Review by Sean Boelman

The verité genre of documentary filmmaking has long been controversial, but there has not been a challenge to this genre as effective as Andres Peyrot’s God Is a Woman. Peyrot has made an extremely ambitious documentary, and while it succeeds in much of what it sets out to do, it arguably casts a bit too wide of a net.

The film tells the story of the Indigenous Kuna community of the Guna Yala islands in Panama as they set out to discover a lost film that was made of their community — which was also to be named “God Is a Woman.” It’s both a film about filmmaking and a completion of sorts of the original film by documenting this community, albeit with a much better, more altruistic lens.

The most interesting portion of the movie focuses on documentary ethics as it relates to the namesake that was directed by Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau. Throughout the film, many residents of the Kuna community who are old enough to recount the filming process discuss some of the ways in which Gaisseau asked them to stage some of their customs. It’s a debate as old as documentary filmmaking — but the perspective these subjects offer is refreshingly unique and underrepresented.

This segues into a discussion of the Kuna identity and how it was shaped by the events in 1975, as well as the more modern developments in society. This is done through a combination of interviews, modern-day verité-style observations the likes of which Gasseau hoped to capture, and actual footage recovered from the original film.

Peyrot does an exceptional job of capturing the spirit of this community and its evolving nature. Our primary subject is a Kuna man who makes it his mission to find and recover the film, showing it to his community as had been promised to them when they agreed to participate in it. It’s a very compelling, surprisingly emotional storyline that humanizes a style of documentary that was notorious for dehumanizing its subjects.

Less effective is the subplot that focuses on Indigenous representation. Although this is woven naturally into some of the other storylines, there are some sections that are more frustrating, such as a portion about a teenager who hopes to make a name for himself creating his own media.

Peyrot is a strong filmmaker, blending the different methods of footage in poetic ways. There’s a device used in which the footage from the 1975 film is projected with its participants sitting in front of it in the modern day, and this juxtaposition — while simple — creates an amazingly powerful image.

God Is a Woman asks some thought-provoking questions, and is one of the most unique and interesting approaches to “completing” a lost film there has been. However, the movie ultimately bites off more than it can chew — especially considering its sub-90-minute runtime — leaving the final product feeling still underwhelmingly incomplete.

God Is a Woman premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival in the Settimana Internazionale della Critica section.

​Rating: 3.5/5

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Review by Daniel Lima

After years of working as a writer for film and comics, Kevin Grevioux has taken on the mantle of director. King of Killers seems poised to be the start of an expansive new multimedia project, with a television prequel in the works, and both the film and series allegedly based on Grevioux’s graphic novel (for which the only evidence of its existence is press releases for the film and series). From all this activity, one can surmise that this is a concept that the man has plenty of passion for. Watching the film, however, it’s hard to see what exactly animates that passion.
 
Alain Moussi plays an elite assassin who, after his wife is killed while on a mission, retires to take care of his daughter. When she develops a life-threatening heart condition, he is pulled back into the life by a $10 million offer from the world’s greatest assassin. The target? The person who ordered the hit, and the protagonist will have to compete against some of the finest killers in the underworld if he wants that prize.
 
It’s a generic premise, but it has given works like John Wick and Accident Man fertile ground to create colorful characters, stage unique action set pieces, and craft a world that is idiosyncratic. Grevioux, the original creator of the Underworld franchise and the owner of an independent comic book company, might see ample opportunity to put a personal stamp on such well-worn territory. From the jump, however, it is clear that this film is missing that touch.
 
Visually, the film looks utterly indistinguishable from any number of indie action-thrillers. If one person is on screen, you get a medium shot with the person centered in frame; if multiple people, a wide to capture everyone as they stand or sit in one place for the duration of the scene. Occasionally, an ugly yellow or blue filter is thrown on. There are a couple comic-esque multi-panel split screens, fitting multiple inert images on screen at once. Most shots are held for only a few moments, leading to unintentionally hilarious scenes where the camera swaps between a half-dozen characters in a matter of seconds. That is the extent of the visual ingenuity on display.
 
A bad-looking movie is not uncommon in the direct-to-video realm, but a cursory glance at Grevioux’s comics work — particularly, the creator-owned work he has published himself — reveals dynamic, evocative images that demand and hold attention. While he only writes his comics, it is clear that he at least has an appreciation for the power of a single frame, what composition and blocking can do. If the shots in this film are 1:1 recreations of the alleged graphic novel it is based on, that would make the comic a particularly abhorrent exception to an otherwise handsome oeuvre.

The story itself is decidedly boilerplate, with the film taking an agonizingly long time to establish its world and the dramatic stakes to little actual effect. Much of this time is spent on simple exposition: characters helpfully explaining their relationships with one another, discussing other characters, or attempting to sell juvenile attempts at “tough guy” dialogue. The lack of a defined aesthetic and the breakneck editing lend these scenes an inessential air, as if they are mere padding before the action that is the nominal selling point kicks into gear. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen until fifty minutes into a ninety-minute movie.
 
The cast makes a valiant attempt to bring life to the characters, but their efforts are all for nought. Most of these actors have proven themselves in other works, but are forced to inhabit bland, personality-free archetypes that fail to give them a foundation to anchor their performance in. One could easily imagine Moussi playing a goofy, charming lead, but here he is forced to be the "Serious Hero," a role that doesn’t play to his strengths and is wholly uninteresting. The only exceptions are Frank Grillo, who is always effortlessly charming, and Grevioux himself, whose voice means he will stand out in anything he appears in.
 
All these problems could be forgiven if the action delivers. Sadly, that is not the case. To give credit where it's due, there does seem to be some thought put into the action design, with weapons getting thrown into the mix and the environment being used in clever ways. All that is completely undermined, however, by the ugly visual palette and the scattershot editing. Dark lighting that makes it difficult to see, cutting away from the action and breaking up its rhythm, excessive shaky cam, weird digital push-ins, removing frames to artificially give the impression of contact — every awful trope of bad action directing is showcased here. Some set pieces fare better than others, particularly with the established action stars, but even those are aggravating in how close they are to being something worth watching.
 
Ultimately, that is a good way to describe King of Killers as a whole. If this had an inkling of the personality, the visuals, or the perspective of Grevioux’s other work, this could have at least been a promising first attempt in the director’s chair. After enduring this, it’s hard not to come away with the impression that the man was more energized by the idea of a project like this than the possibilities it offered. Perhaps if the TV show or seemingly unreleased graphic novel ever see the light of day, they will have the spark that this lacks. If this is any indication of what’s to come, it might be wiser to prepare for disappointment. 

King of Killers is set to release in theaters and on VOD September 1.

Rating: 2/5

Review by Sean Boelman

These days, it seems like any film or franchise that was at one point a part of the cultural zeitgeist will get its own hyper-nostalgic, uber-nerdy, several-hour-long documentary detailing its production and impact. Thankfully, this trend has not yet outworn its welcome. RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop is as extensive as one would hope, with it being almost five hours long, but it will be absolute catnip for cinephiles.

The documentary tells the story of the making of the 1987 sci-fi classic RoboCop. It starts from the moment the idea for the movie was born and traces it all the way through the film’s release and cultural impact (although it doesn’t discuss the 2014 remake — but we don’t want to talk about that much either).

RoboDoc goes into detail on every little thing you could possibly want to know about RoboCop — and some things you didn’t even know you wanted to know. The documentary breaks down the movie not just on a scene-by-scene level, but even a line-by-line level at times. That these people remember so much of this film 35 years later is a testament to how special it was (and still is).

As is often the case with these nostalgia-fueled behind-the-scenes documentaries, there’s no denying that RoboDoc is a bit fluffy at times. However, there are quite a few portions that discuss the social context and relevance of the cult masterpiece. Everyone involved discusses RoboCop’s sharp political commentary that still rings eerily true today.

Of course, the documentary’s success will largely depend on how much the viewer appreciates the movie in question. The documentary does a damn good job of arguing that RoboCop is a masterpiece. If you like it, it’ll give you a new level of appreciation; if you don’t, it might give you cause to rethink your position. 

The level of access that documentarians Eastwood Allen and Christopher Griffiths got in terms of interviewees is absolutely exceptional. They talk to everyone from director Paul Verhoeven to writers Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner to star Peter Weller and the rest of the cast and crew. Everyone involved has such a clear passion for this project that it’s infectious.

Allen and Griffiths blend together the talking head interviews with footage from the film, BTS archive materials, concept art, new animation, and more. The result is a documentary that is entirely engaging and just as kinetic as one could possibly hope for from a documentary about one of the most gleefully over-the-top action movies ever made.

RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop is for a niche audience of cinephiles, but it knows exactly who it’s for. If you go into this documentary with a deep love and respect for ‘80s camp masterpieces, RoboDoc is sure to be some of the most enjoyable five hours you’ll have watching a documentary this year.

RoboDoc: The Creation of RoboCop premieres on SCREAMBOX August 29. All four episodes reviewed.

​Rating: 4/5

Reviewed by Jonathan Berk

Review by Tatiana Miranda

Even with the widespread popularity of Neutral Milk Hotel's album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, most don't know about the band's relationship to other 90s indie bands, The Olivia Tremor Control and The Apples in Stereo. All three are connected through their music collective and label known as the Elephant 6 Recording Company. In the documentary The Elephant 6 Recording Co., the origins of the collective and its bands are brought to light for members and fans alike to reminisce on the DIY nature of the label. ​

Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo, Bill Doss and Will Hart of The Olivia Tremor Control, and Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel all met in high school in Ruston, Louisiana. Each formed their own band but collaborated routinely in terms of instruments and production. Over time, this collaboration became known as the Elephant 6 Recording Company, which was spearheaded by the original four friends. Eventually, Elephant 6 moved from Ruston to Denver, Colorado and Athens, Georgia, where other artists like Elf Power and of Montreal joined the collective. 

