Get Out (2017) directed by Jordan Peele

Get Out is a modern day cinematic masterpiece. If you haven't seen Jordan Peele's film that he has written and directed, then I strongly recommend that you do. This Oscar-winning movie is a masterful feat in filmmaking, combining horror with social issues in the most brilliant way. Along with spectacular performances from the entire cast and a story that will make you uneasy (in the best and worst ways possible), this movie is a necessity.

This movie is beyond comparison to any other horror film made in a long time. The performances in this film were outstanding. Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Chris, was absolutely outstanding. He nails the role as the young man trapped in his girlfriend's racist family's house. Kaluuya's Best Actor nomination was absolutely deserved because he was excellent in this film, showing pure fear and dread during many of the film's most tense scenes. The rest of the supporting cast was great as well, including Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, and Bradley Whitford. Even though (I strongly hope) they do not actually carry these prejudices in real life, they were able to portray a lying and subtly malicious family during the entirety of the movie. Every scene with these actors in the same room, while amazing to watch, was seeping with eeriness and uncertainty. Other amazing aspects of this movie include the cinematography, editing, and directing. While the camera work in this film is not ground-breaking, it is utilized very well, especially for a horror film. Many scenes are so personal thanks to many of the camera's close shots. Most of these same scenes use very unsettling framing and editing to make the tone just a tad bit off, making the audience queasy. The most important scene of the film to really cement this feeling was the hypnosis scene in the living room. While, of course, Kaluuya's superb acting makes this part that much more incredible, the entire scene nails the tension and made me shudder. This use of the camera and editing through the movie is mostly thanks to Peele's directing. He knew exactly what his vision for the movie would be and definitely did his research on what makes a movie terrifying. This, of course, was also due to the nature of the content of the film.

While Jordan Peele is not new to film and television, this movie makes his writing known to Hollywood as a force to be reckoned with. The writing in this film is astounding, blending social and racial issues with an engaging horror plot. This movie absolutely deserved the Best Original Screenplay and I am glad that a horror film was even considered for this category. Peele has crafted an intensely haunting movie experience that brings to light many of today's social problems. This film addresses racial inequality in a very unique way but still contains the same powerful message if it were to be done differently. Even though it still uses a typical horror film structure, the content is what makes this movie stand out, especially in the socially-divided world that we live in. The strongest aspect of this writing, however, were its subtle details and intricate plot devices. Every piece of this film's puzzle was detail-oriented and nothing was left out-of-check, similar to the attention level of Edgar Wright. So many minute details, like Chris' smoking habit, the running grandfather, the Froot Loops, the deer's head, and the cotton in the chair make this film so captivating. These motifs seen throughout the movie all came full-circle and were utilized very well. While nothing directly political was seen, the underlying messages were quite obvious. The other great part about the writing was the subplot of Rod (played by Milton Howery) warning Chris about the family. Rod was the comic relief in this movie and even though he was critical in saving Chris' life in the conclusion, his humor was balanced well with the terrifying tone set early on.

Get Out is an incredible milestone in cinema and I truly hope that it inspires future filmmakers to focus more on the writing and content of their horror instead of the easy jump scares. I am thoroughly impressed by Jordan Peele's storytelling ability in this perfect film and I am very excited for whatever he may think of next.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Mystic River (2003) directed by Clint Eastwood

Blending many great performances with an interesting story, Mystic River is an exemplary crime drama that actually won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in 2004. Although a good majority of the story was predictable and some subplots unnecessary, Clint Eastwood delivers a great drama that definitely deserves more recognition.

The standout part of this movie were the performances. Jimmy, played by Sean Penn, Dave, played by Tim Robbins, and Sean, played by Kevin Bacon, are three friends who grew up together but ended up leading very different lives. Jimmy was a convenience store owner who has a shady past with the mob, Dave is a married stay-at-home dad, and Sean is a private investigator for the Boston Police Department. This was a very interesting way to tell the story, by bringing together old friends after a tragedy had happened. This film explored all of their backgrounds very well and gave enough time for each character to develop. The best performance in this film comes from Sean Penn, as seen in his Oscar win. His portrayal of Jimmy was excellent and the raw emotion that was shown when he found out his daughter had been killed (whoops, spoiler) was incredible. Robbins was the other fantastic performance in this movie. His character of Dave had a very troubled childhood because of getting kidnapped and raped as a young boy. Robbins portrayed his character so well and brought out that repressed trauma excellently. The other best part of this film was the direction from Clint Eastwood. Even though many scenes dragged on for way too long and the entire film was almost two and a half hours, the pacing was decent and Eastwood kept the story moving along nicely. And there was, of course, the Eastwood-style ending of not letting the audience know exactly how it ends. This sense of ambiguity worked very well, even though I would still prefer some clarification.

