Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
PG ‧ Animated Action/Comedy ‧ 1 Hour 40 Minutes

Written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Jeff Rowe and Dan Hernandez & Benji Samit

Story by Brendan O’Brien and Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg & Jeff Rowe

Directed by Jeff Rowe Co-Directed by Kyler Spears

THE CAST

Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Hannibal Buress, Rose Byrne, Nicolas Cantu, John Cena, Jackie Chan, Ice Cube, Natasia Demetriou, Ayo Edebiri, Giancarlo Esposito, Post Malone, Brady Noon, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Maya Rudolph.

THE STORY

(In their own words). After years of being sheltered from the human world, the Turtle brothers set out to win the hearts of New Yorkers and be accepted as normal teenagers through heroic acts. Their new friend April O’Neil helps them take on a mysterious crime syndicate, but they soon get in over their heads when an army of mutants is unleashed upon them.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

The humor/comedy – It’s a hilarious film. I caught a couple of callbacks to previous films, I’m not an expert in TMNT, and I’m sure there were a lot more, but I’m sure there is a lot more that I didn’t catch.
The writing – Quick, witty…dialogue flows seamlessly.
The updates – One thing that always scares me about bringing back long-time characters into the modern world is how they decide to update it. They flawlessly updated it to modern times. They reference pop culture as if they are just normal teen high school kids. April, the Turtles’ sole female ally, is modernized to be a young black/biracial budding journalist from previous iterations.
The Story – This was a tremendous first TMNT film for someone like me because it is an origin story that thankfully only wades a little bit into how they got to where they are, just enough to get the idea and feel like I completely understood the backstory. Most of the story involves the deciding to “go public” and let people know they exist. They set up the protagonists well with clear motivations for revenge over humanity, which is understandable and diabolical.
The Acting – The voice acting is top-notch.

THE WORST

The only thing I didn’t like about the film I would ruin a significant plot point by telling you. So, if you want, message me, and I will tell you after you’ve seen it.

THE COMMENTS

I confess I am not a huge animation fanboy. I usually have trouble connecting emotionally with animated films (aside from UP, I’m not a monster). But I found myself really getting into this film, which especially surprised me because it is full of gnarly-looking mutant creatures that are the foils of the Ninja Turtles. They don’t look believable as living creatures, and that kind of thing really takes me out of this type of film.

THE LESSON

Sometimes you gotta trust a stranger.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes, I see kids especially replaying this a lot.

THE FINAL WORD

The popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in animated form in a film that offers a fresh, fun adventure that is sure to be the start of a new series of adventures. This action comedy film centers around a brief origin story of the quartet and a journey of discovering who they want to be after being raised by a fearful, human-hating father figure. Excellent voice-over acting draws the audience into the film, almost making you forget you are watching animated turtles with all these emotions. A good family film with lots of action and minimal scares serves up a solid introduction to the Ninja Turtle universe.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem gets a Like It.

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THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Barbie

Barbie (2023)
PG-13 ‧ Comedy ‧ 1 Hours 54 Minutes

Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach

Directed by Greta Gerwig

THE CAST

Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.

THE STORY

(In their own words). Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

The Story – A fun exploration of Barbie, the Barbie world, and the real-world attitude toward Barbie and how Barbie is perceived. The story captivates you and gets invested very quickly. It’s the most fun Barbie adventure I’ve seen, and I’ve raised two daughters, so I’ve seen a lot.
The messages – There is a lot of messaging about the weight of responsibility that women have on their shoulders. It directly addresses how the public perceives Barbie vs. what Barbie is trying to do, and it seems to empower. This Barbie movie is a feminist manifesto wrapped in pink.
The comedy – It is a really funny movie with a broad range of comedic styles. There’s lots of physical comedy in the Barbie world, all the way to more cerebral humor in the real world and everything in between. Then there are the elements of parody it has and self-awareness. It really has comedy for everyone.
The self-awareness – The self-awareness of the film and the brand is great. It allows them to tackle how everyone sees Barbie and address it. Having Mattel be an actual part of the film is brilliant.
Cameos – Fantastic cameos, if you can see them.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

I think the film is about 10 minutes too long. There was a time, I thought. Okay, I got it. Let’s move on and start wrapping these things up.
Its own internal logic doesn’t always seem to work.

THE COMMENTS

This film gave me some regrets. I had fallen into the trap of not wanting to buy my daughter Barbies. I bought her the Black President Barbie. I found that acceptable. I’ve hidden Barbie’s Mermaid Adventure DVD that some evil person gave us. As an adult, I’ve been staunchly anti-barbie for as long as I can remember. And maybe this film taught me that I got it all wrong. This film helped me put Barbie into a new perspective, understanding that Barbie was meant to be more about celebrating all the things girls could become, not boxing them into being a model. Barbie is about choice.

THE LESSON

Self-Awareness is something you can’t put back in the bottle.

People need to see you value them.

A young woman doesn’t have to fit into a box; she can be anything.

Be nice to your Mom.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

YES, YES, YES.

THE FINAL WORD

Barbie is an unexpectedly excellent film. Barbie has been called critic-proof. A lot of people will likely go see it, no matter what critics say. Turns out, they were right! It is funny, clever, and sharp script. It is wonderfully acted, skillfully directed, and manages to find a great balance between delivering a message and entertaining within one of the world’s most well-known intellectual properties. Director Greta Gerwig once again proves to be a solid director with a wonderful vision. Margot Robbie is a solid performer in the film. While the Oscars will likely snub her for this role, the MTV movie awards will hopefully remember it. This film is not just an entertainment fluff movie but a feminist manifesto wrapped in pink. At times it may even get a bit heavy-handed, but it’s easily forgiven with the absolute delight of a story it tells.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Barbie gets a very big LOVE IT.

