Judas and the Black Messiah
A galvanizing historical drama of unjustness, politics, change, hostility, and betrayal – demanding its mighty voice to be heard then and now. As the iconic Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, Daniel Kaluuya is magnetic and militant. It’s a powerhouse performance that’s charismatic and commanding in every sense of the word. The rest of the cast is phenomenal as well. Danielle Fishback is fantastic as Hampton’s love interest and mother of their child, representing what he could lose as his war heightens and becomes more threatening. LaKeith Stanfield is quietly riveting as the informant, strangled by anxiousness and fear while held hostage by the FBI, who makes the bed for his revolutionary to die in. Complicated yet vital, co-writer/director Shaka King presents, in a paranoia thriller, a raw, stirring look at white supremacy and the assassination of a man of the people and how his revolution lives on.
Bille Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry
Fans of Billie Eilish won’t need a single reason to instantly immerse themselves in director R.J. Cutler’s stellar musical documentary of the amazing artist’s journey through life while making When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? For all others (myself included) who only know one or two songs – you’ll be invested just the same. Her artistry and overall creativeness is screaming to be unbound, and it’s simply a pleasure to watch as her debut album begins to take shape through her and her brother, Finneas, in his bedroom.
Effectively revealing, audiences are right there with Eilish in her process, performances, self-doubt and emotional and physical pain. At the same time, Cutler repeatedly reminds us that she’s still a regular teen who’s excited about getting her drivers license and falling head over heels for a boy. Eilish’s super supportive family is a blessing and her interactions with Justin Bieber are hilarious/heartfelt. There’s not a false note in this, which is not much of a shock considering the singer-songwriter is unquestionably the real deal.
I CARE A LOT
Arguably her best performance yet, Rosamund Pike is fiery, unrelenting, and wonderfully wicked as a legal guardian who devours her elderly wards of everything they own. She pretends to care about each of them, but she’s going to care a hell of a lot more when her latest scam messes with the wrong woman. From writer-director J Blakeson, his unsettling, dark comedic crime thriller has sharp claws and a nasty bite. Good luck finding anyone to like or root for, but that’s the beauty of it really. And as far as its finale…it’s perfection with a capital P. The narrative shocks and surprises while concurrently being entrancing and thoroughly entertaining. Dianne Wiest, Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, and Chris Messina are all exceptional with no intention of playing nice. But it doesn’t get any more devilish than Pike – a cunning lioness who has an endless supply of confidence and loves winning at any cost.
IDENTIFYING FEATURES
Lead by a divine Mercedes Hernández – dragging the deepest of worry, fear, and intrepidness behind her – this artful, astonishing Mexican thriller addresses the topical subject of immigration in the form of a nightmarish quest of a mother in search of her missing son. Visually stunning and quietly compelling, co-writer-director Fernanda Valadez’s debut feature captures the personal and painful perspective of mothers left behind when their baby boys go in search of a better life in the U.S.; all the while dealing with the drug war carnage and what’s not being done about it. Beauty and horror can each be found in Valadez’s powerful imagery – making one unforgettable film with a devastating but ineludible ending in a land that’s a living hell for so many families across the border
OUR FRIEND
Written by Brad Ingelsby and directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, this impeccably tender tearjerker depicts the devastating effects cancer has on the Teague family and the incredible help they get from their unambitious yet lovable and loyal best friend. There’s nothing phony or exploitative about this real-life story, its handling is exceedingly poignant and honest with scenes that can be joyous or heartrending or both. With a trio of phenomenal performances – it’s extraordinarily emotional and earns every tear that will be shed. Casey Affleck and Dakota Johnson are exceptional with Jason Segel delivering a career-best.
QUO VIDAS, AIDA?
A harrowing, heart aching film that depicts the horrifying Srebrenica massacre through the eyes of a United Nations interpreter (played by a phenomenal Jasna Đuričić) who has a job to do, while desperately trying to keep her family safe within a UN camp where thousands are seeking shelter. Stuck in a feeling of helplessness, she’s being pulled in every which way by those who are suppose to provide protection and fellow citizens pleading with her to take them inside. You can feel Đuričić’s pain when seeing her slowly lose hope and become more frantic and frightened as those she works for repeatedly fail to do something…anything…to save innocent lives.
