For It Is Man's Number: August 2025

Sunday, 31 August 2025

Netflix And Chill: Taxi (2004)

An American remake of an action comedy from the late 1990s, one written by no less than Luc Besson, Taxi has a good bit of talent behind the camera. Tim Story is the director, and the screenplay is from Robert Ben Garant, Jim Kouf, and Thomas Lennon. It's just a shame that Jimmy Fallon is one of the leads.

Queen Latifah is Isabelle 'Belle' Williams, a woman who is at the very start of her career as a taxi driver. She has spent years being a courier, and has even managed to get caught speeding while whizzing about on her bicycle. She's a very talented driver, and very quick. That's why she proves to be a useful asset when a police officer named Andrew Washburn (Fallon) jumps into the back of her cab and asks her to head to the site of a nearby bank robbery. Williams and Washburn end up working together on the case, although it's not made official. But it might take a speedy and slick taxi driver to catch a speedy and slick getaway driver.

Despite the work of the writers, there's nothing very witty or entertaining here, not outwith the stunt driving anyway. A large part of that is due to the screenplay just being a bit too thin, but I think the problem is almost equally down to having Fallon in the role of Washburn. While I can tolerate him in some of his TV spots, Fallon has never done enough in movies to fully win me over, which is a major hurdle when he's given a lead role.

Queen Latifah certainly tries her best to balance out the awfulness of Fallon though, and she's fantastic in her role (as she has been in many of the movies she has starred in). She cannot carry the whole film on her shoulders though, and that's what is being asked of her. Henry Simmons isn't too bad, playing her partner, and Ann-Margret has fun in her scenes, but Jennifer Esposito, Gisele Bündchen, and everyone else are just disappointing non-entities.

Similar to so many other American remakes of “foreign-language” originals, Taxi succeeds when it replicated the scenes that worked just as well in the original, but falters in the attempts to make everything more appealing to mainstream American audiences. You can watch this and not hate it. You’re unlikely to enjoy it as much as the first film though, as long as you can overcome the teeny tiny obstacle of subtitles.

This review may not have given you anything substantial to digest. Nor does the movie. I'm happy enough to have been critical without being too insulting. I'd encourage people to check out almost anything else directed by Tim Story, or indeed anything else starring Queen Latifah.

4/10

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Saturday, 30 August 2025

Shudder Saturday: Tourist Trap (1979)

Another week goes by, another movie watched by myself that I could have sworn I'd already watched years ago. Tourist Trap is quite a well-known horror movie, at least among horror movie fans who didn't just start their journey through the genre in the '90s or at the start of this century, and I always confused it with some other films I'd already seen (probably something like Just Before Dawn). Anyway, now I've finally seen it, and I'm glad.

The first feature from director David Schmoeller, who also co-wrote the thing with J. Larry Carroll, this is an enjoyably simple premise that uses the framework to deliver some impressive imagery and a feeling of spiralling madness. It may seem a bit crude and cheap to modern viewers, but there are still a handful of moments here that really impress.

Chuck Connors plays a man who encounters some holidaying youngsters in a place that is fairly isolated. There are large woods to wander around in, a lake to swim in for a whole, and the titular tourist trap, a roadside museum featuring a number of disturbing mannequins. It's not long until these young people start to get anxious about their predicament, and they start being picked off, one by one, even before you can say "the car engine won't start, dammit."

Aside from Connors, there's nobody truly memorable in the cast here. You have people like Jocelyn Jones, Jon Van Ness, Robin Sherwood, Tanya Roberts, and one or two others, enough to at least present a generous selection of potential victims. I wouldn't single anyone out as bad, nor would I single anyone out as a real highlight. Connors is fun as the standard old man who advises the younger people against too many shenanigans, but there's more of an impression made by one or two of the aforementioned mannequins.

Considering the relatively familiar and uninspired plotting, Tourist Trap excels thanks to some fantastic visuals throughout, helped by the cinematography of Nicholas Josef von Sternberg, as well as a score from Pino Donaggio accompanying the unfolding insanity. Lots of other people work behind the scenes to make this the best it can be, including Ted Nicolau editing and working in the sound department a few years before starting his own directorial career, and the end result is something that feels as surprisingly influential as it was itself influenced by a number of key horror movie classics.

It could have done with a few more suspects/red herrings, and maybe a few more scenes that showcased some onscreen bloodshed, but this remains a great little horror movie for those who will appreciate the atmosphere, creepy visuals, and general sense of characters being pushed further and further into a bottleneck of absolute insanity.

8/10

Friday, 29 August 2025

Eenie Meanie (2025)

Written and directed by Shawn Simmons, Eenie Meanie has the air of something given to someone finally allowed a shot at feature film-making after years spent helping to create entertainment for the small screen. A quick glance through the filmography of Simmons confirms that, yes, that's exactly what has happened. Simmons has his name on about 30 or 40 various TV show episodes, but this is his first major film credit. He helps himself immensely by getting Samara Weaving for the main role. Sadly, he spends a lot of the movie then working against himself.

Weaving plays Edie (nicknamed Eenie Meanie by some). Edie used to be the best getaway driver in the business, but she got out of that life. Unfortunately, her on/off boyfriend, John (Karl Glusman), didn't. He now owes Nico (Andy Garcia) a large debt, and Nico has a plan for John to repay that debt with a major score. It will need an excellent getaway driver though.

There's nothing new here. The super-skilled getaway driver has been done in a number of movies. The ex-criminal unable to go straight because they've been manipulated into one last job has been done in almost every other crime flick from the past hundred years. And daring heists that have people using skill and a bit of luck to defy impossible odds? Well, I'm sure you can name a few films with that main plot point. So the only real novelty here is having Weaving as the central figure, and it's her charisma and talent that make this more watchable than it otherwise would be.

Simmons makes the mistake of not really nailing down the tone, which doesn't help. Some moments are fun, some moments are thrilling, and some moments take viewers on a hard turn into a road called downbeat street. If these different strands flowed and blended well then Eenie Meanie could have been a pleasant surprise, but they do not. None of the fun moments reach their full potential as viewers are reminded of the high stakes, the same goes for the thrills (a couple of expected driving stunts aside), and the most downbeat moments feel as if they've been spliced in from another film entirely.

Weaving is great. When is she not? That's rhetorical. Don't answer, especially as I anxiously try to remember the many film appearances she has racked up that aren't deserving of her good work. Glusman is fine, although he has to struggle at portraying a character who feels quite irredeemable. He's a greedy and selfish idiot, and doesn't get any big moment to turn things around. Garcia delivers the goods in a few scenes that are real highlights, and the rest of the supporting cast members - including Steve Zahn, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Randall Park, Mike O'Malley, and Chris Bauer - are almost all wasted. Nobody is given enough time or character development, which is more annoying when it means more time spent in the company of Glusman's character.

