#VicksFlicks Terse Twitter Reviews-Vol. 12

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DETROIT

4.5 out of 5 stars

Riots, a deeply racial divide, & infuriating injustice comes roaring in the Motor City in this gripping, harrowing film. Bigelow, along w/ a tremendous cast, charges head-on in to our violent past w/ intensity & no remorse. Using real footage, it’s a horror story in the purest sense. There’s no way to imagine what it must’ve been like or felt, but we get pretty damn close. It’s an ugly reality that tragically reminds us some things never change.

LOGAN LUCKY

4 out of 5 stars

Don’t be fooled. This deep-fried, Southern crime caper is not nearly as dumb as it may look. Soderbergh pulls off a clever, frolicking heist movie w/ Daniel Craig stealing the show, having more fun than he’s had in a very long time on screen.

GOOD TIME

3.5 out of 5 stars

Pattinson is phenomenal in this high-octane crime thriller that’ll make you shake & sweat right along w/ him. His devotion to his brother blinds him to his miscreant ways that’ll undoubtedly have repercussions; but you stay enthralled w/ each corner he tries to cut, knowing this can’t end well.

MAUDIE

4 out of 5 stars

A curious love story w/ phenomenal performances from Hawkins & Hawke in a true story of finding your own version of happiness. They’re damaged goods, but their pain is calmed by Maud’s transformation from how she sees the world into whimsical art for the world to enjoy.

A GHOST STORY

3.5 out 5 stars

This will haunt you,just not in the way you may think. A poetic, poignant film about how you move on from love & loss. It definitely requires patience, & director David Lowery’s ambition may seem to get in the way periodically; but his tale of time & how we exist through it quietly allures anyone willing to stick w/ it.

ATOMIC BLONDE

3.5 out of 5 stars

Theron is one sexy bad ass in this frigid, hard-hitting spy thriller that’ll knock your teeth out. Rock out to the 80’s while fastening up for director Leitch’s stylish action sequences, & there’s no backing down from his explosive star who’s untamed in heels.

CITY OF GHOSTS

4.5 out 5 stars

A riveting, absorbing doc about citizens turned activists of Raqqa, Syria where ISIS is not only restricting life, they’re executing it. It won’t shy away from unbearable acts, & it’s a necessity when witnessing the unshakable courage of RBSS. Their fear & sacrifice is inconceivable; but free speech is at the forefront of this remarkable film where getting the truth out will be their greatest victory.

ICARUS

4.5 out of 5 stars

Doping in sports is put on show for all of the world to see w/ Russia’s Olympic scandal & director Bryan Fogel gets more than he could have ever wished for. His luck uncovers a thrilling doc that’s timely & enthralling, never coming close to losing its sense of danger. A cosmically crucial look at cheating that fascinates just as much as it alarms.

MESSAGE FROM THE KING

2.5 out of 5 stars

A neo-noir that’s pace is slow & story that never seems to gain momentum, no matter how many punches are thrown. Its only boost comes from a hell-bent, charismatic Boseman.

BRIGSBY BEAR

3.5 out of 5 stars

Mooney’s creative juices run through his incredible innocence while trying to make sense of a world he never knew b/c all he’s known is a lie. This strange, yet sneaky sweet film isn’t just about self-identity & obsession, it’s about acceptance in a culture that tends to rally against it.

WIND RIVER

4 out of 5 stars

In a land filled w/ loss,this chilling thriller is about a hell of a lot more than just solving a murder. Sheridan lets the ‘silence and snow’ consume you w/ Renner giving a tremendous performance as a gifted tracker & father trying not to surrender to the harsh world around him.

DEATH NOTE

1.5 out of 5 stars

The style & violence can’t change this from coming off as a cheap horror flick that’s being crammed w/ crapola. Dafoe’s voice coming out of a demon is the only cool thing going on & it shouldn’t be.

THE GLASS CASTLE

3.5 out of 5 stars

Larson is stellar as a daughter rebelling against her hippie father,played by the terrific Harrelson, by living a life he despises. In this memoir-turned-film, there’s no smooth storytelling, but is sensational at showing no sentiment towards parenting or growing up too fast, remembering the years of hardship & forgetting those precious moments of goodness.

INGRID GOES WEST

4 out of 5 stars

Combo of a smart satire & cautionary tale that’s very aware of our neediness for attention. Plaza is insane in the most incredible way in this uncomfortably funny yet horrifying movie about our obsession w/ social media, allowing it to shape our lives to where it’s unrecognizable.

LITTLE EVIL

1 out of 5 stars

Dopiness runs deep in this comedy-horror mashup that’s neither funny nor scary. A demon kid & his step-father trying to get along is something that NETFLIX should’ve told to go straight to hell.

PATTI CAKE$

3.5 out of 5 stars

Danielle MacDonald is mesmerizing as Patti,a wannabe rapper w/ a flow of rhymes being laid down on a beat all her own. This hip-hop story of little chance has no surprises, but its grit & attitude is enough to make you rant, rave & recognize that Killa P is in charge.

TULIP FEVER

2 out of 5 stars

An A-list period piece wrapped in repression, love, passion & deceit, even if it’s absurdly assembled. But right when it seems to be blooming, the finish tears what’s left to shreds.

“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.