayntrub and Ken Leung, who played Olesya Ilyukhina and Yao respectively, were characters who really could have been built upon; this pair were vital to the mission but ultimately felt reduced to being little more than the bodies they became. 

What a ray of joy for cinema the Lord, Miller, Goddard and Gosling team have sculpted here. I would give Project Hail Mary a 9/10.

Reminders Of Him

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Reminders Of Him is an adaptation of the bestselling Colleen Hoover novel of the same name. After being released from prison, Kenna attempts to reconnect with the daughter she has never seen. However, she carries the guilt of being the driver behind the wheel the night her daughter's father died. Can Kenna find a second chance amid her own guilt and the resentment of those who knew her?

The moments when this movie remembers to be sweet are often the best. Reminders Of Him has that charm evoked by an American small-town redemption story, where hope is possible, and the underdog gets her shot at happiness again. I felt there were a few moments of emotional sincerity between Kenna and Ledger that solidified the relationship as it went along. The climax of the film being Kenna is reunited with her daughter, is the best part. It's a real heavyweight moment where everything set before us comes down to a simple conversation between a young girl and a woman trying to explain to her that she is her mother.

This film is a mixed bag when it comes to the camera work, yet when that lens gets out in nature, or alongside rolling fields or the open road, it really can take your breath away. The location shooting in this is absolutely gorgeous, and the cinematography capitalises on those moments when it gets to go wide. The acoustic guitar layered across the score for this film really grounds the viewer in that hometown setting and makes the whole feature feel a bit more heartfelt. The soundtrack is also a great mix of emotional pieces with a grounding in country. I loved that we got a few iterations of Coldplay's 'Yellow', which was utilised excellently.

Maika Monroe, who played Kenna Rowan, does a relatively decent job as the protagonist for this film; the emotional scenes where she meets her daughter or makes the impulsive decision to leave are often the ones that hit home the hardest. Lauren Graham, who played Grace Landry, is really subtle in the way she portrays internal conflict; the way we see her accept Kenna while grieving her son is very moving. Rudy Pankow, who played Scotty Landry, is quite a simple, charismatic character; Pankow doesn't let Scotty become larger than life, which makes his death all the more moving. Nicholas Duvernay, who played Roman, fast finds his place as the comedic backbone of the film; Duvernay is effortlessly funny and quite likable. Zoe Kosovic, who played Diem Landry, is the sweetest young performer they could have found; this wee girl just feels like walking sunshine.

However, the best performance came from Tyriq Withers, who played Ledger Ward. This character is the classic hometown hero that everyone seems to love type, and Withers has the charisma to run with that. Ledger is a character who really works as a father figure, and this connection Withers has with Kosovic really makes for a loveable onscreen dynamic. Withers plays to his internal conflict well, protecting the family he has served for five years while grappling with his own feelings for Kenna. Withers manages to show anger and frustration in a restrained and reasonable way, more often finding Ledger's desire for resolution. This is a character who is entirely enamoured by Monroe's Kenna, too, and Withers plays to that head over heels quality well. This is the sort of character who stands firm in supporting others, and it's he who ultimately brings this family back together.

Reminders Of Him spends most of the film being a bit melodramatic and unlikely. It's hard to get away from the fact that everything is dramatised and there aren't many moments that find their grounding. Kenna's letters to Sammy often serve as exposition dumps before they later become emotional confessions, which takes a lot of the passion out of that connection very early on. This is a film that wants to remind you that Kenna's life is a misery; nothing has gone right for her. The love of her life is dead, she can't see her daughter, and she went to prison. But it's also a movie where Kenna seems to have a lot of doors open for her every step of the way. She gets a job and a place to live without much struggle, and her dead boyfriend's best friend is pretty fast in becoming completely smitten with her. From there, her pathway to getting a second job and a chance with her daughter only becomes easier in a lot of ways. The moment Kenna and Ledger kissed didn't feel completely earned at that time; they still had some sharp points between them, and it didn't feel like they had drawn close enough together. This is a movie that really doesn't want to put too much pressure on the viewer, and you always loosely know where it's all going to play out. Even the car crash that motivates all of this isn't well captured; it still leaves a lot of room for culpability and doesn't necessarily make the audience forgive Kenna. Reminders Of Him is often a mixed bag, a predictable romance film with enough ability to tug on the heartstrings in the final act.

When the camera got to fly out on location and capture scenery, it really shone. But most of the time, the camerawork in this was downright lazy, or even ugly. The close ups often pushed in too hard, or a scene was very awkwardly framed. The editing is probably the worst thing about this feature, often making some very janky cuts that hitch the pacing of a scene. Yet, it was those flashback sequences with Sammy, which were often colour graded the ugliest shade of yellow you would ever see, that highlighted the poor style choices for this film.

Bradley Whitford, who played Patrick Landry, felt a little lost in this role; the scene in which Whitford gets violent feels completely over the top. Lainey Wilson, who played Amy, is a role the film often forgets about; Wilson's friendship with Kenna could have been better developed. Monika Myers, who played Lady Diana, is an instance where a disabled person feels hired to be made a joke out of; Myers' character's behaviour is often treated as an oddity, which doesn't represent her very well. Hilary Jardine, who played Mary Anne, is probably a friend too many for Ledger's character; Jardine often feels like the odd person out in her scenes. 

A film that won't blow anyone away, but manages to tug on the heartstrings in its final few minutes quite well. I would give Reminders Of Him a 4.5/10.

The Bride!

 

This review may contain spoilers!

The Bride! is an adaptation of the Bride of Frankenstein character first introduced in Mary Shelley's novel, 'Frankenstein'. In this telling, an informant within the mob, Ida, is possessed by Mary Shelley's ghost and dies shortly thereafter. At the same time, Frankenstein's monster seeks help to bring a female corpse back from the dead as his bride.

This is a rather off-kilter and strange tale, one that never makes a move to try to ground itself. What consistently worked for me was the way The Bride and Frank collided with one another. They are an unconventional couple, with Frank yearning for a partner and The Bride holding no memory and seeking her own sense of identity. As this pair challenge one another and explode against the world around them, their entangled strangeness blossoms into something resembling affection.

There is a lot of wild dancing in The Bride! which can only be uplifted by an incredible feat of film score composition. Hildur Guðnadóttir electrifies this romping range of 1930s melodies, at times whirling the audience about and at others lingering on moments of poignant tragedy.

