Hold the Dark (2018)

Rage; isolation; canines

By: JWBM

"Hold the Dark" takes place in a particular area of Alaska that becomes a character in itself. It's cold, it's harsh, it's remote: it attracts a variety of different types that adapt to a degree, or transform into something else entirely. The sleepy town gets turned up side down when a researcher gets called to look into a local woman's child who was recently visited by wolves.

At the forefront of this feature, the atmosphere and pacing has a certain grip that squeezes tighter and tighter. It's intense, somber, and transfixing—wanting to see more and be involved with these particular people and this particular place. It's as dark, moody, and violent as a thriller at select times, while also being heavy on the mystery, and sporadic with knives-raised, guns-drawn action. It's full of bizarre behaviors and motivations that'll make you cock the head to the side, and then possibly lock a few doors just in case. On the one hand your brain has a hundred and one questions, but on the other you feel the sheer ferocity and emotional impact of the moment. The film has so many bizarre aspects going on as to be its own form of an alternate reality that goes back and forth between rightfully teasing your sense of disbelief to making you question its take on rational viewpoints. The story is layered in enough elusive directions that it might take two viewings and some clever discussions with your friends to unravel it all.

"Hold the Dark" comes across as a mix of mental illness, supernatural hints, animalistic behavior, and forgotten/neglected locals who've lost their way. There are times where you have something to follow; there are other times where you are led astray to have a surprise that hits you broadside. The film is methodical and carefully paced—crafting and developing a certain scene before moving on to the next sensation. The story isn't going to take the place of other features with richer character development and more dramatic moments you can sympathize with. Though it took something you've probably seen before and gave it a unique, more aesthetic spin. In other hands it could have been a complete, convoluted mess from so many angles and tone shifts.

What's interesting is with or without the mystery angle, it still works as a cold-blooded, unmerciful revenge thriller involving the woman's husband who's returned from war with a cold, unflinching demeanor and a dangerous set of skills. As often seen, the person goes through a transformation, but there's never a clear cut winner on either side. Just fragments of emotions with jagged corners that still manage to cut and sting when reflected on.

Rating: 7.5/10

Director: Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin; Green Room)
Actors: Jeffrey Wright; Alexander Skarsgard
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube link

What Still Remains (2018)

One person's freedom is another's prison

By: JWBM

With the population dwindling from a decades past event, human interaction has taken on another life of its own. It comes down to having enough strength and defensive tactics to make your own choices, or having choices made for you by those in a position of power.

"What Still Remains" is a post-apocalyptic drama along the lines of "The Walking Dead" meets "The Handmaid's Tale" that follows a young woman named Anna living on her own in the wilderness. She befriends a kind and hopeful man named Peter who welcomes her to his community to escape her solitude.

The film deals with a mix of emotions: from loneliness, mistrust, control, fear, and hope. Despite more open spaces to roam and lack of laws and government, those still standing become more vulnerable from predatory types lurking at every corner. The story shows us one person's freedom is another person's prison.

The lead character, Anna—played by Lulu Antariksa—feels like she doesn't always strike a balance between her tough, untrusting nature, to looking at the brighter sides of things, to then losing control when the situation gets out of hand. Her role is more show than tell, but her face and body language is often a mask, and doesn't always make you feel the hardships of what she's going through. Some of that could be excused if this were a gritty, hard-boiled action film, but as progressively paced as this film is it's not as commanding as it could have been with a more dramatic involvement. The character of Peter—Colin O'Donoghue—has more of a consistent driving point and duality to his role, but starts to come apart at the seams towards the finale.

What holds the film back from being more powerful is the direction and pacing feels like a formulaic television drama that steadily gives you bit by bit to lure you on. Then due to the shorter length of a feature film, some of the nuances are grazed over and feel rushed for a conclusion. This is not a film that's going for colorful creativity, explosions, gore, or terrifying jumps, but instead the human condition. However, it could have benefited with some more scenes to create its own unique mood, or to actually get the heart racing. If it's any consolation, the story isn't confusing and it moves with you, but without some more thrilling moments, or some break out performances to back up those complex ideas and emotions, the overall experience feels middle road.

Rating: 4/10

Director: Josh Mendoza
Actors: Lulu Antariksa, Colin O'Donoghue
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube link

Family Blood (2018)

Mothers to depend on; mothers with dependencies

By: JWBM

It's disappointing how certain aspects in life can come between a potentially hopeful and happy family. Especially where the bond starts to split at the seams from something as trivial as a few man-made pills at the bottom of a bottle.

"Family Blood" is a drama/horror that mixes pharmaceutical addiction with another more supernatural kind. It deals with the chaotic, distrusting environment of two teenage kids living with an addict for a mother. Except, this is every kid's nightmare times two when something more sinister enters the family portrait.

The mother goes through this pull and tug dynamic of chemical dependency and living a normal life as an enveloping wing that swoops in to provide for and protect her kids. As the tables turn to the supernatural portion of the film, it begins to lose that inner struggle that made the story start out strong. It then turns into a kind of Stockholm syndrome angle with the villain's shadow taking over every crevice of their household till survival is the only option. It makes it feel like it had a great, wide-open premise but then wrote itself into an ordinary box.

The villain is supposed to come across as a powerful, commanding entity that makes stern, matter-of-fact statements, but he ends up feeling stiff, forced, and emotionless. It could have made him a key element to a true mental and physical struggle between the mother and her kids, but it instead gave him this more primal, black and white facade that made decisions and outlooks more clear cut.

With little more to show for itself, the subtle, careful tone and direction starts to drag its feet with a trailing driving point. It makes it feel like the story and characters lost their tragic struggle and turned more into a lost cause. It's a shame as this could have been much more powerful of a film and experience to dissect the layers.

Rating: 5/10

Director: Sonny Mallhi (Anguish)
Actors: Vinessa Shaw, Colin Ford, James Ransone
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube link

Ánimas (2018)

Family, friends, and loved ones

By: JWBM

This Spanish made film is a deep-rooted, psychological look at a connected group of relationships, but unlike any other you may have seen before. In a creative twist, it deals with moving on from negative aspects of family, moving away from old friends holding you back, and moving closer to new ones that may bring on a shimmering hope of light to all of the enshrouding darkness. One can only dream.

This maintains an overall downbeat vibe with a mix of symbolism and hidden meaning: such as material objects and sense of time playing tricks. The film is strange and allusive; with interactions and dialogue that are as slippery as tap shoes on ice. Though it's also well-crafted in that it moves with a sense of grace and allure. It's part drama, mystery, and thriller, with the intention to alternate tones in order to peel back the bruised layers and get to a more ripe resolution. It's more show than tell, delivering a share of slow burn atmosphere that causes your thoughts to mainly linger around a particular evolving apartment complex that takes on a life of its own. One can hide or seek help.