There's a nice muscle car being put through its paces in the third act, the score is decent, and Weaving gets to carry the film. It's just a shame that there's nothing more to it, and it's a shame that I was thinking about twenty better movies I could have rewatched instead of giving this one 106 minutes of my time.

5/10

Thursday, 28 August 2025

Echo Valley (2025)

Although I have seen at least one other film directed by Michael Pearce, I couldn't say that his name was one that I would be keeping an eye out for. The same goes for writer Brad Ingelsby. But give me a cast that includes Julianne Moore, Sydney Sweeney, Domhnall Gleeson, and Fiona Shaw and I'm happy to give up some of my time. This is why I eventually got around to watching Echo Valley.

Moore plays Kate Garretson, a woman who has given up almost everything in her life as she has struggled to help her daughter, Claire (Sweeney). Claire is an addict. She has cost her mother a lot of money over the years, and perhaps even created a weight that led to divorce from Richard (Kyle MacLachlan). It's hard with loved ones who are addicts though, which is why Kate once again hopes for things to turn out for the best when Claire arrives on her doorstep again. She's had a row with her latest boyfriend, Ryan (Edmund Donovan), but has also inadvertently thrown away some expensive "stock" that belonged to the very dangerous Jackie Lawson (Gleeson).

While I wouldn't rush to recommend this to people, it's a worthwhile film that tries to balance two very different strands. One is an emotional, painful even, look at how much hurt can be inflicted by those ruled by addiction. The other is a straightforward and dark thriller, one that makes great use of Moore and Gleeson facing off against one another in a number of tense scenes. It's admirable that both Pearce and Ingelsby try to add a bit more substance to the standard thriller movie moments, but it's also obvious that the film works best in a third act that moves further into more standard and satisfying cinematic fare.

Moore is a great choice for the main role, delivering that combination of vulnerability and strength that she has shown in so many other roles. She's the one constant, trying to keep herself anchored as a few different characters do their best to untether her from a life that she has fought hard to create. Sweeney may not be doing her best work, but she's good at flipping between many different moods, depending on how good or bad she is feeling. Gleeson is decent when he gets to be properly menacing, although the script only gives him a couple of moments when he can show the real darkness of his soul. Although only onscreen for a couple of main sequences, Shaw makes a really strong and positive impression, playing the kind of good friend who will turn up and help deal with a crisis without asking too many questions.

It lacks a bit of impact, especially in a middle section that sets up a few plot points that don't all feel paid off by the time we get to the very end, but there's nothing here that I would single out as being bad. The performances all work, and the finale makes up for a lot of the minor flaws elsewhere. I was also happy that it was all wrapped up within 104 minutes, which felt like a nice change from the many movies that seem to need a minimum time commitment of two hours.

7/10

Wednesday, 27 August 2025

Prime Time: The Map That Leads To You (2025)

Although The Map That Leads To You is based on a novel by Joseph Monninger, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks. There are attractive leads, romance blossoming after an inauspicious start, and a secret that could make or break the potential future of the relationship. So, yeah, it's a "Nicholas Sparks movie" in all but name, essentially.

Madelyn Cline is Heather, a young woman on a holiday to Europe with her two friends (Connie, played by Sofia Wylie, and Amy, played by Madison Thompson) before she's due to head home, where she will start her career in the world of banking. She meets Jack (KJ Apa) on a train, and we know he'll become a main character because he's the kind of free spirit who climbs to the overhead luggage racks in order to try sleeping during this part of the journey. Connie ends up getting on with Raef (Orlando Norman), who is a friend of Jack, and it's not long until Heather is won over by Jack's charm.

Adapted into screenplay form by Vera Herbert and Les Bohem, two writers who have a decent bit of variety in their respective filmographies, this is very comfortable and predictable stuff. It's aimed squarely at those who want something romantic to watch, presents everything through a filter of glorious sunshine and idealism, and there are enough moments throughout to make you smile in between the manipulative moments that try to make you leak slightly from your eyes.

Cline and Apa are perfectly fine leads, with the latter having the benefit of playing the more fun and livelier of the two characters, and they're matched by Wylie, Thompson, and Norman, all defined by their youthfulness and looks ahead of any really deep characterisation. Josh Lucas has a couple of scenes, required to do nothing more than play the concerned father, and he's not bad either. The locations are the real star though, in specific terms and as a reminder of the beauty of a world that far too few people have the time to truly appreciate, with the exception of that one annual holiday when we often want nothing more than relaxation and some tanning time.

Director Lasse Hallström may not put any unique stamp on things, but he approaches the material with the skill and finesse that he has had throughout his lengthy film career. I would recommend at least half a dozen other movies from him ahead of this one, but none of them would necessarily hit the exact same sweet spot that this hits for those in the mood for glossy romance. Mind you, that's only because I would be unlikely to recommend either Dear John or Safe Haven (both based on, yep, novels by Nicholas Sparks) ahead of the likes of Chocolat, My Life As A Dog, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and a few others.

This wasn't made for me. The fact that I didn't hate it is more to do with how easygoing I am when I sit down to watch any movie. It was nice to watch with my partner though, considering the many times she has had to sit there and tolerate movies that were much more in my wheelhouse, and sometimes you just want something that can play out while you have snuggles, whether those snuggles are with a partner, with a pet, or with a tub of your favourite ice cream.

5/10

Tuesday, 26 August 2025

Eddington (2025)

It's very good to remember that films featuring immoral characters do not make the films themselves, or the film-makers, immoral. We can have stories featuring bad and unpleasant characters, and the best stories can use those characters to explore society and humanity in ways not always possible with bland, "good", heroes. I also have to note, however, that presenting those characters in a way that doesn't do enough with them, isn't good. And, as is the case here, it can sometimes feel quite irresponsible. I get exasperated enough with the news lately mistaking impartiality with equal screentime for opinions that are unequally-informed (or simply incorrect, which means giving equal time to truth and lies). Having to tolerate it for the duration of a 148-minute movie was not a great time for me.

It's 2020. A global pandemic is happening. In Eddington, New Mexico, this creates ongoing friction between a mayor (Ted Garcia, played by Pedro Pascal) who wants to abide by the rules and a sheriff (Joe Cross, played by Joaquin Phoenix) who believes that people should be allowed to maintain their personal freedoms. Everyone is forced to take a side on the issue, and tempers rise, especially when Cross decides to run against Garcia for the chance to be mayor.

There's plenty to laugh at here, and writer-director Ari Aster does enough to justify taking viewers back to the madness of 2020 in the first half of the film. Arguments about what is and isn't permissible, the rabbit holes that people went down when they had too much time on their hands and access to the global asylum that is the internet, and the clarification of the divide between the haves and the have-nots are just a few of the things that Aster explores well enough in the earliest scenes in the film. Sadly, Aster then throws more into the mix (including the ease with which people can try to win arguments by throwing out triggering words that stain others forever, but also looking at protest, counter-protests, false flag operations, agendas and agitation, and domestic terrorism) until it all boils over to create a huge mess that he cannot clean up by the time the end credits roll.

Phoenix is absolutely brilliant in the main role, as expected (considering his usual level of talent, as well as the fact that Aster seems to have placed a lot of faith in him for the two movies that have allowed them to collaborate). He's cowardly, smart enough to make him a dangerous idiot, and constantly pushing back against more powerful people without ever considering just how he is being manipulated by so many others. Pascal is also very good, although he isn't given enough to really sink his teeth into before the film moves beyond him to start reminding viewers of a bigger picture. Emma Stone feels wasted, as does Austin Butler, but there's a turn from Deirdre O'Connell that makes up for that disappointment. Others caught up in the madness are Luke Grimes, Micheal Ward, Matt Gomez Hidaka, Cameron Mann, Amélie Hoeferle, and William Belleau, and none of them drop the ball.

The one dropping the ball is Aster. What could have been an effective skewering of a situation that turned so many people into temporary lunatics (and I count myself in that demographic, considering there's a big reason why I have now been sober since May 2020) becomes sadly neutered and defanged with each subsequent story beat. Cinematically, there are moments that work when viewed out of context. But none of this should be viewed out of context. The context is key, and the context should have been the target that Aster kept in his sights for the duration. He doesn't. Which means that viewers can, metaphorically, examine the target once the movie has finished to see that it retains the marks of only one or two lucky strikes.

5/10

Monday, 25 August 2025

Mubi Monday: Toxic (2024)

The first feature film to be helmed by writer-director Saulė Bliuvaitė, Toxic also happens to be the second film this year to show me someone desperate enough to lose weight that they have given serious consideration to making use of a tapeworm. Although this is very different from that other film, especially with the lack of any genre tropes, it's surprising just how close it comes, proving how much of a horror it can be to simply get through life as a woman.

Everything revolves around Marija (Vesta Matulytė) and Kristina (Ieva Rupeikaitė), two girls who start off as enemies, but soon become friends. That friendship seems strange, and fragile, but it's grounded in their common struggle to do well at a local modelling school, as well as their attempt to navigate through some difficult years in life as boys and men keep sniffing around them like hungry dogs waiting to be fed.

There's something to be said for how deftly Bliuvaitė handled the content and tone of Toxic. This could have been so much worse, in terms of discomfort and nastiness, but things are presented in a way that keeps it watchable without ever letting viewers relax. The main characters face dangers from all different directions, including from one another, and Bliuvaitė easily shows that any respite is only ever temporary, which is a factor that helps to motivate these teens to go to more and more extreme lengths in order to facilitate a move far away from somewhere they don't want to be trapped. It's rare to find a completely safe space for women, both externally and internally, and Toxic illustrates this perfectly without wallowing in the kind of pain and abuse that would have made it a very different, and less effective, film.

Both Matulytė and Rupeikaitė are fantastic in the main roles, especially for two relative youngsters making their onscreen acting debuts. Nobody else threatens to steal any scenes or make a disproportionate impact on the narrative, which leaves everything fully resting on the performances of our leads, a task that they handle with ease and naturalism.

There are a number of similar films that I could recommend to people who end up appreciating Toxic, but the interesting thing is that none of them would feel exactly like this. Bliuvaitė takes us through a familiar world while making use of viewpoints that help to focus our vision on elements and threats that are there every single day for women just trying to make their way through life. There's no trickery used, just a slightly different perspective and the feeling of someone pointing out details that are often not noticed by people who aren't affected by them. I'm already keen to see what Bliuvaitė does next, and I highly recommend this to anyone who has the patience and empathy to appreciate it.

8/10

Sunday, 24 August 2025

Netflix And Chill: KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

If you're going to create an animated movie that also happens to make use of a current popular fad (and I know that is absolutely the wrong turn of phrase, I am just emphasising how the mainstream popularity of k-pop has really exploded in recent years) then you could do a hell of a lot worse than KPop Demon Hunters. I started to notice this when it was first released a couple of months ago, but I resisted the pull of it until my movie-centric FOMO seized hold of me.

Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) are the three members of Huntr/x, a hugely successful female K-pop group. They are the latest in a long line of singers who do more than just entertain the masses. Their voices and songs help to create, and maintain, a barrier between our world and a world of demons. Tired of constantly failing, the demons come up with a revolutionary plan to present their own K-pop band, one headed up by the handsome and charming Jinu (Ahn Hyo-seop).

Written by a handful of people, including co-directors Chris Appelhans and Maggie Kang, this is a stylish animation that has some fun action sequences, a lot of very enjoyable gags, and, well, a couple of songs in the soundtrack that are absolute pop-tastic bangers. Have I started playing these tunes on regular rotation in my home yet? No, but it's absolutely going to happen. It overdoes the standard gag of something being said before a hard cut to the exact opposite of what has just been stated, but it's otherwise a great mix of cute, cool, funny, and emotional. At least one main character has a secret they're withholding from others, which allows for the film to explore self-acceptance and trust, as well as teaching a lesson about not being defined by others who want to keep you as only one limited version of yourself.

Cho, Hong, and Yoo are fantastic in their main roles, Hyo-seop is equally good, and there's strong support from Ken Jeong and Lee Byung-hun, playing what could be referred to as two very different kinds of "handlers". Yunjin Kim and Daniel Dae Kim also join in with the fun. It's good to have these names on the credit list, but it's just a nice bonus tucked away beneath the great visuals and music.

Managing to cover an impressive range of emotion without over-complicating things, KPop Demon Hunters is guaranteed to entertain those in the target demographic, and some people who just enjoy a well-made bit of animation. I was going to specify that it would work best for younger viewers, but have to take into consideration how much I, as a middle-aged/old man, ended up loving it.

Even if you're wary, like I was, of dipping a toe into the K-pop waters, this is likely to win you over. It has memorable characters, a solid main narrative, and those catchy main tunes. I'm going to cave in now and listen to the soundtrack on Spotify, although I know that will lead to me eventually refusing recommendations when the algorithm tries to get me listening to the likes of BTS and BLACKPINK.

8/10

Saturday, 23 August 2025

Shudder Saturday: All The Gods In The Sky (2018)

Written and directed by someone who goes by the name of Quarxx, someone I can only assume has enjoyed a full and fruitful life after escaping the confines of the ZX Spectrum text-based sci-fi adventure game he used to be trapped in, All The Gods In The Sky is a dark and brooding drama that has great potential, but ultimately feels like a film with a much better film hidden away inside it.