Christian Bale, who played Frank, does a good job at capturing this meeker version of Frankenstein's monster; Bale's monster is a heart struck by loneliness and yearning to feel the romantic side of life. Penélope Cruz and Peter Sarsgaard, who played Myrna Malloy and Jake Wiles respectively, often stole the show quite a bit in this film; this was a duo with a good-natured partnership that really lifted the quality of this film upwards. Zlatko Buric, who played Lupino, does quite a bit with not much screen time; I found Buric's scene where he's dishing out orders to mark him as an unpredictable and intimidating antagonist.

However, the best performance came from Jessie Buckley, who played The Bride/Mary Shelley. Buckley's proving to get pretty interesting as she takes the main stage a little more in cinema. This is a tilted role from start to finish, with Buckley's predominant character, Ida, becoming possessed by Mary Shelley very early on. It's a twisted and impressive feat to watch Buckley contort and twist herself into two different characters, often moments apart. I will say that the black and white solo sequences of her playing Mary Shelley were examples of poorer performance, but once she's free of this strange artistic choice, she really gives her all. Ida is a character who feels remarkably vulnerable, clinging to scraps of identity and trying to find herself. Buckley's more external efforts to portray Shelley are erratic and fiery, igniting rebellion within this merged form. Buckley crafts a character who isevolving from what she was into something violently resistant to the cloying embrace of male assault and exploitation present in this film.

 This movie almost immediately starts off on the wrong foot. The film opens with a black-and-white close-up on Mary Shelley, manic and in some kind of purgatory. Shelley, the famed writer of the novel that started all of this, has more she wants to say, and so possesses a character who is promptly killed. At the same time, Shelley's fictional creation, Frankenstein's monster (or Frank, as he's known in the film), is actually lumbering around. It's a strange moment trying to reconcile the two entities existing together before becoming entangled. The film then has The Bride and Frank trot around on a killing spree that often comes at random intervals. In truth, most of this film feels quite aimless; The Bride is twitching between personalities and seems to telepathically know all the crimes men in any given room have committed against women. This isn't even the extent of the odd, fantastical powers that make no sense. Sometimes people become hypnotised by the monsters and join them in dance sequences, and at other times the monsters can project themselves into films playing on movie screens. The Bride acts as this trigger point for radical feminist protest, but the setup to this is weak, and it's unclear what the film is trying to say here. Frank is also quite an impotent figure that often has nothing to contribute, spending a lot of his time gazing yearningly at either The Bride or a movie screen. Overall, The Bride! is a film that feels poorly conceived and has nothing of substance to deliver to the viewing audience.

Maggie Gylenhaal apparently had a strong directorial feature debut with The Lost Daughter; I think you would be shocked to hear that if you're like me and The Bride! is the first directorial product you have seen. This is a film set in a very exciting era to capture, yet the way it is filmed is so painfully dull and, admittedly, a bit obvious in places. It's rare to find a scene in here and think this is a creative endeavour, which is wild considering this is a reimagining of the Bride of Frankenstein. I found the editing only ever really contributed to the absolute slog that was the pacing. This movie positively drags some scenes out and could've been harsher with cutting. I also found the small soundtrack to be a pretty uninspired offering, ending this whole thing on the 'Monster Mash' made my eyes roll into the back of my head.

Annette Bening, who played Dr Euphronius, doesn't seem particularly convincing as a scientist character; Bening's odd rambles often left me with my eyes glazing over. Jake Gyllenhaal, who played Ronnie Reed, just did not feel like a famous actor from the era he was portraying; Gyllenhaal trotting through a dance sequence always yanked me out of the film in that moment. 

If there is one monster movie you should avoid in 2026, it's Maggie Gyllenhaal's absolutely ludicrous take on the Frankenstein mythos. I would give The Bride! a 3.5/10.

Scream 7

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Scream 7  is the direct sequel to Scream VI (2023) and the seventh entry in the Scream franchise. This film sees Sidney Prescott return as the leading protagonist, just in time for a new Ghostface killer to target her family. An old Ghostface killer appears to be back from the dead and has Sidney's loved ones in their sights.

This is a bit of a return to classic small-town Scream, a slasher film set in an ordinary, run-of-the-mill American town that just so happens to be home to the celebrity Ghostface killer survivor, Sidney Prescott. It's a pleasure to see Sidney and her family being so nestled in a life that holds some peace; you can see a calm around Sid after being entangled in so much violence. Then, Stu Macher comes back from the dead. Suddenly, our latest Ghostface killer story has a revenge angle with some intense personal stakes. I will note that the kills throughout this film are supremely creative. I thought the high school theatre attack was brilliant, as was the later bar scene. This film really shows Sidney and, by extension, her husband Mark, as capable of fending off new iterations of Ghostface. The first direct attack plays out like a bit of a back-and-forth fight, which only serves to up the stakes. I think this film has some good heart in Tatum, Sidney's eldest daughter. This is a new legacy character who really wants out from her mother's shadow and struggles to connect with Sidney due to her Mum's past. Tatum also doesn't want to be a survivor; she wants to be a fighter instead of someone who runs from danger. A lot of the film builds up Tatum's growth as a character and her trust in her Mum.

It's actually a bit of a treat to see Kevin Williamson in the directing chair for this one. After writing Ghostface and Sidney so splendidly in the past, who better to lead them on-screen? The visual design for Scream 7 is absolutely inspired; it might even be my favourite part. Watching how Ghostface emerges into a scene, or how different kills are captured, shows a strong sense of what makes these films so arresting to watch. The editing also sets a sharp pace, with attack scenes knowing when to move at speed or toy with their prey. The soundtrack for this iteration of Scream is really impressive and kinda grungy; best use of 'Red Right Hand' by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds since some of the originals.

Neve Campbell, who plays Sidney Evans, has really evolved this character nicely; it's great to see Campbell playing Sidney as a natural fighter now. Courtney Cox, who played Gale Weathers, is back, brimming with sass and her sharp tongue; Cox and Campbell share an interview scene in this, which is a powerful piece of performance. Joel McHale, who played Mark Evans, has a really simple kind of warmth to him in this role; which is what makes the switch to badass police protector in fight scenes so much more impressive. Timothy Simons, who played George Willis, as the over-invested drama teacher, is reasonably funny; Simons' ability to be biting with his feedback to students makes this an entertaining side character.

