Max Fist (Manganiello) claims to be a hero from another dimension who fell through time and space to Earth, where he has no powers. No one believes his stories except for a local teen named Hamster. Together, they take to the streets to wipe out the local drug syndicate and its vicious crime boss known as The Manager.
After hitting indie badass status with Daniel Isn’t Real, one of my top ten films of 2019, writer/director Adam Eqypt Mortimer has given us a new feast for the eyes. Enter Archenemy. If a script can keep you guessing until the very last scene that’s quality screenwriting and directing. Mortimer revamps the superhero genre. This is something that straddles the line between a classic comic book approach and an altogether fresh origin story… with a seriously kickass soundtrack. If you saw Daniel Isn’t Real, and dammit you should have by now, you’ll notice a penchant for saturated jewel tones and dark lighting… and opening with a wormhole. With the heightened voiceovers from Skylan Brooks, you feel as if you’re watching a graphic novel playing out in real-time. Instead of using cartoony “BAM!” and “POW”, Brooks’ hyped narration does that for you. Add in some specifically stylized animation during Joe Manganiello’s dialogue, Archenemy challenges the audience to take in a larger picture and really use their brains. In my humble opinion, the character of Hamster is not-so-secretly a little slice of Adam. You get that genre fanboy brightness that makes Archenemy as cool as it is. Hamster is also a master storyteller, that’s his art. I don’t think this theory is such a stretch.
The underlying social commentary cannot be missed. Social media monsters and drugs are the newest and loudest villains ( besides this effing pandemic) around presently. All that aside, the story itself is complex in the best way possible. It builds a narrative in which you’re constantly asking questions like, “Is he who he says he is?”, “Is this a mental illness?”, “Does it even matter?!”. The answers are actually beside the point when you’ve got great acting to back up the script. Joe Manganiello is perfection in this role. Once you realize that he’s half hero half megalomaniac your mind explodes. It is in the flaws of these characters where we fall in love with them in earnest. Skylan Brooks brings this “kid in a candy store vibe” that never gets old. I cannot wait to see more of him and Zolee Griggs. She has this mature presence that makes you care for her and understand what a badass she already is.
Archenemy has all the makings of a franchise. I hope we see more of this crew! Amy Seimetz, Glenn Howerton, and Paul Sheer level up this film. Every single cast member gives a nuanced performance. It’s dark and complex and nothing like you think it’s going to be. How often do we genuinely get to say that? You can check out Archenemy today!
Stay tuned to Reel News Daily for interviews with Adam Eqypt Mortimer and Skylan Brooks by our awesome colleague Matthew Schuchman! In the meantime, you can check out the trailer below:
RLJE Films will release the action/thriller ARCHENEMY In Theaters, On Digital and On Demand December 11, 2020.
The camera work is decisively cool and the subtle lighting change when they enter the parallel world is key. The truly minimal CG is pretty spectacular. The visual reminder that the mirror is but a reflection of the outside is featured prominently throughout. The cast has genuine chemistry based on their backgrounds. They walk the perfect balance of guarded when necessary and enamored with their past dynamics. It feels like a choose your own adventure but with the highest of consequences. Director Isaac Ezban (who ingeniously slips in a nod to his brilliant film 
Drew Barrymore gets to play two polar opposite roles. Candy Black is character number one. For sure a nod to Drew’s vast collection of lovable characters over the years but with a seriously jaded mean streak. And perhaps also a not-so-hidden, tongue-in-cheek riff on Melissa McCarthy, who gets named dropped immediately in the best way possible. For Barrymore’s character Candy, 5 years after a breakdown on set, she is another person. Her sadness has consumed her. She is a recluse who is court-ordered to go to rehab for 90 days. Frankly, she has other plans. Her second character is the titular role. Paula is seemingly lovely, sweet, and bright, but now also out of a job until she gets an auspicious call to get back on the horse for Candy. Both women get the opportunity to reshape who they are… for better or for worse. You think you know where this story is going, but you’re in for a big surprise.
When they play the same scenes it’s an excellent dynamic. Watching Drew commit to these two women is really fun. You’re constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. It makes for a heightened watch. It becomes unexpectedly dark. Drew is actually scary to watch. The marketing is doing a disservice to the film. There is so much more to The Stand In than the trailer offers viewers. I hope they can appreciate what comes their way.
It is definitely an interesting commentary on fame and notoriety. There are innumerable moments that will make you cringe but you have to ride them out. The Stand In makes fun of itself in a thoughtful way. The cameos are aplenty and each person is given the opportunity to highlight the trappings of Hollywood with their dialogue. I think that’s what I appreciated most. The dark honesty is what sticks with me as the credits rolled. The entire success hangs on Barrymore’s ability to play two characters we’ve never seen from her before. Congratulations to director Jaime Babbitt for helping a film that’s much deeper than an audience is expecting.
