NEW THIS WEEK
This
new horror thriller from iconic genre producer James Wan tells the story of an
American family haunted by a creature that lives in pure darkness. Rebecca, the
adult daughter played by Teresa Palmer, is thrown back into her family’s
troubled past when her younger brother begins to encounter the same monster in
the shadows that has plagued their unstable mother for years.
We Said: “Lights
Out does its job and does it well. I challenge you, when you go to see
this film find the parking spot under which the street light is broken and tell
me you don’t speed up your process when getting in the driver’s seat when the
film is over.” Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Good: Director David F.
Sandberg really elevates this straight-forward “monster in the dark” premise to
be something pretty tense and suspenseful. More often than not, Lights
Out is truly effectively frightening, with scenes and visuals that will
keep you up at night. The performances are also pretty great, in particular child
actor Gabriel Bateman as the haunted young brother. It’s a pretty standard
horror movie, but its direction, editing, score, and performances all come
together to make this a solid horror movie worth watching.
The Bad: The biggest problem
plaguing Lights Out is its flimsy script. It relies on stock characters,
tropes, and horror conventions you’ve seen many times before. The film is based
on a two minute short film, and in stretching that concept to a full length
runtime, a lot of filler and weak plotlines are thrown in left and right.
Overall: Although not the
most inventive, Lights Out is a very well made horror movie, with several
standout performances and a first time director who we’ll certainly see more of.
Writer/Director
Taika Waititi’s new film tells the story of a troubled boy and his foster
father who leave society to live a rural life in the wilderness of the New
Zealand bush. Together, they learn to care for each other while on the run from
the government agents pursuing them.
We Said: “Hunt
for the Wilderpeople could have easily been just another coming-of-age
movie but it's Waititi's special voice, one that embraces characters that are
weird and flawed and lovable, that separates it from the pack.” Rating: 3.5 out of 5
The Good: This is a very
strange movie with a very strange voice. Director Waititi manages to tell a
story that’s both hilarious and heartfelt and unlike any other film I’ve seen.
The performances are also fantastic and surprising, with Sam Neil nailing the
role of the crotchety, isolated old foster father, and newcomer Julian Dennison
giving a complex and humorous performance as the main child. Hunt
For The Wilderpeople is a deeply bizarre and surprisingly moving
dramedy.
The Bad: While it does have
an excellent mix of tones, they don’t always blend together as seamlessly as
one would hope, with comedic beats seeming to interrupt somber moments.
Overall: A little tone-deaf,
but mostly touching and funny, The Hunt For The Wilderpeople is an
unusual movie with a perspective all its own.
Based
on the novel of the same name, Nerve tells the story of Vee (Emma
Roberts). She’s an ambitious high school senior who winds up enlisting for
“Nerve” – a provocative online game where players accept a series of
increasingly risky online dares sent in by their viewing audience. When she
teams up with Ian (Dave Franco) the two navigate through the dangerous world of
this all consuming game.
We Said: “Despite [its]
flaws, the filmmakers do manage to get one thing very right. Unlike almost any other cautionary tale about
the Dangers of the Internet […] Nerve sees an up-side. Vee risks a lot, but she gains a lot
too. She uses her experience in the
public eye to learn what she's capable of, and she finds pockets of support
among the indifferent masses.” Rating: 3
out of 5
Also Available: Mr. Church, Captain Fantastic, Mad Max: High Octane Collection, and Men & Chicken