There were a few parts of this film that definitely could have been improved on, however. Many parts of the story were either predictable or unnecessary. I feel that the big reveal at the end was handled very poorly, as it took the easy way out. The entire film is built up for the audience to believe that Dave is the one who killed Jimmy's daughter. The entire time, I knew that Dave was going to die eventually somehow, but his "confession" was lame. He used the very generic "I lost my innocence and didn't want her to lose hers" and was very lazy writing, especially for his character. When it turned out though that the young kids were actually responsible for killing Jimmy's daughter, it was very boring. In my opinion, that explanation was very weak writing and didn't satisfy any of my previous assumptions or questions. The other bad part of this film was the writing behind Kevin Bacon's character Sean. While him being a cop was helpful for advancing the story, he did not have any interesting background at all. His only subplot was his wife who had left him and kept calling him. This subplot was unnecessary and did not add any substance whatsoever to Bacon's character. My last issue with this film was, unfortunately, Laurence Fishburne's character Whitey. His first few lines of dialogue in the film accompanied by his colloquialisms made him out to be the stereotypical "ghetto cop." I was very worried about this at first, but they seemed to abandon that aspect quickly.

Mystic River is an engaging, family-driven drama which manages to put out some incredible performances despite its relatively dull plot. I would strongly recommend this film if you are an Eastwood, Penn, or Robbins fan, but not if you are looking for a strongly emotional movie.

My Rating: ★★★

Eighth Grade (2018) directed by Bo Burnham

Bo Burnham's writing and directorial debut could not have been better with this film. I was given the opportunity to go to an early screening of Eighth Grade and a Q&A with Bo himself and it was definitely one of the most surreal experiences of my life. He has been one of my favorite stand-up comedians for years and seeing his witty and artistic brand change for this film was incredible. The acting and direction in this movie is amazing, along with a painfully relatable story that tackled many controversial topics in great ways.

The greatest aspect of this film was definitely the writing and direction which made the story so engaging. This propelled the film into such great quality, thanks to Burnham. This was his first feature film and he built a world around the main character Kayla (played by Elsie Fisher) very well. The elements of the setting were actually relevant to today's society and it was so close to how teenagers actually interact with each other. Unlike many of the larger budget teenage-oriented films, this movie was focused on real, modern details of childhood. The smallest details like the inclusion of social media and the awkward experiences that every child goes through were critical in building this painfully realistic world. As for the direction, Burnham absolutely nails every scene throughout this film. The pacing was handled very well, even though the entire film took place over the course of only a few days. This was also one of the smartest choices because it built Kayla's life and introduced the audience to her without much unnecessary background. Much of the controversial topics that were touched upon included rape, depression, and discovering self-identity. While these topics can often be very touchy, they were handled very elegantly by Burnham, as he brought them into light through the lens of a developing young girl who was still innocent in many aspects. While he did not turn the topics into any sort of joke, they were still written lightly without negating their importance. I am very glad that Burnham was able to meet with and learn from so many young girls because if he hadn't, then this film would have had a very limited perspective. This was one of the biggest questions the audience had at the screening that I attended, and it makes me happy knowing that there are new filmmakers like Bo out there who know their place and respect the stories of others.

Technical aspects that I loved about this film were the performances from the two leads and the soundtrack. Elsie Fisher and Josh Hamilton, who played Kayla and her father Mark, respectively, were absolutely incredible in their roles. Their relationship through the movie was developed excellently and provided for a lot of memorable (and relatable) scenes. The best scene between the two, and possibly the whole movie, was the campfire they had when Kayla was burning her "hopes and dreams." Bringing Kayla out of her shell to her dad was sweet to see, and made for an awesome monologue from Hamilton. It seems that whenever movies have a deep conversation between a character and their dad, it always brings out the most emotion. Especially since dads are usually portrayed as ignorant or narrow-minded (or absent). It was an interesting plot device to have the house be only occupied by Kayla and her father and not reveal until the campfire scene any information about the mother. This aspect helped shape Kayla as not just an independent girl but also to form a stronger bond with her lonely father. The final part of this film that I adore is its soundtrack. Anna Meredith, who is a close friend of Burnham's, composed the soundtrack for this film and it fit the tone brilliantly. While all of it was electronic music and that genre is usually upbeat, she was able to manipulate it so well that it fit even the more serious and sad moments of the movie, solidifying the film's tone.

A24 teaming up with Bo Burnham was the best decision that ever could have been made. Burnham's clever writing style and amazing performances make Eighth Grade the adolescence treasure that it is. I would strongly recommend this film, as it delivers a fantastic human story that is both excruciatingly real and entertaining at the same time.

My Rating: ★★★★

Love, Simon (2018) directed by Greg Berlanti

If you need an example of a modern, progressive, teen romance film to show to your parents or cry about with your friends on a Friday night, then Love, Simon is for you. While it does not escape the grasp of generic teen romance, it is still an exceptional film that sheds some much-needed light on closeted gay teens and their struggles. This movie perfectly encapsulates the life of Simon, a teenager with a huge secret: he's gay. The story is beautiful, the performances were great, and the message in this movie is spectacular, providing a pleasant breath of air into today's social environment.

