Hunt For The Wilderpeople:Gangsters For Life

Hunt For The Wilderpeople is a comedy drama directed by Taika Waititi. The plot follows Ricky (Julian Dennison), a young troubled boy, who is taken in by an older couple; when his new aunt dies he is left alone with his new uncle Hec (Sam Neil), and the two of them are pursed into the New Zealand bush by the police and by child protective services. Together they go on a journey.

Waititi films are always very special, they’re unique and anyone who has ever seen one will know what I am talking about, they’re quirky and have a distinct voice. This film is proof of that. On it’s surface this film is a coming of age story about a troubled young boy looking for somewhere to belong and a broken-down old man looking for a reason to carry on. However, underneath this there is so much more, it is a story about misfits finding each other about optimism and hope, about the human spirit and never giving up. As such it is easily incredibly uplifting.

The main duo are good, particularly Neil, he plays the bushmaster Hec with a degree of hardened pessimism as well as a misunderstood good heart. The relationship the two share is beautiful, they are so different and yet they come together, and the results are beautiful. The ending of the film when Ricky has a new family, but still wants Hec in his life is so touching and sweet you can’t help but cheer.

The best thing about this film is the cameos, from Waititi himself as well as his regular collaborator Rhys Derby. Waititi plays the priest that carries out Ricky’s adoptive aunt’s funeral and who lays out the philosophy of the film in a simple and funny way and Derby’s incredible performance highlights the film’s central theme, love for the outsider.

Overall, this is a very beautiful, touching film and everyone involved did a great job.

Pros.

The relationship between Hec and Ricky.

The performances of Neil and Dennison.

The humour.

The cameos.

The film’s sensibilities.

Cons.

None at all.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Dumplin’: And The Winner Is

Dumplin’ is a coming of age comedy film directed by Anne Fletcher. The film sees Dolly Parton obsessed teen Willowdean (Danielle Macdonald), compete in a beauty pageant despite her mother’s strong disapproval. The film tackles a lot of issues surrounding the idea of what makes a person beautiful and self-worth.

I think in regard to how this film portrays weight issues it is a triumph. Dumplin’ is proud of how she is and wishes people would see her for her rather than how she looks, there is an important message of not judging a book by its cover and self-love that is at the core of this film and I think it is one we should all heed.

A lot of things about this film are quite stereotypical, they go the way many other romantic themed coming of age films go, Willowdean doesn’t win the pageant in the end, but it doesn’t matter as she has proven something to herself and her mother Rosie (Jennifer Aniston), thereby earning her approval. However, despite the lack of originality, these plot points still hit home they still feel impactful. As anyone who has ever tried to seek approval from their parents would tell you that moment when you get it, if you get it, is incredibly rewarding and you can feel that here.

The romantic sub-plot between Willowdean and some boy, I can’t remember his name, I could take or leave: it did very little for me and also drew attention away from the inner journey that Willowdean was on as well as the relationship between her and her mum, both of which I think were better done. I enjoyed the relationship between Willowdean, and her mum and I think Aniston did a really good job showing us this character whose whole world is conventional beauty and these pageants, coming to terms with a new way of thinking and being happy for her daughter rather than trying to change her.

Overall, despite being weak in some areas and contrived in others, this film still has an important message and one that I think will resonate with a lot of people. Both Macdonald and Aniston give good performance and I think it is worth watching for their relationship alone, fascinating.

Pros.

A good message.

The relationship between Mother and Daughter.

Aniston is terrific.

Cons.

Contrived sub-plots.

The story could have been tighter, did we really need the romance storyline?

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Spider-Man Far From Home: Gone Yet Not Forgotten

Spider-man Far From Home is a Marvel Superhero film directed by John Watts. The plot of this film follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland), and his friends as they go on a European vacation after the world-changing events of Avengers Endgame. In this film Peter considers his place in the world after the death of his hero Tony Stark (Robert Downy Jr) and ponders if it’s time to just be a regular kid and give up being the friendly neighborhood Spider-man.

I have to admit I was one of the few people who wasn’t taken with Spider-man Homecoming or Tom Holland’s portrayal of the character. Maybe it was because I grew up during the Raimi era, but Homecoming did little for me and I believe Peter was better used in the Avengers film he appeared in. However, I liked Holland and his portrayal a hell of a lot more this time around, I truly think he has grown into the character over time.