However, the best performance came from Isabel May, who played Tatum Evans. This is a character who felt a lot like Neve Campbell all the way back in the 90s. A little fringe, a bit of a punk, yet fairly sociable. May navigates the conflicts her character has with Campbell rather well, crafting a particularly strong mother/daughter relationship. Their dynamic really fuels this movie. Tatum, as a character, rebels and resists the cage she feels her mother is putting around her. May does a good job of making a teenage character who feels real, like she should be running around with her friends planning late-night boozy bashes. All of that work makes her horror at the death of her friends and the attack on her family all the better. May shows Tatum as being remarkably vulnerable and aware of this; she just wants to be able to hold her own like her Mum. It's a gauntlet to get there, but May really takes Tatum on a journey of growth across this feature.

While I found this film a real visual treat for slasher fans, it is probably one of the weaker scripts for a Scream film. This time around, it feels like the movie is barely interested in getting too self-referential, though there is plenty of opportunity for it. Any time it tries, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth, not least of which was a verbal jab at the Carpenter sisters by Mindy's character, of all people. This film feels the most 'by the book' of these films; the return to the hometown setting, set against a cast of mainly high schoolers, did leave me feeling like I'd seen the playbook before. The biggest disappointment is the reveal of the killers. This iteration of Ghostface is particularly weak, and there's not much substance behind the motivations of the antagonists. I really could not care for the Stu Macher is an AI deepfake thing. It felt like there was a smarter plot there that got underutilised to make some broad strokes thematic point about Hollywood's stance on AI. Which is a bit of a high horse for the studio that fired a lead performer over a social media post.

The score for Scream 7 is kinda foreboding, but it lacks character. There isn't much variance here, and the tracks tend to fade into the background.

Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding, who played Mindy Meeks-Martin and Chad Meeks-Martin respectively, feel like odd jigsaw pieces that just don't fit into this story; Savoy Brown's whole rivalry with Cox is a new element that feels out of character for her. Anna Camp, who played Jessica Bowden, is wildly over the top in this; be it an overly friendly neighbour next door or a deranged antagonist, Camp struggles to ground herself. Celeste O'Connor, who played Chloe Parker, struggles to make herself known in scenes; O'Connor's character could have been expanded upon, but just feels like a kill waiting to happen. Sam Rechner, who played Ben Brown, is here to be the boyfriend who could be creepy; we've had a few of these, and the trope is wearing thin. Asa Germann, who played Lucas Bowden, is an off-putting role that plays like a red herring; it's hard to see this character as more than his creepier traits that are being dangled in front of us. Mckenna Grace, who played Hannah Thurman, is just in this film to die; Grace's popular girl schtick feels so detached from the rest of the cast. Matthew Lillard, who played Stu Macher, really goes in trying to oversell it hard; Lillard's manic spark is gone from his younger days. Ethan Embry, who played Marco, might just be one of the weakest Ghostface killers yet; Embry's dull delivery and forgettable presence make him an antagonist with little to give. David Arquette, Scott Foley and Laurie Metcalf, who played Dewey Riley, Roman Bridger and Debbie Salt respectively, are the sort of token cameos this series would usually mock; Foley and Metcalf are particular reminders of average Ghostfaces past. 

This sequel shelves that 'breath of fresh air' feeling for a bit of something more tried and true. I would give Scream 7 a 6.5/10.

How To Make A Killing

 

This review may contain spoilers!

How To Make A Killing follows Becket Redfellow, a forgotten heir to the Redfellow family fortune. No longer satisfied with an ordinary life, Becket sets out to kill his way through the family tree.

There are so many films these days about the pursuit of wealth, clawing one's way through the rat race or becoming consumed with ambition. I took a great deal of delight in the satirical way the wealthy characters were captured in this film. The Redfellows are presented as old money elites, having a grand manor and their own mausoleum with a refined manner that sets them above. Yet, the other heir-apparents provide a neat critique of new money as well. From throwing money out of a helicopter to clamouring onlookers, doing performative 'hippie' art or carving out a life as an evangelical mega-church preacher, the Redfellows are a witty take on the vapid lives of the one percent. The web of intrigue around Becket, whether he will get away with it or if he will get caught, steadily pulls you in more and more. I also loved the darker turn in those final moments of the film. You expect Becket to find salvation or choose a moral path, but he clings to his pursuit of wealth like a deal made with the Devil. It's a surprising yet fitting end for a character who has already compromised himself so much for money and status.

The score for this film is so entirely unique, it's a real display of creative music within film. The frantic piano undertones in a scene drive the tension, while the alarming rhythm as things barrel out of control had me hooked completely.

Glen Powell, who played Becket Redfellow, is quite capable as the charismatic lead for this thriller; he seems cocky and sure which works well for his character's rise and fall. Ed Harris, who played Whitelaw Redfellow, is a very domineering patriarch; his scene with Powell showed a fascinating cold sense of wisdom. Bill Camp, who played Warren Redfellow, is a surprisingly charismatic and likeable mark on Becket's hitlist; Camp brings forth a rich man who is weathered but good-natured at his core. Zach Woods, who played Noah Redfellow, is an absolutely hilarious take on a rich kid dabbling into the world of bohemian art; Woods is an eccentric and unpredictable performer resulting in some of the funniest scenes of the film. Jessica Henwick, who played Ruth, is a character who is entirely firm in her principles; Henwick is effortlessly likeable which makes some of the later conflict so difficult to see play out. Topher Grace, who played Steven Redfellow, is a true wild card; Grace gets pretty frenzied as this larger-than-life evangelical preacher wielding a guitar and katana.

However, the best performance came from Margaret Qualley, who played Julia. This character feels incredibly refined at times, like she wears her desire for wealth like a coat. And if you were to try to remove said coat, she would probably kill you. Qualley is absolutely electric here, a complete black widow in the traditional sense. She performs a lot, presents herself as an object of desire, but is probably the most intelligent character in the film. She seems to thrill in being able to toy with other characters and dangles Becket like a puppet on strings. She's a constant adversary, often underestimated, who makes the tilt into the final act an absolute thrill. Qualley is absolutely crazy in this, and you understand how much as it rolls on, a really impressive leading role for her.

This film suffers from what I would like to call, death by narration. The pity of this film is that it's quite interesting as a premise, but very early on we have the narrative device of Becket narrating his own story introduced (though the narration is a present-day conversation with a priest). This sets a very rigid tone that suffers from having a lot of the film explained to you, rather than creatively delivered. More than this, the beginning of the film isn't a great start. It spends a lot of the time rushing us through who Becket is and where he comes from, without taking much time to really let us connect with any of the characters. How To Make A Killing really has quite a steady, relaxed approach to storytelling, which can really see the tone contrast with the premise at times.

