film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Author: Matt Conway

  • Paranormal Activity Next Of Kin: The BRWC Review

    Paranormal Activity Next Of Kin: The BRWC Review

    Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin Synopsis: Margot (Emily Bader), a documentary filmmaker, heads to a secluded Amish community in the hopes of learning about her long-lost mother and extended family. Following a string of strange occurrences and discoveries, she comes to realize this community may not be what it seems.

    It’s odd to think of Paranormal Activity as an antiquated fad, yet 2009 original feels like a distant memory in horror zeitgeist. The word-of-mouth phenom spawned a traditioned Halloween franchise while revitalizing found footage’s imperfect intimacy to the mainstream consciousness (the guerilla-style was a fixture in the early 2010s before vanishing from the Hollywood scene). 

    With several horror favorites receiving a modern paint job, it’s only fit for the found-footage franchise to return from its six-year dormancy. Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin admirably attempts to reinvigorate the genre’s once-beloved trappings. I give Next of Kin credit for ranking above some of its tired predecessors, but the played-out formula rarely elicits life into this scare-free affair. 

    Next of Kin certainly isn’t without good intentions. Director William Eubanks (of the supremely underrated Underwater) certainly understands the time-honored rhythms of horror fright fests. His methodical escalation of unnerving jumps builds to a fittingly unhinged finale – a section where Eubanks empties a bucket of creative wrinkles to enhance the demonic mania. 

    I have to say; it’s a pleasure to see the found-footage films make a return. The subgenre’s critics weighed too harshly on the middling misses (The Gallows) rather than the inventive hits that cleverly utilized the technique (Hardcore Henry, Unfriend: The Dark Web, and indie darling Rec are all enhanced by their harsh realism streak). When Eubanks can conjure the subgenre’s messy thrills, the film serves as a spirited attempt to recontextualize the franchise’s binary code. 

    That said, I don’t think Next of Kin fires on all cylinders. Eubanks and Cinematographer Pedro Luque imbue a clean, HD sharpness with their handheld visuals. The new choice adds a cinematic touch that doesn’t mix well with found footage’s Cinéma vérité reality. Several shots here feel too pristine in their execution, while other frames stumble into the “what cameraman is shooting this” mishap that’s plagued other found-footage offerings. Aside from a spirited third act, the style of this more-conventional reboot feels rather lifeless. 

    It’s not like these films were ever a benchmark in storytelling. Screenwriter Christopher Landon leans into the ominous dread behind the religious cult trying to ingratiate Margot. While some horror films have effectively unnerved through their eccentric subjects (Midsommar comes to mind), this film makes little impact on a narrative front. Margot’s journey into her long-forgotten past is a road riddled with uninteresting cliches, with most audiences likely predicting the unceremonious twist from a mile away. A mix of stagnant dialogue and ineffective performances only highlights the narrative shortcomings further as the narrative leaves little to engage.  

    I appreciate Next of Kin’s remodeled approach, but this sixth entry doesn’t bring much life to the stagnating franchise. 

    Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is now available as a Paramount+ exclusive. 

  • Ron’s Gone Wrong: The BRWC Review

    Ron’s Gone Wrong: The BRWC Review

    Ron’s Gone Wrong Synopsis: The story of Barney, an awkward middle-schooler, and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally connected device. Ron’s malfunctions set against the backdrop of the social media age launch them on a journey to learn about true friendship.

    Unceremoniously hitting theaters as another disregarded byproduct of the Disney-Fox merger, Ron’s Gone Wrong serves as the latest kid-centric effort to tackle the ever-expanding world of social media. Directors Sarah Smith and Jean-Philippe Vine spearhead the first creation from Locksmith Animation – a studio that has already endured tumultuous transformation before their debut feature (Smith has already left Locksmith, while their animation deal has shifted from Fox to Warner Brothers). 

    All of the post-production disarray feels completely absent from Ron’s spirited final product. While it won’t rival the storied pantheon of other animated giants, Ron’s Gone Wrong balances breezy entertainment and timely themes with enough affectionate warmth. 

    Ron’s Gone Wrong may not be the first feature to deconstruct social media’s vast grasp for younger viewers (The Mitchells vs. The Machines approached similar subject matter) – but Smith and Peter Baynham’s screenplay discovers its own articulate lane. Don’t let the film’s bouncy slapstick energy deceive you. The tandem uses its friendly chromatic units to ruminate on social media’s nefarious, business-centric practices. Smith and Baynham also mine plenty of satirical barbs while still effectively educating younger viewers about the need for media literacy. Cyberbullying, quantifying friendship through follower counts, and obsessive tech use weaves into the narrative framework with enough genuine goodwill. 

    While treading familiar ground (a oddball buddy friendship is nothing new to family films), this energized feature discovers a charming frequency for audiences to log into. Jack Dylan Grazer and Zach Galifianakis’s easy-going comedic zip make for a winning pair as the loner teen Barney and his glitched AI Ron. The duo’s affectionate rapport and evolving friendship surpass conventions through surprisingly deft character-driven beats. I appreciate that Ron doesn’t embrace the zany relentlessness of similarly busy family offerings, with the film’s gentle pace steadily building toward a well-earned, feel-good conclusion.

    For a feature that’s rarely unpleasant, Ron’s Gone Wrong oddly doesn’t linger long after the credits. The heaping of familiar mechanics hurt Barney’s coming-of-age milieu from generating much dramatic gravity. His predictable highs and lows come and go without developing a character that surpasses generic protagonist pleasantness. Ron’s offbeat presence conjures a similar case of deja vu, while the animation’s colorful pop lags behind the immersive detail of its big-budgeted peers. It’s also bizarre to see Disney continue to tinker in post-production with these Fox-acquired features. Similar to Free Guy, awkward brand tie-ins only work to distract from the film’s creative energy.

    Aside from occasional lags, Ron’s Gone Wrong finds plenty of Saturday matinee fun from its earnest affability. I hope this is the start of a promising run for Locksmith Animations.

    Ron’s Gone Wrong is now playing in theaters.

  • The Last Duel: Another Review

    The Last Duel: Another Review

    The Last Duel Synopsis: Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) is a respected knight known for his bravery and skill on the battlefield. Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) is a squire whose intelligence and eloquence make him one of the most admired nobles in the court. When Le Gris viciously assaults Carrouges’ wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer), she steps forward to accuse her attacker, an act of bravery and defiance that puts her life in jeopardy. The ensuing trial by combat, a grueling duel to the death, places the fate of all three in God’s hands. 

    At 83 years young, Ridley Scott’s distinct oeuvre of grandiose, old-fashioned epics continues with The Last Duel. Scott will forever be a mainstay in blockbuster filmmaking, but his recent ancient adventures have struggled to recapture the success of his Best Picture-winning hit Gladiator. Both Robin Hood and Exodus: Gods and Kings presented the same immersive scale without developing a substantive core to invest in. 

    With Last Duel, Scott and screenwriters Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Nicole Holofcener utilize the harsh medieval backdrop as a meaningful way to address the culture of abuse behind the modern #MeToo Movement. While a timely concept, The Last Duel’s disjointed and simplistic execution renders into a laborsome detour into the era’s problematic culture. 

    Whether it’s a hit or a miss, Ridley Scott’s trademark sensibilities are always a welcomed sight. The craftsman – alongside Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski – skillfully inhabits the dreary dredges of 1300 France. From the rustically assembled fiefdoms to the blood-soaked battlefields, the duo’s withdrawn color scheme and steady framing choices set a fittingly dreary atmosphere defined by underlying injustices. When the action takes place, it sledgehammers viewers with a blunt beatdown of brutality to further cement the setting’s dog-eat-dog reality. It’s also just a delight to see a tandem indulge in the scale of medieval epics again – with the subgenre vanishing over the years in the favoring of eye-popping actioners. 