Jean-Luc Couchard is Simon, a man who spends his life looking after his sister, Estelle (Melanie Gaydos). Estelle was very badly injured and disfigured in a childhood accident that involved a gun, and it's now up to Simon to ensure that she gets fed, medicated, and cleaned while staying in her bed. Other people come and go, including a young girl named Zoé (Zelie Rixhon), but Simon's world is essentially Estelle, and vice versa.

Dark and dour, All The Gods In The Sky is also unable to fully commit to how far into the abyss it wants to drag viewers. Quarxx has a good starting point, the main opening sequence is a hell of a way to grab your attention, but then almost meanders from one scene to the next, all the way to an ending that could only be more disappointing if it had been the rug-pull of everything turning out to be one big dream.

Couchard does very well in his role, being believably tortured and mentally strained in a way that has him reaching for even the weakest and thinnest of lifelines. Gaydos is stuck under a lot of make up, and the stillness of her character, but also does a great job. Rixhon brings some youthful energy to her scenes, but isn't used often enough.

I can envision multiple different ways to handle this material, from the unrelenting and brutal approach that Gaspar Noé might have brought to things to the more fantastical and stylised movie we could have got from someone like Panos Cosmatos. Quarxx positions himself somewhere between the two, and that doesn't allow the film to make any clear statement. There are times when this is an exploration of guilt and consequences, perhaps questioning the price to be paid for something that happened in childhood, but adding one block atop another throughout turns the whole thing into a confused and unbalanced movie equivalent of a Jenga tower about to topple over.

Disappointing, but not without one or two scenes that may well end up seared on to your memory, All The Gods In The Sky indicates that Quarxx may be someone who could yet serve up something truly astonishing. This just isn't it, but it should have been.

4/10

Friday, 22 August 2025

The Life Of Chuck (2025)

Based on a short story by Stephen King, The Life Of Chuck is adapted into screenplay form and directed by Mike Flanagan. For those expecting horror, however, you should be warned. As made clear by the marketing, this is actually one of the non-horror treats from King, and Flanagan has taken the opportunity to revel in an onscreen world full of optimism and, well, love.

Things work backwards, chronologically, but the main thing to know is that, as the title suggests, this is all about Charles 'Chuck' Franz (played at various points in his life by Cody Flanagan, Benjamin Pajak, Jacob Tremblay, and Tom Hiddleston). Chuck grew up with his grandparents (played by Mia Sara and Mark Hamill), likes dancing, and eventually gets used to the comforting idea that we each contain multitudes. We are the sum of everyone and everything we've ever experienced, even if it can seem as if we haven't done very much with our lives.

It's hard to hate The Life Of Chuck, and it could be argued that this is the kind of fantastical escapism that people need right now (considering the state of things here in 2025 . . . note to any time travellers reading this, SEND HELP). I was surprised to not really love it though. The first act leads up to an obvious enough reveal, even for those who haven't read the source material, and it was a mistake to try to play things off like a big mystery.

Narration from Nick Offerman helps a lot, and his voice is as wonderful as ever, but the rest of the cast is quite a mixed bag, aside from everyone playing Chuck (standouts being Pajak and Hiddleston). Chiwetel Ejiofor is wonderful as a teacher, Marty Anderson, but Karen Gillan isn't so good as his ex-wife, a nurse named Felicia Gordon. Mia Sara is lovely as the grandmother, Hamill overdoes things slightly as grandpa. Then you have many others who are just sorely underused, including Rahul Kohli, Matthew Lillard, and Annalise Basso. There's time for some superb drumming from The Pocket Queen AKA Taylor Gordon though, and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss is a winning presence to convincingly motivate our lead to keep enjoying his talent for dance.

One big set-piece at the halfway point is what you're ultimately left with here. The messaging of the movie is very good, but it's a fortune cookie homily that is somehow paradoxically given too much of the screentime and yet not enough of it. That one set-piece ties everything together so beautifully that it still works though, and thinking of that moment should make most viewers smile and appreciate the beauty and connections of life. It's just not quite enough. Reminding us that we contain multitudes should be done with much more of an emphasis on the multitudes. The Life Of Chuck tries to tell be grandiose and intimate at the same time, which leads to it feeling caught in between the two, and not being as successful in either approach as it could have been if Flanagan had figured out another way to present the material.

I enjoyed this while it was on. I would probably rewatch it. I didn't love it though, although it seems to have worked much better for a lot of other film fans. Maybe it will grow on me whenever I do end up giving it a rewatch.

6/10

Thursday, 21 August 2025

Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025)

We're at the stage now when a new Jurassic Park movie no longer inspires the awe and excitement it used to. That started when it became Jurassic World, but each subsequent instalment since the first movie has felt like diminishing returns as various directors have tried to recapture the magic of the original. I actually enjoyed Jurassic World Dominion, which many disliked, so I was someone especially miffed by the idea of them attempting to reboot the series yet again.

Anyway, let's cut to the chase. You don't need too many plot details. A group of people head to an island full of dinosaurs to collect some stuff. Things don't go well. There's also a family caught up in the dino crisis, and viewers will know that everything will lead to a finale that makes use of the biggest and baddest beasties around. All accompanied by a score from Alexandre Desplat that knows it needs to work with the familiar motif established by John Williams.

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Jurassic World: Rebirth is a strange mess of a film, unable to give us anyone to truly root for while also under-delivering on the expected dinosaur spectacle. Director Gareth Edwards does well behind the camera, quite rightly avoiding the coy approach to big monsters that he has used in previous movies, but he's saddled with a David Koepp script that doesn't quite do enough to fill out the 133-minute runtime. It doesn't help that the plot is perfunctory videogame stuff, with people having to collect samples of creatures from land, sea, and air, and one big set-piece completely works as well as intended . . . thanks to our old friend, the tyrannosaurus rex.

Johansson seems to go through the motions with minimal effort, Friend is quite shiny and smug, and Bailey tries to exude charm throughout, but it's only Ali who feels like an actual star happy to have fun in a silly blockbuster. Which makes it a great shame that he feels relatively underused. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is locked in to his "concerned father" role, with nothing else to define him, and Luna Blaise, David Iacono, and Audrina Miranda do okay with what they're given, even if they're not given the greatest material to work with.

I guess it's difficult, at this stage, to deliver something truly unique and fresh in the Jurassic movies. So maybe they should stop making them. If I'm feeling generous, I'll give credit to two exciting sequences here, both set on water. Again, as mentioned earlier, that's not enough for something with this runtime. Maybe newcomers will get more from it, but they would still get even more from first checking out the earlier films in the franchise.