"Ánimas" maintains a great balance between being artful, emotional, and stirring all at once. While this has some thrilling moments to rile the senses, this is far from action oriented in order to become intimate with the characters and settings; it flows more dream-like, bordering on nightmarish at times than anything else. The main star, Alex—played by Clare Durant—delivers a dynamic performance: from self-loathing, to caring of others, and then looking for a sense of need and purpose related to her family and best friend Abraham. Ultimately, the obscured though measured messages in the film tend to stay with you. Such as showing us the careful balance of being alone and in our own head growing up; pessimism is a rain cloud that will eventually blow away, but, even with help, it's up to us to take charge and make that change. One can do more than just dream.

Rating: 8.5/10

Director: Laura Alvea, Jose F. Ortuno
Actors: Clare Durant, Ivan Pellicer
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube link

How It Ends (2018)

More like: Why We Carry On

By: JWBM

What length would you go to for a loved one? Would you wait it out? Would you weigh your options? To some, those are important questions to sit on. To others, the answers are already rapidly checked off as they're walking out the door no matter the stakes.

After an unexplained event cuts all communications, a do-what-it-takes retired Marine and a suit-and-tie lawyer take a cross country trip to the west coast to be reunited with their loved one. There they encounter the slow erosion of not only the landscapes, but also a chip away at humanity.

The film gives different perspectives: from various shots of how vacant the world has become; such as the beauty of nature, to its more perilous side. It's also haunting how different inventions and contraptions cease to have use; or how humans are still holding on to material things, or going for the throat when it comes to resources.

This is more a tried and true tale of survival for a small group of people than it is about showing a moment-by-moment 360 degree viewpoint of the concept such as "Outbreak" or "2012." Like "The Road," hints are given, but nothing is outright outlined to maintain the perspective as the characters would experience it: as a loss of control of everything they know through confusion and chaos. To some, they may feel robbed for their patience, to others they may be rewarded for the thrills and more emotional investment the story delivers. As far as apocalyptic films, there are a few scenes that require you to dust off the ol' brain and read between the lines. There are also a few other scenes that are about as over-the-top as they come.

The film does a decent job balancing a mix of drama, suspense, and action without doing one just for the sake of it or getting stuck in a certain mode. The characters grow from the outset and use the journey as a crutch to move on and then settle some differences. It's essentially a race to get over a series of hurdles while running blindly in the dark, with you the audience to root them on.

The most stand out performance is Forest Whitaker, which gives the film a certain intensity and driving point. It's the kind of story where things are handled and get done, but then the emotional toil and impact comes rearing its head after the fact. The leading character, the lawyer who's determined to get to his gal, straddles between blending in to the background, to being the ordinary man doing extraordinary things.

While "How It Ends" isn't something to throw on more than once, or hand out moral questions or poignant commentary that will keep you up at night, the film does what it set out to do: to deliver a simple story with human characters with gravitating determination and willpower, and to drop reminders as to why we carry on. It's the kind of film that can be torn apart for its easy to spot formula and more stripped down delivery. Or it can become a basic and diverting form of entertainment if you let your guard down and absorb it for what it is.

Rating: 6/10

Director: David M. Rosenthal (A Single Shot; The Perfect Guy)
Actors: Theo James, Forest Whitaker
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube trailer

#SquadGoals (2018)

Death by scholarship

By: JWBM

On its surface, this is a day in the life story of some articulate, mature, and personable high school students about to head off to the next phase of their life. Underneath, an uglier side lingers that might threaten their future outlooks when some fellow students die in strange ways. Adults never listen and it's up to the head school reporter to unlock the truth.

As a drama-light this works to a degree with some decent acting chops and natural chemistry between the characters, though as a mystery/suspense film the premise never gets over being preposterous to fully get behind its darker side. It has long enough stretches in between its more thrilling moments in order to get to know the individual roles, but at the same time it causes you to put your guard down and then never put it up again. Its delivery is more on the safe side than it is crass, menacing, or blood-thirsty; more like a sarcastic/self-aware, tongue-in-cheek tone than anything else.

Sure, "#Squadgoals"—aka "Deadly Scholars"—is charming to an extent and some trying things happen for kids that age, but it's also not daring or adventurous enough to make this a two-times over watching experience. It feels like your everyday, by-the-book TV drama that decided to throw in some attempts of a crazed person angle, but both end up jiving like a shark hunting prey on land. It's got that we need to explore everybody's feelings and let that simmer angle, with the putting you on the edge of your seat for something that will keep you up at night side screaming to get out. It's hard to tell who this would be targeted at, but it's not to say that the filmmakers and performers didn't put some effort into what they were given.

Rating: 4/10

Director: Danny J. Boyle (Killer Assistant; Abduction of Angie)
Actors: Kennedy Lea Slocum, Sheryl Lee, Corey Fogelmanis, Alexa Mansour, Peyton Clark
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube link

The Harvesting (2018)

Stubborn minds never heed to warnings

By: JWBM

A family moves away from the city for an attempt at rekindling a deeper connection, while at the same time putting to rest deeper issues between husband and wife. The destination is a remote house in the country—specifically Amish country—where the grass is greener, air is cleaner, and things are simpler than the concrete, technological boxes we've trapped ourselves in. This puts them more in touch with nature: something that can bring about a tranquil side of us, or a more primal one that can be a beast to contain once unleashed.

The framework of "The Harvesting" (aka "Soul Harvest") is built around a psychological horror drama. The story is basic in itself, though it has a certain gravitating fluidity to it from the rhythmic camera work to the worked through and natural dialogue. I mean, simple Amish folks and remote landscapes with nothing but wind to create drama with leaves and blades of grass isn't something you'd think would stir the senses or interest. Though the film has a certain consistency to it to draw you in to see what comes next with this particular place and these set of people.

This has a unique dynamic to it with how it splices between troubles in the established Amish household, and then to the newly arrived city folks. The woods act as a looming central character to bridge them together. Instead of a knife wielding maniac, this acts as a villain that distorts thoughts and reality for someone who lets turmoil, anger, and confusion into their mind. It makes it feel more relatable than seeing someone playing hide and seek with a Michael Myers clone in your everyday horror feature. There are certainly scares, though not of the pop-out, blood-and-guts variety. More like ones that slowly get under your skin and are more uncomfortable and unsettling than they are outright all-at-once stressful.

