Gremlins: The Best Christmas Film

With summer coming to a close we begin the slow march towards Christmas, it really does get earlier every year, as such I want to write about my favourite Christmas/ Holiday movie of all time; Gremlins.

The idea of a Christmas film is usually something happy and upbeat, enjoyable by the whole family, things like Home Alone and the Santa Claus spring to mind. In that parameter, Gremlins doesn’t really fit in; it is a horror-comedy film, unusual Christmas movie fare. However, that’s what works so well about it; it subverts all the stereotypes about what defines a Christmas movie, while still being set at Christmas, coming across almost as a homage.

To give some background to the film, it was released in the summer of 1984; it was a considerable hit commercially and critically and, this along with Raiders of the Lost Ark lead to the creation of the PG-13 rating. The plot of the film revolves around Billy, (Zach Gilligan), as he receives a Gremlin, here called a Mogwai, from his father as a Christmas present. Upon receiving Gizmo the mogwai, Billy has to learn and keep to the stringent rules of ownership; otherwise, there will be disastrous consequences, to spoil it, he breaks the rules and chaos ensues.

This film portrays Christmas, not as this sweet idyllic time of the year, but rather as this crazy manic time where everything is continuously moving, a move which I find refreshing. Furthermore, the relationship between Billy and Gizmo is very relatable to anyone who has ever got a pet on Christmas morning, with this relationship being the beating heart of the film.

Gizmo himself is easily the cutest puppet in film ever; he has a distinct look that makes him easily recognisable and iconic. Furthermore, the facial movements of the character convey emotion to significant effect, leading you not only to root for Gizmo but also viewing him as somewhat of the main character. Comparatively, the evil gremlins, because yes, there are more gremlins, and some of them are or, become evil, actually inspire fear. The puppetry of these gremlins conveys malice and menace as their different design comes across as ugly and monstrous, which the film uses to great effect, showing us the difference between cute happy Gizmo and the evil other gremlins.

The humour in this film is also incredibly well done being funny and very endearing; the gore of the film also works to this extent. With a lot of the kills towards the end of the film, being quite comedic in their brutality, in almost a Zombieland esque kind of fashion.
There is so much charm and heart to this film that it quickly makes it’s self one of the most memorable films of the 80s, having a legacy that lives on way over 30 years later. The sequel, while still entertaining couldn’t live up to the heights of the first film and fell short in many ways. However there is now talk of a Gremlins series coming to the small screen, so there is clearly still demand after all these years.
In my opinion, the first Gremlins is a must-see and one of the best films to watch at Christmas, if only as a palate cleanser to all those sickly emotional Christmas films that plague the holiday season, like ghosts that refuse to die.

American Animals

American Animals follows a group of dissatisfied young men as they plan out and execute an art heist– inspired at least in part by actual events. Featuring Evan Peters, (Warren), Barry Keoghan, (Spencer), Blake Jenner, (Chas) and Jared Abrahamson, (Eric), respectively, however, Peters is the standout star.
Peters has already proven time and again that he is amongst the best young actors in Hollywood– this is a testament to that. Peters is incredibly believable as Warren, a young man who wants his life to be more than it is, a man who is willing to go to great lengths for adventure and excitement; no matter the cost. Though throughout the film we witness Warren and the other characters become villains to an extent, but you can’t help but root for them.
The writing for the film is phenomenal, with scenes that stress both the humour and the tension of the film; a lesser film wouldn’t have been able to balance these elements. The emotional stakes are very well implemented if a little overdone at times, with them showing you the emotional cost not only of the victims but the criminals themselves.
More to the film’s praise the stylised editing works to strong effect, being not too dissimilar to something you would expect to see in an Edgar Wright film. What’s more the editing as a tool to show the differences in perspective between the people recounting the story is very interesting.
To conclude, what sets American Animals apart from other crime, heist films is it’s attention to character relationships and focus on the emotional impact actions have on the characters. Knowing nods to other genre greats like Reservoir Dogs make this an incredibly enjoyable ride. The blend of tension and comedy featured, maybe the films strongest pro. Very worthy of your time.
4/5
Reviewed by Luke

Upgrade

Upgrade is an action horror film, produced by Blumhouse, of Insidious fame, being the companies first venture into the action genre. The plot follows Grey, (Logan Marshall-Green), as a man who loses his wife and his ability to move at the hands of a group of armed men. When all seems lost in steps, Eron Keen, (Harrison Gilbertson), with a device called Stem, that can give him both the ability to walk again and, the tools for getting revenge. What follows is a surprisingly deep dive into the symbiotic relationship between man and machine, revealing a collection of harrowing truths.

This film has some much to praise, such as merging the action, horror and dark comedy genre; to an outstanding effect. The film’s action feels very real and weighty, with there being some incredibly gory sequences; which are surprisingly effective from a narrative standpoint. The only issue is that there isn’t enough of it, after the very slow build at the beginning, the delivery is superb yet sparse. The action scenes are fantastic but, they are too few. The film’s horror is incredibly strong, perhaps the best element of the film. It all derives from a conversation about technology, can it be trusted and what has it done to earn our trust? The answers the film gives to these questions are both harrowing and fascinating. Said themes and ideas serve to show the complexity of the narrative; with a lot going on beneath the surface. The comedy of the film is pitch dark, and spot on near every time, never failing to make you shudder as much as you laugh.

The performances in the film are a mixed bag. Marshall-Green sells every scene he is in, conveying a wide array of emotions in a few facial expressions. His performance is much more layered then you would expect from an action film leading man. However, the supporting cast doesn’t get any near the same level, with Cortez, (Betty Gabriel), being a clear example. Cortez is a frustrating character, even sometimes annoying, but this is no fault of Gabriel as her lines are weak and uninspired. Cortez has no development, the scenes she is in you are left asking why she’s there. The main issue with her weak narrative is that it deflates the film’s emotional climax, cheapening it somewhat.

Overall this is a surprising success, very deserving of all the praise it is getting, yes it has some minor issue, but on the whole, it is superb. A must see for the message alone. Another hit for Blumhouse.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke