film reviews, interviews, features | BRWC

Category: REVIEWS

Here is where you would find our film reviews on BRWC.  We look at on trailers, shorts, indies and mainstream.  We love movies!

  • The Sunlit Night: Another Review

    The Sunlit Night: Another Review

    The Sunlit Night: Another Review – Frances (Jenny Slate) is an artist, her sister, Gaby (Elise Kibler) is getting married and coincidentally her parents are separating. Jenny feels stuck in a rut as her family all seem to have significant changes in their lives and she has nothing.

    Then an opportunity comes her way to move to Norway to be an apprentice to a renowned artist called Nils (Fridtjov Såheim) who’s at a low ebb of his career. However, when Frances gets there, she realises that life in a foreign country that seems so idyllic and peaceful may be far more challenging than she originally thought.

    The Sunlit Night is a gentle indie comedy drama directed by David Wnendt and written by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight from her original novel. This is the kind of movie that feels like a warm bath, a nice glass of wine and a well-rested sleep.

    There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of those, but for anybody that may want something with a bit more substance then they may want to look elsewhere. Sunlit Night is a view of a far-away land through the lens of rose-tinted glasses, perhaps even a love letter to a place that’s so different from the chaotic New York lifestyle.

    Characters such as Haldor (Zach Galifianakis) the American Viking and Olyana (Gillian Anderson) do nothing to add to the plot with the latter’s attempt at a Scandinavian accent sticking out like a sore thumb. However, The Sunlit Night is pleasant enough to watch and will pass the time even though it feels like some sequences have been shortened to further the plot.

    The Sunlit Night may be perfect for this time of year as well as you can just watch it without having to pay too much attention to it as you’ll most likely know what’s going to happen.

    Whilst that may sound like damning with feint praise, The Sunlit Night has just as much of a right to exist as anything else and if it’s aiming to be a movie that fits a certain mood then it succeeds. Although at times it might have been nice if it was more memorable.

  • Tokyo Home Stay Massacre: Review

    Tokyo Home Stay Massacre: Review

    Three American students; John (Alex Derycz), Sarah (Diana G.) and Spencer (Will Harrell) are spending some time in Japan. To get themselves immersed in the culture, they’re staying with a traditional Japanese family and really getting to know the feel of what an ordinary Japanese family is like. However, little do they realise but the family are all a little unhinged and as the tourists venture out of the bedrooms at night, the family strike.

    Tokyo Home Stay Massacre is a Japanese horror movie with an entirely Japanese cast besides its three American protagonists. It also manages to give its presumably Western audience a full array of Japanese pop culture references which fans of J-horror, anime and even some of the seedier side of Japanese culture will understand.

    However, the problem is that although some movies use non-English speaking characters without subtitles to add a sense of tension, Tokyo Home Stay Massacre doesn’t have any which could lead to some confusion as the actions of the characters aren’t enough.

    As mentioned earlier there are many references to Japanese culture and without the use of subtitles it makes sense that none of the references would be subtle. The problem is that without the subtitles, a non-Japanese speaking audience wouldn’t know whether the movie is poking fun at an American audience’s knowledge of Japanese culture or whether it’s pandering to them by throwing so much of it at the screen.

    Saying that though, by the final act the subtitles don’t really matter that much as it descends into a mess of ultra-violence which again references many aspects of Japanese pop culture, but doesn’t really add anything to the plot.

    It would have been nice to know what was going on by this point and why anybody is doing anything, but it seems that the filmmakers don’t think the audience will care as they got this far.

    The acting is also not that great, particularly Derycz who’s not so much chewing the scenery rather than punching holes in it to see if it looks better. It doesn’t. Tokyo Home Stay Massacre may be fun for those who want to spot references to Japanese pop culture, but with so much confusion, it may just leave the audience feeling frustrated.