Unlike some other horror features that use drama between the characters as filler, or to create a false sense of tension, this uses it as an integral part of its story. This is more subtle than, say, a survival horror that delivers a one-body-down, who's who, visceral experience you can almost reach out and touch. The film has a rough outline at times that weaves and bobs between tracing along the dotted line to connect through down-to-earth vibes of relationships, to then steering off the path into uncharted territory that doesn't come with hand painted signs to tell you how far you've come or where you're headed to next. It makes the brain turn over a little more than outright spilling the beans or holding your hand. While the story wasn't mind-blowing from what's been done before, and the final destination wasn't flooring, "The Harvesting" is still a well-made film from a series of worked through mechanics to keep you engaged using a premise that some might otherwise over look.

Rating: 7.5/10

Director: Ivan Kraljevic
Actors: Chris Conner, Elena Caruso, Greg Wood
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube trailer

Fear Level (2018)

An anthology on fear and morality

By: JWBM

This ambitious project has different moods, shades, and masks it alternates throughout. It begins as one thing, branches off into another, and before it's over you're able to walk away with a cloudy head—for better or worse.

The story explores interconnected stories specifically related to irrational fears of various types: from ones that are grounded—such as jealousy—to others that are out of left field—such as killer clowns. It begins with purpose and intent, like a Ted Talk went out and produced a drama-horror movie by showing how this emotion us humans call fear can consume us or bring down others. Then at some point it does a 180 and goes full dark and abstract. It has a sense of sadness, tragedy, and terror, like a doom and gloom segment of the local news met an episode of "Tales from the Crypt" by showing grave consequences of choices gone wrong in the blink of an eye.

This comes with more intent and meaning than your typical horror feature. I dig the theory behind making this, though I wish I could have enjoyed the actual experience more all the way through. It handles some aspects well, such as the dramatic segment about a girl gone missing. The score, pacing, and acting were well done. The mother did a fantastic job of conveying melancholy and desperation to a realistic degree. Though with others, its meaning can be seen a mile away. Such as the over-the-top religious fanatics being bigots in one way, shape, or form. Or the racist gang straight out of a rated R cartoon.

The film has an experimental quality that helps set itself apart, yet it doesn't always come with a careful refinement to seize every moment. For instance, the camera angles and movement in the first few segments are often disorienting and confusing on where its main focus lies. It shifts around so much that it calls unnecessary attention to itself and takes away from the interactions between the characters. There are some points where it feels like a ghost shadow boxing the characters. The cinematographer has a penchant for low-to-high shots, extreme close-ups, blur-outs, and people's lower halves can be shown as much as their face. It constantly makes your eyes adjust to focus on what's going on. Towards the latter half of the feature, the set ups start to let the characters take hold of the reins more and it seems more fitting to the experience.

Instead of being treated by, say, a haunted house maze under the banner of a main, tangible villain, this uses our own actions and choices to battle against us from anywhere. That in itself is a unique concept. You get a taste of this and that, with the central idea to give an overall sour feeling that will carry over after everything is said and done. In order to pull that off, there needs to be a certain steady focus to explore those deep rooted thoughts and motivations, which would lead to some common ground, relatability, or connection. The director takes on one segment at a time, but I can't help but feel a slight disconnect. For instance, I'm not going to be irrational enough to the point of paranoia, or even angry enough to commit violence against a significant other. Others certainly might though. Convince me.

With shorter segments and an ambitious overview, it tries to fit it all in while not always being on top of everything. The last half of the film compared to the first—while creative and came with a darker edge—went from walking on concrete to attempting to tread the clouds off on its own. One half of me wants to say that it was an unexpected turn, while the other half of me wants to say the writers didn't know how to wrap this one up so they buried their final intention under a few feet of effects and dream-like imagery. Splitting this into a few less segments might have worked better to develop the characters more, not to mention for the audience to get behind and fully invested in each idea as it passes. Juggling this many themes and varying personalities reduced the feature to convenient extremes, or viewpoints that are more predictably black and white.

Rating: 4.5/10

Director: JD Allen
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: YouTube trailer

My Teacher, My Obsession (2018)

There is no "us" or "we"

By: JWBM

Many adolescent girls or boys generate infatuations from a limited world view. While those fantasies often never materialize, in a way they help us formulate what we may or may not want to strive for in future relationships. Once we mature, we realize it's a give and take. Though with a handful of others, something never clicks and puppy love takes a dark and controlling turn.

A ruggedly handsome English teacher—Chris—and his late teen daughter—Riley—move to small town suburbia for a fresh start. Riley soon meets Kyla: a smart, pretty, and determined gal who quickly connects from her attentive and confident nature. Kyla says all the right words, but has other schemes in mind when she sets her eyes on the muscle-bound teacher who's an older and single man. Soon we find out how emotionally manipulative Kyla is to get her way at the expense of others. Nothing is mutual, self-less, or genuinely giving—it's all feigned in a desperate effort to satisfy fantasies and dominate someone else's needs and feelings.

While this didn't have any glaring or outright confusing flaws with the initial story, it still feels somewhat careful and safe as an overall experience. It takes on taboo topics, though the mode of storytelling keeps it simple by analyzing one aspect at a time. It doesn't leave room for surprises or to keep your mind going in different directions, other than what you can somewhat predictably guess will happen next after taking a gander at the trailer. It's about as transparent as a freshly cleaned window on a bright day; not giving the actors much to work with behind the boxed in scope.

"My Teacher, My Obsession" is more a family and relationship drama than it is pulse-pounding thriller. The performances—while not award winning to begin with—were often undercut by over explanation on motivation and feelings, leaving little for the audience to take away after the fact. Instead of centering on the teacher, it keeps him more in the background to further the story by making him oblivious and have mental blocks to put the obvious pieces together of practically anything in front of him. I mean, the guy is an English teacher with perspective and analytical skills. This is not "Fatal Attraction" with a back and forth, cat and mouse game. Instead we get to watch Kyla's step by step planning—behind the scenes and in front of others—making any bit of daring bite the narrative could have had never break the skin.

Rating: 4.5/10

Director: Damian Romay (Below the Surface)
Actors: Lucy Loken, Rusty Joiner, Laura Bilgeri
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link 

Hereditary (2018)

A day that doesn't reset

By: JWBM

Us humans are strange creatures: what we do, or choose not to do for love; how we bond, how we disconnect; how we deal with loss, how we don't deal at all. This is a film that takes on these aspects—while not making an attempt to resolve them—but to instead explore their darkest crevices in order to remind you sad and evil concepts exist in ordinary places. 

There are so many themes going on with "Hereditary" that it's really a puzzle to unlock or keep track of all of them. Some of them fit smoothly in place—such as death of family members, or what happens to someone's spirit—while others are over-the-top to intentionally jar your senses—such as giving perspective through miniature sets. It's one of those tales where just about every negative aspect of family life, mental health, and even general social cues are thrown at you. If you were feeling down beforehand, it may not be a great idea to toss this on. It's a nightmare waiting to explode and selfishly take you with it.