The way this film is shot is remarkably boring, there are few frames that I would say really thrilled me. There's not really a strong sense of design to this movie, it hasn't been treated as a creative endeavour visually. The editing is also staggered with slow cuts peppering a scene, adding to a slower paced film. The soundtrack jumps around in terms of how it contributes to the film, there's not many musical tracks that land an effective blow.

Adrian Lukis, who played Father Morris, gives quite a muted performance as a priest; Lukis could just as easily have been a wall as he was just there for Powell to talk at. Nell Williams, who played Mary Redfellow, doesn't show much impact for the tough figure she is written as being; Williams really needs a chance to actually show a relationship with Becket, which is never properly given. Grady Wilson and Maggie Toomey, who played Young Becket and Young Julia respectively, give pretty simplistic establishing performances; this doesn't lend the history or depth required for when these characters then meet later on. Phumi Tau and Stevel Marc, who played Megan Pinfield and Brad Matthews respectively, are quite dull as the lead Federal authroity characters of the film; this pair seeming so ineffectual took an element of risk out of the feature.

A pretty tilted resolution and a stellar cast made this a thriller worth watching. I would give How To Make A Killing a 7.5/10.

Urchin

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Urchin follows Mike, a young homeless man living in London and his journey towards rehabilitation after he assaults a person on the street for their watch.

As a character piece, this film is absolutely stunning. Mike is the sort of down-on-his-luck protagonist you want to root for; redemption dangles before him a few times. But then you are reminded that Mike is capable of cruelty, that he can lack empathy for his violent outbursts. He also returns to bad habits as a result of his addiction; his life is a spiral of self-destruction. Urchin holds a harsh mirror up to living on the streets, fighting to get just enough money to eat that day. Even the system in place to rehabilitate Mike seems detached. He is another body in the chair, needing therapy, needing medicine, needing accommodation. It's entirely tough watching him start to heal and grow, but then something bureaucratic fails him, and he takes a misstep. One of the things that makes Mike feel secure in his rehabilitation program is missed and suddenly he is in free-fall again. There is a point in this film in which Mike starts taking drugs again, and it is scary how aggressively he pursues that addiction now that it's in front of him again.

There is a real artistic lens across some scenes in Urchin. Those moments of Mike in solitude have such deliberate framing around them; this is a very grounded lens that takes in the world around Mike, too. I was also impressed with the pace set by the editing; it felt very steady. The score doesn't always feel the most present, but it is a choking element that really adds to that anxiety of teetering upon the precipice. 

Harris Dickinson, who played Nathan, was a very skittish role; Dickinson's homeless character spun quick lies that rang hollow the moment he said them. Michael Colgan, who played Scott, felt like a calm guiding presence; the scene in which he makes Mike feel patronised is very well-handled. Buckso Dhillon-Woolley, who played Nadia, is quite a stern and dismissive presence at times; it feels like she sees through Mike's niceties, which is refreshing. Okezie Morro, who played Simon, is a sincerely good-natured character; Morro's recounting of the crime in his last scene is one of the more harrowing moments. Amr Waked, who played Franco, is a straight shooter from the get-go; Waked is wary but wants to imagine the best is possible from the people on his staff.

However, the best performance came from Frank Dillane, who played Mike. I remember watching Dillane as Nathan in Fear the Walking Dead, another young addict role he portrayed in an exemplary manner. This role demands those moments of intensity from Dillane, a rabid quality to sustain the addiction. He can get violent to get money for the drugs. He can plead and barter, and he can break down. Mike is a character who wanders in a very isolated way through the streets of London, seeking all the things or people he needs to keep his pattern of being going. There are moments within the film in which Mike heals as a character. You see him accept responsibility, he apologises for his wrongs, shows empathy and connects with others. It is these moments of hope Dillane dangles in front of the audience nicely before ending it abruptly with a self-destructive implosion.

A tragic drama like Urchin likes to dwell comfortably in the misery of life sometimes, its entire thing is doing hardship well. But this does mean that Mike's story can get repetitive at times. More than this, there's a real performative quality to the commentary on homelessness at times. I didn't think the metaphorical elements of the film landed especially well. The nature scenes were strange, and the ending is a bizarre means of tying up loose ends.

I think this film often shows a lot more promise than it does flaws. However, as Harris Dickinson's directorial debut, it could stand to learn one particular lesson: it's okay to leave some stuff on the cutting room floor. The moments when the camerawork looked bad were when every shot felt included, when a montage happened where one wasn't needed. Not every creative effort was needed to bring forth that vision, sometimes post-production is a good place to kill your darlings. The soundtrack was an odd assortment that felt more like what the budget could get than anything else.

Megan Northam, who played Andrea, had quite a scattered role that barely connected with Dillane; the pair felt quite suddenly jammed together in the course of the film. Karyna Khymchuk and Shonagh Marie, who played Ramona and Chanelle respectively, are an unusual pair to be Mike's first sober friends; the friendship dynamic feels quite surface-level, with neither actress really elevating the relationships forming between everyone. 

Frank Dillane is exemplary here, with Harris Dickinson's directing debut showing a lot of promise. I would give Urchin a 6.5/10.

Wuthering Heights

 

This review may contain spoilers!

This is an adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel of the same name, in which Catherine Earnshaw's family adopt a poor boy, Heathcliff, and the pair become inseparably close. Yet, their love is a destructive one that pulls them apart before sending them crashing back together.

I think in its frenzied moments of passion, there are points where you can get submerged in the wild attraction between Cathy and Heathcliff. I also found their early friendship as children to be entirely endearing, if also still quite toxic.

The winning element of this feature is how absolutely visually stunning it looks. Emerald Fennell has crafted a colour palette that feels fantastical. This movie captures red like it is a jewel to behold. This movie is more about style than script, and watching the lavish visuals contrast so sharply with the vast natural landscapes or the dark vision of Wuthering Heights estate is the one shining triumph of all this.

Charlotte Mellington, who played Young Cathy, is an absolute moment of time travel between her and Robbie; Mellington genuinely feels besotted with Heathcliff while also playing to her sense of ego. Vy Nguyen, who played Young Nelly, was one of the strongest performers in the film's opening; her sense of hurt feelings and hard exterior are better captured than her older counterpart, Chau.

