‘THE FLASH’ Speeds Past Expectations, Strikes Lightning in the DCEU

June 8, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Andy Muschietti, Christina Hodson, Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton, Michael Shannon, Reviews, Sasha Calle, The Flash 3 Comments

In a time- and universe-bending world where superheroes have become a constant fixture on our screens, their welcome wearing thinner by the appearance, The Flash emerges as a super enjoyable surprise. A “solo” venture that sees the DC Extended Universe taking their crack at the whole multiverse thing that has been so popularized in superhero films of the past “phase”, The Flash actually focuses on dynamic storytelling and character complexity to impressive results. Despite a runtime that confidently skates past the two and a half hour mark, director Andy Muschietti (Mama, It) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (Bumblebee, Birds of Prey) have crafted a tale that zips by in an exhilarating flash of character, nostalgia, and good old-fashion storytelling. Read More

‘TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEAST’ is Just Another Tired Entry in a Robotic Saga

June 5, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Anthony Ramos, Dean Scott Vazquez, Dominique Fishback, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts 1 Comment

1994 – a year when hip hop was flourishing, the Internet was a nascent wonder, and the Autobots were still saving the Earth – or something to that effect. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the seventh installment in the live-action Transformers series, leaps back to this era for yet another round of robot-on-robot rumblings. However, unlike the cool nostalgia of the 90s, the film is a profoundly uninteresting amalgamation of brain-deadening franchise IP and connective brand synergy. Read More

‘SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE’ Weaves Vibrant Web of Creativity

June 1, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Christopher Miller, Dave Callaham, Hailee Steinfeld, Issa Rae, Oscar Isaac, Shameik Moore, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 3 Comments

Five years after swinging the doors off the whole superhero multiverse thing, the highly anticipated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse springs into action to deliver an arachnid-sized punch of fresh, inventive, and emotionally compelling spider-story that’s a true eye-popping wonder. Directed with electrifying visual panache by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, our reunion with Miles Morales, Gwen Stacey, and a host of countless other spider-variants across an ever-expanding multiverse elevates the stakes in this second installment, ambitiously pushing the creative and narrative boundaries along the way. Read More

Chilling ‘THE BOOGEYMAN’ Rekindles Fear of the Dark

May 30, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Bryan Woods, Chris Messina, David Dastmalchian, Horror, Mark Heyman, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Rob Savage, Scott Beck, Sophie Thatcher, The Boogeyman, Vivien Lyra Blair 1 Comment

A family reeling from the sudden death of their wife and mother. A creature that feeds on grief and weakness. Crippling fear of the dark. These are well-worn horror movie tropes through and through but they are executed to impressive effect by filmmaker Rob Savage in his first traditional feature, The Boogeyman. Savage takes these overcooked conventions and tosses them in a wicked blender of terror and tension to make for a wicked fright fest that could well fling you out of your seat. Read More

SIFF ‘23: Danish Mindf*ck ‘SUPERPOSITION’ Freaked Me Right Out

May 18, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Festival Reviews Tagged Karoline Lyngbye, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, SIFF, SIFF 2023 5 Comments

Teit (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) and Stine (Marie Bach Hansen) are storytellers who’ve left civilization to live off the land for a year – and podcast about the experience – in Superposition. The issue is that might not be the only Teit and Stine out there. This dense and well-constructed metaphysical thriller is designed to screw with your head, with splashes of heady sci-fi creepers like Coherence, Good Night Mommy, and The Night House spliced throughout to create an unnerving exercise in existential dread and doppelgänger distress. Though impressively economic and “small” in scope, Superposition feels expansive by virtue of its big ideas and Karoline Lyngbye’s staggering, inventive direction. She ratchets up the tension and pokes at philosophical quagmires, like the meaning of fidelity in bold, metaphysical ways. It all begs the question: if you met an exact copy of yourself, would you rather fuck, marry, or kill them? (B+)

Capsule Review for Seattle International Film Festival 2023.

‘FAST X’ Accelerates the Tired Franchise Into a Wall of Absurdity

May 17, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Charlize Theron, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Fast X, Helen Mirren, Jason Momoa, Jason Statham, John Cena, Jordana Brewster, Louis Leterrier, Michelle Rodriguez, Nathalie Emmanuel, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Scott Eastwood, Sung Kang, Tyrese Gibson, Vin Diesel 1 Comment

Death has been tamed in the realm of the Fast and the Furious, a universe where mortality is less of a concrete reality and more of a minor inconvenience. Explosions, vehicular disasters, bullets, and even cosmic escapades seem to have lost their lethal touch. Notably, Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner, who we mourned back in 2013, has somehow cheated death’s finality to make posthumous cameos in four subsequent films. It’s an impressive work ethic that redefines the very essence of ‘life after death’. Why die when resurrection is but as plot contrivance away? Read More

Kinky ‘Sanctuary’ an Intoxicating Two-Hander That Dominates Audience

May 17, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Christopher Abbott, Margaret Qualley, Micah Bloomberg, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Sanctuary, Zachary Wigon 1 Comment

It all starts in a hotel room. Hal (Christopher Abbott) orders room service and waits. Enter Rebecca (Margaret Qualley), a whip-smart dominatrix. Qualley, who you may remember from her standout performances in Maid and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, first poses as a lawyer there to “gather information, verify it, and write up a report.” Although it’s all part of a CEO/powerbroker role play, meticulously scripted to the last detail, it’s actually not that far from the truth. This is Sanctuary, a kinky, mentalist dom-sub rom-com, and it’s the stage for Qualley and Abbott’s most intoxicating performances yet. Read More

SIFF ’23: ‘My Animal’ Unleashes Queer Love and Werewolf Angst

May 16, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Festival Reviews Tagged Amandla Stenberg, Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Jacqueline Castel, My Animal, SIFF, SIFF 2023 1 Comment

In My Animal, Jacqueline Castel deftly blends ’80s nostalgia and Giallo inspiration into a queer, modern fairy tale. This indie film take on high school werewolf erotica feels like a darker, more niche Stephanie Meyer creation, complete with issues of abuse and alcoholism, the tension of forbidden love, and, yes, werewolf angst. Bobbi Salvör Menuez and Amandla Stenberg offer a pair of compelling lead turns as Heather and Jonny, new friends falling headfirst into forbidden flirtation, their palpable chemistry grounding the more outlandish elements of the film. A worthwhile slow-burn, My Animal succeeds in spite of obvious budget constraints, leaning into its over-the-top ’80s-inspired synth score and cheap production design element to add a nostalgic touch – which lends the howling haunt a major whiff of after-school special. (B-)

Capsule Review for Seattle International Film Festival 2023.

‘EVIL DEAD RISE’ Splatters the Screen, Breathing Fresh Blood into Lovingly Demented Franchise

May 13, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Evil Dead Rise, Gabrielle Echols, Lee Cronin, Lily Sullivan, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Out in Theaters, Reviews 5 Comments

In the realm of horror, few franchises are as steeped in blood-soaked lore as Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead. The latest entry, Evil Dead Rise, cleverly distills the iconic universe’s brutal charms while simultaneously stirring in a fresh batch of viscera. It’s a gory, gruesome, gregarious ride that’s more than just a rehashed resurrection; this fifth entry to the franchise is a blood-thirsty demonic rebirth, that’s both reverential and innovative in equal measure. Much like a vinyl record that keeps on spinning, this franchise seemingly has an endless groove of gory goodness. Read More

SIFF ‘23: Romantic Korean Drama ‘PAST LIVES’ Aches With the Power of Many Lifetimes

May 12, 2023 by Matt Oakes Posted in Festival Reviews Tagged Celine Song, Greta Lee, Past Lives, SIFF, SIFF 2023, Yoo Teo 20 Comments

Some of the most romantic movies to ever exist (Before Sunset) don’t feature even a kiss. Enter Past Lives, Celine Song’s achingly romantic two-hander about a pair of entangled Korean childhood friends who must navigate their deep connection across 7,000 miles (she’s in New York, he’s in Korea) and 24 years as they drift into and out of each other’s lives. Song makes it all feel so natural and real, allowing an outsider’s glimpse into this simmering relationship to blossom into something closer to deep knowing and genuine intimacy, eliciting a complex spectrum of emotion that’s both universal and deeply specific. Her debut feature, which boasts spellbinding cinematography and a yearning musical score, is just so alive; as ponderous and philosophical as it is well-acted and deeply-felt. One of the best of the year thus far. (A-)

Capsule Review for Seattle International Film Festival 2023.