Originally posted by Sock Monkey
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Fantastic Fest Day II:
Border: Based off a short story by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Border follows a young woman with a “chromosome defect” as she works her job as a cop in an airport busting people with her uncanny talent for knowing whom is hiding something. Her life shifts when she meets a man who she knows is guilty but can’t prove it.
This was one my wife’s most anticipated movies and the one that disappointed her the most. The movie beautifully shot and well-acted throughout, but there is a reveal about halfway through that the viewer will either be on board with or think is ridiculous. And the movie goes “all in” on this to some very graphic results. While I was also mildly disappointed where the story went, on hindsight I’ve gained for appreciation for the film when taking it on its own merits and not off my previous expectations. This is definitely not going to be for everyone, but those that get on board will find much to appreciate. Grade: B-
Apostle: I am a HUGE Dan Stevens fan. Though I thought he was okay on Downton Abbey, his subsequent performance in The Guest and on the first season of Legion were amazing. It was a no-brainer that I was going to check out his latest foray into horror.
The plot sees Stevens’s character head to a mysterious island to rescue his sister from the cult, led by Michael Sheen, who is holding her for ransom. Once upon the island, Stevens finds that the cult worships something they call “the goddess” and that they have more than a few skeletons in their closets.
Stevens and Sheen are both fantastic and Lucy Boynton—who I knew from The Blackcoat’s Daughter and my wife knew from Sing Street—rounds out a great cast that give weight to this film. Unfortunately, I got my directors mixed up on this one and thought that it was directed by Gareth Edwards, who directed the last Godzilla movie, along with Rogue One and my personal favorite, Monsters. The movie was actually directed by Gareth Evans of The Raid fame, which I was not a fan of. So I was expecting something a little more low-key and this movie is anything but. Loud, violent, and frenetically shot, this is a rollercoaster of a movie. Think The Wicker Man meets the aesthetic of late 90s/early 00s horror movies like House on Haunted Hill with the pace of The Raid and you’ll get an idea of what you’re in for.
Though I expected something else entirely, I did enjoy the ride for what it was. For those interested, this will be debuting on Netflix on October 12th. Grade: C+
Destroyer: I am a big fan of director Karyn Kusama. Though Aeon Flux is a deeply flawed film, I really enjoyed Jennifer’s Body and thought that The Invitation was a home run smash of a film. I was curious as to what her next flick was going to be. When I heard it was a crime thriller starring Nicole Kidman, I was hesitant. When I heard it was written by the two gents who had penned The Invitation, I was a little less worried, but still dismayed. I wanted a horror movie, not a crime thriller.
Well, Ms. Kusama knows much better what I want than I do because I freaking LOVED this movie. Dark and bleak, beautifully directed by Ms. Kusama with a masterful performance by Nicole Kidman that carries the whole film, Destroyer is exactly what I wanted, I just didn’t know it at the time.
Kidman plays a police detective who is burnt out, on the edge, and isolated from everyone in her life. Now a dead body turns up and the past returns to haunt her as she begins to hunt down a criminal that got away in the past and might have returned to town.
This is a haunting film, full of anger and regret and loathing. Some didn’t like this film. I thought it was one of the best I saw at the festival. This is coming out in December and I highly recommend checking it out. Grade: A
Border: Based off a short story by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Border follows a young woman with a “chromosome defect” as she works her job as a cop in an airport busting people with her uncanny talent for knowing whom is hiding something. Her life shifts when she meets a man who she knows is guilty but can’t prove it.
This was one my wife’s most anticipated movies and the one that disappointed her the most. The movie beautifully shot and well-acted throughout, but there is a reveal about halfway through that the viewer will either be on board with or think is ridiculous. And the movie goes “all in” on this to some very graphic results. While I was also mildly disappointed where the story went, on hindsight I’ve gained for appreciation for the film when taking it on its own merits and not off my previous expectations. This is definitely not going to be for everyone, but those that get on board will find much to appreciate. Grade: B-
Apostle: I am a HUGE Dan Stevens fan. Though I thought he was okay on Downton Abbey, his subsequent performance in The Guest and on the first season of Legion were amazing. It was a no-brainer that I was going to check out his latest foray into horror.
The plot sees Stevens’s character head to a mysterious island to rescue his sister from the cult, led by Michael Sheen, who is holding her for ransom. Once upon the island, Stevens finds that the cult worships something they call “the goddess” and that they have more than a few skeletons in their closets.
Stevens and Sheen are both fantastic and Lucy Boynton—who I knew from The Blackcoat’s Daughter and my wife knew from Sing Street—rounds out a great cast that give weight to this film. Unfortunately, I got my directors mixed up on this one and thought that it was directed by Gareth Edwards, who directed the last Godzilla movie, along with Rogue One and my personal favorite, Monsters. The movie was actually directed by Gareth Evans of The Raid fame, which I was not a fan of. So I was expecting something a little more low-key and this movie is anything but. Loud, violent, and frenetically shot, this is a rollercoaster of a movie. Think The Wicker Man meets the aesthetic of late 90s/early 00s horror movies like House on Haunted Hill with the pace of The Raid and you’ll get an idea of what you’re in for.
Though I expected something else entirely, I did enjoy the ride for what it was. For those interested, this will be debuting on Netflix on October 12th. Grade: C+
Destroyer: I am a big fan of director Karyn Kusama. Though Aeon Flux is a deeply flawed film, I really enjoyed Jennifer’s Body and thought that The Invitation was a home run smash of a film. I was curious as to what her next flick was going to be. When I heard it was a crime thriller starring Nicole Kidman, I was hesitant. When I heard it was written by the two gents who had penned The Invitation, I was a little less worried, but still dismayed. I wanted a horror movie, not a crime thriller.
Well, Ms. Kusama knows much better what I want than I do because I freaking LOVED this movie. Dark and bleak, beautifully directed by Ms. Kusama with a masterful performance by Nicole Kidman that carries the whole film, Destroyer is exactly what I wanted, I just didn’t know it at the time.
Kidman plays a police detective who is burnt out, on the edge, and isolated from everyone in her life. Now a dead body turns up and the past returns to haunt her as she begins to hunt down a criminal that got away in the past and might have returned to town.
This is a haunting film, full of anger and regret and loathing. Some didn’t like this film. I thought it was one of the best I saw at the festival. This is coming out in December and I highly recommend checking it out. Grade: A
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