[Sundance 2022] NANNY -- A Great Psychological Horror Film Exploring the Immigrant Experience1/31/2022
Review by Sean Boelman
It’s exceedingly rare for a horror film to win the top prize at any festival, and so it was a massive surprise when Nikyatu Jusu’s Nanny won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance. That said, it is entirely understandable why this movie came out on top, because it is a wonderful exercise in atmosphere and tension.
The film follows an undocumented immigrant working as a nanny for a wealthy family in the Upper East Side as she is forced to confront the terrifying truth behind the American Dream. Lots of movies have explored the immigrant experience, but it’s pretty ingenious to structure it like a psychological horror film as Jusu does. For much of the first hour or so, the movie is a slow burn, moving along at a measured but deliberate pace. It feels like we are watching this character’s world and psyche unravel, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in it. It’s never a particularly scary film, although there is some imagery that is very creepy and the whole affair is quite tense. The movie explores a lot of issues when it comes to the immigrant experience, like the façade that is the American Dream and the way in which white Americans exploit immigrants in need. It’s clear from the dialogue that this is Jusu’s first script, because there are some things that are overt and somewhat sloppy, but it’s also very angry and passionate. Jusu writes the protagonist in a way that is extremely sympathetic. We get emotionally invested in her story of trying to get reconnected with her son, and forming the parallel to the character’s work as a nanny is a wonderful way of doing so. The supporting characters are far less interesting, but the lead is so compelling that it works nevertheless. Anna Diop gives a brilliant performance in the leading role that works on the level of both drama and horror. It’s a very vulnerable turn, which makes up for a lot of the issues that the script has. And in the supporting cast, Michelle Monaghan and Morgan Spector give enjoyable performances as her employers. The best accomplishment in this film is the way in which Jusu builds the atmosphere. The cinematography and score are both extremely haunting in a way that draws the viewer into the character’s psyche. Although some of the effects in the movie aren’t the best, the intent is there to a point that still makes them disturbing and not distracting. Nanny may have been an unorthodox pick for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, but it definitely earns this recognition. It is definitely one of the more successful horror debuts to come out of Sundance in the past few years. Nanny screened at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which ran virtually from January 20-30. Rating: 4.5/5
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Review by Sean Boelman
Elizabeth Banks appears in Call Jane by Phyllis Nagy, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. | Photo by Wilson Webb.
Phyllis Nagy was nominated for an Academy Award for her screenplay for Carol, but has not released any work since then. She only directed her newest film, Call Jane, which is a relatively standard historical drama movie that benefits from a strong cast and a story that is important enough to speak for itself.
The film follows a married woman who must receive an illegal abortion after complications in her pregnancy, later joining a group who help find women the medical assistance they need. Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi’s script is on the conventional side and exaggerates beats of the story in the expected ways, but it still works well. It does take a while for the movie to get to the meat of its story, with a majority of the first hour being spent on exploring the protagonist’s personal experience rather than the overall movement. But once the film starts to get into these women operating this underground network, it starts to be quite compelling. That said, this introduction does provide some exceptional characterization. It’s easy to get invested in the story because of the connection we have with the hero of the story. That said, there are some problematic aspects to this angle of the story. Although it doesn’t reduce the importance of the message, having a privileged white woman as the protagonist makes it feel like everything is being too sanitized. 
Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver appear in Call Jane by Phyllis Nagy, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. | Photo by Wilson Webb.
Nagy did assemble a wonderful ensemble for her movie. Elizabeth Banks plays the lead role, and she gives a performance that, while not particularly deep, does exactly what it is supposed to do. Sigourney Weaver has a show-stealing turn in a supporting role, with some of the best scenes in the film.
Given the recent developments in anti-abortion laws in the United States, this story is more relevant now than it has been since the era in which it was set. It’s sad that American society has devolved back to this point, but this movie provides a wake-up call that is forceful enough to resonate but not so overwhelming as to be unpalatable for general audiences. There are definitely some questionable decisions made in the film from a directorial standpoint. Although the periodization in terms of the production design is quite strong, there are a lot of other things that don’t work. Some of the movie’s use of visual symbolism is so on-the-nose to the point of being frustrating. Call Jane may not be a groundbreaking film, but the performances are great in a way that makes it genuinely memorable. Even in its conventional approach, this story is powerful enough to be effective. Call Jane screened at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which ran virtually from January 20-30. Rating: 4/5 [Sundance 2022] MASTER -- Thought-Provoking Social Horror That Works Well Without Resolution1/31/2022
Review by Sean Boelman
Sundance often features many debuts coming from exciting minority voices, and Mariama Diallo, director and writer of Master, is one of the more exciting prospects of this year’s festival. A disturbing and thoughtful socially-conscious horror film, this is an intriguing movie that will stick with audiences.