However, the best performance came from Margot Robbie, who played Cathy. Cathy is a remarkably vain character, extremely self-obsessed and expecting the world to revolve around her. Robbie likes to toy with others a bit, especially early in the film when she played across from Elordi. This is a character who is used to getting her way, whose arrogance and ego take up the whole screen. Her self-serving impulses contrast with her all-consuming love for Heathcliff, which is something Robbie understands and plays to very well, especially in the crossroads scene of the film in which she accidentally makes the wrong choice. There is a wickedness from here that only grows as passion and spite consume our protagonists. I found Robbie to be vile at times, and fated to destroy herself in others. This was one performer who really understood what her role was and what she was playing to.

Wuthering Heights is everything bad in Emerald Fennell's more illustrious works brought to bear. Where other works have been made to unnerve you with purpose, this is an adaptation that is here to be freaky and perturb the audience first. The intention of the film is to show the moments of passionate sexual desire and then the moments of grotesque disgust. Before long, it will become hard to distinguish the two, and in time, there is little left to see. This is a Wuthering Heights that wants to be carnal; it wants to root around in the mud, and it doesn't much care if you enjoy what you are watching. The opening of the film evokes imagery of sex before cutting to our first true flame and revealing a hanging. But it won't end there. Violent outbursts, gutted pigs, festering refuse, kinky acts, walls made to look like skin, septicemia, women acting like dogs... You get the idea. This is a film made to be shocking, but it fails to thrill. Someone I went to see this with me turned to me and asked if I had taken them to see a horror. I suppose I had. This is a film that doesn't want to achieve anything. The story itself is painfully vulgar, with two people who desire one another destroying themselves and everyone around them. It is the worst possible way this classic work could have been imagined.

This film is chopped up like a music video; there are entire jumps in the scene that don't work, and montages are overly stylised. I absolutely could not stand the music provided to this by Charli XCX; it yanked me right out of any scene every time something lyrical struck up. The idea that a trendy pop artist could pair neatly with a period tragedy is madness.

Jacob Elordi, who played Heathcliff, seems to be a casting choice more grounded in aesthetics; Elordi struggles with subtlety and seems downright evil at times. Hong Chau, who played Nelly, feels a bit too old for her role at the best of times; Chau's overbearing matronly manner was a weight on the feature. Shazad Latif, who played Edgar, is just a bit too dull to make himself known; Latif's entire character falls into the background time and again. Alison Oliver, who played Isabella, is just an absurd performance that seems doomed to fail; Oliver's doing that dog scene is absolutely ridiculous. Martin Clunes, who played Mr Earnshaw, doesn't seem remotely grounded in reality; his imp-like look near the end really jumped the shark. Owen Cooper, who played Young Heathcliff, is a bit too plain for the character; Cooper comes across as rather wooden, evoking just a bit too much of Elordi.

I can't imagine a more grotesque and horrific take on Emily Brontë's famous novel. I would give Wuthering Heights a 2.5/10. 

Crime 101

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Crime 101 is a crime thriller adapted from a Don Winslow novella of the same name. The film follows Davis, a skilled thief who has been conducting a string of robberies just off the 101 motorway. As he gears up for his biggest score yet, the police officer and rival thief hounding him are drawing closer.

I have always had a soft spot for heist films, and I wondered if I would feel the same way while watching this one. But though there are heists in this film, this is more of a 'cat and mouse' story. The whole thing pivoting around Davis running his cons and staying ahead of those after him by a hair is one of the most satisfying elements of the film. Lou, the detective after Davis, is having his entire life blow up while hounding this criminal, but this laser focus also becomes a noose slowly slipping around Davis' neck. I also liked the chaotic energy that came from Money sending Ormon, a young legacy thief, after Davis. These parties circling one another created some tense moments and left you wondering how that final job against Monroe was going to play out. In a lot of ways, Crime 101 is a film that pays tribute to old films of the honourable outlaw versus the honourable officer of the law.

If Crime 101 has a strength, it is just how impressive the cinematography looks. This is a very dynamic-looking film, with an intense neo-noir style. Every character is scrutinised with intensive close-ups, LA is captured like a timeless Metropolis, and car chases inject high octane adrenaline into the lens.

Halle Berry, who played Sharon, is quite a calculating numbers savant here; Berry's character is more grounded than others and building towards an explosive decision is a great piece of softer acting from Berry. Tate Donovan, who played Monroe, is that type of arrogant, rich mogul you decidedly hate; the way Donovan played to the ego of this character, even when he had a gun to his head, is great. Barry Keoghan, who played Ormon, is a captivating, unhinged antagonist; he has a frenzied need to prove himself by all means necessary. Matthew Del Negro, who played Police Captain Stewart, is a real bureaucratic point of corruption; Del Negro has a toxic energy to this character that makes him a good adversary for Ruffalo.

However, the best performance came from Mark Ruffalo, who played Lou. Lou seems a very disgruntled type of police detective protagonist. He is living in a cramped apartment with his wife, their marriage falls apart throughout the film, and his car is a piece of shit. Ruffalo still has a real water off a duck's back outlook around all this; he has a grouchy edge but remains laser-focused on his casework. Lou is like a dog with a bone around the Davis case; his police department is slowly isolating him, and yet he won't let the 101 robber go. The moment his job and his marriage implode, we get a new take on Lou. Ruffalo brings a stillness, a calmness to the character. He brings what he has always chased to a head in a very measured way, holding the fate of all that has transpired in the palm of his hand. Lou's euphoria by the end of the film seems rather earned; he is the honourable officer of the law.

Crime 101 is a rather desolate film, so sprawling and vast with a lot of emptiness there. And if I were just talking about the setting, this would be a perfect modern film noir story. But that's not Crime 101. From the moment multiple leading roles are introduced, it becomes clear that Crime 101 is a branching story with many perspectives guiding the story. The issue with this is that a slow-paced film passing the ball like that really has to have an incredible sense of structure. This film doesn't have that; if anything, this is a film that would have been better served as a limited series. There is a lot of empty space between narrative-forward scenes, which hurt the pacing tremendously. It is also clear that while the robberies are interesting, Davis is not. As a protagonist, Davis's 'Robin Hood' schtick is poorly explored, as is his relationship and background with Money, his ally in the criminal world. Davis jitters and shows signs of neurodiversity, but the creatives clearly don't know what they're doing here beyond vaguely saying Davis isn't your typical criminal. There's even a strange romance sub-plot for Davis that feels a little too fairytale and easy-going to work. The truth of Crime 101 is that it has a decent cast, but the writing rarely cracks open these characters and lets me see who they are as an audience member.

