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< Back Are horror movies and thrillers one and the same or completely different? Distinguishing Two of Cinema's Most Popular Genres Chris Chaisson 11/23/24 Reading Time: 10 minutes 📸: Used with Permission, Sarah Sumeray https://www.sarahsumerayonline.com/art I recently saw the new Hugh Grant-led A24 movie Heretic in theaters. Before I went, I listened to a podcast that described the movie as “more of a thriller than a horror movie.” Ouch. While the podcast critics gave it a glowing review, this phrase sounded more like a back-handed compliment. Presuming Heretic was going for horror, calling it “more of a thriller” is effectively saying it was not scary. If you’re a standup comedian, you don’t really want to hear your performance referred to as “more of a one-man show” (aka not funny). Sure, it’s a sliding scale; thrillers can be scary and one-man shows can be funny. However, receiving a different label than the one you were going for can sting more than someone just calling it garbage. I came away from Heretic disagreeing with the podcasters, as I found the movie sufficiently scary. The idea of being held captive, and forced to answer questions about my religion from a potentially violent stranger felt far more frightening than thrilling. My guess is that to most moviegoers, frightening and thrilling are just semantics, but if there is a difference between horror and thriller, then what are the parameters? Surprise or Suspense? I asked my friends how they differentiate the horror and thriller genres and their first answer was what most people go to horror movies for: jump scares. The perfectly timed switch in camera angle and blaring horn note can get the audience to white-knuckle grip their armrests. They may induce a scream, a head turn, a semi-curl into the fetal position, or a literal jump. Usually, it’s when the killer sneaks up behind their prey off screen, but an increasingly common jump scare is a person being flattened by a speeding vehicle that none of us saw coming (looking at you, Smile 2 ). If blood, gore and violence make no difference to you, a filmmaker can get quite creative with jump scares. The Final Destination franchise frequently utilized this tactic, as they spared no expense with gruesome onscreen deaths. Thrillers do not necessarily catch us by surprise as much as keep us in suspense amidst various chase scenes, gunfights and hand-to-hand combat. They do not lull you into a false sense of safety for an effective scare; they simply show your hero or heroine hanging from the edge of a proverbial cliff for 10 or 15 minutes at a time. I would boil the difference down to the known versus the unknown. Jason Bourne wasn’t getting haunted or terrorized by a headless horseman or hockey mask aficionado; he was being punched in the face and thrown through windows by government spies. With thrillers, we know who the protagonists are; with horror, we often don’t. The Thriller We Know; The Horror We Don’t Horror movies tend to have a supernatural element to both the universe and the villains themselves. Ghosts, demons, clowns, or just some really weird people. Hugh Grant’s character is not someone you would find on a Magic the Gathering card, but he is strange enough and persistent. Moreover, he lives in an estate on a hill, far removed from the street with no close neighbors. This type of setting is so familiar to the horror genre that it creeps into the titles themselves (i.e. House on Haunted Hill ). Sometimes it’s the woods, sometimes it’s a hotel, sometimes it’s a vessel floating through space. There’s immediately a mystique about such a setting, as most of us don’t have a whole lot of friends living in creepy mansions or traveling to Jupiter. It increases the tension, as now we’ve moved from our universe to one where this character can create any dysfunction. However tormented or brutal they are remains to be seen, and the odds of escape or rescue plummet. Horror protagonists are further isolated by inclement weather and, in a more psychological sense, the disbelief of characters that actually can help them. Thrillers frequently take place in a downtown metropolis under blue skies (maybe to simplify shooting action sequences). The identity of the protagonist matters greatly to how we differentiate the two genres. It is not uncommon in any given genre for the main character to have a “superpower,” whether it’s counting cards, switching to a Rastafarian accent at a moment’s notice, or beating up a garage-full of guys slipping on motor oil . Thrillers tend to have powerful main characters. They are either extremely cunning, such as in political thrillers like Miss Sloane , or physically imposing, like the aforementioned Jason Bourne. They are still an underdog, as they are likely taking on an entire institution. But their background gives us a reason to believe they have a fighting chance. Meanwhile, our horror brethren can’t really do anything. They often have to figure out what or who the villain is, which may take a third of the movie, before even figuring out how to defend themselves and their loved ones (another third). Horror movies go for a much more vulnerable profile, often someone we associate with innocence. Horny teenagers, single mothers, third grade children, or as in Heretic , young missionaries. Perhaps the purpose of horror choosing easy targets is that it is scarier to think of an evil force being so indiscriminate with whom it preys on. In thrillers, we often get the sense of who is off limits or considered worthy of protection. Take Trapped , for example, starring Charlize Theron as Karen and Kevin Bacon as Hickey. Yes, Karen’s daughter is kidnapped, but Hickey is merely after a ransom, and the plan goes off the rails when learning of the daughter’s health issues (and Karen fighting back, of course). Weaponry Most thriller protagonists are handy with guns, knives, and their fists, which highlights another difference between the genres: the weaponry. Writers in the horror genre almost always go for an abstract version of a weapon, adding to their supernatural feel. The Exorcist uses a Bible, a crucifix and prayer. We’re more than accustomed to the stake in the heart bringing about a vampire’s demise (thanks Buffy). In The Babadook , our heroine fights off a monster with the power of…belief, I guess. I don’t know, she just kinda yells until it goes away (I know there’s a deeper meaning but still!). These “weapons” all make sense when you watch, but a more blunt interpretation is they’re great budget-savers. No real weapons or weapons expert is needed on set; box checked. Blood and Gore The use of blood and gore illustrates another distinction between horror and thrillers. In horror, the blood and gore are for the audience . In thrillers, they’re for the characters . Final Destination shows us characters getting beheaded or crushed by construction equipment. Die Hard shows us John McClane with cut up feet as obstacles he has to maneuver around. In the action thriller category, we frequently see characters having to nurse their own wounds or figure out how to hide them from villains. It becomes a part of the plot; the rising stakes and the decreasing odds of success. Horror and Thriller Resolutions The conclusions of horror movies and thrillers tend to vary. In thrillers, our heroes win far more often than not. They outsmart or beat up the bad guy, they clear their name, and they either return to everyday life or get ready for the next mission. The glaring exception off the top of my head is Arlington Road , the 1999 