Werewolves Within - Review

 

In a year (or so) of delays, schedule reshuffling, and buyouts by streaming services, it's all the more impressive that a smaller movie can not only peek through the cracks but can even excel. Nobody would have been surprised if “Werewolves Within” had been dumped onto Netflix or Hulu when everything shut down, and it's a good thing it wasn’t because it likely would have meant that a wonderfully funny and delightfully goofy horror comedy would have fallen through into obscurity.

Starring a cast of character actors and lesser known stars, the cast of “Within” is one of its biggest strengths. From every bit part to the leading roles, everyone has the same winking, knowing delivery required for material this inherently goofy. It helps to strengthen the sense of place in this quiet mountain town, rather than betray it. The back-and-forths and quiet moments of interaction sell the fact that this is a real town with real people living in it.

Sam Richardson (“Veep,” “Detroiters”) is still absolutely the star however. A veteran of the Second City sketch group, Richardson has a clear understanding of how to build a character up with gags and jokes, rather than letting the character just become a vehicle for them. He makes for an endearing lead struggling with his own self-confidence, delivering both expert comedic timing and dramatic chops when it counts.

Meanwhile Milana Vayntrub (“Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors,” “Other Space”) is an absolute scene stealer and competes with Richardson as the film’s best asset. Yes, she was at one point the “AT&T girl” but she clearly has far more acting ability than that moniker would suggest. She, like Richardson, nails the sort of overacting required for a film like this, without ever losing the dramatic thread of the film’s events. The pair also have wonderful chemistry and play off of each other with such delightful and goofy ease.

Writer Mishna Wolff and director Josh Ruben (“SCARE ME,” “Adam Ruins Everything”) have crafted a town that lives right on the razor thin line between being too silly for its own good and too realistic for the silliness to land. This is the sort of the film that really shouldn’t work, but it does because of the commitment to the characters as characters. While it is based on a video game, that game was more of a free form party experience rather than a set narrative anyway, allowing Wolff and Ruben to take the basic premise and run with it. Sure, the characters are all built out of stereotypes, but Wolff clearly worked with each actor to make these stereotypes their own, delivering a cast of memorable characters you care for as the slaughtering starts. Ruben’s experience with groups like CollegeHumor also helps in balancing the exaggerated acting and tone with the suspense provided in the story.

For those coming in expecting a blood bath, you might be surprised at how long it takes for the killing to start. Ruben takes his time, establishing various characters and uneasy relationships so that it truly feels like anyone could be the malicious murderer. There’s a boatload of intrigue and it is a story with a surprising amount of twists and turns. It's rare that a film like this is set up in such a way that the identity of the killer is a mystery, and it's in that aspect that Ruben and Wolff succeed the most. When the reveal comes, it's shocking and unexpected but still makes sense.

An easy comparison to understand the vibe and style of the film immediately is the works of Edgar Wright, specifically the “Three Cornetto” trilogy. The quick cuts and sound effect, the color palette, the  over-exaggerated characters, the musical cues and score, and the specific type of black comedy all work just as well here as they ever have in Wright’s features. It's clearly an inspiration, not an imitation, for Ruben and Wolff.

There’s not really much negative to say about this fun, freaky romp in the snowy mountains of Vermont. Sure, it clearly doesn’t have a huge budget; it has its fair share of budget saving effects moments while also still having some equally good ones, but that just means that it comes down to the actors and script to elevate the film and they’re more than up to the task. It's like a mug of cocoa or a roaring fire: it's warm and sweet, even better with some friends along for the ride, and it leaves you wanting more. At just 97 minutes, it's the kind of film that one almost immediately wishes for a sequel to, if for no other reason than to see another spooky tale tackled with the same level of excellent spookiness and goofiness.