The editing can be disjointed at times and create an inconsistent flow, resulting in a pace that stretches out or even becomes a bit scattered to watch. There are moments of interest in the score, but the majority of this is just a long, warbling drone. The soundtrack is also a mismatch of tracks that don't really bring a lot of character to the piece, ranging from Run the Jewels to Bryan Adams.

Chris Hemsworth, who played Davis, really gives one of his worst leading performances in a long time; I had no idea whether he was playing autism or OCD, and it is his worst American accent in some time. Corey Hawkins, who played Tillman, is quite a bland police partner character across from Ruffalo; Hawkins becomes almost forgettable the second the film phases his role out. Nick Nolte, who played Money, is such a prolific actor who is struggling to still perform well; I say this because Nolte's line delivery as Money is almost indecipherable. Monica Barbaro, who played Maya, is a bit of a dull fantasy girlfriend role; Barbaro is really just here to dangle a happy ending outcome in front of Hemsworth's role.

Incredibly scattered crime film with a weak lead in Chris Hemsworth. I would give Crime 101 a 5.5/10.

We Bury The Dead

 

This review may contain spoilers!

We Bury The Dead is a zombie thriller in which an American pulse weapon accidentally kills the entire population of Tasmania during a test. Those killed have been rendered deceased by the electronic pulse, though some are 'returning to life'. Ava travels to Tasmania and volunteers to join the Body Retrieval unit, in the hope of being reunited with her husband.

In a world where the zombie genre has had a good stab taken at it a few times, it is such a delight to see how creativity can still bloom in the genre. At the top of the year, I remember thinking how off the wall it was watching Ralph Fiennes dance with a zombie alpha in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. This film has its own creative stake in the genre, presenting a world in which a mere few zombies roam. Each encounter feels more personal; this isn't about getting away from the undead hordes. Some of the zombies here thrash and gnash with rage at being unable to fulfil their unfinished business. But in the same feature, we see a dead man bury his family and experience grief, and a dead woman gives birth to her living baby and sees it safely into the hands of others. It is strangely unconventional in how raw and rugged it is, people become weight to be moved by workers who are hoping like hell to find a shred of life. I think the frantic nature of Ava's odyssey across Tasmania proves that more than anything else. I also think this film held a really solid antagonist in the form of Riley. This was a man who had his whole world ripped away from him and tried to keep it alive in a grotesque, malformed manner.

I think the style of We Bury The Dead really knows how to capture stark, graphic horror. And I don't mean graphic like gore, but the visual scale of the desolation. There are the cruel frames of death caught like a photo snapshot, coupled with the raging landscape of a destroyed Hobart. That blood-red skyline had me entirely captivated. I loved the score for this film, it has a hard, driven edge to the whole thing as our lead hurtles her way to her final destination. The soundtrack was a real tight collection of tracks, but nothing bests that moment when we're cutting out and Metric's 'Help I'm Alive' kicks in.

Daisy Ridley, who played Ava, feels like a very grounded and determined protagonist; watching Ridley be allowed to grieve and rage in the final act of the film is where she shines brightest. Brenton Thwaites, who played Clay, is a real rough-around-the-edges tradie who has jumped free from his life to gather the dead; Thwaites is pretty uncouth here, yet still manages to be entirely charming. Kym Jackson, who played Lieutenant Wilkie, is a genuine authority figure here; Jackson's role expresses some genuine hatred of Americans for what they had reaped on Tasmania in this, which was absolutely powerful.

However, the best performance came from Mark Coles Smith, who played Riley. This is a very stoic, military role at first impression; quite a tense hero type who saves our leading character right in the nick of time. But Smith has a deeper dimension going on here; he leans into a role that is sweating buckets and clearly not showing all the angles. Riley wants Ava for a very specific purpose; he has a hole in his life where his wife, soon-to-be-born child and family used to be. Smith is this fragile yet dangerous figure who holds Ava in captivity briefly, forcing her to play a part she wants no part of. Smith becomes imposing, trying to place Ava where his wife stood. In truth, he is unhinged and broken by the horrors that have been inflicted upon him; he is one of the greatest dangers Ava has to face in this movie. It's an impressive turn from Mark Coles Smith, who really elevates this whole feature.

When I watch a film, I often love falling into a character's story, learning about the people I'm watching and coming to relate with them. We Bury The Dead really struggles with conveying this part of the film. It tries to intersperse the feature with vague flashbacks to make a rough patchwork of Ava and Mitch's relationship. But this doesn't reinforce much beyond telling us two actors don't have a heck of a lot of romantic chemistry with one another. Ava is really bad at expressing herself; she states her core mission, but we don't chip much past that inciting incident layer. Yet pretty much every character we meet struggles to talk; no one knows how to frame their feelings and pull a scene into an interesting narrative direction. The themes around things left unsaid, or grieving a relationship that has already moved on, are obvious because the movie eventually gives up on itself and just has the characters overtly spell it all out in the last fifteen minutes. I found the first third of this movie to be a tougher slog; it was riddled with quite average Australian background actors that made this whole thing feel like a parody of itself at first.

The editing throughout the film seems relatively lethargic, which might be deliberate with this being a slower indie film, but it makes the pacing difficult at times. This is a movie about a journey, but the journey often feels a lot longer than it really is.

Matt Whelan, who played Mitch, felt like a complete empty slate; Whelan couldn't conjure anything resembling meaningful chemistry with his on-screen wife, Ridley.

I am just loving how creative the resurgence of the zombie genre is feeling. I would give We Bury The Dead a 6.5/10.

Iron Lung

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Iron Lung is an adaptation of David Szymanski's video game of the same name. A cosmic horror set in a futuristic dying universe, this film follows Simon, a convict set inside a sealed submersible and forced to scour the depths of a moon with an ocean made of blood.

Iron Lung is the sort of horror film that knows how to draw you in. We are just as trapped as Simon in this iron box, confined and desperate for answers. This film works hard to impose a growing sense of dread. It starts slow, a creak in the hull, an eerie picture on the camera feed or a droplet of blood from above. But the film gears us up towards danger, makes us wonder what else lies within the depths, knowing that we can only ponder. The deeper Simon goes, the more we are confronted with hallucinations, invasive voices and visions of eldritch bloody beings. Escape becomes less certain, and hope is like a guttering flame. Watching Simon wrestle with his own crisis of conscience, while his very environment preys upon him, is a powerful yet demented setting. The sense of mystery that is cultivated around the 'creature' that preys upon Simon, living in the blood, is well handled. In fact, this monstrous, oppressive entity is a great horror antagonist.