thriller about a professor who believes his neighbors may be terrorists (they are). Much of the time, though, good triumphs over evil, and even in conspiracy thrillers, the protagonist makes it to safety whether or not the conspiracy continues. Horror tends to have a more pessimistic bend. The group of main characters rarely make it out unscathed, most meeting their untimely end and the survivor (usually dubbed the “final girl”) left scarred for life and still not really safe. The vast majority of horror films keep hope alive for a sequel, so the writer and director do the most complicated mental gymnastics possible to suggest that the threat is still out there. Movies often get studied in focus groups before release to see how the ending fares with test audiences, and the fact that thrillers have more positive endings suggest favoritism towards the names we know versus the ones we don’t. Thrillers tend to have an A-lister front and center. We as audience members do not like seeing our favorite box office draws get axed, and if you glance at some of their contract clauses, you’ll probably see that they don’t like it either. Meanwhile, horror movies, which are often low-budget, tend to have lesser known actors and the filmmakers have no problem killing them off or replacing them for the sequel. Smile 2 , for instance, features a completely different main character than its predecessor and, very early on, does away with the only returning character. Are they complete no-names or bad actors? No, but it didn’t cost $20 million to book them either. Maybe a good tell is how we interact with each genre. MovieWeb lists the highest grossing horror movies and the highest grossing thrillers. They have one movie in common: The Sixth Sense . It’s second on the horror list , only seventh on the thriller list . This difference suggests thrillers are more popular and more mainstream, which makes sense as many of them can be branded as action movies with a formidable cast. The horror genre has a smaller but more fervent fan base, and the experience of being scared is heavily dependent on music and sound effects. As Alfred Hitchcock states, “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” This reality compels many fans of the genre to watch the most anticipated horror films while they are in theaters, which makes it telling that they still do not outperform their thriller counterparts. The End Okay, these are a lot of thoughts for a throwaway comment on a podcast I listened to. In looking back, though, there seems to be quite a few differences between horror and thriller (at least from where I’m sitting). Your preference for one or the other may speak volumes about your cinematic tastes. Do you prefer to be scared or simply excited? Do big-name actors or small budgets draw you to the box office? Are you squeamish and empathetic or do you enjoy the blood and gore? What piques your interest more, films grounded in reality or the supernatural? And most of all, what kind of ending do you need: Thomas Jane in Deep Blue Sea (we did it) or Thomas Jane in The Mist (oop)? For more on Horrors and Thrillers, listen to Season 1, Episode 1 of the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast . Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and more. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Acidman uses sci-fi to make a statement about meeting people where they are Manageable Monkey, 2023 87 minutes Director/Writer: Alex Lehmann / Chris Dowling and Alex Lehmann Reading Time: 4 minutes Acidman The Great Beyond (RVQZ12B923YUQG2A) 00:00 / 05:17 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Sage Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Yarrow Movies and TV shows about illness or set in hospitals or similar medical institutions Reba Chaisson 2023-04-10 I must disclose my bias against science fiction cinema up-front. I am just not feeling this genre. But I will admit I do indulge my family on occasion and happen upon one, two, maybe three that I have enjoyed over the years: The Empire Strikes Back – I like Yoda; Alien – gross, but good; the original television series, V – good suspense. None of these matters, though, since despite Acidman’s synopsis alluding to sci-fi, the film has very little to do with extraterrestrials, UFOs or any other interplanetary objects – fortunately. Acidman is about the reuniting of a daughter, Maggie, with her long lost father, Loyd. Close and inseparable when she was a child, the two became estranged when Loyd, a successful engineer, suddenly left the family and never made contact again. After a long search, she arrives at his home - an isolated mobile trailer with the word “Acidman” spray-painted across the window in orange. She finds him nearby with his dog, Migo, looking a bit annoyed. Kind, but begrudgingly hospitable, Loyd shows her around his home, including the unkempt room where she can stay. During her visit, Maggie learns of her father’s fascination, or rather, ongoing communication, with extraterrestrials that manifest as lights in the sky at night. Seeing him super-excited that they care enough about him and the planet Earth to reach out and watch over him, Maggie, played by Dianna Agron ( The Family , I am Number Four ), indulges him. Throughout Acidman , Loyd, played by Thomas Haden Church ( Spider-Man: No Way Home , Sideways ), repeatedly asks Maggie “Why are you here?” Her reply is always a loving and consistent, “I told you, I came to see you, to check up on you.” Loyd occasionally zones out in the middle of the two talking, and at these moments Maggie says, “Dad? Dad?” and waits patiently for him to reconnect. Realizing there is a problem, she offers to take him to see someone. But he ignores her and asks once again, “Why are you here?” We fervently believe that no one knows us better than we know ourselves. But how often have our parents proved us wrong? While something is amiss with Loyd and he has abandoned the world to create one that is better suited for him, he suspects there is a purpose to his daughter’s visit and that it has little if anything to do with him. Thus, he persists in his question to Maggie, “Why are you here?” Several themes run throughout this film. One of which is the tendency to collapse all mental illness into the monolithic view that they all lead to unpredictable, dangerous behavior. Something seems to be awry with Loyd but at one point, the “townies” harass him at his home, and he pulls out his shotgun and shoots several rounds into the air to scare them away. While this frightens Maggie, who perceives this as Loyd shooting at the kids, Loyd asserts and rightfully so, “I didn’t shoot at them. I shot in the air to scare them off.” Another point in the film concerns young adults’ preoccupation with being or becoming like their parents. Maggie berates her father for leaving her and the family and fears she could do such a thing, as if it is a hereditary trait. It brings to mind a theme in the 2023 film Saint Omer where a central character, Rama, expressed concerns about being like her mother who was emotionally detached from her. As well in the lighthearted 2007 movie, This Christmas , where Ma’Dere so feared her teenage child would be like her wayward husband and saxophonist that she refused to support her son in his musical pursuits. Maggie, in Acidman , carries the baggage of her father and conflates it with DNA. Yet another theme in the film is the imploring upon people to begin relationships where people happen to be in their lives. Maggie wants to connect with her father but struggles to find a receptor — a place to plug in or common ground — largely due to the impediment his mental illness presents. He is unavailable to her in the usual ways — as a confidant for example as he was when she was a child, or as a source of comfort through her struggles and disappointments. After a knock down drag out fight, she realizes that to see her father and to have the relationship she desires with him, she must not only accept where he is in his life. She must also meet him and deal with him in that space. I did not expect to like this movie, but the strong messages overwhelmed me. Consider making contact with Acidman if it seems like your cup of tea. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back The Banshees of Inisherin depicts a conundrum many friendships face Searchlight Pictures, 2022 114 min Director/Writer: Martin McDonagh Reading Time: 5 minutes The Banshees of Inisherin Me and My Friends (NLTYAPWAOSPTMC5Z) 00:00 / 05:19 📷 : Used with permission, Snollygoster Productions https://www.instagram.com/snollygoster.productions/ https://posterspy.com/profile/snollygoster-productions/ Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Honeybush: Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Chris Chaisson 2022-12-28 Few things devastate the psyche quite like the sudden end of a friendship. As romantic relationships come and go, many people take solace in their platonic friends and the bonds they share through the other changes in their lives. If you’re like me, you’ve mostly experienced the end of friendships in a gradual manner. Less check-ins, less hang-outs, new priorities; all leading to a slightly less painful and finite parting of ways. The hurt is multiplied when one member of the friendship abruptly cuts communication off, as opposed to a mutual, tacit agreement. Human beings often need closure (and in some cases, a replacement friend). The Banshees of Inisherin being centered around the ending of a friendship sounds like a thin premise until you reflect on your own relationships and realize how deep and complex such a situation could actually be. Our friends in question are Colm (Brendan Gleeson, Calvary ) and Pádraic (Colin Ferrell, The Lobster ), two drinking buddies living on a sparsely populated island off the coast of Ireland. A talented musician, Colm asks Pádraic on a whim to leave him be so that he can indulge in his composing and fiddle practice. He gets increasingly blunt as Pádraic presses, admitting that he finds him a dull waste of time. As Colm stares his own mortality in the face, he wishes to accomplish something in his music endeavors that will make him remembered beyond his passing. Pádraic, light on hobbies other than drinking, feels the sting of rejection even harder since he feels he has no one else to turn to. His strongest relationships other than with Colm are with his sister, the more practical Siobhán (Kerry Condon, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ), and his pet donkey. His small circle leaves him little recourse for his damaged pride. The Banshees of Inisherin serves as a perfect example of a film where the setting takes on a character role (i.e. Sex and the City ). The fact that Pádraic and Colm live on a small island heightens the importance of their friendship. Rather than a metropolitan setting where one can meet and connect with strangers anywhere they go, Inisherin forces our two lead characters to interact. There are not many new places to go or people to meet, so their relationships with and opinions of the other island dwellers are largely set in stone. Moreover, the island setting gives them an audience for their issues. Most of their arguments play out at the local pub, where everyone already knows them, and typical island gossip lets everyone else in on their discord. The presence of the other islanders intensifies the rejection that Pádraic feels from Colm, and his bruised ego (along with a little liquid courage) leads him to act out even more. Siobhán, Padraic’s sister, serves as the innocent bystander-turned-voice of reason in their sophomoric feud. As Pádraic is forced to evaluate his behavior and personality, Siobhán becomes a reluctant soundboard, doing her best to reassure him that he is a decent man. Similarly, she assures Colm that while he finds Pádraic dull, this is no reason to end their friendship, since frankly, all men are dull. She frequently voices the audience’s thoughts, along with Padraic’s drunken acquaintance, Dominic (Barry Keoghan, The Killing of a Sacred Deer ). At the crux of Colm and Padraic’s issues is their shared insecurity. Colm wants to achieve greatness with his creative endeavors, stemming from age-related anxiety. Pádraic, having been plucked from his daily routine and forced to re-examine his own character, wonders whether he is a good person and friend. While it may seem petty, this insecurity is the film’s biggest draw, as it is rather relatable. Some people want to be remembered beyond their time and receive effusive posthumous praise. Others simply want to exist and foster their relationships while they’re here. It can be strongly argued that neither one is better than the other, nor can one exist without the other. Nonetheless, when the two mindsets clash, feelings can easily be hurt. The Banshees of Inisherin brings to mind the early 2000s drama Finding Forrester . While the settings and characters are different, the bond between the two and the differing aspirations that threaten it mirror each other. Jamal and Forrester have a shared love of writing, but Forrester is a recluse while Jamal is a star basketball player accused of plagiarism. Though their friendship persists throughout the film, Forrester simply wants to stay out of the spotlight while Jamal deals with both wanted and unwanted attention for his talents. Despite their shared love of drinking and small talk, Colm and Pádraic have two different life goals. As Colm acknowledges his own, he views Pádraic as an impediment rather than a confidant. The Banshees of Inisherin could make you reflect on your own friendships and which side of the ledge you land on. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Living provides a twist on the “bucket list” movie genre British Film Institute (BFI), 2022 102 minutes Director/Writer: Oliver Hermanus / Kazuo Ishiguro, Akira Kurosawa, and Shinobu Hashimoto Reading Time: 5 minutes Living Warmth And Wonder (W39SX3IRSVIEESNK) 00:00 / 05:05 📷 : Used with permission, 80smovielove https://www.facebook.com/masahiro0728/ Ginger: Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Sage: Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Chris Chaisson 2023-02-01 We hear the phrase, “Live every day like it’s your last,” more times than we probably care to. Nonetheless, few people actually take this advice to heart or even reflect on its meaning. In truth, most people with reasonable means interpret the idiom to mean “make reckless decisions.” Quit your job. Go cliff diving. Streak across a football field. One could examine this behavior in the subgenre I call “bucket list movies.” In these stories, the protagonists learn that they have a limited time left to live and respond by partaking in the exhilarating experiences that they have always put off. They abandon their daily routines to travel, skydive, ski or mountain climb. The overall message of the movies is to not let day-to-day tasks prevent you from pursuing every adrenaline rush you can. A person receiving such grim news, however, does not have to let it be a nudge to go bungee jumping. An equally and maybe even more interesting character may take time to figure out what lasting impression he or she would like to leave, choosing a different route than thrill-seeking. Prioritizing their own happiness will never be viewed as a sin for such a protagonist. But a character investing his or her time in the happiness and well-being of others is also worthy of appreciation. Enter Mr. Williams (Bill Nighy, About Time ), the central character of Oliver Hermanus’s new British drama Living . Adapted from Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru , Living drops its audience into the daily routine of Mr. Williams, a widower and septuagenarian managing the public works department of the London County Council. As one of the longer-tenured members in the office, Mr. Williams serves as the physical embodiment of aloofness. In fact, in the opening sequence, he tips his hat to his colleagues through the train window from the platform, but then commutes to work on his own. While he is not alone in lacking the desire to socialize with his co-workers, he maintains the same emotional distance in every other aspect of his life: his work, his hobbies (he has none), and even his child. Though he lives with his son, they do not often interact or spend time together. The newer members of his team, Margaret Harris (Aimee Lou Wood, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain ) and Peter Wakeling (Alex Sharp, The Trial of the Chicago 7 ), bear a quiet admiration for him but clearly wish to establish a connection. Mr. Williams’s propensity for solitude seems in part dictated by the nature of his government job, where very little is seen through to completion. Often, projects and approvals get tossed around from department to department and put off to no end, frustrating proactive residents. Existing day-to-day, week-to-week in a work culture where accomplishments are rare, sheds light on the workers’ apathy and frustration. After a typical day at the office, Mr. Williams heads to the doctor for a follow-up visit, during which he is informed he is terminally ill and has only a few months to live. He takes the evening to process the information, quietly mourn and decide whether to share the unfortunate news before continuing on with his daily routine. For the rest of the film, Mr. Williams goes on an emotional journey to find what will bring him the most peace in his final days. He first goes the usual thrill-seeking route after sharing his diagnosis with a complete stranger, who takes him gallivanting into the local nightlife. After confiding in Margaret and leaning on her for emotional support, he reflects on his time spent since his diagnosis and decides on one last mission to see through to the end. Mr. Williams spends his remaining time using his influence to complete what he deems as a worthwhile, community-changing project. Scene to scene, Living may not provide the adrenaline rush that you would get from a bucket list movie in which the protagonist turns into Evel Knievel. Nevertheless, it grants its audience a new perspective on living out one’s final days. Rather than existing as if you have nothing to lose, strive to give back as if you have everything to lose. Exhilarating extracurricular activities can bring us temporary highs, but Nobel Prize-winning writer Kazuo Ishiguro seems to suggest that acts of selflessness can bring us just as much fulfillment before we perish, and in the case of Mr. Williams, also a legacy of persistence. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Back to Black depicts what being killed softly looks like StudioCanal UK, 2024 122 minutes Director/Writer: Sam Taylor-Johnson / Matt Greenhalgh Reading Time: 7 minutes Back to Black Furry Friend (TDE0TSBWUMQST4H9) 00:00 / 07:53 📷 : Used with permission, Marina Esmeraldo Coca: Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Reba Chaisson 2024-05-29 There’s usually not a lot to say about biopics. By the time we see the film, we are already familiar with the performer’s talents and body of work and know that sadly, he or she is going to die tragically at the end of the movie. We see this in the 2022 releases, Elvis and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody . Such is the case with Back to Black , the story of vocalist extraordinaire, Amy Winehouse. So, when my husband and I arrived at Emagine Theater’s Screening Room this past Sunday to take in the movie, we had a pretty good idea what to expect. Along with about 49 other patrons, we settled into our seats with treats and drinks, expecting to get a peek inside the British singer’s private life between the time she was born and her death from alcoholism in July 2011. Very early in the movie, a 19-year-old Amy Winehouse is contacted by a producer about a recording contract. She immediately and unapologetically tells the caller that she is only interested in doing “real music” like that of Sarah Vaughan and Lauryn Hill. It is rare to hear a young person with such a strong sense of self. Amy is unafraid to emphatically declare to a White male producer that her music heroines are Black female jazz and R&B / soul / reggae artists. She also insists, rather than suggests, that she be given the space to do only that music. My husband and I were entranced from this moment in the film. It was refreshing to hear a young White person proclaim that Black cultural traditions have shaped her musical tastes and talents, and a joy to see her express this in such a defiant manner. Starring Marisa Abela ( Industry , Rogue Agent ) as Amy Winehouse, Back to Black portrays the singer-songwriter as being very close to her paternal grandmother, Nana, played in the film by Lesley Manville ( The Crown , The Critic ). A former jazz club singer and lover of Charlie Parker’s music, Nana was very affectionate with her high-spirited and defiantly authentic granddaughter. We observe this in a tender scene where an emotionally wounded Amy tells Nana that she and her boyfriend Blake have split up. Knowing how happy Amy was with Blake, Nana ceases styling what became the artist’s iconic hairdo. She sits down across from Amy, grabs her hand, and says with gentle eyes, “I’m sorry Amy; I know how much you cared for him.” Nana’s response sits in contrast to the glib retorts we often get from friends and family when we experience a breakup. “Good riddance,” “There’s plenty of fish in the pond,” or “Girl, you’ll find another one” are meant to keep us hopeful. But the time between the news and the response is when we and our broken hearts just need someone to listen, give us a hug, and acknowledge our pain. Nana’s grace and keen sense of her granddaughter’s needs help us see why Amy feels so close to her. Despite her talents and success, Amy insists she cares nothing about fame. She loves hard though, as evidenced by her on-again, off-again relationship with her boyfriend and cocaine addict Blake, played by Jack O’Connell ( Rogue Heroes , Ferrari ). Blake presents her with a gift of crack cocaine set in a jewelry box like earrings, despite knowing her disdain for narcotics. Instead of vehemently rejecting the gift like the old Amy would, the new Amy is flattered. Each time she and Blake break up, it seemingly devastates her and chips away at her once upbeat demeanor and inner strength. Shot in London, Back to Black is infused with Amy Winehouse’s music and fronted with the vocals of the actress who portrayed her, Marisa Abela, whose strong performance is deserving of an Oscar nod. Predictably, the film depicts Amy’s immense talents and heavy drinking, but it grabs us with narratives of her closeness to Nana, affinity for Blake, and