by Josh Sewell
The Sun Never Sets
(Rated R for language including some sexual references. Opens in select theaters on September 4.)
I haven’t seen a lot of writer-director Joe Swanberg’s work, but I was a big admirer of his 2013 romantic dramedy Drinking Buddies. Jake Johnson was at the height of his New Girl fame and his work in that underrated flick proved he also had dramatic range and the chops to be a leading man.
The duo reunites once more for Swanberg’s latest, The Sun Never Sets. It’s another romance similar in tone to Drinking Buddies, and it’s got a realistically complex love triangle at its center.
The Alaska-set film features plenty of stunningly beautiful vistas (courtesy of Eon Mora’s cinematography) and compelling characters played by terrific actors like Johnson, Dakota Fanning and Cory Michael Smith. The premise is also surprisingly grown up, eschewing – for the most part – the usual tropes and clichés typically found in love stories.
Fanning plays Wendy, a 30-something woman who’s in a relationship with Jack (Johnson), an older divorced dad. She’s always wanted kids and he’s done with that era of life, so Jack suggests giving her some space to make sure she’s truly okay with making that sacrifice.
While they’re apart, Wendy reconnects with Chuck (Smith), a former love who is ready for the commitment he once avoided. This rekindled romance leads to an emotionally charged love triangle that forces all three characters to reassess what they’re looking for in their relationships.
The Sun Never Sets is methodically paced, allowing the story to play out naturally while we get to know the characters. There’s also not a lot of melodrama, considering everyone’s flaws are realistic and relatable. There are no obvious good guys or bad guys.
Viewers with short attention spans might consider Swanberg’s deliberate pacing boring, but I don’t see it that way at all. Even if there are slow moments, they’re worth experiencing thanks to the gorgeous visuals and down-to-earth performances.
Grade: B+
Buddy
(Rated R for bloody violence, some drug content and language – all involving children. Now playing in theaters.)
Casper Kelly became an indie comedy legend back in 2014 when his 11-minute short film Too Many Cooks hit Adult Swim with no fanfare or warning. The spoof of 1990s sitcom intros gradually became a deeply unsettling surrealistic horror flick, and the resulting buzz made the darkest corners of the internet explode.
It was only a matter of time before Kelly took advantage of that cultural clout to make a similarly whacked-out story on a grander scale. That’s where Buddy comes in.
The darkly comedic horror flick (which Kelly directed and co-wrote with Jamie King) centers on the titular orange unicorn (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), a Barney-like character who teaches kids important life lessons through songs and games. However, when the child actors (including Delaney Quinn, Caleb Williams, Tristan Borders, Madison Skyy Polan and Luke Speakman) start to deviate from the script, Buddy doesn’t react well.
Kelly’s twisted sense of humor and flair for visual storytelling makes Buddy a wild experience. Horror fans will likely find it a disturbing blast while more sensitive viewers should stay away. The “in-show” segments are bright and colorful, to offset the awful events transpiring there, bolstered by some terrific voice work from Key, Patton Oswalt and Michael Shannon. I’m typically wary of kid actors (for artistic and ethical reasons), but Quinn, Williams, Borders and Polan all deliver solid performances.
The “real world” portions of the story – involving a married couple played by Cristin Milioti and Topher Grace – are shot in a more tradition fashion. However, they’re equally compelling because of the sinister undertone and how they gradually offer hints to the central mystery.
While there are more laughs than scares, Buddy is a great thrill ride that offers a blast of weird, creative energy in a cinematic landscape that’s increasingly concerned with playing it safe. I loved the practical effects and can’t wait to see what Kelly has in store for us next.
Grade: B
Home Entertainment Spotlight
Disclosure Day
(Rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language. Now available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray.)
If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? Now the truth belongs to seven billion people in an original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg; with a screenplay by David Koepp; starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo. Bonus features include a 50-minute look at making the film and a tribute to the shared cinematic legacy between Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams.
She Rides Shotgun
(Rated R for violence and language. Now available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray.)
In this crime drama (based on Jordan Harper’s novel), Taron Egerton plays Nate, an ex-con who is targeted for death by enemies he made in prison. Now he must go on the run with his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), to keep her away from brutal gang members and a corrupt sheriff-turned-meth kingpin (John Carroll Lynch). The physical release includes the theatrical trailer.
(Rated R for language including some sexual references. Opens in select theaters on September 4.)
