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< Back Dark Night of the Soul compels us to let it go Trick Candle Productions, 2024 80 minutes Director/Writer: SJ Creazzo Reading Time: 6 minutes Dark Night of the Soul Pour it Slow (J2QO8N7X2VQATPQ1) 00:00 / 07:29 📷 : Used with permission, Trick Candle Productions Sage: Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Ginger: Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Reba Chaisson 2024-11-06 I suppose we all have unresolved issues. You know what I mean; things that still don’t sit right on our minds and our hearts decades into adulthood. Sibling rivalry: Mom was mean to me; Dad liked you best. The high school gossip started by your best friend. The betrayal of a lover we’d only known for six months. Even that slight by a passerby on a train or in a passing car can be added to the list. Some of these things just roll off our conscience, but others stay with us and mess us up more than we realize. Think about our work for instance. When faced with a problem, sometimes we need to walk away from it to gain some clarity. There’s something about getting some distance from our work that loosens the tension in our brain so disparate connections can naturally occur, murkiness can give way to lucency, and logic can begin to flow freely. Time constraint, though, is often the impediment to such clear thinking. We need more than just a 15-minute break for this to happen. Like a snack is insufficient to satisfy a dinner-sized hunger, giving our brain the space to think requires much more than a tea break or even a regular afternoon siesta. SJ Creazzo’s Dark Night of the Soul brings the importance of rest and reflection into focus by stranding its protagonist after a serious car accident. Dark Night of the Soul centers on Dr. Alex Waldan, a brilliant CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control) scientist tasked with finding a cure for a deadly virus that has led to a global pandemic. The state of emergency becomes even more complicated when she crashes her car in an isolated area near the Catskill Mountains while reviewing her notes, examining test data, and listening to cynics on a talk radio station. Interestingly, Dr. Waldan crashes her car while engaged in a non-digital form of distracted driving. Played by Kristanna Loken of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines fame, Alex wakes to find herself severely hurt in a deserted clearing. Her gruesome injury contrasts sharply with the backdrop of a bright day, complemented with surrounding trees freshly bursting with reds, browns, and yellows signaling the nascent stages of fall. Noticeably absent from the movie is any form of digital technology, which plays only about a five second role as her call to 9-1-1 on her cell phone immediately fails. What do you do, then, when you have none of the modern technological conveniences? Whereas Cast Away focuses on Chuck Noland’s (Tom Hanks) survival and self-entertainment on an island when his cargo plane crashes, Dark Night of the Soul hones in on Alex’s mandate: developing a cure that can save lives and end the pandemic. Undoubtedly, the urgency of the matter and the stress of being “singularly tasked” to find a cure contribute to her feeling compelled to multitask behind the wheel. From her point of view, she has no time to waste. Ironically though, the accident gives her the gift of time to rest and reflect. Alex’s reflections manifest as memories of people in her life. The most vivid of which consists of contentious conversations with her deceased father, exquisitely played by Martin Kove, best known for the Cobra Kai and Karate Kid franchises. In one memory, she vents to him about a time when he forced her to sleep on a bed in the woods after telling her there was a bear nearby. He calmly responds that she did well and thought she was smart to raise the bed to a height the bear couldn’t reach, adding that there really was no bear. Writer/director SJ Creazzo’s technique of memory triggers for Alex conveys the need for us to sometimes draw on adversarial experiences to motivate us to survive dangerous or challenging situations. For instance, after several such memories with her dad, Alex angrily asks him, “How can you possibly help me at all?” He responds, “By being here.” Not all survival must necessarily be drawn from challenging times. Among Alex’s other memories are conversations with her sister, Lori, played by Courtney Warner ( McVeigh , Valentine’s Town ). The two discuss their remembrances of their parents, particularly their father. During one of their talks, Alex lets it slip that their dad loved Lori more than he loved her. Surprised, her sister explains that they were treated differently by their dad because he knew they had different strengths and talents. She adds, “Treating people equally is objectively crazy because not any one person is the same.” Lori’s statement serves the purpose of calming Alex’s latent angst about her father’s feelings for her given how she was raised by him. As worded though, the statement renders like a political opinion rather than Lori’s personal assessment of the way her father operated. The U.S. is still undergoing its centuries-long struggle with treating people equally under the law, without regard to their race, gender, class, or religion. As such, Lori’s line would land much more impartially had it been phrased, “Treating us the same when our aptitudes and interests differed would have been ludicrous.” This keeps the matter personal and family-related rather than what seems like a pronouncement about a broader political issue. Dark Night of the Soul reminds me in some ways of Challengers , the 2024 theatrical release about Tashi, a tennis phenom played by Zendaya, who injures her knee and misses out on the opportunity to play professionally. In my review of the film, I talk about the emotional weight we carry from loss when we don’t reach the point of acceptance. Indeed, Alex is also dealing with loss with which she has yet to reconcile. In Challengers , I discuss the damage we inflict on others as a result of not dealing with loss. What is never addressed, though, is the damage we do to ourselves. I like the creativity of Dark Night of the Soul with respect to its use of Alex’s memories of loved ones to remind her that she has a larger purpose and must survive to fulfill it. SJ Creazzo’s calm and thought-provoking story convinces not only Alex but also us that staying closed in our anger and blinded to truths keep us in the dark, stunting our growth and preventing us from seeing things clearly. While I wouldn’t recommend getting into a car accident to realize this, I agree that we have to find ways to let the emotional baggage go so that we can fulfill the promise of our lives. Dark Night of the Soul will debut on Amazon Prime on November 12, 2024. 