by Josh Sewell
Caught Stealing
(Rated R for strong violent content, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity and brief drug use. Opens in theaters on August 29.)
The premise: Former high school baseball star Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) might not have a future in the majors, but he’s got a great girlfriend (Zoë Kravitz) and a decent job at a New York City dive bar. However, after his neighbor (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, Hank finds himself the target of several dangerous gangsters. They all want to take him out, but he’s got no idea why.
The verdict: Arguably the most mainstream flick of director Darren Aronofsky’s career, the divisive filmmaker tackles this hyperviolent noir (written by Charlie Huston, based on his novel) about someone who constantly finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Butler is terrific as Hank, eschewing this genre’s typical tough-guy persona and fully embodying a terrified alcoholic who’s fully aware he’s in over his head.
Kravitz is also solid as the girlfriend who tries her best to be supportive but is running out of patience. The rest of the cast is packed with familiar faces, including Regina King, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Griffin Dunne and Benito A Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny), all of whom relish the chance to play slimeballs of various sorts.
The constant, jarring tonal shifts – clearly inspired by superior works like Pulp Fiction and In Bruges – don’t always work, but the cast’s chemistry and a killer soundtrack go a long way in papering over some of the movie’s weak spots. It’s just so mean. I don’t know why I expected anything different from the guy who made Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, but it caught me off guard nonetheless.
Grade: B-
Relay
(Rated R for language. Now playing in select theaters.)
The premise: Riz Ahmed stars as a mysterious fixer who specializes in playing middleman for corrupt corporations and possible whistleblowers. He always follows a complex set of rules to keep his identity secret, but when a potential client (Lily James) reaches out about a particularly dangerous threat, he must deviate from his usual process to keep her alive.
The verdict: For 90 minutes or so, this tense work from director David Mackenzie and screenwriter Justin Piasecki is an engaging throwback to ’70s-era conspiracy thrillers. Ahmed is outstanding as the jaded fixer, relying on facial expressions and body language for long, dialogue-free stretches of the film. His character mostly communicates with his clients via an old-school TDD device, so pivotal moments in the story rely on the actor’s ability to convey anger, fear or frustration with a glance rather than a snarky one-liner.
Ahmed also has terrific chemistry with James, despite the two sharing only a handful of scenes together. It makes the stakes of Relay feel real, as does the threat posed from anonymous villains played by Sam Worthington and Willa Fitzgerald (both good).
However, a groan-inducing twist in the final act is so dumb that it retroactively weakens the entire film. It might make sense on paper, considering it theoretically makes a character more complex than they initially seem. But when that comes at the expense of the protagonist’s intelligence and suspicious nature, it makes him seem dumber in hindsight. It’s a weird self-own that turns a potentially great film into a disappointing one.
Grade: C+
Eden
(Rated R for some strong violence, sexual content, graphic nudity and language. Now playing in select theaters.)
The premise: Ron Howard directs this fact-based thriller about a group of disillusioned outsiders (played by Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney) who abandon post-World War I society in search of a new beginning. They settle on an uninhabited island in the Galapagos, but their dream unravels as the dark side of human nature takes control. What follows is a descent into chaos that leads to the deaths of half the colony.
The verdict: Although the true story at the heart of Eden is fascinating and the movie’s cast is stacked with excellent actors, the execution is bland and sluggish. That’s a shame considering I’m a bigger fan of Howard than most critics. I love many of his films, but it’s undeniable that he’s had a hit-and-miss career. In this case, the genial, optimistic guy feels like the wrong choice to tackle such dark, nihilistic material filled with despicable people.
Howard’s workmanlike directing style is fine, as is Mathias Herndl’s cinematography. However, Noah Pink’s screenplay somehow makes the lurid subject matter feel tedious. Even worse, I was stunned when I saw the great Hans Zimmer provided the film’s score. This might be one of the most forgettable works of his illustrious career.
Most of the actors acquit themselves well, with Law and de Armas as the clear standouts. They relish the chance to play devious and hateful people, while Brühl does what he can to play the closest thing Eden has to a normal guy. Unfortunately, the usually great Kirby is wasted here, while Sweeney is out of her depth compared to her co-stars.
Because the film landed with a thud at the box office, perhaps we’ll get a better version of the story a few years down the road. The raw materials are compelling, but someone else should take a stab at building the structure.
