RED SPARROW
3.5 out of 5 stars
A sexy, seductive spy thriller w/ an alluring, high-class performance from Jennifer Lawrence. Director Francis Lawrence re-teams w/ her on a brave, brutal story of a Russian Sparrow who must sacrifice everything to find a traitor in their midst. Being gentle is not its forte, which is why when violence erupts, it’s cold & grisly. Just stick w/ the slow-burn pace b/c the unpredictability keeps you guessing, while the intense savagery makes you quiver. That’s a deadly combo.
MOHAWK
3 out of 5 stars
A bloodthirsty period-piece actioner that’s unrelenting in its tale of nightmarish revenge & genocide. Director Geoghegan lets intolerance & oppression hunt on a wooded battlefield within the horrors of our American history. All is formed around vicious violence, & while at times absurd, it depicts an ugly side we can’t ignore.
THE DEATH OF STALIN
3.5 out of 5 stars
Director Armando Iannucci cleverly crafts the horrors of power & politics in to hilarity. Along w/ Iannucci, his top-notch cast throws profanity & jokes at the fatuity of such narrow-minded “leaders” in this biting satire where Buscemi & Beale are brilliantly blistering. All of these egocentric characters are imaginably not too far from the truth, & that’s the scariest, most insane part about all of this.
TAKE YOUR PILLS
2 out of 5 stars
A dense doc focusing on the amphetamine epidemic that ironically has trouble concentrating on one topic. The reasons why people should or shouldn’t use pills, the history & how they can help mentally & physically is a lot to swallow; but, none of it tends to have much thought or exploration behind it. It’s 87 minutes long—they had time.
UNSANE
3 out of 5 stars
A psychological thriller that’s incapable of being charged; yet, succeeds at keeping the audience alert & second-guessing. Soderbergh is all in on his experimental telling of a disjointed, disturbing tale, while Foy is ferocious performing from one end of the spectrum to the other.
VERONICA
2 out of 5 stars
This Spanish spookfest is giving anyone who is willing to watch it on Netflix nightmares. I must’ve seen something different because this “true story” is everything we’ve come to expect from ghost possession movies. Director Paco Plaza ([Rec]) brings some intriguing ideas to a worn out premise, and the finale attempts to get some suspense going. Yet, what we’re mostly handed is a slow, unoriginal journey of a daughter bringing her father back using a Ouija board, and whatever she’s called ain’t playing nice. The reactions to watching this is way more disturbing than what you’ll actually see. Don’t believe the hype.
SHERLOCK GNOMES
2 out of 5 stars
Maybe better than Gnomeo & Juliet, these garden decorations still aren’t lively nor original enough to dig up any kind of sequel whatsoever. The voice cast is incredible, & it’s also incredible how almost all of them are put to no good use by director Stevenson. However, as forgettable as this will be, it’s a harmless adventure for young kids & they’ll have a ball. As they get older, they’ll have better taste & standards.
THOROUGHBREDS
3 out of 5 stars
Cooke & Taylor-Joy are wonderfully wicked in director Finley’s twisted tale where there’s no room for empathy & remorse in its nasty,deceitful black heart. It’s full potential isn’t quite reached,but watching this fucked-up friendship flourish is funny & frightening.
A WRINKLE IN TIME
2.5 out of 5 stars
Director DuVernay turns this time-traveling tale in to a hypnotizing beauty to behold, visually breathtaking in almost every scene. And, while Reid & Pine are terrific by physically carrying the emotion on their backs, the story struggles in its ambition. The childlike wonder & self-empowerment is there, but the want of a connection w/ the characters makes this journey a lost one, ditching its enchantment along the way.
THE OUTSIDER
1.5 out of 5 stars
An awkward, arid movie w/ a miscast Leto numbingly playing his part. It’s quite baffling how unfulfilled & generic this crime story is w/ no attempt to come up w/ anything original.
TOMB RAIDER
3.5 out of 5 stars
Lara Croft is alive once more thanks to a more-than-willing Alicia Vikander—divine, dedicated, & unafraid to get dirty in this fleet-footed video game reboot. It’s better for being more gritty & grounded, but being unrealistic is a part of it if you wanna play. Even so, it’s a good time watching our heroine barely hang on in this fun, adventurous tale.
I KILL GIANTS
2.5 out of 5 stars
Waves of fantasy & tragedy come crashing down on a child who holds in her pain & anger while preparing for war against monsters. There’s affection in its telling of how imagination is excellent escapism, yet confronting the harsh reality of life isn’t totally convincing. And, while Wolfe is fabulous fighting the good fight, the premise is too familiar & unable to land the emotional wallop it swings for.
PACIFIC RIM UPRISING
2 out of 5 stars
Machines & monsters duking it out seems to never get old. Actually, it sorta does once you’re over the initial spectacle of their size & demolition. This super-sized sequel is on repeat from what we’ve already seen before; only, this time it’s bigger & louder, which the die-hard fans will happily accept & enjoy. It’s Boyega’s charisma that keeps the rest of us in the fight against mindless mayhem, still ultimately feeling more entertaining than almost all of the Transformers movies combined.
DEATH WISH (2017)
2.5 out of 5 stars
A hollow, needless remake designed to put Willis back on top of the action heap. It doesn’t do that. But, in this standard, violent revenge fantasy where laws & consequences are a joke, you root for him as he finds a little of his lost mojo that’s been missing for so long.
RAVENOUS (LES AFFAMÉS)
3 out of 5 stars
People struggling to survive after a zombie apocalypse is nothing new. However, director Robin Aubert presents this torment in such a beautiful and tension-filled way, it feels fresh. Along with scary silence, there’s an emotional connection that’s rare for this sub-genre. It’s actually made up of more than just blood and guts; but there’s no leaving it out, either.
FOXTROT
3.5 out of 5 stars
A beautiful, jolting Israeli film that moves to the beat of senseless yet ineluctable war, the unwavering love for a child, & the cruel twists of fate. Director Maoz shifts back-and-forth between them all, being stylish & stirring w/ humor that shouldn’t fit in but does. The cast is terrific, & while Adler carries the love & disappointment of a parent & wife w/ all her might, it’s Ashkenazi’s strikingly haunting portrayal of a man’s suffering & secrets that leave the deepest scars.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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