With its unbearable tension, your heart pounds and your stomach churns as Bosnia’s own writer- director Jasmila Žbanić refuses to shy away from the devastation and human cost that comes with a war that has tried to bury its dark secrets. When the bloodshed is over, the trauma and memories don’t fade and will forever haunt the survivors, many of them continuing to search for the missing dead. The profound ending is a reminder of that and how peace is a very, very delicate thing.
RIDERS OF JUSTICE
Featuring a splendid cast lead by a magnificent Mads Mikkelsen, this Danish revenge thriller of a disconnected soldier who’s out for justice after his wife is killed in a train accident is surprisingly thoughtful underneath its action and brutal violence. Aside from that, there’s the dark sense of humor that brings it all together. The different tones established by writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen make for a wild, exciting mix as being hung up on vengeance is picked apart for a more meaningful look into making sense of life and coming to grips with grief. Likewise, it’s soft spot for healing to take place from the strength found in unlikely friendships is quite poignant.
NOBODY
Bones breaking, bullets flying, and blood spilling – what else would you expect from the writer of the John Wick franchise and director of Hardcore Henry?! This fun and fanciful revenge action flick is fast-paced and darkly comedic with a nice family element mixed in. But it doesn’t get any better than Bob Odenkirk’s bang-up performance of an unforeseen badass who takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
FRENCH EXIT
Director Azazel Jacobs’ supremely peculiar film is also wry and wiling with one phenomenal leading lady at the helm. Michelle Pfeiffer is magnificent as Frances Price – an infamous socialite who has spent her dead husband’s (Tracy Letts) inheritance and well…being poor just isn’t her thing. When given a chance to go to Paris and stay at a friend’s apartment for free, the choice is easy. Frances, her slapdash son Malcolm (Lucas Hedges), who is secretly engaged to Susan (Imogen Poots), and their cat named Small Frank bolt to France. After their arrival, the last stacks of cash are dwindling, and once gone – Frances is peacing out.
Pay less attention to the super thin plot and more on the surefire splendors such as its setting and eclectic characters (Valerie Mahaffey as Mme. Reynard is sensational) who become Frances and Malcolm’s roommates. Oh, did I also mention the cat talks? Without a doubt, the weirdness prompted by Jacobs and writer Patrick deWitt is wild and wondrous, yet nothing compares to Pfeiffer. There are several special scenes and none of them would feel the way they do without her. Her portrayal and all-around presence on-screen is tremendous.
IN THE SAME BREATH
While there’s obviously still so much we don’t understand about COVID-19, this important and incensing documentary is a great starting point. Through propaganda, lies, and cover-ups, countries (I’m looking at you China and U.S.) monumentally mislead their own citizens who paid the ultimate price with their lives. With incredible investigative journalism hard at work, director Nanfu Wang focuses on the Wuhan outbreak, uncovering what’s really going on behind the nationalism bullshit that’s running rampant. Wang obtaining firsthand accounts of those who were personally affected by the pandemic is truly knowing as well as terribly tragic. When she reimagines how this all could’ve been avoided if transparency existed in governments we shouldn’t have to second guess in trusting – it’s startling and severely shameful in how easy it could’ve been to prevent so many countless lives from being lost.
A QUIET PLACE PART II
Very rarely does a sequel of any genre, especially in horror, reach the heights of the original, but that’s precisely what A Quiet Place Part II achieves. Writer-director John Krasinski’s skillful, exhilarating storytelling from A Quiet Place is strongly carried in to this beyond satisfying second part, expanding the world the Abbott family is silently surviving in. From the beginning, this story has been less about what’s doing the hunting and more about the family’s emotional journey of being the hunted. The connection to these characters hasn’t changed in the least and that goes for the concern we share for what awaits them as well.
From the opening scene to the final one, A Quiet Place Part II, with its eye-catching editing, is superiorly suspenseful. It’s a consuming continuation that’s once again anxiety-induced yet unafraid to get a little noisy this time around. The performances are outstanding with Cillian Murphy serving as a great addition playing Emmett, an old friend who has lost so much from Day 1 that those are who are still alive are unredeemable in his eyes. Emily Blunt is fantastic as usual, but Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe shine the brightest. They take the torch and run with it as Regan and Marcus, respectively – embodying the bravery and persistence of their parents to fight for the ones they love. Their father would be very proud.
