by Josh Sewell
The Creator
(Rated PG-13 for violence, some bloody images and strong language. Opens in theaters on September 29.)
The premise: Decades in the future, war has broken out between humans and artificial intelligence. Joshua (John David Washington), an ex-special forces agent mourning the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan), is recruited to track down and assassinate the Creator, the mysterious architect of AI who has reportedly developed a war-ending weapon. When he and his team cross over into enemy territory, he’s shocked to discover the weapon he’s supposed to destroy is an AI being in the form of a human child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).
The verdict: Gareth Edwards’ new sci-fi tale is promising for the first 90 minutes or so, thanks to genuinely astonishing visual effects, gorgeous cinematography from Grieg Fraser and Oren Soffer, Hans Zimmer’s powerful score, and the two performances at the narrative’s center. However, the humanistic parable ultimately falls apart in the last act because of some errors in logic and a failure to follow its own established rules for this fictional world.
While some critics are hailing it as a welcome return to original sci-fi, The Creator doesn’t shy away from trumpeting the other films it’s “borrowing” from. Although not a sequel, remake or a previously existing property, it still feels like Edwards – with help from co-writer Chris Weitz – took some rejected ideas from his own Rogue One and threw them in a blender with Avatar and Children of Men, then added a dash of The Golden Child for seasoning. The result is a beautiful but less-than-tasty cinematic smoothie.
Washington gives it his all, but Edwards is the latest in a long line of directors who don’t know how to properly utilize him. (Looking at you, Christopher Nolan, David O. Russell and Sam Levinson. But we’re cool, Spike Lee.) Newcomer Voyles is outstanding, though – her dynamic with Washington is easily the best part of the film.
As for other performances, Allison Janey – despite her best efforts – is basically tasked with playing a gender-flipped version of Stephen Lang’s character in Avatar. Aside from a couple of compelling monologues, there’s not much for her to do other than glower menacingly and kill people the audience likes. Ken Watanabe is excellent (of course), while Chan is squandered in a role that puts her character on a pedestal rather than giving her actual human traits.
Early reviews for The Creator have been solid, which makes me a little disappointed that I’m on the outside looking in. It always bums me out when I don’t like a movie, but don’t let my reaction dissuade you from checking it out. Maybe you’ll enjoy it more than I did.
Grade: C
Flora and Son
(Rated R for language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use. Now playing in select theaters and available on Apple TV+ September 29.)
The premise: Flora (Eve Hewson) is a young single mom struggling to keep her rebellious teenage son Max (Orén Kinlan) on the right track. After a gruff, well-intentioned police officer (Don Wycherley) encourages him to stay out of trouble by finding a hobby, Flora stumbles across an old acoustic guitar and starts taking lessons over Zoom in hopes of finding a common interest to strengthen their familial bond. She gets off to an awkward start, but eventually her instructor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) introduces her to the transformative power of music.
The verdict: Although John Carney has made several features and shorts throughout his long career, only four of them have gotten high-profile releases; in that respect, he’s got a darn near perfect record. Following Once (a literal masterpiece), Begin Again and Sing Street, his latest is a welcome addition to his poignant oeuvre, emphasizing how life-changing creativity can be.
While Flora and Son has a harder edge than his previous films, the tone worked for me thanks to a breakthrough performance from Hewson. She’s absolutely fantastic in the title role as a woman forced to grow up too soon, seeking who she truly is while also trying to get through to her troubled son.
Gordon-Levitt doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but he makes the most of what he’s got. Initially, it seemed like he might’ve filmed all his scenes in a single location over a couple of days, but then Carney does something really cool and imaginative with his character. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it, but when I figured out what was going on, the big, dumb grin on my face refused to go away.
I’m a little frustrated this one isn’t getting a wider release, but hopefully it will find a receptive audience on Apple TV+. I already can’t wait to watch it again.
Grade: B+
No One Will Save You
(Rated PG-13 for violent content and terror. Now available on Hulu.)
The premise: This creative, harrowing tale finds Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever), a young woman living in isolation due to a tragic event in her past, under attack from extraterrestrial beings who seem to have the power to possess human hosts. Using her home as a battleground, she silently faces off against these would-be invaders.
The verdict: I’m a big fan of Spontaneous, writer-director Brian Duffield’s terrific first movie, which fell victim to the pandemic in 2020. When I heard he had a new sci-fi horror film hitting Hulu, I couldn’t wait to check it out. Now that I have, I can safely say it’s one of the most unique viewing experiences I had all year. Duffield has crafted a weird, scary, and poignant horror flick.
I really wish I could’ve seen this on the big screen in a crowded theater. No One Will Save You is clearly designed to be a communal experience since the central conceit is that it’s almost completely dialogue-free.
(Rated PG-13 for violence, some bloody images and strong language. Opens in theaters on September 29.)
The premise: Decades in the future, war has broken out between humans and artificial intelligence. Joshua (John David Washington), an ex-special forces agent mourning the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan), is recruited to track down and assassinate the Creator, the mysterious architect of AI who has reportedly developed a war-ending weapon. When he and his team cross over into enemy territory, he’s shocked to discover the weapon he’s supposed to destroy is an AI being in the form of a human child (Madeleine Yuna Voyles).