Loss and more loss; coupled with resentment of a family hanging on the balance of mere threads. It's like watching "Ordinary People" that crossed the line into something like "It Follows" with an equally methodical and atmosphere drenched experience. It's one of those films where it would be your undoing to put your guard down. There are constant sound effects that remind the viewer of mounting, unresolved tensions in the air, or that secretive things are to come. They can range from fitting the mood, to annoyingly hypnotic and going against the scene. The experience is one unsettling set up after the next. The atmosphere is a combination of the strange, mysterious, and uncomfortable. The pacing is frequently reduced to a crawl; it oozes and seeps into cracks of your senses, lingering, unable to shake it off. It's patient, but unlike a good friend, it's punishing when you catch up.

The perspective takes turns pivoting between family members, with the father mostly keeping it together, though with the mother, Annie, frequently pulling it apart. She's on edge and mentally anguished to begin with, combined with being emotionally distraught over the recent events. Rarely is she not anxiety riddled and on the verge of a breakdown from one stress after the next. It gives a certain dramatic and psychological element to the film if its subject matter wasn't enough. Toni Collette goes all out as Annie, to where every ounce of her brain chemistry and body language is thrown into the role. It's far from playing it safe or not going there. She's already there and then some. No one would second guess what she's going through.

This wasn't a perfect experience through and through. Though for a number of reasons it was a memorable experience: unique, suspenseful, atmospheric, and full of creative ways to terrorize. There are some truly disturbing scenes that make the skin crawl, rather than your typical horror with lazy pop and scare antics. Its pacing can both help and hurt the film. At a few points in the beginning, while they gave some odd cues, and stacked on the misery, they lost me for greater reasoning or having a stable backbone than a formless shape; I was led somewhere, but my interest started to float and come off the tracks. Though once a few more pieces got introduced, it started to ground itself and come together. That might have been the director's balance between being overly careful, but at the same time ambitious for his first full length feature. It's as if he over-planned, rather than under like most other features. For better or worse, he still gets the brain to search, tempting you to dissect the layers and hidden messages.

Dim the lights, break out the candles, and make sure you have enough time to process with your support group before going to sleep—if you have one, or can that is.

Rating: 7.5/10

Director: Ari Aster
Actors: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Bird Box (2018)

Evening the playing field on classism 

By: JWBM

When everything as we know it gets turned up on its head. Where people become infected and are compelled to take their own lives. Who becomes left must think on their feet and put aside emotions and comforts. What your next move is may determine your fate. Why this is all happening is the least important question now. We must move on.

A sudden epidemic occurs in the blink of an eye. People are dying; in droves. It's violent, it's chaotic, it's something few of us could have prepared for. As the bodies start to pile, survival mode kicks in with those left still standing. They must adapt to their new surroundings, while saying forever goodbye to most of their friends and loved ones.

This film acts like a well greased machine: having purpose, momentum, and, above all, a story to tell that's more about the human condition than it is about the specific horrors taking place. At fist, I thought the film was absent of emotional impact, with the performers following the script of a world-gone-to-hell scenario to the T. Sure, there was confusion, terror, and ferocity to get the blood flowing and to check to see if your senses are alive; I was searching for the kind of relatable feeling from someone reeling from having their existence beaten and nearly crushed beneath the soles of more powerful boots. Though, through a series of flashbacks, it gradually opens up and gives the characters room to grow and breathe. With all things considered of how the world decided to nearly end, it's even a luxury to plan your trip just down the block, never mind a spare moment to shed a tear, or open your eyes.

This isn't going to be exactly like, say, "The Road" with a predominately grim, head-in-the-sand backdrop, or even "The Walking Dead" with a focus on gore and attempting to one up itself with intensity. While this still deals with some drama and a lead character that has a sense of will power and survival to put individual feelings on the back burner and move on, it also has some more hope and less rough scenes mixed in without attempts to pull the carpet out from under you like your everyday horror film. It feels more a post-apocalyptic drama at times than it does a stab-stab-stab, shoot-shoot-shoot experience.

While this wasn't necessarily original if one broke the story down to the nitty-gritty, it's told in a unique, fluid way that manages to generate interest in what's going to happen, or where the characters are going to be taken. There are inconsistencies of how certain characters don't age or change physically, or even how this is all supposed to work at times. Is it scientific? Is it spiritual? Some do one thing, while other types do another. It wasn't as vague as "Vanishing on 7th Street" with people suddenly disappearing with next to no explanation, and a survival situation that left one empty on content. You still feel the shock and also grasp the basic outline, while employing some down-to-earth characteristics in between to ground it.

It's all about the fallout. I feel the main intention of "Bird Box" is to concentrate on change, along with survivalism and human development of the lead, Malorie, who didn't connect with society before things went down the tube. Sandra Bullock gives the character a give and take of a tough but emotionally stifled framework. There's a pounding heart somewhere in there; she just chooses to suppress it. How many of us rely on our phones, video games, and computers to fill voids? How many of us walk by people without a nod or a hello? How many of us drink ourselves stupid? How many of us would step over someone else to climb just another notch in the ladder of life? Take away all material things, comforts, and jobs. Now everywhere you look, humans have a collective interest and actual stakes. It's no longer this separate classism we pretend exists. But a unified drive to survive.

Rating: 7.5/10

Director: Susanne Bier (In a Better World, After the Wedding)
Actors: Sandra Bullock, Trevante Rhodes, John Malkovich
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube trailer

Wish Upon (2017)

Horror rule #192: If you find a mysterious box with ancient writing on it, put it back

By: JWBM

Everyone is standing around with quiet anticipation. A decorative cake and just the right amount of candles are set up for this one moment. The flames go out and boom: a wish is made. We all wonder what that wish could have been. I mean, it's bad luck to tell. But I am going to take a wild guess and say few out there are using their moment to silently end all violence, to cure all deadly diseases, or to simply end all pain. Heck, even an instant universal translator, or a small starter colony on an earth-like planet would be nice. Because those might be a tad convenient and useful for more than one person.

Take your average teenage girl and give her an old box with ancient Chinese characters on it. Sounds safe enough. Though this box turns out to be capable of making seven wishes come true. Sounds like a good deal. Though with everything, there's a catch. Each time a wish is fulfilled, someone surrounding her must die. Sounds like it's going to be terrible for everyone involved. Needless to say, "Wish Upon" isn't going to be a humanitarian effort to display a humble, selfless person that has everyone's aims and goals in mind. Then again, where's the entertainment in that?

The tone of this film is more drama than it is horror. It tends to play out more upbeat and trendy than it does consistently frightful. The story feels like it made a life's-little-problems teen drama out of something along the lines of "Final Destination" meets superstitious Asian horror. At least those had an earnest build up right up till the point someone got it. Or at least an unsettling and demanding message to it all compared to, here, worrying about minuscule squabbles and social media bickering.

