Do Revenge

Movie Name: Do Revenge
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Jennifer Kaytin Robinson
Starring: Camilla Mendes, Maya Hawke, Austin Abrams, Rish Shah, Talia Ryder, Alisha Boe, Ava Capri, Paris Berelc, JD, Maia Reficco, Sophie Turner, Rachel Matthews, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Eliza Bennett, Francesca Reale
Genre: Comey
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Writer/Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson continues her collaboration with Netflix, with her sophomore directorial effort, following her debut entitled "Someone Great". "Do Revenge" focuses its narrative on two high school seniors, Drea and Eleanor, who both attend a costly private school and have high hopes of getting into Ivy League universities. Drea's hopes suffer a huge blow when her boyfriend, the rich and privileged Max leaks a sex video they both did, even though he denies it. Drea suffers most of the downfall of that escapade and most of her friends soon abandon her. Unlike everyone she knows, she goes to the school on a scholarship, since her single mom is a nurse and can't afford her tuition. She convinces the recently moved into the school Eleanor to work with her in an elaborate revenge plan, where they each go after the people who wronged them, but with Eleanor going after Drea's targets and Drea's focusing on Eleanor's tormentors. They soon start seeing some results, with Eleanor's antagonist soon expelled from the school for planting drugs in the communal farm, though Drea's situation is far more complicated due to Max's popularity. However as their relationship evolves, not all is what it seems in these two girls lives. 

"Do Revenge" uses Alfred Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train" as a baseline premise (and that film in turn was an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel, with a screenplay from Raymond Chandler, Whitfield Cook and Czenzi Ormonde) in order to create this new version of a dark teen comedy, taking place in an upscale high school. The biggest challenge with this film however is that unlike Michael Lehman's "Heathers" or even Amy Heckerling's "Clueless", while this writer/director knows exactly what the cliches surrounding these characters are, she doesn't necessarily try to add much dimension to them or for that matter, populate it with a layer of humor. There's a glossiness to the film which allows for the universe that it depicts to come across very rapidly and evidently, but while Mark Waters' "Mean Girls" allowed for the characters to experience an evolution throughout the narrative, while also marrying that same narrative with a fantastic sense of humor, this feature by contrast attempts to illustrate the modern mentality of our times, and how that at times is a perfect escapade for people to get away with very bad behaviors. The film's plot and twists ultimately don't add much in terms of giving the characters that additional spark and in the end its tone isn't necessarily the most successful, since it's not exactly a particularly satisfying satire, ending up being more of a light romance with pseudo edgy characters who in the end aren't edgy at all. Camilla Mendes and Maya Hawke are successful in bringing their characters to life, as is Sarah Michelle Gellar as the headmistress of the school. The cinematography from Brian Burgoyne is solid, as is the production design from Hillary Gurtler. While not terrible, it's a rather forgettable film. 

Support the Girls

Movie Name: Support the Girls
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Andrew Bujalski
Starring: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Dylan Gelula, Zoe Graham, Ann LeuVoy, Elizabeth Trieu, Krista Hayes, Victor Isaac Perez, Jesse Marshall, Luis Olmeda, Shayna McHayle, John Elvis, Lea DeLaria, James Le Gros, Lawrence Varnado, Bill Wise, Brooklyn Decker, AJ Michalka, Chris Brown
Genre: Comey, Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Director Andrew Bujalski who made a critical splash with the features "Computer Chess" and "Results" previously, reached a much wider audience and accolades with "Support the Girls", which premiered in 2018 to critical acclaim. 

The film focuses its narrative on Lisa, a general manager for a sports bar where their waitresses wear very skimpy outfits. Lisa is a hard working, no-nonsense type of person and protects her employees fiercely, though she clashes with her absent and at times oblivious boss. During this particular day, their relationship comes to a boiling point when Lisa asks for her team to host an impromptu car wash to raise money for one of the employees, who has been the target of an abusive boyfriend and is currently staying with Lisa, and Ben the owner finds out and wants to take the money himself. On top of this, Lisa has had to deal with the cable not working, and an attempted robbery which has resulted in a man becoming stuck in a ventilation duct. In her personal life, she is also dealing with a crumbling marriage. All these challenges are heightened by the realization that a competing new restaurant is also opening in the area threatening the viability of their working place. 

There's a quietly unassuming quality to "Support the Girls", which makes the journey of its central character all the more endearing and real. Lisa is the core of the narrative and she's the one who sustains the energy of the restaurant, but also supports the life of everyone she seems to come in contact with, including that of her team mates who rely on her wisdom and heart to get through life. Regina Hall who is a charismatic and versatile performer, and who has made a career for herself in countless comedies, manages to ground this character with just enough strength, resilience, tiredness and shock, making Lisa a profoundly humane and realistic character, one who goes beyond the stereotypical and two dimensional aspect. The director also smartly builds the narrative during a limited timeline, giving the characters just enough bandwidth to showcase who they are, what their challenges and how Lisa is supporting them in their journey. It's an interesting feature, since it doesn't fall trap to the poverty porn that some features typically lean on, particularly the ones that touch upon this type of subject, and it also does not sensationalize what the characters do in the restaurant (and with its patrons). It's a restrained film, one that closely aligns with its central character, showcasing just enough grit, mixing it with some humor, tenderness and sadness. While the supporting characters sadly are not that expanded upon, this is a film that quietly captures one's attention. Haley Lu Richardson, James Le Gros, Lawrence Varnado provide good support to Regina Hall's wonderful central performance. The cinematography from Matthias Grunsky is solid as is the production design from Jake Kuykendall. Worth watching. 

