by Josh Sewell
The Tomorrow War
(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language and some suggestive references. Available on Amazon Prime July 2.)
What it’s about: In this sci-fi action flick, time travelers from the year 2051 reveal that humanity is losing an intergalactic war. Earth’s only hope is for present-day people to jump into the future and join the fight. One of the new recruits is a high school teacher played by Chris Pratt. Determined to save the world for his daughter, he must team up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons).
My take: With a running time of almost two and a half hours, The Tomorrow War is way too long for so little reward. I did my best to stay focused, but after a while, it felt like watching someone else play a video game full of painfully generic CGI aliens and action sequences.
The flick’s lazy nature frustrated me, wasting talented actors in clichéd, nothing roles. If nothing else, it definitively proves that only a handful of filmmakers and television creators – including James Gunn and Parks and Rec showrunner Mike Schur – understand how to utilize Pratt’s talents. He brings nothing special to his role, which could’ve been played by literally any handsome actor. That’s also the case with Betty Gilpin (star of the brilliant but cancelled GLOW), squandered here as a stereotypical wife and mom.
There are a few sparks of life from Mary Lynn Rajskub and Sam Richardson in supporting roles, but they only pop up sporadically and then disappear for long stretches at a time. Admittedly, there’s a neat twist involving Strahovski’s character, but that just made me wish the whole movie could’ve been that creative.
Grade: D
Summer of Soul
(Rated PG-13 for some disturbing images, smoking and brief drug material. Opens in theaters and available on Hulu July 2.)
What it’s about: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (member of hip-hop group The Roots) makes his directorial debut with this documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The six-week event was recorded, but the tapes sat on a shelf for decades, despite including performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and many others. Because the festival had the misfortune of happening the same summer as Woodstock and the first moon landing, it was overshadowed and soon forgotten by pop culture.
My take: Simply put, Questlove has made one of 2021’s best films. He incorporates concert footage, archival interviews and present-day conversations with festival attendees into a fun, fast-paced and often touching story of a vital, yet ignored, moment in Black history. If you can watch Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples sing “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” without getting chills, you’re dead inside.
The participants’ commentary on music, culture, fashion, civil unrest, politics, etc. is illuminating, never feeling like a lecture or the standard, unending string of talking heads. The documentary hits at a perfect moment, as ongoing debates and controversies prove the issues discussed in the film are just as relevant now as they were five decades ago. While some like to pretend that we’ve put these cultural conflicts behind us, or that recent headlines about systemic racism and white supremacy are new and somehow out-of-bounds, Questlove proves that history might not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
Grade: A
Fear Street Part 1: 1994
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, drug content, language and some sexual content. Available on Netflix July 2.)
What it’s about: Loosely based on R.L. Stine’s horror novel series that initially ran from the late 1980s to the late 1990s, this is the first chapter in a three-film trilogy hitting Netflix each Friday for the next three weeks. It takes place in 1994 and centers on a group of teens who discover the grisly murders that have haunted their town for generations might share a connection – and they could be the next victims.
My take: I know it’s probably not sophisticated to proclaim that Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is one of my favorite movie experiences of the year, but I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Even though I’m not typically a fan of the slasher genre, I had a blast watching it. Director Leigh Janiak brilliantly emulates the tone of ’90s teen horror flicks and incorporates a ton of era-appropriate needle drops that must’ve cost a fortune.
The main cast – including Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald and Fred Hechinger – is absolutely phenomenal. They make their characters feel like real people viewers empathize with and can’t help but root for, which makes the high body count hurt even more.
While Stine’s novels were aimed at young teens, and therefore PG-13 in nature, this flick is a hard R, full of blood and gnarly kills, as well as the colorful language that would naturally accompany being chased by blade-wielding psychopaths. If you can handle the intensity, I recommend getting together with some friends, order a bunch of junk food, turn off the lights and get ready for some fun scares.
Grade: B+
Zola
(Rated R for strong sexual content and language throughout, graphic nudity, and violence including a sexual assault. Now playing in theaters.)
What it’s about: Based on a 2015 Twitter thread that went viral, this darkly comedic thriller from filmmaker Janicza Bravo (co-written by playwright Jeremy O. Harris) is an epic for the social media era. It tells the mostly true story of Zola (Taylour Paige), a waitress who strikes up a fast friendship with customer Stefani (Riley Keough) and is swept up in a chaotic weekend of dancing and partying in Florida.
Here Are the Young Men
(Not rated but contains strong language, sexual situations, drug/alcohol abuse and thematic elements. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
Set in early-2000s Dublin, this film (based on Rob Doyle’s 2014 novel of the same name) begins just as Matthew (Dean-Charles Chapman), Kearney (Finn Cole) and Rez (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) finish high school. With the final remnants of childhood behind them, the friends celebrate their freedom by partying to excess with a never-ending buffet of drugs and alcohol. However, after witnessing a tragedy that sends them spiraling in different psychological directions, Matthew finds himself at a crossroads.
(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, language and some suggestive references. Available on Amazon Prime July 2.)
What it’s about: In this sci-fi action flick, time travelers from the year 2051 reveal that humanity is losing an intergalactic war. Earth’s only hope is for present-day people to jump into the future and join the fight. One of the new recruits is a high school teacher played by Chris Pratt. Determined to save the world for his daughter, he must team up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons).
My take: With a running time of almost two and a half hours, The Tomorrow War is way too long for so little reward. I did my best to stay focused, but after a while, it felt like watching someone else play a video game full of painfully generic CGI aliens and action sequences.
The flick’s lazy nature frustrated me, wasting talented actors in clichéd, nothing roles. If nothing else, it definitively proves that only a handful of filmmakers and television creators – including James Gunn and Parks and Rec showrunner Mike Schur – understand how to utilize Pratt’s talents. He brings nothing special to his role, which could’ve been played by literally any handsome actor. That’s also the case with Betty Gilpin (star of the brilliant but cancelled GLOW), squandered here as a stereotypical wife and mom.
There are a few sparks of life from Mary Lynn Rajskub and Sam Richardson in supporting roles, but they only pop up sporadically and then disappear for long stretches at a time. Admittedly, there’s a neat twist involving Strahovski’s character, but that just made me wish the whole movie could’ve been that creative.
Grade: D
(Rated PG-13 for some disturbing images, smoking and brief drug material. Opens in theaters and available on Hulu July 2.)
What it’s about: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (member of hip-hop group The Roots) makes his directorial debut with this documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. The six-week event was recorded, but the tapes sat on a shelf for decades, despite including performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and many others. Because the festival had the misfortune of happening the same summer as Woodstock and the first moon landing, it was overshadowed and soon forgotten by pop culture.
My take: Simply put, Questlove has made one of 2021’s best films. He incorporates concert footage, archival interviews and present-day conversations with festival attendees into a fun, fast-paced and often touching story of a vital, yet ignored, moment in Black history. If you can watch Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples sing “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” without getting chills, you’re dead inside.
The participants’ commentary on music, culture, fashion, civil unrest, politics, etc. is illuminating, never feeling like a lecture or the standard, unending string of talking heads. The documentary hits at a perfect moment, as ongoing debates and controversies prove the issues discussed in the film are just as relevant now as they were five decades ago. While some like to pretend that we’ve put these cultural conflicts behind us, or that recent headlines about systemic racism and white supremacy are new and somehow out-of-bounds, Questlove proves that history might not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
Grade: A
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, drug content, language and some sexual content. Available on Netflix July 2.)
What it’s about: Loosely based on R.L. Stine’s horror novel series that initially ran from the late 1980s to the late 1990s, this is the first chapter in a three-film trilogy hitting Netflix each Friday for the next three weeks. It takes place in 1994 and centers on a group of teens who discover the grisly murders that have haunted their town for generations might share a connection – and they could be the next victims.
My take: I know it’s probably not sophisticated to proclaim that Fear Street Part 1: 1994 is one of my favorite movie experiences of the year, but I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Even though I’m not typically a fan of the slasher genre, I had a blast watching it. Director Leigh Janiak brilliantly emulates the tone of ’90s teen horror flicks and incorporates a ton of era-appropriate needle drops that must’ve cost a fortune.
The main cast – including Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald and Fred Hechinger – is absolutely phenomenal. They make their characters feel like real people viewers empathize with and can’t help but root for, which makes the high body count hurt even more.
While Stine’s novels were aimed at young teens, and therefore PG-13 in nature, this flick is a hard R, full of blood and gnarly kills, as well as the colorful language that would naturally accompany being chased by blade-wielding psychopaths. If you can handle the intensity, I recommend getting together with some friends, order a bunch of junk food, turn off the lights and get ready for some fun scares.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for strong sexual content and language throughout, graphic nudity, and violence including a sexual assault. Now playing in theaters.)
What it’s about: Based on a 2015 Twitter thread that went viral, this darkly comedic thriller from filmmaker Janicza Bravo (co-written by playwright Jeremy O. Harris) is an epic for the social media era. It tells the mostly true story of Zola (Taylour Paige), a waitress who strikes up a fast friendship with customer Stefani (Riley Keough) and is swept up in a chaotic weekend of dancing and partying in Florida.
My take: This bonkers tale – full of sex, drugs and violence – is certainly not for everyone. However, fans of A24’s unique brand of storytelling and filmmakers who aren’t content to play it safe will find plenty to admire about Bravo’s work. It feels similar to the studio’s Spring Breakers, except better. (If you saw that one, you’ll certainly know whether you consider that a recommendation or a threat.)
Although it runs a brief 85 minutes, Bravo and Harris don’t waste a second. The craziness kicks in immediately and doesn’t stop until the end credits. I was exhausted when it was over. That’s largely thanks to the fantastic cast – especially Paige, who’s poised for superstardom. Anyone who can hold her own in scenes with Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), or in this film with a terrifying Colman Domingo, is clearly the real deal.
Grade: B
Home Video Spotlight
Although it runs a brief 85 minutes, Bravo and Harris don’t waste a second. The craziness kicks in immediately and doesn’t stop until the end credits. I was exhausted when it was over. That’s largely thanks to the fantastic cast – especially Paige, who’s poised for superstardom. Anyone who can hold her own in scenes with Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), or in this film with a terrifying Colman Domingo, is clearly the real deal.
Grade: B
Home Video Spotlight
(Not rated but contains strong language, sexual situations, drug/alcohol abuse and thematic elements. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
Set in early-2000s Dublin, this film (based on Rob Doyle’s 2014 novel of the same name) begins just as Matthew (Dean-Charles Chapman), Kearney (Finn Cole) and Rez (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) finish high school. With the final remnants of childhood behind them, the friends celebrate their freedom by partying to excess with a never-ending buffet of drugs and alcohol. However, after witnessing a tragedy that sends them spiraling in different psychological directions, Matthew finds himself at a crossroads.
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
Comments
Post a Comment