It is rare to see a film where one setting is what we are limited to. The why behind this seems clear: how do you keep such a film interesting when it comes to style? The visual style never seems to be a hurdle for Mark Fischbach however, he takes what amounts to little more than a tube and turns it into a cloying, claustrophobic experience. The intensity of the close-ups and the deliberate placement of the camera certainly helped that sense of mounting dread I described earlier.

Troy Baker, who played David, is a nice break in tone from a character perspective; Baker employs a bit of gruff macho camaraderie to try to influence Simon, which is amusing. Elsie Lovelock, who voiced SM-8 Research Lead and The Speaker, is a powerful force for the sense of inescapable horror in this film; Lovelock's voice work will cut you to the bone and has this drowning sensation to it that is extremely effective.

However, the best performance came from Caroline Kaplan, who played Ava. This is a role with quite a perceived level of power over Simon across the film; she is the jailor, and he is the prisoner. She is a tough, militaristic presence who commands and attempts to control Simon. She has a bend towards duty and shows little compassion for Simon at first. If anything, there is real venom between the two, but chiefly from Kaplan's side. As the film goes on, we start to see Ava as a figure with the capacity to change. Kaplan allows her to connect with Simon and show hope. We get a sense that she wants out of this wretched existence as much as he does and is willing to risk her station to get salvation. Though in a more minor role, Kaplan feels like a character with both feet firmly planted in the Iron Lung universe.

Iron Lung is an interesting piece of horror; it does the fear element well, but it really struggles to pull you into the world it occupies. I found the moments in which the film touches upon the Quiet Rapture, the Eden faction or even Simon's terrorist background to be entirely debilitating to the story. The world feels quite convoluted; it wants to be perceived as a difficult puzzle, but that doesn't make this especially palatable for the audience. It doesn't hold a sense of mystery like the horrors below the ocean of blood; it just feels like a clunky bit of sci-fi cobbled together to adorn the greater end result. Even the mission around sending down prisoners holds little sense of purpose; we get the sense it has something to do with saving the universe or gathering food, but it gets a bit aimless. There is also a long portion within the middle that feels like a montage of travel. It creates a needless hitch in the pacing that could have otherwise been smoothed out.

The editing across this whole thing takes a blender to what is quite a decent piece of cinematography, janky and disruptive cutting make Iron Lung difficult to follow when things get frantic. I also think the sound mixing here shows how indie this feature is; the way sounds trample over one another can entirely ruin a scene. The score for the film wasn't especially memorable, a hollow droning that doesn't heighten the sense of fear much at all.

Mark Fischbach, who played Simon, just seems a bit too polished to work as the bedraggled lead prisoner of the film; Fischbach has designed something brilliant here, but his more limited range gets in the way of what could have been a great leading character.

A perfectly commendable horror film that is absolutely changing the game for indie cinema. I would give Iron Lung a 6/10.

Send Help

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Send Help is a survival horror/thriller following Linda Liddle, a company employee who gets overlooked by her boss, a young nepo baby narcissist. When their plane crashes on the way to an important business meeting, Linda and her boss find themselves stranded on a deserted island.

I really felt I was going to be hooked by this film from the very beginning. Linda is an awkward and sad individual who lives a very isolated life and doesn't have much go right for her. When Bradley, her new boss, enters the scene, it becomes clear that Linda is going to be trampled over by a guy who barely considers her existence. Around this point, I was expecting a bit of a social commentary on modern workplaces and the way women versus men are treated in these spaces. And this movie does have a bit of that. But what this movie really is about is power. Bradley held power at the beginning of the film because of his status and inherited wealth. But once this duo reaches the island, Bradley must come to depend on Linda because she holds all of the knowledge and the resources to survive. The power balance has completely flipped. As the film goes on, we see the pair test this new dynamic, Bradley fighting and manipulating his way back to control, while Linda explores what she can get out of this new power she finds herself with. I really adored the way Sam Raimi developed Linda as a memorable horror protagonist/antagonist. Her eccentricities start small and seem soft, but the power she holds in this situation unmasks a very troubled past. Linda is capable of dark action; she has proven this before, and she proceeds to ramp up across the film. I also think Send Help has a dark, yet camp sense of humour going for it that is side-splitting at times and unnerving at others.

Sam Raimi is an absolute auteur when it comes to capturing horror cinematically, and Send Help is no different. The camera slowly pushes in to heighten emotion, and Raimi can thrill with sudden gripping extreme close-ups. There are also a few shots across this that make me think of classic horror lighting of old, with some reasonable callbacks to 50s and 60s horror at times. Danny Elfman's mad score cartwheels between out-of-place whimsy to a stressful, fast-paced rhythm. The soundtrack also holds a couple of good cards; 'One Way or Another' by Blondie is the perfect footnote to all of this.

Dylan O'Brien, who played Bradley Preston, is the perfect match for McAdams; O'Brien is immediately dislikeable and plays to a very twisted selfish persona well.

However, the best performance came from Rachel McAdams, who played Linda Liddle. McAdams crafts a character who is a little off-kilter across the feature; watching this personality really become untethered is something I struggled to look away from. Linda seems meek at first, someone who gets run roughshod over without much complaint. Her life is sad, and McAdams creates a dizzying optimism that is relatively tragic. Yet seeing her confidence and mania emerge once she is upon the island and holds power is a terrifying force unto itself. McAdams character work here is nuts, you cannot predict Linda, nothing really feels off the table. I couldn't believe the ways McAdams distorted and manipulated her facial muscles throughout; her twitching and spasming felt seamless in moulding this unhinged killer.

Send Help is quite a great film, but it is unabashedly an abrasive watch. None of the cast of characters is especially likable; all have a darker bend to their morality. I also thought that this film makes an effort to push your comfort levels, often making a concerted effort to gross out the viewer. The tone goes big, which works more than it doesn't, but sometimes it results in a campy tone or a physical gag going on for a bit too long. The final couple of minutes of the film weren't especially satisfying beyond that soundtrack number. Linda always seemed fated to come out on top, but the way this was blown up was rather on the nose.

Something I do struggle with in a Sam Raimi feature is that the editing can feel rather dated at times; there are a lot of transitions in Send Help that yanked me out of the flow entirely. I also didn't love the special effects. The plane crash worked well enough, but the boar looked ridiculous.