her relationship with her father, Mitch, played by Eddie Marsan ( Fair Play , Ray Donovan ). Mitch displays much patience and indulges his daughter, who has him wrapped around her finger. Despite her problems with alcohol, he gives in to Amy’s pleas of “Daddy, I promise I’ll stop” and goes against her producer’s advice to commit her to rehab. While some of us might shake our heads about Mitch’s lack of action, common wisdom suggests that nothing will change the behaviors of people with addiction unless they make their own decisions to get help. We see this in the 2021 movie, The Good House , featuring Sigourney Weaver as Hildy Good, a successful realtor in a close-knit East Coast community who is addicted to wine. Despite the pleas of family and friends to get professional help, Hildy’s behavior doesn’t change until she makes the decision to get help on her own. And although Amy’s popular song indicates that she “said no” to rehab, the film shows it was she who asked her father to take her. Films portraying famous people with addictions often characterize them as being close with caring families and loved ones. I wonder how this comports with the reality of most families though. Because they are viewed as untrustworthy, people with addictions who are neither wealthy nor famous are typically shrugged off, if not shunned, by their kin. The behaviors that often come with drug and alcohol addictions make it difficult to maintain close relationships with the person who is struggling. Compounding the strain of addiction is the cost of getting help for loved ones. Rehab facilities with their lush campuses, peaceful environments, and skilled therapists are not options for most people because they are unaffordable. Don’t believe me? Look it up. Like high-end restaurants with menus that don’t have prices, websites for quality rehab facilities don’t list the cost for their services. The families of people addicted to drugs and alcohol undoubtedly love and care for their struggling family members. But remaining close to them is a challenge when they cannot support themselves financially. It is less difficult when they can. There’s a timeless adage that says, what happens to you either kills you or makes you stronger. I think we never know what people are going through, nor how people absorb what happens to them. Where some of us can move on from losses and hurtful experiences, others have a place inside of themselves where that pain thrives and eats away at their self-worth. The fact that it hasn’t killed them, doesn’t mean it is making them stronger. In short, we don’t know how people process their pain. The sh** isn’t simple; it’s complex. Indeed, in addition to her turbulent relationship with Blake, Amy experiences loss as well as insults hurled at her by executives, producers, and even audience members at her performances. Based on the film, Amy Winehouse’s life was more akin to Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” than Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger.” The thing about biopics is we never know what part of the story is truth and in what areas the filmmakers took dramatic license. What is indeed factual is that you can’t hear Amy’s voice and not appreciate its power – it stirs something inside of you. Another truth is Back to Black ’s depiction of Amy Winehouse as someone who, like Whitney Houston as depicted in her biopic, absorbed pain in a way that ultimately leads to her tragic death. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Leave the World Behind presents a cyber spin on apocalyptic thrillers Higher Ground Productions, 2023 138 minutes Director/Writer: Sam Esmail Reading Time: 5 minutes Leave the World Behind Feast (ADEILSFMW1RLGPNT) 00:00 / 05:42 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Saffron Movies and TV shows with great visual effects Chris Chaisson 2023-12-12 Apocalyptic movies are in no short supply. Whether it’s zombies, climate change, or biblical events, stories about the end of civilization have flooded the box office for the last two decades. They may come off cliché now as a premise, but they present their characters with reliable conflicts and the consistent theme of trust. Do you trust the news? Do you trust strangers? Do you trust your own family? Similar to movies of past decades that take place in the wilderness (i.e. Deliverance , The Grey , The Edge ), apocalyptic movies put on display the morality and psychology of its central characters, faced with what may be a “them or me” ultimatum. Netflix’s new thriller Leave the World Behind provides the latest twist on this trendy sub-genre. Due to her growing disdain for people, Amanda (Julia Roberts) rents a vacation house on a whim as a leisurely escape for her husband Clay (Ethan Hawke) and children. Soon after they arrive, they experience trouble with all of their electronic devices before George (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter, Ruth, (Myha'la, Industry ), arrive at their front door. They claim to be the owners of the house, with whom Amanda merely emailed, and explain that they were on their way back to New York City before their phones stopped working. After asking to stay in the basement with the offer of a refund, George and Ruth allow Amanda and Clay some time alone to discuss it. Once they accept, the four must get to the bottom of what appears to be a cyber-attack after strange occurrences continue happening around them, including a pileup of self-driving Teslas that blocks the highway and planes falling from the sky. What first seemed to be an innocuous prank at a local level may in fact be a more severe, intense and coordinated takedown. But is everyone who they say they are and even if so, are they divulging everything they know? Leave the World Behind provides its audience with consistent conflict between its main characters. Clay’s trusting, laid back attitude clashes several times with Amanda’s confrontational and skeptical personality, weathered from years in the advertising business. Similarly, Ruth develops a strong disdain for Amanda, feeling put off by Amanda’s distrust and the entire notion that they have to ask to stay in their own home. Her resentment towards Amanda bleeds into her interactions with George, who she feels is being too weak and accommodating. These conflicts seep into the majority of their exchanges, along with the unspoken (for a while anyway) racial undertones. As if the clash of personalities was not enough on its own, none of them know when their Internet will be restored or what the nature of the problem is, and George and Ruth have no way of contacting Ruth’s mother to find out if she is safe. The camerawork and direction for Sam Esmail’s thriller is highly stylized, including several overhead shots, tracking shots, Dutch angles, zooms, tilts and pans. Every camera movement conveys the uneasiness that the main characters feel, having no knowledge of what is happening in the outside world or whether they can even rely on each other. The accompanying string-heavy score uses familiar staccato notes while cross-cutting between strange simultaneous events the characters are witnessing, engulfing the audience in the overall ominous mood. The characters’ collective helplessness highlights how reliant modern society has become on fairly recent technology. For instance, Amanda wakes up to news alerts on the lock screen of her phone, suggesting that hackers are behind the cyber-attack. When she shows it to Clay, the messages have disappeared. Similarly, George can only send texts to his wife’s phone that never get