It’s been a strange start to cinema so far in 2024. The power of Dumpuary (February for those keeping track) has been stronger than ever, with films like “Argylle” and “Madame Web” setting a new low for unwatchable, bad cinema. This is common place for the start of the year, and March looks to be on the rise in terms of quality with the highly anticipated “Dune 2” kicking off a new wave better offerings at the theater. Despite that, we’ve tried to see as many new releases as we can, whether it be smaller more independent films with limited releases or some of our favorite films from last year’s TIFF finally have some limited US theatrical release. These festival bangers include “How to Have Sex,” “The Promise Land,” “The Taste of Things,” and “Seagrass.” All incredible films that deserve to be seen by as many people as possible. The pickings are slim these days, so if you get a chance to track one of these 4 films down, you’ll be doing yourself a huge favor and will probably restore your faith in cinema.
In addition to the festival bangers now available in theaters and/or on VOD, there have been some smaller, less bombastic films that have also hit cinemas and streaming. We’ve buckled down and watched quite a few of them, so let’s give you some quick reviews of some films you might not have heard of that may serve as an alternative to being with her mom in the Amazon researching spiders right before she died.
“Suncoast” – Hulu
Fresh off its premiere at Sundance, “Suncoast” came to Hulu less than a month after appearing at the festival. Though it does happen, where films hit the festival circuit despite already have distribution and release date, it is rare that it has this quick of a turnaround and bypasses the theaters entirely. “Suncoast” could probably have a decent theatrical release during this theater dry spell, but finds a decent home at home, too. The film stars Laura Linney, Nico Parker and Woody Harrelson and tells the story of a mother Kristen (Linney) and her daughter Doris (Parker) who’s son/brother is dying of a very serious illness in the early 2000s. They are forced to check him into a hospice called Suncoast to live out his final days, Kristen is increasingly distraught and overbearing while Doris just wants to start living her own life as she befriends an eccentric activist (Harrelson) and tries to fit in at school.
Part familial drama, part coming of age story, part friendship story, “Suncoast” mixes a lot of emotional ideas that don’t always mix well. It is largely saved by Linney and Parker, who are terrific together. Parker in particular holds her out against her veteran co-stars, and “Suncoast” shines the most when it is focused on the dynamics between mother and daughter and dying family. Sadly it’s Harrelson who doesn’t work here, something I never really thought I would say about Woody since anytime you add him onscreen things get instantly better. His presence is more baffling than affecting, with his activist character never finding ground or purpose other than to be a sort of tangential father figure to Doris. Though tonally imbalanced and narratively messy, “Suncoast’s” familial drama performed with impeccable emotional depth from the two leads still manages to resonant by the end. The coming of age story and the Harrelson friendship storyline are more distracting than effective, but the core family story works well and I wish there was more of it, particularly because both Linney and Parker are terrific together. So good that even with all the film’s flaws I was still emotional in the end.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
“The Movie Emperor” – Select Theaters
In my efforts to consume as much cinema this year as I possibly can, I’ve gone down some Hong Kong cinema rabbit holes. This has led me to revisit some of Andy Lau’s work, from his baby face late 80s appearances like “As Tears Go By” to his somewhat more recent and highly influential “Infernal Affairs.” Those unfamiliar with Lau’s massive filmography and stature in China won’t feel as connected to “The Movie Emperor,” as it operates as a sort of less zany and outlandish version of “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” but for Lau and his career. The film follows Lau playing a version of himself, an incredibly famous actor who loses the Best Actor award to Jackie Chan. Chan doesn’t even show up to the awards show to claim his prize (a dig at the actor and one of many, many punches thrown Chan’s way) but wins for playing a peasant. Lau get’s the idea that in order to win the award next year, he needs to seek out an independent melodrama that he can take to festivals and reclaim the number one spot. Of course, Lau is a narcissist and completely detached from actual life, and things begin to quickly devolve as ideas and filmmaking get increasingly chaotic.
