by Josh Sewell
Resident Evil
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout. Opens in theaters on September 18.)
The premise: Weapons director Zach Cregger reinvents the Resident Evil franchise with this new story that follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed race for survival as a horrifying night collapses into chaos.
The verdict: Movies based on video games have a notoriously awful track record. That’s particularly true for the Resident Evil franchise, which turned a scary first-person shooter into soulless CGI shlock. While those flicks were financially successful (for the most part), they were critically reviled and divided fans.
That’s why I was skeptical when I heard Cregger was following up his massive, Oscar-winning Weapons with a reboot of the series. Really, man? That’s how you want to cash in your clout? Turns out I should’ve had more faith in one of the best horror filmmakers working today. With his new take on Resident Evil, Cregger has made one of the best video game adaptations ever.
Granted, that’s a really low bar, but his combination of scares, laughs, gross-out gore and dazzling visual storytelling makes this an absolute blast. I had a goofy grin on my face for 90 minutes straight (even when I was screaming in terror).
Abrams – a standout in Weapons – is phenomenal as the decent-but-dimwitted everyman trying to survive the apocalypse exploding around him. Bryan is relatable because most of us wouldn’t survive an hour in this world; as such, it feels more realistic when he makes the stupid decisions required of horror protagonists to keep the story going.
In that respect, the screenplay from Cregger and Shay Hatten is clever and mean in equal measure. There are plenty of moments where it’s obvious what’s about to happen, but the movie stays a couple of steps ahead and surprises viewers with an unexpected jump scare or plot development. (The groans, yells, and laughs from the audience in my screening when that happened made the experience even better.)
Although we’re still a few weeks away from spooky season, Resident Evil is a perfect movie to usher it in a little early. Now, if we can just get some fall weather to go along with it.
Grade: A-
The Weight
(Rated R for language and some violence/bloody images. Opens in theaters on September 18.)
The premise: After Samuel (Ethan Hawke) is sent to a brutal work camp and separated from his daughter, Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe) offers him a dangerous proposition: smuggle gold out of a remote mine with some of his fellow prisoners (Austin Amelio, Avi Nash and Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen) and he’ll be released early. However, as the group journeys into the wilderness, greed and suspicion threaten to derail the mission.
The verdict: I’m really enjoying the ongoing era of Hawke’s career where he doesn’t worry about what projects are going to be successful and just does what he wants. The talented actor and director has been working steadily since the 1980s, when he started as a child star, and has morphed into one of the industry’s most distinguished and respectable statesmen.
His work in The Weight, a thrilling and surprisingly poignant convict drama, is phenomenal. Not only that, his enthusiasm for the project is also contagious – pretty much everyone else in the cast elevates their game to match his intensity. That includes Crowe, who isn’t in the movie very much but makes all his scenes count. He’s had a tendency to coast through roles in recent years, but he’s locked in here.
After a somewhat measured introduction, director Padraic McKinley, along with screenwriters Matthew Chapman and Shelby Gaines, keep the momentum going all the way to the somewhat anticlimactic – yet still satisfying – conclusion. It’s the rare movie for grown-ups getting a wide release in theaters these days instead of going straight to a streaming service, so I recommend checking it out while you can.
Grade: B+
Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom
(Rated PG for mild scary action. Opens in theaters on September 18.)
The premise: The latest film in the beloved stop-motion animation series sees the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm looking forward to Halloween – until the clumsy farmer trashes the flock’s beloved pumpkin patch. When Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control.
The verdict: Shaun the Sheep has been a favorite in the Sewell household for a long time – back when my now-teenage daughter was a toddler who called him “Shoulder Sheep.” The television show and films (previous installments include the 2015 original and 2019’s Farmageddon) pay loving homage to silent era comedies, with plenty of gags referencing classic films. Kids love the cute critters while parents and snobby film critics like me can appreciate them on a deeper level.
The new entry, The Beast of Mossy Bottom maintains that tradition with a funny, sweet story that’s just spooky enough to introduce children to the horror genre without traumatizing them for life. The only time the movie breaks its “no dialogue” rule is with some well-placed needle drops (“Here Come the Hotstepper”) and a running gag involving an original song. I cracked up every time I heard “What’s that coming over the hill? It’s a monster!”
There’s even a romantic subplot between the farmer and town veterinarian that’s genuinely endearing among all the chaos. Finally, there’s an important message about not succumbing to mob mentality that feels like a natural part of the story rather than jammed in to be preachy.
The Beast of Mossy Bottom makes for a terrific trip to the theater for families, especially thanks to the 80-minute running time. You still get plenty of laughs and story, but it’s over before younger viewers start getting too antsy.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout. Opens in theaters on September 18.)