Obviously, as in many similar films of the genre, the story and character relationships are the most important pieces in building this film. The writing was fantastic and built a modern world that lots of people can relate to. The character development was arguably the most important aspect of this film, as Simon went through so much but proudly emerged in the end. It was amazing seeing gay representation throughout this film and the struggles that one goes through in deciding when to come out to their family and friends. The strongest message behind this film was embracing your true self, and that was done excellently by the directing paired with the writing. Greg Berlanti, known for his creation and work on the Arrowverse, makes his feature film debut with this movie. He is an openly gay man who definitely knows the struggles behind coming out. His direction was very clear and emotionally-riveting, and he was the perfect choice to helm this film, which is actually adapted from the book Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.

Parts of the direction that brilliantly stood out to me were the focus on Simon while maintaining interesting relationships with his friends and the emotional scenes that come with this genre of film. I was blown away seeing how well Berlanti handled Simon's story with the other characters. While the focus of the film was obviously on Simon, the other characters' relationships were given enough time to develop too. Even though Simon's friends pissed me off when they all ditched him, I can understand where they were coming from, because they had not known that he was dealing with much bigger problems. Much of this film, like any romance film, was very emotionally-draining and made for some memorable scenes. All of the scenes between Simon and his friends after his friends found out were very intense. While some of them were angry with him, like his best friend, others were more sympathetic, and this just adds to the realness of the movie. Everyone is going through something and depending on the time in your life when you find out your best friend is gay, people have different responses. However, the most emotional scene for me was the first time Simon talked to his dad after finding out. The pure regret and sympathy shown by his dad for all the gay jokes throughout the years was very sweet and made me shed (only a few, I promise) tears. The humor in this film was also handled very well with the drama. The "LA liberal college" scene and the "mom, I'm hetero" scene were hilariously relevant and were a nice touch to the tone of this movie.

The performances in this film definitely helped make it as charming as it was. Nick Robinson was fantastic as Simon and his parents Emily and Jack (Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel) were spectacular too. Katherine Langford (Leah), Alexandra Shipp (Abby), and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Nick) were all great and brought so much life to their characters. Another very important performance was Keiynan Lonsdale, who played Bram. Lonsdale plays Kid Flash in the Arrowverse and we can thank Berlanti for including him in this film, as he did an excellent job. My only problem with his character was the reveal that he was Blue the entire time. I thought that the reveal of Blue would make more sense, as I believe it should have been the piano-playing, theater boy. During the Halloween party scene, we are led to believe that Bram is straight because he was seen making out with a girl on the bed in the upstairs of the house. Once he is revealed to be Blue, Bram says that he was just drunk and confused and it only lasted a few minutes. I personally did not like this part of the writing, as it dismissed Bram's sexuality as an excuse to make him Blue. I get that he was drunk and confused, but so was Simon. And he was never shown sucking face with a girl. My only other issue was its lack of original shots and editing. I was not expecting, much, however, as this genre never really focuses on that aspect.

Love, Simon is an incredibly beautiful film not just about coming out, but also learning to accept others for who they are. It is not only important for this film to be this popular in today's culture, but at all times. People are people and we all deserve to feel loved and accepted. I would strongly recommend this movie for fans of this genre and fans of anything sweet in general. With a great cast and relevant messages, this romance will definitely not be soon forgotten.

My Rating: ★★★★

A Quiet Place (2018) directed by John Krasinski

I am not sure where this new trend of comedy artists directing horror films came from, but it absolutely needs to continue. First we have Jordan Peele directing the Oscar-winning Get Out and now we have The Office's John Krasinski in his first directing role. A Quiet Place is an exceptional horror film that utilizes something that everyone takes for granted: silence. In this world, every little breath and every little move you make is carefully planned and one wrong move can get you killed. This tactic is brilliant for this film and creates an environment that will certainly turn you into a curled-up ball of sweat.

The most intense element that made this film a masterpiece was the use of silence. The entire film, save for a few lines of dialogue underneath the waterfall, was nearly silent and the only thing the audience could hear was background noise and minor sound effects. Communication throughout the entire film was limited to sign language, which was also utilized very well. The silence builds anxiety constantly through the whole thing, which was an amazing directing choice. Even though this is Krasinski's first film, one would think that he had been directing for years. Every step the characters took brought so much emotion, especially in one particular scene with Emily Blunt's character Evelyn. The nail that was sticking out of the stair step caused so many troubles for her and seeing her foot glide on to the nail was painful, even for me. Her amazing acting also brought out the pure agony in that scene and was so powerful. The performances in this movie were astounding as well, even though it was a limited, family-oriented cast. The chemistry between John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe was incredible and I even began to think they were actually John and Emily's children. The best performed role was Regan, played by Simmonds. She is an actually deaf actress playing a deaf character, and this representation makes me extremely happy. It is impressive that the entire cast had to learn sign language and working with Simmonds must have been an eye-opening experience.