Mapplethorpe

Movie Name: Mapplethorpe
Year of Release: 2018
Director: Ondi Timoner
Starring: Matt Smith, Marianne Rendon, John Benjamin Hickey, Brandon Sklenar, Tina Benko, Mark Moses, Carolyn McCormick, Thomas Philip O'Neill, Mickey O'Hagan, Anthony Michael Lopez
Genre: Drama
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato directed the wonderful documentary "Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures" in 2016, and this fictional view of his life from director Ondi Timoner fails to capture the ferocity, urgency and transgressive aspect of his art. The narrative introduces us to Robert Mapplethorpe during what can be considered defining moments in his life. Firstly we are introduced to his relationship to artist Patti Smith, who he casually meets in Central Park, and then subsequently embarks on an amorous relationship with, which then becomes a friendship one. The following chapter finds him evolving in his art and also meeting the person who forever changes his life, art curator Sam Wagstaff, who becomes his patron, lover and mentor. During this time Mapplethorpe also starts focusing more intently on photography, and also becomes more active in the gay community. Another chapter of the feature finds Mapplethorpe already well established, with a wide array of commissions, working with the assistance of his brother, and finally coming to terms with Wagstaff's pending demise as well as his own. 

"Mapplethorpe"for all its good intentions fails to ever truly humanize the artist or for that matter, showcase a point of view on what compelled him to pursue his particular perspective in the universe he crafted throughout the years. It would have been interesting to further understand what drew him to the BDSM world or even what compelled his personal relationships both with Patti Smith and his models, but all we get throughout the film are vignettes, illustrations which are meant to represent his evolution of struggling artist to narcissistic, drug addicted and self absorbed star, and finally his demise. There isn't much to this feature that is revelatory, or for that matter particularly emotionally resonant, since even his amorous relationship with Sam Wagstaff is depicted as something casual and not as transformative as it actually turned out to be. In the end that's the most frustrating thing about this film, its lack of ability to go beyond the superficial. Whereas Julian Schnabel's "Basquiat" attempts to capture a particular moment in time, when Basquiat goes from unknown to an acclaimed artist, his relationships and substance abuse challenges, Ondi Timoner attempts a single swoop biography, which in the end renders most characters in it as nothing more than just sketches (including Mapplethorpe himself). The cast tries their best to bring these characters to life, with highlights going to Matt Smith, John Benjamin Hickey (who sports a terrible wig), and Brandon Sklenar. The cinematography from Nancy Schreiber is solid, but the film could benefit from a visual style more representative of New York of the 70s and 80s (which James Contner captured so well in William Friedkin's controversial "Cruising"). A missed opportunity and a forgettable film. 

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

Movie Name: Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
Year of Release: 2013
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Starring: Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, Peter Stormare, Famke Janssen, Pihla Viitala, Derek Mears, Robin Atkin Downes, Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Joanna Kulig, Thomas Mann, Rainer Bock
Genre: Action, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola made a name for himself with "Dead Snow", a zombie film that had the peculiarity of introducing Nazi zombies, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to receive fairly good reviews. "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" which premiered in 2013, is an adaptation of the Grimm Brothers fairytale, and focuses its narrative on the adventures of the grown up siblings, who are now Witch hunters. They find themselves in the town of Augsburg since its Mayor has hired them to come rescue the town's children, who have been missing and presumedly taken by witches. As the siblings investigate what has happened, they are soon at odds with the town's sheriff, and also with the Grand witch Muriel, who is indeed procuring all the children from the town. As their investigation soldiers on, both Hansel and Gretel learn additional information about their own lives, which in turn explains why they're immune to black magic, and also why they were originally left by themselves in the forest as children. The siblings with the help of a local benevolent witch by the name of Mina, unite forces in order to derail the plans from Muriel. 

Tommy Wirkola adapted the Grimm Brothers fairytale into a decidedly more action packed version of the original fairytale, in the process losing much of the magic and darkness which the original fable actually had. The tone of the film is one of its main issues, since the director tries to modernize the narrative, empowering for instance its female characters, while still attempting to illustrate the sexist and misogynistic aspects of certain characters and society. These aspects clash very openly as do the fact that the majority of these characters feel very much like puppets without much dimension to them, simply going through the choreography of the action scenes. Even for a B-movie, which this film at times tries to be, it still lacks a strong point of view, married with enough motivation for the characters to go about what they're trying to solve for. In the end, there's quite a lot of noise, mixed with special effects, which ultimately can't hide the fact that the film simply doesn't have much to say. While Terry Gilliam's "The Brothers Grimm" was an interesting and flawed look at the genesis of these fairytales, marrying the brothers adventures with somewhat of a dark tale of magic, all distilled through his unique point of view, Tommy Wirkola sadly doesn't create enough of a distinct universe for the narrative and these characters to exist and be memorable. The cast tries its best with what they have, including Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton and the underrated Famke Janssen and Peter Stormare, both of which deserved better. A missed opportunity. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Movie Name: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, Tallie Medel, Jenny Slate, Harry Shum Jr., Biff Wiff, Brian Le, Andy Le, Narayana Cabral, Chelsey Goldsmith, Anthony Molinari
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