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 Rye Lane blends surrealism and cold hard truth together Searchlight Pictures, 2023 82 minutes Director/Writer: Raine Allen-Miller / Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia Reading Time: 5 minutes Rye Lane Hope Springs Internal (D9N6UOZMHBI8EFXI) 00:00 / 05:14 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Gingko Biloba: Youthful, lighthearted, and fun movies and TV shows Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Chris Chaisson 2023-04-06 “What makes you think I've got a mess?” “Everyone has a mess.” Break-up movies can take many different approaches. Some, like Legally Blonde , vilify the significant other and center the story around the main character’s payback. Others shed light on the relationship and force the protagonist to bear some responsibility, such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall . A lot of films pair the melancholy protagonist with a fun and upbeat new person, like Along Came Polly . While having a short running time, the new indie rom-com Rye Lane manages to combine all these elements while avoiding the many clichés of its genre. Rye Lane follows Dom (David Jonsson, Industry ) and Yas (Vivian Oparah, Then You Run) , two twenty-somethings fresh off of break-ups who meet at a mutual friend’s art exhibit. After leaving, they improvise the rest of the day together in South London and open up about how they are coping. Yas does her best to boost Dom’s self-esteem and convince him that he is better off without his old flame, who cheated on him with his best friend. Along the way, the two meet each other’s exes, hang out with family members, and of course, get into a couple of sticky situations. First-time director Raine Allen-Miller uses visual gags and surrealist scenes to appeal to the audience. Rather than simply having Dom and Yas converse or show narrated flashbacks, Allen-Miller inserts the co-leads into the flashbacks as if they are reliving the moments themselves. The most entertaining of these scenes is when Yas recalls her ex’s disdain for hip hop music while she plays her A Tribe Called Quest album. This scene could have simply been a throwaway line amidst her and Dom’s conversation, but instead the audience sees Yas and her ex onstage in a black box theater as if they are starring in a play. All of the seats in the audience are filled by clones of Dom watching while Yas narrates. All of the Dom doppelgangers react in unison: laughing, slapping their knees, gritting their teeth in anger at the ex’s off-putting comments. In illustrating the flashback this way, Allen-Miller maximizes the comedic potential of the story beat. This scene, and other such flashbacks, provides the audience with added context for the breakdown of Yas’s and Dom’s relationship. It is one thing to hear differences of opinion between couples and feel them to be too petty to lead to a breakup. But depicting the disagreement instead gives the audience a better sense of the chemistry (or lack thereof) between the two. Yas’s ex maintained a hyper-serious nature that, combined with his dismissive tone, did not mix well with the free-spirited, goofy personality of Yas. Many rom-coms involving a recent breakup attempt to place the exes in a scene together to show the audience why they did not work, and Rye Lane accomplishes this with its absurdist elements. While the stylized humor may be too quirky for some, it certainly holds the audience’s attention. Rye Lane also flips gender norms on their heads right from the jump. In the opening scene, Yas enters a unisex bathroom and overhears Dom crying in one of the stalls. In countless rom-coms from past generations, the female character is the crying, inconsolable co-lead while the male attempts to comfort her. Without being preachy or overbearing, the film continues to subvert expectations of masculinity and femininity. Dom rocks a pair of pink sneakers, which is how Yas recognizes him when he later exits the bathroom. As the film progresses, Yas is consistently the authority on relationships and plans of action, also going against rom-com gender norms. She offers Dom life advice since she seems to be handling her breakup better emotionally. Despite being joyous and impulsive, Yas is still down-to-earth and flawed enough to not assume the “manic pixie dream girl” stereotype. On the flipside, Yas never belittles Dom’s personality as less than or “beta male.” She seeks to instill confidence in him without playing to any toxic traits associated with old-fashioned masculinity, simply urging him to stand up for himself. Similarly, Dom is never put off or intimidated by Yas’s confidence. He instead voices his admiration for who she is and aspires to be more like her. Though the respect could be attributed to them withholding judgment due to having just met each other, it can also be seen as an example of allowing people to grow into their own without denigrating them. Though the rom-com genre is chock full of recent breakup stories, Rye Lane definitely forges its own story path. It does, however, come across as a perfect mix of the 2000 John Cusack flick High Fidelity and the late 2000’s Michael Cera comedy Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist . Between the reliving of breakups, stylistic flashbacks and emphasis on musical tastes, all three films offer what newly single people need: acceptance, good times, and a glimmer of hope moving forward. 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 Stutz tackles a heavy topic and concludes with a positive outlook Netflix, 2022 96 min Director/Writer: Jonah Hill Reading Time: 4 minutes Stutz Therapy (Y3TJGI41LL4LT4CK) 00:00 / 04:32 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Ginger: Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Chris Chaisson 2022-12-28 Documentaries can be groundbreaking, informative, and impactful. They sometimes even serve as the catalyst for change or long overdue accountability. Still, for all the wisdom documentaries impart, they often leave the audience feeling depressed and even a little hopeless. As they frequently revolve around sociopolitical issues, there rarely seems to be a happy ending or, frankly, any ending to the problem. Jonah Hill’s new project, Stutz , bucks this trend in a way. Sitting down with his long-time therapist, Phil Stutz, MD, Hill discusses the mental health techniques that Stutz has taught him over the years for managing grief and confronting his biggest mental hurdles. Hill’s goal in broadcasting these therapy sessions is to help those who may not have the same access to mental health resources that he does. While the subject is equally heavy to many other documentaries, its introspective nature and the coping mechanisms shared leave the audience feeling more optimistic. Similar to the way cinephiles look at a cast to decide whether or not to see a movie, Stutz , as an experimental project, undoubtedly benefits from having Hill at the helm. As a reputable actor appearing in his fair share of blockbusters and cult classics, Hill’s name recognition aids in the film’s mission of reaching as many people as possible. Those who have followed Hill’s career have seen him play both the supporting actor and the front-and-center roles, evolving from mostly comedic relief to a jack of all trades. Nonetheless, Hill lacks the All-American, magazine cover page look that many view as the “ideal” body image. While anyone can suffer from body dysmorphia, Jonah Hill may elicit more sympathy from an audience than say, Jason Momoa. On the other side of the room is Stutz, a 74-year-old native New Yorker with Parkinson’s disease. Despite Jonah Hill’s reputation as a comedic personality, Stutz cracks many of the jokes. His sense of humor and obvious rapport with Hill provides an immediate hook for the audience. Rather than sitting in reserved silence to listen to Hill’s problems, Stutz shares many of his own. Among them are dealing with the unexpected death of a loved one early in his adolescence, the discovery and diagnosis of his Parkinson’s disease, and his mother’s pessimism surrounding men based on her own life experience. Stutz’s contributions add balance, as most people’s perception of therapy is the patient doing all the sharing and the doctor merely being a soundboard. The real draw of Stutz is his ability to provide advice and exercises rather than follow-up questions and theories. As Jonah Hill points out early on, patients find