Writing in this film is another of the strongest parts as the story is very well-written and engaging. It provided so much character development to each individual family member, even though we never learn their names. One of the strongest writing choices in this film that physically made my jaw drop was the opening scene. The shots inside the pharmacy were great in terms of world (and audio) building, but near the bridge is what shocked me the most. This scene was the most prevalent in the trailers, but I was not expecting for the youngest boy to be killed in the first ten minutes of the movie. This was a strong choice and absolutely drew my attention as well as my anxiety. The other great part of the writing was Krasinski's character's (Lee) death scene. Bringing the motif of exclusion full-circle, I got teary-eyed when he signaled "I love you. I've always loved you" to his daughter. His acting was incredible and his scream brought out so much emotion that really rounds out his amazing performance. My only problem with the writing was the fact that the baby was born during this supposed apocalypse. My main question is who in their right mind would decide to have a child when the smallest of noises attracts these terrifying death monsters? Even though the baby served as a great plot device for some intense scenes, I can't help but to think why? The last part of this film that annoyed me were the monsters. This film was originally supposed to be a part of the Cloverfield universe, but even though that idea was scrapped, the influence can still be seen in the design of the monsters. They looked exactly like miniature versions of Clover from the 2008 film. I also did not like how much they were shown. As I've said before, it is better for a horror film to leave the monsters up to the audience's imagination instead of showing what they look like. Even though it was not a huge problem, I could have done without seeing so much of the Stranger Things-esque demogorgon ripoffs.

A Quiet Place is an incredibly terrifying film that uses a new method to create tension. With amazing directing and a talented cast, this movie has cemented its place as one of the best modern horror films. I would strongly recommend this film as not just a horror movie, but an exceptional one that is sure to satisfy fans of any genre.

My Rating: ★★★★½

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) directed by Edgar Wright

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is another of Edgar Wright's visual feats that prove he is one of the most creative and detail-oriented filmmakers ever. This film, adapted from the comic books by Bryan Lee O'Malley, is also one of the most true-to-source-material films ever made. This movie has a weird but entertaining story, fantastic visual effects, and some of the best writing in comic book/comedy movies. It truly stands the test of time as a strange and fun movie fit for everyone.

This movie is a nonstop comedy and action thrill ride that would be very hard to disappoint die-hard fans and newcomers alike. The weird and quirky story in this film is very original and provides a look into the dating world of our lead hero Scott Pilgrim, played by Michael Cera. As he falls in love with Ramona Flowers, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, he learns that he has to defeat her seven evil exes in order to date her. While many details and reasons behind some actions are never explained in this film, I feel it is better to watch it with an open mind and realize that this movie is just pure comic bliss. All of the performances in this film were great and each character was lovable in their own right. I am sure that this entire cast had a blast while filming, and it seems like it was a lot of fun. The best aspect of this movie would definitely have to be the combination of Edgar Wright's signature wit and the comic book design. It was made to look like a real-life anime and accomplished this very effectively. The story and every single detail was straight from the original comic books and Wright did an incredible job of translating the story into an exciting film. Of course, this film had Wright's expected charm with its transitions and design choices. In many of the shots, there were quirky transitions used and text all around to make it feel like a comic book. And in many of the fight scenes, the cropped borders of the film would constantly fluctuate, adding that extra level of movement and amusement.

The special effects were utilized very well and there was a great balance between world-building and fighting spectacles. Color was another big part of the design and it added more and more interest as the film went on. Other great parts of this movie include the soundtrack and cameos. There was one song in particular that played multiple times throughout the film and it was the song that was written by Scott's band, Sex Bob-Omb, for their band battles. The lyrics of this song appear in the comic book across an entire page of panels and it was delightful to hear the song take an actual musical form for this film. The smaller roles in this movie were amazing too. While Cera and Winstead lead the pack, other appearances include Alison Pill, Mark Webber, Johnny Simmons, Ellen Wong, and Kieran Culkin. And, of course, there were other cameos that are weird to see, especially since many of them have gone on to become mega-stars. Aubrey Plaza, Chris Evans, Brandon Routh, Brie Larson, and Anna Kendrick were amazing and further prove how impressively assembled this cast is. My only problem with this film was the treatment of Ramona in the third act. After she had gone back to Gideon (played by Jason Schwartzman), she became a very submissive and different version of herself than we had seen in everything before. This strange character development was uncalled for and did not make sense in the overall context of it all. After learning that she had been physically micro-chipped by Gideon, I was a bit more understanding of the situation, but that doesn't change how they treated that character. Even though Scott is the main character, I desperately wanted Ramona to get more screen-time to develop instead of resorting to becoming the damsel in distress for means of furthering Scott's plot.

Overall, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a fun and amazing film that further flexes Wright's cinematic muscles. The cast, effects, and story were amazing, and even though certain characters could have been better written, it is still every bit of enjoyable since the first time I watched it.

My Rating: ★★★★

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018) directed by Sam Liu

Once again, DC proves that its animated films are vastly superior to anything they wish they could accomplish on the big screen. Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is a fantastic example of the risks this comic company is willing to take in its films and how it pays off. This R-rated bloodbath is a spectacular action film that, while short, is sure to please any fan of the comics that was not too ecstatic about the live-action one. Fantastic animation and a killer voice cast makes this movie a sure shot.