Edyll Ismail, who played Zuri, feels so entirely distant from O'Brien that it becomes difficult to believe in their relationship, Ismail really plays the emotional beats of her character in a rather obvious, wooden manner. Xavier Samuel, who played Donovan, is quite the stereotypical 'business bro'; his antagonistic ego feels simple in presentation. Dennis Haysbert, who played Franklin, is quite a dry role; Haysbert's stoic presence is pretty forgettable in truth.

Sam Raimi, being an absolute oddball, has made a kooky thriller well worth your time. I would give Send Help a 7.5/10.

Marty Supreme

 

This review may contain spoilers!

Marty Supreme follows Marty Mauser, a professional table tennis player who has banked his entire life on becoming a major success through the sport. When his bad decisions and narcissism catch up with him, Marty risks everything to raise enough money to qualify for the World Championships in Tokyo.

I feel like it's pretty easy to recognise a Marty. That's what I thought after leaving this film. There is so much talk about hustling, grinding and being the best possible you amongst young men these days; a perpetual push for greatness and success via narcissism and self-serving action. Marty Supreme is a film about being a young man who has staked his very being on being one thing: the very best. Yet, watching this movie, it quickly shifts from feeling thrilling to becoming wildly dismaying, watching Marty try and fail at every turn to be the success he claims to be. Marty Mauser, our protagonist, is a legendary table tennis player. But Marty Mauser is rarely a good person. He pushes aside his mother, he robs from his uncle, he knocks up one of his closest friends and doesn't take responsibility for the child, and at every turn, he lies. Marty racks up debt to stay at the Ritz, and he plays manipulative games to coerce an acting celebrity to sleep with him. Because Marty doesn't serve his responsibilities or even his life, he serves the image he wishes to portray. This movie isn't about a character who is the victim of his own success; Marty is the victim of sacrificing everything good in or around him to seem successful. It's an important distinction, one that the film drills home superbly. By the very end of the film, once Marty has cast everything aside, humiliated himself and been left with his ego no longer intact, he manages to find a moment of triumph. A point where it is just him and his skill left, a compelling moment that feels righteous despite everything. This film is also Rachel Mizler's story in a lot of ways, too. Rachel is the young woman who gets knocked up by Marty, abandoned while he tours the world and then spends the weeks of his return trying to get him to connect with her. It's agonising to see the lengths Rachel goes to win Marty's attention.

Josh Safdie has an absolutely riveting piece of cinema with Marty Supreme. If you thought the Safdie Brothers were delivering something wild with Uncut Gems, this is the next step up. The camera pushes in close for these conniving deals and moments of bargaining while also getting creative with how it constructs moments of action or the speedy delivery of those table tennis sequences. The editing has an exceptional flow to it; the film feels like it is rushing to a crash-out in the best possible way. The score really holds you in its grip, scaling those moments of shock and making you feel exasperated in all of the right places. The soundtrack grounds things in the time while also drilling home those themes of false young grandeur; tracks like 'Forever Young' by Alphaville capture the point of Marty Supreme exactly.

Larry 'Ratso' Sloman, who played Murray Norkin, is the ultimate'tough love' uncle; Sloman really tries to rein in Chalamet's tremendous ego in a pretty grounded manner. Odessa A'zion, who played Rachel Mizler, is an absolute standout star in this; A'Zion gives us a woman who is trying so hard to win over the attention of the man she loves that she is letting herself be swallowed by the danger he faces. Luke Manley, who played Dion Galanis, starts the film being blindly optimistic and enchanted with Chalamet's Marty; Manley does a great job of presenting a character who realises his friend is a liar and a fraud. Emory Cohen, who played Ira Mizler, is a very volatile husband to A'Zion in this; Cohen's character is a really wound-up and aggressive guy who often puts that energy back onto his wife. John Catsimatidis, who played Christopher Galanis, is really shrewd at bartering with Chalamet; I like how Catsimatidis plays a scene as if he is protecting Manley's character. Géza Röhrig, who played Béla Kletzki, is one of the more quietly earnest characters in the film; Röhrig really strives for the best and is a moment of good in Marty's orbit. Pico Iyer, who played Ram Sethi, is an incredibly strict edge of authority; Iyer brings a tremendous level of decorum to the role that makes his hatred for Marty work so well. Kevin O'Leary, who played Milton Rockwell, just steals the show in this film almost constantly; I had no idea the sort of raw antagonist potential O'Leary had in him, but I am glad Josh Safdie did. Abel Ferrara, who played Ezra Mishkin, is a real tough crook; Ferrara does a good job of introducing him in a sympathetic light before revealing how dangerous he can be. Isaac Mizrahi, who played Merle, is a real spirited delight; Mizrahi actually manages to draw some real energy out of scenes with Paltrow.

However, the best performance came from Timothée Chalamet, who played Marty Mauser. This is the sort of performance that feels like everything has been thrown at it. Chalamet wants us to see he understands Marty and is going to give it his all. If you want to watch a performance where the character thinks he is a charismatic, quick-talker, Chalamet has that aspect down completely. This is a character who serves himself first and will burn others in his wake if it gets him even a little bit ahead. Chalamet's take on Marty is at times quite self-aware of his own lack of morality, sometimes wallowing in this and at others wickedly praising his own deviousness. His spirit really breaks in the final act, and after that, a lot of the ego strips away. Watch everything Chalamet gives in those table tennis scenes; that final game is nothing short of impressive.

The thing I will always struggle to enjoy about films like Marty Supreme is that it's difficult to root for a cast of characters who are mostly dislikeable. Marty is a protagonist who almost immediately begins the film by showing us he can be pretty awful towards others. He robbed his uncle's shoe store by pulling a gun on a fellow clerk. But even many of the side characters exhibit horrible personality moments, the film tends towards showing the audience morally weak individuals colliding with one another. I also felt the 'happy ending' of the final moments was far too safe for what this movie had been. Marty, finding himself with a secure family situation moving forward doesn't really mesh nicely with the tone of the movie up until that point.

Tyler the Creator, who played Wally, doesn't really fall in step as Marty's buddy; this is a performance that really accompanies Chalamet but doesn't strike much of a chord. Fran Drescher, who played Rebecca Mauser, doesn't really connect with Chalamet in a way that feels like they have any mother/son relationship at all; Drescher's mother figure is a flat presence in the film with little self-agency. Dwyneth Paltrow, who played Kay Stone, is so staggeringly obvious in this; Paltrow plays a pretty shallow part in a role that could have been more in anyone else's hands.

Timothée Chalamet treats this movie like it is all or nothing, resulting in a must-watch piece of cinema. I would give Marty Supreme a 9/10.