Synopsis: A distraught mother (Hamilton) suspects her teenage son (Edwards) is plotting a school shooting, but when he slips through the cracks of the system, she is forced to take matters into her own hands. After installing an elaborate spy cameras system in their home, Abbey captures a series of disturbing videos that confirm her worst fears. Torn between a mother’s unconditional love and a mother’s acute intuition, Abbey caters her videos to all the other “mothers of monsters” online. Make you home safe under cctv surveillance. Abbey’s plan backfires when Jacob uses a dark family secret against her, launching both mother and son on a terrifying, and ultimately deadly, game of cat and mouse.
When I was a senior in high school, I watched Columbine unfold live. The next week, I was locked down in s drill in the cafeteria. The trauma of those experiences stays with me to this day. Now that I have children of my own, I have to be informed via email that my 2 and 4-year-olds do active shooter drills in their preschool. M. O. M. (Mothers Of Monsters) is one of the most disturbing films I’ve watched as a parent, this far.
Melinda Page Hamilton and Bailey Edwards give startling performances. The entire film hinges on their chemistry. This casting is brilliant. M.O.M. solely utilizes the look of web, cell, and security camera angles, making for sharp and intrusive shots that cleverly mirror the storyline. This plot is upsetting but plausible in the rage-filled world our kids live in. You are constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. The use of a single sound effect creates an off-kilter feeling a viewer can’t quite put their finger on beyond the subject matter. When that is revealed, wow. That moment flips the script and causes a chain reaction that you’ve been dreading. The script, based in large part on the testimonies and journals of real school shooters and their parents, is hard to watch but essential viewing. Parents need to watch this film. Genre fans need to watch this film. I hope people will seek it out after this week’s run in Los Angeles.
M.O.M. (Mothers of Monsters) will open in Los Angeles for a weeklong run at the Arena Cinelounge on Friday the 13th of March.
Twins connected by trauma, stalked by evil, forced into hiding to protect themselves and the outside world. Yeah, I’ll bite. Transference has a lot going on in the way of structure. The narration breaks are very effective as they keep you on your toes during the madness. Emma’s “affliction” is fascinating. The idea that it can be weaponized is something looms large. As the plot slowly rolls out, the dread grows. The big reveal is pretty great. While there is something a little off with the film as a whole, it has big potential. Melissa Joy Boerger, AaronTomlin, and Jeremy Ninaber are all very dark and brooding. Tomlin is allowed to show the most range with the material. These three are obviously capable of much more. I would have liked to have seen more adult flashbacks that included Boerger. She was held back by the script.
Torture porn at it’s finest, The Dare is genuinely gagworthy in its practical FX. Without reading the synopsis, the film’s full plot doesn’t reveal itself until halfway through. This allows you to become invested in the mystery and backstory of how a killer was created. A little bit of the Saw franchise sprinkled in, The Dare is absolutely terrifying.
Brainwashing, abuse, cruelty, all make The Dare as brutal and compelling as it is. Just when you think you can’t take it anymore, the narrative switches up. As more is revealed your perspective rapidly changes. That’s solid writing. You will need to get to the end and you won’t know who you’re rooting for until the final moments. And if I’m being nit-picky, speaking of the very final moment, it is a bit unbelievable and trope-tastic, but hey, suspension of disbelief. After all the trauma the viewer has been through at that point, let it go. Write/Director Giles Alderson gives genre audiences what they paid for. The film is genuine heart-pounding, white-knuckled, madness.
A young director is looking for his big break, but when a producer asks him to goes beyond his limits the opportunity could break him. Coming this month to Kansa City, MO’s Panic Fest, Greenlight is an industry thriller you’ll want a ticket to.
There are some really smart heads up lines in the dialogue. When the production begins, the coloring and shots improve tenfold. The film has a sleek look, especially if you’ve even been on a set. The tension is immediately felt. When the shit hits the fan at about 30 minutes in, you can see where Jack has no choice but to comply. Threats of manufactured blackmail and violence leave him in a panic. The audience is with him on this sick ride. We now own his paranoia.
