[Review] Marrowbone

The gravely titled Marrowbone is a horror film with a promising premise but disappointing results -- mainly because it's never as much of a horror film as you'd want it to be.

The story revolves around a young man named Jack (George MacKay) and his four siblings (one of which is played by Charlie Heaton from "Stranger Things") who make a pact to stick together in a rustic mansion out in the country while keeping their beloved yet disturbed mother's death a secret. As you can probably guess, the family finds themselves haunted by a sinister presence (and a raccoon), and the townspeople begin to question what exactly is going on in their manor.

One thing that's definitely apparent is the film's striking cinematography -- it exquisitely captures the woodsy settings, picturesque beaches, and the dry and dusty creepiness of the home. Unfortunately, the disjointed narrative and oblong runtime should have been shaved way down. The story is much more interesting when its exploring the madness of this family and diving into the supernatural evil in their home -- eerie and jumpy suspense sequences and all -- rather than when it deals with all the outside business. Kyle Soller plays a local lawyer who checks into the house for legal reasons, and not only is this character incredibly grating, but he also kills any scary momentum. Great horror frequenter Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split, Thoroughbreds) plays Jack's love interest, but this subplot is so underdeveloped and unnecessary that she ends up going under-utilized. 

Marrowbone's plot unleashes a late-game twist, but it's not enough to save the film as it devolves into shattering nonsense.

( 5.5/10 )

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[Review] Wildling

Wildling is an intriguing but bafflingly uneven psychological terror flick that scratches and gnaws, thriving on a killer performance from Bel Powley as the film's central outcast.

It revolves around Anna (Powley), a teenager who grew up confined to a bunker in the woods by her creepy father (played by Brad Dourif). It's safe to say she's pretty messed up, and we follow her as she adjusts to the outside world and temporarily stays with the local cop that discovered her (played by Liv Tyler, who's wonderful here - it's also her first film appearance in four years). All the while, Anna believes she's being stalked by a "Wildling" that eats children.

Aside from its disturbing opening sequence, the film is lighter on horror early on and heavier on the fish out of water (or girl out of forest) antics -- which is pretty interesting in and of itself. Bev Powley (who was great as the main character in 2016's Diary of a Teenage Girl) convincingly exhibits a strange, wide-eyed naivety, which actually turns out to be slightly comical. But eventually this thing ramps up with bloody scares and definitely brings the wildness promised in the title. The cinematography evokes some sublime visuals with its deep, forest-y and majestically moon-lit imagery. There are also a couple of big plot turns, which double our sympathy for Anna.

Unfortunately, the film itself seems to have an identity crisis toward its third act, especially as it throws in a questionable romance story, crooked cops, and subplots that feel more like filler than worthy threads to what the film's premise initially established. It's like it can't decide whether it wants to stay grounded in reality or go for more supernatural, urban legend-like elements.

Things get even more and more ridiculous and off-putting as it goes, and by the end I began to check out. Wildling loses itself in the woods.

( 6/10 )

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[Review] Upgrade

Upgrade punches in as a brutal revenge action-thriller with a biomechanic twist, and it's a surprisingly down-and-dirty, futuristic stomper.

Set during the near-future in a hi-tech society, we meet an everyman named Grey (Logan Marshall-Green), and the guy is having a really bad today (to put it lightly). First, he gets into a self-driving car wreck, then his wife is murdered! In an act of desperation, Grey decides to undergo an experimental implant procedure called STEM, performed by a weirdo genius (Harrison Gilbertson) who looks about the same age as Harry Styles. As a result, Grey can not only walk again, but he also gains bionic strength. And if that wasn't enough, there's also a supercomputer operating inside his mind. From there, Grey sets out to seek vengeance. Bloody, painful vengeance.

Writer-director Leigh Whannell (who helmed the underrated Insidious 3) injects this provocative film with ultraviolent and pulpy wiring. Jaws are ripped off, people are electrocuted, and wigs are split. Between its high-concept sci-fi scheme and berserk mayhem, Upgrade comes across like a "Black Mirror" episode on steroids. It's also reminiscent of 2014's hybrid flick The Guest with all its sneaky twists and unabashed boldness. The film also exudes a neo-scum visual flair, blending the juxtaposed images of gritty underbelly settings and Daft Punk aesthetics.