themselves getting more advice from their naïve friends who just want to lend an ear, than their knowledgeable therapists. The methodology behind therapy is listening and not imposing ideas or assuming anything, which helps the patient open up. Stutz admits from the jump that he does not agree with the philosophy: “Do what the [heck] I tell you; do exactly what I tell you and I guarantee you will feel better.” Over the next hour and a half, Stutz runs through his terminology, (i.e. Loss Processing, Radical Acceptance, Graceful Flow) accompanied by drawings to visualize the concepts. Hill then shares his own experiences trying to implement said language and exercises into his own routine. His honesty allows the audience to realize that these exercises show incremental progress rather than immediate cures, an important lesson for those who view the effectiveness of therapy in absolutes. Admitting your fears, flaws and hang-ups from adolescence does not come easy to most people, which is often the biggest hurdle to even seeking help in the first place. Stutz just may provide a nudge to thousands if not millions of people who need it. Seeing a successful celebrity, alongside his anonymous mentor, show a willingness to open up and share helpful tips may spur on others to do the same. 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 F1: The Movie delivers confusing characters but thrilling action Apple Original Films, 2025 155 minutes Director/Writer: Joseph Kosinski Reading Time: 6 minutes F1: The Movie Treacherous (APHTWSWPXLRIYODJ) 00:00 / 05:42 📷 : Nadhir Nawshad https://www.instagram.com/nadnaws/ https://x.com/_nadnaws Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition White Movies and TV shows that make you laugh, or involve urgency, like chase scenes or other physical activity Chris Chaisson 2025-07-03 I can’t say that I’ve ever sat through a car race. The inherent danger of it makes me queasy, even though I will watch two people beat the crap out of each other in combat sports. Nonetheless, artists you trust along with a reliable formula can create intrigue for just about anything. Even if a story feels like it’s on factory settings, the people driving it can elevate it to the best possible version. Whether it reaches top speed or just stays consistent, we hop out feeling that our pulse has quickened. Okay, I put as much automobile-related language as I possibly could, so I’ll go into detail about the newest Jerry Bruckheimer-produced blockbuster, F1: The Movie . Directed by Top Gun: Maverick ’s Joseph Kosinski, F1: The Movie focuses on the relationship and rivalry between Sonny, an old-school driver coming out of retirement (Brad Pitt, Fight Club ), and a young, hard-headed hot-shot, Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris, Snowfall ). Sonny joins the team to help his indebted friend Ruben (Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men ), who holds a piece of ownership but desperately needs on-track success to save his place. Joshua resents the idea that an older driver who underachieved outside of the Formula 1 realm can teach him anything about his own craft. Much of the first act consists of barbs between the two, as both are cocky, stubborn, and lacking in self-awareness. It’s often said that we dislike in others what we see in ourselves, which would be true in this case if either of them actually saw it in themselves. There to play mediator are Ruben, Joshua’s mother Bernadette (Sarah Niles, Ted Lasso ), and the team’s technical director, Kate (Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin ). The highlights of F1: The Movie clearly reside in the on-track action. As many now know, the film received permission from Formula 1 to film live races up close. The mid-race adjustments and communication between driver and crew give insight into the strategy behind the sport. We see Sonny and Joshua occasionally bend or manipulate the rules, at times angering other drivers. Such a conflict occurs in the very opening scene, as Sonny is competing in the Daytona 500 and draws the ire of a rival that he nearly ran off the track. The tactics and jargon are simplified enough for a laymen’s audience yet explained well enough to draw them in. Like Top Gun: Maverick , F1 plays to its strengths and uses arrested development to heighten the most perilous moments. The straight-on shots of the helmeted drivers with their faces mostly obstructed but communicating through radio connects these two films stylistically. The best and most dogmatically consistent character is undoubtedly Bernadette, fierce in her protection of her son. Maybe the best character detail of the film is the love Joshua shows to and receives from his mother. Without being overbearing or living vicariously through him, Bernadette calls Joshua out on his abrasive behavior towards Sonny while also having his back when it is necessary. Her influence allows him to evolve throughout the movie and eventually learn to sacrifice for the good of the group. Early in the film, Joshua drives home from the track and tells his best friend he must stop somewhere to visit someone. Though it would seem to be a love interest, it turns out to be his mother, immediately establishing their bond. What the film misses is a chance to double down on the flaws and virtues of its other main characters, despite making it a point to allude to them. For instance, Joshua has a fixation on his social media presence, a characteristic loosely attributed to his age. Though Sonny verbally criticizes him for it, nothing about Joshua’s behavior reflects a drastic imbalance or obsession. A sequence where it overtly cost him something could drive the point home. Similarly, Kate is the first female technical director in Formula 1, stated many times during the film. While she discloses the occasional detail about her background, what has driven her to this point, and why winning is so important to her, her role in the film eventually becomes fluff and is more based around her romantic chemistry with Sonny (I’d say spoiler alert but anyone could see that coming). Moreover, Sonny’s reputation as a career underachiever giving one more go at it feels perplexing. For starters, he is coming off winning a major race, which would seem to be a major success. Secondly, he is crossing over into what is technically a different sport, which comes off as more experimental. And lastly, his main motivation to seize the opportunity is to rescue his friend’s financial and business prospects, which are going down the tube. These all make the characters confounding, even if the actors playing them do a stellar job. It’s almost as if the quest to make the characters look cool got in the way of them experiencing sincere rock bottoms. F1: The Movie provides the necessary thrills and intensity that is meant to be the main draw. As has been recited by those in the industry , the concept of the movie star has slowly disappeared. In a strange way, this blockbuster release feels like a needle in a haystack, relying on stars in a way many big-budget films do not anymore. While the film is inconsistent in its character-building, it delivers on its core promise. And for bonus points, it takes the same actor who played this lunatic and sticks him in a dapper suit for two and a half hours. 