MOLOCH
A sinister score from Ella Van Der Woude and sweeping cinematography by Emo Weemhoff immediately let us know we’re in for something truly frightening. Perhaps cyclical in nature, unresolved trauma rears its ugly head in the form of a supernatural creature and a celebrated legend. Moloch is a keenly written and beautifully performed horror.
Sallie Harmsen plays Betriek with an unbridled nuance. Existing in a caretaker role for her mother and young daughter, we are privy to childhood trauma that everyone in town seems to know more about than Betriek. Harmsen is raw and determined. She encapsulates a woman mired in distress.
It’s not an exaggeration to say my mouth was agape at the final reveal. So many seemingly minute details in the script came rushing into my brain. Writer-director Nico Van Den Brink and writer Daan Bakker have given Fantasia 2022 audiences a moody, atmospheric folklore horror. Lucky for Shudder fans, Moloch is now available to stream.
38-year-old Betriek lives at the edge of a peat bog in the North of the Netherlands. When she and her family are attacked by a random stranger one night, Betriek sets out to find an explanation. The more she digs, the more she becomes convinced that she is being hunted by something ancient.
Premieres July 21 on Shudder
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With Nope, Jordan Peele further solidifies his standing as the modern horror auteur. Who else is making movies like Peele right now? A better question might be, who else do the studios trust to make big budget, non-franchise films like this? (the list is very short.) With his third feature, Peele again delivers on that trust with another compelling narrative that pairs thrills with dazzling cinematography, as well as a willingness to subvert the expectations of his audience.
Siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) Haywood are co-owners of Haywood’s Hollywood Horses, horse trainers serving the entertainment industry and descendants of a proud legacy. They are struggling to keep their heads above water in a competitive, dwindling industry (after all, a CGI horse is way easier to train, right?) They also have to contend with the long reputational shadow of their late father (Keith David), as well as the pressures of their family’s place in cinematic history (legend has it that they are direct decedents of the jockey featured in one of the very first motion pictures.) When OJ thinks he may have discovered UFO on the edges of their family ranch, he seizes on an opportunity to capture (and profit from) photographic evidence of their discovery.
Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer give tremendous lead performances. Working with Peele for the second time (after 2017’s prolific Get Out), Kaluuya gives a subtle showcase. I can’t get enough of this pairing – I hope they work together 20 more times. Kaluuya’s OJ is quieter and more introverted than Palmer’s Emerald. Given his screen-time, he has minimal dialogue in the film – most of his performance comes from his eyes, his facial expressions, and his body language. I was reminded of Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name character – someone who listened more than he spoke but was deliberate (and often lethal) in his action. Palmer’s Emerald is a ball of kinetic energy but also delivers poignant moments as well (especially in the film’s final act.) The two siblings have an easy, unfussy chemistry with each other.
Steven Yeun is phenomenal in the supporting role of former child star turned ranch/amusement park owner Ricky “Jupe” Park. When he was younger, Ricky was part of a TV sitcom co-starring a chimpanzee named Gordy. A tragedy occurred on set, and Ricky has spent his adulthood profiting off the memory of this trauma. While this incident fits with the film’s overall theme of spectacle (and the ways that humanity tries, and fail, to contain nature) it is an awkward fit. There are some haunting images associated with Ricky’s story (especially a moment where Gordy looks directly into the camera lens), but the resolution of this sub-plot doesn’t fit seamlessly with the action occurring on the Haywood ranch. Perhaps there is a larger intention here from Peele, but it just didn’t connect with me.
Actress Eline Schumacher leaves her soul on the screen. The slow, deliberate fracturing of the human psyche is breathtaking. It’s a brave, emotionally wrought, and award-worthy performance.
Jaimie’s genuine intentions lead Nan to interactions with a varying pool of hilarious people and ridiculous scenarios. Her irreverent behavior never ends. Nan does shots with a rowdy rugby team, attends a rave, and runs from police, just for starters. The clever transitional handcrafted 2D animation sequences are a hilarious ode to Jaime’s occupation and Monty Python. Mathew Horne as Jaime is the perfect foil for Tate. He essentially sits in as the audience in his failed attempts to keep Nan in check, emotionally and politically. Horne is so watchable. He has a natural charm.
It is the first time we hear Nan’s history. And boy, it is quite telling. It also allows Tate to shine her stellar acting skills with varying impressions, accents, and plenty of acerbic wit. You have to wonder how much dialogue is actually written by Tate and Brett Goldstein and how much is Tate’s famous improv abilities.
I first fell in love with her as a Whovian. Anyone who knows Tate’s performance as Donna Noble and, like me, did a deep dive into her extensive career understands what a pure delight she is. If you’ve seen her portrayal of Beatrice alongside David Tennant in the stage version of Much Ado About Nothing in 2011, you know the depths of her talent. Nan allows her to let loose in the most inhibited ways possible. In long form, The Nan Movie is a raunchy and rebellious road movie, with a side genuine of heart and humor. It is an undeniably fun watch, so get ready to sit back, relax, and laugh.
Kota Eberhardt, as Desi, holds her own against Krige. Her presence is equally as fierce as her costar. Something about her performance demands your attention. Eberhardt could easily carry a film on her own. Alice Krige is the epitome of genius as Veronica Ghent. The nuance she radiates is breathtaking.
The film possesses a mesmerizing score from Clint Mansell. Something Argento would approve. Jaime Ramsay‘s camera work is dizzying and invasive. The juxtaposition of striking visuals and memory fragments represents unresolved trauma, new and ancient. She Will feels like a victory cry for the #MeToo movement. Slick editing heightens the film’s themes of nature, instinct, suppression of power, and interconnected female experience. Charlotte Colbert‘s debut with co-writer Kitty Percy is a rage-shedding catharsis. She Will is the witchy stuff of dreams.
The two diverging stories give us perspectives on each end of the spectrum of war. One glamorized for the media. The other portrays the suffering and survival tactics of everyday existence in the kibbutz. 
The film overflows with fearless female characters, each unique and bold. 
Amir Khoury
The look of the film is beautiful. The attention to detail, lighting, costumes, and cinematic framing, right down to the closing credits, all scream period era, sweeping drama. The script has everything from war scenes to relationships in which you’re bound to feel invested. A lingering dread looms over the narrative, keeping the audience on their toes. But, the genuine portrayal of humanity at its most desperate keeps you in awe. Isreal’s most expensive production fits perfectly into Netflix’s awards season slate. 
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