“The Movie Emperor” is a film for film buffs, particularly film buffs with an expansive, international awareness. It requires a deep understanding of Hong Kong cinema as well as filmmaking itself, taking you behind the scenes of how scenes are created, how eccentric actors wreak havoc everywhere they go, satire of method acting and tech bro financing that all collide in filmmaking hijinks and shenanigans. “The Movie Emperor” can’t quite balance the satire with the deeper thematic elements of a man discovering himself as the root cause for the problems in his life, constantly shifting from on set ridiculousness to introspective wallowing without any kind of strong connective tissue. It’s really Lau that holds most of it together, his magnetic charm impossible not to love and hate simultaneously. Again, if you know Lau’s work you’re rewarded with reminder of why you love him. If you’re unfamiliar with his work, “The Movie Emperor” will charm you enough to want to seek out more of Lau’s filmography. He is the crux in a film that often feels anchorless and meandering. In the end, “The Movie Emperor” wants to explode with a powder keg of emotion and self realization, but ultimately falls flat by failing to flesh out what it wants to say about it all.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
“Out of Darkness” – In Theaters
Another film underscored by its ending, “Out of Darkness” is great until it isn’t. I am always game for old ideas presented in new ways, and for most of the film it overshadows its conventional undertones with impeccable atmosphere and shifting character dynamics. It is subdued and slow for most of its runtime, but utilizes the harsh and haunting landscapes to create a constant state of dread. “Out of Darkness” follows a small group in the early Stone Age of man who travel to an unknown territory in search of new land. Disparaged and hungry, the gang quickly realizes they are not alone in the wilderness, and are being pursued by something ominous in the dark. That’s about as much as I can say to keep it spoiler free, and while the spoilers are probably the worst parts of the film’s third act, I’d rather keep it to myself and let you discover it on your own.
Director Andrew Cumming skillfully uses light and dark to build his baron world, and “Out of Darkness” is much better when viewers are kept in the dark like their protagonists. Cummings is patient, willing to let the setting take hold and allow the characters to become more and more devious in their desperation for survival. It is intriguing and I found myself fully engaged for the first two acts. Then of course, it all devolves into heavy handed messaging and conventional tropes, the kind that don’t even feel as though they’re a part of the previous hour. “Out of Darkness” unravels in its final moments, and trades out its unique craft for overused commentary. Of course you should have something to say, but “Out of Darkness” works so well early on that what it does have to say and how it says it leaves you feeling more disappointed than inspired.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
“Stopmotion” – In Theaters
A criminally underutilized art form, stop motion is truly incredible in how painstakingly it is crafted and brought to life. Sure, it doesn’t have the sheen of the new digitalized world that has added an exhausting gloss over every single film in existence today. But what it lacks in green screen it makes up for with a sense of realism and hard work that can be recognized instantly. “Stopmotion” is the latest outing to utilize that craft in horrifying ways, drawing inspiration from the macabre and delivering some nightmare inducing visuals. “Stopmotion” follows Ella Blake (Aisling Franciosi) a young stop motion animator working on her overbearing mother’s final film. Her mother has severe arthritis in both her hands, needing her daughter to be the animator for her. After her mother suffers a stroke and ends up in a coma, Ella decides that she will finish the film herself. However, her own demons and trauma begin to take hold of her, and the new story she attempts to create begins to blur the line between reality and insanity.
There is so much to like in “Stopmotion.” Robert Morgan clearly has an eye for the disturbing, and utilizes the available depravity that stop motion animation can bring to life in some truly terrifying ways. “Mad God” and David Cronenberg would be proud of “Stopmotion,” and Fanciosi’s delivers a committed and emotionally wrecked performance that engages the audience even when the film itself starts to let you down. For all the style and vibes and creative blend of animation and body horror, “Stopmotion” never breaks away completely from its own pitfalls. Though it sports some truly unique and downright horrifying visuals that convey the theme of the tortured artist enraptured in their own work, it fails to fully realize the catalyst of trauma that would otherwise justify its grotesque and insane depth the film eventually takes us to. While I very much admire the stop motion animation and Morgan’s vision, the underlying narrative can’t escape its own horror tropes to truly be as original or clever as it thinks it is.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
