An extra day off work means more time for movies! Admittedly, not nearly as many as I would have preferred, but still a suitable and eclectic bunch.
Evil Does Not Exist – I only learned about this movie a few weeks ago when I did my double feature at the Nightlight Cinema, so it’s only natural that I headed back there to catch this quiet suspenseful drama. From the director who gave us the sprawling drama, Drive My Car, comes an equally languid tale about the every day life in a small, rural Japanese town. This small community relies heavily on the nature surrounding them, but they work in a way that is harmonious and as non-destructive as they can be without it hindering a way of life. That all changes when a company comes in almost demanding to build a “glamping” site for budding tourism. The natural world ends up paralleling the real world in quick succession in the last twenty minutes or so that at first had me scratching my head, but once I pieced it altogether, I have to say this was a brilliant film
I Saw the TV Glow – Just as ambiguous was this Sundance midnight feature that I didn’t get the opportunity to watch back in late January. This director already made a splash last year, so it seems she upped the ante with this world-bending, science fiction horror. Owen is an introvert of a young teen who runs into an almost equally awkward, yet slightly older Maddie who both connect over a disturbing kids show, The Pink Opaque. Maddie’s whole life revolves around this show and it’s only when she disappears for a number of years and comes back that Owen’s world gets turned on his head. It’s hard to know for sure whether this alternate reality is really real, or if there is something mentally not quite right with the pair. The answer is never fully presented and I’m honestly not quite sure which way I’m leaning. The style of this film was really cool and the soundtrack was terrific! Not for everyone, but certainly unique.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a decade since Mad Max: Fury Road was released in theaters, but here we are, learning about the beginning of Furiosa’s tale. Though I like Anya Taylor-Joy, I was having a hard time picturing her in role that Charlize Theron totally owned, but Joy was able to crush it while still paying a sort of homage to Theron’s portrayal. We meet a very young Furiosa as she’s taken hostage by some desert biker-gang. Their plans for her aren’t necessarily nefarious; they just want to know the “green land” where she came from. Furiosa is one tough cookie and never gives her people or their home up even after they torture and kill her mother. Instead, she endures their brutality and then the brutality of Immortan Joe and his people. She finally gets her revenge in another epic desert car chase, but she needs a break! For those that love action, I don’t think you can go wrong watching any of the Mad Max films.
Arcadian – Somehow, Nicolas Cage films are still getting released totally under the radar even with the endless hits he’s had over the last several years. And this science fiction horror film has been well-received by critics, too! I did miss it in a very limited theatrical run, but to my surprise it showed up available to rent not long after. Cage plays the father of twin teenage boys in a post-apocalyptic world. There aren’t too many families left, and those that are have to worry about getting attacked by these truly terrifying creatures hell-bent on purging the earth of humans. When he gets gravely injured, these brothers have to work together to stay safe. I wasn’t expecting to jump as many times as I did, and those creatures really gave me the willies. A unique take on the post-apocalypse genre, for sure.
The Idea of You – I’ve been putting off the latest hot-topic rom-com solely because Anne Hathaway is the lead. She’s still really hit or miss for me, and this one proved to be an awkward miss. She plays Solene, an art gallery owner who gets roped into taking her teenage daughter to Coachella after her ex-husband bails. While there, she has a really random encounter with Hayes Campbell, a heartthrob in a boy band her daughter used to like. They are both shy and maybe flirting, but you know it’s something when he tracks her gallery down the next day. From there, they embark on a “controversial” romance where the recently turned-forty Solene is getting picked apart by the media and fans alike. I guess this was based off a book and the author said this was not based on Harry Styles life, but she’s honestly kidding herself. As a Directioner, this might as well have been a non-fiction film. Still, we get a happy ending, no matter how brief.