Reviews

Stockholm can be described as a fun and comedic film, covering a dark subject matter in order to show its audience how human beings cope with stressful, life threatening situations. The film is based on the Swedish bank heist, and hostage situation, that would later inspire the coining of the phrase "Stockholm syndrome," which describes the phenomenon of a hostage forming a bond with their captor. Of the many things the film does well, what stands above the rest is the films ability to make the audience realize how someone might actually succumb to Stockholm syndrome. The main anti-hero of the story, Lars (Ethan Hawke), shows early on that all he really wants is to get his buddy, Gunnar (Mark Strong), out of jail. You the audience member even find yourself sympathizing with him as over the course of the film he goes out of his way to care for his hostages including letting one of them, Bianca (Noomi Rapace), use the telephone to call her family. The comedy in the film comes across quite well, at some points I found myself audibly laughing, and allows the audience to establish a better connection with Lars. Apart from the story, the 70's aesthetics were executed perfectly with a very pleasing color pallet focusing on shades of orange and teal, wonderful b-roll of a 70's Stockholm, and a few Bob Dylan songs thrown in for good measure. It was very enjoyable to watch and had my interest peaked right from the get-go.

Soul to keep is a fun, Friday night horror movie that doesn't overdo it on the gore or violence but is still able to create lasting scares that are just as terrifying as they are entertaining. After reuniting at their late grandfather's country home, intent on having a weekend full of drug-induced partying, a group of friends quickly find themselves delving into the world of the paranormal as their weekend getaway makes a decisive b-line to...hell. While, its premise may ring bells of Evil Dead, Soul To keep adds several interesting plot twists along the way that keep the viewer locked-in and help to separate the film from others in its genre. It also made the whole movie pretty unpredictable which is fun (also the I definitely didn't see the ending coming). Soul to Keep also adds another interesting element to its film with the inclusion of a deaf actress, Sandra Mae Frank (Tara). However, because the rest of the members of the group are able to sign flawlessly, this element of the film feels like something that happened naturally long ago in order to incorporate their female friend in on the fun; it feels far from gimmicky and very wholesome. All in all, an entertaining horror movie that's worth the watch!

Life and Nothing More is a gorgeous look inside the life of a struggling family that is only increasingly harbored due to their miscommunication and lack of understanding of one another. Which may sound like a bleak or heavy synopsis but played out as a beautiful and accurate portrayal of very real struggles experienced by very real people. The film does a fantastic job at capturing the often-difficult relationships that can form between a teenager and a single mother, and the miscommunication/misunderstanding of those relationships. Andrew, the son played by Andrew Bleechington, not only faces misunderstanding with his mother but with almost every other character he encounters in the movie from the therapist and councilor, to his mother's new boyfriend. Regina, the mother portrayed by Regina Williams, has to work every available moment just to keep her family afloat, while also raising and caring for that family all on her own and making sure that her son does not end up like his father, who is serving time in prison. The mother and son are so obviously trying their hardest to do right by themselves, and everyone else around them, but struggle desperately to understand one another. This struggle, along with the overall struggle involving the unfortunate situation that life has placed them in, is the driving force of this wonderfully beautiful slice of life drama. The acting and story were so incredible to watch that often I felt as if I were watching a documentary and not a drama, something that greatly enhanced my experience and caused me to get "sucked in" by the film. It all felt so real, from the delicate and fleeting high point of the film, to the heartbreaking lows. It's one of those rare films where you get attached to the characters but not for any superficial reasons like, "that actress is cute," or "they're so funny," but because it felt as if the characters showed all of themselves to you and you established a connection through their pain. Cinematography was also a huge take away from the film, I can actually remember four specific shots that left me quite literally with my mouth gaping at the screen. As well as two more shots that, along with what was happening in the story at those points, made me announce out loud, "wow this is so good." However, I'm so sure that those shots will have a similar effect on you when you watch it, that I'm declining to provide any description of them (i know my words would not do them justice). I loved this movie, and i unfortunately was not able to talk about every detail that made me love it, but hopefully the ones i did highlight were enough to make you want to watch it too.

Number 37 is a fantastic tribute to an Alfred Hitchcock classic, Rear Window. It's visually stunning, the acting is on point, and the suspense is there. As an Alfred Hitchcock fan myself, I feel like I've seen my fair share of cheesy Hitchcock "love letters" that have promised to be a great new take on an old classic but have completely missed the feel of the original it's trying to emulate; Number 37 is not one of these films. Interweaving moments of high tension with a compelling love story between two characters struggling to make their situation better than it is, as well as incorporating some entertaining comedic relief. The film's story follows a low level criminal named Randal who, after losing access to his legs, is confined to his South African apartment with only a pair of binoculars there to keep him company while his girlfriend, Pam, is at work supporting both of them. Yet, while observing his neighbors, Randal witnesses a murder and tries to use it to coerce money from a mob boss in order to hopefully get out of the shanty area he lives in and create a better life. Just like Rear Window, Number 37 excels at taking what may seem boring on paper, an apartment window with binoculars, and creating a story that feels a hundred times larger. The film also did a great job of immersing its audience in the story. Set design is often so over looked but is usually a key aspect in dictating whether a film's audience will buy the story and get pulled into the film. Number 37 did this beautifully and felt like the whole thing was shot in actual people's houses. All in all, I really enjoyed this film and can recommend it to anyone interested.

Saint Judy delivers the remarkable story of Ms. Judith L. Woods, an American immigration lawyer whose fight for justice and what's right, while it may seem more poignant in today's political climate, reaches its audience and reminds them what it truly means to be an American. Beyond her accomplishments as a lawyer with a drive to defend those mistreated and looked down upon for their position to seek asylum in America (not to mention the addition of any racial or ethnic prejudices), the film focuses on one of her more remarkable accomplishments to change United States law to include women as a protected class when seeking asylum. One thing that I liked aside from the story is the cast of this film, Michelle Monaghan is Ms. Woods herself and Common makes an appearance in the film opposing her in court; both give an excellent portrayal. Aside from the more well-known members of the cast, even actors and actresses that I didn't recognize do a fantastic job of delivering the emotion demanded by the story and bringing the realism to their characters that I find is often lost in dramatic biopics. A fantastic telling of Ms. Wood's story, led by a talented cast, make this an easy biopic to recommend.

Darkness Visible is an unsettling and unfamiliar new addition to the supernatural horror/thriller genre. Taking place in India, the film feels decidedly different from western films as it draws its scares/nightmares from a culture that the average American may know very little about. Aware of this unfamiliarity, the film features a protagonist, Ronnie, who also knows very little about the culture and customs of the land he's been forced to suddenly travel to after his mother's mysterious disappearance. After arriving in India, the film turns into more of a crime thriller with Ronnie as the investigator in a string of serial murders. From there, the main antagonist is introduced, an evil witch named Rakhee, who seems to have it out for Ronnie and those around him. I won't give away any more than that, but just know that the Indian witchcraft featured in the film is intriguing and makes for some pretty convincing scares. Beyond the story, I found that the film's score and excellent cinematography captured my attention and made me feel very immersed. A good soundtrack and good visuals go a long way with any film but can really make or break it when it comes to horror movies, thankfully Darkness Visible delivered on these elements and were able to draw me in. I had a great time watching this film and would recommend it to anyone that would like a fresh horror/thriller.