delivered. Upon leaving the house, Clay encounters a panicked woman speaking Spanish, and since he cannot understand her, doesn’t heed any of her warnings. Their only outside source of help or information becomes Danny, an acquaintance of George’s who lives more or less off the grid and is used to existing independently of such technology. Leave the World Behind does suffer somewhat of an identity crisis, leaving it paced in a confusing manner. It waffles between the human element of characters butting heads before learning to understand each other and graphics-heavy scenes involving large machinery crashing, or wildlife gathering in a menacing fashion. The back-and-forth of these scenes leave the audience with a lot of ideas and entertaining set pieces, but no closer to the truth and ultimate resolution of the story. Rather than piece-by-piece revelations, it serves as a mystery where all the information is jam-packed into the climax. Though the movie holds the audience’s attention for its well over two-hour running time, the story leaves them in the dark for almost its entirety. Nonetheless, the film, executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, provides a star-studded cast and enough entertainment to make you feel on edge throughout. The most common and direct comparison thrown out to Netflix’s new release would be M. Night Shyamalan’s earlier 2023 film, Knock at the Cabin . While not having the same long-tenured A-listers, Knock at the Cabin raises the same questions of trust among its main characters and the similar feeling of being trapped with no sense of clarity. Also, both movies have a plane falling out of the sky, always a comforting sight during holiday season. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Faithfully Yours puts “trust” up for debate Millstreet Films, 2023 96 minutes Director/Writer: André van Duren / Elisabeth Lodeizen, Paul Jan Nelissen, André van Duren Reading Time: 5 minutes Faithfully Yours Trust Yourself (F0N4V1AHF7FIM00K) 00:00 / 05:56 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Honeybush Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Reba Chaisson 2023-05-24 In her 2014 TED talk , Professor Anne Curzan, a linguist at the University of Michigan, addresses how words get into dictionaries and become legitimated as part of our everyday vernacular. During her lecture, she states, “I am struck as a teacher that we tell students to critically question every text they read, every website they visit — except dictionaries.” Hmmm. I wonder then about the degree to which we take the meaning of some words for granted, words like “trust.” Dictionaries write that trust is all-inclusive, that a person is all-in with their belief and/or reliance on a person or thing. But Professor Curzan later states in her talk that words and their meanings are fleeting, changing over time. Perhaps this is the case with the word “trust,” which is at the center of Dutch director André van Duren’s film, Faithfully Yours . Beginning in present-day Netherlands, Faithfully Yours is about two close female friends, Bodil (Bo) and Isabel (Isa), who take a break from their stressful jobs and go away for the weekend. Both are married and professional women. Bo, a judge whose husband Milan is a physician, and Isa, seemingly a professor or researcher whose husband Luuk is a mystery writer, take these excursions to attend intellectual events. This weekend, they tell their spouses, respectively played by Nasrdin Dchar ( D3 12 van Oldenheim , Rabat ) and Gijs Naber ( Judas , Penoza ), that they are attending a lecture in Belgium. We begin to realize something is off when during their talk on the train, Isa gives her phone to Bo and informs her where she needs to be and when to text Luuk over the first half of the weekend. Bo looks mildly surprised until Isa adds, “Luuk’s totally unaware that I know he installed a GPS tracker on my phone. ... I got myself a burner phone. This is my number.” Handing Bo a piece of paper, Isa concludes, ”And after that, you’re free to do your thing for the rest of the weekend.” Bo smiles and replies, “Thanks. Next time I’ll make the plans.” The exchange comes across as perfunctory for the two women. And when they arrive in Belgium, situate themselves in front of the Oostende train station to take a picture “for the boys back home” and then go off in opposite directions, it becomes clear that these weekends along with the detailed planning are indeed routine for them. Bo heads to the spacious cottage she owns and Isa checks into her usual exclusive hotel. Weekend escapes are typically marketed as ways of getting away from stresses and routine that dominate our everyday lives. So escaping is about changing it up, letting go, and having a bit of uninhibited fun as Bo and Isa do on this weekend - in their own unique ways. Played respectively by Bracha van Doesburgh ( Kerstappels , De maatschap ) and Elise Schaap ( Ferry , Undercover ), the two women are enjoying themselves when Luuk calls Bo distressed that he cannot reach Isa. He has injured himself and needs her to return home. Bo relays the message to Isa who says she will stop by the cottage for her phone before leaving. But things go awry when Bo returns from a swim to find a pool of blood in the foyer of her cottage and no sign of Isa. Unable to reach her by phone, Bo alerts the Belgian authorities and notifies Luuk and Milan back in The Netherlands. Both arrive later, and over the next few days of the investigation, relations begin to devolve as Luuk blames Bo for Isa’s disappearance. In this sense, Faithfully Yours is similar to the 2014 film Gone Girl , where Ben Affleck plays a man whose wife suddenly disappears and questions around what happened to her linger for much of the movie. This is where the similarities end however, as Gone Girl was dark with an ominous tone. While Faithfully Yours is serious and suspenseful, it is neither dark nor scary. Indeed, what is revealed about Milan and Luuk during this stressful period is their level of intentional dependence on their wives and the lengths they go to keep them within their control. This does not occur through physical handling, but rather emotional manipulation and modern-day technology. The fact that the methods used do not involve touching does not make it any less problematic, invasive, or suffocating for the women. In fact, they make it feel like broken trust. Over the course of the 96 minute film, we come to understand that Bo and Isa’s weekend excursions are not so much about escaping the stresses of their jobs, but much more so about escaping the constraints of their spouses. The matter does beg the question though: Are Luuk and Milan manipulating and controlling because they are generally distrusting? Or has Bo and Isa’s dishonesty about how they spend their weekends bred their husbands’ distrust of them? Perhaps it’s time for “trust” to be critically questioned as something that suggests full investment. Maybe a new definition that reflects the flawed nature and fallibility of human beings is in order – at least for now. 