Hamnet. Directed by Chloe Zhao
It takes me a lot to get me to cry during a movie, and well Hamnet got me. And not only did it get mu, but it got me and every single member of the press to ugly cry for about two hours. Beautiful, tragic and heartbreaking, Hamnet rips your heart out of your chest as it explores how a child’s death influenced one of the most important and influential literary pieces in human history. Filled with haunting performances, stunning cinematography, and a beautiful score, Hamnet is a film that will stay with you.
Eternity. Directed by David Freyne
Eternity is much smarter than it had any right to be. Combining themes from The Good Place and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Eternity delivers a smart romantic dramedy set in the afterlife, where you must choose where to spend eternity and with whom. Led by Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olson, Callum Turner, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Eternity is existential, witty, and heartwarming, as it makes you question your life choices and what will you do in Eternity.
The Last Viking. Directed by Anders Thomas Jensen
Mixing his off-the-wall humor with a tight family drama, and a tad bit of action, Thomas Anders Jensen’s The Last Viking is a crowd-pleasing hoot. Both hysterical and heart felt, The Last Viking explores the brotherly bond between two entirely different brothers. With a hilarious type-cast breaking performance from Mads Mikkelsen, and a stoic action hero performance from Nikoaj Lie Kaas, The Last Viking will steal your heart.
The Smashing Machine. Directed by Benny Safdie.
The Smashing Machine is a raw and intimate biopic about Mark Kerr that was much better than what I expected it to be. Led by a career best performance from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, The Smashing Machine gives us a glimpse into the life of the tortured UFC fighter who helped bring the sport to America. Though underwritten, Bennie Safdie’s direction is strong and for fans of UFC, you will love it. If not, at the very least, it is a very interesting biopic.
Frankenstein. Directed by Guillermo del Toro
It has taken almost 200 years, but we have finally gotten the Frankenstein adaptation we deserve. Haunting gothic and strikingly beautiful, Guilermo del Toro brings Mary Shelly’s masterpiece to life. Featuring a career best performance from Jacob Elordi and with del Toro’s signature stylistic flair, Frankenstein will remind you who the real monster is.
Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5. Directed by Raoul Peck
Despite its heart being in the right place and it being well made, Orwell 2+2=5, preaches to the choir with its exploration of the rise of authoritarianism and facism around the world. Instead of exploring why this is happening, it is a PowerPoint presentation showing newsreels, movie clips, and documents, with George Orwell quotes, narrated by Damien Lewis, telling us bad things are to come. With no nuance with its subject matter and no attempt to challenge its target audience (this movie was made for liberals to feel good about themselves, and it makes no attempts to challenge them as they are massively contributing to this issue and conservatives are not going to watch this), the documentary is ironically the propaganda it hates.While I get what the documentary is saying, it is sadly out of touch and morally pretentious.
Ballad of a Small Player. Directed by Edward Berger
Ballad of a Small Player had everything going for it. A strong performance from Colin Farrell, hyperstylalized visuals, bombastic energy from director Edward Berger, and a fascinating premise about a gambling addict reaching for redemption, the film should not have dropped the ball as much as it did. But sadly, its underwritten and messy script, turns what could have been a masterpiece, into an unsalvageable train wreck. Proving the long held belief that no matter how well made a movie is, it can’t be saved from a terrible script.
Dust Bunny. Directed by Bryan Fuller
Bryan Fuller’s directorial debut left me with mixed feelings. While I loved the premise, the visuals (except the bad CGI), and the performances, Dust Bunny is a bit of a slog. Taking nearly an hour for the infamous, murdering Dust Bunny to arrive, it leads to a frustrating watch as you are simply left waiting for the story to get moving. However, once Dust Benny finally gets moving, it’s a glorious genre movie that is fun, silly, and a perfect midnight crowd-pleaser.
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