“Werewolves Within” is a delightful romp, a fun and somewhat scary film that clearly seeks to entertain above all else. Packed with a cast of committed character actors and two excellent leads, a script choked full of memorable one-liners, and a legitimately effective mystery at its center, “Werewolves Within” might just be the surprise hit of the year. 4.5/5

Luca - Review

 

For every film from Pixar about finding fulfillment in life (“Soul,” “Toy Story 2”), tackling depression (“Inside Out”), and the numerous stories about loss (“Up,” “Finding Nemo,” “Coco,” “The Good Dinosaur,” “Onward”), there are few tales from the studio that exist to merely just be enjoyed. As mentally satisfying as it is to chew over films like “Soul” and what they mean, its far easier, and sometimes far more enjoyable, to watch a low stakes film that seeks to purely entertain.

Such is the case with “Luca,” Pixar’s latest animated film and the feature directorial debut from Enrico Casarosa (“La Luna”). Every frame of the film is a gorgeous, auburn saturated Italian watercolor masterpiece, with an incredible accompanying score and overall sense of summer whimsy. It also demonstrates the fine line a film can walk between being a piece of pure entertainment without sacrificing depth under the surface.

Jacob Tremblay (“Wonder,” “Room”) and Jack Dylan Grazer (“It,” “Shazam!”) play Luca and Alberto, respectively, a pair of sea monsters who spend a summer on land in the Italian coastal town of Porto Rosso. There they encounter various charming characters, such as Giulia Marcovaldo, voiced by Emma Berman in her film debut, her father Massimo, voiced by Marco Barricelli in his film debut, and the antagonistic Vespa-obsessed Ercole, voiced by Saverio Raimondo.

Screenwriters Mike Jones (“Soul”) and Jesse Andrews (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” “Every Day”) and Casarosa have created a true fantasy in the sense that the film easily transports audiences to the wonderful world of Porto Rosso. The cool blues and warm summer atmosphere help to accentuate the perfectly silly nature of the entire film. For a studio so consumed with making “serious” works, “Luca” serves as a fantastic reminder of how good their comedic work can be when they put their mind to it.

The various vocal performances throughout the film are also excellent. There’s always been a trend in “Hollywood” animation where most big actors are cast to voice roles but not really do any voice “acting.” Pixar continues their trend of mixing big name actors with lesser knowns and getting fantastic performances out of all of them. Rainmondo’s villain Ercole is wonderfully silly and idiotic without sacrificing any menace, Berman’s Giulia is a delightful anarchistic bookworm who offsets Alberto and Luca’s whimsy wonderfully, and Barricelli is an absolutely lovable teddy bear of a hulking father figure as Massimo.

Tremblay and Grazer absolutely steal the show however, and their chemistry helps to prop up one of the film’s biggest unforeseen boons, more on that later. Their friendship feels organic and natural, and the energy of their antics and pre-teen attitudes make the film feel as though you’re just watching a couple best friends hang out. It never feels artificial and strengthens the film’s emotional stakes, as their friendship is at the crux of it all.

Much has been made of the film’s themes of otherness, being an outsider, hiding your true self, and trying to discover what kind of person you are. These themes aren’t anything new to film, particularly for family animated movies, and yet there’s just something about the way Luca does it that feels so fresh.

It might be the aesthetic, the music, the summery feeling, but many people have pointed out one thing in particular: the film’s queer subtext. While this could easily be traced back to the themes of hiding your true self or otherness, the Italian countryside and chemistry between Alberto and Luca has had many fans reading queer subtext into the film. After all, the byline for the New York Times review of the film was “Calamari by Your Name.”

Also, it’s just likely coincidence that the film features two young boys as merfolk, a common fantasy creature most young queer boys find themselves gravitating towards. Nonetheless, these themes have been read by numerous corners of the internet from the film’s first trailer, and to see that the film doesn’t inherently shut these readings down. In fact, without spoiling anything, there are quite a few moments, intentional or not, that even seem to support these readings.

It’s a testament to the film’s commitment to subtext that doesn’t overload the film that these themes can be read or not, and it doesn’t harm the quality of the overall product. “Luca” is a delightfully entertaining treat that doesn’t sacrifice its emotion or humor for one or the other. It’s vocal performances and visual designs are some of Pixar’s best, and it’s another easy recommendation from the studio, whether its summertime or not. 4.5/5

Wish Dragon - Review

 

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, or so they say, but in the entertainment world you often need a bit more than just imitation to set yourself apart. “Wish Dragon” is a perfect example of this: it’s a perfectly fine and enjoyable movie and showcases a great new strategy of focusing on Chinese-centric stories made for and by the Chinese market by Hollywood studios, but it also leans a bit too much into another animated magic wish granting genie movie from the golden age of one of Hollywood’s best animation studios.

That being said, its leads are all delightful to watch and listen to. Jimmy Wong (“Video Game High School,” “Mulan (2020)”) voices Din Song, a college student trying to reunite with his childhood best friend Li Na Wong, voiced by Natasha Liu Bordizzo (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,” “The Society”), and ends up getting some help from Long, a magical wish-granting dragon voiced by John Cho (“Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle,” “Star Trek (2009)”) to achieve his goals.

Wong does a great job bringing the pathetic and lovable Din to life. He’s easy to like, if a bit apathetic, and his goals are sweet and admirable. Likewise, Bordizzo gives Li Na a spunky attitude without ever losing her sweetness. She’s plucky and funny and makes a great foil for Din’s overly cautious nature. However, both pale in comparison to Cho’s performance as Long. He’s an absolute scene stealer, bringing the same level of charisma to the role that Robin Williams once brought to his own fantastical, magical, wish granting creature years ago.

The magnetic nature of Cho’s performance helps the film maintain interest for a large chunk of the runtime. Long is the one with the emotional arc in this film, not Din, and it provides for an interesting contrast to the way these stories typically play out. The pair have great chemistry and build a believable friendship, leading to some great payoffs at the end as Long’s arc is played out.

Writing a movie certainly isn’t easy, and credit that first time writer/director Chris Appelhans (“Wonder Park”) is able to squeeze some creative concepts out of this well worn setup. Yet, he’s also written a film that has more than a little inspiration from other Hollywood animated films of the past two decades, to the point where some scenes are literally visually set up in the same way. The characters are likable, sure, but the overall plot is the result of a classic trope, diced up and reheated in a new setting. It really does showcase how great Cho, Wong, and Bordizzo are that they are able to keep characters that should be one note and forgettable alive with charm.

This also ties in to the film’s most forgettable and unfortunate aspect. Seemingly in an attempt to make the film more traditionally follow a three-act Hollywood structure or to try and build a franchise by establishing a “behind the scenes” puppet master, the film introduces a trio of henchmen who chase Din throughout the movie attempting to get the teapot Long is inside of. Yet they all feel painfully forgettable, as if they’d been written in during the last week of production.

Bobby Lee (“MADtv,” “Splitting Up Together”) voices the “Tall Goon,” who’s only quality is how much he likes puppies and Jimmy O. Yang (“Silicon Valley,” “Space Force”) voices the “Short Goon,” who’s only quality is how short he is. Maybe it’s just the comedic overblown nature that he voices with, but Yang at least manages to make “Short Goon” an entertaining and silly presence whenever he’s on screen. Meanwhile, Pockets, their leader, voiced by Aaron Yoo (“The Tomorrow People,” “21”) is just a painfully generic villain with no memorable or interesting qualities about him. He keeps his hands in his pockets the entire film, so that’s kind of interesting, but not in any way that matters. Just in an “oh, okay” way.

Will Yun Lee (“Witchblade,” “Bionic Woman”) voices Mr. Wang, Li Na’s father, and it's easy to see how a less “antagonistic” plot could’ve formed with him to still provide the film with some third-act emotional struggles while cutting Pockets and his goons. At least the film is still animated gorgeously though. It’s bright and colorful, with a distinct futuristic look mixed in with the older village Din lives in. Everything has a soft look to it, as if it's all made out of gelatin or plush material. It’s a delightful style that also manages to bring in some great lighting effects for night time sequences and disappearing dragons.