After making a splash with their feature directorial debut, "Swiss Army Man", the Daniels have returned with an even more ambitious feature, one that tackles multi-universes and ultimately a reflection on how our choices can produce a multitude of occurrences in different planes of existence. The narrative is divided in three different chapters, starting with Everything, followed by Everywhere and finally closing off with All at Once. The narrative is centered around Evelyn Quan Wang, a Chinese American immigrant who runs a struggling laundromat business with her husband, the sweet and affable Waymond. Evelyn is particularly stressed out since her business is being audited by the IRS, and her disapproving father Gong Gong is visiting her from their home town of Hong Kong. Evelyn has also a checkered relationship with her daughter Joy, and can't seem to fully embrace her relationship with the sweet Becky. Things take an unexpected turn, when after a disastrous meeting with Deirdre their IRS inspector, Waymond's personality changes, and he explains he has been taken over by a different version of himself from a different universe. He explains that in his universe there's a technology that has enabled "verse-jumping", which allows people to access skills, memories and the body of their parallel universe counterpart. What follows is a series of adventures, where Evelyn tries to salvage her life, understand her choices, and patch what can be patched within her family and relationships.

For all its surreality, visual gimmickry, and sense of humor, there's a profound sense of finding meaning in relationships and coming to terms with one's choices in this film from the Daniels. The journey we embark on, is one where Evelyn is initially crushed by life, and in a way, by her choices. She bears the pain of her father's disappointment, and carries it forward in her relationships with her husband and child, never realizing she herself is perpetuating a cycle of toxicity in her relationships, since she herself can't come to terms and overcome the fear of disappointment she has within herself. The script smartly layers this sense of choices and how they produce multiple variations of existence, and how they can all impart knowledge upon each other (not totally different from what the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer did in the adaptation of David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas", though they did this in an extended chronological sequence of events). It's a film filled with interesting ideas, one that at times brings to mind the work of Michel Gondry (at least visually), but that manages to have its own authentic point of view, peppered with references from martial arts films from the 70s and 80s, but also low budget sci-fi from the 80s (such as Steve De Jarnatt's "Cherry 2000"), mixing all these references in a coherent and heartfelt narrative. The cast is fantastic, bringing all these variations and nuances to the characters to life, with Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis all making for a superb ensemble. Though some of the characters are more unidimensional than others, they're nonetheless compelling, and always watchable. It's a film that has heart and imagination, one that is peppered with humor and idiosyncratic stylistic choices (which I personally loved in Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers", but never saw it since quite well flushed out as in this particular case). It does have some rough patches to it, but it's entertaining, humorous and heartfelt. Worth watching. 

Morbius

Movie Name: Morbius
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Starring: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Al Madrigal, Michael Keaton, Joe Ferrara, Zaris-Angel Hator, Joseph Esson, Charlie Shotwell
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Director Daniel Espinosa who made a splash with a few films both of which featured Ryan Reynolds, namely "Safe House" and "Life", tackles the superhero genre with a narrative focused on a villain that appeared on Spider-Man's adventures, harking back to 1971, when the character originally appeared. This feature focuses on the story of Michael Morbius, who as a child is challenged by a chronic and debilitating illness. He soon is joined at the hospital by another young boy with a challenging ailment by the name of Milo, and they bond as they grow up under the tutelage and protection of hospital director, Nicholas. Michael eventually becomes a doctor himself, and a celebrated one, thanks to his work developing artificial blood. However he is also researching a cure for himself, relying on vampire bats from Costa Rica. While the solution he uncovers, and tests on himself does work, it also turns him into a vampire, turning his bloodlust into a killing spree, one that firstly impacts the crew he was on the research expedition with. Upon returning to New York, Morbius tries to control his blood urges with artificial blood, which only lasts for a few hours. Milo soon discovers what is happening, and seeking a medical solution for himself, also takes the serum, in the process becoming a vicious vampire just as Morbius. However whereas Michael fights with his condition, Milo relishes it, and becomes progressively consumed by his bloodlust. It's up to Michael to eventually stop him. 