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 One Battle After Another shows what commitment looks like Ghoulardi Film Company, 2025 161 minutes Director/Writer: Paul Thomas Anderson / Paul Thomas Anderson and Thomas Pynchon Reading Time: 7 minutes One Battle After Another Sweat and Steel (RFNEP3V3LPB6SW9N) 00:00 / 09:02 📷 : Used with permission, Alessandro Montalto https://x.com/noctrnlayouts https://www.instagram.com/noctrnl.layouts/ https://www.behance.net/nocturnalayouts Honeybush: Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Rosemary: Movies and TV shows with intense action Reba Chaisson 2025-10-30 Such a fitting title, One Battle after Another . One reason I enjoyed this film so much is it takes modern day problems and presents them through a 1970s lens using cinematography, close spaces, and automobiles that take us back to the era. The film stars Teyana Taylor of A Thousand and One , Leonardo DiCaprio, and Sean Penn in a gripping, moving story about an activist determined to right injustices through action rather than words, and a colonel just as determined to get his way. The film opens with Perfidia (Taylor) walking intentionally across a bridge and peering down into what appears to be some type of encampment below. She quickly meets up with about six others, where together they strategize an attack on the area. When Perfidia’s partner, Bob (DiCaprio), asks her what she wants him to do, she instructs him to "create a show” when she gives him the signal. All quickly retreat to their cars, drive a short distance, and quietly enter a gated area holding heavy duty rifles, and taking care of anyone who gets in their way. Perfidia encounters a sleeping Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw (Penn), who oversees what turns out to be a holding camp for undocumented immigrants. She puts the weapon in his face, wakes him, emphatically introduces herself, “Wake up, soldier boy. You died and went to p***** heaven, motherf*****,” and eventually subdues him without laying a finger on him. Incensed, he assures her that he will see her again. The group then releases the immigrants, loads them into trucks, and drives away. This 161-minute film wastes no time pulling you into the story. Immediately, you are intrigued by Perfidia, a tough, late twenty-something who seems to fear nothing and is willing to risk her life to stand on principle. Where did such fearlessness and commitment come from? We get hints from this later in the film when her grandmother asks Bob where he came from and tells him he is not tough enough for Perfidia, adding that she comes from “a long line of revolutionaries.” When a small group of the racially diverse French 75 crew execute a mission to plant bombs in a federal building, Perfidia is encountered by Colonel Lockjaw, who surprisingly tells her that he wouldn’t stop her from doing whatever she was doing, if she meets him later. After only a momentary pause, she continues planting the bomb and proceeds to leave, all while Lockjaw lustfully watches her walk away. Perfidia’s lack of change in facial expression or body language not only indicated that she was undeterred by Lockjaw’s demand, but that nothing, even sleeping with the enemy, would keep her from what seemed to be a personal commitment to right the wrongs for problems that many of us feel powerless to effect. Think of the times where we shook our heads or shrugged our shoulders, as if to say “What are you gonna do?” or “He’s the boss” or “They’re in the chair.” Clearly, Perfidia is neither a head-shaker nor a shrugger. She feels empowered and has embarked on a path that suggests she is fully committed to the cause. Bob is dismayed when Perfidia doesn’t pull back while she is pregnant nor even after the baby arrives. Many people, once learning they are having a child, become introspective and consider adjustments they must make to provide a stable life for their child. Ironically, Bob is ready to do this. But when he confronts Perfidia about doing the same, she tells him that she is a revolutionary, not a homemaker. This flips the script on gender roles. Gender norms and the cult of domesticity tacitly transmit beliefs from generation to generation that taking care of children and the home are the mother’s responsibility, and that the father’s role is to provide for the family financially. While the roles have blended substantially since the 1970s, the cultural expectations around parental responsibilities are still largely based in gender. Colonel Lockjaw’s priorities in this film are interesting with respect to his aspirations to join an elite, all-male, all-White club that believes in the superiority of an Aryan race and requires its members to remain racially pure. In other words, applicants can have no history of intimate relations with anyone who is not White. Although Lockjaw’s affinity for Perfidia is in direct conflict with the club’s strict rules, like a rottweiler with a meaty bone and a vampire who sees blood, he is committed to being accepted as a member. So, under the guise of capturing undocumented Hispanic immigrants, he spends much of the movie mobilizing his troops across U.S. cities in pursuit of Perfidia and others who are aware of his sexual preferences. This scenario mirrors contemporary issues and events, in particular the government’s refusal to release the Epstein files and the ordering of Immigration Control Enforcement (ICE) agents and National Guard troops across U.S. cities. The film hints that the government’s dispatching of agents and troops is intended, at least in part, to obfuscate the controversy around the release of the Epstein files. The allusion of the colonel’s name to the lack of speech and transparency only bolsters this inference. The movie also carries interesting themes about the risks of being unaware of what is happening in the world. When a heist goes bad, the crew is forced to disperse and go on the run. Believing he and his family are safe after more than a decade of no one knocking on the door, Bob becomes a habitual cannabis smoker. But when he receives notification that “they” are on their way, he can’t get his bearings, saying only, “After all this time!” To receive French 75’s help in getting away, Bob needs to remember the passcodes to verify his identity but he struggles to recall them, thus endangering himself and jeopardizing his loved ones. Rather than blame himself for getting comfortable and not remaining vigilant, he repeatedly yells expletives at French 75’s operators who won’t budge on giving him information without him first providing the necessary passcodes. The scenario is meant to be a lesson on the dangers of becoming oblivious to what is going on around us, and of buying into the belief that our lives will not be touched by them. We don’t usually comment on acting in our reviews, but the strong performances in this film demand their mention. In addition to the lead actors, Regina Hall ( The Hate U Give , The Best Man: The Final Chapters ) and Chase Infiniti ( Presumed Innocent ) play pivotal supporting characters in the film. From the story to the aesthetic presentation, One Battle after Another is the total package. Harkening us to the Vietnam War era, incorporating terminology like “revolutionary,” and using resistance tactics from the period, allow for a more objective view of today’s issues by presenting them through yesterday’s lens. Central to the film are the corollary perspectives of Perfidia’s fight for justice and Lockjaw’s fight for himself, which help us see what staunch commitment looks like, regardless of the side you stand on and what you stand for. One Battle After Another is comparable to the 2022 film, How to Blow Up a Pipeline , about a group of young environmentalists frustrated by the lack of attention to climate change, so they devise a plan to destroy a pipeline to make a point. The clandestine nature of the operation along with the film’s dark cinematography also gives it a feel similar to One Battle . 