It’s disappointing because the film has a lot going for it besides that. The themes of friendship are well founded, Bordizzo and Wong have some pretty fun chemistry and Cho’s dragon Long is just such an entertaining, magnetic vocal performance. Yet, the painfully cookie-cutter plot and forgettable antagonists bring the whole thing down. It’s still an entertaining family adventure with great animation and morals, but it ends up flying just above the ground when it clearly could soar. 3/5

Censor - Review

 

What’s your favorite scary movie? There are many different kinds after all. There are slashers like “Halloween” and “Friday the 13th,” slow burn, creep-centric ones like “The VVitch” and “It Follows,” and more comedic takes like “Killer Clowns from Outer Space,” and “Evil Dead 2.” No horror fan is going to like everyone, but what makes “Censor” so extremely invigorating is that it is, without a doubt, a horror movie fan’s horror movie.

The film follows Enid, a censor working for the British Board of Film Classification during the early 1980’s at the peak of the “video nasty” period, where the UK tried to crack down on the large number of direct-to-VHS low budget exploration horror films being released. Her world is forever changed when she one day watches a film that begins to get under her skin and affect her day-to-day life.

“Censor” is a movie that thrives off of the psychological effect that films can have on us. Not only is it at its best when its toying with the viewer, causing them to question what they’ve just seen or if there’s actually anything horrific going on, but this idea that media can twist and affect us is fundamental to the plot itself.

Whilst she’s directed some shorts before, “Censor” is the feature directorial debut for Prano Bailey-Bond, and even if the film isn’t to your liking, she deserves to have praise heaped upon her for maintaining such a confident vision for her first feature. Every moment and scene is constructed in such a particular way, it's hard to imagine the film existing in any other way and still having the same effect.

Niamh Algar (“Raised By Wolves,” “Calm with Horses”) delivers an absolutely stellar lead performance as Enid, and she’s the lifeblood of the entire film. This is the definition of a movie carried by a single performance, as even though everyone else around her is great, if Algar doesn’t sell it, the entire movie falls apart. Thankfully, she’s extremely endearing and wonderful to get to know and we truly root for her to figure out what’s going on and to get to the bottom of the changes happening around her.

From a technical standpoint, “Censor” deserves a lot of praise as well. Not only does it maintain a thoroughly unsettling atmosphere even in its lighter moments, but it also manages to replicate the visual style of the “video nastys” and the panic surrounding them nearly effortlessly. Bailey-Bond injects plenty of medium changes and uncomfortable sound design into the film, doing everything to keep the viewer on edge for as long as possible.

All of this comes together in a third act that is truly something special; a wonderful combination of the endearing lead character of Enid, the horrific visual styles implemented up until that point, and the general horror of the unknown that we can sometimes get from horror films. It's a movie about catharsis and the feeling of both dread and relief that comes from movies like this. Sure, we feel some kind of relief when the villain rips the head off of a character, because that means it's at least over. But it’s also deeply upsetting. After all, these movies are all fake. It’s not real, isn’t it?

Yet, if there’s one massive thing that could be a deal breaker for some, it's the pacing of it all. Despite only being 87 minutes long, “Censor” is a deliberately paced film. If you like your horror films quick and dirty and covered in blood, then you might want to pass on this decidedly slower and more psychological affair. But this would be doing the film a disservice though, as it's a movie for horror movie fans. The more love you have for the genre, the more horror films you’ve seen, the more likely you are to fall head over heels in love with this trip.