"Morbius" is another film that was impacted on its release schedule by the challenges created with the pandemic. It's also a film where the narrative arc that is created for its characters, is thinly defined, therefore never truly delivering much in terms of understanding who these characters actually are and what is motivating them (well, aside from the lust for blood). The narrative places Michael Morbius as a scrupulous and honest physician, whose sole purpose is helping others, but also himself from the debilitating illness that plagues him. And that's pretty all that the character ever amounts to be. Even as the character does some monstrous things, they're rapidly justified by the fact that the victims were disposable, and whatever moral ambiguity or falling from grace the character experiences, is never particularly focused on. The character is built much like an anti-hero, without openly calling its villainy, leaving that to Matt Smith's Milo, whom we basically know nothing about, aside from the fact that he also has a debilitating disease, and upon taking the serum, becomes a vicious vampire. There's no subtlety to the evolution of these characters, or justification for their actions. The remaining supporting characters are also rough sketches, from Nicholas and his father figure persona, Martine the colleague who eventually becomes a love interest, and the detectives, who also function as a comic relief. It's a film that while featuring an efficient production team, it fails to deliver insightful characters and a compelling arc for them to live on. Matt Smith and Jared Harris try their best to respectively bring some edginess and heart to their characters, whereas Jared Leto is somewhat forgettable in a role that had immense potential as a man who swore to protect and cherish life, and who has had to kill in order to preserve his own (and his character also resembles an emo rock star rather than an actual doctor). It's yet another formulaic and fairly undeveloped comic book adaptation that will quickly be forgotten. 

Jurassic World: Dominion

Movie Name: Jurassic World: Dominion
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Starring: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Campbell Scott, BD Wong, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, Isabella Sermon, Omar Sy, Justice Smith, Daniella Pineda, Scott Haze
Genre: Action, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

Following the critical lambasting of "The Book of Henry", his previous feature, and some high profile projects that subsequently were dropped from his plate, director Colin Trevorrow has returned to the franchise that made his name more recognizable to film audiences. The film takes place after the events of the previous chapter and finds Owen and Claire now living remotely while raising Maisie Lockwood. The dinosaurs roam freely causing all sorts of incidents. Biosyn Genetics in the meantime, under the direction of Dr. Lewis Dodgson, has established a dinosaur preserve in Italy, with the intent of creating groundbreaking pharmacological applications. Maisie is kidnapped, as is one of the Velociraptors who is near Owen and Claire's cabin, which sends them on a desperate rescue mission. In the meantime, Dr. Ellie Sattler is called upon to investigate the destruction brought on by massive locusts on several crops, except for the crops that are using Biosyn, which raises suspicions they may be genetically modifying these creatures. Ellie seeks the help of her former partner Alan Grant, and they are eventually reunited with Ian Malcolm, who is now working for Biosyn, but who is intent on exposing what he has uncovered of Lewis Dodgson's illegal activities. They all eventually converge on Biosyn's main offices, where things quickly lose control, threatening their lives and of the living dinosaurs. 

This third chapter of the Jurassic World franchise is oddly enough the least interesting of all films in the series (and odd, since one would assume the creative team behind this universe would in reality consider learning lessons from the previous installments). The most interesting aspect of the film is the way it almost cannibalizes the events and everything that made the original Steven Spielberg film from 1993 so iconic and indelible. This installment almost replicates some of the events and scenes from the original film. While that aspect of making an homage to the original feature is somewhat interesting, it also begs the question if the creative team didn't have something to say for themselves or for the narrative they've been crafting throughout the trilogy. On par with these narrative issues, which also include the obvious inclusion of the corporate villain (once again barely defined), there are quite a few perplexing scenes during the film itself, which are borderline amateurish in their construction, including for instance the obvious stage scenes inside Owen and Claire's cabin and even the scenes in Malta. The characters populating this feature are once more rough drafts, with the director holding on to the fact that hopefully they've all been established previously, and therefore this particular narrative doesn't have to provide any additional dimension to them. This volume of the Jurassic Park franchise is akin to Gary Nelson's "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold", which was desperately trying to capture the charisma of Indiana Jones, but turned out to be more kitsch than anything else. This volume of Jurassic World, while not reaching kitsch, fails to bring anything new to the table, with the only highlights being the gathering of Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum, who are always superlatively great, with support from the always fantastic Campbell Scott, who sadly doesn't get much of a role. The film is a bit of a mess, questioning the director's ability and taste level. Forgettable. 

The Lost City

Movie Name: The Lost City
Year of Release: 2022
Director: Aaron Nee, Adam Nee
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nunez, Patti Harrison, Bowen Yang, Hector Anibal, Thomas Forbes-Johnson, Sli Lewis
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon Prime

Synopsis and Review

"The Lost City" is the latest project produced by Sandra Bullock, in a feature that takes her back to the romantic/action comedy that originally propelled her name in the 90s, with films such as "While You Were Sleeping" and even "Miss Congeniality" (which came out in 2000). The film follows the story of an author by the name of Loretta Sage, who writes romantic driven novels, typically featuring two characters, Dr. Angela Lovemore and Dash McMahon. Loretta finds herself on a book tour at the insistence of her agent, with an unexpected partner at her side, the male cover model that is featured on all her books, the dashing Alan (she has become somewhat of a recluse since the passing of her husband). While coming to terms with a disastrous beginning of the tour, Loretta is kidnapped by Abigail Fairfax, a billionaire who is intent on recovering the Crown of Fire, a priceless treasure he believes to be located in a remote island. However in order to retrieve the artifact, he needs Loretta's ability to decode an ancient map, which he believes she can do since she performed actual historic research with her late archaeologist husband. Alan who is secretly infatuated with Loretta, recruits Jack Trainer, a former navy SEAL turned CIA operative to help rescuing her, while Loretta's agent tries unsuccessfully to convince the police of what's taking place. While Alan's cluelessness soon becomes noticeable, Jack manages to save Loretta quite rapidly, that is until he is killed. Loretta and Alan soon find themselves in the jungle trying to elude their captors while Abigail is hot on their tail. 