Grade: C-
(Rated R for strong violent content, pervasive language, some sexuality/nudity and brief drug use. Opens in theaters on August 29.)
The premise: Former high school baseball star Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) might not have a future in the majors, but he’s got a great girlfriend (Zoë Kravitz) and a decent job at a New York City dive bar. However, after his neighbor (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, Hank finds himself the target of several dangerous gangsters. They all want to take him out, but he’s got no idea why.
The verdict: Arguably the most mainstream flick of director Darren Aronofsky’s career, the divisive filmmaker tackles this hyperviolent noir (written by Charlie Huston, based on his novel) about someone who constantly finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Butler is terrific as Hank, eschewing this genre’s typical tough-guy persona and fully embodying a terrified alcoholic who’s fully aware he’s in over his head.
Kravitz is also solid as the girlfriend who tries her best to be supportive but is running out of patience. The rest of the cast is packed with familiar faces, including Regina King, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D’Onofrio, Griffin Dunne and Benito A Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny), all of whom relish the chance to play slimeballs of various sorts.
The constant, jarring tonal shifts – clearly inspired by superior works like Pulp Fiction and In Bruges – don’t always work, but the cast’s chemistry and a killer soundtrack go a long way in papering over some of the movie’s weak spots. It’s just so mean. I don’t know why I expected anything different from the guy who made Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, but it caught me off guard nonetheless.
Grade: B-
(Rated R for language. Now playing in select theaters.)
The premise: Riz Ahmed stars as a mysterious fixer who specializes in playing middleman for corrupt corporations and possible whistleblowers. He always follows a complex set of rules to keep his identity secret, but when a potential client (Lily James) reaches out about a particularly dangerous threat, he must deviate from his usual process to keep her alive.
The verdict: For 90 minutes or so, this tense work from director David Mackenzie and screenwriter Justin Piasecki is an engaging throwback to ’70s-era conspiracy thrillers. Ahmed is outstanding as the jaded fixer, relying on facial expressions and body language for long, dialogue-free stretches of the film. His character mostly communicates with his clients via an old-school TDD device, so pivotal moments in the story rely on the actor’s ability to convey anger, fear or frustration with a glance rather than a snarky one-liner.
Ahmed also has terrific chemistry with James, despite the two sharing only a handful of scenes together. It makes the stakes of Relay feel real, as does the threat posed from anonymous villains played by Sam Worthington and Willa Fitzgerald (both good).
However, a groan-inducing twist in the final act is so dumb that it retroactively weakens the entire film. It might make sense on paper, considering it theoretically makes a character more complex than they initially seem. But when that comes at the expense of the protagonist’s intelligence and suspicious nature, it makes him seem dumber in hindsight. It’s a weird self-own that turns a potentially great film into a disappointing one.
Grade: C+
(Rated R for some strong violence, sexual content, graphic nudity and language. Now playing in select theaters.)
The premise: Ron Howard directs this fact-based thriller about a group of disillusioned outsiders (played by Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Daniel Brühl and Sydney Sweeney) who abandon post-World War I society in search of a new beginning. They settle on an uninhabited island in the Galapagos, but their dream unravels as the dark side of human nature takes control. What follows is a descent into chaos that leads to the deaths of half the colony.
The verdict: Although the true story at the heart of Eden is fascinating and the movie’s cast is stacked with excellent actors, the execution is bland and sluggish. That’s a shame considering I’m a bigger fan of Howard than most critics. I love many of his films, but it’s undeniable that he’s had a hit-and-miss career. In this case, the genial, optimistic guy feels like the wrong choice to tackle such dark, nihilistic material filled with despicable people.
Howard’s workmanlike directing style is fine, as is Mathias Herndl’s cinematography. However, Noah Pink’s screenplay somehow makes the lurid subject matter feel tedious. Even worse, I was stunned when I saw the great Hans Zimmer provided the film’s score. This might be one of the most forgettable works of his illustrious career.
Most of the actors acquit themselves well, with Law and de Armas as the clear standouts. They relish the chance to play devious and hateful people, while Brühl does what he can to play the closest thing Eden has to a normal guy. Unfortunately, the usually great Kirby is wasted here, while Sweeney is out of her depth compared to her co-stars.
Because the film landed with a thud at the box office, perhaps we’ll get a better version of the story a few years down the road. The raw materials are compelling, but someone else should take a stab at building the structure.
Grade: C-
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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