What a knock out world premiere for director Kourosh Ahari. Beautifully lush cinematography (including some early haunting POV shots) props up the richness of The Night. The score adds a layer or jarring dread that is simply gorgeous. While the script skillfully utilizes a number of classic tropes, it is also stacked with a multitude of original imagery that unnerves the viewer from the very beginning. I was thrown for a loop more times than I can count. The heightened sound editing also pushes The Night into next-level scary. The plot will have you questioning your own sanity. Is this a dispute between exhausted new parents? Is this an alcohol-induced hallucination? Or is this hotel housing unwanted guests?
Performances are so strong you will quickly forget that the film is predominantly in Farsi. As Parasite director Boon Jong-Ho so eloquently stated at this year’s Golden Globes, “Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” This is the most important quote in cinema right now. Kourosh Ahari’s THE NIGHT is a heart-pounding and twisted watch. Santa Barbara International Film Festival is lucky to host its world premiere. This film should be on every genre fan’s radar this year.
Visually intoxicating, The Wave hits you like a ton of bricks. Justin Long plays Frank, an insurance lawyer, underappreciated at work and at home and stuck in the loop of the mundane, decides to go out on the town for once. When the shit hits the fan, we’re all on drugs with Long. The highs and lows, the mysterious chase, the lost time. It’s all insane and wonderful.
Sheila Vand, star of my one my all-time favorite film’s A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, plays Theresa with a cool ease that the perfect foil for Long’s quick-witted corporate cynicism. Her energy is electric. Donald Faison as Frank’s best friend is was a smart choice from a sidekick standpoint. Their chemistry is awesome. He stands as a representation of the viewing audience in the sense that we’re just as confused (in the best way possible) as he is. This script is jarring and electric. Justin Long, once again, owns whatever role he takes on. I buy every second he is on screen. I don’t know if any other actor would have resonated as truthfully. Long’s ability to live moment to moment in each character is nothing short of genuine and delicious talent. Time jumping, drug-induced, comment on karma, The Wave is simply cool.
I’ve been watching Shia LaBeouf since he made his Disney Channel debut on Even Stevens. A kid so talented he was scooped up by Hollywood and exploited like many a young child star. We’ve seen him shine and fall from grace and make some of the wildest career moves. But remove that veneer and you have a genuine artist.
Honey Boy is LaBeouf’s screenplay. It tackles his tumultuous upbringing without a real sugarcoating. The verbal and emotional abuse he had to endure must have been astronomical. It all makes sense when you see the scenes between him and Noah Jupe. Their on-screen dynamic is effortless. Lucas Hedges, who I have had my eye on since Zero Theorem, is phenomenal as the 2005 version of Otis. His combative attitude seems like second nature and I can easily see LaBeouf saying and doing the exact same things. Hedges makes you feel like he did one hell of a character study of his creator. Noah Jupe as young Otis is a breath of fresh air. He is something special. He exudes innocence. LaBeouf is playing his father. He is vulnerable, scary, aggressive, and heartbreaking. You can never say this man isn’t spectacularly talented.
Director Alma Har’el has created one of the most satisfying films of the year. The way she handles LaBeouf’s material is beautiful, quirky, fun, and heartfelt. This script is catharsis on film. The juxtaposition of scenes in 1995 and 2005, with stunning lighting and cinematography, is wonderful. LaBeouf has opened every wound and laid it all out. It’s gorgeous misery and you’ll want to remain present for it. Honey Boy is a triumph.
Naomi Watts gives a powerful performance that is so raw, it will get under your skin for long after the credits have rolled. This stylistic film hits a nerve for the viewer instantly. Its claustrophobia consumes you as much as Watts’ character June. Clearly suffering PTSD exacerbated by the current overwhelming outside forces that play out keep June locked in her house 24hrs day for God knows how many years at the point we meet her. Her desperation is palpable. The colors and sound editing combined with brilliant slow-burn pacing make The Wolf Hour hypnotizing. It feels post-apocalyptic. It feels far too relevant. Watts is like a ticking timebomb. Her performance is one of the year’s best. This could have been a stage play based upon its singular location but I’m not sure you could have captured the heaviness of the air and environment in the same way. In film form, The Wolf Hour digs its nails into you in the fiercest way.
The craziest thing is that to say much more about the plot is to do it a disservice. It’s almost indescribable. Love Is Blind challenges the notion of being an to heal inside and out. It’s about human connection.
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