"The Lost City" is not without its charm, but it obviously instantly brings to mind the wonderful "Romancing the Stone", which was directed by Robert Zemeckis and came out in 1984. In both films we have slightly isolated female American authors who are suddenly thrust out of their comfort zones, and into the jungles in areas they're unfamiliar with (in "The Lost City" that is an unknown island, in "Romancing the Stone" Joan Wilder finds herself in Colombia). What worked out so well in "Romancing the Stone" was the instant chemistry between the leads, and the fact that the narrative felt effortless, a bit like a rehash of classic adventures, drinking inspiration from some of the serials of the 1940s and 50s, which also influenced Steven Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark", with a strong/resourceful female character. In that sense "The Lost City" ends up not feeling quite as fresh or quite as effective, since while both leads do have chemistry and play off each other quite well, the story is threadbare and doesn't amount to much. The creators of this narrative have also realized this, which is why the physical comedy is amped up quite a bit more, which can also be witnessed in the extended cameo by Brad Pitt, but for all its noise and flashiness of production values, what ultimately works best is indeed the moments between Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. The supporting cast of the film doesn't have much to do, aside from playing archetypes, including Da'Vine Joy Randolph as the agent, and Oscar Nunez as the eccentric pilot. The film knows these characters are as flat as playing cards on a game, and thankfully the actors try their best to bring them to life, but the film lives solely from the charisma of their leads, and the fact that it definitely doesn't take itself very seriously. The production team assembled is competent without being particularly memorable in its delivery. Somewhat competent, but also forgettable. 

Stowaway

Movie Name: Stowaway
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Joe Penna
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

After his feature directorial debut with "Arctic", Brazilian director Joe Penna is back, this time around with a claustrophobic sci-fi narrative which Netflix has purchased and is distributing. The narrative focuses on a small crew of three, who are on a vessel with their destination being Mars. The crew consists of Commander Marina Barnett, biologist David Kim and medical researcher Zoe Levenson. Shortly after taking off, Marina discovers an accidental stowaway by the name of Michael Adams. While in the process of helping him, a device that scrubs carbon dioxide from the air is destroyed. They soon realize that without that device they will need to figure something else out, otherwise they won't be able to make it to Mars. While David is able to work with algae to generate additional oxygen, it's still not enough for all of them. They eventually have to rely on a riskier plan which includes recovering liquid oxygen that is stored in an upper stage rocket. Zoe and David set out to accomplish the plan, however as they're nearing completion, they have to get back to the ship as a high-energy solar flare is coming their way and it may prove itself fatal to them due to lethal radiation. 

It's inevitable that someone watching this film will think of how much Alfonso Cuaron's "Gravity" has influenced this type of sci-fi narrative, both from a storytelling perspective, but also from a stylistic and formal perspective. Joe Penna is obviously well aware of that, and has carved out a narrative that is quite straightforward in what it sets out to do. The group of characters is briefly introduced and succinctly contextualized, before the catalyst for the problem that puts all of them in danger is presented. While the aspect of the the additional passenger has been explored before, one has only to remember Ridley Scott's "Alien", in this case Michael is humanized and the group tries to collectively overcome the challenge he has caused. This film harbors echoes from Cuaron's "Gravity", but also from Danny Boyle's "Sunshine", however in this case the characters are simply not as compellingly established as they were on those films. It's a film that lives from the interactions between its lead actors, all of whom solidly but also generically define their characters (without much depth to it), with apt support from the Production Design team and Costume Design team, both of which really make this universe that much more grounded. 

While the outcome of the narrative isn't surprising by any means, the director and his team still manage to make the third chapter of the film watchable and fairly gripping. Toni Collette and Anna Kendrick are fantastic as usual, with good support from Shamier Anderson and Daniel Dae Kim. The cinematography from Klemens Becker is solid, as is the production design from Marco Bittner Rosser. While not exactly memorable, it's still worth watching. 

Last Night in Soho

Movie Name: Last Night in Soho
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp, Michael Ajao, Synnove Karlsen, Jessie Mei Li, Sam Claflin, Rita Tushingham, Colin Mace
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review

Celebrated writer/director Edgar Wright is back, following his latest endeavors, which has included "Baby Driver" and the documentary "The Sparks Brothers". The film focuses its narrative on Ellie Turner, a young woman who is about to go to college in London to study fashion design. She's been raised by her grandmother, following her mom's suicide when she was a young girl. Upon arriving in London, she sparks the attention of a fellow student by the name of John, but the other students in her dorm, turn out not to truly gel with her. She decides to find another place to live, which she does when she decides to rent a room run by the elderly Ms. Collins. She also finds a part time job in order to cover her expenses in the city. Ellie starts having some vivid dreams, where she's transported back to the 60s, and where she experiences life through the eyes of a beautiful young woman by the name of Sandie. These vivid dreams become more recurring, and in them she witnesses the life of Sandie evolving, including her relationship with her abusive manager Jack. Sandie wants to become a singer, but soon her manager starts passing her out very much like a prostitute. Ellie in the meantime starts blurring her reality with her dreams, dying her hair, changing her style, but also viewing some menacing apparitions which resemble Jack. When Sandie is killed in yet another of her dreams, Ellie decides to investigate further, eventually going to the police to report what's going on. 