  • Freaky: The BRWC Review

    Freaky: The BRWC Review

    Career second acts are a rarity in Hollywood, with studios seldomly allowing marquee actors the opportunity to explore outside their comfort zone (Matthew McConaughey and Adam Sandler are a few recent examples). That fact hasn’t stopped former comedic heavyweight Vince Vaughn from discovering a new career path. Whether he’s a bruiting action star (Brawl in Cell Block 99) or an insular drug-dealer (Arkansas), Vaughn has comfortably discovered new manors to express his assured acting chops. Now teaming with Happy Death Day writer/director Christopher Landon in Freaky, Vaughn finds himself channeling a teenage girl in an uproarious horror-comedy crowd-pleaser.

    Freaky follows Millie (Kathryn Newton), an introverted teen stuck in a malaise after her father’s death. If high school life couldn’t be complicated enough, the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) begins to re-surface, attacking Millie during a dark night. What should have been a clear-cut kill becomes far stranger when the Butcher and Millie switch bodies, with Millie inhabiting the consciousness of the large serial killer. Millie now must reverse the switch before nightfall, or less she will be stuck in the Butcher’s body forever.

    As someone who couldn’t jive with Landon’s previous efforts (The Happy Death Day films were spirited but couldn’t overcome their wonky tonality), I am delighted to see the writer/director follow through with his conceptual ingenuity. Now working in the confines of an R-rating, Landon leans into the gleefully gory machinations of the slasher genre, dreaming up a bevy of creative kills that leave viewers in a state of shock and awe. His usage of practical effects and unsettling score cues further sell each death, with Landon also understanding the shameless appeal of killing off inherently unlikable characters (a certain scene with a saw is gloriously over-the-top). He playfully harkens to the genre’s adored staples (the opening is a clever ode to Scream) while also paving his own pathway through the film’s distinct horror-comedy blend.

    The oft-kilter premise generates a perfect canvas for its well-suited cast. Kathryn Newton offers one of her best performances to date, portraying Millie’s insecurities with emotional authenticity. Her role could’ve easily felt like an archetype cliche, but it’s Newton’s ability that imbues the character’s persona with dimension that truly elevates it. Let’s be honest though, this is Vince Vaughn’s film and he steals every frame of it. Vaughn’s signature fast-talking delivery is tailor-made for the energized personality of a teenage girl, selling the role reversal without dipping into the cartoon-y territory. I credit him for not approaching this role with a mawkish attitude, with his performance excelling due to the genuine sincerity behind it.

    Landon’s effort also improves on the superficial emotionality of his previous films. Where Happy Death Day rang hollow with a greeting card message, Landon utilizes his high-concept premise to slyly observe our innate difficulty to express ourselves in our own skin. I don’t want to oversell its impact (some of Landon’s dialogue still feels overly-speechified), but the writer/director deserves credit for ensuring a level of attachment with his material.

    Blending its genre elements to create a satisfying horror/comedy concoction, Christopher Landon’s Freaky registers as an inspired iteration of the slasher genre.

    Freaky is now playing in theaters, with a VOD release scheduled for early 2021.

  • Blackjack – The Jackie Ryan Story: Review

    Blackjack – The Jackie Ryan Story: Review

    As an avid NBA fan, it’s my film critic mandate to engulf any basketball film that hits release… and I mean any (seriously, how many other Netflix users watched Amature back in 2018?). This mantra has driven me towards a few slam dunk-worthy films (Love and Basketball and Uncut Gems), along with a few woeful air-ball stinkers (Rebound and Thunderstruck). The latest addition to the subgenre Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story takes a refreshingly low-key approach to the high-flying sport. Despite an underdog earnestness, Danny Abeckaser’s film never escapes the grasp of simplistic narrative-handholding.

    Blackjack follows the story of hot-tempered Brooklyn native and streetball legend Jackie Ryan (Greg Finley). Stuck in a personal crossroads, Jackie listlessly spends his days partying with his pal Marty (James Madio) while vying over his former crush Jenny (Ashley Greene). When Jackie is called for a tryout with the Brooklyn Nets, he tirelessly builds towards personal and professional redemption.

