It’s been a busy month, and having reached the end, I have plenty of reviews I’m catching up with here, from Oscar contenders to monster movies. This set of write-ups includes a Vatican thriller, an anti-romantic comedy-horror flick, a family drama, a horror-comedy, a period thriller, a dark comedy, an addiction drama, and a horror-themed superhero reboot. The following features reviews for Conclave, Your Monster, Goodrich, Frankie Freako, Woman of the Hour, A Different Man, The Outrun, and Hellboy: The Crooked Man.
Conclave: 8 out of 10
The Setup: Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events — participating in the selection of a new pope. Surrounded by powerful religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers a trail of deep secrets that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.
Review: In the abstract, the idea of a prestige drama about the election of a new Pope from the director of the recent All Quiet on the Western Front sounds as though it could be rather stuffy, or at least the kind of Oscar bait one doesn’t race out to until it seems necessary. Fortunately, it’s easy to read through the lines when you have this cast, which also includes Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini, and an eye on what you’re getting into. Suffice to say, while Edward Berger and writer Peter Straughan’s papal conclave drama has enough thematic weight that should allow for good discussion, the film is also a riveting thriller with enough catty Cardinals backstabbing each other to make for one of the messiest pieces of pulp fiction to arrive this awards season.
Make no mistake, this is a rather stellar film, with Oscar-winning composer Volker Bertelmann’s score practically screaming at you to notice what quality is on display, but it’s far more entertaining than a simple election movie may require. With that in mind, even with the soap opera levels of twists and turns, you have the always reliable Fiennes in the lead her, providing the kind of performance that may finally earn him more than just deserved recognition from his critics and piers. As a master of his craft, it would certainly show there’s more to life than being elected Pope.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Your Monster: 7 out of 10
The Setup: After her life falls apart, soft-spoken theater actress Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera) finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying yet weirdly charming Monster (Tommy Dewey) living in her closet.
Review: A fun premise, genre-bending ways of going about entertaining the audience, and a few snappy tunes – Your Monster is a weirdly charming little movie about a couple of weirdly charming characters. Sure, the monster (referred to as Monster) has an attitude that goes along with his sarcasm and wit. However, Barrera’s Laura is a mess who is still putting herself out there to be a part of a play her ex-boyfriend (Edmund Donovan) has cruelly tried to subtract her from. It makes for many wacky situations that are as full of life as need be for this lower-budgeted debut from writer/director Caroline Lindy. And, again, it satisfies in so many areas.
As a very loose riff on the “Beauty and the Beast” story, it has some romantic angles, bitter rivals, and music that bonds characters. From a horror standpoint, Monster bears his teeth plenty. But when it wants to be funny yet compelling, Your Monster knows what it’s doing thanks to a very game Barrera, who leads this oddball anti-rom-com with aplomb. She willingly lets herself be vulnerable, acting like a crying mess, singing offkey, and more, before eventually pulling herself together and showing the toxic elements in her life what strength looks like. I’m not sure if the ending all the way works, but I had plenty of fun throughout.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Goodrich: 6 out of 10
The Setup: Art dealer Andy Goodrich’s (Michael Keaton) life gets upended when his younger wife leaves him and enters a 90-day rehab program while also threatening divorce. Andy takes charge of their 9-year-old twins, thrusting him into the world of modern parenthood for which he is deeply unprepared. With his career falling by the wayside, he soon leans on his pregnant daughter (Mila Kunis) for support, ultimately becoming the father she never had.
Review: Think of this film as an alternate universe Mr. Mom legacy sequel, where Keaton, once again, finds himself having to solve for a problem involving his kids, now that mom is out of the picture for the time being. Yes, that sounds like there could be problems, but this is where the magic of Keaton comes in. While this movie is decidedly low stakes, given how much the film relies on us to care about an affluent West Coast family figuring out their time management skills for the better, as a showcase for a performance, this is Keaton’s time to shine. Was he fine in the otherwise disposable Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? Sure, but this is a lot of fun for a fully lived-in performance.