Holland manages to capture the emotion of the character really well ,excelling in the film’s dramatic moments, him dealing with his grief over the death of Tony is a truly moving thing to see. What’s more, I liked how Holland plays the character in the sections of the film that see Peter just being a regular teenager and whenever it is him and his friends interacting on screen it is a joy to see.

The soundtrack of the film really helps with this, Watts is definitely drawing on 80’s Teenager movies like Ferris Buller’s Day Off and other works of John Hughes and it shows 100% in the soundtrack. It feels like this film could easily have come out in that time period and that really enhances the film for me.

The wider connections to the MCU are fantastic and it is nice to see Peter fight classic Spider-man villains like Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), and the dynamic the two characters have is electric. The end credits stingers for this film leave the franchise in a really interesting place and I can’t wait to see where they will take the character from here.

My one issue with this film is that they continue to make Spider-man and Peter Parker feel like Iron Man Jr, I understand the father son dynamic between the two is important for Peter’s arc, but to have Tony so involved in his story makes him feel like he has less free agency of his own and is rather Iron Man’s side kick and I don’t like this for the character, hopefully Spider-man 3 goes another way with it.

Overall, a very solid film, a strong step up from a lukewarm first entry, both Watts and Holland feel more in their respective groves this time around. They need to watch out and make sure to not turn Peter Parker into Iron Man Jr, as that was my main cause of concern when watching this film.

Pros.

Watts is better.

Holland is better.

Gyllenhaal is incapable of giving a bad performance.

The end set-up.

Cons.

Iron Man Jr?

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Part 3: Abandon All Hope Of A Good Season

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Part 3 is a supernatural horror TV Series. The show revolves around a young witch called Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka), she is half witch and half human and is unlike her peers on both sides on the supernatural vial. The series sees her learn more about her powers and herself and go on various adventures with her friends. Part 3 sees Sabrina go to hell to get her boyfriend back, thereby becoming the new Queen of hell, as well as battling against a horde of pagans that worship the Old Gods and want to see the destruction of Sabrina’s coven.

Before I get into this review I just want to say I genuinely enjoyed the first 2 parts of this series, there were plenty of great horror moments to keep me interested, despite being linked to the Archie comics and therefore to Riverdale this show had avoided most of the terrible pit falls of that show. At least it did for a time.

Part 3 is by far the worst so far, The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina always had a distinct sense of identity, but it loses it this season. It basically becomes a more out there slightly scarier Riverdale which is the worst thing I could ever possibly say. The supernatural horror takes a back seat to relationship drama and teenage angst, I understand this is the main market for the show, but the other parts still had good horror elements mixed in to make these moments bearable. What’s more there is a musical interlude every 5 seconds, which feels very Riverdale, these songs feel like they have no natural place in the show instead feeling like plot padding and a chance to show off their licensed music.

Another thing that makes this part the worst for me is Sabrina herself. She has always been brash and impulsive following her heart rather than her head, but this season is ridiculous. She repeatedly does things that put everyone she cares about in danger just because it is what she wants to do. When she is trying to become The Queen Of Hell, she won’t take souls unless she thinks they deserve it, which is baffling as they sold their souls to the devil in the first place. What’s more her whole holier than thou attitude quickly becomes grating as she seems to think she knows better than everyone else on screen; proving her to be the embodiment of every self-entitled, self-important arsehole ever; what makes this almost comical is that she is near always wrong.

Don’t even get me started on her friends, they literally exist to further the plot and fill-out the near hour runtime of an episode. In a supernatural horror show, I don’t want to watch a 10-minute cheer leading sequence. This series is going down the toilet fast.

Pros.

A few good horror sequences.

Lilith continues to be great.

Cons.

Sabrina is hateable.

It feels pandering and Riverdale esque.

It’s vapid and self-involved.

1.5/5

Reviewed By Luke

East Is East: Life Is What You Make It

‘East Is East’ is a British comedy-drama directed by Damien O’Donnell. The plot revolves around a mixed ethnicity family with a Pakistani Father, George (Om Puri), and an English Mother Ella (Linda Bassett). The film explores ideas around identity and heritage, as George thinks his kids have become too English and have lost their culture, while his kids despise him for his strict, antiquated ways. The film is based on the play of the same name written by Ayub Khan-Dim, who also writes this film.