5/10

Wednesday, 20 August 2025

Prime Time: The Strangers: Chapter 1 (2024)

Another expansion of a horror property that nobody seemed to be crying out for, The Strangers: Chapter 1 is the first of a new trilogy in this series. All three were apparently filmed at the same time, and the series is now in the hands of Renny Harlin, who remains a shadow of his former self, in terms of his directing talent.

Maya (Madelaine Petsch) and Ryan (Froy Gutierrez) are travelling across the country when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. There's a small town, which means they're able to leave their car to get repaired and rent an isolated cabin for the night. That's when the strangers start paying attention to them. Everything starts with a knock on the door, and it soon escalates to a full campaign of terror and death.

While this is written by Alan R. Cohen and Alan Freedland, a duo who don't exactly have any major highlights in their careers, it's probably justified to give most of the credit to Bryan Bertino, creator of the original film in the series. The best bits here are the bits that replicate moments from the original movie. The rest is a whole lot of nothing, so insubstantial and weak that I am already struggling to fill out this review. Bad decisions abound, of course, and there's no attempt to make things logical or realistic (e.g. the moment a getaway in a car is foiled, subsequently showing our leads completely ignoring another vehicle that could be used). Some jump scares work, and there's an enjoyable creepiness inherent in the scenes that have our leads being unaware of characters wandering around behind them, but that's very basic stuff that almost anyone could get right.

Harlin has misplaced faith in the material, not ever thinking of ways to further liven things up or bring in enough supporting characters to multiply the opportunities for mayhem and murder, and there's absolutely nothing here that has me looking forward to the next two instalments.

Petsch and Gutierrez are both good enough in the lead roles, and both work hard to keep this watchable while working with a screenplay that doesn't treat them very well. It's a thankless task, but one they handle as well as possible. The mask-wearing strangers are portrayed well, but those performances consist mainly of head-tilts and acting unhurried when the situation is fraught with danger.

I can only think of one or two people who seemed pleased when this trilogy of films was first announced. They'll probably be happy enough with this. Personally, I don't see why you would choose to watch this when the first two films do much better work with the premise.

4/10

Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Together (2025)

This debut feature of writer-director Michael Shanks is a decent concept that unfortunately doesn't go in any of the really interesting directions it could. It benefits from real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie in the lead roles, but the 102-minute runtime should have allowed for something more focused and interesting.

Tim (Franco) and Millie (Brie) seem to be in a bit of a stale place in their relationship, which means things get a bit strained when they move to the country. Millie has a teaching job lined up, but Tim has no such vocation. He tries to make music, but gigging with friends will be a bit trickier when he needs to rely on Millie for a lift to the train station. After a wander in the countryside around their home, Tim and Millie end up drinking some water from a pool that starts bringing about a strange transformation in them. They cannot be separate from one another for too long, and their bodies want to intertwine and fuse together.

Things start well here, presenting us with a couple of people who are denying the fact that they seem to have moved far away from the closeness they may once have had. There are also moments that impress when it comes to the body horror of the central concept. Ironically, Shanks doesn't weave the elements together well enough, especially when it comes to a finale that is as neutered as it is unsatisfying. There was so much more that could have been done here, even adding a third party to the central problem would have massively improved things, but it seems that I am in the minority for considering this a bit of a disappointment.

It's not actually bad, and both Brie and Franco deserve kudos for committing to the idea and the physicality of their performances, but it's simply not great, despite going to some places you wouldn't expect for something with these leads. It's not just a two-hander though, no pun intended, and Damon Herriman is very good in his supporting role. Mia Morrissey also appears for a couple of scenes, although the most impressive secondary characters are hidden away under some very impressive makeup.

Shanks does fine with his direction. It's unfortunate that the film feels stuck in some kind of limbo, for the most part. Interesting insights are hinted at, but then nothing is pursued. There isn't enough real horror, but the effects and shocks are effective when they happen. I've seen high praise for it from many other film fans though, which makes me think that it's been pitched just right to open it up to a wider audience than it otherwise would have reached. I wish there'd been a bit more depth to it, and I doubt I'll ever be in a mood to rewatch it, so I'll be interested to see how it's viewed when a bit more time has passed.

6/10

Monday, 18 August 2025

Mubi Monday: Beating Hearts (2024)

Based on a 1997 novel by Irish writer Neville Thompson, "Jackie Loves Johnser OK?", Beating Hearts is a very traditional tale of two potential lovers heading on two very different paths through life. It's so traditional that I was surprised to see so many names credited in the writing department, including director Gilles Lellouche, but maybe that was due to people helping refine the material and ensure it would all translate well enough to France, where it's set.

Things revolve around the pairing of Jackie (young version played by Mallory Wanecque, older version played by Adéle Exarchopoulos) and Clotaire (young version played by Malik Frikah, older version played by François Civil). Jackie is headstrong and smart, but generally also keeping out of trouble as she figures out what she wants to do with her life. Clotaire spends his time involved in petty crime with his friends, and things escalate to more serious robberies, resulting in a death that he is arrested and imprisoned for (despite not being the one responsible). The passing of time doesn't dull the strength of feeling that Jackie and Clotaire have for one another, but it seems that circumstances are conspiring to keep them apart.

There are French crime thrillers that are better than this, and grittier. There are many love stories out there without the violence that this has. You have plenty to choose from. But Beating Hearts is highly watchable thanks to the style (it all looks great, and there's a vibrant soundtrack that even makes use of some John Carpenter tracks from the Escape From New York score), the structure, and the performances of the leads, both young and old. Lellouche does well with the material, but they give themselves a major boost by casting so well.

I've said recently that Exarchopoulos is one of those people I will watch in anything. That hasn't changed. She's as riveting here as she usually is, and there's a nice consistency as her performance follows on from the great turn from Wanecque. On the other hand, Civil, while he does well, has to be more sombre and worn down than the past version of himself, so charmingly portrayed by Frikah. Every one of the four leads manages to sketch an entire idea of their life lived up to that point, and the bond between Jackie and Clotaire becomes the one defining constant. Vincent Lacoste is fine as Jeffrey, a man who also ends up lovestruck by Jackie, and who benefits from being present when Clotaire cannot, and Alain Chabat is solid as Jackie's considerate and loving father.

Despite some predictability, Beating Hearts somehow manages to be both expected and unexpected. It has the occasional bursts of violence, it has the character who is only truly seen by a loved one, and there are certain debts to be paid. It also has a surprising sweetness through a number of scenes, and a genuine sense of how romance and love language can be very different for some, but no less genuine or serious. The hefty 166-minute runtime doesn't drag, and it actually feels right to give these characters the time and space to get to where we want them to go. I highly recommend this one, even if you think it's something we've already seen a hundred times over in the past few decades.