"Wish Upon" is kind of restrained at points, making the temperature of the whole experience feel lukewarm than being capable of stepping up the heat to make you sweat around the collar. It's not a bad or offensive film. Just not an adventurous or memorable one either. It fills the spaces and engages your brain smoothly from point A to point B. Just nothing more or less. The formula is strong with this one, not to mention the themes to fall back on are presented predictably generic: be careful what you wish for; be true to yourself and those around you; don't be superficial by concentrating on material things or flirtatious love; and, most importantly, don't inadvertently kill those around you. Kind of important that last one.

Rating: 5.5/10

Director: John R. Leonetti (Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Annabelle)
Actors: Joey King, Ryan Phillippe, Ki Hong Lee
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

Winchester (2018)

Things that go pop in the chest 

By: JWBM

It's 1906: Sarah Winchester has earned herself a reputation as not only the richest woman in the country, but as an eccentric person that might not be all there. She's inherited millions from the Winchester rifle company after her husband passed away some years back. She used said money to build herself a lavish mansion out west—which in real life today is something of a legendary tourist trap in San Jose, California. Dr. Eric Price—who is an unorthodox doctor of sorts and has a troubled history himself—is hired by the board of the rifle company to see if she is in fact fit to control half of the company. Price takes on the job and stays with the family in the mansion. He soon notices things might be off—not necessarily all concentrated to Mrs. Winchester—but also with the house and those that visit it.


The mansion is full of oddities that make little sense to practicality or logic: such as doors, cabinets, or staircases that lead to nowhere in particular to the naked eye or casual observer. The story attempts to piece together certain missing aspects about this real-life enigmatic woman and her extravagant home in a dark and mysterious way. At times, the movie feels more interesting than it does frightening. It's centered on being a drama that decided it needed some scares inserted at random points to add some thrills. It builds up to one big finale, but before that it's sprinkled with CGI centered pop-and-jump scares—not to mention let-me-be-curious-about-that-weird-noise kinda thrills—that feel a little cheap. It's like their way of saying, 'Hey we're still partly a horror movie and not just a loose, fantasy-like biopic.' It's not as genuinely spine-tingling as, say, "The Devil's Backbone," or even "The Others," where you were transported to the same room and felt the cold, responsive chills from those capable of crossing between planes of existence.

The acting is surprisingly well done for what the characters are given. Jason Clarke, who plays Dr. Price, delivers his lines naturally and has a wide range of emotions on his face and in his mannerisms. Price comes across as a sharp mind ready to figure out the situation. Though, he seems to do more snooping around than he does actually getting to know Mrs. Winchester's personality at first. It comes across as uncharacteristic of his role and more there to be used as a means for someone familiar in the cast to explore this sprawling labyrinth they're residing in. Then after, it's like he gets a reset and goes back to a more studious mode. Helen Mirren, who plays Mrs. Winchester, also gives this some feeling behind her lines. She transitions from the mysterious widower to a misunderstood person with a backbone of strength and willpower. Those around her respond with a sizable amount of respect instead of resentment towards a stereotypical rich boss with odd tastes and demands.

This purposely starts out light and flows with a natural progression to get to know the characters and surrounding situation of it all. It has its moments and is not going to be a yawning tale surrounding the Winchester estate. Though the tone and story is delivered in a noticeably slick and smooth way. Almost too much so. It's not completely tame, but it's missing the kind of coarse grain and splintered surface that will scrape or prick your finger if you get too close. With as many challenging themes the film presents—such as fear, death, loss, and medicine versus the supernatural—it doesn't always feel that challenging in that regard either due to time constraints to fully flesh them out, and then having to squeeze them in between other scenes. The juggling act of mixing genres and an array of themes didn't come together as seamlessly as intended. Though it's not say they didn't give it their best go, or that it didn't have its own memorable or standout moments.

What's disappointing to me is "Winchester" could have been more powerful of a film. It should have had the potential to be something to return to from time to time. Though it does so much leg work for you that your brain stops searching for different hidden avenues to explore, or even the implications of it all. Still recommend it for a go, but probably not a second.

Rating: 6.5/10

Director: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig (Undead, Daybreakers, Predestination)
Actors: Jason Clarke, Helen Mirren, Sarah Snook
Info: IMDB link
Trailer: Youtube link

The Road (2009)

We're more than the things we surround ourselves with

By: JWBM

In essence, our life can be broken down into a series of moments and stages. The situation now is just a state of time. It can define us, it can strengthen or weaken us; that, or it may even enlighten us, depending on what we're capable of, or how much power we have to persevere. The transitions from one stage into the next are the most challenging aspects we go through. One moment we have both hands free to kiss our loved ones, while at other times we have both hands behind our back and a splinter in our eye to see fully ahead.

In everyday life we are surrounded by other people and opportunities. The sun rises and sets, we can get jobs, and go to the supermarkets on the way home. When something upsets that balance, we must battle our minds still stuck in the previous stage to move ahead. Now, imagine you're in the worst of the worst situation that anyone will ever experience. The World as we know it is slowly crumbling. You look outside and uncertainty for humanity is on the horizon. Who do you turn to? How do you put one worn and unstable foot in front of the other? There's no crutch out there that will fully balance out your next journey. But here we are to live out our next—or last—days.

Over the years, I've seen my fair share of post-apocalyptic films. Even hung around with buddies and talked about how neat the what-ifs would be. "Dawn of the Dead," for instance, made abandoned buildings, brain eaters, and broken dreams kinda cool. It was scary and intense at moments, but you were free, you could shoot off guns, and life was a strange, new adventure. Once the credits finished, you could go back to normal. "Mad Max" had the awesome rides, plus the outfits you could never get away with wearing—well, that is until things turn into a free-for-all. You could be a hero, or join a gang. Both equally cool.

"The Road," however struck me in a different way during and after. It's genuinely bleak, it's nearly hopeless, it's not something you want to happen, even in playful thoughts at the back of your mind. It plays out more in a, "Wow, so that's what it would really be like?" kinda way. You want to vigorously shake the filmmakers and original author by the shoulders and ask them why they took this genre to this extreme. The movie does have some other qualities to it—more grave and serious thoughts to ponder on versus the typical backbone of an entertaining experience.

The premise is simple: a man and his boy hit the roads. Their hazy plan is to head south to get away from the cold, search for food and shelter along the way, and carry a bullet or two just in case they encounter someone who's not one of the "good guys." Hard to tell these days. This takes place when shit has hit the fan, and then trucks with reenforcement shit have shown up to pile it on more. There's also crazed lunatics that are saying screw the fan and just throwing it everywhere. But, guess, what? Who cares anymore? Who's to stop them? It's the equivalent of taking your average family and making them a seasoned homeless person for life with shopping cart and all. The only people left are those that are willing to do just about anything to survive. Anyone who's comfort level, such as the my-food-is-too-cold crowd, did not make it. Anyone who hesitates or puts their guard down for even a few seconds, did not make it, or will not make it for long.

