by Josh Sewell
Predator: Badlands
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong sci-fi violence. Opens in theaters on November 7.)
The premise: Dan Trachtenberg, director of Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, returns to the sci-fi franchise once more and takes it in a refreshing new direction. Set in the future on a remote planet, a young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who has been outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning). The two of them embark on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
The verdict: Predator: Badlands is a welcome surprise in a fall that has lacked entertaining big-budget spectacles. Instead of being a straight retread of the countless Predator stories we’ve seen before (human protagonists being killed in brutally horrific ways) Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Aison basically toss a young, inexperienced warrior named Dek into the middle of a Star Wars movie.
It might seem like a weird choice on the surface, but it ends up working far better than I would’ve expected. Schuster-Koloamatangi is terrific as a kind of Predator viewers haven’t seen before, and we also get a glimpse into the inner-workings of the creatures’ social norms, manners, etc.
Fanning is also fantastic as Dek’s unexpected companion (or “tool,” as he initially thinks of her), but the actress has a much more complicated role than the film’s trailers suggest. She’s a joy to watch every moment she’s on screen.
The cinematography and sound are fantastic as well. See Badlands in the biggest, loudest theater you can.
Grade: B+
Die My Love
(Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some violent content. Opens in theaters on November 7.)
The premise: From director Lynne Ramsey (based on Ariana Harwicz’s novel), this visceral psychodrama follows Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson), a couple who move from New York City to rural Montana. They have a baby soon after, but the pressures of domestic life quickly cause Grace to unravel.
The verdict: It’s great to have Lawrence back in a high-profile film two years after her hilarious work in No Hard Feelings. She gets to go really big and wacky once again in Die My Love, but in a much different tone and context. The film refuses to be confined to a single genre, containing elements of domestic drama, thriller and pitch-black comedy.
It’s not always a successful mix, but it makes for a fascinating, deeply unsettling experience destined to polarize audiences. Lawrence is incredible as always, launching herself into this year’s Best Actress conversation.
As a new mom struggling with postpartum depression and mental illness, she’s able to keep her character at the forefront instead of getting lost in all the tics and trappings that usually accompany similar roles in lesser works. Calling an actress’ performance “brave” is clichéd at this point, but Lawrence throws everything she has into her work, going to some truly dark places. She’s certainly not afraid to come across as deeply unlikeable at times.
Pattinson is also quite good, although his character isn’t as well-defined as Lawrence’s. The same goes for co-stars Sissy Spacek, LaKeith Stanfield and Nick Nolte, all of whom are compelling but don’t get the screen time needed to flesh out their roles.
Die My Love might not be as strong as the talent involved, but it’s ambitious and aims to evoke authentic reactions from its audience. I’ll take that over lazy awards bait any day.
Grade: B-
Christy
(Rated R for language, violence/bloody images, some drug use and sexual material. Opens in theaters on November 7.)
The premise: Based on a true story, Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) strives to escape her oppressive West Virginia upbringing by becoming a champion boxer. Under the guidance of her trainer/manager Jim (Ben Foster), who she eventually marries, she starts to make a name for herself. But when she begins to outshine him, Martin must fight the toughest battle of her life.
The verdict: Although Sweeney is compelling as the titular character, proving she can play against type, the actress is ultimately thwarted by a standard biopic screenplay (co-written by director David Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes, from a story by Katherine Fugate) that keeps things surface level.
The supporting cast, including Foster, Merritt Wever, Ethan Embry and Katy O’Brian, is strong too, but none of them get an opportunity to elevate their characters above the handful of tropes they’re each given to play. Christy is also far too long at 135 minutes, which means the running time is padded with quite a few repetitive scenes that keep telling viewers what we already know.
Grade: B-
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong sci-fi violence. Opens in theaters on November 7.)
The premise: Dan Trachtenberg, director of Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers, returns to the sci-fi franchise once more and takes it in a refreshing new direction. Set in the future on a remote planet, a young Predator (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who has been outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Elle Fanning). The two of them embark on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
The verdict: Predator: Badlands is a welcome surprise in a fall that has lacked entertaining big-budget spectacles. Instead of being a straight retread of the countless Predator stories we’ve seen before (human protagonists being killed in brutally horrific ways) Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Aison basically toss a young, inexperienced warrior named Dek into the middle of a Star Wars movie.
It might seem like a weird choice on the surface, but it ends up working far better than I would’ve expected. Schuster-Koloamatangi is terrific as a kind of Predator viewers haven’t seen before, and we also get a glimpse into the inner-workings of the creatures’ social norms, manners, etc.
Fanning is also fantastic as Dek’s unexpected companion (or “tool,” as he initially thinks of her), but the actress has a much more complicated role than the film’s trailers suggest. She’s a joy to watch every moment she’s on screen.
The cinematography and sound are fantastic as well. See Badlands in the biggest, loudest theater you can.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for sexual content, graphic nudity, language and some violent content. Opens in theaters on November 7.)
The premise: From director Lynne Ramsey (based on Ariana Harwicz’s novel), this visceral psychodrama follows Grace (Jennifer Lawrence) and Jackson (Robert Pattinson), a couple who move from New York City to rural Montana. They have a baby soon after, but the pressures of domestic life quickly cause Grace to unravel.
The verdict: It’s great to have Lawrence back in a high-profile film two years after her hilarious work in No Hard Feelings. She gets to go really big and wacky once again in Die My Love, but in a much different tone and context. The film refuses to be confined to a single genre, containing elements of domestic drama, thriller and pitch-black comedy.
It’s not always a successful mix, but it makes for a fascinating, deeply unsettling experience destined to polarize audiences. Lawrence is incredible as always, launching herself into this year’s Best Actress conversation.
As a new mom struggling with postpartum depression and mental illness, she’s able to keep her character at the forefront instead of getting lost in all the tics and trappings that usually accompany similar roles in lesser works. Calling an actress’ performance “brave” is clichéd at this point, but Lawrence throws everything she has into her work, going to some truly dark places. She’s certainly not afraid to come across as deeply unlikeable at times.
Pattinson is also quite good, although his character isn’t as well-defined as Lawrence’s. The same goes for co-stars Sissy Spacek, LaKeith Stanfield and Nick Nolte, all of whom are compelling but don’t get the screen time needed to flesh out their roles.
Die My Love might not be as strong as the talent involved, but it’s ambitious and aims to evoke authentic reactions from its audience. I’ll take that over lazy awards bait any day.
Grade: B-
(Rated R for language, violence/bloody images, some drug use and sexual material. Opens in theaters on November 7.)
The premise: Based on a true story, Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney) strives to escape her oppressive West Virginia upbringing by becoming a champion boxer. Under the guidance of her trainer/manager Jim (Ben Foster), who she eventually marries, she starts to make a name for herself. But when she begins to outshine him, Martin must fight the toughest battle of her life.
The verdict: Although Sweeney is compelling as the titular character, proving she can play against type, the actress is ultimately thwarted by a standard biopic screenplay (co-written by director David Michôd and Mirrah Foulkes, from a story by Katherine Fugate) that keeps things surface level.
The supporting cast, including Foster, Merritt Wever, Ethan Embry and Katy O’Brian, is strong too, but none of them get an opportunity to elevate their characters above the handful of tropes they’re each given to play. Christy is also far too long at 135 minutes, which means the running time is padded with quite a few repetitive scenes that keep telling viewers what we already know.
Grade: B-
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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