8/10

Sunday, 17 August 2025

Netflix And Chill: The Iron Claw (2023)

Two things have happened as wrestling has grown in popularity over the decades. One, more and more people have been available to point out how obviously fake it all is, especially when it comes to ongoing storylines and twists and turns on the road to crowning champions for different events. Two, more and more people have been available to point out that it takes a hell of a lot of physical skill and strength to sell that fakery. Real injuries happen all of the time, some of them a lot worse than others, and career wrestlers know just how much blood, sweat, and tears they have left in the ring after years of fighting to entertain hungry crowds. Sometimes it's just enough. Sometimes it's far too much.

The Iron Claw is a tale of wrestling, in a way. It's a look at the Von Erichs, a family who seemed to be cursed, and shows how the male members of that family were worn down over the years by the physical toll of their lifestyles, the pressures put upon them, and sometimes just one bad decision leading to the worst possible outcome. There's pain throughout almost every scene, and the moments that are pain-free feel threatened by some as-yet-unseen train hurtling down the tracks to crash and upend multiple lives.

The third feature from writer-director Sean Durkin, The Iron Claw may seem like it's only for a niche audience, but it actually works well for anyone who has felt that pressure to do something that they didn't always love. That pressure may come from parents, as it so often does, or it may come from siblings. It could come from a loving partner, it could come from those trying to influence your career decisions to deliver a desired outcome. And sometimes, even with those other voices silenced, it comes from within. While The Iron Claw IS about wrestling, it's equally about that internal voice, and the struggle to deal with it.

Holt McCallany does a very good job as the patriarch, a man who thinks he knows what is best for his sons and maintains constant pressure on them to try and be the best they can be. He's a human steamroller, but remains loved by his children long after the damage he has caused finally starts to become clear. The film rests on the broad and muscular shoulders of Zac Efron though, who is put on display in his very first scene in a way that displays his incredible transformation into some kind of man-mountain. Efron can act, of course, but his commitment to embodying Kevin Von Erich here leads to what is arguably his best ever dramatic performance. Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons are the three other main Von Erich boys shown onscreen, with all of them doing well enough to share the screen with McCallany and/or Efron, and both Maura Tierney and Lily James do their best as the main women orbiting a small planet of dense musculature and toxic masculinity.

Like many a film based on real life events, some truths have been omitted and some of the timeline has been moved around, but that doesn't stop this from being very effective and informative, much like the best documentaries. I think those already familiar with the story will find a lot to appreciate here, even if they pick up on certain errors or scenes that they feel don't quite represent things with 100% accuracy, and those who know much less about the wrestling world, like myself, will be moved by it, and maybe interested in diving a little deeper into the true story.

Don't put this on when you're not prepared for it, mentally. It's a rough, draining, experience, and runs for just over two hours. But do steel your resolve to tackle it one day. It's a majorly impressive work, thanks to Durkin making a number of smart choices and a cast who go as far as they can to present their characters with authenticity, in both their bodies and their souls.

8/10

Saturday, 16 August 2025

Shudder Saturday: Pelican Blood (2020)

I have a number of actors I will always watch in anything, but sometimes I forget about them until I am scrolling for my next watch and see their name attached to something. It's easier for me to keep up with the films of mainstream stars from the USA and UK, which is obviously just confirming the bias I tend to have, but if a film stars Adèle Exarchopoulos, for example, then I want to get around to it. The same goes for Nina Hoss, so often used brilliantly by the talented writer-director Christian Petzold. I knew nothing about Pelican Blood before I pressed play, aside from the fact that it starred Nina Hoss.

Hoss plays Wiebke, a woman who spends her time training horses for the police and looking after her adopted daughter, Nikolina (Adelia-Constance Ocleppo). She seems quite content, but also wants to help another child. That leads to her adopting a 5-year-old named Raya (Katerina Lipovska). Raya comes with a lot of issues though, none of which are apparent from the first encounter with her. Can Wiebke make things work while maintaining a balance between her family time and work commitments? Is the problem with Raya something more sinister and powerful than the kind a caring parental figure can deal with?

The second feature to be both written and directed by Katrin Gebbe, this proves two things. I am right to keep watching anything that has Nina Hoss in a main role, and I should remember to check out the debut feature from Gebbe. While this is far from perfect, particularly in a second half that seems to lose confidence when a steady hand is required to take it in one direction or another, it's a unique and dark drama that plays around with "The Bad Seed" concept in a manner that is, for the most part, grounded and appropriately perplexing.

Hoss is fantastic in a lead role that gives her a lot of difficult interactions with the people around her, whether they're children or the few adults moving in and out of the main narrative. She may have more patience than many viewers (and certainly has a lot more patience than myself), but her performance has a hint of desperation and strong will running through it that makes it easier to believe how far she will go as she tries to connect with a child who seems destined to be abandoned. Lipovska is scarily intense as that child, although it's hard to see how much she acts out of spite and how much she acts out of lacking the guidance and context others have had in their lives. Ocleppo has a lot less to do, but she does enough to show how much she is impacted by the ongoing situation. There are a few other characters, but the main one to mention is Benedikt, played by Murathan Muslu in a way that positions him as being a really good mix of being both strong and open-hearted for the right person, and Wiebke could be the right person.

Gebbe has a good instinct for what to show and what to leave just out of frame, and she's happy to leave some questions unanswered, but she's helped by cinematographer Moritz Schultheiß, editor Heike Gnida, and everyone else collaborating on the look and feel of something that can then stay completely focused on the strange battle of wills taking place between a parent and child. There's no guarantee that you will come away from Pelican Blood satisfied, but it has enough interesting ideas in the mix to make it worth your time . . . especially if you've ever had experience with a child during some tantrum-filled pre-school years.

7/10

Friday, 15 August 2025

Freakier Friday (2025)

I've seen most of the other incarnations of the bodyswap premise in recent cinema (although I am overdue a rewatch of many of them). In the 1980s alone I was often enjoying a steady rotation of VHS favourites that included Freaky Friday (1976), Like Father Like Son (1987), Vice Versa (1988), and 18 Again! (1988). There were also the films that provided a slight variation on that main theme, whether that's Big (1988), All Of Me (1984), or, ummmmm, Dream A Little Dream (1989). The fun and anarchy of the idea has ensured that it regains popularity with film-makers every now and again. While not the earliest example, the fact that Vice Versa started off as a novel published in 1882, and a successful play starting a run just a year later, shows how enduring the concept is. I could list so many other films from recent years that worked with the central idea, some great and some not so great, but it's only necessary to consider the success of the 2003 Freaky Friday, the film that allowed Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis to have fun in the lead roles.

Which brings us to Freakier Friday. Curtis and Lohan are mother and daughter once again. They are Tess and Anna Coleman, respectively. Anna has her own teen daughter by now, Harper (Julia Butters). Harper ends up in an ongoing rivalry with a young British girl at her school named Lily (Sophia Hammons), which leads to Anna having to head in one day for a meeting with the Principal (played by X Mayo) and Lily's father, Eric (Manny Jacinto). Much to the dismay of Harper and Lily, Anna and Eric fall in love, eventually planning to marry. Tensions start to rise, which is when another bodyswap situation is created. Harper ends up in the body of Anna, Lily ends up in the body of Tess, and vice versa. There's detention to be navigated, a job that revolves around planning a concert for a big pop star, a distracting game of pickleball, and numerous other complications.

Written by Jordan Weiss, who had Elyse Hollander to help come up with the story, this is a rare feature directorial gig for Nisha Ganatra, who has been doing very good work on a number of different TV shows over the past decade or so. Maybe this will lead to Ganatra doing more features, but it's hard to say when so much of the joy comes from the cast appearing to have so much fun.

Alongside Lohan and Curtis, you get time for Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray to return, and there's even room for Pink Slip before the end credits roll (which have some very entertaining bloopers to guarantee you leave with a smile on your face). Despite the years that have passed since the previous film, everyone slips nice and easily into their old roles, and it's a major bonus that both Butters and Hammons are so good in their main roles. Jacinto doesn't have as much fun, but his job is to be earnest and increasingly bemused, while looking very handsome, and he does very well with that.

The main problem this film has is that it feels more like a Disney Channel product than a proper movie at times. You get the constant bright colours throughout every scene, you get a very lively score and soundtrack selection, and the first act may have you feeling, as I did, that you might have been better off just waiting until it arrived on Disney's own streaming service. Things do improve though, in how it adds some rough edges and complexity to the situation and how things are presented on the way to a predictable and satisfying finale.

This is definitely going to please fans of the 2003 movie that it follows, but it also does a really good job of being updated and fresh enough for newcomers who may well find themselves with a new favourite bit of family entertainment. While I am not sure if I'll enjoy it as much on a rewatch, I am quite sure that I WILL rewatch it before I go back to any of the films that sequelize or remake Mean Girls.

7/10

Thursday, 14 August 2025

Materialists (2025)

The second feature film both written and directed by Celine Song, I was a bit worried when I saw the advertising materials for Materialists, suspecting it may just be a repeat of her previous film, Past Lives (which I still count as her debut, despite the fact that she is credited with "The Seagull On The Sims 4", a presentation of the Chekov play on The Sims 4 via Twitch). Anyway, Materialists looked as if it was something that might leave me a bit disappointed. Then I started to see it was being labelled as a rom-com, which didn't really make sense alongside what I got from the trailer.

Materialists is not a rom-com, nor is it a simple retread from Song. It's something a bit trickier than that, and ultimately a bit less satisfying. There's some comedy to be mined from the exploration of the modern dating scene, and the reduction of people to commodities, but it's slightly messy and a bit too cynical throughout to earn some of the optimism that is allowed to come through in later scenes.

Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a woman who works for a matchmaking website. She sometimes sees people in the street and approaches them with her marketing pitch. This is when I first started to worry. Look, I have no idea how the lives of rich and attractive New York City residents work, but the bespoke matchmaking service that we're shown here feels like an unsustainable business model. Anyway, Lucy meets the handsome and charming Harry (Pedro Pascal) at a wedding, where she also reconnects with an ex-partner (John, played by Chris Evans). John seems quite lovely, but has always been relatively poor. Harry is super-rich, and wants a chance to date Lucy, even as she tries to convince him that her employer could help him reach many other potential partners.

I know what you're thinking. This IS Past Lives all over again. A woman torn between a lovely current partner and complicated feelings attached to an ex. Song isn't really interested in that though, although moments are shown that highlight who Lucy reaches out to when times get very tough. This is all about the unfair expectations that people put on one another when they enter the world of dating. It's about how often people put the physical and material side of things ahead of everything else, often leading to them missing out on the chance to really connect with someone who is perfect for them. You shouldn't seek out just another version of your projected ambition, nor should you look for someone too similar to yourself. Love grows out of differences just as much as it grows from shared interests and values. This would seem to be the point that Song is making, but it's not actually clear. What we get is a serious lack of actual romance, although one or two sweet moments will make people smile, and a real feeling of whiplash when the storyline crashes into a main plot point revolving around a horrible case of assault.

Johnson continues to do well in movies that aren't tied to any Spider-verse, and she's a very good fit for this role, quick to roll her eyes and tell people the truth underlying their hopes and fears. Pascal has the tougher of the three lead roles, but does well, although he's involved in one particular moment that I am still trying to figure out if it was intended to be slightly absurdly comedic or not. Evans has the much easier job of being sweet and charming in a way that comes very naturally to him onscreen. Zoe Winters fares better when the script gives her something more to chew on in the second half, and Marin Ireland is just fine as Violet, the regional boss of the matchmaking service.

It's hard to strongly dislike this. Everything looks nice enough, and there are a lot of decent lines from characters commenting on the various pitfalls of dating in the modern age. It just ultimately doesn't come together into something really pointed or meaningful. Song seems to have had an idea that she wasn't able to shape into a full final form, but she gave it a try anyway, possibly spurred on by her recent success and her ability to put together three main performers who fit so well in their roles. I didn't mind it while it was on, but I doubt I will ever rewatch it. I'd much prefer to rewatch Past Lives. In fact, maybe one day I'll dig around the dark recesses of the internet to see if there's any way to check out "The Seagull On Sims 4".

6/10

Wednesday, 13 August 2025

Prime Time: The Pickup (2025)

There have been many movies made that show people trying to rob an armored truck full of cash. Some are very good, some are not. The Pickup makes use of the concept to give us a crime comedy that partners up Eddie Murphy and Pete Davidson. I enjoyed it, but I tend to like Pete Davidson in most things anyway.

Murphy plays Russell Pierce, a man who just wants his workday done so that he can get to a dinner with his wife (Natalie, played by Eva Longoria) as they celebrate 25 years of marriage. Unfortunately, Pierce is saddled with the young and dumb Travis Stolly (Pete Davidson). Even more unfortunately, the armored truck that they're driving is targeted by robbers who seem to know what part of their route takes them through a dead zone that renders them isolated and helpless. Pierce and Stolly won't give up without a fight though, especially when they figure that the robbers will kill them when they get inside the truck anyway. Oh, there's also a woman named Zoe (Keke Palmer), someone Stolly had a very nice night with recently. She might be able to help our leads, but the whole situation is complicated by a lack of clearly-defined morality and some unexpected and messy emotions.

While I know director Tim Story better than I know writers Kevin Burrows and Matt Mider, I wouldn't say that I would rush to see any film just because his name was attached to it. This was a film that I was sold on by the cast, but I have to give it to Story, Burrows, and Mider for playing to the strengths of their cast in a way that makes it a lot easier to accept the predictable plotting and implausibilities while being amused by the many fun exchanges between the leads.