The premise: Weapons director Zach Cregger reinvents the Resident Evil franchise with this new story that follows Bryan (Austin Abrams), a medical courier who unwittingly finds himself in an action-packed race for survival as a horrifying night collapses into chaos.
The verdict: Movies based on video games have a notoriously awful track record. That’s particularly true for the Resident Evil franchise, which turned a scary first-person shooter into soulless CGI shlock. While those flicks were financially successful (for the most part), they were critically reviled and divided fans.
That’s why I was skeptical when I heard Cregger was following up his massive, Oscar-winning Weapons with a reboot of the series. Really, man? That’s how you want to cash in your clout? Turns out I should’ve had more faith in one of the best horror filmmakers working today. With his new take on Resident Evil, Cregger has made one of the best video game adaptations ever.
Granted, that’s a really low bar, but his combination of scares, laughs, gross-out gore and dazzling visual storytelling makes this an absolute blast. I had a goofy grin on my face for 90 minutes straight (even when I was screaming in terror).
Abrams – a standout in Weapons – is phenomenal as the decent-but-dimwitted everyman trying to survive the apocalypse exploding around him. Bryan is relatable because most of us wouldn’t survive an hour in this world; as such, it feels more realistic when he makes the stupid decisions required of horror protagonists to keep the story going.
In that respect, the screenplay from Cregger and Shay Hatten is clever and mean in equal measure. There are plenty of moments where it’s obvious what’s about to happen, but the movie stays a couple of steps ahead and surprises viewers with an unexpected jump scare or plot development. (The groans, yells, and laughs from the audience in my screening when that happened made the experience even better.)
Although we’re still a few weeks away from spooky season, Resident Evil is a perfect movie to usher it in a little early. Now, if we can just get some fall weather to go along with it.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for language and some violence/bloody images. Opens in theaters on September 18.)
The premise: After Samuel (Ethan Hawke) is sent to a brutal work camp and separated from his daughter, Warden Clancy (Russell Crowe) offers him a dangerous proposition: smuggle gold out of a remote mine with some of his fellow prisoners (Austin Amelio, Avi Nash and Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen) and he’ll be released early. However, as the group journeys into the wilderness, greed and suspicion threaten to derail the mission.
The verdict: I’m really enjoying the ongoing era of Hawke’s career where he doesn’t worry about what projects are going to be successful and just does what he wants. The talented actor and director has been working steadily since the 1980s, when he started as a child star, and has morphed into one of the industry’s most distinguished and respectable statesmen.
His work in The Weight, a thrilling and surprisingly poignant convict drama, is phenomenal. Not only that, his enthusiasm for the project is also contagious – pretty much everyone else in the cast elevates their game to match his intensity. That includes Crowe, who isn’t in the movie very much but makes all his scenes count. He’s had a tendency to coast through roles in recent years, but he’s locked in here.
After a somewhat measured introduction, director Padraic McKinley, along with screenwriters Matthew Chapman and Shelby Gaines, keep the momentum going all the way to the somewhat anticlimactic – yet still satisfying – conclusion. It’s the rare movie for grown-ups getting a wide release in theaters these days instead of going straight to a streaming service, so I recommend checking it out while you can.
Grade: B+
(Rated PG for mild scary action. Opens in theaters on September 18.)
The premise: The latest film in the beloved stop-motion animation series sees the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm looking forward to Halloween – until the clumsy farmer trashes the flock’s beloved pumpkin patch. When Shaun turns mad scientist to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control.
The verdict: Shaun the Sheep has been a favorite in the Sewell household for a long time – back when my now-teenage daughter was a toddler who called him “Shoulder Sheep.” The television show and films (previous installments include the 2015 original and 2019’s Farmageddon) pay loving homage to silent era comedies, with plenty of gags referencing classic films. Kids love the cute critters while parents and snobby film critics like me can appreciate them on a deeper level.
The new entry, The Beast of Mossy Bottom maintains that tradition with a funny, sweet story that’s just spooky enough to introduce children to the horror genre without traumatizing them for life. The only time the movie breaks its “no dialogue” rule is with some well-placed needle drops (“Here Come the Hotstepper”) and a running gag involving an original song. I cracked up every time I heard “What’s that coming over the hill? It’s a monster!”
There’s even a romantic subplot between the farmer and town veterinarian that’s genuinely endearing among all the chaos. Finally, there’s an important message about not succumbing to mob mentality that feels like a natural part of the story rather than jammed in to be preachy.
The Beast of Mossy Bottom makes for a terrific trip to the theater for families, especially thanks to the 80-minute running time. You still get plenty of laughs and story, but it’s over before younger viewers start getting too antsy.
Grade: B+
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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