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< Back American Skin deals with justice, fairness and accountability in this film about a father's loss. Tiny Giant Entertainment, 2021 90 minutes Director/Writer: Nate Parker Reading Time: 3 minutes American Skin R Naught (CRLTXLK9CDNFAEV2) 00:00 / 04:15 📷 : Used with permission, Sterling Light Productions Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Ginger: Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 I recently reconnected with a cousin I hadn’t been close to in more than 30 years. Hearing about her life now made me realize how I had frozen her in time. She had been, in my mind at least, still the teenager I went to school with and the young lady I last saw just beginning her life as an adult. It has happened to me before, where I had frozen people in time because I had not interacted with them in so long. This is the sensation I felt with American Skin, like I was frozen in time because somehow life just stopped during this story. Written and directed by Nate Parker ( Birth of a Nation , Eden ), the film is about a Black man’s reaction to the murder of his 14 year‑old son, Kajani, by a White police officer during a traffic stop. We often hear that children are the center of their parents’ lives, and that losing them to tragedy depletes their own lives of meaning, making it difficult to move on–freezing them in time. When asked why he still works at his son’s school, Kajani’s father simply could not respond. It was as if he had no answer for the question. But while this film’s storyline is familiar, the father’s way of dealing with his immeasurable grief, loss of purpose, and subsequent lack of justice is far from typical. And it is a step he rationalizes as necessary to propel him forward again. Lincoln “Linc” Jefferson, played by Parker, stages a direct confrontation with the police that deals head‑on with questions around justice, fairness, and accountability. The film does far more than nibble around the edges and offer platitudes, but instead takes a deep dive to explore and reveal the ugliness underlying these issues. For a period, the dialog feels like an intense exchange among passionate students in a sociology or political science course. Long overdue, the discussion is both needed and welcome. The emotional depths of the performances compel us to face ourselves as individuals and acknowledge our part in perpetuating the disrespectful and inhumane treatment of people of color in America. At its core, the film beckons us to grapple with what it means to be an American. And the strong acting and meaningful dialog keep viewers interested, engaged, and perhaps even wanting to participate in addressing this question. Clearly, American Skin is being used to educate. The film spurs us to critically think about a number of searing, enduring, and relevant issues, such as: What it means to have a jury of your peers. The degree to which Blacks and Hispanics in particular are dehumanized by police and further diminished in the justice process, as well as the cumulative stress they endure as a result. The depths of denial people will travel to protect their outward identities, even at a cost to themselves. The readiness of White jurors to empathize with police officers and attach meaning to their lives, and refusal to recognize the same humanity in Blacks and Hispanics. Like classroom discourses, the film leaves us with the understanding that it is okay to be conflicted at times, and that it is okay not to have all the answers. That the importance lies in having an informed perspective and being aware of our own stance. That courage lies in shedding the veneer and being true to ourselves. American Skin insists that these prerequisites be fulfilled to ensure tragedies like this one don’t repeat. If you are interested in attending this class, then take a seat. Be prepared to be transfixed for 90 minutes and to feel emotionally spent when it ends. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Dream Scenario examines obsessions with fame and the subconscious A24, 2023 102 minutes Director/Writer: Kristoffer Borgli Reading Time: 6 minutes Dream Scenario Path of Purpose (TRMMUPNBM4ILZX8U) 00:00 / 06:01 📷 : Used with permission, Aleks Phoenix https://www.instagram.com/aleks_phoenix/ https://twitter.com/aleksphoenix Saffron Movies and TV shows with great visual effects White: Movies and TV shows that make you laugh, or involve urgency, like chase scenes or other physical activity Chris Chaisson 2023-12-05 A24’s new sci-fi feature Dream Scenario follows Paul (Nicolas Cage), a tenured professor, husband and father who traverses a monotonous existence. His students view him with complete indifference, and to his daughters, he is the uncool dad. Paul’s major objective is to publish a book on his academic research, an idea with which he is very possessive despite not having written a single word. His reality suddenly changes when family, friends, and strangers alike start seeing him in the backdrops of their dreams. Similar to his role in their real lives, Paul serves little purpose in the dreams regardless of how dynamic or perilous they appear. He still plays up his overnight (no pun intended) fame, enticed by the thought of being relevant. He tries to parlay it into a book deal after meeting with a talent agency, who instead steers him in the direction of superficial viral moments. Eventually, the nature of the general public’s dreams about Paul turn dark, rendering him a menace in the dream world and a social pariah in the waking world. The target of much scorn, Paul must figure out how to revive his image. The film begins in the middle of a dream sequence, immediately placing the audience in the universe of Paul’s burgeoning fame. Not only does this keep the audience engaged from start to finish, it mirrors most of our experiences with dreams. We rarely dream lucid, where our fear dissipates because we know we are not awake. Rather, we experience the surreal and wake up in a panic. This scene, and every dream sequence throughout the film, pull the viewer into the movie’s universe. Through Paul’s interactions in the first 30 minutes, we get a sense of his character and his routine as it was without needing any exposition spoon-fed to us. This story choice allows us to spend more time watching the dreams play out, as well as Paul’s various human interactions with the characters who were not previously part of his life. Kristoffer Borgli’s feature gives an original take on the trappings of celebrity. The common perception of the public’s treatment of celebrities is that we build them up only to tear them down. Though the nature of the dreams about Paul are out of everyone’s control, their treatment of him fluctuates along this same sine wave. Paul finds himself being held accountable for actions that he did not commit in the real world, and to compound his issues, he does not have the charisma or public relations team to smooth over his image. Thus, he winds up digging himself into deeper and deeper holes, even alienating his own family. Arguably, Paul’s biggest mistake and tragic flaw is his welcoming of the attention in the first place. Against the warnings of friends and family, he sacrifices his own privacy simply for undeserved fame. Similar to many famous people in the real world, giving away privacy can create mental health issues and tumultuous personal relationships. Though Paul never has control over whether or not people dream about him, embracing his celebrity legitimizes the recurring dreams in the eyes of everyone else. The temptation to do so comes from his dissatisfaction with his mundane life as it previously stood. His feeling of being underappreciated is a growing trend even in the world today, especially as people assess their own value or celebrity by their social media presence. Fewer and fewer people are satisfied with an anonymous lifestyle and embrace attention that is, or could, turn negative. Dream Scenario presents other social commentary as well, most notably the power that many people lend to their dreams. Instead of viewing