MOVIE REVIEW: BEAU IS AFRAID

Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic, Kafkaesque odyssey back home.

Director: Ari Aster

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan, Kylie Rogers, Parker Posey, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Hayley Squires, Michael Gandolfini, Zoe Lister-Jones, Richard Kind

Release Date: April 21, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Drama,Horror

Rated R for strong violent content, sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language.

Runtime: 2h 59m

Review:

Ari Aster's absurdist waking nightmare Beau is Afraid is the type of film that's guaranteed to divide people for a variety of reasons.  Aster creates a massive metaphorical hellscape peppered with every different type of anxiety imaginable.  Needless to say it's a behemoth of story that will take an insane amount of time to digest what's being splattered onscreen at any given moment.  What's even more surprising is the amount of dark humor that is peppered throughout its rather expansive runtime.  Joaquin Phoenix carries the film as the tragic soul who embarks on this twisted hero's journey.  Phoenix is the perfect type of actor to take on such a massive undertaking.  His character is a collection of anxiety riddled sadness and failures made human thanks to Phoenix's sublime performance.  Its an impressive performance that rarely falters even in the face of the increasingly bizarre and fantastical elements come into play.  Nathan Lane, Amy Ryan and Kylie Rogers get a large chunk of screen time in one of the film's earlier chapters with all three doing solid work with Rogers proving just as capable as the veteran actors.  Patti LuPone and Zoe Lister-Jones make for an impressive one two punch as the older and younger versions of Beau's mother with each leaving their scathing mark on the film.  Parker Posey and Richard Kind have smaller supporting roles but they both make the most of their screen time.  The performances are strong across the board but its style and structure make it Aster's least accessible film since it rarely, if ever, plays on a literal plane opting for something more abstract.  There will be a variety of ways to dissect what the film is all about from a bevy of viewpoints for those who are willing to engage in its collected insanity.  Beau is Afraid isn't going to be for everyone but those allow themselves to take the journey will find plenty to ponder about long after the film is over.  

B

MOVIE REVIEW: EVIL DEAD RISE

A reunion between two estranged sisters gets cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

Director: Lee Cronin

Cast: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, Nell Fisher

Release Date: April 14, 2023

Genre: Horror

Rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, and some language

Runtime: 1h 36m

Review:

Ten years after the last remake, Evil Dead Rises manages to deliver the kind of experience that is sure to please long time fans of the series.  Lee Cronin's film walks the tightrope between gruesome, splatter horror and dark humor something that Fede Alvarez's overly serious 2013 entry lacked.  Cronin delivers a series of well staged and appropriately gory sequences that deliver some genuine tension and scares.  It’s an energetic film that doesn't let up once the claustrophobic horror show starts.  It shouldn't come as a surprise that this film isn't for the squeamish since there are buckets of blood and viscera thrown at the screen with a gleeful sort of confidence that fits right in with the series.  The film's cast does solid work throughout as they manage to make you care about the characters in a short amount of time.  Lily Sullivan proves to be a capable lead as she battles with her sister possessed demon played with impressive gusto by Alyssa Sutherland.  Sutherland has an otherworldly look to her which works well for the role especially once the gnarly make up FXs is added once the demon takes full hold.  Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies and Nell Fisher do solid work in supporting roles as the kids with the youngest, Fisher, leaving a noticeable mark.  The director and cast are in tune with each as the film builds to its splatterfest of a finale which is peppered with Easter Eggs for fans of the original films.  Evil Dead Rises expands the mythology, it notes there are three different Necronomicons, enough to open it up for future entries while delivering a bloody and darkly humorous film that's sure to please.

B+

MOVIE REVIEW: THE POPE'S EXORCIST

 

Father Gabriele Amorth, chief exorcist for the Vatican, battles Satan and innocent-possessing demons. A detailed portrait of a priest who performed more than 100,000 exorcisms in his lifetime.

Director: Julius Avery

Cast: Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto, Alex Essoe, Franco Nero, Laurel Marsden, Peter DeSouza-Feighoney

Release Date: April 14, 2023

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Rated R for violent content, language, sexual references and some nudity

Runtime: 1h 43m

Review:

The Pope's Exorcist is a flashy, kinetic bit of mindless exorcism horror that's elevated by a particularly committed performance from Russell Crowe.  Julius Avery direction is capable and engaging as he sets up a funhouse ride through a series of clichéd exorcist tropes.  Avery and the script doesn't seem all that interested in bringing anything new to the subgenre so there aren't many surprises in store.  The film telegraphs most of the big moments but Avery does stage these sequences with an effective edge and energy that keeps the film from being boring.  Still, none of it would be as entertaining if not for Russell Crowe's fully engaged performance.  Crowe makes the film far better than it deserves be with a nuanced and surprisingly fun and layered turn as Father Gabriele Amorth.  He single handily carries the film the way only a real movie star can by making his character more interesting than what's on the actual page.  While this story is almost entirely fictional, if you are interested in the real father Amorth I'd suggest watching 2017 documentary The Devil and Father Amorth by William Friedkin, it does lay the groundwork set up an ongoing franchise similar to The Conjuring.  I'd personally love to see Crowe take another turn as the character with some slightly more inventive takes than The Pope's Exorcist.  