I have so many good things to say about this film and while that may be because I'm comparing it to the 2016 disaster, I feel my opinions still hold up. The animation in this movie was great as always and had the perfect blend of American and Japanese animation styles that DC has perfected in these straight-to-DVD releases. The biggest part about this film that made it stand out among many others is its R-rating. Besides Batman: The Killing Joke, there has not been an R-rated animated DC film ever made. I feel that this was a very smart choice for this movie because it paved way for plenty of blood and violence without becoming too excessive. The violence was the main reason for the rating, as there was only one quick sexual scene and one use of the word "fuck." This was smart, though, because the violence was done very well. In the comics, the Suicide Squad are DC's most relentless and crazy cast of characters and they deserved this more mature, animated treatment. Showing more of the close kills and in-your-face action added to the development of all the characters as well, displaying their brutal actions. The scene that shocked me most, however, was the nude scene on the rooftop. As Scandal Savage and Knockout were planning their next move, Knockout came out of the hot tub she was resting in to kiss Savage. Just before the two women kiss, we see just about every part of Knockout when she comes out. This honestly surprised me because, even though it is rated R, I was not expecting them to take that nudity risk. I am glad they did though because it just shows how much more mature this film can be without becoming gratuitous or ridiculous.

The characters and story of this movie make it that much more lovable. The plot throughout focused on the Squad trying to retrieve a cursed card that could guarantee the holder's entrance to heaven. So many great DC characters showed up in this film, including Reverse Flash, Silver Banshee, Vandal Savage, and of course, the insane new members of the Squad. The best part about the writing in this film were the relationships between the characters. While the previous film Assault on Arkham focused on Harley Quinn's story, this film was more revolved around Deadshot (hopefully next time it'll focus on Boomerang). This worked well, because this character had the best development out of all of them. His hardass attitude and strong leadership helped the team in a lot of different situations. The best, though, was when Bronze Tiger was dying in the conclusion of the film. At that point, Deadshot had developed very well and knew that Tiger deserved the card instead of whoever else was after it. This was the most touching part of the movie, and I am glad that the characters were given more time to grow. The voice cast in this film was great as well, as Tara Strong and Christian Slater led the cast. Yeah, I said that right: Christian Slater. Strong was great as Harley Quinn and at this point it would be amiss if she didn't voice the hammer-wielding lunatic. But the real standout was Slater as Floyd Lawton, aka Deadshot. Slater has such a commanding and unique voice that fit the character absurdly well. I really hope that he takes more voice roles because even though he is an amazing actor, he can give life to some awesome characters too. The only problems I had with this film were two small issues with the writing. While the characters developed very well, a lot of Killer Frost and Copperhead's lines were taken straight out of a pun book. They were very cheesy and could have been written better. My other issue deals with the fate of Amanda Waller. In the introduction, we learn that she is trying to get the cursed card to save herself, as she is dealing with a terminal illness of some kind. However, that subplot was never resolved and nothing was shown past the initial diagnosis. This could have been flushed out for a deeper plot, but I guess that wasn't the writers' main concern.

Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay is a fantastic animated film that, in a small aspect, redeems the name of the team from their previous mess. With enough bloody fun and adult content to keep mature audiences happy, DC's live-action department should take a few notes from these films, as they almost always come out on top.

My Rating: ★★★★

I, Tonya (2017) directed by Craig Gillespie

I have never known much about the story of Tonya Harding, only that she supposedly had one of her opponents' kneecaps bashed in. I was not alive during the period of her fame and I was hoping that this movie would give me more insight into who this woman really was. Watching this film, unfortunately, did not give me much of an appreciation for her real story. While there were some fantastic performances and historical background to Harding, I, Tonya is a jumble of tone and narrative structure.

The performances and soundtrack were undoubtedly the best parts of this film. Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, and especially Allison Janney were incredible in their roles. While Robbie was fantastic as Tonya Harding, she took a lot more of a comedic take to the character. I believe that this might have been the film's biggest problem, but the way that Robbie portrayed her was still great. In fact, the best scene in the entire film for me was the courtroom scene towards the end. Robbie's acting really brought out the emotion that Harding must have been feeling after the ruling. To never be able to skate again because of something her husband mistakenly set up must have been devastating and Robbie owned this scene. Sebastian Stan played Harding's husband Jeff, who was an abusive and controlling man. I have never imagined him in this kind of role before, but he absolutely killed it as well. Lastly, Allison Janney played Tonya's mom LaVona and I believe she was the best performance of this entire movie. That can be seen in her newly-acquired Oscar, obviously. Her relationship with her daughter was very compelling and paved way for a plethora of great scenes between the two. The relationships are what made the writing of this film so interesting. It was great limiting the actions to three main characters and it truly showed how they all affected Tonya in the long-run. The constant verbal abuse as a child and physical abuse from her husband all played into the plot very well and was critical in developing the character. The choreography in this movie was utilized very well. Not just in the gorgeous figure skating scenes, but also with Jeff hitting Tonya. The abuse looked very real and while it is very hard to watch and triggering for some, it only added to that level of realism.

My biggest concerns with this film were its narrative structure and a lot of the direction choices. This film was set up to be a mockumentary, but this was the worst choice that could have been made. Throughout the movie, many of the most stressful scenes were interrupted by Robbie's narration or a testimonial-type shot. This was done with all of the characters, but it confused me and constantly threw off the tone. These testimonials almost made the actual plot of the film feel like a joke. While the humor and more lighthearted tone used in this movie could have worked excellently, the testimonials did not help that whatsoever. I believe that the director, Craig Gillespie, should have stuck with one of the tones that he was hovering between. If the film would have been done in a more grounded style with gritty background details and an underdog plot, that would have worked great. If the film would have been done in a more comedic style without showing the hard abuse and focused on her story rising to fame, that would have also been great. The problem was that these two styles did not blend at all. In many scenes, Tonya's story seemed to even be glamorized. This is obviously not okay because abuse is absolutely disgusting and should not be normalized. Even though it built her character very well, the film made it seem like it was just a part of being a woman. The soundtrack to this movie was quite a double-edged sword. The music choices were great and reflective of the time, but were used awfully. Anytime an abuse scene would happen between Jeff and Tonya, a very upbeat pop song would play over it. This was a very interesting choice at first, as it fit the comedic and lighthearted side of the film. But over the next few similar scenes, it began to feel like the music's only purpose was to lessen the effects of the abuse. I did not particularly like that choice and I feel that, once again, a more distinct tone decision should have been made.

Besides feeling very artificial in certain areas and a structure that didn't flow, I, Tonya is a great film that shows the true story behind one of America's most infamous athletes. Robbie, Stan, and Janney were astounding together and brought out the most emotion throughout. I would recommend seeing this film only to learn about the true story of Harding. But try to focus on her story and don't ever let abuse be normalized in your head like this film attempted to.

My Rating: ★★★

Isle of Dogs (2018) directed by Wes Anderson

From the fantastic and creative mind of Wes Anderson, this film is another timeless masterpiece. Isle of Dogs is a charming and humorous animated film about a young boy who goes looking for his pet after all dogs from Japan are banished to an island of trash. This movie contains all the same charm as Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, etc., yet still maintains its own independence from other Anderson works. The story is wildly original, the voice cast is amazing, and it is impossible not to get entrenched in this cute, canine-driven world.

This film succeeds in almost every piece of the puzzle that makes a movie memorable. Every aspect of this film was done very well and there is not much that I would change about it. The aesthetic in this movie was, as expected, very Wes Anderson-like. It was awkward, fun, and charming, which seems to be his classic and signature style. Another of Anderson's cinematic quirks is that he is a master of using animation and close-up scenes to build his settings. Even though the scene with the chef preparing the poisoned sushi was a bit long, it just adds to his unique techniques throughout that were mesmerizing. The transitions that are used aid the discomfort of the extended shots, but that only adds to the dry humor. This is my favorite part of Anderson's filmmaking because it is so original and no other director could pull it off with such loveliness. The animation in this film was absolutely amazing too, as I am always impressed with stop-motion films. Especially one of this caliber, where you could see each individual hair on the dogs moving in the wind or covered with dirt. The amount of detail put in is astounding and I do not know how people have the patience for that kind of animation, but I have the utmost of respect for them. I also loved how there were a few different animation styles within the stop-motion world. In the flashback scenes, a 2-D animation styles was briefly used and in the shots on the TV,  there was a certain "paper-and-pen" style that was beautiful as well.

The voice cast in this film was largely impressive, as is most of Anderson's films. This film was led by Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Greta Gerwig, Frances McDormand, and Scarlett Johansson. Of course, these are all the white actors and actresses who voiced the dogs and a few minor human characters, but the real talent from this film came from the Japanese voice cast who brought so much life into their characters. Koyu Rankin, Kunichi Nomura, Akira Takayama, Akira Ito, and even a cameo voice appearance from Yoko Ono were all amazing. As for the Japanese characters in the film, there was great representation with all of them and I am glad that Anderson was able to beautifully incorporate another culture into this film. One nice touch that I enjoyed was there were no subtitles for when the Japanese people were speaking, only a translator during certain scenes that was utilized very well. I also loved how this movie efficiently used a PG-13 rating to blend a lot of adult content with enough jokes and silliness to appeal to children as well. There are only a few minor things that irked me about this film, and that was the generalized story and a particular character. Even though the story had a very nice message about loyalty and love, it was still very bland. The journey of the boy and the dogs felt a bit empty and more focused on the design of everything. Which I can't say I'm mad about, though. The other part that I did not like was Greta Gerwig's character Tracy. Greta Gerwig is an extraordinary filmmaker and I am honestly surprised that she took this voice role. I'm surprised because this character was a white girl set in Japan as a foreign exchange student. She was the leader and face of the children's revolution to get their dogs back, but I did not like how a white girl had to be the main focus of this revolution while the other Japanese students barely participated. I agree that Tracy should have been included, but I feel that an actual Japanese child would have worked better for the face of that group.

Even though I did not gravitate towards this film as much as I did with Fantastic Mr. Fox, Isle of Dogs is a magical movie that rivals many of the animated films geared towards children nowadays. A compelling story and memorable casts makes this movie one of the best in a long time. Even though the rating was PG-13, this movie has enough varied content to make any age happy. I would strongly recommend this film for its pure message, beautiful animation, and of course, GOOD BOIS.

My Rating: ★★★★

Dixieland (2015) directed by Hank Bedford

I often wonder to myself: "what would you get if you took an actress from a multiple Oscar-winning film and put her in a movie with a down-home, country boy, complete with awful quality and typical writing?" You would get Dixieland. This film is a dull and predictable social drama about an ex-con that tries to get readjusted into "normal" life but gets caught up with trouble in his hometown. Chris Zylka (a mostly unknown actor) and Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road) star in this movie that attempts to touch on topics like sex and suicide but instead fails to bring anything out of the audience.

The biggest, almost unbearable problem with this film was its writing and the story that came out of it. The problem with the story is that there was none. The only information we got from the introduction of the film is that Kermit, played by Chris Zylka, was released from prison and planned to start a new life over again. However, there was no clear goal in mind for him or any of the characters, in fact. I can not stand films that do not set a clear goal in the story and it makes the characters suffer as well. The main events of this film just happened and there was no background or point to why the characters were doing what they were doing. Because of this misguided tone, the plot had nowhere to go until the very ending. It was not until the third act of the movie that I realized what Kermit's goal was the entire time. He was caught up in an old drug deal gone wrong (which is already a typical drama device), but no content from the film ever revealed that that was happening. There was almost no character development in this movie and the only attempted development was horribly written. Kermit and his girlfriend Rachel were the two main characters, but did not change throughout the film at all. Kermit could have been a lot more complex character, with him fresh out of prison and all, but instead he seemed to be a happy-go-lucky guy. This did not make sense for him in the slightest and it especially didn't make sense for him to break down in the car and shoot himself. This was one of the biggest moments of the movie, but nothing in his character showed that he was internally struggling. As for Rachel, upon learning about Kermit's death, was only slightly upset. She seemed like she was desensitized to this kind of thing happening and no emotions were ever present. The only decent aspect of the writing was Kermit's aspirations to become a hair stylist. But of course, this subplot that could have been very intriguing, was never flushed out.

Technical parts of this movie were not the greatest either, as the performances were below mediocre and the cinematography was messy. Chris Zylka and Riley Keough starred in the two lead roles, but were both unimpressive. Even though Zylka is a smaller and not as known actor, I expected a lot more from Keough. It is strange that she can go from Mad Max: Fury Road to this film in the same year and give completely different quality performances. Then again, I would want to try my hardest to impress Tom Hardy, so that is understandable. I am not sure if it was the camera work or the editing that made the lighting in this film constantly overbearing, but the overexposed shots were not of the greatest quality. I think it might have been the director trying to be too "artsy" with the cinematography, but it did not work right with the tone of the film. The final piece of this story that I did not quite understand was the use of testimonials throughout this film. They helped establish the Southern setting of the film very well, but the writing in all of them just did not make sense. This film was not an adaptation of a true story, so the fact that another level of fiction was added further confused me. The story could have easily been told without those peculiar testimonials.

Dixieland is a frankly boring film with uninteresting characters or plot that fails to provide anything new in the sense of a social drama. All of the plot devices were typical and while there was potential for better character development, it was ditched for whatever reason. I would not recommend watching this movie unless you just really, REALLY need some half-attempted Southern "charm" in your life.

My Rating: ★★

The Martian (2015) directed by Ridley Scott

I remember seeing The Martian in theaters a few years back with my grandma. I was in Laughlin, Nevada, and we did not have anything to do, but I remembered that this new space movie with Matt Damon was out. Not expecting much, we went to see it and I was instantly obsessed. This is easily my favorite Ridley Scott film and while it is different than many films he has made before, he really brings together all of his best skills on this movie. This film has an amazingly talented cast, an original and engaging story, and fantastic directing that makes it an instant winner.

The most outstanding part of this film is its direction. Ridley Scott is no stranger to the science-fiction genre, but this movie can easily be separated from the slew of dull, space movies. This movie incorporated comedy, action, adventure, and drama in the best possible way. The tone of this film was very light and despite the dire challenges many of the characters went through, this tone stayed consistently entertaining without missing a beat. This perfect blend of content was great and did not disengage the audience in any single moment. Writing in this film is another of its strongest parts, bringing an original concept to the viewers in a very interesting way. While Scott could have decided to make astronaut Mark Watney's journey a hellish and anxiety-inducing one, the character's lighthearted but determined nature made it easily watchable while still sitting on the edge of your seat. I loved how the writing balanced out the ending of the film as well. The pleasant conclusion was very satisfying without becoming too cheesy. All of the stories of the characters in this film were balanced very well and it felt like just as much of a rescue mission as it did a survival mission. Matt Damon, who played the stranded astronaut, was amazing in his role but the stories of all the characters around him made the film that much more enjoyable. In fact, the entire cast of this film was astounding. Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Peña, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Mackenzie Davis, and the multi-talented Donald Glover rounded out the amazing cast. Just to name a few. While the entire supporting cast was amazing, Matt Damon was definitely the shining star. I believe that he was way more worthy of the 2016 Oscar for Best Actor than Leonardo DiCaprio, as he held up his scenes by himself and made the planetary isolation much more personal to the audience. 