Grey isn't invincible, though. There's an ever-present risk of STEM malfunctioning, shutting down, or worse -- turning against him. In addition to that, there's also a detective on his trail (played by Betty Gabriel, Get Out), plotting to foil his revenge spree. These aspects render the stakes intense. But the film also possesses a great sense of humor -- both in general and about itself. This keeps things consistently fun and amusingly visceral. The narrative's cautionary themes pretty much speak for themselves, but Upgrade isn't here to convince anyone of anything. It's here to deliver some butt-kicking and stylish thrills, and it does so with surgical success. It's technically a blast.

( 8/10 )

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[Review] Lean on Pete

Lean on Pete is a heart-tugging story of a boy and a horse, as well as a stark yet beautifully-filmed portrait of a struggling-class rural America.

Charley (Charlie Plummer) is a teenage loner, living a discontent existence with his shaggy drifter of a father, who's hardly ever around. But things change for Charley when he takes a summer job working for a disgruntled old horse trainer played Steve Buscemi(!). There, Charley becomes attached to a horse named Lean on Pete, while learning the ropes of work and life in general.

Director Andrew Haigh takes the reins of this film and leads it with a sensitive hand of compassion and bluntness. The film is fraught with emotion and pathos (in fact, it's devastating at times), but not in the melodramatic sort of way. Its tone is raw, organic, and unflinching, and we feel deep sympathy and encouragement for Charley as we learn about the hardships he's endured and is currently dealing with, as well as the strength he's used to trudge through it -- unfortunately, it's all he's really ever known.

Newcomer Charlie Plummer gives an impressive central performance. It's nuanced and natural - a brilliant portrayal of a boy having to grow up too fast. Steve Buscemi is terrific as always, too. He plays the cantankerous part to perfection (no one can fire off several F-bombs quite like him), but his character has other dimensions too, as he takes on a mentor-like role for Charley -- he initially treats him well, but with a sense of tough love. However, their relationship isn't all smooth riding. Many conflicts arise as Charley realizes the guy's practices aren't the most legitimate, which eventually pushes Charley further away -- another escape off into the windswept fields and the wide horizon.

Lean on Pete is an excellent film, but it made me physically sad, so watch at your own risk.

* 8.5/10 *

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[Review] Fahrenheit 451

Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon star in Fahrenheit 451, an HBO Films adaptation of Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel of the same name. At the helm is director Ramin Bahrani, who directed 2015's intense housing economy thriller 99 Homes (which also starred Michael Shannon). And despite falling flat in some aspects, the film's stellar cast and interesting themes are enough to make you want to stick with it, at least for the first half...

Set in a future-shock society (aka Cleveland) where every known book is banned, we meet Beatty (Shannon) and Montag (B. Jordan) who lead a crew of firemen that work to track down and burn every piece of written media (seems a bit dramatic, doesn't it?). But during the process, Montag experiences a remorseful change of heart and begins siding with an underground rebellion of literature preservers, which ultimately pits him against his captain.

Michael Shannon and Michael B. Jordan certainly make a dynamic duo, and they play their roles very well. You've got Beatty's older, colder, rough-edged ruthless alongside Montag's more reflective, curious, and sympathetic soul. The film does move it a slower pace though. It's drab tone becomes overly monotonous. And there isn't a whole lot of striking visual flair, aside from some VR and holographic imagery that recalls Netflix's disappointing hi-tech flick Mute. The narrative also gets messy and muddled toward the latter half, coming off like a mediocre sci-fi series rather than a satisfying cinematic experience.

The film's messaging is quite on-the-nose, covering the importance of the written word and freedom of expression, as well as how these things inform cultures and civilizations between the past, present, and future. It also warns against the dangers of a surveillance state and a monolithic world. However, the film never fully pays off the topics it raises. In other words, this version of Fahrenheit 451 seems to have few pages missing.

( 5.5/10 )

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