MOVIE REVIEW: THE NUN II

 

In 1956 France, a priest is violently murdered, and Sister Irene begins to investigate. She once again comes face-to-face with a powerful evil.

Director: Michael Chaves

Cast: Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons, Storm Reid, Anna Popplewell

Release Date: September 8, 2023

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Rated R for violent content and some terror.

Runtime: 1h 50m

The first Nun was a rather flat collection of religious horror clichés that didn't really justify The Conjuring spinoff.  The sequel still leans heavily on been there, done that horror set ups and scares but its story is more engaging and focused with a final act that takes you through a gonzo cornucopia funhouse that's undeniably fun.  Michael Chaves's third film in the overall universe is the most visually appealing of the bunch.  He uses long hallways and streets to solid effect even though there are too many rinse and repeat moments where character's wander around some dimly light environment before the monster inevitably reveals itself in a jump scare.  Still, there's a level of care in the set ups that makes for a visually appealing film that gives it a distinctive look exemplified by an impressive set up at a magazine rack midway through the film.  Taissa Farmiga and Jonas Bloquet return from the original film with both being given converging story threads.  Farmiga doesn't look as young as she did in the original which helps for the role but she still struggles to find the right level of authenticity to make her role more engaging than it is.  Pairing her with the talented Storm Reid should work better than it does but she's saddled with very little to do with the most generic motivation and background.  Jonas Bloquet is given more screen time this go around which works since he's has a likable screen presence even though his subplot is rather blasé.  Regardless of the script's shortcoming The Nun II is surprisingly watchable thrill ride for the better part of its runtime even though there's nary a bit of tension built up since you know where the film is going. 

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: MISSING

 

When her mother disappears while on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend, June's search for answers is hindered by international red tape. Stuck thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, June creatively uses all the latest technology at her fingertips to try and find her before it's too late. However, as she digs ever deeper, her digital sleuthing soon raises more questions than answers.

Director: Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick

Cast:  Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Amy Landecker, Daniel Henney, Nia Long

Release Date: January 20, 2023 

Genre: Drama, Thriller 

Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, language, teen drinking, and thematic material.

Runtime: 1h 51m

Review:

2018's Searching was a fairly impressive thriller that used our modern screen centric life to great effect.  Missing serves as an in universe follow up with a stand alone story that only references the first film in passing during it's opening via a true crime show retelling. First time directors Nicholas D. Johnson and Will Merrick do a solid job of establishing their setting and character dynamics early on before moving onto the central mystery.  It’s a kinetic series of window and screens that feel authentic for the better part of the film even when the plot starts to stretch credibility.  The central mystery is engaging enough to let you buy into some of larger logical leaps the story takes especially in its final act.  It’s an immensely watchable film due in large part to its effective cast lead by Storm Reid.  Reid carries the film with impressive ease especially since she's mainly performing on her own and reacting to what she sees onscreen.  She possesses a believable authenticity which makes the film work much more than it would in the hands of a lesser actress.  The supporting cast is solid but there's a noticeable drop off from Reid's work with Joaquim de Almeida faring the best.  Missing does falter a bit once the reveal occurs, especially since its telegraphed fairly early on, but that doesn't keep the film from being far more engrossing and entertaining than it should be.

B

MOVIE REVIEW: THE INVISIBLE MAN

The Invisible Man is a 2020 science fiction horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell. A contemporary adaptation of the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells and a reboot of The Invisible Man

  

Director: Leigh Whannell

Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Oliver Jackson-Cohen

Release Date: February 28, 2020

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi

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

Runtime: 2h 5min

Review:

The opening of The Invisible Man might give you flashback of Julia Roberts' very 90s thriller Sleeping with The Enemy.  Leigh Whannell sets the stage nicely for the this reboot which changes the basis of the story, making it timely and effective.  Whannell shows a talent for crafting impressive shots that create tension without falling back on cheap jump scares, even though there are a handful of those.  The film is a slow burn and it at its best during the first two thirds of the film.  During that time, the pervasive and ever present sensation of being watched is ever present on Elisabeth Moss's character.  Moss, whose mastered playing frayed tortured woman, is perfectly suited for the role. Her performance carries the film making it far more impactful than it would have been in lesser hands.  She's always the most interesting thing on screen which is an impressive task considering she's reacting to nothing for the better part of the film.  Aldis Hodge is strong in a supporting role even though you are left wishing he'd been given a bit more to do.  Thematically the story works as a horror show for the women who've been abused or stalked but it's final act suffers a bit as the sci-fi portion of the story is resolved.  The final showdown is predictable from the start, so much so that you wish Whannell had played a bit more with the main character's state of mind. A bit more ambiguity would have given the film even more impact but still you have to respect how well this reboot pull off the 90s thriller vibe. 

B+

April Sokol's Review of A Wrinkle in Time

Movie review: A Wrinkle in Time

A Wrinkle in Time is the latest adaptation of the beloved children's book of the same name.

Directed by Ava DuVernay

Starring: Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Levi Miller, Chris Pine, Zach Galifianakis and Michael Pena

My review:

Before I start writing I feel as though I should introduce you all to the 12 year old version of myself that was. I was awkward. Lonely. Bookish. Isolated. And completely saved by this book. Meg Murray was one of my very first heroes. Ever. So this movie is directed at a very personal area of me. Even with a stern talking to....my own personal expectations for this movie was pretty high. I'm going to do my level best to divorce the movie from the book. But as any avid book lover knows, that is far easier said than done. But here goes:

A Wrinkle in Time is the story of Meg and her little brother Charles Wallace on a quest to locate their missing father. They are guided on their travels out of our known galaxy by 3 celestial beings (Mrs Which, Mrs Whosit and Mrs Who played by Winfrey, Witherspoon and Kaling respectively). The epic quest quickly goes from lighthearted to dangerous as they're forced to confront the growing evil entity known as The It.

Let's get right to it. Is it any good? Well yes, it is. Is it as good as the book? Of course it's not.

We'll get the bad out of the way. All of the goodwill that was built in the 1st and 2nd acts of the movie is lost as the 3rd act slowly careens off the rails. I found the last 30 minutes or so of the movie to move at a snail's pace. The set up for the final showdown between good and evil was laborious. Were the problems so egregious that I ended up hating the final product? No. But it does feel like a sort of almost miss when you step back and examine the final product as a whole.

Let's get back to the good, shall we? The visuals are stunning. Mrs Whosit (Witherspoon) was really the stand out for me. Her perfect amount of whimsy was spot on. I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged I was with the young actress who played Meg (Reid). The success of this movie was always going to rise or fall upon her shoulders. It's a heavy weight for one so young (Reid is only 14 years old). The themes of this movie are timeless and were handled with deft hands. I felt more than once as though Momma Oprah was speaking wisdom directly to the bruised 12 year old child that still lives inside of me. Loving yourself, not in spite of your flaws, but because of them is a wonderful lesson for children and adults alike. Yet DeVernay never allowed this to creep into the saccharin territory of the too sweet.

A Wrinkle in Time clocks in at 2 hours and is rated PG for thematic elements and peril. I give it a very solid 3 ½ stars out of 5.