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 You Hurt My Feelings examines self-awareness and tough love FilmNation Entertainment, 2023 93 minutes Director/Writer: Nicole Holofcener Reading Time: 6 minutes You Hurt My Feelings Imaginative Play (MKVM0XFUDZYWYUI0) 00:00 / 05:23 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Chamomile: Family dramas Chris Chaisson 2023-05-30 Whether comedies choose to be dark, light-hearted or somewhere in between, they often still have a menacing antagonist that the main character has to overcome. It may be the principal who heavily values perfect attendance ( Ferris Bueller’s Day Off ) or the new camp counselor enforcing strict rules and fitness ( Heavyweights ). Nevertheless, penning a slice-of-life comedy allows the opportunity for more of a disembodied villain. This sort of bad guy can simply be a character trait, like the negative self-talk that many of us consistently experience, echoed in the comments of someone we hold dear. Such is the case in the 2023 comedy You Hurt My Feelings . Julia-Louis Dreyfuss ( Seinfeld, Veep ) stars as Beth, a writer and teacher who leans on her husband Don (Tobias Menzies, Casino Royale ) and sister Sarah (Michaela Watkins, Paint ) for emotional support. Similar to many creatives, Beth suffers from insecurities about the quality of her work, in large part due to how long she has been in the business. One day, she overhears Don talking to Sarah’s husband Mark (Arian Moayed, Succession ), admitting what he would never say to her directly: that despite reading many drafts, he dislikes her most recent novel. This admission devastates Beth, shaking her confidence not only in her work but in the strength of their relationship. She is left to figure out how, if at all, to confront Don about the issue. Before doing so, Beth must mull over whether she is angry about his dishonesty or the criticism itself. As a slice-of-life comedy, You Hurt My Feelings addresses a constant dilemma of relationships, romantic or otherwise, which is how to tactfully critique your loved ones. Having unconditional love for someone does not necessarily equate to having unconditional love for everything they do. Writer/director Nicole Holofcener hits on this theme effectively through her characterization of Don. He is not a cold-hearted, abusive spouse in the mold of a Tyler Perry antagonist. In fact, he is not an antagonist at all. He adores Beth and is unrelenting in his support of her, so much so that she would have been none the wiser had she not eavesdropped on his conversation. The reason Don’s criticism stings Beth as much as it does is because her profession already requires so much vulnerability. Working in a creative field exposes you to effusive scorn from complete strangers who do not care about your feelings at all and even measured criticism from those attempting to market you. Many professionals take solace in the approval of their loved ones as the only constant that they have. With this context, it is easy to see how Beth’s feelings can be so hurt but also why Don would hesitate to be truthful. Though Don’s confession is the inciting incident for the movie, the theme of how to critique those close to you resurfaces among several characters throughout the film. Don and Beth have a son Elliott in his early 20’s, who works in a marijuana dispensary and lives with his girlfriend. As the story progresses, Elliott questions whether or not he was raised with an appropriate level of self-awareness or coddled into thinking too highly of himself. Similarly, Don’s work as a therapist comes under the microscope. With markers of progress being so undefined in his field, it is tough at times to figure out whether or not he is really helping his patients get better and if they have any faith in his abilities. Sarah is a high-end interior decorator who questions her own life’s work several times, as she struggles to please a difficult client. These portrayals all feel very relatable, causing the audience to assess every situation and question how they would handle it. Jonathan (David Cross, Arrested Development ) and Carolyn (Amber Tamblyn, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ), a married couple who are two of Don’s clients, serve as the control group in this story of rocky relationships. They bicker constantly in their sessions with Don and lack any intimacy or even basic respect for one another. In a strange way, it stands out as the most candid relationship of the film, even if completely unhealthy. Jonathan and Carolyn’s fights and teeth-gritting insults at one another give credence to Don’s decision to swallow his tongue about Beth’s work. Seeing a brutally honest married couple argue and hurt each other week-after-week could make anyone second-guess the value of being completely forthcoming about a loved one’s flaws. While far less dramatic, You Hurt My Feelings bears some resemblance to the late 90s rom-com The Story of Us . Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer play a couple who are on the verge of divorce and fight constantly. Despite couples therapy and having two children, they struggle to settle their differences or move on from past betrayals. Don and Beth never have such high stakes for their quandary, but the core issue of their marriage, how to be tactfully critical, translates to any and every relationship. 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 A Beautiful Life adds the human dimension to pop stardom SF Studios Production, 2023 98 minutes Director/Writer: Mehdi Avaz / Stefan Jaworski Reading Time: 5 minutes A Beautiful Life Dreams to Reality (XZ5GCXZ3C4EKRARA) 00:00 / 05:21 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Jasmine Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Reba Chaisson 2023-06-16 Entertainers, or more specifically music artists, are rarely viewed as being invested in anyone other than themselves. They are often begrudged by less successful people for their wealth and talent, and frequently objectified by fans as icons that churn out likable tunes but who are void of humanity. This seems like a harsh assessment, but one need only pick up any pop star magazine or check out the number of celebrity Twitter followers to realize this is the case. What is interesting about A Beautiful Life is its depiction of pop stardom as all these things, with the added dimension of the human element. Set in Denmark, A Beautiful Life follows Elliott, a late 20-something who works as a fisherman, saves his pay, and lives alone on an unseaworthy, small wooden boat. A gifted musician, he has no aspirations to perform professionally. His best friend, Oliver, however, does, so Elliott performs the guitar accompaniment for him at a local club in Ebeltoft. But on a night when a major music producer is expected in the audience, Oliver is unprepared and goes cold mid-performance, forcing Elliott to play and sing to cover for him. Predictably, Elliott gets noticed for his talent and Oliver, played by Sebastian Jessen ( While We Live, 4Reality ), is shunned for his lack of it, leading to friction between the two friends. Played by Danish pop star Christopher, Elliott, who was orphaned at a young age, initially resists demonstrating his range of musical talents, so much so that his producer Lilly, played by Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas ( The Last King, Women in Oversized Men’s Shirts) , considers giving up on him. Guilt-ridden, Elliott needs to be cajoled into seizing the opportunity in front of him, but indulging it is like punishment. It is as if he feels undeserving of the chance to become hugely successful at something he loves. A Beautiful Life brings to mind the 1997 film, Good Will Hunting , with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as best friends from a working-class area of Boston. While both work alongside each other in building demolition, Matt’s character, Will, is a math genius who insists on staying with his friends and busting bricks for life, rather than exploring opportunities readily available to him in math and engineering. Like Elliott in A Beautiful Life , this reluctance is a part of his deeper issues around loyalty, fear, and sense of guilt. In Good Will Hunting , Will’s therapist, Sean, played by Robin Williams, gets him to understand why he won’t take this step. Elliott has proxy therapists, so a good portion of the film is spent with him brooding while those around him offer sage advice and tough love. Also, unlike Will, whose best friend Chuckie insists he seizes his opportunities — telling Will “If you’re still around here in 20 years, I swear to God I’ll kill you” – Elliott’s best friend is too jealous to do such a thing. Instead, Oliver asserts that Elliott’s limelight should be shared with him “since [Elliott] is living [his] life.” The similarities and nuances between the two films are not meant to suggest that A Beautiful Life is a potential Oscar contender, let alone winner, like Good Will Hunting . The film does not spend enough time letting the audience get to know Elliott before he shifts into the world of music. It is as if the film wanted to get to the frenzied life of being a professional musician with pressures all around to wear a mask of happiness and perform on cue. With no family, what did Elliott do in his spare time? What comprised his social life with friends other than Oliver? How is it that Oliver is so important to him when they are only shown bickering with one another? What kinds of things did he enjoy other than music? Additionally, Elliott’s insistence that he lacks interest in pursuing music professionally is at odds with his level of talent that surely took time to develop. Who doesn’t pick up a guitar and imagine him– or herself performing on stage? Even accepting this, what drove him to hone his musical talents – and how did he become so good? It is as if the film tried too hard to fashion Elliott as a unicorn. Elliott’s high level of talent suggests that music did indeed matter to him and that he aspired to play professionally. The omissions and inconsistencies in the film make the story seem disingenuous. But the film’s theme that deeply personal issues keep us stuck in the mud rings strong and true. Moreover, the film adds the dimension that while loss can lead to inertia and dampen aspirations, it can also instill strong will and determination if you keep company with people who care about you and vice versa. These elements get at the depth and breadth of humanity that move Elliott’s celebrity from icon to being just human like the rest of us, dealing with hardship. 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 Emily the Criminal shows the deceptive innocence of white-collar crime Low Spark Films, 2022 97 min Director/Writer: John Patton Ford Reading Time: 5 minutes Emily the Criminal Grimey a River (S7NF0YJXBZ7YPSYM) 00:00 / 05:05 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Ginseng Suspenseful/Intense thrillers Chris Chaisson 2022-12-23 Many of you reading this have probably had the experience of knowing someone for a decent amount of time, then being blindsided by information about them that changes your perspective. You might have gone to karaoke with them and found out they sing like Whitney Houston. Maybe they cooked you a Gordon Ramsay-caliber meal. Or in a darker vein, maybe they told you about their past misdeeds. Depending on the severity, it could influence your trust level or even end your relationship entirely. John Patton Ford’s newest work, Emily the Criminal , presents a protagonist with a cloudy history who falls back on her old behavior in a moment of desperation. Starring Aubrey Plaza ( White Lotus, Parks and Rec ), Emily the Criminal ’s title character has a relatable struggle: she’s broke and saddled with student loan debt. Her day job as a food runner does not pay her nearly enough for financial security, leaving her on the verge of moving from California back to New Jersey. While Emily could find a better job, one big caveat stands in her way: she has a criminal record. In fact, the movie opens with her lying about it in the midst of a job interview. Though not explicitly stated, her past interferes with any chance she has at financial stability. One day, her co-worker gives her a lead to a one-off gig for some quick cash. As it turns out, the gig in question is credit card fraud. Emily pursues the lead, completes the mission and is offered the chance at another quick score. She is initially reluctant, but she finds success and continues when her problem of gaining a legitimate income source continues. However, the missions escalate into more and more dangerous territory. The majority of moviegoers probably do not lend much credence to the titles of the movies they watch. We are mainly hooked in by trailers, lead actors, directors, and brand familiarity (*cough* Marvel *cough*). For this particular indie piece, the title gives the audience an interesting dilemma in how they perceive Emily. Her struggle is all too common, and her veneer seems innocent enough. Since Emily is the character we follow for the entirety of the film, it is tempting to give her the benefit of the doubt on her past transgressions, vague as she is about them. After all, no one wants to dwell on or be forever judged by their lowest moments. In spite of our initial leniency, every story worth its salt puts their characters in situations that reveal to us who they really are. As the plot progresses, Emily finds herself (and places herself) in volatile circumstances. The film suggests that she is not simply a docile character struggling to survive, but rather, she has her own demons. Though student loan debt is practically a rite-of-passage for any former student, most people would not engage in theft, violence and deception as the means for dealing with it. Emily is sometimes on the receiving end of the violence but delves out her share as well. Whether intentionally or not, the film calls attention to how much we profile people. Emily does not have the hardened exterior we associate with a felon. She does not scowl at people or snap at the first provocation. She does not curse like a sailor or carry a firearm. Her criminal activity put in context seems relatively victimless, until it’s not. A moment emblematic of her character occurs when she commits her first theft and leaves the store wearing a hat that she absent-mindedly took off the shelf. The store security guard, unaware of her more serious ongoing crime, confronts her about it in the parking lot, to which she willingly hands the hat back and apologizes. Her disarming presence and relatable need make her appear much more well-intentioned than she actually is. Emily the Criminal and its protagonist bring to mind the 2014 film Nightcrawler , starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Louis, the main character, is ambitious and desperate for work. While it is clear from the start that Louis is not exactly a boy scout, he largely appears to possess an entrepreneurial spirit, trying to excel in a career that he has carved out for himself. He gradually becomes more controlling and manipulative, crossing the line further and further. Emily, on the other hand, just wants to be free of debt and maintain her current living situation. Nonetheless, in both films and other crime dramas as well, the characters dipping their toes in the pool of illegal activity always end up doing a full-fledged cannonball. 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!

The three-season series covers the transformation of New York City’s Deuce district into what we now know as Times Square. < Back The three-season series covers the transformation of New York City’s Deuce district into what we now know as Times Square. Blown Deadline Productions, 2017-19 60 minutes Creator: George Pelecanos and David Simon Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, HBO The Deuce Tell Dem (I96IRB1HB2AEJATW) 00:00 / 04:13 Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Honeybush Nonfamily dramas with strong adult and/or socioeconomic themes Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 While short-lived, The Deuce provides an immersive experience. Nothing less would be expected from David Simon ( The Wire , Treme ), who co-wrote and co-produced it with George Pelecanos and others. The three-season series covers the transformation of New York City’s Deuce district into what we now know as Times Square. A long way from the glitz and popular tourist attraction it is today, The Deuce, as it was known in the 1970s, burst with a bustling and open sex trade with well‑dressed pimps and tenacious sex workers who openly flaunted their stuff for sale. The gritty series captures the feel of the era with the authenticity of a warm embrace from a long-passed favorite aunt. Like a time-machine, it places us in the familiar urban settings of the period when afros were in style, communities were called neighborhoods, and everyone knew the folks who lived there—and what they did to get by. James Franco headlines the cast, playing a dual role as a resourceful but reluctant bar and dance club owner and his carefree twin who jumps at any chance to get ahead. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Candy, a fiercely independent worker in the sex trade who later realizes success producing pornographic films because “It’s just sex, right?” The characters take refuge at Leon’s Diner owned by Anwan Glover ( The Wire ), who graciously serves hot meals and pie to his customers without judgment of their dress or avocation. This sanctuary is where we get a glimpse inside many of the characters’ lives and gain an appreciation for their aspirations, shortcomings, and the life events that led them there. Beneath it all are unseen political forces working to reshape, reinvent, and reconstruct the area they view as home. During a contentious meeting about coming changes to the area, Abbie, played by Margarita Levieva ( The Blacklist , The Lincoln Lawyer ), proudly proclaims her bar as a place where people in the neighborhood are treated with respect and can get “an honest pour” no matter their walk of life. While she doesn’t hide her disdain for the pimps who patronize the Hi Hat, once referring to them as “slap-a-hoes,” she spoke truth about the bar’s customer service. Lines like this run throughout the series. This one provokes thoughts about the exclusivity of establishments of all types today, the degree to which respect and an honest pour is afforded to everyone who enters them, or if these courtesies are perhaps doled out only to those viewed as worthy. Indeed, this questioning of ourselves and what we have come to accept as normal treatment are part of what makes the writing so great and keeps the show’s subject matter relevant even 50 years later. Beyond the struggle for survival, most of the characters in The Deuce are running away rather than toward something, while a smaller contingent desperately fights to remain relevant and to keep the status quo intact. As we know though, change is inevitable. Indeed, this story is about the inevitability of change. So real, it is as palpable as the raw emotions of fear and love displayed by the characters, along with the seemingly necessary emotional detachment they exhibit at crucial times throughout the series. The depth of the characters and their transformation over the series resonate with the experiences and aspirations of many everyday people who strive to maintain their dignity and strength. This suggests that the show has something that appeals to everyone. It is raw, but a necessary raw that pushes forth conversations about power, race, class, and gender. If this is your thing, go for it—and be prepared to think a lot about its themes in the days that follow. 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 Opus poses questions about tribalism and the allure of fame A24, 2025 103 minutes Director/Writer: Mark Anthony Green Reading Time: 6 minutes Opus Feast (9L5SNPNTMM9NAGCF) 00:00 / 06:08 📷 : Pixabay Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Oolong: Movies and TV shows that make you laugh or involve physical activities like dance and exercise Chris Chaisson 2025-03-14 Fandom creates communities. Whether it’s for a sports team, a movie franchise, or a pop star, people form lifetime bonds over their shared love for a source of entertainment. It can rear its ugly head just as quickly when fans assume the role of protector. We’ve seen online bullying and doxing when writers criticize Taylor Swift, or fights and verbal abuse break out at Raiders games. Tribalism has a strong hold on anyone who feels the need to belong and can evoke criminal behavior from otherwise mellow, well-intentioned beings. What makes it worse? When the worshipped entity contributes to and encourages the behavior; maybe even demands it. First-time writer/director Mark Anthony Green tackles this phenomenon in the new A24 movie Opus . Ariel (Ayo Edebiri, The Bear ) is a magazine writer in her late 20’s who wants to have her breakthrough story. When her friend points out that she is lacking the life experience necessary for a gripping perspective, Ariel feels compelled to join her boss Stan (Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus ) on a retreat to the compound of a former pop star, Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich, Burn After Reading ), who is releasing new music. His expansive resort exists in an isolated location, over 50 miles away from civilization. Upon arriving there, Ariel notices strange behavior from the fan community that has assimilated. Combined with the removal of their communication devices, she realizes that she, Stan, and a few other professionals from the outside world may be in grave danger. Can she figure out a way to escape? While Opus evolves into a suspenseful thriller, Mark Anthony Green takes full advantage of the comedic talents his cast possesses. For the first hour, Ayo Edebiri effectively plays the straight man in a comedy skit. Her compadres, including Stan, an entertainer named Clara Armstrong (Juliette Lewis, Yellowjackets ) and social media influencer Emily (Stephanie Suganami, Something from Tiffany's ) find themselves seduced by Alfred’s charisma and entertainment skills, while Ariel has her guard up from the very beginning. Several humorous moments ensue, like when a concierge tails her for a morning jog, mirroring her strides only a few steps behind. Similarly, another of Alfred’s cohorts wants to give Ariel a makeover and asks her an invasive question about her shaving habits. The humor escalates when Alfred later performs his single on stage with all the newcomers and unveils several suggestive dance moves while wearing an unorthodox costume. The camera flashes to close-ups on the surrounding fans entranced by the beat and repetitive lyrics. Even when it is evident the vibes will eventually take a sharp turn, the behavior of Alfred and his fans, met with Ariel’s skepticism, provides several big