MOVIE REVIEW: THE LODGE

During a family retreat to a remote winter cabin over the holidays, the father is forced to abruptly depart for work, leaving his two children in the care of his new girlfriend, Grace. Isolated and alone, a blizzard traps them inside the lodge as terrifying events summon specters from Grace's dark past.

Director: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

Cast: Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Alicia Silverstone, Richard Armitage

Release Date: February 7, 2020

Genres: Fantasy, Drama, Horror, Thriller

Rated R for disturbing violence, some bloody images, language and brief nudity

Runtime: 1h 48min

Review:

The Lodge is the kind of horror film that constantly reminds you of other better films while it struggles to find its own identity.  Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala mines films like The Shining, The Others and even bits of Hereditary.  The film is visually impressive with several shots leaving a lasting impression.  The mood and general feel is ominous and oppressive, the fact that they maintain it for the better part of the film’s runtime is fairly impressive.  The performances are all strong across the board.  Alicia Silverstone kicks of the film with a strong performance that leaves an impression and definitely sets the mood for the rest of the film.  That being said this is truly Riley Keough’s film.  Her performance here is avsubtle but measured decent into madness.  Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh turn in solid supporting performances with neither ever breaking into annoying child actors syndrome.  If the film has an issue it’s that the air of mystery that’s prevalent during the first two thirds of the film should have been maintained longer into the final act since the reveal takes a bit of a steam out of the film.  A bit more ambiguity would have served the better and made it a truly special entry into the horror genre.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: LOGAN LUCKY

West Virginia family man Jimmy Logan teams up with his one-armed brother Clyde and sister Mellie to steal money from the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Jimmy also recruits demolition expert Joe Bang to help them break into the track's underground system. Complications arise when a mix-up forces the crew to pull off the heist during a popular NASCAR race while also trying to dodge a relentless FBI agent.
Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Daniel Craig, Katie Holmes, Riley Keough

Release Date: Aug 18, 2017

Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Rated PG-13 for language and some crude comments

Review:

Logan Lucky is a fun energetic return for Steven Soderbergh after a 4 year “retirement.”  This heist caper is like a Dixie styled Ocean’s 11 with a good sense of fun.  It never takes itself too serious and knows how to keep the audiences attention from waning.  Soderbergh’s direction is slick as always, resulting in a breezy film that never really feels long or hits many dips in energy.  The cast is all fully committed with each member giving a fun if occasionally understated performances, except for Daniel Craig who’s clearly having a ball.  Most of the characters are broadly drawn but they do their job in service of  the story.  Only a handful of them feel out of place like Seth McFarland over the top Nascar owner and Hilary Swank’s under baked FBI agent who shows up far to late in the game to be taken seriously.  Still, Logan Lucky a welcome return for Soderbergh and his film making style.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: IT COMES AT NIGHT

A married couple (Joel Edgerton and Carmen Ejogo) and their teenage son (Kelvin Harrison) isolate themselves from the rest of humanity when a mysterious plague throws civilization into chaos, but their secluded existence is threatened when a young family seek shelter with them. Christopher Abbott and Riley Keough co-star. Written and directed by Trey Edward Shults (Trey Edward Shults). ~ Jack Rodgers, Rovi

Director: Trey Edward Shults

Cast: Joel Edgerton, Riley Keough, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo

Release Date: Jun 09, 2017

 
Rated R for Disturbing Images, Violence and Language

Runtime: 1 hr. 37 min.

Genres: Horror, Suspense/Thriller

Review:

Trey Edward Shults second film, It Comes at Night is being sold as a straight forward horror film which doesn’t do it any favors.  It Comes at Night is a claustrophobic paranoia themed thriller in post apocalyptic window dressing.  It’s a fantastically crafted film that just reeks of talent throughout.  Shults clearly has some talent behind the lens which is aided by some wonderful cinematography which echoes Stanley Kubrick.  It’s the very definition of a slow burn and the cast is utterly committed with each giving understated but strong performances.  Unfortunately, the story seems a tad bit undercooked.  It’s meditation on tragedy and paranoia are simplistic to say the least.  Its story is light on answers and those looking for any sort of a payoff or resolution will be let frustrated.  Perhaps it’s the point or just exemplification of Shults worldview.   Even though it’s not a film that people will be clamoring to revisit, its sparse runtime seems longer than it is, it’s a fine showcase for an impressive directorial talent. 

B-