Where the film excels, is it does a great job at self-reflection of what you have and where you're going. It's not outright said, but I couldn't help but feel that way. It's an odd experience watching it unravel as you look around and have adequate shelter, food/water, and security. Take it all away and what's left to fight for? Most of the story is about as depressing as a once happy family dog on its last leg, that just gets worse and worse, and you watch with pity and helplessness as all of the good memories start to fade and are replaced with the present deterioration. The man—as he's plainly called—still reminds the boy, "We have to just keep carrying the fire... The fire inside you."

This is humanity at its darkest hour: from loneliness, depression, murder, suicide, to cannibalism. It's not for the faint of heart. Though sometimes it takes some ugliness to see and appreciate the light. "The Road" has a certain dark poetry to it: from the actors that breathe life into these beaten down characters to the point of seeing them as none other than—Mortensen, as the Man, replaces the dimple-chin charm with a bearded, broken man in tatters—to the cinematography, which expertly shows settings that were once full of people and purpose, but are now just a series of lifeless machinery and wasting away material things. As humans we're more than the things we surround ourselves with. Some of us give up, others take the easy route, but the film—as dark as it is—seems to inspire a sense of near impossible challenge that few other stories come close to.

Rating: 9/10

Directed by: John Hillcoat (The Proposition)
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Info: IMDB
Trailer: Youtube

Prisoners (2013)

When the unthinkable happens to your flesh and blood

By: JWBM

Years back I used to stay up late to watch "Cold Case Files" and other similar shows about finding a killer after a real-life senseless act. It was never a good idea. The stories often stuck with you, even into the next day. A characteristic trait of these tales, is the search for the truth is often a pull and tug into different directions. Sometimes one path leads to a dead end, other times it leads to the right path—one with a resolution of sorts that is never easy, and one that often doesn't make it any better or make sense to someone with a conscience. Detectives and personnel look as if they're just doing their job compared to the distraught, all-tears loved ones. But after studying and dealing with so many horrific cases, some professionals come to the realization that emotions can blind us; can make us obsessive; can make us convinced about something that may or may not be there. Another thing that rings true, is emotions can bring us together, but also tear us apart in as little time as it took for said act to happen.

It's every parent's worst nightmare. The room is too quiet. You call out your child's name. Silence. You look everywhere. Nothing. It's tragedy in its purist form. All of those plans, dreams, and aspirations are frozen in time. Adults are sprinkled with choices and have ample opportunity to unlock different pathways throughout their lifetime. When something happens to our own flesh and blood—a little one no less—it can bring about deep emotions that would tear just about anyone apart. That is with the exception of a certain breed of predator. Someone whom you will never understand; someone whom you will never firmly step into their shoes. How do you find a monster? Become one yourself? To toss away reason, and replace it with a hurried, fractured logic that makes sense in the now but may be full of regret later. To fully do so, would be to transform oneself and toss away the remaining humanity inside of yourself and replace it with a determination that's as black as the corrupted soul that took said innocent one. Do you have it in you? Should you have it in you?

Two girls during low-key Thanksgiving festivities end up missing with few clues to go on. Dad goes into full protective mode to find them; mom goes full comatose from all the unanswered hows and whys swirling in her head; detective turns over every stone to find them. You've seen this type of drama-thriller before. An exceptional, callous thing happens, a few creepy scenes occur to get under your skin, and eventually the final revelation and resolution of it all is wrapped up into another fava-beans-and-Chianti package. Well, not exactly here. "Prisoners" feels less slick, more moment by moment, more centered on resonating emotions than surface thrills, and more like the characters could be your neighbors and this your neighborhood. It's still gripping and engaging, though it still doesn't feel like your typical cinematic experience for the first half in how it lays one brick at a time to build its story. Take the music for instance. It's all about those menacing tones, than it is about creating a soundtrack to hum on a road-trip. It's like the director wanted to explore complex human emotions to stick with the viewer over just a focus on being aesthetically pleasing.

Another mode to this film that I thought was brilliant is how the characters are tied together with a common theme. When something out of the ordinary happens to us as humans, there are many that attempt to hide their bruised egos. We become afraid to ask for just a simple thing: Help. A share of problems would be solved if we swallowed our pride and reached out to ask for a hand. Especially to someone whom we should ask for help. It's a strange but common set of circumstances that I feel the writer nailed with this story. It's finely layered in how it's done—enough that it didn't hit me till after the fact when I was piecing it all together. I haven't seen too many other films that weave it into their story as well as this did.

As much as "Prisoners" delved into and examined the emotional turmoil of this event, it also wrapped up its loose ends in a rather quick dust of the hands. The movie does have some heartfelt soul to walk away with though. It's not an easy watch—some portions are downright uncomfortable—but it's acted and portrayed well for this harrowing subject not everyone wants to outright talk about. I mean, unless you're John Walsh, or someone like me who wants to examine the more challenging things of this strange and sometimes cruel world.

Rating: 8.5/10

Director: Denis Villeneuve (Maelstrom, Polytechnique, Incendies)
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard
Info: IMDB
Trailer: Youtube

A History of Violence (2005)

Protecting the American Dream

By: JWBM

How much time can go by until the realization sets in that you don't really know someone? Most of us are on our best behavior due to following similar routines and habits. It isn't until a situation falls outside of a person's comfort zone that you notice something unusual that may have been hiding there all along. Getting to know how someone acts is knowing their routines; knowing how someone reacts is knowing the inner person.

Stories such as "Deliverance," for instance, dealt not just with the wild perils of nature, but about bringing out a side of ourselves that we never knew was there if not for a dire set of circumstances that tested our limits and boundaries. "A History of Violence," as the namesake suggests, is an evolution of our complex behavior as human beings with an everyday man who's established the perfect family life for himself—right down to the locally owned diner, and station wagon—until that's threatened to be taken away when backed into a corner. Other movies have scraped the surface of our protective nature as an excuse to get the action going—though this film slowly digs its claws in with more of a subtle look at our subdued primal instincts in the modern day. We're used to seeing animals act out what's natural without batting an eye, but what happens when those things called rules, laws, and safe-guards are taken away from a small town family living the simple life?

The tone has a dark and violent side when it calls for it, though the pacing is played out with more of
a slow burn than a non-stop visceral attack on the senses. For instance, the opening scene is a continuous shot that reminds me of some of Takeshi Kitano films, in how the camera rolls uncut and we're left to read the what-just-happened, what's-gonna-happen on our characters' faces. The story gives a simple build up, and then some layers are intertwined for character development concerning the growing tension amongst this howdy-good-morning family from small town middle of nowhere. This leaves room for the characters to naturally react to the situations at hand without seeming rushed or cut and dry as just a buffer for a John McClane-like action moment. It's not always what's said, compared to how it's portrayed in the face and body language. Mortensen does an authentic job at fleshing out Tom Stall: a man caught between his past and protecting his family in the now. The line "Then we deal with it" about sums up his mild-mannered, spring-to-action demeanor.

This takes a closer look at violence no doubt, though it's also a tale dealing with undercurrents of change, bond, and growth. What makes "A History of Violence" rewatchable, is the filmmaking is more along the lines of a timeless piece—having neither trendy music, catch-phrases, or shameless, I-remember-that advertisements. Cronenberg has a particular directorial style to his films. A knack for conjuring up the surreal and making it seem real when played out in front of your eyes. This is still more rooted in reality over, say, "eXitenZ" of a few years earlier. He's both at the far end of the spectrum of reserved and then effectively point-blank at other times. It can make the experience easy to chew at times, and then hard to swallow at others. What's remarkable is how he can take a basic story about a basic family, and still make it a memorable experience to walk away with.

Rating: 8.5/10

Director: David Cronenberg (Videodrome, Crash, eXistenZ)
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris
Info: IMDB
Trailer: Youtube

Trivia: Reported to be the last film to be printed on VHS by a major studio (on March, 14th 2006).

Because of the Cats (1973)

Young, rich cats on the prowl for trouble

Well before the shadowy frat club in "The Skulls" there was a little mystery/crime/thriller from Holland in the earlier part of the '70s that shared a number English actors called "Because of the Cats." The story, which was part of a larger series of crime novels from the early '60s, in itself is simple enough, though how it's presented is somewhat elusive and enigmatic--with the audience never sure of where it's going or what's to happen next. In between it gives way to a number of different titillations and shock, to the point of being somewhat edgy for its day for a culture that was still getting used to racy cinematic assaults such as "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection." Our crime fighters weren't always knights in shining armor as the waning flower generation seen.

A gang of young vandals with pantyhose stocking caps surprise a middle aged couple in their upscale home and take turns raping the woman in front of her panic stricken husband. These aren't your normal criminals doing thuggery but instead dress in suit and tie and speak like proper and educated students--as if they're out to a charity dinner instead. An inspector from Amsterdam named Van Der Valk is sent in to investigate the callous crime and from a series of clues gets lead to a click called The Ravens where a share are heirs to wealthy families in the most prosperous area of the Netherlands called Bloemendaal. From there, another group called The Cats are whispered about, along with a rich, well-spoken gentleman who you're never quite sure about under his overly charming demeanor. The inspector is determined to put a stop to them before the crimes escalate beyond control but finds himself with little evidence, oblivious but protective parents and tight mouthed suspects that are bonded to their friends through a secret cause.

The tone is a little jumpy in places: one moment somewhat upbeat and humorous, then in the next atmospheric and serious. The music is somewhat misplaced at times, with a theme song that's akin to a parade marching band with horns and drums. It can be slapped overtop of a scene whether or not the underlying part matches. This is missing some of the heart-racing chase scenes in car or on foot that are a staple to crime thrillers. Though this European film is quite liberal with sex and nudity, whether it be with forceful or consensual, or be it showing full frontal of men and women--more so on the latter. The inspector even drinks on the job and has a good time with a high class prostitute that gives him information that he couldn't have pumped out otherwise--killing two birds with one stone, he's a resourceful guy.

There are a hand full of memorable scenes that make this more than your run-of-the-mill crime story, from a group of women seducing a man in the ocean that includes full body underwater shots, to some scenes of cat carnage where innocent kitties are brutalized for shock value--not for real though! The film has a fairly quick editing style for the '70s when it was common to have more of a looser flow throughout. This is still caught somewhat in between where it has rapid cuts in one area and then becomes unnecessary to carry on with another for so long, especially towards the latter half. Some of the editing is cut so close that it doesn't make this as challenging of a mystery as it could have been. No one wants a picture to hold their hand, but it can dive into the middle of a scene without a sense of direction till sometimes well after the fact. It makes it so the audience are steps behind the detective instead of steadily moving at the same time for more of an engaging experience. This is still largely unpredictable as some of the clues come in the form of red herrings to throw one off.

This came out at a time when traditional religions were questioned and at the same time new factions were forming with experimental ideas and philosophies. This mixes self-awareness practices of body and mind with susceptible, spoiled-rich modern youth in the '70s. Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you should do it. They're an anomaly in that they have both responsibility and appear like standup citizens but at the same time are giving in to over-the-top vices at the expense of others. The two require a delicate balance and things can get out of control when it's tipped. In a way it shows how far some youth have lost their morals and scruples when growing up pampered and never having to earn what they were given with blood and sweat. Not to mention the parents have all of the money one could wish but little time to spend with family. The youngsters have no sympathy, regret or perspective to what they're doing. They mindlessly follow their click to be part of something but have no definable future from being stuck in the now. "Because of the Cats" was an interesting take on the crime genre that doesn't include the usual hip, slang spoutin' street thugs.

Rating: 7/10

Director: Fons Rademakers (Village by the River, Mira)
Stars: Byran Marshall
Link: IMDB

Deliverance (1972)

What happens in the woods, stays in the woods

This is the grandfather of backwoods films. It's an adventure/thriller/drama but one that would be an inspiration for a number of horror films about country folks who now look all but merely simple. It has a basic plot but what makes it so iconic is a powerful and memorable delivery that has the capability to get stuck in one's head whenever thinking about the great outdoors, never mind trekking 'em. The film creates one of the most uncomfortable scenarios for any man to find himself in with villains that can't be shaken from one's mind with neither look nor their over-the-top lines. Not to mention anytime someone sees a banjo they might mention "Deliverance" out of habit, possibly without even seeing the film. The characters experience nature minus all of the distractions of technology from paddling in canoes to hunting and sitting around a fire and bonding, though it gets turned into a treacherous tale that even when seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the recollection of the dark side that they went through to get there never truly goes away.

A group of anxious guys from Atlanta go out for a once-in-a-lifetime weekend to experience the Cahulawasse River before a dam is built across it. They get an awe struck peek at the landscapes and its strange inhabitants who look like they lived unspoiled from the outside world for generations--same DNA, reused supplies and all. The lead of the group is Lewis: a hobby outdoorsman who tests limits and pushes buttons. His confidence is the size of the river itself but he also has a philosophy he abides by to fine tune his survival sense in case the modern machine society's built up fails. Ed looks up to his buddy but falls short of his staggering shadow, while the two other friends, Bobby and Drew, are straight city slickers in a far removed world that take the brand new adventure in stride.