The verdict: Gareth Edwards’ new sci-fi tale is promising for the first 90 minutes or so, thanks to genuinely astonishing visual effects, gorgeous cinematography from Grieg Fraser and Oren Soffer, Hans Zimmer’s powerful score, and the two performances at the narrative’s center. However, the humanistic parable ultimately falls apart in the last act because of some errors in logic and a failure to follow its own established rules for this fictional world.
While some critics are hailing it as a welcome return to original sci-fi, The Creator doesn’t shy away from trumpeting the other films it’s “borrowing” from. Although not a sequel, remake or a previously existing property, it still feels like Edwards – with help from co-writer Chris Weitz – took some rejected ideas from his own Rogue One and threw them in a blender with Avatar and Children of Men, then added a dash of The Golden Child for seasoning. The result is a beautiful but less-than-tasty cinematic smoothie.
Washington gives it his all, but Edwards is the latest in a long line of directors who don’t know how to properly utilize him. (Looking at you, Christopher Nolan, David O. Russell and Sam Levinson. But we’re cool, Spike Lee.) Newcomer Voyles is outstanding, though – her dynamic with Washington is easily the best part of the film.
As for other performances, Allison Janey – despite her best efforts – is basically tasked with playing a gender-flipped version of Stephen Lang’s character in Avatar. Aside from a couple of compelling monologues, there’s not much for her to do other than glower menacingly and kill people the audience likes. Ken Watanabe is excellent (of course), while Chan is squandered in a role that puts her character on a pedestal rather than giving her actual human traits.
Early reviews for The Creator have been solid, which makes me a little disappointed that I’m on the outside looking in. It always bums me out when I don’t like a movie, but don’t let my reaction dissuade you from checking it out. Maybe you’ll enjoy it more than I did.
Grade: C
(Rated R for language throughout, sexual references and brief drug use. Now playing in select theaters and available on Apple TV+ September 29.)
The premise: Flora (Eve Hewson) is a young single mom struggling to keep her rebellious teenage son Max (Orén Kinlan) on the right track. After a gruff, well-intentioned police officer (Don Wycherley) encourages him to stay out of trouble by finding a hobby, Flora stumbles across an old acoustic guitar and starts taking lessons over Zoom in hopes of finding a common interest to strengthen their familial bond. She gets off to an awkward start, but eventually her instructor (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) introduces her to the transformative power of music.
The verdict: Although John Carney has made several features and shorts throughout his long career, only four of them have gotten high-profile releases; in that respect, he’s got a darn near perfect record. Following Once (a literal masterpiece), Begin Again and Sing Street, his latest is a welcome addition to his poignant oeuvre, emphasizing how life-changing creativity can be.
While Flora and Son has a harder edge than his previous films, the tone worked for me thanks to a breakthrough performance from Hewson. She’s absolutely fantastic in the title role as a woman forced to grow up too soon, seeking who she truly is while also trying to get through to her troubled son.
Gordon-Levitt doesn’t have a lot of screen time, but he makes the most of what he’s got. Initially, it seemed like he might’ve filmed all his scenes in a single location over a couple of days, but then Carney does something really cool and imaginative with his character. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it, but when I figured out what was going on, the big, dumb grin on my face refused to go away.
I’m a little frustrated this one isn’t getting a wider release, but hopefully it will find a receptive audience on Apple TV+. I already can’t wait to watch it again.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG-13 for violent content and terror. Now available on Hulu.)
The premise: This creative, harrowing tale finds Brynn (Kaitlyn Dever), a young woman living in isolation due to a tragic event in her past, under attack from extraterrestrial beings who seem to have the power to possess human hosts. Using her home as a battleground, she silently faces off against these would-be invaders.
The verdict: I’m a big fan of Spontaneous, writer-director Brian Duffield’s terrific first movie, which fell victim to the pandemic in 2020. When I heard he had a new sci-fi horror film hitting Hulu, I couldn’t wait to check it out. Now that I have, I can safely say it’s one of the most unique viewing experiences I had all year. Duffield has crafted a weird, scary, and poignant horror flick.
I really wish I could’ve seen this on the big screen in a crowded theater. No One Will Save You is clearly designed to be a communal experience since the central conceit is that it’s almost completely dialogue-free.
Much like the actors in A Quiet Place (a big influence, to be sure), Dever’s entire performance is silent. Aside from one crucial scene, she conveys everything we learn about Brynn through facial expressions and body language. As always, the actress is incredible. Her track record is practically flawless (which is saying something considering she’s even good in the disastrous Dear Evan Hansen).
Although the CGI aliens are a bit cartoonish at times, diminishing the scares along the way, the finale makes up for any prior shortcomings. It’s both a poignant end for the character as well as a deeply unsettling way to wrap things up. The last moments are sure to be polarizing, but I love it when movies take big swings.
Grade: B+
Although the CGI aliens are a bit cartoonish at times, diminishing the scares along the way, the finale makes up for any prior shortcomings. It’s both a poignant end for the character as well as a deeply unsettling way to wrap things up. The last moments are sure to be polarizing, but I love it when movies take big swings.
Grade: B+
Reach out to Josh Sewell on Twitter @IAmJoshSewell
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