Ready or Not here comes something Colossal, don’t say Nope!
October is half over, Thanksgiving has come and gone here in Canada and Christmas seems just over the horizon but it is not here yet!
Today I’m looking at: One classic style horror movie made with all the wink wink that the twenty second century has brought us for better or lesser. One not horror movie that has some truly frightening human behaviour and one technical horror movie by a modern horror auteur that blew me away. Lots of fun viewing this week.
The premise of horror/comedy Ready or Not (🦛🦛1/2) which wants to be a new Cabin in the Woods (🦛🦛🦛1/2), is: when someone marries into the Le Domas Family who made and maintain their fortune through board games, the new spouse has to draw a card and play a game. If you’re lucky you get Old Maid, Checkers or something equally innocuous. If you’re unlucky you have to play Hide and Seek. The catch, because of course there is a catch, the new bride or groom hides well the rest of the family seeks to kill them before dawn. Isn’t family fun? Sadly the final product is not as clever as the premise. The first warning sign is that the movie opens with a hunt and then jumps forward some thirty years to a new wedding day. I am at a total loss as to why filmmakers use this trope of telegraphing what could be an entertaining surprise. In this case what little character motivation this prelude contains is not only unnecessary it goes unused. The movie isn’t all bad, far from it, which actually made it more disappointing. Obviously the bride Grace (Samara Weaving) pulls the bad card and obviously violent chaos ensues. The violent chaos, played for laughs, is quite funny and Weaving as the bride makes an impression. It is not quite a star making performance but I look forward to seeing her in the future. The problem is that things roll out in to predictable a manner. To give credit where it is due there are a lot of individually entertaining moments. A couple of the twists are creative enough that even though you see the cliché coming the take on it entertains. The biggest highlight for me was watching Andie MacDowell, who we see far to little of, and Hank Czerny as the grooms Mom and Dad. Both give highly entertaining deadpan performances while looking like Corpse Bride versions of themselves. Also you won’t soon forget Nicky Guadagni as the crazy aunt who reminds me so much of Christopher Walken it feels like a freaky impression. Everyone else is good but the characters are so forgettable that none of them have chance to be memorable. It is a close call, the very entertaining and laugh out loud funny ending almost pull it off but ultimately the fact that I frequently wanted to fast forward sections of the movie trump the clever parts and the fun casting.
Streaming on: Disney+
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I came in expecting a movie about a woman whose emotions manifest a literal monster. It was an expectation the opening, which is an intentional nod to vintage Godzilla movies completely lived up to. So when in the very next scene Colossal (🦛🦛1/2) it turned into a slow drama about a woman returning to her small hometown with her life in shambles I felt pretty lost. I almost didn’t stick with it but the premise had me hooked, also I’m a big fan of Anne Hathaway, so I was really hoping it would pay off. The good news is that Colossal lives up to its name but you really have to wait for it. Things stay slow even when the monster comes back though it definitely gets more interesting. This is actually a relationship drama. The emotionally manifested monster is a clever hook and probably what got the movie made but what makes this worth your time are the emotions that give it life. Big credit to writer/director Nacho Vigalondo for both the creativity and emotional depth of this movie. In the end it is clear that Vigalondo was working a plan from beginning to end but this is not clear well watching, which is probably why it was a critical hit and a commercial flop. It has highs and lows and slows. It could have gotten where it was going quicker and been better for it. When it works which isn’t always it really works and payoff is enough that I recommend it. I also recommend it for the performances. I have been a Hathaway fan since the original X-Men movies and don’t recall ever being disappointed by her. Here she gives one of her best performances. I love the tv show Ted Lasso and it instantly made me a Jason Sudeikis fan. He gives a performance here I didn’t know he was capable of. He is so much more then just a funny guy. If your a fan you need to watch this performance. So come for the monster, come for emotions, come for the creativity, the performances and the payoff but be in the mood to be patient.
Streaming on: Amazon Prime
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Director Jordan Peele known for creating and staring in the sketch comedy series Key and Peele with Keegan Micheal Key burst onto the directing scene with the most unlikely of debutes, a horror movie. A social issue driven horror movie no less. Horror movies going back to the silent era have a tradition of having something to say about humanity but that’s another review. (See: Get Out (🦛🦛🦛🦛). Mr. Peele followed up with Us (🦛🦛🦛) a more traditional horror movie still driven by social issues but with a more horror tropes and a bigger budget. His third helmed film Nope (🦛🦛🦛1/2) is a movie that likely doesn’t get made by a studio at any other time in his career. The third movie I think is when you have enough power and credibility to do what you want but are not yet completely caged in by expectations. Mr. Peele uses his “free pass” for all its worth. Trust me you’re going to want to leave your expectations at the door, and go in as ignorant as possible, oh and see it on the biggest screen possible. The movie starts out looking like a classic horror movie with a scene that is equal parts terrifying and suspenseful but the actual violence is minimized and mostly off screen. Then we meet Otis “OJ” Haywood Jr. (Daniel Kaluuya) and his father (Keith David). A freak accident occurs, one that completely turns audience exceptions on its head. Now the father is dead and OJ who is a Hollywood horse wrangler of multiple generations is struggling to keep the family business afloat. He is good with horses but not people. Kaluuya’s on screen presence is like a (pardon the expression) black hole. The depth in his eyes and the magnetism of his presence seem to make all ambient emotion in and directly around him dim. In his breakout role as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah (🦛🦛🦛1/2) he channeled rage against injustice and it was powerfully moving. Here he channels lost boy awkwardness and the trappings and tone of a classic cowboy, his performance feels haunted. Kaluuya’s is not a presence that I think weaker acting personalities would look good next too. Fortunately here he is well matched with Keke Palmer who plays his sister Emerald “‘Em” Haywood. Em is a complete contrast to OJ. Bubbling, infectious, light, loud, social. It is a fascinating contrast and one that anyone who has a sibling with a distinctly different personality will recognize. OJ and Em love each other unconditionally without really understanding how the other sees the world or manages in it. It is a subtle dynamic and not one the movie focuses on but it does rely on it. Unspoken but relied upon is a theme here, the movie is all about subtlety. It is mostly quiet and slow moving and even the action/horror scenes have a zen quality. There are only two other characters who play a significant supporting role. Steven Yeun plays Ricky “Jupe” Park, the owner operator of a small time theme park “Jupiters Claim” that exists on the property next door. Jupe’s history and relevance to current events slowly becomes clear. Lastly is Brandon Perea as Angel Torres who plays the sidekick. Angel is nerdy, kinda cute, instinctively cowardly but brave, has a good heart, he is all the tropes that make up a good sidekick. He is also the only white guy. This casting might go unnoticed but it shouldn’t, this is the black role it a “classic” cowboy movie (which at heart this is). This casting point along with the minor but significant inclusion of the history of African Americans in the movies reminds us that Mr. Peele has not forgotten that he is a black filmmaker and that this is not something to be taken for granted. To say much more about the plot or the details would be to spoil the fun so I won’t. Sufficient to say that the pseudo ragtag trio of OJ, Em and Angel whose presence make up the bulk of the movies screen time are lot of fun to watch. Mr. Peele uses their differences to spring the movies trap as it were. Like all good plans the one in this movie requires group think. The movie is not perfect, it rambles, it arguably could have used another pass at tightening the script, it could have delved deeper into its characters and its themes but it feels like Mr. Peele made exactly what he wanted. From the freak accident, to the fascinating inclusion of African American history in the movies, to the laugh out loud moment when the reason for the movies title is revealed, to the final understanding of the movies message, to the stunning visuals, I was constantly surprised and completely entertained by this spiritual grandchild of Alfred Hitchcocks The Birds (🦛🦛🦛1/2)
Streaming on: Crave
That’s all the horror for this week. Next weeks newsletter will take a break from Horror because to much of a theme can be, well to much. Until then don’t say no to Nope you don’t need to be a horror fan to enjoy it.