    As a craftsman, Abeckaser’s full-hearted adoration towards his subject-matter radiates throughout. He and screenwriter Antonio Macia define their film through its rustic Brooklyn setting, employing gritty framing and wisecracking barbs that crackle with a naturalistic light (every character is a cartoon-y ball-buster, which feels surprisingly tailor-made for the hard-nosed setting). This potent sense of place imbues the sports movie formula with much-needed personality onscreen, as the duo allows their personal stomping ground to breathe with raw authenticity.

    Blackjack is also aided by its assured cast. Greg Finley brings Jackie Ryan to life with swaggering bravado, tapping into the streetballers cocky attitude while empathetically examining Ryan’s inner-demons. James Madio has a blast playing into Marty’s smart-guy persona, while Ashley Greene makes for a personable presence as a former basketball standout. Perhaps the standout of the bunch is David Arquette, who elevates Jackie’s tough, but fair father into a fairly complex role despite limited screentime.

    There are charming elements on display throughout, but they can’t compensate for Blackjack’s notable limitations. Abeckaser’s visceral sensibility leaves something to be desired, combing poorly-lit settings and sloppy edits to leave an unfinished feeling. When it comes to the tightly-contested basketball games, Abeckaser does an able job displaying the free-flowing movements with a steady hand. However, the lack of intensity hurts these scenes severely, as viewers are met with actors haphazardly speed-walking through their iconic skill moves. For a movie about a streetball legend, audiences rarely get to bask in the star’s awe-inspiring talents.

    Blackjack also finds itself in a stark identity crisis. Macia’s script never decides if it wants to be an uplifting sports film or a personal drama, undercutting both identities in a clumsy attempt to make the two co-exist. This rise-and-fall story is screaming for raw intimacy, but the dramatic elements are handled with a skin-deep complexion. Even as Jackie descends towards a drunken stupor, his personal struggles are treated with a level of sanitation that mitigates the impact of his heroic comeback.

    Blackjack: The Jackie Ryan Story serviceably tells its underdog story but can’t quite deliver on the film’s full picture of promise. Either way, I relish the chance to watch any new basketball film, and I am sure diehard NBA fans will get a level of enjoyment out of this.

  • Playhouse: Review

    Playhouse: Review

    Jack Travis (William Holstead) is a famous playwright whose tales of horror inspired by history bring a fright to delighted audiences. Feeling a need to get away from it all, Jack and his daughter, Bee (Grace Courtney) go to Scotland to stay in a castle where Jack can get immersed in Scotland’s history.

    Bee is less than happy about her situation, moving up into the middle of nowhere she thinks there’s nothing to do and thinks that living in spooky old castle is bound to drive away any potential friends. However, after making some friends and playing a game inside the old castle, Bee starts to feel the influence of what lies behind the castle walls.

    Jenny (Helen Mackay) and Callum Andrews (James Rottger) are a couple going through a rough patch in their relationship, but after Bee invites them both over for dinner, Callum sees an opportunity to pick the brains of a famous horror writer so that he can do some writing of his own.

    The trouble is that the Andrews have no idea that Jack has become possessed by one of the ghosts that lives in the castle and that Bee is going through something far worse which may mean a huge transformation.

    Playhouse is the directorial and writing debut of Fionn and Toby Watts. The Watts Brothers, perhaps influenced by demonic ghost stories and maybe a little of The Shining have created a slow burn horror that makes its audience wait right until the very end for the full extent of the scares to take place – and it’s worth the wait.

    Never really showing what’s happening to Bee until they absolutely have to, The Watts Brothers know exactly how to keep an audience in suspense and entertaining while they wait.

    The cast all give great performances, particularly Holstead who once possessed stays on the right side of Nicolas Cage for eccentricity, but thankfully never pushes it too far. Also, Mackay and Rottger play a believable couple and their parts weave seamlessly into the slightly outlandish plot. Playhouse is a ghost story with a cast that make their roles work in a plot that could have been too campy under the wrong directors.