It’s so much fun (despite being a comedy-drama), that writer/director Hallie Meyers-Shyer (daughter of Nancy Meyers) seemingly took a story that is at least somewhat inspired by her own relationship with her father, and made her surrogate character a supporting player who is only in so many scenes. Kunis is effective, if a bit thin, as a character, but it’s wild to think about how this film could have easily been seen from her perspective, yet chooses to follow along with an older father who is all out of sorts. That said, this is a very comfortable movie, with everyone having an easy kind of chemistry, making Goodrich as much a hangout movie as it is a compelling enough film about a man playing down the stresses in his life in an attempt to be better. So yes, Keaton manages to keep the head of this movie just above water.
Where To Watch: Now playing in theaters.
Frankie Freako: 6 out of 10
The Setup: After calling a late-night party hotline that promises out-of-this-world fun, uptight yuppie Conor (Conor Sweeney) must battle the pint-sized forces of evil that get unleashed through his phone line, led by the maniacal rock ‘n’ roll goblin Frankie Freako (Matthew Kennedy).
Review: If anything, it speaks to how much enthusiasm I have for writer/director Steven Kostanski’s previous film, Psycho Goreman, that made me know I would have to immediately seek out whatever this is. Fortunately, this largely paid off. Frankie Freako doesn’t quite reach the heights of “Iron Giant, but a gory inter-dimensional monster movie,” but it is an amusing take on the “little creatures” style horror movie that gave us such films as Gremlins and Ghoulies. This primarily comes down to tone, as the film leans into horror-comedy in a manner reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s early days as an irreverent gore fiend.
As a narrative built around a wacky premise, there’s only so much to take from this film. That said, how it casually goes from a simple (yet ridiculous) plot into something much more expansive is the right kind of surprising. Oh, and it’s all very heavy on various forms of goo, whether it’s blood, ooze, or whatever else allows for various chunky liquids to make its way on screen. Why did this need to be an 80s satire on top of everything else? I mean, I guess there are reasons, but what matters most is how much this works as a fun throwback with plenty of practical creature effects to enjoy.
Where To Watch: Now available on VOD.
Woman of the Hour: 7 out of 10
The Setup: Based on actual events, in 1970s Los Angeles, as a wave of murders makes headlines, a young woman (Anna Kendrick) aspiring to become an actress and a serial killer (Daniel Zovatto) cross paths during an episode of a dating show.
Review: What a joy it is to see a taut exercise in thrills based around an alarmingly true story about a serial killer who made it onto The Dating Game. Coming as the directorial debut from Kendrick, I found plenty to be impressed by here, with much of that coming from seeing how much this film feels indebted to David Fincher’s Zodiac in the right ways. Relying on as much as it can when it comes to true accounts, the fabricated elements of the film only work as a means of highlighting systemic misogyny and a true lack of effort to take women’s stories seriously. Whether or not one wants to label this a “feminist film,” it’s a bold and unflinching take on a series of awful situations punctuated by this bizarre gameshow incident.
For his part, Zovatto rides the line between charming and creepy in a way where one hopes the actor doesn’t fall into a spot where it’s hard for him to do anything else. Enough is going on to get a sense of why he, like other serial killers, could convince people to get close before he enacts violence upon innocents. With the film structured to flash back and forth between different murders and Kendrick’s primary storyline, it’s a risk that doesn’t always work best for the film’s momentum but still keeps things grounded in an unfortunate reality. By the end of this relatively brief film, understanding the events is undoubtedly interesting and distressing to think about. Still, as a feature, it’s a winner.
Where To Watch: Now streaming on Netflix.
A Different Man: 8 out of 10
The Setup: An aspiring actor (Sebastian Stan) undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. However, his new dream face quickly becomes a nightmare as he becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.