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: RENFIELD

 

Renfield, the tortured aide to his narcissistic boss, Dracula, is forced to procure his master's prey and do his every bidding. However, after centuries of servitude, he's ready to see if there's a life outside the shadow of the Prince of Darkness.

Director: Chris McKay

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Release Date: April 14, 2023

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror

Rated R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use

Runtime: 1h 33m

Review:

Chris McKay's Renfield is a goofy and bloody romp that plays like a weird mash up of John Wick by way of Tim Burton.  The film has an undeniably cartoonish charm that makes it easy to enjoy from the start.  McKay film has a kinetic sort of energy with flourishes of style highlighted early on with a clever use of classic Dracula footage used to give the Cliff's Notes version of Renfied's backstory.  Nicholas Hoult as the titular star is a likable lead as the sad sack that's been in a toxic relationship for centuries.  Hoult's performance is endearing enough to make you care about his predicament which also keeps him from being totally out shone by Nicolas Cage's performance as Dracula.  Cage is entirely in his element in this role as he's given free reign to do whatever outlandish thing he wants to do.  It’s a crazy mixture of just about every iteration of the character condensed into a singular, hilarious performance.  The film works best when it focuses on Cage and Hoult's characters and the gonzo action sequences peppered throughout.  It hits some speedbumps when it falls back on its rather thin plot and romantic subplot.  Awkwafina brings a certain sort of energy which works in small bits, and it would have been more effective if the script had just cut the romantic overtones especially since she and Hoult just don't have that sort of chemistry together.  Ultimately, it keeps Renfield from maintaining its comedic energy consistently enough to make it truly memorable.

B-

MOVIE REVIEW: THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE

 

With help from Princess Peach, Mario gets ready to square off against the all-powerful Bowser to stop his plans from conquering the world.

Director: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic

Cast: Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen

Release Date: April 5, 2023

Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi

Rated PG for action and mild violence.

Runtime: 1h 32m

Review:

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a more than capable family film that plays it safe with the brand as it delivers a light, colorful experience.  Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic clearly have an affection for the property, something readily apparent as they deliver a game to film experience that checks all sorts of nostalgic boxes along the way.  The story is simplistic to a fault as it moves from one set piece to another as it recreates various bits of game play in what amounts to a cinematic retrospective.  Those familiar with Horvath and Jelenic previous movie, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, which lovingly skewered a variety of DC's comic properties won't find that sort of edge here.  There's a definite sense that Nintendo didn't want anything but the glossiest version of their IP on display and for the most part the duo obliges even though slivers of their sensibilities shine through exemplified by an insane, fatalistic blue Luma.  Outside of that its safe and corporate approved which probably keeps the film from being a better overall film.  As is, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a solid adaptation of the video game that sure to please younger kids and deliver enough nostalgia make to older fans happy.

C+

MOVIE REVIEW: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOUR AMOUNG THIEVES

 

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long lost relic, but their charming adventure goes dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

Cast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant

Release Date: March 31, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action/violence and some language

Runtime: 2h 14m

Review:

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fun, if inconsistent, adventure comedy that works mostly because of the energetic charisma of its ensemble cast.  Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein do a solid job of setting up the world and its light goofy tone early on.  Chris Pine is a perfect shepherd for this fantasy romp by using his natural onscreen charisma to great effect.  Pine makes the whole thing far more accessible than it should be since the script throws a bevy names and locations which longtime fans of the game will probably appreciate but will fly over the general public's head.  The action set pieces are large impressive mostly CGI creations with a graveyard and arena sequence being the best of the bunch.  Thankfully, the story never takes itself overly serious even as we traverse the Lord of the Rings style world as the group of misfits assembles.  This allows the rest of the ensemble their moments to shine typically through a series of extended flashback which flesh out their backstories.  Michelle Rodriguez is perfectly cast as the barbarian and Pine's platonic partner.  Justice Smith is appropriately award and unsure as the less than stellar sorcerer whose hopelessly in love with Sophia Lillis shapeshifting druid.  Lillis is a fun counterpoint to Smith with her natural poise and self confidence.  Regé-Jean Page and Hugh Grant both make the most of their screen time but you get the sense that the film could have made better use of the performers and characters.  It’s a strange sort of film that's far better than it deserves to be mainly because of the cast is able to rise about the film's script with is filled plenty of clunky dialogue.  The surprising thing about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is that amongst all the goofiness it's got a good amount of heart at the center of the story.  

B-