Edgar Wright is one of the most interesting directors working these days, though I personally wasn't a fan of "Baby Driver", and "Last Night in Soho" itself, while being an interesting attempt at building a different style of thriller, it also fails to deliver something that is actually resonating. Most of the issues with the narrative stem from the fact that Ellie's sudden intrusion of those vivid dreams and that female character who also mysteriously pops up, is never quite clarified what their roles are and what is prompting them. Sandie initially suggests herself to be a self-assured and confident alter-ego for the shy and meek Ellie, but suddenly the narrative takes an inflection and becomes a murky murder investigation, and eventually something akin to "The Sixth Sense". This attempt at crafting this convoluted narrative with multiple threads and this crashing of the dream world and reality is hammered throughout the film constantly, so much so, that even who these characters actually are falls into the background. Ellie who is the center of the narrative, feels very much under-developed from where she starts, to where she finds herself by the end of the arc the film takes her on. Aside from the trauma of what happened in her childhood, and her close relationship with her grandmother, we never get to know much about her, or for that matter Sandie. And though not every film and every character has to have an arc, it's nonetheless interesting to understand motivations and journeys the characters go through (in this case Ellie becomes a vessel for those vivid dreams and that's it).  The film has all the ingredients to be an interesting one, but sadly the narrative and its structure never quite gel. The cast is uniformly great, and they try their best to keep everything interesting, including Dame Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp and the leads, Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy. The cinematography from Chung-hoon Chung is impeccable, as is the production design from Marcus Rowland and costumes from Odile Dicks-Mireaux. A missed opportunity from an interesting director. 

Night Teeth

Movie Name: Night Teeth
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Adam Randall
Starring: Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Debby Ryan, Lucy Fry, Raul Castillo, Alfie Allen, Marlene Forte, Ash Santos, Bryan Batt, Sydney Sweeney, Megan Fox, Jaren Mitchell, Nandy Martin, Robert Larriviere, CG Lewis, Dane Rhodes
Genre: Action, Crime
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

Another release from Netflix, this time around from director Adam Randall, with whom they've already worked previously, specifically on the film "iBoy". The film focuses its narrative on the young Benny, a college student who also has aspirations of being a DJ. He lives with his brother and grandmother, and finds himself strapped for money. He ends up asking his brother for a favor, and he in return after much deliberation, allows him to work as a chauffeur for the car service he is currently working for. Benny has to play the part of Jay, his brother. That evening he is hired by two young women, Blaire and Zoe, to drive them to several popular Los Angeles nightclubs. Turns out the girls are vampires and they've been tasked by Victor, an ambitious and power hungry vampire, in creating chaos in the city. This chaos is supposed to draw attention to them, while Victor eliminates other elder vampires in the area, who have thrived through the ages. Benny grows closer to Blaire, particularly after he saves her and Zoe from a tricky situation, however he soon realizes his brother Jay is part of a a human council who oversees the maintenance of peace between vampires and humans, and with all that's taking place, that balance is about to be destroyed.

The wave of films focused on vampires continues, as can be checked by the recent releases of this feature and even more  recently J.J. Perry's "Day Shift", alongside many others which continue to be released and are about to be released (Thomas Jane and Abigail Breslin star in the upcoming "Slayers", from director K. Asher Levin). In the case of "Night Teeth" the film tries to wear some of Michael Mann's "Collateral" aesthetic/stylistic influences on its sleeve (the way if breezes through the LA nightlife), however the script never allows for anything quite memorable to be registered. The very flat script barely provides much dimension on any of the characters that are showcased, with some of the glorified cameos from the more well known actors, such as Megan Fox and Sydney Sweeney, making little sense in the limited time they have available on screen (the same going for Bryan Batt, well known from Christopher Ashley's "Jeffrey" and the acclaimed show "Mad Men"). Alfie Allen, one of the revelations from "Game of Thrones", has very little to do as the main villain of the film (whatever motivation he has for doing what he's doing, is never entirely expanded upon), and while the film attempts to provide some representation for the latino community by making Jay and Benny the central heroes, they themselves are underdeveloped (more even so in Jay's case). It very much feels as a poorly executed direct to video release of the 90s, where ultimately everything is forgettable. Avoid.