Over the years, I have seen this film many times, and the more you watch it the more layers you see are visible in it. Because on the surface it is mainly a comedy film with a few dramatic scenes thrown in, but if you look a bit deeper you see it is about a generation of kids that want to make their own identity, want to go down their own path; they don’t want to be told by their dad how to be, they just want to be themselves.

The kids all give great performances that have range, there is Tariq (Jimi Mistry), who is rebellious and wants to be in charge of his own destiny and then there is Maneer (Emil Marwa), who is everything his father would want him to be obedient. This film likes complexity, it likes to show how all the characters want freedom, they want to be able to shape their own destiny, but they are all going about it in their own way. The situation is affecting them all differently

Furthermore, this film has some really uncomfortable scenes, namely when George beats Maneer and then his wife. These scenes sharply contrast the comedy that we have so far been laughing along with and show a whole other side to the dynamic of the film that is deeply unpleasant to see. These scenes do have something to say and are not just put in for shock value, the abusive behavior feels natural for George’s characters, who as we already know is the sort of person who would completely disown one of his kids.

Overall, this is a staple of British Cinema for me and I think it has a lot to say about life and identity and it does it all well, with a healthy dose of laughter and a few scenes to hammer home the more serious points; both of these elements are in perfect harmony with each other. If you have already seen this then it is a must watch.

Pros.

Representation.

Characters You Care About.

Not Afraid To Get Real.

Charming And Funny.

Great Performances From Everyone.

Cons.

None

5/5

Reviewed By Luke

Adult World: A Sex Shop Of Love

‘Adult World’ is a comedy drama film directed by Scott Coffey. The plot follows Amy (Emma Roberts), an aspiring poet who is waiting on her big break. After she gets kicked out of her parents’ house, she is forced to take up a job at a sex shop which she eventually grows to love over time, despite not being happy to work there in the beginning. She also becomes some what of a protegee to famous American poet Rat Billings (John Cusack), who she has idolised since she was young.

This film deals with themes of growing up and accepting your place in the world. Throughout the film Amy is stressed as she feels she is not making enough of her golden years and that if she is not a published poet by the time, she turns 22 it is all over for her. However, at the end of the film Amy realises that it is okay to not be where she wants to be, and that life can be surprising. Indeed, if there is a message to this film it is that failure is okay, it has a comfortability to it.

The on-screen chemistry between Amy and her co worker Alex (Evan Peters), is palpable. Any scene the two shares together is fantastic, and captivating and it makes sense that this film was the beginning on their real-life relationship. Both, actors I believe are criminally underrated and both do a great job with what they are given here.

My one issue with this film is that John Cusack’s tired angry mentor character feels cliched and done before. He gives a good enough performance don’t get me wrong, but I do believe that he lets down the scenes between him and Emma Robert’s character which is a real shame as he is capable of much better.

Overall, this film has beautiful message of expanding your mind and being tolerant towards others which is something I think we all need to be reminded off every now and again. It is a shame that John Cusack is past his prime, but at least Roberts and Peters are fantastic and make this a film worth watching. There is a beauty to this film that needs to be seen.

Pros.

Roberts And Peters’ Great Chemistry.

It Is Unique.

It Has A Beautiful Message.

It Leaves You With Something To Think About.

Cons.

John Cusack Is Phoning It In.

3/5

Reviewed By Luke

Little Women: Oscar Bait In Its Most Obvious Form

‘Little Women’ is a coming-of-age, drama, period film based on the book of the same name. The plot follows the lives of the March’s a family of young women who live with their mother while their dad is fighting in the Civil War. We see it all from sisterly pranks and hijinks to death and, mourning.

As someone who has read the seminal novel, I had an idea where the film was going and, a lot of the surprise reveals were not all that surprising to me. However, the two things I will give this film and Greta Gerwig props for are that they nailed a lot of the key scenes from the novel: they capture the emotion perfectly, this is in no small part thanks to the performances but, I will come back to those later. The second thing I will give this film credit for is that the new additions to the narrative help to make the film feel more rounded and, whole.