Davidson does his goofy thing well enough, but his nervous energy works very well opposite a more relaxed and mature Murphy, who still gets a chance to utter one or two sentences that feel like the kind of thing you would hear from him during his peak movie years. Palmer remains a consistently brilliant and valuable addition to any film she graces with her presence, and there's a palpable feeling here of her loving every minute that she gets to interact with her comedic male co-stars, but particularly when she gets to be alongside Murphy (who, despite the many bumps in his career, remains a certified legend). Longoria does well in her much smaller role, Andrew Dice Clay is a horrible boss who you know cares much more about his trucks than any of his employees, and Marshawn Lynch makes a strong impression in his couple of scenes. Jack Kesy and Ismael Cruz Cordova are a convincing threat as two dangerous robbers, but they're also shown to have a main weakness when they consistently underestimate the people they're trying to rob.

Solid entertainment from start to finish, this has enough laughs and a few decent action beats. The laughs are executed better than the stunts, but the two are blended just about to perfection. You can take points off if you dislike any of the leads. Everyone else can go to this as an easy viewing choice when looking for some new comedy. The fact that the runtime is only 94 minutes is also a plus. It might just be the little pickup that you need.

7/10

Tuesday, 12 August 2025

Weapons (2025)

If you somehow went along to see Weapons without realising that it was written and directed by the man behind Barbarian then it wouldn't take you too long to figure it out. There may be less dark humour throughout (it's definitely there though), but it makes use of some horror elements to comment on some societal issues, it has moments of sudden and unpleasant violence, events are shown in main chapters that jump between timestamps and characters, revealing a bit extra with each subsequent section, and there's fantastic tense atmosphere that you could cut with a knife. Not that Zach Cregger is the only person capable of making films with these ingredients, but there are certainly touchstones here that show him using some familiar tricks as he tries to present audiences with something arguably more unusual and unsettling than his last film.

As infuriating as it might seem to those trying to decide on whether or not they want to watch Weapons, it's a film that shouldn't be described in anything but the vaguest terms. Things begin with almost an entire classroom of children leaving their homes at two seventeen in the morning, and none of the parents have any idea where they went. Alex (Cary Christopher) is the one child left behind. Justine (Julia Garner) is the teacher who starts to be viewed with suspicion by the worried parents. Archer (Josh Brolin) is one of those worried parents. Other people who end up involved in the main narrative are a police officer named Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a petty thief/drug addict named James (Austin Abrams), and a visiting relative named Gladys (Amy Madigan).

Where Cregger excels here is not only in his use of the main concept to work as an analogy for an ongoing problem that has affected modern day life in the USA for a few decades now, but also in the way that viewers can put their own interpretative spin on things. Whether you are sympathetic to the general state of parents who find their children suddenly absent, moved by those who seek to point a finger of blame at anyone, because an easy answer is better than no answer, or afraid of the kind of events that have previously left classrooms as distressingly empty spaces in the real world, Weapons provides a lot of food for thought. But it also provides some great atmosphere, very effective jump scares, and a surprising selection of familiar horror movie moments that feel a bit fresh and unique because of the way they are dressed up.

While the cast all do good work, and I really couldn't fault any one of the main performers named up above (also worth mentioning are Benedict Wong, Whitmer Thomas, Callie Schuttera, and the narration from Scarlett Sher), this is a film that works as well as it does thanks to the care and skill of Cregger and his behind-the-camera collaborators. The score works brilliantly, the cinematography from Larkin Seiple remains gorgeous and keeps everything visible even in the darkest of scenes, and the constant mix of creepiness and shock is handled expertly by everyone involved.

I was worried that this wouldn't live up to the hype, because that has certainly been building since the advertising campaign ramped up a little while ago, but it absolutely does. People will have different moments they may find a bit less satisfying, and some will start to amplify their negative opinion if they want to push back against the majority who seem to love it, but I am struggling to find any fault with it. The runtime could have been trimmed down slightly, but I can't even think of where I would want some time shaved off. Okay, maybe I would have preferred some other kind of explanation for what is ultimately revealed during the finale, but it's easy for me to sit here and say that without thinking of anything that would have been better. Those are very minor things something stopping me from rating this as an absolutely perfect film. It comes damn close though.

9/10

Monday, 11 August 2025

Mubi Monday: Harvest (2024)

While this is titled Harvest, it could have just as easily been titled Ye Reap What Ye Sow. And I think that may tell you all you need to know about this dark drama.

Caleb Landry Jones plays Walter Thirsk, a member of a small community living under the rule of Master Kent (Harry Melling). The members of the community tend to generally keep themselves in the good graces of Master Kent, outsiders and transgressors are dealt with swiftly, and fairly, and there's a sense of finely-balanced harmony. Change is on the horizon though, which will come in the shape of Master Jordan (Frank Dillane).

Based on a book by Jim Crace, and I suspect it may work far better in book form than on the screen, this has been turned into a screenplay by Joslyn Barnes and director Athina Rachel Tsangari. Details are kept vague (there doesn't seem to be too many obvious markers for the time and location), but plenty of time is given to various interactions that show the changing state of the community, especially when it becomes clear that the place will not be a safe haven for everyone for much longer. It's interesting and thought-provoking enough, but ultimately undone by an excessive 133-minute runtime. I understand that this is a movie wanting people to hear the breathing of characters, to feel the mud and the sweat, to etsablish that symbiotic relationship between the workers and the land, but that can be done in a more bearable runtime.

Jones does well in the main role, and also does well with a Scottish accent. He's very ably supported by Melling, Dillane, and the likes of Rosy McEwen, Thalissa Teizeira, and Arinzé Kene (the latter two involved in the most memorable scene in the film). The cast are all very much up to the task assigned to them. It's just a shame that the task isn't better. Nobody feels pushed too far, and there are darker elements far too often hinted at without being overtly confirmed.

Maybe the fault doesn't lie with the film itself though. Maybe it's my own displeasure with the quickening regression and growing wealth disparity I am seeing every day. Harvest is a reminder that the attitudes we can observe now (the misjudged belief that someone having money automatically makes them better, the ways in which people fail to believe in their own power as they do their utmost to serve others for the sake of small breadcrumbs shaken off fine tablecloths) are attitudes that have been ingrained in large sections of the population because of historical injustices and unfair abuses of power.

I wanted to like Harvest, but I was probably hoping for something that didn't so closely parallel the here and now. That's on me. The film being overlong and not daring enough, however, is on Tsangari. It's a step back from her last film, the very good Chevalier, but she's still very much someone worth taking a chance on whenever she puts something out there.

6/10