Not quite as many movies as I’d have hoped for with a four day holiday weekend, but I can’t complain too much. I’ve got some more time off coming up here, so I know I’ll be making up for it.
The Humans – Any chance I can get to go to the Nightlight Cinema near me, I try to take. It also helped that the performances in this dramatic thriller are getting some pretty strong Oscar buzz. That, combined with a very interesting cast was enough to sell me on it. But boy was this thing strange, and very uncomfortable! The premise of this film based on a play of the same name is simple, a family gets together for Thanksgiving at their youngest daughter’s new apartment. Firstly, this apartment is trash, and I’m sure that was the point given how close the camera got to almost every blemish in this place. Given that the apartment was almost barren, too, gave it a very eerie quality. I can’t blame Erik for getting scared out of his wits a good number of times throughout the evening. In fact, everyone gets spooked at least once. Aside from the quiet and unsettling scares, this movie is also a horror in that it shows what a typical family would probably go through during a Thanksgiving dinner. They flip from being loving and supportive to downright terrorizing each other. Nothing that close to people’s real lives are fun to watch, and yet, I couldn’t look away. This strange little indie isn’t for everyone, but it was definitely something special.
House of Gucci – Oh man, I wanted to disagree with the critics, but that 60% approval rating it’s holding onto makes a lot more sense to me now that I’ve seen it. Overall, let me just say that it was fine. It was far too long, but nothing was down right bad here. My biggest gripe was the tone. It literally flip-flopped all over the place! One minute it’s high energy, then it’s dead silent with serious dialogue, then it’s a short montage. It just couldn’t pick something and stick with it for very long. With that being said, I did think the performances were good. I’d be surprised if we didn’t see Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, and Jared Leto snag Oscar nods. Adam Driver seemed to disappear into the role, while Jared Leto seemed like he was making his own movie within this drama. I enjoyed it anyway. It broke up what was going on with everyone else and added some much needed laughs. I’m sure most of you have already seen this or are going to see it soon, so nothing I say will make a difference here. Just know it’s not ending up on any of my best of lists at the end of next month.
Night Teeth – In an effort to get current with Netflix’s newest cinematic offerings, I’ve finally made time for this spooky season effort. With a likeable cast this movie sure ended up more boring than I anticipated. Benny is covering for his brother as a driver for two vicious vampires with an agenda. They’re definitely going to use him as leverage or kill him to get to his older brother, but they make plenty of pit-stops before that happens. Debby Ryan is enjoyable here, and since my obsession with Looking, I’ll give any excuse to watch Raul Castillo in anything. This was a somewhat unique take on the vampire lore, but it was mediocre at best. Skip it and go check out zombie flick, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse instead (RIP Joey Morgan) if you want your Halloween fix in November.
Finding You – I have no clue why I thought I would enjoy this romantic drama. Actually, I do know. For the opportunity to see Kat McNamara in something. I miss Shadowhunters! Her role here is sparse though. Instead the film focuses on Finley Sinclair, a violinist looking for inspiration abroad in Ireland, where she keeps running into television heartthrob, Beckett Rush. Quicker than I expected the two fall for each other, so we’re treated to cute and unrealistic dates throughout the lush Irish countryside, but it wouldn’t be a very successful romantic drama if there weren’t some drama. Finley and Beckett are both more complex than they seem on the surface, and Finley ultimately has to make the tough decision of whether or not she wants this romance to endure. I’m sure this movie is for someone, but it just wasn’t for me.
The Harder They Fall – I’d been looking forward to this western for quite some time and I’m disappointed in myself for waiting this long to watch it! Again, this is another Netflix movie I needed to catch up on, but unlike Night Teeth, I’m glad I made time for this one! In a way, this movie is sort of like Spencer. Most of the people here are real, but the events likely aren’t. Nat Love is an outlaw who had a very traumatic childhood, so he spends his life looking for revenge. He’s got his own gang, and so does the perpetrator of his trauma, Rufus Buck. The two gangs meet up at first over some money scuffle, but obviously it turns more personal and ultimately more violent when they learn who each other are. The action is top-notch and the acting is equally as thrilling. Couple that with a stellar soundtrack and it’s no wonder this movie was a blast to watch! (No pun intended). Zazie Bates maybe stood out the most to me, but how can you compare when you’ve got the likes of Regina King, Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, and Lakeith Stanfield as co-stars. Definitely make time for this before the year is out.
Totally agree on this point “Adam Driver seemed to disappear into the role, while Jared Leto seemed like he was making his own movie within this drama.”.