IN THE HEIGHTS
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mesmerizing musical bursts on to the screen with so much life, beauty, and hope. Directed by Jon M. Chu, he excels in orchestrating such an extraordinary euphoria with an unbelievably gifted cast. Anthony Ramos doesn’t throw away his shot as Usnavi. It’s a sterling, star-making role that’ll change his career forever. Getting swept up in an impassioned, staggering story illustrated by vibrant colors, spectacular songs, and electrifying choreography is an outright pleasure to experience firsthand. As a lovely and vitalizing celebration of Latino/Latina culture and community – there’s a sense of pride in where they come from amid dreaming of where they want to be. With unstoppable dancing in the streets, Miranda and Chu wave an uplifting message of inclusion where no one is left feeling powerless.
THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES
From producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), this quirky, stupendous animated family film is a fun ride the whole way through. And when a high-class voice cast consisting of Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Abbi Jacobson, Fred Armisen, and Olivia Colman are involved, there’s the utmost confidence that these colorful characters they bring to life are in very good hands. The father-daughter relationship is what drives this family road trip that takes a real turn when a robot apocalypse erupts. The dysfunctional yet dynamic Mitchell family abruptly become the unlikeliest heroes to save the day.
Its message of the importance of family and their support and enclasping individuality is sweetly told while coincidently poking fun at our complicated relationship with technology. The animation alone is a sight to see and fits perfectly with the zany energy that’s bursting out of the story written and directed by Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowe. They make it effortless in falling for this family that’s a lot like our own. You don’t pick’em, but you can’t help but love’em – especially when ultra hazardous machines want to get rid of all of you!
TRY HARDER!
At Lowell High School, where its students are predominately Asian American, the college application process is cutthroat for the senior class competing to get into the most prestigious universities. And when everyone in your school is an overachiever, the pressure may be too much to handle. From what they do in and out of the classroom to more blatantly biased things like race and class – these teens are stressed to the max. With great fascination, empathy, and humor, director Debbie Lum follows a handful of students as they chase their college dreams while sacrificing so much at such a young age. This excruciating process these kids live and breathe leaves them with no chance of being just a kid.
Whether it’s for themselves or not, they want it so bad that it’s heartbreaking or joyous depending on if they get denied or accepted. It’s a sterling, disarming documentary of education being a gateway to something more, even if the whole system is rigged to begin with. However, that’s not stopping those at Lowell from busting their ass no matter the near impossible odds stacked against them. It’s quite evident they believe it’s more than worth it.
TOGETHER TOGETHER
This warm and winning dramedy presents a refreshing perspective of platonic love between an unorthodox coupling of a father-to-be and his surrogate. From writer-director Nikole Beckwith, two lonely souls go from being complete strangers to forming an awkward but hopeful connection that blossoms into a beautiful friendship. From the opening scene, it’s easy to see the cracking chemistry between Ed Helms and Patti Harrison. Their likability is off the charts. Everything they say or do looks and feels natural, and the humor they share only compliments their delightful dynamic. In what could’ve easily played out as a cheesy rom-com, Beckwith and her two splendid stars go in a wonderfully unexpected direction to tell a smart, sweet surrogacy story with honesty and heart.
CRUELLA
Disney has really outdone itself by going delectably dark with this slick, spectacularly stylish, and sinister origin story of Ms. de Vil. While it doesn’t need to be as lengthy as it is, director Craig Gillespie designs something totally idiomatic and creative for the perfect iconic Disney villain to strut her stuff in her revolt. From fabulous costumes and ravishing hair and makeup to the wonderful production design of 70s London – each and every one of them build a bold and beautiful world. And just you wait ‘til you get a load of its smashing soundtrack! Supported by an exceptional cast, the two fierce Emmas (Emma Stone and Emma Thompson) are wonderfully wicked, making for a devilish duo with claws out and ready to leave a nasty scratch. They’re indeed unabashed villains to believe in.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
