Tag: Movie Review

The Exorcist: Believer (2023) | REVIEW

Ellen Burstyn in David Gordon Green’s THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER — PHOTO: Universal Pictures.

Directed by David Gordon Green (Halloween (2018); Halloween Kills; Halloween Ends) — Screenplay by Peter Sattler and David Gordon Green — Story by Scott Teems, Danny McBride, and David Gordon Green.

Based on the 1971 William Peter Blatty novel of the same name, William Friedkin’s 1973 film The Exorcist is often cited as one of the scariest films ever made. It is a brilliant film with unforgettable imagery, lines, and performances. Though what constitutes as being scary is ultimately subjective and can change over time, I think everyone with a working understanding of film history would agree that it is a culturally significant and iconic work of filmmaking that frightened audiences back then and, frankly, still does. Through sequels, attempts to recapture the immense power of The Exorcist largely failed. The original direct sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic is largely regarded as one of the worst films ever made, and attempts to make a prequel in the mid-to-early 2000s led to two versions of the same film, neither of which are remembered favorably. The one and only time it has worked — at least to some of us — to carry on with The Exorcist on the big screen was in 1990 when William Peter Blatty stepped behind the camera to craft a sequel with The Exorcist III, which features the always watchable George C. Scott in a lead role, as well as an unforgettable and effective jump-scare. Now, in 2023, studio heads have spent $400 million to distribute a sequel trilogy starting with this film, The Exorcist: Believer, from director David Gordon Green, who famously directed the recent Halloween sequel trilogy, which, like with this film, was also a Blumhouse-Universal collaboration. Now, while I wanted to like it, Green’s Halloween trilogy was a pretty significant disappointment to me. Similarly, I really wanted to like The Exorcist: Believer, but it, ultimately, doesn’t do enough to set it apart from other films like it. It’s a disappointingly inert start to the Exorcist sequel trilogy.

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Bastarden (2023) | REVIEW

Mads Mikkelsen as Ludvig Kahlen, an impoverished soldier who desires nobility, in BASTARDEN // THE PROMISED LAND — PHOTO: Henrik Ohsten / Zentropa / Nordisk Film.

Directed by Nikolaj Arcel — Screenplay by Nikolaj Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen (Retfærdighedens Ryttere).

Titles can be tricky. Titles are obviously an essential part of marketing as they clue audiences in on what they can expect to see. A poster can be manipulated. A trailer can be manipulated. But more often than not titles mean something to the creatives who worked on the film. Then, of course, there are International titles. In the case of this Danish historical epic, its original title is Bastarden, which literally means ‘The Bastard,’ but it is known internationally as The Promised Land. Frankly, both titles feel accurate. Then, of course, there is the title of the source material, which is a Danish historical novel from Ida Jessen titled The Captain and Ann Babara (originally Kaptajnen og Ann Barbara in Danish). Internationally, distributors went with The Promised Land, which I honestly think is a bit of a mistake as it is such a generic title that has been used over and over again. Now, The Bastard isn’t exactly completely original. Still, it feels less conventional and speaks to its two principal opponents, a person born out of wedlock and his despicable antagonist. Regardless of which title you find it under, this Danish epic is one that I highly recommend, as it features strong performances, gorgeous photography, and a fair bit of violence which keeps this period piece from ever feeling stuffy. 

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Aftersun (2022) | REVIEW

Frankie Corioo (L) and Paul Mescal (R) in Charlotte Wells’ AFTERSUN — PHOTO: A24.

Directed by Charlotte Wells — Screenplay by Charlotte Wells.

There is no getting around the fact that I am extremely late to the party when it comes to Charlotte Wells’ Aftersun. Frankly, there are two reasons for that. Firstly, the 2022 film was released in February of 2023 in my region, so I would always be late to the party for this film which was first released at the Cannes Film Festival in May of last year (and which was already one of the most celebrated films in critics’ circles long before Danes would even get the chance to see it). Secondly, its local release back in February was inconvenient for me, as it came out at a time when I was preparing myself for something quite time-consuming (and potentially draining) in the first half of the year, as well as the fact that I was also scrambling to cover new 2023 releases at that time. I was, honestly, overwhelmed at that time — both in my daily life and by the hype that had snowballed rapidly for months with no end in sight. 

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NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU (2023) | REVIEW

Kaitlyn Dever hiding from an Alien in NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU — PHOTO: 20th Century Studios.

Directed by Brian Duffield — Screenplay by Brian Duffield.

It is possible to sometimes find true hidden gems in the vast library of streaming services. Frankly, sometimes studios opt to dump strong films onto streaming services, even though the film in question possesses a clear and obvious theatrical release potential. This is one of those occasions. Brian Duffield’s NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU is the kind of horror science-fiction film that knows exactly what it is and how it can carve out its own place among the many inspirations that will probably be clear for most people to see. It’s exactly the kind of film that I would go crazy for in theaters, but which we have been provided with from the comfort of our own homes. Subscribers of Hulu (or Disney+ depending on your location) have been given a special little science-fiction invasion film about alienation and a specific alien home invasion. 

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A Haunting in Venice (2023) | REVIEW

Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot in A HAUNTING IN VENICE — PHOTO: 20th Century Studios.

Directed by Kenneth Branagh — Screenplay by Michael Green.

Trying to play an iconic character that has been portrayed by a litany of actors is a challenge. The challenge is more than doubled when you’re also the chief creative involvement shepherding the entire production. Such is the case for Kenneth Branagh with his Agatha Christie adaptation film series, in which he plays her mustachioed Belgian star detective, Hercule Poirot. After two so-so or at best lukewarm entries with his versions of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, Branagh has taken a far less well-known story and adapted it for his third attempt. So, is the third time the charm for Branagh’s Poirot? Well, I’ll say this, it is by far the most interesting of his three Poirot whodunnit adaptations thus far, even though it’s not without issues.