The performances for me were a mixed bag Saoirse Ronan was terrific as Jo, proving once again that she is an aspiring actress to watch out for. Likewise, Florence Pugh was equally as good as Amy, the often overlooked sister, I found that her character captured the love-hate relationship sometimes found between sister really well. The rest of the cast didn’t do much for me, Emma Watson was fine, but I believe any actress could have played her role and, the rest of the cast including Laura Dern and, Meryl Streep is mostly wasted. Timothy Chalamet is also in this film and, I still don’t understand why people like him or, think he is a good actor.

I had several issues with the film, the most egregious of which is how in love with itself this film seems to be. ‘Little Women’ has a very smug sense of self about it, it seems to think that it is high art and, is worthy of all the awards simply for being I found this off-putting. This is reflected in how this film is paced, often scenes will feel drawn out, trying to play up their importance, when nothing has actually happened. The third act of this film is definitely too long in the tooth as there are multiple times you will find yourself saying, “is it over yet”.

A final thing I find odd and, distracting about this film is the non-linear way it chooses to tell its story, the scenes don’t follow any kind of pattern and, will generally be out of sync. An example of what I mean is in the second act a character dies and, there will be a scene of the family mourning the loss and, then another scene of this character alive and well. There is nothing wrong with telling a story like this, but the film doesn’t make clear what is a flash-forward, what is a flashback and, this makes for a jarring viewing experience.

Overall this is a solid effort from Gerwig however, it pails in comparison to her debut effort, with some of the stylistic and, editing choices in the film really ruin vast sections of it for me.

Pros.
Captures The Emotion.
The New Stuff.
The Performances.

Cons.
The Editing.
The Pacing Issues.
How Smug It Is.

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Babysitter: What Goes On After You Go To Bed.

‘The Babysitter’ is a teen horror-comedy film the plot follows Cole, (Judah Lewis), as he stays up to see what his Babysitter Bee, (Samara Weaving), gets up to when he goes to bed; what he finds out chills him to the bone. Bee and her friends are devil worshipers and, they are using Cole for his blood. Cole and Bee then enter into a showdown to the death that only one of them can walk away from.

For those of you who read my reviews and, follow me on social media, you know that I find Samara Weaving incredibly annoying; it’s her scream. However, this film does something I didn’t think was possible it made me like her, she was charming and, funny and easily the highlight of the film; throughout the film, you think she is going to turn back to the side of the light, but no she is evil through and, through.

The showdowns between Cole and, his perusers are all excellent they are very reminiscent of, ‘Home Alone’ all of Cole’s weapons are improvised and the deaths are spectacularly gory. They manage to capture the tension of the situation while also remaining comic. The comedy in this film is quite good, it will bring a smile to your face and, warm you, towards the characters.

This film is very stylised think Zack Synder or, Edgar Wright, but turn it up to 100; every chance to have a graphic or, do a cinematography trick is taken. The issue with this is that a lot of the time it takes you out of the film, there was a sequence where the camera was moving around, but also supposed to be doing a POV shot and, the effect is incredibly jarring. There is nothing wrong with a film having style, but if anything this film is overly stylised.

Another thing about this film is that it is completely predictable, but that is okay as this film knows what it is, a pulpy horror B movie homage, and it plays to that. Viewing this film through the lens of it being a homage to horror B movies, makes it a much better film than it actually is. As I don’t think it is a horror B movie homage deliberately.

Overall ‘The Babysitter’ feels like something out of a bygone age, it is over stylised and, it seems to be doing all this to overcompensate for the fact that it isn’t very original. However, it is a nice piece of horror movie junk food and, Samara Weaving is excellent.

Pros.
It’s Good Horror Junk Food.
The Genre Diehards Might Find Something To Like.
Samara Weaving is excellent.

Cons.
It Feels Very Dated.
Overly Stylised.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Jumanji, The Next Level: Level Up!

‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ is a fantasy adventure comedy film and, sequel to the 2017 film ‘Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle; also serving as the fourth film in the franchise. The plot follows on from the last entry, the core group have drifted apart and, Spencer, (Alex Wolff), decides to go back into Jumanji once again, to try and recapture the Bravestone feeling; the others discover this and, then go into to rescue him. The twist this time around is that Spencer’s uncle Eddie, (Danny Devito), and his former business partner Milo, (Danny Glover), get sucked into the game too.