laughs. Opus quickly approaches the point of no return, where the comedy falls away and Alfred’s fans prove themselves capable of violence. Knowing that she and the others are being surveyed full time, she sneaks away through a window to recover her phone and computer. The somewhat friendly but overbearing concierge kicks her bedroom door in to look for her and finds her missing. The aggressive act and thud of her kick marks the end of the comedic part of the film and beginning of the horror and suspense. When Ariel realizes that she will not be escorted out but will instead have to run, hide and fight, the movie shifts to a darker mood and the action ensues. This part of the film still provides a couple of laughs but also more gore and suspense. Ultimately, it feels rushed and somewhat clunky. Like a gymnastics routine, films are ultimately judged by their dismount. Many moviegoers will question Opus ’s ending, which ironically enough seems to question us. Even if we can be observers of toxic fandom and ruminate over its effects, can we just as easily partake in it and even wish to be the object of it? Most of us want to be considered remarkable whether we are or not, meaning we can both be seduced by the fame of others and want it for ourselves. While we are all familiar with the idea of a cult in its most literal form, we readily join more subtle and assimilated versions of cults surrounding our favorite entertainers. Do we draw a line in how committed we are to them? It remains an individual choice; some of us choose different places to draw the line and others don’t draw it at all. Even when we think we have, we may jump at the chance to elevate our own status and influence others to be fanatics just the same. Opus incorporates intentional humor into its premise better than many other like-minded films. Movies that it may bring to mind include A24 predecessor Midsommar , as well as the 1970s film The Wicker Man and its more farcical 2006 remake featuring Nicolas Cage. A more recent work tackling the same subject was the Amazon Prime Original Swarm about a fan obsessed with a modern-day pop star. Opus chooses the more literal portrayal of a cult and features a dated pop star, which highlights just how much of a grip fame can have on fans, even long after a celebrity’s heyday. It holds a mirror up to us in the same way as Swarm while placing us in an environment like Midsommar and The Wicker Man . Though it provides a few more laughs thanks to well-timed gags and a very capable cast, Opus leaves us with some food for thought as well. 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 Talk to Me tackles peer pressure and the effects of witnessing violence A24, 2023 95 minutes Director/Writer: Danny Philippou / Michael Philippou Reading Time: 5 minutes Talk to Me A Most Sinister Kind (LQSZUBJOBXALHA5N) 00:00 / 05:00 📷 : Used with permission, Agustin R. Michel https://www.instagram.com/agustinrmichel https://twitter.com/AgustinrMichel https://www.behance.net/agustin_rmichel Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Chris Chaisson 2023-08-11 The phrase “elevated horror” has been thrown around in cinematic circles over the last few years, as horror directors aim for more depth in their stories. The term is meant to refer to horror stories that tie in to social or psychological issues. Many younger creators have touched on topics like social media addiction, grief and generational trauma with their works, a change of pace from the costumed villains of decades past. I recently re-watched a ‘90s film Menace II Society , an unflinchingly violent film about the final high school days of two friends growing up in Watts, California. What struck me most about the film was how every brutal moment had an innocent bystander who would likely face permanent emotional damage due to what they had just witnessed. Though part of a much different genre, Australian YouTubers Danny and Michael Philippou tackle this theme in their new A24 flick, Talk to Me . Talk to Me revolves around a group of high school aged students who use an embalmed hand cased in ceramic to conjure up spirits. After lighting a candle and holding the hand, they say, “Talk to me,” and a ghost appears to whomever is holding the hand. They then recite, “I let you in,” allowing the ghost to possess their body. The caveat is that after 90 seconds, the spirit will want to remain in the body, so they must let go of the hand and blow out the candle before the time is up. When the younger sibling of one student partakes, the spirit possessing his body causes him to inflict violence on himself, putting him in critical condition and ending the group’s enjoyment permanently. The A24 project, created by two brothers who own the popular YouTube channel “RackaRacka,” is certainly not the first horror movie to feature kids contacting spirits from beyond the grave. There have been several Ouija board-adjacent horror flicks in which the game goes terribly wrong. Where Talk to Me diverges from the others is its tie-in to contemporary pop culture trends. The teenagers do not partake in the activity to rebel against strict parents; they do it to fit in and gain attention. An unfortunate trend in recent years has been adolescents succumbing to dangerous challenges on social media that bring them harm and, in some cases, death. Though letting ghosts possess your body sounds, um… ill-advised , so does consuming laundry detergent or running across a series of large stacked crates. The film points out the intoxicating effects of fame and popularity, whether in a local or global community. As we see repeatedly, all that is needed to encourage foolish behavior are a couple of examples where nothing bad happens. The more individual sub-plot of Talk to Me is the stages of grief its protagonist, Mia (Sophie Wilde, The Portable Door ), experiences. Having witnessed her mother’s overdose, Mia struggles to come to terms with the loss of a loved one, as does her father. She lives with her friend Jade’s family, as her relationship with her father has been strained. With both having witnessed the life leave her mother’s body two years prior, Mia and her father both struggle to come to terms not only with the loss of life, but what they saw with their own eyes. They each carry the guilt of believing that she could have been saved. Mia’s infatuation with contacting the spirits compromises her judgment. Not only does Mia play along but encourages Jade’s little brother, Riley, to join in, putting him in a perilous situation against Jade’s wishes. After the teens all witness a violent, horrifying and consequential moment, the fun ends and the ancillary characters drift out of the story. While this puts even more focus on grief-stricken Mia, it also highlights how trends among youth come and go once a sobering and catastrophic moment occurs. Though Talk to Me mirrors Menace II Society in its depiction of young people witnessing death and violence, the two films hail from completely opposed dramas. Talk to Me ventures into the supernatural while Menace II Society is very grounded in the reality of its time period. A better comparison in the same genre would be the early 2000s thriller Joy Ride . Paul Walker and Steve Zahn play brothers on a cross-country trip who prank a truck driver on a CB radio, leading him on to think they are a woman that is interested in him. Once they reveal themselves, the truck driver wants vengeance and goes on a violent rampage. What the films do have in common is young people seeking attention, letting a game go too far, and having to cope with the horrifying, irreversible results. 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!