    Performance-wise, The Last Duel showcases a star-studded ensemble. Matt Damon imbues Jean’s fragile ego and unhinged rage with dramatic grace, while Adam Driver personifies Jacques’ twisted perspective through his mannered techniques. The standout of the bunch is easily Jodie Comer – who continues her recent breakout as Jean’s wronged wife, Marguerite. In a world dominated by male hubris and sexist practices, Comer radiates with poignant strength and emotional vulnerability as a woman trying to maneuver a damaging hierarchy. Ben Affleck also offers some surprising levity as a power-drunk cousin of the throne. 

    The Last Duel’s premise approaches a tricky line between exploitation and dramatic potency. While a three-writer approach is a noble way to convey the story’s varied perspectives, the script eventually becomes the film’s fatal flaw. A three-act structure attempts to analyze the perspectives behind each of the central players – with Damon and Affleck collaborating on Jean and Jacques’s perspectives while Holofcener constructed Marguerite’s arc. In execution, the conceptual design reduces the concept’s fruitful insights into didactic handholding. 

    Most viewers can spotlight the ways that 1300 France resembles our own broken culture, often praising male hubris and recklessness while admonishing the unfortunate souls left in the wreckage of their actions. Despite a few intriguing thematic wrinkles – particularly Jean’s war-driven lust for honor as he continually underserves Marguerite’s perspective – the three-act structure only spells out the obvious. Several scenes are redundantly re-done throughout the movie to introduce minor changes, with this choice tactlessly shouting at the audience with every minor development. 

    The constant spoon-feeding creates a laborsome, 152-minute experience to endure – reducing the meaningful textures of this period into rah-rah posturing. History has already given enough credence to Jean and Jacques, so why spend a majority of the first two hours running through the gamut of the duo’s warped perspective? Ironically enough, The Last Duel ultimately marginalizes Marguerite’s viewpoint the same way her pig-headed contemporaries did. 

    The Last Duel certainly possesses the bones of an assured epic. I would love to see what a skilled editor could pull from gluing its wonky structure together (it wouldn’t be the first time that happened to a Ridley Scott film). As it stands now, Duel serves as a misguided medieval epic that plods along without having much to say. 

    The Last Duel is now playing in theaters nationwide. 

  • Halloween Kills: The BRWC Review

    Halloween Kills: The BRWC Review

    Halloween Kills Synopsis: The nightmare isn’t over as unstoppable killer Michael Myers escapes from Laurie Strode’s trap to continue his ritual bloodbath. Injured and taken to the hospital, Laurie fights through the pain as she inspires residents of Haddonfield, Ill., to rise against Myers. Taking matters into their own hands, the Strode women and other survivors form a vigilante mob to hunt down Michael and end his reign of terror once and for all.

    Michael Myer’s ominous presence has haunted generations of horror audiences with the Halloween series. From John Carpenter’s innovative debut film to Rob Zombie’s experimental verve in the 2007 reboot – the character’s daunting figure seamlessly translates between different stylistic approaches. The 2018 reboot contributed two unique voices to the franchise, with comedic stalwarts Danny McBride and David Gordon Green conjuring the slasher’s frightful presence through a more character-driven approach. 

    The results, while somewhat timid compared to its bloodsoaked predecessors, skillfully revitalized the Halloween brand for modern audiences. After a monstrous box office run, Gordon Green and McBride have returned with Halloween Kills. Their second horror feature soaks in the slasher genre’s campy allure while struggling to find its dramatic voice.

    Kills has been killed by critics for serving diminishing results. While there are certainly stumbles, Gordon Green’s shameless homage to 80’s slashers feels more assured in its murderous pursuits. A foggy flashback tinted with grainy aesthetics sets the tone for a film that refreshingly leans into the genre’s strengths. The director and Cinematographer Michael Simmonds up the ante with bone-crushing murders and queasy bursts of bloodshed, finding ways to unnerve audiences in ways the 2018 original could never quite pull off. It’s all tied together brilliantly through John Carpenter’s hypnotic synth score. The horror mastermind knows just the right notes to accent each ominous encounter. 