Director Jake Kasdan achieves something very special with ‘The Next Level’ a sequel that is far better than the films in the series before it. In almost every aspect this film succeeds the previous film, in terms of comedy, in terms of character development, in terms of world-building; all-round ‘The Next Level’ is a treat.

This time around Bravestone, (Dwayne Johnson), is the in-game avatar of Danny Devito’s Eddie, and Moose Finbar, (Kevin Hart), is the avatar of Danny Glover’s Milo. Both actors do a great impression of their older counterparts: but it is Kevin Hart that really shines in this style of comedy, his impression of Danny Glover is hilarious and he easily has the best jokes of the film.

The rest of the in-game avatars are also a welcome return, Professor Oberon, (Jack Black), played by Ser’ Darius Blain’s Fridge this time around is equally as hilarious as he was in the first film; it is nice to see Jack Black back in a big-budget film. Ruby Roundhouse, (Karen Gillian), and Seaplane, (Joe Jonas), are featured and, they do have some great moments but, they are very much pushed to the sidelines and, underused. Awkwafina is also in this film for all of 15 minutes, so she is not really given any time to shine.

The world of Jumanji is nicely explored this time around, we get to see some new locations that helped to set this film apart from the previous entry this is also done by their being new rules brought in which allow characters to do a variety of different things, including switching bodies. The one issue with all of this is that ‘The Next Level’ feels less like a videogame adaption/homage, which is one of the things that makes the first film so good.

Overall ‘The Next Level’ is a step up from ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ which was already a great film. Devito, Black, Hart and Johnson are all on terrific form here and, make this one of the best films of the year. The romantic development between Spencer and, Martha, (Morgan Turner) is also incredibly endearing and, the end stinger is definitely one to stick around for. I can’t wait for the next film in this fantastic franchise.

5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Mid90s: Back in the 90’s I Was In A Skateboard Gang

Mid90s is a coming of age comedy-drama film; the plot follows a young teenager as he starts hanging out with an older group of Skate Boarders.

Mid90s is the directional debut of funnyman Jonah Hill, of Superbad fame, and what a promising first outing this is. Mid90s manages to capture so excellently not just the ’90’s feel, but also the need to belong and, the need to find others like you and, be expected by them.

To this end, we see Stevie, (Sunny Suljic), a 13-year-old with an incredibly troubled home-life, a lot of things are implied but, nothing is out-rightly said, as he tries to befriend a group of skater boys that he admires. In service of this aim, we see Stevie do all kinds of things like smoke and drink underage, have sex underage, and do incredibly dangerous skateboarding tricks. A lot of these scenes are extremely uncomfortable to watch, the intimate scene especially made my skin crawl, but it is all done to be as realistic as possible. In many ways, this film reminded me a lot of the Larry Clarke 90’s film Kids, both showed the struggle of these kids who were poor and, disenfranchised by society; who just wanted a way out.

Another thing the film does well it show how appearances can be deceiving and, you never really know what is going on in a person’s head. It does this masterfully in the final act, throughout the film we learn very little about the skater boys that Stevie befriends this leads us to form our own opinions about them, then during a very touching conversation in the final moments of the film Ray, (Na-Kel Smith), the leader of the boys tells Stevie of the suffering each member of the gang has had to live with and, it really hits home the message of the film.

This is also shown by Lucas Hedges’ character Ian, Ian is Stevie’s older brother, throughout the film Ian is mean and unpleasant towards Stevie, in some ways he is almost the antagonist of the film. However, as the film progresses we learn bit by bit that Ian has had a very hard life and, is indeed very troubled; we also learn that deep down he does have a lot of care for his brother in the touching orange juice scene at the end.

The comedy of the film mostly lands, however, it is used incredibly sparingly and, this film is far more of a drama film than a straight comedy; you won’t come away from his laughing.

To conclude this is a very promising debut for Jonah Hill, he delivers an impactful slice of life, a more gritty coming of age tale, and, most of all he makes us question how we view people. In many ways despite a lot of it’s bleaker and, uncomfortable moments, Mid90s is truly beautiful.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke