The latest instalment in the Jurassic World franchise, Dominion, has had an extremely rocky road to release. As one of the few films to strive forward with filming during the initial stages of the pandemic, the production faced a seemingly never-ending slew of COVID-related struggles and when comedy directing icon Judd Apatow heard about it, well, he decided to make his own movie about that movie’s making. Confused? Don’t worry, watching The Bubble you’ll never be confused as to what is going on, just to why so little of it is actually funny. Apatow’s latest should be a scathing satire of the Hollywood production’s hubris and the larger-than-life figures that populated it; in reality it is a lukewarm series of disjointed, overly long jokes that don’t come together in any cohesive way to say much at all about anything.
With production for Cliff Beasts 6 forging on ahead in spite of the ongoing COVID pandemic, former franchise star Carol Cobb (Karen Gillan) is forced to reunite with her old cast-mates after a failed side-project almost derailed her entire career. As the cast and crew hole up in a palatial English estate it appears that old grudges are forgotten as the group – including the film’s stars Lauren Van Chance (Leslie Mann), Dieter Bravo (Pedro Pascal), Sean Knox (Keegan-Michael Key), Dustin Murray (David Duchovny) and director Darren Eigen (Fred Armisen) – party together and look forward to having another hit film on their resumés. When the realities of pandemic-era filmmaking settle in however – frequent PCR tests, sudden isolations, social distancing – the group begin to turn on each other and long for escape from their high-class prison. It is up to the film’s producer Gavin (Peter Serafinowicz) and his team of COVID-protocol staff to ensure that a film gets made and his actor’s survive the process.
Netflix, 2022
The Bubble feels like a drastic departure for Apatow, whose style usually leans towards a mixture of witty, reference-heavy comedy and real-life situations and stakes. Here the absurdity of the whole situation is dialled up to eleven, in a clear attempt at satirising our collective human reactions to the pandemic and the quirks that come with it. There are flashes of relatable, hilarious observations – a montage of whacky responses to invasive PCR tests – but these are few and far between amongst the otherwise long, drawn-out sequences of actors bickering over poor scripts or going to insane lengths to survive their isolations.
One such sequence involves a cast member projectile vomiting on another cast member after vehemently denying being sick. It’s a shocking, viscerally disgusting moment that merits a laugh, but Apatow beats a dead horse by having more and more actors vomit for what feels like an eternity. This over-commitment to the bit happens in each and every big scene, to the point where the film feels more like a series of sketches sewn roughly together than a fully fledged movie with a central narrative. The only through-line here belongs to COVID and besides immediately dating the film as a product of this moment in time, Apatow forgets to write characters that are anything more than hollow caricatures of the spoiled Hollywood actor.
Netflix, 2022
You could argue that Apatow is attempting to poke fun at that stereotypical rich, whiny actor but doesn’t have anything to say other than unfunny, mean-spirited jabs. Without characters that we can sympathise with, an actual story-line or decent jokes, the only thing the audience is left to be is bored; a fact that isn’t helped by Apatow’s usual overstuffed runtime. Still, the entire all-star cast commendably commits to even the silliest bits, making for some laughs in the ridiculousness of seeing Pedro Pascal and David Duchovny pulling off TikTok dances. Newcomer Harry Tevaldwyn deserves mention too; excellent as the film’s quiet but sharp-witted COVID officer, it is a shame he doesn’t have a better overall package to make his debut in.
The Bubble is a total misfire for Apatow, who proves with this film that his strengths lie in the grounded comedy-dramas of Knocked Up and This is 40 rather than this absurdist look at the pandemic. While his intentions are admirable and the concept is rife with comedic potential, the end-result is a painfully bloated and unfunny series of gags that fail to provide any new perspective on the pandemic that hasn’t already been beaten to death in the past two years through twitter jokes and memes. Like the virus itself, this is one pandemic-era product that should be left in the past, sorry to burst your bubble Judd.
Netflix, 2022
The Bubble stars Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, Iris Apatow, Leslie Mann, Fred Armisen, Keegan-Michael Key, Kate McKinnon, Guy Khan, Peter Serafinowicz, Maria Bakalova & David Duchovny – Streaming on Netflix now.
Indie horror darling Ti West returns to his roots with X, another A24 produced horror film with much more under its Texas Chainsaw Massacre-inspired surface than meets the eye. The often glacially slow pacing of West’s earlier work like The House of the Devil remains, testing audiences’ patience at times, but is made up for by the sheer level of craftsmanship on display in every small detail and the clever thematic through-lines West unpacks as things unfold, ultimately making this one horror that you’ll want to revisit time and time again.
The year is 1979. In the rural backwoods of Texas, the free-spirited lifestyles of the “free love” movement have yet to fully take hold, battling against long-held conservative values. This sets the scene for pornographic film producer Wayne’s (Martin Henderson) latest get-rich-quick scheme: an erotic film shot by wannabe art-film director RJ (Owen Campbell) that will make superstars of its actors – Wayne’s girlfriend Maxine (Mia Goth), Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) and Jackson (Kid Cudi) – through its experimental spin on the tried and tested porno flick. When the aged caretakers of the guesthouse Wayne is renting to shoot the film – Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Goth pulling double duty) – discover the group’s intentions, they set out on a crusade to uphold their Christian values at any cost, no matter how much unspeakable violence they must inflict to do it.
A24, 2022
X feels like Ti West at his most fun; taking his time to establish this world, the colourful characters that inhabit it and the inherent hypocrisy in the violence at the film’s core. Snow and Cudi are integral to the film finding its footing; hamming up their porn-star personas in wildly over-the-top fashion that entertains whilst West lays the groundwork for Howard and Pearl’s evil machinations off the back of an exceedingly creepy performance from Mia Goth. The dialogue in these scenes will have A24 die-hards in the audience thrilled as West deftly deconstructs the humble slasher film; with tongue-in-cheek meta commentary aplenty as he draws comparisons between the 70’s hard response to the scuzzy horror films of the time compared to the embracement (in some places) of the porn industry in the mainstream.
If this sounds a little like Texas Chainsaw Massacre crossed with Boogie Nights, that’s because it is. West proudly wears his inspirations on his sleeve, with a set-up that hews closely to Hooper’s classic and a house that looked as if Leatherface himself lives there, but sheds this facade as the story progresses, moving into territory so strange and uncomfortable that it more than earns the title. While some of these developments do cause the film to lose some of its horror steam – with only a few genuinely shocking scares – in favour of an unsettling comedy, it is perhaps more effective in making the audience squirm in their seats than another generic Texas Chainsaw copycat. But the real terror comes in the quiet moments between the violence and the sex: long, uninterrupted sequences that establish an impending dread and slowly let the situation unfold as the audiences become voyeurs into this impending nightmare.
A24, 2022
X is very much Ti West’s love letter to the slasher genre, particularly those scuzzy, brutal classics of the 70’s. Often a homage but never beholden to retelling the same stories of those films, West’s take on the genre goes to exceedingly strange places, never losing sight of the often hilarious characters at its core. While the violence and horror elements may get lost in the shuffle of balancing its core cast with the narratives twists and turns, strong performances from the entire cast and a breakneck final act ensure that X gives it to ya, and then some.
A24, 2022
X stars Mia Goth, Brittany Snow, Martin Henderson, Jenna Ortega, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure & Kid Cudi – In cinemas now.
Hailing from the man who all but perfected the erotic thriller genre with films like Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal and 9½ Weeks, director Adrian Lyne’s return to the genre after 20 years, Deep Water, carries with it some lofty expectations. And while the star power of Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas (not to mention their real-life relationship) helps bring pedigree (and one would assume chemistry) to the project, it does little else for this unromantic, stilted drama that twists and turns in ways that may seem interesting at first but which never fail to unravel into a sloppy, disjointed mess.
Affleck plays all-around weird dude Vic Van Allen – a morally ambiguous retired millionaire thanks to the sale of a computer chip to the military – who plays at being a doting dad to daughter Trixie (Grace Jenkins) while his wife Melinda (Ana de Armas) sets tongues wagging in the neighbourhood, indulging in the company of men who aren’t her husband in a very public way. Vic doesn’t seem to mind too much, however, as he and his wife have an agreement that allows her to flirt with these men as long as she stays within the confines of her marriage. As Melinda’s actions become more and more lewd and neighbours begin to question Vic’s role in the mysterious disappearance of one of her “friends”, Vic’s mask of indifference begins to slip as jealousy rears its ugly head, prompting him down a dark path in order to put an end to his wife’s antics once and for all.
20th Century Studios, 2022
First and foremost, yes, the film would cease to exist if the couple took the obvious course of action and got a divorce. Situations like this are literally what the concept was made for but if that happened then hey, we wouldn’t have a movie. I don’t bring it up to nitpick, but rather to point out that things don’t make sense abound here and the easiest way to enjoy the film is to switch your brain off early. Yes, we’re supposed to believe that Affleck adores his wife as he so frequently reminds her, whilst giving her nothing but filthy looks the entire film. Yes, Vic spends a portion of his riches cultivating snails in a garden shed in his backyard and no one thinks anything of it, except for one smart cookie who wisely realises this as serial killer behaviour. Neither Melinda or Vic seem particularly happy to be in each other’s company and that really is the hardest aspect to ignore. It’s almost impossible to invest in anything either character is doing to spite or save the other if the central relationship is this wooden and uncaring.
The film also seems unsure of who exactly it wants us to side with as our protagonist. We spend the most amount of time with Vic, viewing Melinda’s indiscretions through a lens that seems designed to draw rage from the viewer – grinding away on strangers ten feet away from her husband and shooting him flirtatious looks while she does it – always feeling as if he is teetering on the edge of doing something terrible. When he does, it isn’t a massive relief or shock but just an event that happens. From here there are attempts to shift our view of both Melinda and Vic but they are both such rapid and significant changes to the behaviours we have seen for the last hour that the result is a complete emotional detachment entirely. You can argue both parties are wrong and deserve some sort of retribution, but the film’s real victim is their young child, who gets strangely little development or involvement in the plot, content to be used as little more than window dressing than the central pillar of the relationship that she obviously is. She also exhibits some severely unsettling behaviour for a child that somebody should look into immediately.
20th Century Studios, 2022
Admittedly there is some fun to be had in the tension of Vic stalking Melinda’s lovers, often inviting them to awkward group dinners where Affleck is free to belittle and intimidate them before the inevitable. It’s a performance strangely – and uncomfortably – similar to his Bruce Wayne and while it works to create that tense atmosphere it falls apart in the romantic element at the film’s core. For an erotic thriller, Deep Water feels strangely limp, telling us about the obsession Vic displays while never showing it. There are scenes that attempt to spice things up, sure, but they are always shot in a painfully uninteresting way or feel strangely timed – your child is asleep in the back seat, this is not the time for that Melinda. It all culminates in one of the most unintentionally hilarious final acts that offers no conclusion, raising more questions about character motivations than it answers as we fade to black.
Adrian Lyne has made some fantastic films in his storied career: Deep Water is not one of them. From the jump nothing about it makes a whole lot of sense; as character motivations constantly shift and the very premise strains credibility at every turn. Ben Affleck commits to a performance that is often bad but strangely watchable, alternating between complete psycho and a total schmuck on a dime as Ana de Armas does what she can with a terrible role. As a proof-of-concept for divorce, Deep Water is a textbook example of an extreme case for it, but as an erotic thriller, it feels strangely impotent.
20th Century Studios, 2022
Deep Water stars Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Grace Jenkins, Jacob Elordi, Rachel Blanchard, Tracey Letts, Dash Mihok, Kristen Connolly, Brendan Miller & Lil Real Howery – Streaming on Hulu in the US and on Prime Video in Australia now.
The Adam Project is its name, nostalgia is its game and thanks to the re-teaming Free Guy duo of director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Reynolds, it does it well. A time-traveling adventure reminiscent of 80’s classics like E.T. and Back to the Future, Reynolds latest is at its best when it is tugging on your heartstrings or embracing the comedic patter the Deadpool actor is so well known for, in a way that succeeds far more than many of his recent projects, thanks to the addition of newcomer Walker Scobell. It is when The Adam Project feels the need to tick the Netflix blockbuster boxes that it is let down; with awfully trite villains, forgettable action set-pieces and a story that never gives characters outside of the central pair much time to breathe.
Struggling to return to a sense of normalcy after his father was killed a year ago, 12-year old Adam’s (Walker Scobell) life is thrown into chaos with the arrival of his older self from the year 2050. Injured and desperate to find his missing wife Laura (Zoe Saldana), this older Adam brings with him the threat of Sorian (Catherine Keener), a woefully underwritten big bad who made a fortune off the invention of time-travel, stolen from Adam’s father Louis (Mark Ruffalo). Realising the only way to prevent Laura’s disappearance is to stop the invention of time-travel altogether, the two Adams journey back to 2018, before their father died, in a last-ditch attempt for the trio to save the day and right the wrongs of the future.
Netflix, 2022
On its surface, The Adam Project is the typical big-budget Netflix blockbuster. All the glossy bells and whistles have been thrown onto the screen in the action sequences, drawing from a host of obvious sci-fi action influences, and it all feels for naught. The action has such a clean and polished look to it that you never feel as if the characters are truly in danger, with Ryan Reynolds leaping around like a CGI rag-doll with a lightsaber. I’ve no doubt it may be the most spectacular thing in the world for a child who hasn’t seen the myriad of films these scenes are a hodgepodge of – and for a film so obviously emulating the Amblin movie spirit that’s a great thing – but for everyone else this aspect is easily the film’s weakest. For its part, the time-travel mumbo-jumbo is quickly dismissed as just that, acting to kickstart the adventure before fading away into the background.
After a slew of post-Deadpool Ryan Reynolds films where his rapid-fire wit has almost become a crutch at this point, The Adam Project is a rousing success in revitalising that comedic energy to hilarious effect. This is primarily due to Walker Scobell as the younger Reynolds, who is fantastic in capturing his wise-cracking smartassery in an endearing way. The problem that has frequently befallen many of Reynolds films is that no one is ever a real match in keeping up with his quick wit, so it makes sense that the best person to go toe-to-toe with Adam is… Adam. It’s a charming dynamic that never fails to put a smile on your face every time Scobell’s Adam comes back with an absolute zinger, also working as a kind of deconstruction of Reynolds schtick, turning it on its head and making him look like a fool more than once. It’s refreshing for an actor of his calibre to be so receptive to poking fun at his image, especially when that image essentially launched his leap to superstardom.
Netflix, 2022
Where The Adam Project really succeeds – like Levy’s other Netflix project Stranger Things – is in its ability to evoke nostalgia to such an all-around endearing effect. From the production design of Adam’s childhood home to the music choices and even certain fashion choices, it all feels designed to evoke classic 80’s family and sci-fi films like E.T. and Return of the Jedi. That might seem like a surface-level coat of paint but Levy doesn’t forget to take the best parts of those films and apply it to his own: the heart. For a film that could be seen as a forgettable action romp, The Adam Project packs a surprising amount of depth into it, tackling issues of abandonment, resentment and unresolved father issues. Seeing the Adams and their father reunite makes for some flashy action set-pieces sure, but more importantly allows for some serious deep-diving into how Louis’ death has impacted his son at different points in his life and how the young Adam can directly impact his future. It’s the heavy, emotionally fulfilling stuff hiding under the surface that will surely leave the adults in the room with a tear or two while the young ones are busy having enjoying the fireworks.
The Adam Project both is and isn’t something of a surprise. As a big Netflix action film it hits every note it needs to with little we haven’t seen before, weighed down by a nonsensical story and poor villain. But – looking beyond that – this is a film with a surprising amount of heart, and one that completely revitalises the Ryan Reynolds formula thanks to a great pairing with up-and-comer Walker Scobell. As a wannabe Amblin, 80’s style action comedy, Levy knows exactly which buttons to hit, and while you won’t be yearning to travel back in time to experience this for the first time like some of its influences, The Adam Project is a fun enough throwback.
Netflix, 2022
The Adam Project stars Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, Catherine Keener, Alex Mallari Jr. & Jennifer Garner – Streaming on Netflix now.
You might not be too familiar with the story of Pam and Tommy. Sure, you’ve probably heard at some point about the Baywatch star or her Motley Cruë drummer husband, but – for those not ingratiated in 90’s pop-culture – the tale of their infamous sex-tape and its effect on modern culture might not be as well known. And as a fun retelling of that inherently weird and whacky story, show-runner Robert Siegel and his gang of top-tier directors (Craig Gillespie, Lake Bell, Gwyneth Horder-Payton & Hannah Fidell) deliver in almost every way, capitalising on phenomenal performances from series leads Sebastian Stan and a transformed Lily James. It is only when Pam and Tommy tries to move beyond the fun that it falters; its attempts to go deeper into the psyches of its leads never feeling like they coalesce into anything other than a messy jumble of admittedly well-intentioned ideas.
After a whirlwind romance and impromptu proposal abroad, Tommy Lee (Stan) and Pamela Anderson (James) suddenly find themselves back in the States, newly married and committed to starting a new life together in Tommy’s Californian mansion. When contractor Rand Gauthier (Seth Rogen) is wrongly fired by Tommy – who refuses to pay the man for renovation work he has already completed – he becomes enraged, breaking into the mansion late one night and making off with a safe full of valuables. Perhaps the most valuable of these items is a sex-tape made by the newlyweds on their honeymoon; the possession of which triggers an idea in Rand to release the tape to the world and make back the money owed to him tenfold. As the production of the tape begins to snowball beyond Rand’s control, it drives a wedge into Pamela and Tommy’s burgeoning marriage; with each at a different point in their career and affected by the tape in vastly different ways.
Annapurna Television, 2022
On the surface level, Pam and Tommy operates as a fairly straightforward recounting of the story of the sex tape’s theft and subsequent explosion in popularity, leading to what many believe is the rise of internet pornography. It’s a wise decision considering how unbelievable the story already is, made even more so by the larger than life way these characters operate in the real world. Tommy is the perfect example of this and Sebastian Stan delivers a surprisingly endearing portrayal of someone so deeply flawed as to fire workers after weeks of work and then refuse to pay them a dime. The show posits that there is a decent person buried deep beneath all the crazy antics and Stan is able to draw this out in the quieter moments with Pamela in the tender way he approaches and looks at her. Tommy is also where the show is able to have the most fun, shifting into the utterly fantastical in a hilarious scene where Tommy is given a pep talk by… his penis. It’s a brilliant deconstruction of the way Tommy views himself as the biggest man in every room despite his many flaws and is the rare below-the-surface moment that actually works in adding more to a character.
For the most part, these attempt to go deeper into Pam and Tommy’s psyches fall short. Pamela’s arc in particular is primed to get under the skin of an actress that could have been so much bigger if the circumstances were different, but every time the show delivers a powerful scene for Pam, it is almost always undercut by a decision to pivot away from her entirely. One particularly powerful scene taking place at a traffic intersection is the exception here – James is continuously excellent as the Baywatch star, mimicking everything from her physicality right down to vocal cues flawlessly – but this is a stark contrast against all the meaningless backstory of Anderson’s famous flop Barbarella. You get the sense that despite the excellent performances from James and Stan and all the absolutely amazing prosthetics and make-up work that has gone into transforming them, Siegel doesn’t have total faith in this story being enough to carry the series.
Annapurna Television, 2022
In fact the opening episode barely features the duo at all, honing in on Rogen’s disgruntled worker for almost the entire run-time and cutting back to his moral dilemma far too often throughout the series. For his part Rogen is excellent in conveying Rand’s torn conscience and his interactions with Nick Offerman’s hilariously grimy porn producer are consistently hilarious, but for a show named after its titular pairing, Pam and Tommy seems hard-pressed to create much more out of this narrative at times. The inference that this whole endeavour was the start of the internet pornography boom is an interesting side-story sure, but feels like such a distraction that you begin to think the show has run out of steam long before its end, and like Pam and Tommy’s marriage, is just treading water until it is all over.
Pam and Tommy is a breezy trip through 90’s nostalgia anchored by two incredible performances from Sebastian Stan and Lily James that bring these larger-than-life personalities to the screen in a way we have never seen before. It gets bogged down in the specifics of its story and side-characters a little too often – distracting from the central duo in the process – but its light tone and kinetic pacing make for an always enjoyable, if inconsistent watch. Let this be a lesson to anyone out there thinking of short-changing Seth Rogen.
Annapurna Television, 2022
Pam and Tommy stars Sebastian Stan, Lily James, Seth Rogen, Taylor Schilling, Fred Hechinger, Paul Ben-Victor, Andrew Dice Clay & Nick Offerman – Streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in Australia now.
It seems like only yesterday that Twilight heart-throb turned indie darling Robert Pattinson’s casting as the Caped Crusader broke the internet, inciting Batfleck fans into riots while others rallied around the man. A few years later and we’re finally seeing what all the fuss was about with director Matt Reeve’s gritty, sprawling crime noir: The Batman. And while Pattinson certainly proves the haters wrong with his physically imposing, chill-inducing take on Batman, Reeves’ film struggles under the weight of all the ideas it tries to juggle. Majority of what is here is solid, if not utterly fantastic at times – the stunningly dark visuals of Gotham city, the investigative aspect of the story and Michael Giacchino’s enthralling score – but the epic run-time grinds to a standstill all too often and Paul Dano’s unhinged Riddler performance is wasted on a story that leaves much to be desired in a film that too often prioritises style over substance.
Picking up two years into his crime-fighting campaign as the Batman, we find a tortured and angry Bruce Wayne (Pattinson) relying on fear to quell the rising tide of crime in Gotham City. When a deranged psychopath calling himself the Riddler (Paul Dano) starts picking off important political figures within Gotham, police lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) reaches out to his vigilante ally to help prevent the next murder. As their investigation leads them through Gotham’s criminal underbelly, Bruce finds himself besotted with young thief Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) – herself on a personal revenge mission – and the two team up to determine how mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro) and his right-hand man Oswald Cobblepot (Colin Farrell) fit into this murderous web of deception. As the body count begins to rise, Bruce begins to discover just how important Batman is to the Riddler’s plan for the total destruction of Gotham, setting him on a path from which he cannot escape unchanged.
Warner Bros, 2022
Setting themselves in the same vein as Christopher Nolan’s grounded trilogy of films, Reeves is similarly fascinated with exploring the idea of Batman as a symbol and the impact of that symbol on Gotham. A thrilling opening sequence sets up the idea that this iteration of Batman is one that operates through fear, and in his rampant obsession with being this symbol, Bruce has sacrificed the Wayne legacy and the people around him. Where Nolan’s film’s succeeded in exploring this concept is where Reeves’ largely falls short. Michael Caine’s Alfred and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Rachel were fully realised, emotionally impactful characters that had a very obvious and meaningful impact on Bruce’s life. The torturous choice between the call to justice and the promise of a happy, fulfilling life of normalcy was the driving force of that trilogy. Here we find a Bruce very much committed to his mission and Reeves does a fine job of beating us over the head with this fact, but never fleshes out Andy Serkis’ Alfred (Bruce’s closest companion) in a way that evokes much emotional response from the audience. When he attempts to pull on that thread, it rings hollow; drawing the same cold, detached response from us that this Batman reserves for his enemies.
For their part Zoe Kravitz’ Catwoman and Jeffrey Wright’s Jim Gordon are constantly along for the ride with Bruce, but they rarely coalesce into more than side characters using each other to achieve their own ends. That fits in with the dark, twisted tale of shifting morals and betrayal that Reeves is telling but fails to convey just how their interactions have changed him in any meaningful way. Sure there are the obligatory Batman voiceovers – with Pattinson’s eerily low register working wonders in these moments – but the moral shift isn’t anything that hasn’t been seen before, and is a shockingly small amount of growth in the titular character for a film so massive.
Warner Bros, 2022
This interpretation of the caped crusader falls somewhere in the middle of Christian Bale and Ben Affleck – an angsty, brooding Batman driven by vengeance that is physically imposing without the need for Affleck’s hulking mass of muscle. Pattinson’s Batman is brilliant; you completely buy into the idea of this young man barrelling his way through criminals, stumbling as he learns the ropes. The fight choreography is tight and minimal – a train station fight early on is never topped – and Reeves does a great job of conveying how new Bruce is to all this, never feeling like he makes it out of a fight without taking a beating. It adds tremendous weight to these early bouts, before the third act stumbles into the usual overblown comic-book action finale that unfortunately overshadows these smaller, much more engaging fight sequences.
Where Pattinson’s portrayal falls short is in his decidedly different take on Bruce Wayne; foregoing the traditionally suave billionaire playboy for a moody recluse so deeply entrenched in his mission that he has shut himself off from society. Credit goes to the man for making a choice but it never feels particularly interesting, coming off as brattish and privileged rather than deep. Reeves and co-writer Peter Craig also make a rather strange choice to limit Bruce’s dialogue, barely saying anything that isn’t brushing off people’s attempts to connect or immediately arriving at the answer to one of the Riddler’s supposedly impossible clues. The dichotomy of Bruce Wayne against Batman – arguably one of the franchise’s most defining traits – just isn’t here in the same way as other instalments and that makes the character a lot less engaging. It’s a step backwards for Pattinson, who has carved himself a niche for playing strange, morally ambiguous characters in the years since Twilight. Batman certainly fits into that mould, but here lacks the depth of characters Pattinson has played in films like The Lighthouse and Good Time.
Warner Bros, 2022
A lot has been made of the decision to ground this Batman adventure as a serial-killer chasing detective film. Reeves has cited Zodiac as an influence multiple times and at times the appearance and overall tone certainly manage to capture that unsettling atmosphere, but the constant shift between the Riddler’s killing spree and the tale of mob supremacy make for a tonally jarring, inconsistent film, especially in regards to how Reeves and Craig attempt to stitch it all together. On the detective side of things, Batman too often feels like a passive participant in the investigation; a chess piece moved around key locations to witness important events instead of exercising any actual agency over how things unfold. Sure you could argue that this is all part of the Riddler’s grand scheme but for the supposed “World’s Greatest Detective” he doesn’t do an awful lot of detecting, getting by with a lot of help from the police. The mob-focused story is where Reeves is able to have the most fun, leaning into Batman’s cheesy comic-inspired history with an absolutely riveting car-chase scene, but there is such a constant battle between the two types of story that it never truly coalesces. The third hour is the result: a messy attempt to unite all these threads that culminates in a boring, lifeless battle against goons – the usual modern comic-book finale – that betrays the film’s previously grounded approach to this story.
Where The Batman truly excels above all other films in the series is in its portrayal of Gotham City. From the dreary, rain-soaked streets to the grimy underground, criminal-populated drug dens, Gotham truly feels like the scummy hive of crime and chaos that every Batman film has tried to present, and a living, breathing character in its own right. The production design is truly awe-inspiring; a fusion of New York and Nolan’s Chicago-filmed streets combined with a gothic architecture that brilliantly illustrates the city’s struggle between its crime-filled past and the promise of a brighter future. What makes it truly special is just how brilliantly the production design coalesces with the thematics of Batman’s journey; ruthless criminal gangs stalk the streets, trash is piled high on street corners and even Batman himself claims that he is only one man – and must systemically change the city from the ground up in order to affect real change. Let’s not forget Michael Giacchino’s fantastic score. Fearsome and delicate at once, it is truly impressive how much power he is able to extract from four notes, crafting a theme (alongside an amazing overall score) that will stand the test of time as one of Batman’s most iconic.
Warner Bros, 2022
The Batman isn’t the defining cinematic Batman story that it could have been – that honour still firmly belongs to Nolan’s trilogy – but it does show promise of an intriguingly dark new take that has potential to expand into (hopefully) weirder territory. In trying to tell such an epic, defining story, Reeves ends up with two warring tales of a deranged serial killer and shadowy mob betrayals that culminate in a disappointingly clichéd final act. Still, Robert Pattinson proves himself as the worthy follow-up to Christian Bale (sorry Batfleck fans) and when the story does manage to align with its excellent production design and score it is truly something special. Reeves’ first step into the world of Gotham might not be the definitive Batman film but it is a damn good one when it wants to be.
Warner Bros, 2022
The Batman stars Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, Jayme Lawson & Colin Farrell – In cinemas now.
An adaptation of Sony’s über popular Uncharted video-game franchise has been in the works since 2008. Since then we’ve had 4 main instalments, several spin-offs and a decade for original Nathan Drake actor Mark Wahlberg to completely age out of the role and step into the shoes of Drake’s mentor Sully. That’s a lot of pressure to throw on a film and expectations were understandably low as the film limped towards release after even more COVID-induced delays. I’m happy to report that Uncharted is a surprisingly fun, boisterous adventure that more often than not does right by its source material. Shoddy writing and some comically underwritten characters may dampen the experience, and it is hard to ignore the film’s obvious borrowings from other (better) action franchises, but if you can put those negatives out of your mind then you’ll likely wind up having a lot of fun with Drake and Sully.
Having been separated from his brother Sam (Rudy Pankow) as a child, Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) lives in his shadow, getting by as a bartender and pickpocket and yearning for the day his brother will finally reappear. When an apparent friend of Sam’s, Victor Sully (Wahlberg), offers Drake the chance to reunite with his brother if he helps him locate the fabled treasure of Ferdinand Magellan – a childhood dream of Sam and Nathan’s – Drake jumps at the chance, signing up for a mission to steal a relic believed to hold the secret to the location of the treasure. The pair soon learn, however, that they are not the only ones after Magellan’s treasure, with the ruthless and wealthy Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas) and former friend of Sully’s Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali) hot on their heels.
Columbia Pictures, 2022
The success of the Uncharted games came from their clever reworking of the tropes of adventure classics like Indiana Jones into globe-trotting epics that allowed the player to step into the hero’s shoes and control the outcome. By turning the series back to a cinematic medium, you inevitably lose that interactivity, leaving what amounts to a hodgepodge of different action films from Indy to National Treasure and Pirates of the Caribbean. That might sound unoriginal – and it is – but the combination is surprisingly effective. It isn’t often that we get a modern treasure hunting blockbuster and despite some clichéd over-the-top set-pieces (others are genuinely brilliant), Uncharted scratches that itch, doing none of those franchises better than them but together forming something strangely unique and enjoyable in its simplicity – just turn your brain off and enjoy.
A lot of the enjoyment from the film admittedly stems from Tom Holland. Coming off the back of Spider-Man: No Way Home – one of the biggest films in history – it is no surprise that Holland can carry a film of this scale with ease, portraying a slightly less intelligent but no less cocky and charming version of Drake than his video-game counterpart. It’s impossible to form the same kind of connection to Holland’s character from one film as opposed to spending 20 plus hours in a game with the character but the clever tweaks to the film’s story – borrowing pieces from different games rather than a straight adaptation of any one in particular – and seeing the beginnings of the bickering banter between Drake and Sully form sets the film apart from the games and carves out a niche for this interpretation of Nathan Drake.
Columbia Pictures, 2022
For his part Mark Wahlberg is simply himself, bringing none of the mannerisms of the Sully from the games and relying on his usual endearingly combative schtick that was so successful in films like The Other Guys and Daddy’s Home. The chemistry with Holland is there at times, particularly when the duo first meet, but there is certainly room for improvement in the inevitable sequel in so far as defining the relationship between the pair. Antonio Banderas is woefully underused as a villain, rattling off his vaguely menacing lines in a vaguely menacing voice in the few scenes he is given, while Sophia Ali’s constantly shifting accent is a painful distraction from her constantly shifting allegiances as mistrusting fellow treasure hunter Chloe.
Uncharted isn’t the saving grace for video-game adaptations nor is it the new pinnacle of the action-adventure genre but it is effective in its judicial borrowing from all of the best action-adventure films, forming something familiar but always entertaining. Holland is surprisingly great as Nathan Drake, making the role his own rather than moulding himself to fit the character from the games and brings his usual charisma and physicality to every scene. The rest of the cast might not be able to keep up with him and the action becomes big blockbuster noise at times but, considering what could have been, there’s a lot more treasure in Uncharted than the map to it would have you believe.
Columbia Pictures, 2022
Uncharted stars Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg, Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, Steven Waddington, Rudy Pankow, Tiernan Jones & Antonio Banderas – In cinemas now.
No sequel since 1974 – with the exception of the 2003 remake – has quite managed to evoke that same visceral feeling of total discomfort and unsettling grossness as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The latest attempt at recapturing the magic hails from Netflix and part of the creative team behind the excellent Evil Dead remake. Sounds promising? Not so. The 2022 reincarnation of Texas Chainsaw is another hollow sequel – this time following in the same legacy-sequel vein of 2018’s Halloween – filled with half-baked social commentary, godawful characters and only the faintest hint of an actual story. Some inventive kills and unintentionally hilarious moments provide something to latch onto, but by and large this is yet another carnage-filled swing and a miss.
When a group of friends – Dante (Jacob Latimore), girlfriend Ruth (Nell Hudson), creative partner Melody (Sarah Yarkin) and her sister Lila (Elsie Fisher) – move to the rural Texan town of Harlow in hopes of creating a gentrified, hipster-filled neighbourhood, they find themselves in trouble when their presence disturbs local orphanage owner Ginny (Alice Krige), causing a heart attack. With a busload of potential investors due in town at any moment, the group scramble to contain the situation and make the town presentable, with one small hitch: the hulking presence of Ginny’s adopted son, colloquially known as Leatherface (Mark Burnham). When news of Leatherface’s return is heard by ranger Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré) – sole survivor of the original 1974 massacre – she heads straight into the belly of the beast for a showdown almost 50 years in the making.
Netflix, 2022
It’s not a surprise that Texas Chainsaw Massacre is this bad. None of the recent sequels (2003 remake withstanding) have been the least bit successful in balancing an emotionally impactful story with the gore fans expect. But here’s the thing: Texas Chainsaw films don’t need an emotionally impactful story. The original masterpiece was never built around the complex relationships between its five innocent college student victims or the intricacies of Leatherface’s psyche. This was a crazy family terrorising a group of kids for the sheer deranged pleasure of it. By loading this latest film with such annoying characters – constant mouth-pieces spouting weak social commentary – it fails to build even the slightest connection with the audience, wasting a huge chunk of the runtime in the process. We’re talking about gun-control, gentrification and millennial cancel-culture and all of it completely falls by the wayside once characters come face to face with a roaring chainsaw.
Lila’s entire character revolves around her survivor mentality, having lived through a traumatic school-shooting, with several scenes highlighting her aversion to guns and the wounds she carries as a result of this tragedy. Just when you start to think we might have something of a rounded character on our hands she picks up an assault rifle without hesitation and unloads it into Leatherface. Now that might be a logical reaction to seeing multiple people dismembered before your eyes but why waste the time setting this character up in the way she is if it is never paid off. Similarly the cancel-culture references seem to be in there solely for a few very cheap jokes that completely fall flat. Who is all this for? Certainly not fans who want to see chainsaw goodness.
Netflix, 2022
Once the killing starts the film’s pacing evens out but none of these scenes are particularly noteworthy for the franchise apart from the absolute hilarity of seeing Leatherface launch himself out of water like a scene from Free Willy or hurl a hammer at someone so hard they fly away like a football through the posts. The man is pushing 70 at this point and we’re expected to believe he can carve up a busload of people without dislocating a hip? Give me a break. A few inspired shots – a corn-field surprise is a terrifying and iconic image – and some decent jump scares help things out but can’t do much to alleviate the disappointment at Sally’s return. In what is clearly a pale imitation of Laurie Strode’s return in Halloween, Sally has a bone to pick with Leatherface, but if you haven’t seen the original film prepare to be confused.
We know that Sally has beef with Leatherface from one half-assed scene of her stroking a photograph of her friends and loading a shotgun as she listens to a police scanner. Cut to five minutes before the film ends when she finally arrives without so much as an introduction – even the characters in the movie are confused as to why she is even here – and that’s about it for our “legacy heroine”. It’s completely baffling as to why the filmmakers even bothered to include the character if they had this little use for her, playing a card that could have been far better utilised as the focus of a character-study deconstructing the trauma’s effect on her life. Sally joins a growing list of this franchise’s paper-thin characters; hell, even the guy who threatens to cancel Leatherface has more firepower up his sleeve.
Netflix, 2022
If you like mindless, gory horror films without much substance then Texas Chainsaw Massacre might be for you, just be prepared to endure some painfully trite social commentary on the way to it. If you’re coming to this looking for that elusive sequel worthy of Tobe Hooper’s original then look elsewhere, say to (you guessed it) the 2003 remake? It might finally be time for Leatherface to put down his trusty chainsaw, haven’t we all suffered enough?
Netflix, 2022
Texas Chainsaw Massacre stars Elsie Fisher, Sarah Yarkin, Jacob Latimore, Mark Burnham, Moe Dunford, Nell Hudson, Jessica Allain & Olwen Fouéré – Streaming on Netflix now.
For a while there it seemed as if Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie adaptation Death on the Nile, the follow-up to 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, had died before Hercule Poirot could solve the case, with long COVID-induced delays and the much-discussed Armie Hammer incident clouding any chance of the film’s release. Years later the film has finally hit screens and was worth the wait. Branagh’s second attempt at bringing Christie’s work to the big screen oozes confidence, deftly handling a bigger budget and location to thrilling effect; a worthy adaptation that will find even the most seasoned Christie fans completely enraptured with this timeless case of murder.
On an idyllic vacation through Egypt following his successful cracking of the Orient Express case, detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) finds himself once again embroiled in the problems of the wealthy after running into old friend Bouc (Tom Bateman) and becoming swept up in the wedding party of heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot) and her new husband Simon Doyle (Hammer). All seems well as the couple decide to take their wedding party on a cruise down the Nile in an attempt to avoid Simon’s deranged ex Jacqueline (Emma Mackey) but soon enough things descend into anarchy when a body is found, leaving Poirot to use his expert detective skills to solve the case before the killer amongst them can strike again.
20th Century Studios, 2022
Branagh’s first outing as Poirot was a surprisingly humorous and charming effort, and having established the character and all his unusual quirks Branagh now feels comfortable deconstructing the mythical detective. There’s some serious emotional weight given to his backstory – as well as a bittersweet little origin story for his infamous moustache – that further compounds the baggage Poirot carries with him, hiding under the idiosyncrasies and pomposity as the self-proclaimed “world’s greatest detective” (suck it Batman). That makes the moments when characterss like Letitia Wright’s prickly Rosalie challenge Poirot all the more intriguing, hitting nerves that force Poirot to re-evaluate his actions and how he views himself in order to crack the case.
In fact Branagh does such a good job here establishing the character that it frankly serves as a better introduction than Orient Express, honing in on Poirot and taking the time to have him go toe to toe against a range of personalities and experiences where the the previous film rushed you through its many twists and turns. Even that film’s big moral-compass challenging conclusion would be better served if Nile had come before, re-contextualizing the impact of that big twist after following Poirot through all this emotional growth.
20th Century Studios, 2022
With all that growth comes a more methodical pacing, which some may find too slow compared to its predecessor. Nevertheless it does feel as if Poirot is taking his time to drink in these people, sizing them up as intellectual opponents even before any foul-play arises. Branagh gives you enough time to spend with each key player – Russel Brand’s jilted former lover of Linnet, Rose Leslie’s jealous maid and Sophie Okonedo’s blues singer amongst them – establishing each as a viable murderer and keeping you guessing through a series of clever red-herrings and deliberate staging to ensure no one is ever completely in the clear. All the big name stars are clearly relishing their chance to ham it up as these distinctive, volatile personalities floating down the Nile – butting heads about financial status and legal troubles – in a way that feels far more natural than the unreasonably and instantly hostile interactions between passengers on the Orient Express.
Death on the Nile is a giant leap forward for Branagh’s interpretation of Agatha Christie’s famously moustachioed detective; a better paced, better acted murder mystery that keeps you guessing and smiling on the way to its riveting, surprisingly emotional conclusion. Branagh is Poirot through and through at this point and isn’t afraid to poke holes in his otherwise infallible image, making for some insightful developments that push beyond the usual trappings of the genre. With an unfortunately low opening weekend at the box office, here’s hoping there are more deaths for Poirot to investigate going forward rather than this being the death of the franchise.
20th Century Studios, 2022
Death on the Nile stars Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Annette Bening, Tom Bateman, Letitia Wright, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Susannah Fielding, Ali Fazal & Russell Brand – In cinemas now.
It’s never easy for anyone to navigate the complex emotional spectrum following any traumatic incident, much less a child. That’s the crux of The Fallout, Megan Park’s stunning directorial debut that tenderly handles one teenage girl’s struggle to continue navigating the goings-on of ordinary life after surviving a devastatingly life-altering school-shooting. Built on a rich, deeply affecting performance from Jenna Ortega, this is in turns one of the most uplifting and poignant filmic examinations of grief in some time; made all the more gut-wrenching by its inciting event’s relevance in today’s world.
Vada (Ortega) is your average American high-schooler who spends her time hanging out with friend Nick (Will Ropp), watching endless streams of YouTube videos and bickering with sister Amelia (Lumi Pollack) – until what should be a normal day at school becomes a life changing event following a devastating school shooting. Extremely shaken, Vada finds comfort in a friendship with the previously impenetrably cool Mia Reed (Maddie Ziegler), after huddling together for survival in the bathroom while the shooting unfolded. It’s clear that the girls are both unsure of how to proceed with life as usual and take comfort in navigating this uncharted territory together, experimenting with drugs, alcohol and sex in an attempt to distract themselves from the crushing fear they feel and perhaps move beyond the event.
Warner Bros. Pictures, 2021
Where other films like last year’s emotional wreck-fest Mass tackled the subject of school shootings through a more mature, parental lens, The Fallout is unique in that it places the focus squarely on the children and the survivor’s guilt experienced by those lucky enough to make it through such a traumatic event. Park doesn’t rely on length monologues or big speeches to convey the complex emotions and horrifying realities, favouring a clear visual language like Vada filling a box with funeral programs over time – a powerful image that says far more than dialogue could convey.
The film is also unique in the messaging it presents in regards to these tragedies. Vada drifts through life – never truly present unless with Mia, Nick immediately jumps into protesting for systemic change, Mia turns to alcohol to see her through the darker moments, Amelia pretends nothing has happened in an attempt to pick up with her sister where they left off, and even Vada’s parents seem unsure how to handle themselves around their daughter. Park posits that there is in fact no right way to deal with this experience; all these reactions are unique and completely valid responses that allow the individual to disconnect from the fear and trauma they feel. Vada’s approach may isolate her from her friendship with Nick, but rather than Park shifting Nick to an antagonistic role, we understand that his response simply differs from Vada and that neither is more right or wrong than the other.
Warner Bros. Pictures, 2021
Jenna Ortega continues to prove herself as one of the best upcoming actresses of her generation, with a captivating performance that completely embroils you into Vada’s emotional journey. It is soul-crushing to see this confident, care-free young girl’s world turned completely upside down; becoming a shell of her former self as she searches for understanding and space to process her emotions, but equally as heart-warming to witness the small moments of joy creep back into her life through the tiniest smile on her face. Even in the moments where you may not like or agree with Vada’s actions, Ortega always sells it as a completely natural and reasonable response to the situation that has befallen her. It is impossible for us to know exactly what she is feeling short of going through the event ourselves and Ortega brilliant performance portrays the closest possible approximation; with one overwhelmingly powerful facial expression in the final scene delivering a powerful message alongside the terrible realisation that all this hard work and growth could be reversed in an instant.
The Fallout isn’t always an easy watch, but it is a deeply moving and captivating look at one girl’s journey through a situation that should never happen to anyone. Jenna Ortega gives one of the best performances of the year as the grief-stricken Vada struggling to understand her emotions and Megan Park complements it with smart, empathetic writing that never seeks to explain how Vada should feel or suggest she should have gotten over it. Everyone’s experience with trauma is different and The Fallout is one of the most understanding, investing pieces of art to tackle the subject in some time.
Warner Bros. Pictures, 2021
The Fallout stars Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Lumi Pollack, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp, John Ortiz, Julie Bowen & Shailene Woodley – Streaming on HBO Max in the US and Binge in Australia now.
