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Review by Sean Boelman
Quentin Dupieux makes a very distinctive style of absurdist comedies, so fans should be used to what he brings to the table by now. Incredible but True is somehow both his most stripped-down and maximalist film yet, although it struggles with finding the meaning that is what makes Dupieux’s work so special.
The movie follows a couple who move into what seems to be the home of their dreams, only to discover that the basement harbors an unexpected dark secret. Dupieux is known for taking these simple, absurd premises and making something profound out of them, but this one feels disappointingly shallow compared to the rest of his work. What is perhaps most surprising is that a majority of the most interesting commentary comes not from the core premise, but a side plot that amounts to little more than a running gag. It’s occasionally very funny but grows repetitive after a bit, especially when the critique of masculinity starts to run out of steam. In fact, that ends up being the issue with much of the film as a whole. There are some interesting ideas explored in the first twenty minutes, but Dupieux cannot sustain them, even for the movie’s brief seventy-four-minute runtime. Even his trademark goofy humor cannot keep the audience interested. The dynamic between the four central characters is intriguing, but there simply isn’t enough time for it to be fully developed. As a result, it ends up giving the film an almost melodramatic feel. And although Dupieux typically thrives in working with exaggerated relationships, this movie largely comes up short. Even more disappointing is the fact that everyone in the cast seems to be on autopilot. The central players are all A-list French actors: Alain Chabat, Lèa Drucker, Benoît Magimel, and Anaïs Demoustier. Yet out of the four, only Magimel gets anything substantially funny to do in his role. There are a few interesting visual symbols throughout the movie, but they are not fully utilized. One recurring motif poses some interesting questions, serving as the central thesis of the film, but it leaves something to be desired. And there is one visual gag that is quite funny and memorable. Incredible but True is the rare disappointment from Quentin Dupieux. Although it has a solid premise, it ends up feeling largely underbaked and underwhelming in regards to what it does with its story. Incredible but True screened at the 2022 Fantasia International Film Festival. which runs July 13 through August 3. Rating: 2.5/5
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Review by Sean Boelman
Fantasia is primarily known for two things: Asian cinema and horror films. Kang Park’s extraordinary feature debut Seire is the intersection of the two, a genuinely disturbing slow-burn psychological horror movie that uses an aspect of Korean culture to create something thoroughly unsettling.
The film follows a couple who, having just had a child, are observing a three-week period in which they are supposed to be careful to protect their child from bad luck, when one of them attends a funeral and brings upon them a series of unusual events. It’s an interesting, culturally specific horror movie, but one that is universal nonetheless. This is very much a slow-burn, with almost glacial pacing for much of the first hour that will cause some viewers to check out. However, the third act pays off in a way that is very suspenseful and culminates in a final sequence that is one of the most haunting things you will see in a film all year. Like many of the best Asian horror movies, Seire explores the idea of tradition and superstition. And while it hardly has anything new to say about the themes, it nonetheless addresses them in a way that is chilling and insightful. Although the concept of seire is one that Western audiences are unlikely to be familiar with, Park’s script manages to make it relatable. Seo Hyun-woo and Ryu Sun-young give very strong performances in what is essentially a two-hander. Although there are other characters with smaller roles, it is the relationship between the central couple that drives much of the film, and they do an extraordinary job of carrying the domestic tension scenes. However, perhaps even more effective are the scenes in which Seo gets to be a bit more introspective in his role. These portions of the movie are those which are the most effective at quietly creeping under your skin, and the result is a film that is much scarier than anything that is reliant on jump scares. The movie is primarily set in the confines of a single home, and Park makes the most of this claustrophobic setting to create a feeling of unease. Many slow-burn horror movies tend to use their style as a crutch to create an atmosphere, but the atmosphere in this film is extremely natural and effective. Despite its cultural specificity, Seire manages to be an extremely disturbing psychological horror movie. Its slow pacing will certainly be a bit too restrained for some viewers, but it’s the type of international gem that you love to discover at festivals. Seire screened at the 2022 Fantasia International Film Festival which runs July 13 through August 3. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
Sadako, the supernatural antagonist of the Ringu series and its American remakes, is unquestionably one of the most recognizable and terrifying monsters in horror movie history. Sadako DX attempts to revitalize the property for a modern generation and does so in a mostly intriguing way, even if it does lose its steam more than once.
The film follows a young woman who seeks to unravel the mystery behind a cursed video that kills people 24 hours after they watch it when her younger sister watches the video for fun. It’s interesting to see a movie take the basic premise of the Ringu films and deconstruct them in a way that is genuinely intelligent. Although the third American movie based on the property, Rings, had tried to bring the Sadako concept into the social media generation, it failed miserably at doing so. Sadako DX fares much better, asking some interesting questions about our online behaviors, although it doesn’t offer any compelling answers. This is billed as a horror-comedy, and while there are certainly some satirical elements, it never feels like it is in service of humor. But it does create that sense of overwhelming dread for which the series has come to be known. Of course, there are also some effective jump scares spread throughout, but it is the atmosphere that works wonders for the film. That said, the movie does suffer from what seems to be budget constraints. The effects are sometimes lackluster, and in a distracting way not a charming one. In what could have been some of the most disturbing scenes, the effects end up causing the scares to have far less of an impact. The character development could have also used some work. Had the movie gone all-in with the satirical elements, having characters that are embodiments of the stereotypes and archetypes of modern day horror movies could have created some solid laughs, but here, it ends up feeling shallow. Still, the actors manage to do the most with what they are given. Fuka Koshiba carries the film pretty well despite the fact that the role isn’t all that meaty. And while the character design for this new version of Sadako isn’t the best, the physical performances that went into bringing the character to life are pretty impressive. For the most part, Sadako DX takes the property in an interesting new direction. There are some portions that could have been a bit sharper, and the effects are hit-or-miss, but it’s generally smarter than many of the Ringu sequels we have been given in the past decades, and that makes it a treat for J-horror fans. Sadako DX screened at the 2022 Fantasia International Film Festival, which runs July 13 through August 3. Rating: 4/5
Review by Sean Boelman
(L to R) B.J. Novak as Ben Manalowitz and Boyd Holbrook as Ty Shaw in VENGEANCE, written and directed by B.J. Novak, released by Focus Features. Credit: Patti Perret / Focus Features.
B.J. Novak is known for his prominent role on one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, the American version of The Office, so it’s surprising that his feature directorial debut, Vengeance, isn’t a bigger deal. Unfortunately, despite a few genuinely funny moments, the film suffers from a serious identity crisis coupled with a nearly insufferable superiority complex.
The movie follows a New York City radio host who travels to rural Texas to attend the funeral of a former tryst, sending him on an investigation into the circumstances of her death when he decides to make a true-crime podcast on the case. Given the popularity and acclaim with which the other true crime podcasting comedy, Only Murders in the Building, was met, one would think that this premise is not yet out of juice. However, Novak’s style has a particular self-centeredness to it that ends up being quite annoying at times. Novak clearly thinks that the script he is writing is intelligent and groundbreaking, and while it sometimes offers some witty and insightful commentary, it’s hardly the essential work of satire that Novak seems to believe it is. There are some genuinely funny moments spread throughout the film, but more often than not, it feels like Novak is dragging his feet and complaining that no one else in the world is as smart as he is. The funniest jokes are not those which are mean-spirited and biting, but the more wholesome ones. 
(L to R) Ashton Kutcher as Quentin Sellers and B.J. Novak as Ben Manalowitz in VENGEANCE, written and directed by B.J. Novak and released by Focus Features. Credit: Patti Perret / Focus Features.
The one thing that Novak does excel at doing is creating a cast of likable characters, his protagonist withstanding. The family of the deceased is much more interesting than the hero of the story, which is a problem, but at least it gives the audience someone to identify with. Boyd Holbrook ends up carrying a majority of the movie’s comedic weight.
Aside from Novak and Holbrook, the film does have a pretty stacked supporting cast that is entirely underutilized. Dove Cameron, J. Smith-Cameron, Issa Rae, and Ashton Kutcher all have small parts in the movie, but each only gets one or two scenes in which they get to do anything substantial. It would have been nice to see them with meatier roles. However, most frustrating is that the film largely lacks a cohesive visual identity. The potential for it to be a modern-day Western murder mystery was right there, but what we instead get is a bland-looking comedy with a few shots that take advantage of the Texas setting and little else that is visually memorable. A few moments in Vengeance are solidly enjoyable, but for the most part, it’s a lackluster murder-mystery. Perhaps if Novak hadn't centered the movie so strongly around his own character, it could have been far more watchable. Vengeance is now playing in theaters. Rating: 2.5/5
Review by Dan Skip Allen
(L to R) Thira ‘Aum’ Chutikul as Commander Kiet, Popetorn ‘Two’ Soonthornyanakijas Dr Karn, Joel Edgerton as Harry Harris, Colin Farrell as John Volanthen and Viggo Mortenson as Rick Stanton in THIRTEEN LIVES, a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. Photo credit: Vince Valitutti © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Ron Howard is going on his fifth decade as a film director. He's come a long way since the days of the Roger Corman production Grand Theft Auto. Since those early days of doing comedies, he's leaned in on doing more true-life stories such as Apollo 13 and many more after that: A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, Rush, and his most recent, Hillbilly Elegy. He has again chosen to direct a true-life story with his latest film, Thirteen Lives, about the thirteen Thai soccer players and their coach that got stuck in the Tham Luan Nang Non cave in Northern Thailand.
The film starts with the boys and their coach practicing soccer before heading to the cave to go swimming. In something unusual for that time of year, some storms start flooding the cave, stranding everybody deep inside the cave, so they aren't able to swim out by themselves. When they don't come home, their parents get worried and head to the cave to see where their children are. They quickly learn that their children are stranded, and they need help rescuing them. They enlist help from the Thai NAVY Seals and various other experts on the cave system. Eventually, some British divers and cave explorers are also called in for help. Ron Howard takes some huge swings with how he chooses to film this movie. He put the camera right with the various divers swimming through the cave system. They experience multiple obstacles, including rough waters, stalactites, and tight spots to fit through. When tragedy soon strikes one of the divers, the diplomats and various other notables start worrying about how they will get the boys and their coach out. This becomes a real survival tale for all involved. Howard uses several ways to show their concern. He changes focus and cuts back and forth between the rescue effort and another group trying to divert water from the cave. Howard uses mostly Thai/Asian actors in the film, but he does bring out the big guns such as Colin Farrell as John Volanthen, Viggo Mortensen as Richard Stanton, and eventually Joel Edgerton as Richard Harris. These three bring gravitas to this otherwise unknown cast to American audiences. All the actors involved, including the actors that play the parents, the other rescue workers, and politicians, are superb in their roles. The three leads try to do something with their voices to become these men, and it worked for me in the context of the film. This film could be just another paint-by-numbers true story, but it's not. It ramps up the tension the longer the film goes, and the run time isn't short — it's two hours and twenty-seven minutes long. However, a film should be as long as it needs to be to tell the story the director intends to tell. During the rescue mission, various variables are thrown in the way of the divers, and these issues make for teeth-grinding suspense for those watching the film. It's a gut-wrenching situation for everyone involved. You can really feel the tension as the film progresses. This is one of the best aspects of this story and film. Another aspect of the film I thought was very effective in getting information to those watching was graphics on the screen depicting the length of the cave, distances between each stopping point, and how long it takes to get from point A to point Z. This was a great tool for understanding the mission as a whole. Also, a generally unhelpful device that worked in this circumstance was the Thai news outlets, saying what they were reporting and giving the audience news as things were happening. The media outlets played a considerable part in this story and were useful instead of a detriment. A documentary came out last year called The Rescue on National Geographic and Disney+. These two films are distinctly different even though they tell the same story. Thirteen Lives is filmed in a way that makes it original and groundbreaking with the camera work. We, the viewers, feel like we are a part of this mission from the perspective of the rescue divers. We are put in their shoes. The acting by the three leads and the other Thai actors is solid. Howard does a few things that make this film and story go to the next level, and those are the various ways he gets the information across to the viewer and shows how everybody involved is vital to the rescue effort. This is a masterclass of filmmaking from one of this generation's best directors. Thirteen Lives is now playing in theaters and hits Prime Video on August 5. Rating: 4.5/5 |