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Reviews
Annihilation (2018)
An Appropriately Nuanced Flick
While this was my seventh or eighth time finishing up Annihilation, I still am able to appreciate the levels of detail and nuance present in the film, while also finding new things that I never saw before.
Director Alex Garland is a tour de force when it comes to making media that feels like there's no way that it could ever happen, but there's just enough of a sprinkle of science or math in the script to make it feel quasi-possible (see Devs and Ex Machina).
Throughout Annihilation though, complete with stunning imagery and eye-catching effects (at least for the $40m budget it was produced upon), there is a sense of a larger theme to be understood here, very similar to Arrival or any of author Ted Chiang's works. While I have not read the book, it's certainly at the forefront of my reading list.
For nerds who don't like sci-fi, this is the movie for you. For people who love recommending others movies, I would (and have) say to recommend it to others, but snobbiness aside, this film isn't for people who watch movies for face value action/effects. While it has great examples of those (and some top-notch body horror), it will not quite resonate with people on a large scale, which is unfortunate due to the mastery of the plot and hypnotizing choreography. There are so many adaptations of great science fiction moves and novellas waiting to be made, and I am glad that this one caught my eye when it was released so that I can cross reference the film to the source material, and give the author credit where it is due (I'm also a book-better-than-the-movie Puritan).
If you're looking for a movie bored on a weekend or weeknight with nothing to do, this will aptly satisfy and quench your desire to know about what could be.
Midsommar (2019)
Bizarre, but satisfying
Just got out of the theater after the midnight release of Ari Aster's second feature film, Midsommar. My gut reaction was negative, but by putting together different plot points and comparing the attention to detail that was a highlight of his 2018 film Hereditary, I am more than satisfied with the end result. For example, the painting above Dani's bed features a bear and a young girl with some sort of tiara or crown on her head, foreshadowing the gruesome end for her boyfriend.
If you are looking for a summer horror film, you will be disappointed with Midsommar's lack of true evil horror, but will likely come out of the theater feeling satisfied with the substance of the bizarre and wicked coming full circle to create a narrative which, similar to Hereditary, has a more abstract and impactful meaning than simply shock value horror (yet, this aspect is not at all ignored in the movie). Hereditary and Midsommar share a very exclusive genre which bonds intense thrillers with creepy paganism, yet also touches the familial nerve, and illustrates both healthy and unhealthy ways to process grief and relationships, whether they be familial or not.
All in all, the movie was definitely worth the watch for those who are into experimentalist horror films (such as The Wicker Man), but one needs to keep an eye open for important allusions and foreshadowing motifs for over two hours, which can get tiring after a while.
Shaft (2019)
What more can you expect?
Although I gave Shaft a 6/10, it captures the essence of what Shaft is about: flirting with women and killing the bad guys.
The dialog is near unbearable in some parts of the film, but eventually gets better as the movie progresses, especially when the original Shaft, Richard Roundtree comes into play for a few witty one-liners.
The action comes and goes, but overall, this was an enjoyable film, seeing how I saw it with my dad (who grew up in the Roundtree era) over Father's Day weekend.
Unsane (2018)
Eye-catching, but not exactly original.
I first saw a trailer for this movie on an Instagram ad (cue the millennial jokes) and decided to rent it from my friendly neighborhood Redbox the next day.
I looked up the cast before I watched it, and thought it to be an interesting vehicle, seeing Jay Pharoah do a 180 from his usual SNL shtick. I also thought that the plot, at least what I could gather from the trailer, was somewhat creative in the modern thriller/horror era, with regards to the fact that it wasn't a sequel, prequel, or reboot of any variety.
I thoroughly enjoyed the acting throughout, from Claire Foy and Joshua Leonard alike. I thought that their dynamic worked very well for a low-budget indie movie of this variety. I also enjoyed the supporting cast (including Pharoah) which added another layer of nuance to the characters and their development throughout the film.
However, I do have one gripe. The film was slightly predictable, and while Foy does not end up in a mental whirlwind over whether or not her stalker was legitimate to begin with, it still falls prey to the provocative thriller type with an ending in the middle of the woods, and a quasi-twist to finish it out.
Regardless, I enjoyed this movie and found it to be worthy of my rental. Even though the ending wasn't quite the most original I've seen, it was quite good for a small budget indie, and more than watchable. 7/10.