Review by Sean Boelman

Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel takes stories that are well-known and peels beneath their surface to reveal something deeper about his own society. His newest film, Nitram, treads a fine line, exploring the lead-up to one of the most devastating tragedies in the history of Australia, and it does so in a way that is quite tormenting.

The movie follows an isolated man whose crumbling psyche, combined with his increasing loneliness and anger, push him down a path of darkness culminating in the Port Arthur mass shooting. It’s a tough film to watch, and questions will certainly be posed about whether or not this is a necessary and appropriate approach to this story, and the truth is there is no easy answer.

Kurzel and co. have taken special care to make sure that the movie is as respectful to the victims of this tragedy as possible. The perpetrator’s real name is never mentioned in the film as to not allow him to gain fame for committing such atrocities. Yet the idea of a movie that could easily be misconstrued as humanizing someone who did such heinous acts will rub some people the wrong way.

There’s no doubt that the film is not trying to make the character sympathetic, much less some sort of hero. However, it is a critique of a broken system which caused him to spiral down such a dark rabbit hole. The scene in the movie that will likely stick with viewers for a long time discusses the problems with lack of gun control in Australia.

Caleb Landry Jones gives a performance that is impressively deranged. It’s a turn that isn’t easy to stomach, but that is clearly the point — he is supposed to be making us feel uncomfortable. You can tell that the combination of Kurzel’s skill in directing actors and Jones’s in bringing these characters to life is what made this film tick.

In fact, the entire atmosphere here is one of general unease. Even when things are “going right” for the character, the viewer can’t escape that feeling that something is amiss. Granted, a big part of this is the feeling of dread, knowing exactly where this story is taking us and what is going to happen (albeit off-camera).

But Kurzel’s visual style in the movie also lends itself to this discomfort. It’s a look that feels dilapidated and worn, which both periodizes the film well and creates something that almost resembles disorientation. As the character loses his grip on reality, everything starts to become more hectic and explosive.

Nitram isn’t an easy movie to dissect, but it is one that lends itself to discussion. There will certainly be a fair share of people who are not a fan of what it does, and understandably so, but its message is important and delivered in a way that is mostly effective.

Nitram hits theaters, VOD, and AMC+ on March 30.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

​Bull had its premiere at the 2021 Fantasia International Film Festival and played multiple festivals since then. This movie comes from writer/director Paul Andrew Williams, who has directed some critically acclaimed British television (Broadchurch) among other projects.
 
The titular character, Bull, is a former mob worker. After being absent for 10 years, he suddenly returns to his hometown on a quest of revenge against those who double-crossed him. In addition to seeking revenge against this gang of people, he is also trying to find his son. This premise is resonant of many other revenge thrillers we have seen in recent years like John Wick, Nobody, and most recently, Clean. While it’s a set up that is overused, it’s one that can always still be interesting if it is executed properly.
 
Despite having such an accomplished writer working on the film, the script is one of the biggest weaknesses of the movie. It does little beyond setting up the main story and motivation and letting the action and blood do the rest. It doesn’t do much to develop its lead character beyond surface level exposition, and this prevents the audience from feeling fully invested in the journey of the protagonist.

The film is led by Neil Maskell who is decent more than anything else. As the titular character, he is able to interact well with his co-stars, and while he’s no superstar in the action department, it’s hard to deny that he is enjoyable to watch in the more intense moments of the film. The rest of the cast is mostly forgettable and stays in the shadows of Maskell’s character.

While most of the movie feels bland, it is saved by its action. The only thing that prevents this film from being completely forgettable is its unrelenting violence. Bull’s path of revenge isn’t clean or pretty, and the movie does a great job of not straying away from the gruesome violence that makes this such an enjoyable genre. The lack of substance and originality is most definitely compensated by the film’s willingness to show the limits of human violence and cruelty.

Bull is a mostly enjoyable revenge thriller that is still plagued by many problems. Fans of the revenge thriller genre might enjoy the blood and gore of this film. However, those looking for a revenge drama with deep themes and development might find themselves underwhelmed.

Bull is in theaters April 1 and on VOD April 5.

Rating: 3/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

Night’s End is a new movie from horror director Jennifer Reeder and writer Brett Neveu. Some might know Reeder from her film Knives and Skin or her segment in the film V/H/S/94. This film had its premiere a few weeks ago at FrightFest Glasgow before its premiere on Shudder. Unfortunately, this film lacks originality and is void of thrills or a sense of fear.
 
Ken is a reclusive man who moves into an apartment. However, strange occurrences lead him to believe his apartment is haunted which causes him to seek out an exorcism. Haunted abodes and subsequent exorcisms are overused tropes in horror, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t viable. This movie does try and modernize the concept in its own way, but it falls flat and just feels like its treading the same water as better movies that came before it.
 
Since the protagonist is a shut-in, a lot of the movie is told in the context of online video calls. This is a storytelling device that has been seen a lot in recent years, even more so because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the only way in which the film tries to significantly carve its own path for exorcism-based horror movies, but it doesn’t work very well. The online video call doesn’t blend will with the premise of the movie, and it mostly leads to the film feeling less scary as a whole.

The entire cast of the movie is painfully forgettable. Geno Walker leads the film as Ken, but he isn’t given great material to work with, and his interpretation of the character never feels believable. The only significant cast member is Michael Shannon who is uncharacteristically bland in this movie among an equally bland cast of supporting characters.
 
The movie is plagued with problems throughout. Its pace is sluggish despite being a very short movie, and none of the execution feels particularly motivated. It tries to blend the mundanity of a recluse with the intensity of a haunting, but it never mixes well, and it creates a muddled tonal mess. As mentioned before, the video call angle subverts the earnestness of its premise and ultimately robs the film of its potential to scare audiences.
 
Night’s End is a bland horror film that is more forgettable than anything. They try and put their own spin on the haunting and exorcism tropes, but it consistently falls flat. The cast is bland, and the execution is sloppy and doesn’t properly blend the different elements of the movie.
 
Night’s End is streaming on Shudder March 31.
 
Rating: 2/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

It has been over a year since the first MCU show premiered on Disney+, and their universe is still expanding with their most recent effort. Moon Knight is their newest series and the first attempt at a live-action adaptation of the iconic character.  Even if the series isn’t as subversive or fresh as intended, this is still an enjoyable series with great performances, exciting action, and an overall strong introduction to the MCU for this character.
 
Steven Grant is a mostly average museum gift shop employee. However, he has found himself blacking out and having memories of a different life. As he learns more about the atypical encounters he’s been experiencing, he finds himself thrust into a perilous global adventure. On this journey, he learns more about his own perplexing identities and greater forces at play in Egypt. This is a premise that incorporates a lot of the main defining traits of the character while also giving him a story that is bigger in scope than his comic book outings.
 
Jeremy Slater is the head writer for the show, and he does a mostly strong job crafting this story and its characters. It can often find itself hitting the same narrative beats as other MCU properties, but every episode has the occasional surprising moment that will keep audiences on their toes. In the promotion of the show, those involved have insisted that the show leans heavily into the dissociative identity disorder of the protagonist, and this is handled very well. The show is built heavily around the character’s DID, and it allows the story to set itself apart from other Marvel properties.
 
In addition to the mental illness aspects of the show, it was also promised to be brutal and unrelenting in its violence. I found that this was only partly true. While it is one of the more violent entries in the MCU thus far, it isn’t nearly as gruesome or shocking as it seems to think it is. A lot of the violence feels implied or limited by the show’s rating. However, one of the most interesting parts of the show is how it combines the DID elements with violence to create a unique method of storytelling that hasn’t been seen in the MCU so far.

While there are a lot of moving parts in this production, it is undeniable that the show’s acting is its strongest asset. The series is led by Oscar Isaac who puts all of his energy into his interpretation of Moon Knight. He is great for the most part, really dedicating himself to the DID aspects of the show as well as the costumed action. His co-star, May Calamawy, is a pleasant surprise in the show. She has great chemistry with Isaac and is an unexpected delight. However, even though the show has multiple great performances, everybody is outacted by Ethan Hawke. As the show’s antagonist, Hawke delivers one of Marvel’s best performances ever. He is haunting, calculated, and sinister in his role as Arthur Carrow, and he is by far and away the most memorable part of the show.
 
Indie directing duo, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, as well as director Mohamed Diab helm this new series. The overall tone of the series feels uniquely grim most of the time, but it can’t always free itself from the MCU’s trademark humor and style. While it makes an honest attempt at feeling distinct and subversive for a Marvel property, it only partially succeeds at that. There are a handful of truly stunning shots and sequences, as a whole, the execution of the series only feels slightly above average more times than not.
 
Even if its far from perfect, this show is a step in the right direction for the MCU’s brand. It shows that they are not afraid of taking risks and trusting their directors with rich characters like Moon Knight. Moon Knight’s unique history since his comic debut in 1975 has consistently proven there’s more than one way to use and develop this character, and this show is no different. It retains some key traits of the character while also trying to forge a new path for a new audience.
 
Moon Knight may take a little while to hit its stride, but by its fourth episode, it has set up some really exciting things that will captivate fans. I think many will enjoy how it incorporates the character’s mental illness into the series and keeps you guessing. This may not be Marvel’s strongest project, but it is one of their most unique, and it’s one that will hopefully win over new fans for the character.
 
Moon Knight premieres on Disney+ March 30. New episodes debut on Wednesdays. Four out of six episodes reviewed. 
 
Rating: 4/5

Review by Sean Boelman

Tim Federle is best-known as the creator of the wildly popular High School Musical: The Musical — The Series, and his directorial debut Better Nate Than Ever is going to tap into much of the same audience. And while it does take a bit of time for the film to find its groove, once it does, it’s one of the most charming family movie to grace the screen (big or small) in a while.
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The film tells the story of a boy who lives in a small Midwestern town but dreams of becoming a Broadway star as he sneaks out for an impromptu trip to New York City to audition for the role of his dreams. Like a theater-lover’s version of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, it’s a movie that will win over a lot of hearts.

The first twenty or so minutes of the film are absolutely cringe-worthy, as the way in which it presents the protagonist’s rejection in his hometown is ridiculously cheesy. But once he actually makes it to the Big Apple, he’ll win over the love of the audience, much like he wins over the hearts of everyone he meets along the way.

There are also some other things about the movie that are a bit on the distracting side. The fact that the film revolves around a Broadway musical adaptation of Lilo and Stitch is corporate synergy at its worst, and there are more than a few moments in the movie which are heightened for dramatic effect.

Rueby Wood gives his first-ever performance in the leading role, and the kid’s a natural. He does an exceptional job of bringing all of the qualities of the character to life, from the annoying to the charming, and the result is wonderfully endearing. And Lisa Kudrow gives a touching, if somewhat generic performance as the supportive aunt.

One of the best things about this film is its wonderful message about pursuing one’s dreams despite the odds. Granted, going on an unsupervised trip to New York City might not make Nate one of the greatest role models in the world, but the core story here is one about finding one’s calling and sticking with it no matter what discouragement you may face.

The musical bits of the movie are charming, even if they aren’t entirely memorable. The scene that will seal the deal for audiences if they aren’t already convinced by that point is an infectiously energetic rendition of George Benson’s “On Broadway”. And the first big musical fantasy sequence is fun to watch.

Better Nate Than Ever is the type of film that gives you several reasons that you probably shouldn’t like it, and yet, it’s so wholesome and charming that you will be won over by the end. Disney+ is the perfect platform for this, because it will become the family sensation of this spring.

Better Nate Than Ever streams on Disney+ beginning April 1.

Rating: 4.5/5