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Influencer (2023) | REVIEW

Emily Tennant (Left) and Cassandra Naud (Right) in INFLUENCER — PHOTO: Jackrabbit Media.

Directed by Kurtis David Harder — Screenplay by Tesh Guttikonda and Kurtis David Harder.

Kurtis David Harder’s Influencer takes place in Thailand where we meet Madison (played by Emily Tennant), the titular influencer, who is documenting her journey through the country as a way to promote her profile as an influencer. In Thailand, she meets CW (played by Cassandra Naud), a young American woman, who Madison befriends. CW excitedly shows Madison the local hotspots and they hit it off, with Madison trusting CW enough to open up about her own frustrations with her boyfriend, Ryan (played by Rory J. Saber), who was supposed to be there with her. One day, Madison returns to her hotel in Thailand to find that it has been broken into and her passport has been stolen. Madison has to stay for a few additional days, so she decides to hang out with CW more. CW decides to sail them to a remote, deserted island with no cellphone coverage. Here Madison gets back in touch with nature, but she is also about to find out how dangerous it can be to be disconnected from the online life she has built for herself.

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Vacation Friends 2 (2023) | REVIEW

Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, Meredith Hagner, and John Cena in VACATION FRIENDS 2 — PHOTO: Katrina Marcinowski / 20th Century Studios.

Directed by Clay Tarver — Screenplay by Clay Tarver.

Two years ago, Vacation Friends was released on Hulu, Disney+, or one of the other international Disney-owned streaming services. It boasted a relatively strong main cast, and it was a solid and charming enough comedy flick that I enjoyed much more than I expected to. Back then, I found that John Cena’s excitable comedic energy elevated what was essentially a passable but definitely enjoyable streaming comedy. Parts of that first film felt disposable, but there was enough good there for me to remember the so-so original comedy fondly. Now, two years later, Clay Tarver and 20th Century Studios have gotten the original cast back together for a direct sequel hoping to recapture that same magic. Tarver doesn’t fully succeed, even though there are moments here that do work (and some that work better on paper than as it has been carried out on screen).

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Strays (2023) | REVIEW

Bug, Reggie, Maggie, and Hunter are considering whether they should eat the mushrooms in front of them. — PHOTO: UNIVERSAL PICTURES.

Directed by Josh Greenbaum — Screenplay by Dan Perrault.

Recently, Adam Devine blamed superhero films for comedies failing in theaters (or not even being given a theatrical release). I’ve opined elsewhere that I don’t think that tells the full story. I think the Adam Sandler-Netflix comedy deal, which sent several Sandler-led or produced comedies straight to the streaming service, has changed the landscape for the genre by changing where audiences expect to see comedies. With that deal, I suspect audiences have been trained to think that the comedy genre’s biggest stars call streaming services their home. With the state of modern theatrically released comedies being what it is, I absolutely would love to champion the latest of the bunch to go with a familiar concept and take it in a direction that you haven’t seen before. Strays (or Doggy Style as it is called in certain territories, including mine) is essentially a modern retelling of Homeward Bound but with the kind of R-rated comedy that worked wonderfully for films like Ted but not so much for Sausage Party. Unfortunately, I can’t fully support Strays. Because even though it does have its moments here and there, it’s ultimately just the kind of repetitive and immature raunchy comedy that made me ponder who exactly it was made for in the first place. Frankly, its repetitive comedy would probably be a better fit — and be easier to excuse — on, well, a streaming service.

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Extraction 2 (2023) | REVIEW

Chris Hemsworth as Tyler Rake in EXTRACTION 2 — PHOTO: Jasin Boland / Netflix.

Directed by Sam Hargrave (Extraction) — Screenplay by Joe Russo (The Gray Man; Avengers: Endgame).

Sam Hargrave’s Extraction 2 takes place nine months after the events of the first film. The so-called ‘myth of Mumbai,’ Tyler Rake (played by Chris Hemsworth) has opted to retire from his time as a mercenary to live a quiet life in Austria and recover. That’s until a stranger (played by Idris Elba) approaches him with another extraction mission. Ketevan (played by Tinatin Dalakishvili), the sister of Rake’s ex-wife, has alongside her two children been locked up by her incarcerated Georgian crime boss husband, who abuses and manipulates his family. It is Rake’s job to get Ketevan and her children out alive, and, in the process, take on a crime syndicate and an entire prison in the process.

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Vanskabte Land (2022) | REVIEW

Elliott Crosset Hove as ‘Lucas’ in GODLAND / VANSKABTE LAND — PHOTO: Maria von Hausswolff / Scanbox Entertainment.

International Title: Godland — Icelandic Title: Volaða land — Directed by Hlynur Pálmason — Screenplay by Hlynur Pálmason.

Hlynur Pálmason’s Vanskabte Land takes place in the late 19th Century when Iceland was under Danish rule. The film follows a young Danish priest named Lucas (played by Elliott Crosset Hove) who is instructed to travel to Iceland and oversee the establishment of a new parish church in a Danish settlement. In spite of the fact that he has been warned about the harsh weather, the landscape, and the overwhelming temperatures, Lucas decides against merely sailing directly to the Danish settlement, and he, instead, decides to take on an arduous journey across Iceland and witness the country’s wonders and dangers firsthand for the purpose of documenting it with his extremely heavy camera equipment. Lucas, however, has bit off way more than he can chew, as the new overwhelming environment makes him ill-tempered and unprepared to even try to learn the language. When he loses his translator, Lucas is overcome with despair and growing animosity towards his guide, Ragnar (played by Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson), who has a complicated relationship with the Danish language.

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