    Similar to its predecessor, Kills tries to provide a semblance of dramatic agency. The film finds Laurie Strode’s internal grief manifesting Haddonfield once news of Myers’ return reaches the public. The concept lands with mixed results, but there are enough elements that connect. Green and McBride’s writing intentionally bathes in the camp of its mob mentality madness with endearingly cheesy results (characters chant in unison to take back the city). Emotionally-charged performances from Jamie Lee Curtis, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judy Green also imbue much-needed agency into their fear-ridden roles. 

    Kills may have worked for me as a self-assured slasher, but even I can acknowledge where the film trails its predecessor. The 2018 original presented a straightforward yet effective descent into Laurie’s lingering PTSD from her near-death experience with Myers. This sequel tries to expand its scope to Myers’ haunting effect on the town, although the script’s over-delivered corniness doesn’t highlight the concept with much interest. As a whole, the narrative lacks the focused structure and sincere character beats that elevated its predecessor past the franchise’s lesser entries. 

    While this sequel struggles to build upon the franchise’s sturdy dramatic foundation, Halloween Kills unearths enough sinister surprises to please genre fans. It will be fascinating to see how Gordon Green and McBride continue to carry the torch with the franchise’s next entry.

    Halloween Kills is now playing in theaters and on Peacock Premium.

  • Lamb: The BRWC Review

    Lamb: The BRWC Review

    Lamb Synopsis: In rural Iceland, a childless couple (Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snær Guðnason) discovers a strange and unnatural newborn in their sheep barn. They decide to raise her as their own, but sinister forces are determined to return the creature to the wilderness that birthed her.

    While Blumhouse and The Conjuring Universe dominate the horror sphere, A24 has quietly carved out its own artistic niche in the subgenre. Unsettling offerings such as The Lighthouse, It Comes At Night, and Midsommar skillfully match their distinctive frights with resonant meditations on the human condition. The studio’s illustrious resume and timely marketing have successfully escalated boundary-pushing scare-fests into commonplace fixtures in mainstream theaters (most of A24’s highest-grossing films are in horror). 

    A24 looks to continue their win streak with Valdimar Jóhannsson’s writing/directorial debut Lamb. As a longtime special-effects technician (he’s credited working on 2021’s The Tomorrow War), Jóhannsson showcases the moody atmosphere and precise imagery of a skilled auteur. His film may look the part, but Lamb’s plodding and thematically vacant execution leaves little to grasp onto. 

    Even with Lamb not operating on all cylinders, Jóhannsson has conjured an inspiring concept to watch unwind. The writer/director works at his best when leaning into the abstract bizarreness of his premise, with the aging lamb presenting an ominous backdrop for the film’s wandering pace to unravel. Jóhannsson’s fittingly dreary imagery and steady framing further escalate the unease – setting up a promising canvas for ruminations on parenthood, humanity vs. nature, and the foreboding ways emotional detachment unravels. 

    I would go deeper into the film’s promising ideas, but merely listing them is about as far as Lamb delves into its themes. Jóhannsson’s script mistakes laborsome dialogue exchanges and moody shots for a substantive purpose. Meandering movies are right up my alley, especially when there is a semblance of thematic identity behind them. In the case of Lamb, Jóhannsson crafts a precise film in terms of craft yet totally listless in its pursuit of meaningful subtext. 

    Without meaningful textures, Lamb struggles to spin its surrealism into an engaging experience. Stars Noomi Rapace and Hilmir Snaer Gudnason do their best to imbue gravity into their roles as an emotionally distant couple diverging down different pathways. Despite the performances, Jóhannsson’s script fails to give these characters agency. The duo maintains a somber complexion that doesn’t represent much past abject misery – resting too much narrative weight on atmosphere and surrealist shock without genuine followthrough. I struggle to even find a genre distinction for the film, as its lack of scares and thoughtful insights leave Jóhannsson’s film in an awkward no-man land. 

    Lamb is admirable in its inventive concept and noble pretenses, but Jóhannsson’s feature meanders through its premise without developing genuine weight. Still, I would always prefer to watch a well-intended hit-or-miss than most of the blah sludge coming out of mainstream theaters. 

    Lamb is now playing in select theaters