This film is a sappy, feel-good love story, set against the backdrop of an imminent apocalyptic event. As odd as that may sound, I thought this film was beautiful. The leads were fantastic, and the film is full of funny, poignant little windows into what might happen were humans to know our guaranteed expiration date.
7.75/10
Everest
Everest had some large issues with pacing, and it feels like a majority of their time was misspent. They jammed in every character that went on the actual expedition, but failed to make me care about any of them. The desired emotional beats at the end, therefore, felt hollow and forced.
The film doesn't have any memorable set-pieces, and the action on the mountain is rather hard to follow. The dialogue is muffled due to the arctic winds, and the characters all blend together as most of their defining features are covered with snow gear.
5/10
The film doesn't have any memorable set-pieces, and the action on the mountain is rather hard to follow. The dialogue is muffled due to the arctic winds, and the characters all blend together as most of their defining features are covered with snow gear.
5/10
The Green Inferno
There are certainly scenes where this movie is exactly what you think it's going to be: tense, horrific, and disturbing. My issue with this film is that those scenes are too few in number, and they're surrounded by either boring exposition or people making really, really stupid decisions. The Green Inferno also features some glaring tonal issues.
4.75/10
4.75/10
Pawn Sacrifice
I love Chess, and games of strategy in general. I'm also endlessly intrigued with prodigal talents and brilliance manifested in a person. Films about people like Bobby Fischer are right in my wheelhouse.
This one, however, failed to capture the magic. It felt oddly paced, bloated, and unfocused. Maybe this was intentional, to evoke Fischer's mental decline, but it didn't come across that way.
5.5/10
This one, however, failed to capture the magic. It felt oddly paced, bloated, and unfocused. Maybe this was intentional, to evoke Fischer's mental decline, but it didn't come across that way.
5.5/10
Cop Car
The two kids are precocious and highly entertaining. They do a lot of dumb things, but you can see the kid-logic at work most of the time. Kevin Bacon was great, with a performance that walked the line between comedy and drama expertly. I have a small quibble with the ending, but overall I had a great time with this film.
7.75
7.75
The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
It's been over a year since I read the source material, so I could be way off, but it felt like they've changed quite a bit of the story. Of course I could just be mistaken.
This was a fine follow-up to the first film. It was neither great nor terrible, and pretty much exactly what anyone expects from these "YA novel" film adaptations. The action was slightly better than I had expected.
6.75/10
This was a fine follow-up to the first film. It was neither great nor terrible, and pretty much exactly what anyone expects from these "YA novel" film adaptations. The action was slightly better than I had expected.
6.75/10
Black Mass
2015 is the year of rebirth, apparently. An dystopian franchise, a director's thought-dead career, and now Johnny Depp. I thought he had been stuck in Captain Jack Sparrow mode, but this performance proved that wrong. He was menacing in nearly every scene, and his performance reminded me why he's one of the best.
That being said, the film could've been better. It was a very typical crime-boss story, and nothing really stood out as innovative or spectacular, save for Depp's performance.
7/10
That being said, the film could've been better. It was a very typical crime-boss story, and nothing really stood out as innovative or spectacular, save for Depp's performance.
7/10
Creep
Learn as little as you can about this film, and watch it on the strength of my recommendation and Mark Duplass' track record, which includes last year's 9/10 The One I Love. This is a much different film, but no less incredible.
9/10
9/10
People Places Things
This film explored a messy relationship with grace and charm. Jemaine Clement was stupendous, delivering a performance that felt natural and effortless. The comic panels sprinkled throughout the film were beautiful touch, and they added quite a bit to the character development.
9/10
9/10
The Visit
The Visit is a return-to-form for Shyamalan, and a beautiful love-letter to his audience, fans and foes alike. The film works on a baseline level; it was tense and terrifying, and those elements continue to build and build and build.
The film really excels on some more subtle levels, though, which may be hard to explain without spoiling the film. I was really impressed with how much I liked this. It wasn't enough to erase Shyamalan's horrible track record as of late, but it's a hell of a first step.
8.25/10
The film really excels on some more subtle levels, though, which may be hard to explain without spoiling the film. I was really impressed with how much I liked this. It wasn't enough to erase Shyamalan's horrible track record as of late, but it's a hell of a first step.
8.25/10
Turbo Kid
Turbo Kid is a perfect example of filmmakers who know exactly what they want their film to be, and who push that to its extreme. This film is pitch-perfect at every point, featuring bright colors on the backdrop of a drab wasteland, the amazing synth-pop soundtrack, and the comical, way-too-over-the-top Kill Bill-esque violence. Despite the absurdity of it all, everything felt natural and at home in this film.
I guess 2015 is the year of the batshit insane post-apocalyptic films that are somehow incredible?
9/10
I guess 2015 is the year of the batshit insane post-apocalyptic films that are somehow incredible?
9/10
The DUFF
The DUFF is a slightly better-than-average take on the tried-and-true high school film. It doesn't do any spectacular or innovative, and the tropes are all there. It is competently made, and features some nice visual after-effects, acknowledges and incorporates technology and social media, and I didn't feel as if I had wasted my ninety minutes.
6.75/10
6.75/10
The Wolfpack
A brilliant documentary about a truly bizarre situation. The direction, lighting, and sound conspire to add an unsettling sense of menace to the beginning of the film, and the story is engrossing and heartfelt.
8.75/10
8.75/10
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