I haven’t seen a lot of writer-director Joe Swanberg’s work, but I was a big admirer of his 2013 romantic dramedy Drinking Buddies. Jake Johnson was at the height of his New Girl fame and his work in that underrated flick proved he also had dramatic range and the chops to be a leading man.
The duo reunites once more for Swanberg’s latest, The Sun Never Sets. It’s another romance similar in tone to Drinking Buddies, and it’s got a realistically complex love triangle at its center.
The Alaska-set film features plenty of stunningly beautiful vistas (courtesy of Eon Mora’s cinematography) and compelling characters played by terrific actors like Johnson, Dakota Fanning and Cory Michael Smith. The premise is also surprisingly grown up, eschewing – for the most part – the usual tropes and clichés typically found in love stories.
Fanning plays Wendy, a 30-something woman who’s in a relationship with Jack (Johnson), an older divorced dad. She’s always wanted kids and he’s done with that era of life, so Jack suggests giving her some space to make sure she’s truly okay with making that sacrifice.
While they’re apart, Wendy reconnects with Chuck (Smith), a former love who is ready for the commitment he once avoided. This rekindled romance leads to an emotionally charged love triangle that forces all three characters to reassess what they’re looking for in their relationships.
The Sun Never Sets is methodically paced, allowing the story to play out naturally while we get to know the characters. There’s also not a lot of melodrama, considering everyone’s flaws are realistic and relatable. There are no obvious good guys or bad guys.
Viewers with short attention spans might consider Swanberg’s deliberate pacing boring, but I don’t see it that way at all. Even if there are slow moments, they’re worth experiencing thanks to the gorgeous visuals and down-to-earth performances.
Grade: B+
(Rated R for bloody violence, some drug content and language – all involving children. Now playing in theaters.)
Casper Kelly became an indie comedy legend back in 2014 when his 11-minute short film Too Many Cooks hit Adult Swim with no fanfare or warning. The spoof of 1990s sitcom intros gradually became a deeply unsettling surrealistic horror flick, and the resulting buzz made the darkest corners of the internet explode.
It was only a matter of time before Kelly took advantage of that cultural clout to make a similarly whacked-out story on a grander scale. That’s where Buddy comes in.
The darkly comedic horror flick (which Kelly directed and co-wrote with Jamie King) centers on the titular orange unicorn (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key), a Barney-like character who teaches kids important life lessons through songs and games. However, when the child actors (including Delaney Quinn, Caleb Williams, Tristan Borders, Madison Skyy Polan and Luke Speakman) start to deviate from the script, Buddy doesn’t react well.
Kelly’s twisted sense of humor and flair for visual storytelling makes Buddy a wild experience. Horror fans will likely find it a disturbing blast while more sensitive viewers should stay away. The “in-show” segments are bright and colorful, to offset the awful events transpiring there, bolstered by some terrific voice work from Key, Patton Oswalt and Michael Shannon. I’m typically wary of kid actors (for artistic and ethical reasons), but Quinn, Williams, Borders and Polan all deliver solid performances.
The “real world” portions of the story – involving a married couple played by Cristin Milioti and Topher Grace – are shot in a more tradition fashion. However, they’re equally compelling because of the sinister undertone and how they gradually offer hints to the central mystery.
While there are more laughs than scares, Buddy is a great thrill ride that offers a blast of weird, creative energy in a cinematic landscape that’s increasingly concerned with playing it safe. I loved the practical effects and can’t wait to see what Kelly has in store for us next.
Grade: B
Home Entertainment Spotlight
(Rated PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images and strong language. Now available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray.)
If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? Now the truth belongs to seven billion people in an original event film created and directed by Steven Spielberg; with a screenplay by David Koepp; starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson and Colman Domingo. Bonus features include a 50-minute look at making the film and a tribute to the shared cinematic legacy between Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams.
(Rated R for violence and language. Now available on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray.)
In this crime drama (based on Jordan Harper’s novel), Taron Egerton plays Nate, an ex-con who is targeted for death by enemies he made in prison. Now he must go on the run with his estranged 11-year-old daughter, Polly (Ana Sophia Heger), to keep her away from brutal gang members and a corrupt sheriff-turned-meth kingpin (John Carroll Lynch). The physical release includes the theatrical trailer.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com or on BlueSky @joshsewell.bsky.social
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