Day Shift

Movie Name: Day Shift
Year of Release: 2022
Director: J. J. Perry
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Dave Franco, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Meagan Good, Karla Souza, Steve Howey, Scott Adkins, Oliver Masucci, Snoop Dogg, Eric Lange, Peter Stormare, Zion Broadnax
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 2
Watch it on Netflix

Synopsis and Review

"Day Shift" marks the directorial debut for J. J. Perry who has had an extensive and prestigious career as a Stunt Coordinator since the 90s, including contributions to such films as David O. Russell's "Three Kings", Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes" and more recently Ang Lee's "Gemini Man". "Day Shift" follows the story of Bud Jablonski, a pseudo pool cleaning man, who is in reality a vampire hunter and killer. His life suddenly shifts when his ex-wife tells him she's moving from California to Florida due to the high cost of living. Wanting to avoid that at all costs, Bud decides to try once again to get back to the vampire hunting union, which he is able to do with the endorsement of his friend, "Big" John, another vampire hunter. However a few conditions for his return include: working the day shift, and having Seth, an inexperienced union rep, tagging along with him. Seth is supposed to keep track of what he does, and make sure everything gets done as the union establishes it. They soon find themselves the target of a particularly powerful vampire, since without realizing Bud killed someone close to that head vampire. It will take all their resourcefulness to defeat this powerful creature.

The cadre of films Netflix is releasing on a continuous cadence, is comprised of features which are starting to look eerily similar, even if the directors are quite different, as are the cast and creative teams. These films feel very much like rushed action films, which in the 80s and 90s would be tagged under the label "straight to video". Netflix provides considerable funding and budget for these films, much like they did with Anthony and Joe Russo's forgettable (and expensive) "The Gray Man", however in the case of "Day Shift", even with the always engaging Jamie Foxx and more than able support from Dave Franco, what ultimately comes across is just how uninspired and rote these features actually are. The tropes of the loner central character who has burned all bridges in his life is nothing new, but in this case the hero is a rogue vampire killer. This particular enhancement could have really infused the feature with something particularly distinctive, alas it doesn't. The rebel hero has to adhere to the rules of a bureaucratic organization so he can keep his daughter and ex-wife in town and is partnered with a rookie partner. The opportunities to play with the tropes of the genre are evidently on display, and the cast is obviously talented to carry it through, sadly the screenplay never really expands much or capitalizes on different plot points, going for exhausted narrative ploys. Dave Franco tries his best with whatever little he has from a sketch of a character, the same going for Jamie Foxx, who seems to have just played a somewhat similar role in yet another Netflix film, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman's "Project Power". J.J. Perry manages to choreograph some violent and brutal fight scenes, however the characters motivations and dimension are non-existent, and the film ultimately renders itself as something generic and forgettable. 

They/Them

Movie Name: They/Them
Year of Release: 2022
Director: John Logan
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Anna Chlumsky, Carrie Preston, Theo Germaine, Quei Tann, Austin Crute, Anna Lore, Monique Kim, Cooper Koch, Darwin del Fabro, Hayley Griffith, Boone Platt, Mark Ashworth, Brooke Jaye Taylor
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 3
View Trailer

Synopsis and Review

Another Blumhouse Productions feature, this one comes courtesy of writer/director John Logan, the talented screenwriter who worked with Martin Scorsese on "The Aviator" and "Hugo", as well as Sam Mendes' "Skyfall" and more recently on his own show, "Penny Dreadful". The film follows the story of a group of teenagers who find themselves in a gay conversion camp in the middle of nowhere. The camp is run by Owen Whistler, with the assistance of a small crew which includes Dr. Cora Whistler (Owen's wife), Amy the activities director, Zane the athletics director (also a former convert from the camp itself), groundskeeper Balthazar and Molly, the camp counselor. While Owen initially tries to set everyone's fears at ease, as the days evolve, the activities become progressively more challenging and the camp's true nature and that of its staff, also presents itself. However as those activities start to occur, so does the emergence of a killer who starts attacking and killing individuals from the staff as well. Jordan one of the campers, who has had their fair share of personal challenges, takes a stand and ends up leading the group against a merciless killer.

Much has been written about the tone of "They/Them", and that indeed seems to be the issue with John Logan's directorial debut. While the film has a very ripe and interesting premise, namely a conversion camp where its sadistic owners finally get their comeuppance, the director can't really find a tone for the narrative, oscillating between wanting to create an homage to the "Friday the 13th" films, combined with a slasher/b-movie approach, but also with dashes of something more dramatic and serious. In a way, opting for a slasher/b-movie approach and aesthetic would have benefited the film greatly, since the cast is more than game for it, and Kevin Bacon is one of the central performances of the film (and "Friday..." is where he actually started his career). What we get in the end, is indeed an anemic take on the slasher film genre, where the end itself wraps the narrative all too neatly, and where none of the characters, including the killer, particularly standout. While the film starts strongly, by its final chapter, it fizzles and wraps itself up in somewhat of a made for TV kind of approach (happy endings). The cast is where the film shines, with Kevin Bacon, Carrie Preston, Anna Chlumsky and Theo Germaine, all managing to have fun with their thinly written characters, however every one else on the cast has very little to do. The production values are also somewhat limited, and reinforce the perspective that this film feels as a low budged made for TV endeavor. While John Logan is definitely a name to keep an eye out, this film is a poor showcase for his talents. 