dreams as random and meaningless, many people interpret them as a call to action. For instance, early in the film, Paul’s ex-girlfriend approaches him to tell him that she has seen him in her dreams and asks him out for coffee in front of his wife. Just the same, an attractive talent manager from the agency he meets with asks him out for drinks in order to get to the bottom of her recurring dreams featuring Paul. Despite his marriage, Paul rejects neither of these advances, paving the way for turmoil later on. Both interactions, however, speak to how often people let dreams guide their behavior and spur them to connect with those that they may have ignored. A subtler theme in Dream Scenario is the disregard for academic prowess. As a professor with a doctorate, Paul’s work receives little to no attention and is not appreciated. His lectures fall on deaf ears until the students start having dreams about him. He finds his most engaging sessions are when he foregoes the class material and simply discusses the students’ dreams with them. Similarly, the talent managers he meets with do not care about his expertise or his goal of writing an educational manuscript whatsoever. They instead discuss commercials, talk shows, podcasts and celebrity meetups to amplify his mystique. Paul very clearly starts to devalue his own work, simply riding the wave of his popularity and begging for sympathy when it runs out. Dream Scenario presents itself as the sci-fi twist on the Oscar-nominated 2022 film, Tår . Lydia Tår allows esteem and celebrity to inflate her ego to a point that she mistreats others. Once the collective opinion of her takes a turn for the worst, the same people who propped her up ostracize her and cast her out. Paul gets put on a pedestal by people who have never met him and he enjoys the positive attention he initially receives. Once he allows it to go to his head, the dreams change and public opinion turns on him quickly. Just as is the case in the real world, both Lydia and Paul become victims of the trappings of celebrity. Each film demonstrates that fame is a kind of power, and those who get a taste scramble to hold onto it while thirsting for more. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Speak No Evil shows the most severe consequences of acquiescing Profile Pictures, 2022 97 minutes Director/Writer: Christian Tafdrup / Christian Tafdrup and Mads Tafdrup Reading Time: 5 minutes Speak No Evil Feast (UUXKG2RZM3LJUDFS) 00:00 / 05:27 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Chris Chaisson 2023-01-17 “Why are you doing this?” “Because you let me.” Full disclosure: I rarely leave parties exactly when I’m ready to be gone. I have had a frequent problem throughout my youth cutting the cord and saying my goodbyes. I could blame this on any number of things: being indecisive, fear of missing out, or frankly, not having any other plans (insert shrug emoji). The main reason many struggle with this, and label themselves introverts because of it, is the need to be polite. Many of us squander way too much free time simply avoiding an uncomfortable exit from hosts that will likely either not be offended or will get over it quickly. Director Christian Tafdrup takes this basic level of common acquiescence and ratchets it up to a life-or-death situation in his new work, Speak No Evil . At an enjoyable retreat, Bjørn (Morten Burian, Sons of Denmark ) and Louise (Sidsel Siem Koch, Steppeulven ), a couple from Denmark, meet Patrick and Karin, two casual acquaintances from Holland. Patrick (Fedja van Huêt, Character ) and Karin (Karina Smulders, Bride Flight ) send them a postcard inviting them to visit their countryside property for a few days. The invite feels aggressive, as they barely know the couple. Rather than decline, they offer a reluctant acceptance and head off. Bjørn and Louise bring along their daughter Agnes to join and spend time with Abel, Patrick and Karin’s son. This unenthusiastic RSVP sets the tone for a series of uncomfortable occurrences between the two families over the course of the stay. Patrick and Karin impose several times by not respecting Louise’s dietary restrictions, invading their privacy, hiring a babysitter they’ve never met to watch the children, and being verbally abusive to Abel in front of them. Despite ample opportunities to leave and signs that something is off, Bjørn, Louise and Agnes stick around and get much more than they bargain for. Speak No Evil ’s genius is its ability to start its protagonists off with a relatable emotion, the unwillingness to offend. Patrick and Karin make such a gracious offer that many watching the movie would possibly consider it themselves. After all, some people are more trusting of strangers than others. The first act of the movie may come off as two couples with different lifestyles and different behavioral standards in the presence of others. For the viewer, it makes for some hilarious, albeit cringe worthy, scenes in the stylings of Meet the Parents . However, the visit quickly takes a turn for the dark as Bjørn and Louise express their displeasure more vocally and even attempt to leave. Patrick and Karin pull the very familiar tactics of manipulative people: play dumb, apologize and insincerely promise to change. In a word: gaslighting. A prevalent criticism of movies like Speak No Evil is that the main characters’ passivity rises to a level too far-fetched to keep audiences engaged. At some point, we like to see the protagonists stand up for themselves to complete their character arcs. The reason behind Bjørn’s consistent buckling under becomes obvious as the film progresses: he is entranced by Patrick’s type A personality. Patrick has far more hutzpah, which Bjørn both admires and envies. This desire comes through in one of the few wholesome moments of the film, where they walk to an open field and take turns shouting into the void to release their tension. The power dynamic between the two, Patrick being more in charge than Bjørn, is not confined to money, work or social status, but rather difference in personality. Bjørn’s unspoken longing to be more like Patrick compromises his judgement, a situation very common in real life. Speak No Evil could easily be compared to its contemporaries Get Out and Barbarian , movies with a general sense of dread where a character visits an ominous place and ignores signs that they should leave. Another common comparison floating around is the 2008 home invasion thriller The Strangers , particularly due to similar lines uttered between the protagonists and villains near the end of each movie. Between reading, watching, and listening to podcasts regarding the film, it instead brought to mind for me another movie from the early 2010s: Compliance . An equally disturbing film, Compliance depicts the true story of a fast food worker who is accused of stealing and strip-searched by her co-workers at the instruction of someone impersonating a police officer over the phone. Both films call to question social etiquette and the ways that people will bend to either perceived authority or the incessant need to be polite. It is so ingrained in some of us that we get taken advantage of and even put in harm’s way. For moviegoers who are less trusting in their everyday lives, Compliance and Speak No Evil are just movies about people who are either cowards or complete idiots. For those of us who have been scammed, duped, pranked or even harmed, these two projects serve as a reminder to follow your intuition and protect yourself at all costs. 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