More parts of this film that I adored were all of the technical aspects. The cinematography was the most beautiful aspect all the way throughout, providing gorgeous shots and colors. The vast emptiness of space has always been a backdrop for some fantastic cinematography, but this film excelled in creating the perfectly scary and visually amazing atmosphere of Mars. I also appreciated the use of the "found footage" shots and the recording parts during Watney's time on Mars. It added that extra level of loneliness and characterization to Watney that Damon portrayed brilliantly. The final technical aspect that I loved was the science involved. While the science of space was not as thoroughly researched as Interstellar, I loved the effort put in to give it that extra level of reality. It was also more focused on biology and botany than black holes or alternate dimensions, which was a nice change of pace from the normal space movies. The aesthetic of this movie was done very well throughout and is definitely the best design aspect of the entire thing. My only problem with this film was the length of some of the scenes. There were many scenes that lasted a bit longer than they should have and diverted my attention to my phone for a quick second. The scene where Watney was launching into space was a bit clouded by a lot of unnecessary dialogue that got a bit distracting after a few minutes. A few scenes like this in the movie could have been cut, but instead added to the two and a half hour runtime. Even though it seems like it is very long, the story helps the audience get through it very well.

The Martian is an amazing example of a space adventure film with great humor and drama throughout. Matt Damon is a fantastic actor and the rest of the supporting cast performed very well too. The design was amazing and this film is easily one of my favorites of all time.

My Rating: ★★★★½

Tomb Raider (2018) directed by Roar Uthaug

I, like many others I'm assuming, have had a crush on Lara Croft since my childhood. I loved the games growing up and the reboot from 2013 was absolutely fantastic. Tomb Raider is based off of this 2013 game of the same name and I'm glad to see a movie actually doing the video game justice. This film has a simple but engaging story, a powerful performance from Alicia Vikander, and some of the best choreographed action scenes I have seen in any movie in a long time.

Shining parts of this film included the more grounded story adapted from the game and a fantastic portrayal of the badass adventurer. Alicia Vikander is an astounding actress and was the perfect fit for Lara Croft. She played the role with such confidence and strength and I was very impressed by her acting. Unlike Angelina Jolie's portrayal, Vikander's version was not focused on the typical "sexy" parts of Lara Croft. Vikander was not afraid to get bloody and dirty during the filming of this movie and I am glad that she was not unnecessarily sexualized in any way, paving more room for better focus on the development in her character. She started off as a meager food delivery girl but throughout the story, ended up becoming the legendary hero in a generic but believable way. The other part that sold this movie for me was the grounded adaptation from the video game. It followed the plot of the game very well while still providing its own original aspects. In the game, the Japanese queen Himiko takes the form of a giant rock monster and the ending is a very supernatural-type conclusion. In this film, however, Himiko simply possessed people and turned them into bloodthirsty monsters, but the ending was not nearly as special-effects heavy as I thought it was going to be. This might be disappointing to fans of the game, but I thought that the more realistic approach provided a better climax for the film.

The action in this movie went hand-in-hand with the story very smoothly and there was a great blend of drama and excitement. Since it felt just like the video game, there were many scenes where I found myself holding an invisible PS4 controller trying to control what was happening. The scenes where Lara was sneaking into the Trinity compound and the airplane scene were some of the best in the movie. Stealth is very important in the game and the choreography was fantastic during the compound scene. The waterfall airplane scene was literally shot-for-shot from the game and this intense and anxiety-inducing homage was done very well. Other parts of this film that I loved were the scene where she killed for the first time and the representation in the movie. The representation was definitely enhanced by the setting of this film but I still appreciated the inclusion of the different Asian tribes living on the island. The scene where Lara drowned the soldier in the jungle was very intense and added to her character like nothing else in the movie. In that moment, she realized that she would have to do the unthinkable in order to find her father and escape the island. Vikander's acting was the best in this particular scene and while this plot device has been used before, it was still executed (haha get it?) excellently.

My biggest problems with this film were its generic writing and a forced storyline that should not have been included. The writing throughout the entire movie was very generic and nothing new was really introduced. Many of the lines were very cheesy and predictable. This film started off very slowly too, which did not help me or the rest of my theater get into that excited mood. Once Lara left to find Lu Ren is when the action really began, but it took a bit too long to get to that spot. My largest issue with this movie, however, was the inclusion of Lara's father Richard. In the game, her father is actually dead, but that gives Lara reason to go to the island and finish what her dad had started. The subplot in this movie of actually finding her father alive and him helping her was very unnecessary. It did not add to Lara's development as an independent woman and I just feel that part was very forced.

Tomb Raider has absolutely rebooted the legacy of Lara Croft into a more exciting and franchise-worthy world. Alicia Vikander was excellent and while the writing in the film may have been a bit dull, it still provides a lot of entertaining fun and is definitely worth your money.

My Rating: ★★★½