The Black Phone

Movie Name: The Black Phone
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, E. Roger Mitchell, Troy Rudeseal, Miguel Cazarez Mora, Rebecca Clarke, J. Gaven Wilde, Brady Hepner, Tristan Pravong
Genre: Thriller, Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6
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Synopsis and Review

After his stint with Marvel and the successful "Doctor Strange", writer/director Scott Derrickson is back to his horror roots, with an adaptation of the short story by Joe Hill "The Black Phone". The narrative focuses on two siblings, who are living in the suburbs of Denver during the late 70s. Their neighborhood has been the focus of extra attention since quite a few children have gone missing, with the responsibilities for those events falling under the guise of an abductor, aptly named "The Grabber". Finney and Gwen live with their alcoholic and abusive father, since their mother has passed away. Finney is bullied frequently, but he has good support in Gwen and also Robin, who puts those same bullies in their place whenever he gets a chance to. Things start to dramatically change for them when The Grabber firstly takes Robin, and then takes Finney himself. Gwen who has psychic dreams, much like her mother, has been trying to help the police with additional clues, but is having some trouble getting a sense to where her brother is. Finney in the meantime wakes up in a basement, which has been sound proofed, with a disconnected phone on the wall, a mattress and a small bathroom. The phone however starts ringing, and when Finney picks up, he realizes it's the ghosts of the boys who have been killed, who want to have their comeuppance and also help him escape. 

One of the most interesting aspects to "The Black Phone" is how successfully Scott Derrickson manages to capture and define the paranoia and fear that existed in communities in the late 70s. With various serial killers being caught or on the prowl at that period in time, such as John Wayne Gacy, and the Hillside Stranglers, "The Black Phone" ties its narrative to that fear that most people had of predatory killers, something that this quiet suburb of Denver was not stranger to. The siblings at the core of the narrative are swiftly characterized, but the director still gives them enough nuance and distinctiveness to make them feel vividly compelling and not a standard cliché. When it comes to the supporting characters however, they're a bit underdeveloped, which is the case of the father, and even The Grabber himself. The film manages to maintain its watchability due to the compelling presence of its actors, and the fact that the narrative itself is a slow burner, that while never avoiding some horror elements, doesn't necessarily go for the gruesome or for gratuitous tricks. The cast is very effective in bringing these characters to life, with Ethan Hawke, James Ransone and Jeremy Davies batting for the more experienced adults, and Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw for the children, in the process ending owning the narrative in a decidedly compelling manner. The cinematography from Brett Jutkiewicz is solid, as is the score from Mark Korven. Worth watching.  

We Summon the Darkness

Movie Name: We Summon the Darkness
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Marc Meyers
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Keean Johnson, Maddie Hasson, Amy Forsyth, Logan Miller, Austin Swift, Johnny Knoxville, Allison McAtee, Tanner Beard
Genre: Horror
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 1
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

After making a splash with "My Friend Dahmer", director Marc Meyers returned in 2019 with two films, "We Summon the Darkness" being the first one which premiered in February of that year, followed by "Human Capital", which had its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival of that year (and of the two, has the glossiest cast, featuring Liev Schreiber, Marisa Tomei, Peter Sarsgaard, Alex Wolff, Maya Hawke amongst others). "We Summon the Darkness" takes place in the late 80s and follows the story of three girlfriends, Alex, Val and Bev, who are on their way to a heavy metal concert. While on the road, they get hit with a milkshake from a blue van who is passing them by. Turns out the people in the van are three boys who are also going to the concert. They quickly establish a rapport and Alex invites them to her father's empty mansion nearby. Once they're at the mansion, and in order to break the ice, they start playing a game of "Never Have I Ever". The girls drug the boys' drinks, tie them up and reveal that they're actually going to murder them and make it look like a Satanic cult killing. Turns out they're part of "The Daughters of the Dawn" church, who has murdered a bunch of people recently in order to create fear and send more people to their religion. Alex stabs one of the boys, but the other two manage to escape into the nearby pantry. While Alex and Val are figuring out to best kill them, Bev suddenly realizes the seriousness of the situation, and just wants out (not to mention she likes one of the boys, Mark). Alex's soon to be ex-stepmother shows up unexpectedly, complicating matters for the girls, as does the sheriff whom she has called when she saw lights on at the mansion. 

"We Summon the Darkness" has an interesting premise, leveraging the topic of religious paranoia to create a horror story, which sadly is rather anemic and not very horrific. All the characters that populate this narrative don't have much to them, aside from the basic outline that positions them in the narrative itself. The girls, or at least Alex and Val, are clearly invested in going through with the murders in order to be in good standing with Alex's father, the reverend, though it's never entirely clear why are they both that invested in doing such actions. The boys are even more thinly characterized, and their sole intent in the film is to be the victims and/or escape the predicament in which they find themselves in. It's a rather shallow premise for a film that could have benefited from a stronger directorial point of view, one that could leverage the whole religious paranoia/satanic hysteria/heavy metal topics into something more memorable and engaging. As it is, the film just adds some layers/challenges to the murders the girls are trying to accomplish, and there's not much more to it. The film lacks nuance, substance and stronger characters to make it impactful. The tone and environment created, are equally lackluster. The film ultimately lacks conviction in what is trying to convey. The overall cast is unmemorable, including Johnny Knoxville who doesn't get to do much. Ultimately it's just not a very interesting, memorable or particularly watchable film.