More than its members, Elephant 6 represented a creative, psychedelic, do-it-yourself approach to music that differed from the Seattle grunge scene and the other genres of the period. The collective gained inspiration from 1960s psychedelic pop artists such as the Beach Boys, the Beatles, and the Zombies. They inspired the Elephant 6 in more ways than just the genre but also through production. Robert Schneider, in particular, used the four-track to record songs from The Apples in Stereo. As he says in the documentary, "My ear needed to hear something on the quality of 1966, 1967. And nothing more slick than that."

Besides Bill Doss, who passed in 2012, and Jeff Mangum, most of the original members of the Elephant 6 are interviewed in The Elephant 6 Recording Co. These interviews are paired with archival performance footage as the documentary recounts the bands involved with the collective and the motives behind their collaboration and creative process. With the music industry's competitive nature, the Elephant 6 stands up to say that it can be more than that. 

While the documentary isn't very linear and tends to shy away from certain topics, such as Jeff Mangum's rise to fame and lack of involvement with the doc, it showcases the magic of the collective in its prime. Although The Elephant 6 Recording Co. might not be the best music documentary of all time, it is perfect for aspiring musicians or Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor, and Apples in Stereo fans who want to know more about the creation of their favorite bands.

The Elephant 6 Recording Co. releases in select theaters on August 25. ​

Rating: 5/5

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Review by Cole Groth

Clay Tarver’s Vacation Friends debuted on Hulu on August 27, 2021. Receiving mixed reviews from critics and simply decent viewership, it’s surprising that a sequel was written, shot, and released less than two years later. Vacation Friends 2 won’t win over fans of the first film, and while it’s a step down from the laughable chaos of the original, there’s still plenty of fun to be found in this buddy comedy.

Picking up shortly after the first film, we’re back with the familiar crew of the straight-faced Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) and Emily (Yvonne Orji), and the wild cards Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner). From the first movie, Maurillio (Carlos Santos) is back in more of a consistent supporting role. After being married in the previous film, Marcus and Emily invite Ron and Kyla to join them on their honeymoon. All hell breaks loose when Kyla’s father, Reese (Steve Buscemi), shows up and takes them on a crime-fueled spree — all while Marcus and Kyla are trying to have a child of their own.

The immediate problem with this is that the core four are pretty much the same, just exaggerated a bit from before. Without the absurd five writers of the first film, Clay Tarver finds himself alone writing the screenplay, and he’s not quite able to flesh out anybody here. Sequels to simple films like this rely heavily on the characters becoming more complicated than before, and they’re mostly stagnant. Kyla is more obnoxious than last time, but everybody else is the same. Reese is a fun supporting character, but doesn’t stand out as feeling original.

Vacation Friends 2 offers up fewer laughs than its predecessor, simply because a lot of the jokes have already been done. If you’re a fan of high-intensity screaming and swearing, you’ll find this funny. John Cena is a treat, as he always is, and Meredith Hagner has tons of energy. It’s a perfect movie to put on if you need an easy laugh and don’t want to absorb a lot. Everything moves at a predictable pace, and it’s quick enough to still be enjoyable.

Looking at this from a technical level, there’s nothing too special here. Tarver’s direction is fine. He doesn’t stand out as someone with any style, and a comedy like this needs style to make it more interesting. The cinematography and special effects are a notable step up from the first, which was plagued with a bizarre number of bad VFX shots. Again, this isn’t the type of movie that requires much thinking, so none of the production elements stand out as anything more than fine.

Of all the movies to receive accelerated sequels, Vacation Friends probably wasn’t the best property for 20th Century to push forward with. This second outing isn’t as good as before, and this duology feels better suited for a one-off experience. That being said, it’s far from an unenjoyable time. If we ever get a Vacation Friends 3, the best thing for it would be to try something new. There’s some real potential with the crazy bunch of Marcus, Emily, Ron, and Kyla, and perhaps they’ll be up to something more interesting in 2025 if this becomes a trilogy.

Vacation Friends 2 releases on Hulu on August 25.

Rating: 3/5

Review by Joseph Fayed

Ellie Foumbi's directorial debut Our Father, The Devil will make you feel uneasy. The psychological thriller asks if trauma and redemption can both be possible. The answer is explored through emotionally charged performances that acknowledge how difficult it is to move on from our past.

Marie is a chef at a retirement home in a quiet French village. Her life is going well. Her friendships are stronger than ever, she is given a remote cabin by a resident of the retirement home, and she is being pursued romantically. All of that is upended when she recognizes the new priest at the retirement home, Father Patrick. Marie is reminded of a brutal chapter of her life she has not told anyone else about, and to not disrupt her new life, Marie must figure out what to do with Father Patrick.

Babetida Sadjo, who plays Marie, nails the personality traits of one experiencing trauma in phases. Trauma does not have a particular time span, but the events that unfold with Father Patrick trigger a sense of discomfort and dread back into her life. Her slow withdrawal from her everyday life and the guard she has put up are acted brilliantly by Sadjo. The rare cathartic release we see from her is devastating, especially after her chilling performance dominates most of the film.