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Review by Sean Boelman  Exploring what is inarguably one of the most controversial horror sequels of all time, the documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street takes a look at A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge and the influence the film had on queer cinema. A must-see for any horror fan, the movie has some structural issues but still makes a great case for its subject as an essential piece of film history. The film tells the story of actor Mark Patton, who starred as the “scream queen” in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge in a time in which homophobia was on the rise in light of the AIDS crisis. With this, the documentary becomes not only a behind-the-scenes look at a revolutionary movie that made waves because of its ambitious (even if unpurposeful) thematic material, but also a biography of an undersung LGBTQ icon and the impact he had. The film does a solid enough job of making Patton into a very likable subject. He’s already very charming and has a pretty sizable fanbase, so it doesn’t take much for the movie to succeed in this regard. There is a reason why he has become such an icon in the horror industry and the LGBTQ community, after all. Ultimately, the film does try to juggle a bit too much, causing it to feel somewhat choppy at times. While there are some truly fascinating moments, many portions of the movie seem more underdeveloped. For example, the segment dealing with Patton’s AIDS diagnosis and the way in which he overcame it to become a vocal activist does not receive nearly enough screen time.  That said, as a feature-length cinematic essay on the themes of a film that is widely debated, the movie does a very good job of presenting its argument and backing it up with relevant evidence. The film purports very firmly that the famous (or infamous, depending on who is asked) “homoerotic subtext” was very purposeful and became text instead as a result.
The film features interviews with some important players in the story, in addition to various cinema historians. Of course, Patton himself tells the majority of the story. Although there are some stylistic inconsistencies between the interviews, their content is mostly very strong and is what keeps the movie moving. Interviews with Freddy himself, Robert Englund, expectedly provide some of the best insight. It is on a technical level that the film falls flat. The movie as a whole lacks stylistic cohesiveness, and this does distract from the story being told. Additionally, the film uses footage from the movie being referenced, but it often re-uses the same clips. Sometimes, this is because a particular scene is being talked about over and over again, but more often, it seems like licensing issues. Still, more variety would have been appreciated. Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street provides some interesting commentary and insight on a movie that perplexes most and is beloved by many. Even when the film bites off a bit more than it can chew, it is still a very informative watch. Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street hits theaters on February 27 and VOD on March 3. Rating: 3.5/5
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Review by Camden Ferrell  The Invisible Man is a modern adaptation of the popular book and film series. This reboot is written and directed by Leigh Whannell (Upgrade). This movie is a remake done right, and it’s a timely take that is full of great performances and proves to be heavily frightening. This movie is about Cecilia, a woman who believes she is being stalked by her abusive ex after she is informed that he committed suicide and bequeathed all of his fortune to her. This is a fascinating take on the original story, and it tells it from the female’s perspective. It changes up the formula to this story in an interesting way that is modernized and unpredictable. Whannell does a fantastic job with the direction of this film. While he has definitely grown in his abilities since his last feature, he has retained a lot of his kinetic motion and execution that made Upgrade so engaging. With his newest movie, he balances that energy with a strong sense of timing and an impeccable gift of finding horror in stillness. His direction is what lets this movie stand apart in an overcrowded genre, and it’s one that will make this movie worth revisiting. The cast is led by Elisabeth Moss (Her Smell) in one of the best performances of her career. She does a mesmerizingly great job in showing the real-life effects of trauma and abuse. She captures the nuances that come with a descent into insanity, and it’s incredibly surreal. Joining the ranks of Toni Collette (Hereditary) and Lupita Nyong’o (Us), this is definitely one of the most impressive horror performances of the century, and it’s one that makes this movie so great.  This is a horror movie that is executed properly. It rarely relies on jump scares or other tactics to elicit a cheap response. The movie uses a combination of techniques that cleverly combine the score, performances, and shot composition to create a sense of dread and unease that is more effective than any jump scare. This is evident in the film’s opening, a masterfully done sequence that shows the real horror that is found in silence and stillness. It’s an incredibly suspenseful and stressful movie for most of its runtime.
The movie also succeeds in its attempt to modernize the source material. In addition to being genuinely frightening, it is also thematically rich. It tackles important themes such as trauma and abuse, and it addresses the nature of toxic and controlling relationships. While it’s a little exaggerated for the sake of the movie, it’s incredibly timely nonetheless. This gives the movie more depth and ultimately makes it more engaging and entertaining. There are also plenty of surprising and jaw-dropping moments throughout the film. Whannell has a special way of turning tables even when you think you have guessed his next step. There are lots of great moments like this throughout that ensure the movie is never boring. The movie also contains some great scenes of action and terror that are executed in such a captivating way, and this includes a noticeable, but much appreciated long take in the film’s final act. The Invisible Man is a showcase of Moss’ talents as a leading actress and for Whannell’s ability to generate suspense and terror. It’s a completely entertaining and amazing horror movie that will please all audiences this weekend. It has a lot to say without losing any of its energy and fun. The Invisible Man is in theaters on February 28th. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Sean Boelman  Directed by Graham Denman and written by Patrick R. Young (from a story by Denman), Greenlight is a wicked new thriller set in the world of filmmaking. A surprisingly strong take on the “what would you do” genre, this film will keep the audience on their toes thanks to excellent suspense building and some simple but effective thrills. The movie tells the story of a director who thinks he is in for the job of his dreams when he gets hired to helm his first feature-length film, only to discover that the producer has more sinister intentions. Although this premise is very simple in nature, it provides plenty of intrigue to keep the audience invested in the mystery. It does take a while for the movie to initially get moving — the first thirty minutes or so are much needed character development to make the story feel more plausible — but once it does get moving, it keeps going at a consistently intense pace. Even though it seems like there’s not a lot happening in this film at times, it still feels exciting thanks to Denman’s able direction. The tone of the movie is also very interesting. While the film is mostly about evaluating the moral complexities of the situation, there is a darkly funny sense of humor to certain portions of the script, and that makes the movie even more uncomfortable (to great effect). Much of the film leans on the sense of anxiety that the events create both within the characters and the audience.  Additionally, the movie does a very good job of developing the characters of the film in a way that is very compelling. Although the story will likely be more empathetic to anyone who has been in a creative profession such as this, the movie’s message regarding ambition is absolutely universal and will allow the film to connect with anyone.
The actors also do a very good job at bringing their characters to life. Chase Williamson is a very charming leading man, and he’s obviously very talented at conveying a great range of emotions. That said, Chris Browning is the real highlight of the movie as the enjoyably over-the-top antagonistic producer. On a technical level, the film obviously has a very low budget, but it often uses this to its advantage. For example, by making the film-within-a-film a B-movie, the film itself minimizes its budget and adopts an almost self-aware feeling about itself (adding to the dark humor). The result is a movie with wonderfully minimalistic execution. Greenlight takes its simple premise and runs with it, delivering a fun and thought-provoking thriller. Denman is obviously a very talented filmmaker, so it will be exciting what he gets to do in the future once he gets his hands on a bigger budget. Greenlight is now available on VOD. Rating: 4/5 Review by Sean Boelman  A scene from Young Ahmed, photo by Christine Plenus, courtesy Kino Lorber. Tackling one of the most urgent issues facing society today, the new drama Young Ahmed frequently appears like a problem waiting to happen. However, thanks to excellent and nuanced work from writer-directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, this manages to be a thought-provoking commentary on the indoctrination of young people. The film tells the story of a Belgian teenager who, after coming to embrace an extremist view of the Quran, plans to kill his teacher. As one would expect, the movie revolves around some very touchy subject matter, and as a result, is consistently treading the line of what feels urgent and what seems irresponsible. Luckily, the Dardennes approach the film’s themes in a way that never quite goes over the edge, challenging the audience without ever being offensive. There are a few scenes in the movie, particularly towards the beginning, that are a bit too direct for the film’s own good, but the second and third acts quickly recover the movie with their more subtle character study. The eponymous character is very complex and the film does a very good job of exploring the implications of his arc. Ahmed’s arc is undeniably tragic, and while it is easy to look down on his actions, viewers will still feel a sense of pity for him in light of the context of his actions. This movie uses the soul-crushing nature of its story to its advantage, the intense emotional impact the film has causing the message to hit even harder.  A scene from Young Ahmed, photo by Christine Plenus, courtesy Kino Lorber. A majority of the movie’s conflict occurs in the first act, with the second and third acts being much more contemplative. General audiences may be put off by this unorthodox pacing, but it works quite well to invest the viewer in the story early on so that the real work can be done in the rest of the film.
Newcomer Idir Ben Addi gives an absolutely phenomenal performance in his leading role. It is almost shocking that this is his first ever appearance because he has such a natural screen presence. His delivery feels so honest and heartfelt, likely due to a combination of his talent and the Dardenne’s abilities to bring out his potential. On a technical level, the movie is quite strong. Featuring simple but elegant cinematography, the visual style of the film is good enough to be noticable but not flashy enough to distract from the main focus of the movie: the script. Also noticeable some of the most intense moments of the film are shot in unflinching long takes that effectively trap the viewer in the scene. Although it will likely have its fair share of critics, Young Ahmed is a very well-made and provocative movie. It is important that this discussion be had (and quickly), and this film is a good place to start. Young Ahmed is now playing in theaters. Rating: 4.5/5 Review by Sean Boelman  (L to R) Ventura and Vitalina Varela in a still from Pedro Costa's "Vitalina Varela." Courtesy of Grasshopper Film. A spin-off of his 2014 film Horse Money, Portugese filmmaker Pedro Costa’s newest movie Vitalina Varela is a meandering and thinly-plotted character study. Yet despite some interesting ideas and an abundance of beautiful imagery, Costa’s film is disappointingly incohesive due to its lack of narrative momentum. The movie tells the story of a Cape Verdean woman in Lisbon as she copes with the loss of her husband. The thing about this film that is likely to challenge viewers the most is that it has very little dialogue. A majority of the movie is delivered visually, and even when there are lines spoken, those lines don’t have a whole lot of meaning to them. As expected, Costa seems to be using this film to be making a statement about grief and closure, and while he thankfully never directly states it, the message he has to convey to the audience is made abundantly clear. As a result, the two hours of slow and contemplative visual poetry to which the audience is subjected by Costa becomes relatively excessive. There are some very powerful moments sprinkled throughout the movie, but there is also a lot of mundanity that fills the space between these scenes. The foundations are in place for the film to have been a compelling character study had there been a greater sense of purpose and drive, but Costa gets too caught up in creating faux naturalism that he misses his opportunity.  Vitalina Varela in a still from Pedro Costa's "Vitalina Varela." Courtesy of Grasshopper Film. Inspired by the real life of the film’s lead actress, the eponymous protagonist is certainly very intriguing. For someone who hasn’t seen this movie’s loose predecessor, sufficient context is given as to her background in one of the film’s rare bits of expositional dialogue. Still, with that being some of the only information given to the blind viewer, something else is required to create the necessary connection.
That something else is Varela’s unflinchingly naturalistic performance. Costa has become known for using non-actors in his movies, and that is still the case with Varela. Perhaps due to the immense connection she has with the character, she infuses the role with a mountain of emotion. Her believability as the character is the main thing that propels the film forward at all. The cinematography of the movie is also frequently gorgeous. Shot in the 4:3 aspect ratio, the film has a very unique visual style defined largely by darkness. Playing into the movie’s themes of death and grief, many shots of the film are obscured by shadows. At times, this does result in the movie becoming a bit hard to see, but it is still aesthetically-appealing nevertheless. Director Pedro Costa has made an unusual film in Vitalina Varela and one that certainly will not appeal to everyone. Containing some interesting themes and an even more interesting visual style, the movie has a lot of merit but doesn’t quite work. Vitalina Varela is now playing in theaters. Rating: 3/5 |