The film follows two African-American women at a predominantly white college in New England who begin to have disturbing experiences. Independently, each of the movie’s two stories is compelling, but it is the way in which Diallo ties them together that really gives the film such an intense impact. One of the storylines focuses on the newly-instated dean of the college as she attempts to navigate the difficulties of being the token representative of diversity. This is the less horror-tinged of the two parts of the movie, but arguably the more harrowing, because of how its quietly grounded exploration of racism peels back the injustices of society. The other portion of the film is about a first-year student who finds that the community on campus is not as welcoming as she has expected. This portion of the script has a few moments that almost go a bit too far into its horror elements, but Diallo always manages to rein it in with a brutally bleak image of real-life racism. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Diallo’s approach to the script is her pacing. She is less concerned with resolution than she is with exploring ideas. There are a lot of loose ends throughout the script and questions that are left unanswered, but this lack of catharsis makes the point of the movie all the more effective. Regina Hall proves again here that she is one of the most underappreciated actresses working today. She brings such a quiet anger to the character, and it really fits the role. Other standouts are Zoe Renee, who carries her portion of the film quite well, and Amber Grey, who is a tremendous scene partner for Hall. The movie is also very confidently directed by Diallo. The use of atmosphere is top-notch and really creates an overwhelming sense of dread. And there is some imagery in the film that is very effectively disturbing, especially those which are rooted in real-life racist symbolism and ideology. Master may be on the uneven side, but there are so many exciting and interesting things in the script that its flaws can be forgiven. It’s such a confident debut from Mariama Diallo, and it will be exciting to see where she goes from here. Master screened at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which ran virtually from January 20-30. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Keke Palmer and Common appear in Alice by Krystin Ver Linden, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. Photo Credit: Eliza Morse.
Most festivals have at least one dud in the competition, whose merit is more their intentions than what they actually accomplished, and this year, that is Krystin Ver Linden’s Alice. A poorly-paced film that only manages to find its groove in the last twenty minutes, this is one of the biggest wastes of potential in recent memory.
The movie follows a woman who escapes her life in slavery only to discover that she is actually living in the 1970s and slavery has been outlawed for over a century. Although the film is much less of a trainwreck than the similarly-premised Antebellum, this premise is seemingly just doomed to fail. One of the biggest issues with the movie is that it takes far too long for the protagonist to enter into the modern world. And while the film becomes much more enjoyable after it finally stops taking itself so seriously, with a Blaxploitation-inspired final act that is fun but rushed, viewers will have checked out by then. The movie definitely wears its message on its sleeve, with a speech in the last scene of the film that basically spells out exactly what the audience is supposed to take away from what they have just seen. And while it’s definitely a good anti-racist message, it definitely could have used a bit more subtlety. 
Keke Palmer appears in Alice by Krystin Ver Linden, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. | Photo by Kyle Kaplan.
Although Ver Linden does a great job of making the lead character compelling, the arc isn’t particularly well-defined. The character changes, but we don’t really see her grow. She just goes from point A to point B nearly instantly, without much of a path that takes her there, and the result is somewhat off-putting.
That said, Keke Palmer gives a committed performance that really sells the film. The script definitely works against her at times, with some dialogue that is extraordinarily stilted, but she eats up the few great scenes. Common, on the other hand, is just there for some reason and his only job is to react to Palmer. There is also not a consistent style to the movie, but even that can be chalked up to the issues with the script. The first half of the film is a serious historical drama, and then the second half is a stylish action romp. Some of the individual elements of the execution are promising, but it’s so all-over-the-place that it doesn’t work. Alice is an absolute mess of a movie with a few good elements but very few that are great. Although the intent of the film is noble, the execution of it is so lackluster that it is entirely frustrating. Alice screened at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which ran virtually from January 20-30. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Colin Farrell appears in After Yang by Kogonada, an official selection of the Spotlight section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. | Photo by Benjamin Loeb / A24.
Video-essayist-turned-filmmaker Kogonada made a splash with his intimate directorial debut Columbus, and while his newest film After Yang is more ambitious in overall scale, it is also rooted in emotion. Nevertheless, this combination of sci-fi, family drama, and mystery is far less moving than his first feature.
The movie follows a family who is faced with an unorthodox grieving process when their A.I. helper malfunctions unexpectedly. It’s a fascinating premise that has the potential to be a profound study of the connections that humanity has both with technology and one another, but in expanding Alexander Weinstein’s short story, Kogonada finds substance in the wrong areas. In terms of surface-level commentary, the film is discussing the relationship and dependence that society has on modern technology. Kogonada wisely avoids making this the primary focus of his movie, though, as it easily could have come across as a paranoid rant if so. Instead, for better or worse, the film is more interested in exploring the things that make us human, a theme that has been explored over and over again in the genre. The character development in the movie is intriguing, even if it isn’t always effective. Interestingly enough, the most compelling character in the film is the android who is experienced primarily through the lens of others. His development is done through how he is seen by others, and it’s the most authentic connection that is formed in the movie. However, the performances here are frustratingly cold. Colin Farrell is supposed to be playing an unorthodox grieving father, but his performance is oddly detached. There are a few scenes in which he expresses pain, but for the most part, he’s just sort of drifting in this bereft daze. Justin H. Min gives a solidly nuanced performance as the android with a heart, but Jodie Turner-Smith, Haley Lu Richardson, and Clifton Collins Jr. are wasted here. Even more off-putting are the film’s frequent tonal shifts. The movie starts off as a slightly quirky sci-fi, becomes a somber family drama, then a mystery, goes back to somber drama, and then becomes another (different) mystery. Had the film settled on one of its tones and stuck with it to explore these themes, it would have been much more effective. That said, the movie is undeniably wonderful in a visual sense. Kogonada’s eye for composition really brings out the emotion in the shots, even when the script doesn’t do it any favors. And the use of futuristic images, including an extremely memorable title sequence that is one of the most enjoyable this side of Gaspar Noé, shows the potential that this had if only it would have embraced its sci-fi elements. After Yang has a lot of elements that work quite well on their own, but they are so at odds with each other tonally that the result is beyond uneven. It’s exciting to see Kogonada take such big swings, although it definitely could have used a bit more development. After Yang screened at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 20-30. Rating: 4/5 |