Now, I wouldn’t say any of these movies were patriotic, but the holiday weekend did provide me with more time to watch movies! So for that, I am thankful – ‘Merica!
Zola – Oh man was this worth the wait! A comedy-drama that premiered at Sundance in what seems like eons ago (last year), finally has made its way out into the world, and THIS is what I feel like is a welcome back to the independent film world. Sure, there are plenty to be had, but this and A24 provide the weird, and I’m always here for that. Zola is the nickname of our protagonist, who in real life was part of a viral 2015 Twitter thread recounting the events of a bizarre road trip gone horribly wrong. Zola meets white trash Stefani, who convinces her to drive around Florida and make some serious cash dancing at clubs. After only one club stop, Stefani’s pimp turns the trip into a prostitution gig, and Stefani’s dopey boyfriend seems to just be along for the ride. Aesthetically, think Spring Breakers meets Hustlers, only so much better. I cannot tell you how much I laughed at this (clearly intentional), and it’s perhaps the funniest thing I’ve seen this year since Barb and Star Go to Vista del Mar! It’s a must-see people!
The Forever Purge – In this fifth, and apparently final, installment of The Purge series, we’re propelled back into the “present” world of this universe. The annual purge is taking place as normal, but this time with a focus on Mexican immigrants. After the purge is over however, those are the exact folks who are being targeted by some supremacist group. They dub this the “forever purge” and I can’t help but be reminded of the capitol riots that took place earlier this year. It’s cringeworthy and should be a hard look in the mirror to some people. Now, these films have always been political, and more on the side of democracy, so I can’t say that it’ll reach its intended audience, but at least the final message was that the good guys were teaming up against these bigots. Certainly not the best, but most definitely better than others in this franchise.
No Sudden Move – I really like Steven Soderbergh, and after finishing Mosaic recently I was really looking forward to another taut crime thriller. This definitely delivered, although it did feel tedious at times. Also, if anyone out there has watched the last season of Fargo, this seems to almost be re-hashing the exact same beef! It’s the black mob verses the Italian mob, but this time the two opposing sides meet in the middle and work together to make some money. The amount of star-power in this film is enough to make anyone excited, but Matt Damon really shines here. This movie is an HBO Max exclusive, so if you’ve got it, watch it.
Fear Street Part 1: 1994 – Honestly, I wasn’t sure what I should be expecting here. Growing up I never read anything by R.L. Stine because it seemed too scary, but I also know they are kids’ novels. Well, some liberties were definitely taken here, but it made for stronger output in my opinion. The driving force of the events of the film are at first a mall murder, but then more importantly a queer romance. Deena and Sam’s fight at a football game/vigil leads to Sam disturbing a witches grave. Then suddenly they are all being hunted down by past people who were possessed by the witch, intent on making Sam die too. There was passion, gore, and laughs, but this movie kept me on the edge of my seat! I also wasn’t sure how this three-part film series was going to be connected, but they did a fine job teeing up next week’s installment.
The Human Voice – The man who directed The Skin I Live In and Tilda Swinton made a short film and you bet your ass I jumped on watching this! What I wasn’t expecting was the gut-punch this film left me with. Abandonment in the word, and boy does Pedro Almodovar deliver. We see Swinton’s character lement as a she waits for her ex-lover to pick up his bags, although he never does. To combat the crushing feeling, she herself decides to leave this world. Something her dog doesn’t seem to understand. Not for the faint of heart, but impactful nonetheless.
Good on Paper – This might have been good on paper, but that doesn’t mean it was good on film. Sorry, it was a gimmie. This apparently true-ish story that comedian Iliza Schlesinger lived through is parodied in this film that so happens to be interspersed with clips of her stand-up referencing these events. What I get from it is that essentially she was catfished. She becomes friends with a dude named Dennis that she meets on a flight, and that eventually turns into a romantic relationship. All seems to be going well until her friend’s doubts start getting into her head. Thank goodness she has a friend who doesn’t give up! Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing Ryan Hansen in things, but this wasn’t the greatest thing. There’s better for you out there, so go watch that stuff instead.
Haywire – I remember when I worked at a local video store that we had an obscene amount of copies of this film and they were always all rented out consistently. Since I was on a Steven Soderbergh run, I decided to give this film a go. It was pretty enthralling! Mallory is a private intelligence agent who is getting duped at every corner. Too bad for everyone that she’s a freaking beast! I learned that lead actress Gina Careno (recently in hot water for some controversial Tweets) did all of her own stunts, which partially explained why some of them looked a little clunky. But hey, that’s seriously impressive! I’m sure all of her famous male counterparts couldn’t say the same. Speaking of male counterparts, the supporting cast is top-notch here. If you like action, mystery, and anything Soderbergh, definitely give this flick a watch.
Keep the Lights On – Sigh. For such a short film, this thing was beyond boring. Erik meets Paul in what at first is just going to be a casual hook-up, but then the two start dating long-term. Things get really rocky when Paul’s casual drug and alcohol use become debilitating. Even though he gets clean a couple of times and it’s clear the love they share is deep, they ultimately don’t want the same thing in the end. I mean, that synopsis makes it seem compelling, but I promise the only really interesting bits come from the always superb Julianne Nicholson.