“Censor” is a thrilling, confident, genre infused debut film that showcases a bright future for both its lead actress and its director. A horror film made for those who love the medium, coupled with a deliberately slow pace means this head trip won’t be for everyone, but those that do buckle up for it will be treated to a thrilling and confident horror experience. 4/5

In the Heights - Review

 

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s name is synonymous with one thing: “Hamilton.” Even people who might not know who he is know “Hamilton” and describing him as one of the brains behind the massively successful musical makes him an instant favorite for many. However, that was not remotely his first big success, because way back in 2008, after an off-Broadway run in 2007, Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes’s first big success premiered; “In the Heights.”

If there’s one undeniable success that this film adaptation manages, it’s translating the thumping energy of the stage to the screen. So often musicals lose substantial amounts of energy when transitioning to film, just look at the 2005 adaptation of “The Producers. Same cast, same director, but it flopped critically and commercially. This momentum is important for any film adaptation of a stage show, and doubly so with a project like “Heights” where so much of each and every moment is about the people.

If the emotion or energy is lost, then the film fails. Luckily, director John M. Chu and writer Quiara Alegría Hudes have delivered a project that radiates with energy throughout its 143-minute runtime. That’s a hard thing to pull off, but whether its in slower romantic numbers or the numerous elaborately constructed hundred cast member dance sequences, things never wain. Chu might be most well-known for directing “Crazy Rich Asians”, but he cut his teeth on films in the “Step Up” franchise, and it shows here.

This is a hard film to describe in terms of just what makes it so special. It’s easy to give lip service to its cultural elements; it showcases a minority group that is rarely, if ever, the focus of major Hollywood films and part of the reason for its sense of electric energy is the freshness this new perspective lends the film. Yet, the most miraculous thing of all is this, as wonderful as it is to have a film this grand and diverse, it also works with that removed.

What’s at the film’s core; the story of love, family, home, wanting the best for those around you, ring true. The way its being told and the perspectives are unique, but the core of it all is intrinsically universal. Hudes has successfully taken her and Miranda’s musical from the stage to the screen without losing a drop of authenticity and heart, even as songs, lines, and various other elements were swapped around for this adaptation.

Just like any film, thought arguably more important in a musical, a story is nothing if the people bringing it to life aren’t giving it their all. Thankfully, there’s not a single weak link to be seen in this sprawling and lively cast. Anthony Ramos (“Hamilton (2020),” “She’s Gotta Have It (2017)”) is, without a doubt, an Oscar frontrunner as Usnavi, the film’s protagonist. His earnestness and warm heart are palpable in every single scene and lend everything a wonderful energy and sense of love.

If Ramos is making a strong case for a Lead Actor Oscar, then Corey Hawkins (“Straight Outta Compton,” “24: Legacy”) and Gregory Diaz IV (“Vampires vs. the Bronx”) are making equally strong cases for Supporting Actor noms. Hawkins plays Benny, a taxicab dispatcher, and Diaz plays Usnavi’s cousin Sonny. Benny is an excitable guy with a head full of ideas, and Sonny is a life of the party energetic teenager almost anyone can relate to. Its hard to say anything more descriptive than just that they’re excellent. The same goes for the rest of the cast: Leslie Grace, in her film debut, Melissa Barrera (“Siempre Tuya Acapulco,” “Vida”), Daphne Rubin-Vega (“Smash,” “Katy Keene”), Jimmy Smits (“NYPD Blue,” “The West Wing”), and, continuing the trend started by films like “The Farewell” and “Minari,” Olga Merediz, reprising her Broadway role as Abuela Claudia, stealing hearts as this year’s most lovable and wholesome film grandmother.

The music is excellent, the choreography is stellar, and the film is even mostly well-paced given its lengthy runtime. If there’s any complaints to be made, its that the romantic subplot involving Benny and Grace’s Nina isn’t as interesting as the rest of the film, but that hardly means its boring or poorly done.

“In The Heights” is a virtually complete success, with stellar performances and an entire cast and creative crew uniformly committed to bringing this modern classic of a musical to the silver screen. It might be too long for some, and it, unfortunately, won’t make non-musical fans reconsider their lives, but what has been presented is easily the best film musical, adaptation or otherwise, in years. 5/5