This script does an excellent job of presenting something that feels familiar but layering it with the lust of a teenage girl. Braden R. Duemmler gives us a nuanced look at relationship dynamics wrapped in an enigma of anxiety and fear. We get a fantastic balance of a real-life scenario with the understanding that something is indeed very off about John Smith. The cringeworthy moments are aplenty and that’s a compliment. The character of Liberty is fully fleshed out. I was that girl, in many ways, at 16. While my passion was writing and theatre, I understood the awkward encounters and the sensation of excitement at the thought of an attractive older man having an understanding of the things I liked. Liberty ends up being a badass through her terror and she is a hero in my book. That’s the kind of female protagonist we need.
Ema Horvath is outstanding. Having just seen her in 
Nani just cannot kick her addiction. She claims she wants to be part of her son’s life, but chooses drugs over and over. Daryl is just guilty in the ways he facilitates her habits. It’s heartbreaking to watch him have so much confidence in a woman who will most likely overdose. When he snaps at her you don’t blame him one ounce. He’s doing his best and she’s doing crack. The emotional hold she has on him is stronger than almost anything, except the love of his children.
Higher Love tells the stories of the lives and deaths of so many locals. But the tragedy is everywhere. Iman, one of Nani’s associates, gets his path highlighted, as well. He explains that with a phone call, one can procure whatever they need whenever they need. His story is like so many others, he has a family that loves him and they only want his rehab stints to stick. He is the highest motivated individual we come to know. We could not be rooting for him any harder. The most engrossing aspect of the intimate conversations with these addicts is the fact that they are actually incredibly self-aware. They understand they are ultimately responsible for their behavior. It’s a cycle of sadness, confusion, trauma, and sickness. How do we, as a society, fix this? What can the government and the people do together to help this ever-growing population? I’m not sure what the answer is, but with the problems exacerbated by a pandemic, 2020 might be the worst year on record for drug deaths.
The eclectic personalities represented in 18 To Party put me right back in 8th grade. I knew or was all of these kids at one point or another. This ensemble cast is unreal. There is an incredible mix of nonchalance, awkwardness, boldness, and fear. All the hormones and adolescent rage are there in its purest form. It is impossible not to think of Richard Linklater‘s films. Writer/director Jeff Roda‘s dialogue touches on nothing and everything all at once and it is delicious. The pacing is brilliant. You’re fully into these kids and all that’s occurring in their small town circle. I remember when every little thing had the weight of the world because my world was only so large. 18 To Party has a familiarity that lets the viewer live in the film. It’s on real stand out in 2020. Any fellow Gen Xer will be fully in flashback mode, nodding and smiling and cringing along with these kids. It’s totally awesome but in an understated cool way. Wait until you hear the soundtrack. So yeah, Jeff Roda nails it. Watch it with your kids. Their reaction might surprise you. Catch 18 To Party on VOD platforms today.
Family is complicated. Every generation trying to make life better for the next but ultimately failing in one way or another. You cannot do it all perfectly, that’s not a thing. It is in the mistakes and flaws we accept where we grow as individuals and as one family unit. King Of Knives is a raw and undeniably funny look at regret. It shines in its honesty. It allows its characters to feel relatable with great dialogue and effective editing as the full plot is revealed. It’s a beautifully balanced screenplay, allowing each of the four family members to come to terms with where they fit in and how that might affect the others.
The performances are really great. I have to call out the comic timing from everyone. It’s a natural back and forth I have with my family, like it or not. While we all think everyone is so very different, I reality we’re all just as messed up as the next person in line. Gene Pope, Mel Harris, Roxi Pope, and Emily Bennett do a fantastic job making you believe they are related. There is just enough connection and disconnection for you to buy it completely. They are coated in trauma they ignore and facing it one year later will finally break open family secrets and revelations that will change everyone. Lindsay Joy‘s script feels real from my perspective; the first of four (now adult) kids that all did different things and pretend to be too cool for school most of the time. But we know, deep down, we’re all floundering in one way or another. We’re still better together. King Of Knives hits home for any viewer. Sometimes you have to break it down to build it back up. It’s a “Go call you Dad” kind of film. It’s the perfect holiday film, once you watch it you’ll understand why. It releases today on VOD and Digital platforms. Get a taste from the trailer below.
Werewolf is incredible from the very first frame. The fear is visceral in the visual presentation but especially in the performances from a cast of children. This is a new version of Lord Of The Flies as a group of Holocaust survivors lies in wait as they are stalked by attack dogs, and even one of their own. Hormones, trauma, hunger, and anger, all drive this riveting plot forward. It is easy to root for these kids. As a Mom, it made my heart race at every turn. I was sweating watching their ingenuity. Survival is not guaranteed especially when the threat comes from within. It was profound watching these young actors, at times, become as wild as the dogs they feared. Other scenes momentarily allowed them to be children again. This ensemble casts’ chemistry will blow you away. Adrian Panek has given us a thrilling gem. The writing is intelligent and enthralling. Your heart will be in your throat from beginning to end.
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