Ed and Bobby split up with their canoe and take a break to the side of the river when they meet two demanding locals who have more knowhow of the loaded shotgun they're pointing than how to operate a toothbrush or subscribe to soap. Instead of the usual "You're trespassing" they get a "Now let's see you just drop them pants" from one of the crusty toothed men with a deviant look in his eye that's usually given to a girl on lover's lane. They get violated and thrown around but then gain the upperhand and kill one of the captors in self-defense while the other runs away. A debate ensues about what to do with either reporting it to the local law, who are probably in relation with each other, or burying the body in what's to be the new dam area. They want to put the horrible and humiliating situation behind them but their real issues have just begun: from pretending to be in survival mode in the beginning turns into the real deal from not only the unfamiliar wild but the escaped hillbilly who got away and knows the lay of the land better than any visitor could hope.

The structure doesn't follow a strict platform like other pictures. It starts out on a high note with fun and adventure, jumps right into its climax midway through, then slows down to make room for the dramatic as you get to know more about these men's lives with some emotional scenes. One could say the filmmakers put all of their energy in the beginning but another way of looking at it is what we represent on the surface isn't always who we really are. Usually it takes a stressful situation to put someone outside of their comfort zone to see their real personality come out: hence giving the usual proper introductions might have been fake anyway. The film did that so well that it even surprised the characters at what they were capable of doing due to switching to a primal state in the stark wilderness from living cooped up in the city and suppressing who we really are as a species. This gives a share of interaction with the audience in that it presents a number of "What would you do questions?" Your answer might not be any better than their's but it still creates an engaging experience to get wrapped up in. One that's both dangerous and enlightening and shows who really has it in them when the going gets rough. What would you sacrifice for your friends? Would you go outside the law? Commit retaliation?

Burt Reynolds has a sense of command with his role as Lewis, in that he rarely lets his guard down or lets it be known what he's thinking or going to do next. Jon Voight plays the middleman of Ed who's in between places but is forced to make the transition to the next level. Ned Beaty, as Bobby, represents the average me or you character in the way it's so much to handle that it hasn't even fully hit him. The filmmakers are capable of putting the viewer in the then and now with some authentic scenery, genuinely odd inhabitants to regular Joes who found themselves in the midst. There's some beautiful moments, tense situations and some surprises about the experience. What stands out is how nature can remain immobile when there's human turmoil amongst it. It's not judgmental, yet we seem to do what we want with it, when we want.

Rating: 9.5/10

Director: John Boorman (Point Blank, Hell in the Pacific, Leo the Last)
Stars: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, Bill McKinney, Herbert Coward
Link: IMDB

Straw Dogs (1971)

Avoiding life's issues can boil over

Revenge films that questioned justice became prevalent in the '70s, though "Straw Dogs" was more than just a simple excuse for vengeance or carnage. The darker side of human nature is no doubt shown from multiple angles but it isn't exploited or all that it has to offer. This drama/thriller is a deep examination of a couple from different backgrounds and personalities who escape to a remote area to get away from the chaos ensuing back where they lived in a more populated area in the States. The logic is to completely avoid a problem before it becomes an issue, but what happens when one gets cornered when there's nowhere left to turn? Wherever any humans dwell, human nature becomes inescapable.

David Sumner is an American academic that recently moved to his wife Amy's original home town called Wakely in England for the perceived quiet country life and to comfortably write a book from teaching mathematics prior. Or so he thinks... Like sheep with a pack of wolves patiently standing by for any shred of weakness or slip up, they're both timid, too polite and passive aggressive in character instead of stating outright what they really feel or mean. Amy desperately wants to be desired by her sometimes aloof husband to the point of acting immature towards him and a tease to a few locals working on their property. One of them is Charlie: a recent hire that was a former love interest of Amy but now a distant reminder to her past. She's at a crossroads of a former loose lifestyle to now trying to settle down. There's a give and take of both sides that adds some struggle and development to her character's flawed but human personality. When she actually realizes the position she's put herself in, it's already too late.

The couple's situation looks fine on the surface but underneath there is an air of animosity creeping up from the moment they arrive. There's a genuine feeling of uncomfortableness portrayed by the performers that carries over to the audience as well the way things never quite settle in. It can be subtle with a sly grin here or a tongue-in-cheek greeting there. The film is gradually paced with enough room for the transitions to feel fluid and the events to steadily and believably escalate to a boiling point of no looking back. How it got to there wasn't just a single situation that can be pinpointed but a series of little unsolved dilemmas that were swept under the rug till a solution would hopefully appear. When one does emerge it looks more like patchwork. The film examines violence and shows some of the causes and effects, then leaves enough breathing area to let the viewer decide if it was justified or not. If David should have spoken up to begin with or put in place preventative measures, only to let it build and build and take a desperate, amoral solution out. Or that David was minding his own business and was only pushed into a primal protective mode by an unruly bunch. There's even some other positions that come about from the experience about his manhood and if it's his wife he's protecting, his ego or the house, or even if he picked the right moment to do so with a questionable town person they took in.

"Straw Dogs" has an equal balance of ambiguity to unravel. The power of the film lies in the direction and script in the way they keep it all together and from getting muddled, despite being filled with multiple layers, not to mention with distinct and purposely flawed situations and characters. There's even enough material and insight to return back and see it from another mode. For one, there's no clear cut so called "good guy" or "bad guy" by the time it comes to a roaring, climactic conclusion. The movie looks at traditional roles of family in the early '70s, while modern outlooks might look more progressive. David picked his corner and stuck to it, which lead to shirking his responsibilities as master of the household. Amy, on the other hand, irrationally craves affection from not having a sense of independence or a feeling of comfortableness in her own skin. Who's right and who's wrong all came down to both their lack of communication and a true sense of togetherness as husband and wife. There's also the slow character in town who can't control himself when it comes to young girls (he's an anomaly in the story in that he's the only person incapable of making a rational decision, while everyone else around is making bad choices left and right), to the prosecutor not doing his job of locking him away, to the family members being outraged and wanting to take their anger and frustration out on someone--anyone--despite their own misgivings and hypocrisies. That theme can be traced back to "Frankenstein" and possibly even further back. It's an intersecting domino effect that eventually gets down to the last connective, tumbling row and piece. Whoever is caught in the vicinity when it falls: Watch out for its wrath!

Rating: 9.5/10

Director: Sam Peckinpah (Ride the High Country, The Wild Bunch, The Ballad of Cable Hogue
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Susan George, Peter Vaughn, Del Henney, David Warner
Link: IMDB