Review: I suppose the proper label for A Different Man, if one is necessary, is a psychological thriller. Sure, there are a lot of cerebral elements at play when considering that this is a film about identity and a self-aware satire about the concept of exploitation. There are even bursts of violence and other aspects that push the surreal nature of the journey taking place. All of that said, I found this film so wildly entertaining, thanks to the effort from writer/director Aaron Schimberg and the three great central performances, each showcasing their own sense of humor.
This is arguably one of the best things I’ve seen Stan do as a performer, as he dives into his own persona, playing a character so introverted based on the life he has lived, despite wanting to be this expressive actor. Renate Reinsve feels like a female character pulled out of a Kaufman script, walking the line between a fantasy indie girlfriend and someone with more agency than expected. And then there’s Adam Pearson, who really shows range here. Having this actor, who has neurofibromatosis, arrive on the scene as the most charming, affable character in the film is such a blast. Without digging more into the story, the contrasts that emerge from the dynamics that come from these pairings make this film memorable at the least, but a real kick to watch, let alone think about afterward.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
The Outrun: 7 out of 10
The Setup: After living life on the edge in London, Rona (Saoirse Ronan) attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands, where she grew up, hoping to heal.
Review: There are enough well-acted dramas about alcoholism and recovery to make it its own sub-genre. That shouldn’t diminish what these films offer, especially for those who have a personal connection to the subject matter. Still, aside from acknowledging the performer’s strength, it does mean hoping that new entries find other ways to explore the topic. The Outrun is based on the memoir by Amy Liptrot, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Nora Fingscheidt. An accepted level of authenticity is undoubtedly in mind for this film, given the closeness the filmmakers have with the material, and there’s no denying the powerful performance put forward by Ronan in this role.
If there’s a “but” in question as to why I’m not over the moon about the movie, it comes down to how stark it all ends up being. No, there isn’t much room for any sense of fun in a movie like this, though the film finds ways to open up. The non-linear structure means seeing Rona at rock bottom, but I found the recovery process far more interesting. Yes, there’s an importance to seeing what alcohol can do to a person who struggles with control. Still, the unique nature of how someone finds their path to turning things around allows for more options as to what’s next. With this story, it means interesting locations and a superb use of sound in ways I found surprising. Plenty of worthwhile material on display, even if the performance outshines almost every other aspect of the film.
Where To Watch: Now playing in select theaters.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man: 4 out of 10
The Setup: Hellboy (Jack Kesy) and a rookie BPRD (Adeline Rudolph) agent find themselves stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. They soon discover a community of witches led by a local devil who has a connection to Hellboy’s past.
Review: Let’s start with the good. Here’s a film that throws us right into a “monster of the week” type story, with a heavier emphasis on horror than past Hellboy films. There’s far less focus on delving into the backstory of Big Red yet again and a heavier attempt at leaning into what effect things like witchcraft and the occult can have on a small society. I’d say the film is only 99 minutes (with credits), but given the pacing, this is where the positives end.
While still better than the previous reboot of Hellboy starring David Harbour (even director Neil Marshall erred his grievances with that film), this newer, lower-budgeted version from director Brian Taylor still comes up lacking in several ways. For one thing, while star Jack Kesy seems capable enough, he just doesn’t have that magic charisma offered by Ron Perlman, with less money to work with, this ends up being the worst-looking version of the character. Other visuals fare better when it comes to the practical effects work, at least, but there’s little else to be impressed by when it comes to the Bulgarian forests subbing in for 50s Appalachia. When committed to the horror component, the film works well enough. Still, the time between “scares,” let alone the minimal amount of action, leaves much to be desired. All of that said, if the approach remains the same for future Hellboy movies, it will remain a shame that we never got a trilogy-capper from Guillermo del Toro, but perhaps the drop-in approach could pan out better with some stronger ideas and a bit more of a budget.
Where To Watch: Now available on digital and VOD.
