THE WOMAN KING
4 out of 5 stars
In what’s arguably a career best for Davis, she dominates & devastates as she goes to war in this excellent historical epic. Mbedu & Lynch stand strong shoulder to shoulder w/ Davis, delivering marvelous, meaningful performances that are equally fierce. Glowing w/ heart, hurt & honor, director Prince-Bythewood crafts a courageous, rousing, & powerful story of a scarred sisterhood who slay to be free. This is a beautiful celebration of culture w/ stellar production & costume design, along w/ thrilling, brutal battle sequences that bring the bloodshed. Bow down to unbelievable female power that, through solidarity, is unconquerable.
BARBARIAN
3.5 out of 5 stars
Frightening, funny, & fun, writer/director Cregger’s feature debut is the best horror offering of the year. Through ways that are unconventional, clever, & wild – he feeds on our fears of a nightmarish Airbnb experience & pitch-black, creepy basements. On top of that, it positions itself as a surprisingly social thriller of men’s barbaric treatment of women. Having no idea what to expect is the greatest feeling for this particular genre – not to mention what a true rarity it is to actually achieve it. But this undoubtedly does just that w/ a magnetic cast (Campbell & Long do a bang-up job) & a twisty, terrifying plot w/ an unyielding sense of dread that keeps us entertained & on edge the deeper we step into the darkness.
THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING
2 out of 5 stars
A daring & visually dazzling fairy tale for grownups that tries so hard to be enchanting, yet is simply unobtainable as more wishes are granted. Miller’s latest is all about the power of storytelling & how such sensational stories shape the world for us. But where’s the magic at? There’s too much untapped potential as this fantasy rambles about in its own extravagance while losing track of what it came here to do in the first place. And as wonderful as Elba & Swinton are – the scenes they share are quite emotionless. Their chemistry is basically non-existent, which surprises & definitely disappoints. Feeling unfinished & less & less transportive, Miller leaves us longing for more. Much more.
ORPHAN: FIRST KILL
2.5 out of 5 stars
You already know Esther’s secret, but this crazy, campy horror prequel has another terrific twist that elevates it hugely. The story’s quite dreary w/ so much following a familiar pattern. Yet Fuhrman & Stiles wickedly welcome the abundance of absurdity that’s whirling around them. It has nothing on the original, but that one supernal surprise at least makes things interesting for a while.
BEAST
3 out of 5 stars
A father wanting to reconnect w/ his daughters collides w/ a killer lion who’s thirsty for vengeance in this wild & tense thriller. Not without its moments of absurdity & dumb decisions, the family part of the story is the heart that’s needed to survive director Kormákur’s forthright man vs. beast flick. Elba ain’t backing down & is a beast in his own right. Copley also delivers per usual. What you see is what you get, which thankfully is something that doesn’t disappoint & is more or less diverting.
GOD’S COUNTRY
3.5 out of 5 stars
Thought-provoking & thrilling, it’s a slow burner about a woman pushed to her breaking point after repeatedly getting punctured by grief, misogyny, & racism. Newton is stupefying as Sandra in a performance that’s furious yet vulnerable as she attempts to do the right thing while those she’s quarreling w/ continue to do whatever they so please. In his feature film debut, co-writer/director Higgins says a lot in a rather short amount of time about the more things change, the more they stay the same. And when’s enough enough for those who feel failed, defeated, & abandoned by America’s rigged institutions? Higgins patiently let’s the tension boil from one scene to the next until Sandra’s unraveling hits a point of no return. What’s left is nothing but despondence & that’s a dangerous thing.
PINOCCHIO
2.5 out of 5 stars
Wishing upon a star, nose growing when lies are told, donkey ears & tail sprouting out – what we expect to be there is in another average though harmless Disney live action remake. With a cast made up of Hanks, Gordon-Levitt, Erivo, Evans, Key, & youngster Ainsworth as the puppet made out of pine, it has the look of the 1940 classic but not the feels. Co-writer/director Zemeckis’ routine retelling of Pinocchio’s pursuit of being a real boy & making his father proud is relatively hollow, but does contain a colorful palette & enough imagination to get us through. Besides some VFX looking terrific while at other times looking second-rate – nothing here stands out in the least. Not even the wonderful Hanks! Far from terrible but utterly unnecessary.
THE INVITATION
1.5 out of 5 stars
A dull, disastrous, & defanged modern vampire flick trudging through without ever being suspenseful or romantic. Emmanuel gives it her best effort, but when essentially everything is building towards a climax that has already been spoiled by the trailers…why are we even here? From script to story to delivery – it’s predictable & draining w/ a rushed & lazy third act that’s the final nail in the coffin.
HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.
3 out of 5 stars
Praise be to Brown & Hall! Their heavenly portrayals of a preacher & his first lady praying for a comeback adds real value to this uneven satirical mockumentary of church commercialization. Taking from their own Southern Baptist experiences, the Ebo sisters do a decent job in flaunting religious hypocrisy while averting having their flashy characters be just walking/talking caricatures. It’s more serious than initially thought, though it’s in those moments when the film truly shines. There’s no doubt this is crafted w/ care & compassion, but could certainly be more effective in its messaging of trusting those who don’t practice what they preach.
PEARL
2.5 out of 5 stars
An absorbing though slightly stagnant psychological horror prequel that serves as a decent companion to X, yet should in no way be compared. West’s distinctive storytelling invokes the Golden Age of Hollywood when witnessing Pearl’s dreams & aspirations slowly die on the farm she so desperately wants to escape but never will. Presented in pretty technicolor, it’s still sadistic & outrageous, but this murderous origin story does come across as lifeless at times.
There’s a lack of dark humor & the violence & gore is really held back until the end. However, West’s muse & co-writer, Goth, is tremendous. Her brilliantly chilling yet empathetic portrayal of young Pearl bolsters the film to a great degree. The character’s nightmarish downward spiral is terrifying to watch, culminating w/ a staggering one-shot monologue that’s hands down one of the best scenes in horror.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association and the Southeastern 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.
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