Dir - Nia DaCosta
Overall: MEH
Following up a beloved film almost thirty years after the fact, (regardless of whether or not it is in the horror genre or has inspired numerous sequels of its own), is certainly trendy with a barrage of nostalgia-pandering releases in recent times. It is also, generally, doomed to fail in some capacity. On that note, though screenwriter/producer Jordan Peele and director Nia DaCosta's Candyman collaboration is ultimately uneven, it is also far better than it easily could have been. The elements that work here are largely credited to DaCosta. A deliberate avoidance of tired-out horror tropes is consistently maintained. There are no jump scares and especially considering that the plot relies heavily on seeing things in the mirror, countless opportunities would have called for such debilitating, hack methods in the hands of a lesser filmmaker. The musical score by Robert A.A. Lowe is also excellent and animated puppet sequences by Chicago-based theater company Manual Cinema further enhance the movie's stylized aesthetics. The problem comes in the form of the script itself which is almost disastrously messy. As is the case with Peele's directorial efforts, the humor is awkwardly placed and often clashes with the rest of the tone. Expository dialog sequences also come off as forced and there are many of them. Things dip too liberally into schlock terrain at times, particularly by the third act which feels noticeably rushed. It is unfortunate that all of these detriments ultimately undermine the movie's sincere, racially-driven themes revolving around gentrification and the like, but at least it is visually compelling and a solid testament to DaCosta's talents.
Dir - Kim Tae-hyoung
Overall: MEH
Bombastic and overtly schlock-fueled, Kim Tae-hyoung's The 8th Night, (Je8ileui Bam), does manage to provide some fun along its bumpy road. The fairytale, "end of days" premise would fit snugly at home in any occult-tinged, mystical anime and the plot practically bombards you with a slew of supernatural rules that are difficult if still amusing to keep up with. Stylistically, Tae-hyoung propels the film along at an alarming pace, often nearing the point of feeling as if it is playing out in fast-forward. The script is persistently dumping expository dialog, flashbacks, and both visual and audible call-backs with a sweeping musical score that barely lets up. All of this gives it a ham-fisted, over-the-top feel that at the very least is anything but boring. For a movie that is essentially nothing more than silly, demon-battling nonsense, it contains a rather excellent, dramatically-wrenching performance from Lee Sung-min as a disgraced former monk. While the film ultimately moves way too fast and presents itself way too goofy to take any of its emotionally-driven baggage very seriously, it is all ambitious enough to still be admirable.
Dir - Josh Ruben
Overall: MEH
Josh Ruben and screenwriter Mishna Wolff's adaptation of the Werewolves Within video game is a largely obnoxious movie that collapses under its forced quirkiness. A general rule of comedy is that any crop of weirdos should be balanced by characters that act in a more agreeable fashion. The Marx Brothers and Ace Ventura only work when everyone around them behaves either nonchalantly towards their buffoonery or represent some sort of reasonable voice for the audience to feel grounded with. The first act of Werewolves Within introduces us to an ensemble of annoying, rural townsfolk who all have to have some sort of neurotic or goofy attribute to them and then the plot ultimately pits their eccentricities off of each other. While this could somewhat be justified narratively, it does make for an exhausting viewing experience where every frame of the film seems to be trying way, way too hard to be wacky and clever. Worse yet, the gags and twists become either increasingly predictable or just nonsensical due to the underwritten nature of the script. Throw in a handful of hackneyed jump scares, loud, moist sound effects, and virtually no actual werewolf moments until the very end and the movie even drops the ball as clever horror send-up.
No comments:
Post a Comment