Set in the suburbs of Boulogne-Sur-Mer in northern France, The Worst Ones captures a film within a film as it follows the production of a feature whose director turns to the local Cité Picasso housing project for casting. Eager to capture performances of gritty authenticity, the director selects four working class teenagers to act in the film to the surprise and consternation of the local community, who question the director’s choice of “the worst ones.” As the director and crew audition, rehearse, film, and interact with their hand-picked cast, jealousies are stoked, lines are crossed, and ethical questions arise, with thought-provoking and at times darkly funny results. Winner of the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, The Worst Ones announces directors Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret as exciting new voices in French cinema.
THE WORST ONES is a meta-narrative that succeeds in conveying hope through hardship. Not only does the film shine in its storytelling, embracing heartbreak and socioeconomic trauma, but the performances also by our four young actors will hypnotize the viewer. Check out the clip below for a taste:
Timéo Mahaut and Mallory Wanecque play the theatrical brother and sister duo, Lily and Ryan. Each pulling from the script an element of abandonment and aggression. This recurring theme is “permission to feel,” The screenplay skillfully taps into the idea that these children struggle to experience a traditional childhood when food, parents, stability, and peace seem out of reach. Their casting becomes the ultimate healing outlet. THE WORST ONES boasts a compelling film-within-a-film structure with an ending that leaves an impression on your soul.
The original music by The Halluci Nation and vocal performances by Tanya Tagaq are electrifying. It vibrates off the screen. During the opening credits, I stood up and danced in my kitchen because it was so infectious. The special FX makeup and CGI are startling. But it is the performances from this fresh young cast that pulls you into the narrative. These kids are stars. The emotional upheaval is all too familiar as they struggle with hormones, racism, and, in this instance, aliens. While most of us don’t have the alien experience in our back pocket, we can all agree that pre-teen to teenage years was complicated. The dialogue from writers Nyla Innuksuk (who also directs) and Ryan Cavan almost feels improvised. They have nailed the jargon of youth. The cinematography is breathtaking. Even if the characters aren’t impressed with the landscape, the audience unmistakably experiences the natural grandeur of Pangnirtung.
Reel News Daily is exclusively premiering a clip from the politically relevant film, FOR HERE OR TO GO?, a film about a young Silicon Valley software engineer Vivek Pandit, who is poised to become a key hire at a promising healthcare startup, but when the company realizes his work visa has less than a year remaining, the offer disappears. American in mind and Indian at heart, FOR HERE OR TO GO? is a contemporary story of ambition and ambivalence fueled by one’s immigration status that characterizes the dilemma of modern cultural displacement.
The clip could actually be considered a hilarious metaphor for the rest of the film, check it out below:
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Sometimes, when it’s 3 am and my unborn baby girl decided it’s an awesome time to do a dance instead of letting me sleep, I become, shall we say, a little grumpy. 3 weeks away from my second child, I’m freaking tired and sore and over being pregnant. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled for this peanut. My soon to be two children will be less than 16 months apart. Yup, two under two. I shudder to think about the amount of rest I will not be getting for the next 18, nay, 19 years. All that being said, I’ll have my perfect little salt and pepper set, all we need is the dog. There will be days I will want to flee, I’m sure… but I cannot imagine a day where the acts of my kids will compel me to start, let’s say, murdering people. Though, it’s early and who am I to judge. In Alice Lowe‘s directorial debut, PREVENGE, Ruth’s unborn child is telling her to murder a very specific list of people and perhaps for a good reason.
Written, directed and starring Lowe while she was actually 7 1/2 months pregnant, Prevenge is savage and wickedly demented. Sharp British humor heightens this in-your-face rampage. As much as you attempt to figure out the actual reason for the string of murders, you won’t until very late into the film and thus a sign of great writing. Lowe’s portrayal of Ruth is frighteningly grounded and wonderful. The cast is filled with familiar faces and the chemistry between Lowe and her (mostly) victims is perfection. The colors are vibrant and the jarring jump cuts interspersed are incredibly effective. The film is weird and gruesome and unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s just plain cool.
Presents
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, anyone who thinks climate change is a manufactured idea, to me, is way off the rails. But, if by some chance you’re unconvinced, a new doc is resolved to change your mind. It seems like, with most threatening events in our lives, it is not until they directly affect our own families that we take the time to address them head on. It is much easier to sweep them under the rug or dismiss them as someone else’s problem. TIME TO CHOOSE may be your wake up call.
BBC recently produced a spectacular new adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s timeless novel, where three young people experience life, love and loss against the epic backdrop of Russia’s wars with Napoleon. The 6 episode mini-series was filled to the brim with talented actors that included Lily James, Paul Dano, James Norton, Tuppence Middleton, and Jim Broadbent to name a few. With breathtaking period costumes and sweeping cinematography, Director Tom Harper has successfully created a magical adaptation that is as heart-rending and exhilarating as Tolstoy’s original work. Take a look at our exclusive clip of Harper and the cast at the very first read-through of WAR & PEACE.
Everyday, I have the urge to block friends on Facebook. The vitriolic political rhetoric being thrown around in both “article” and meme form is more over the top than it has ever been. Thank the internet gods for 
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