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Episode #213: Tom Danger, Director of Sweethurt

Australian Director Tom Danger joins Silas to talk about his new film, Sweethurt, and to answer the world-famous 7 Questions. Available as a Video and audio only Podcast.

VIDEO

AUDIO ONLY PODCAST

Review: Air

Air (2023)
R ‧ Drama ‧ 1 Hour 52 Minutes

Written by Alex Convery

Directed by Ben Affleck

THE CAST

Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro
Ben Affleck as Phil Knight
Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser
Marlon Wayans as George Raveling
Chris Messina as David Falk
Chris Tucker as Howard White
Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan

THE STORY

(In their own words). It is based on true events about the origin of Air Jordan, a basketball shoeline, of which a Nike employee seeks to strike a business deal with rookie player Michael Jordan.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

Viola Davis – She delivers another fantastic performance as Michael Jordan’s mother.
Matt Damon – Damon does a fantastic job as Sonny Vaccaro, possibly the only executive in sports marketing that understood what a tremendous talent that Jordan was going to be. His betrayal was nuanced, thoughtful and full of passion. This is probably one of my favorite performances by Damon.
The Story – The managed to make a really compelling story about signing Michael Jordan to wear Nike sneakers. I can’t even believe how interested I got in this, it was compelling. And I’m someone who really cares less about footwear. But they had me hooked in from the very beginning
The Writing – Convery’s script is just fantastic. It sucks you in and it’s full of lines that are absolute gems. This is how I know I’ve watched a super well-written script. My biggest excitement for watching this movie again is so I can try and write down all the wonderful lines that were said during the film
Direction – Ben Affleck is just such a fantastic director. I love his ability to bring excitement and find the correct tone for nearly every film he does. I really love the way he crafted this film together.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

We never see the face of Michael Jordan in this film, and I understand why they thought it would be distracting, but I think it didn’t give the audience enough credit. And it’s a distraction point in the scenes he appears in. It is so obvious that they are trying to not show his face, that’s all I can think about in those moments.

THE COMMENTS

The 80s nostalgia opening was just wonderful to set the tone of what was happening at the time. I feel like it really got us to understand what a different time it was, how different people thought back then about business, especially shoes. I had no idea until this movie that it was unheard of at the time for an athlete to get paid a percentage of royalties if their name was on something. Crazy to think about now. Or that Basketball wasn’t always the driving force for all of these companies. I didn’t even know that Nike wasn’t always the go to brand for Basketball shoes.

THE LESSON

Believe in someone so much, you are willing to risk it all for them.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Very rewatchable.

THE FINAL WORD

If you told me a year ago that I would absolutely love a movie about the signing of Michael Jordan to Nike to create the Air Jordans basketball shoe, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am getting dunked on. Air is a thoroughly entertaining and engaging film directed with absolute care and finesse by Ben Affleck, finding a perfect tone for this story to make me thoroughly engaged throughout the film. Viola Davis plays Michael Jordan’s mom and, as usual, is absolutely incredible. Matt Damon brings to the character a level of passion that just forces you to root for him. I really loved everything about the film; the writing, the acting, the story, I even loved the nostalgia for the 80s that it infused. Nike says “Just Do It.” I say, “Just See It.”

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Air gets a Love It

I’ll say “Just See It”

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THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Rye Lane

Rye Lane(2023)
PG-13 ‧ Romantic Comedy ‧ 1 Hours 22 Minutes

Written by Nathan Byron and Tom Melia

Directed by Raine Allen-Miller

THE CAST

Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson

THE STORY

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in RYE LANE. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

(In their own words). Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson), two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London – helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance.

THE BEST

Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson in RYE LANE. Photo by Chris Harris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

The BEST things about the film

Moment of Brilliance – The karaoke scene in this film where Yas and Dom sing Salt And Peppa’s Shoop together….is probably my single favorite scene of the last year. It’s an absolutely adorable scene that makes the movie for me.
The Creativity – This film elevates a seemingly simple romcom to a work of art through a bold color pallet, fun cinematography, and very clever writing. Interesting movies are less about the story they are telling and more about how they tell the story. This story is told in a very creative and wonderful way.
The humor – It’s a very funny romcom. The writing is clever, the actors delivery honest and fun performances that fit into this comedic world.
Black Excellence – I don’t even want to talk about it because it really doesn’t have much to do with the film…but I feel like I would be remiss to not mention all the Black excellence in this film. This is a Black love story. It is full of wonderfully written Black characters, written by at least one Black Writer, Nathan Byron. To be honest, I couldn’t figure out if Tom Melia was Black as well (it’s very hard to find pictures of writers). The director, Raine Allen-Miller, is Black and is making an outstanding feature debut with this film. From head to toe, this film is pouring with Black excellence.

THE WORST

David Jonsson and Vivian Oparah in RYE LANE. Photo by Chris Harris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

The WORST things about the film

While it is a super creative film, it does fall into the traps of many romcoms in making a clumsy ending wrap up the story.

THE COMMENTS

While it is a romantic comedy, a big part of me want to tell you that this is a film about healing. I was once told that a breakup is kind of like a death. There is normally grieving from at least one party and it can be really difficult to learn how to move forward from after this change in your life. I think this film does a great job of exploring how these characters try to cope after a break up.

THE LESSON

Breakups are hard. How you react to a breakup doesn’t necessarily define you as a person.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes

THE FINAL WORD

Rye Lane is a very special film. It is a very creative, British romantic comedy film that takes us through the lives of two people trying to process their recent breakups. The film features some wonderful writing, cinematography, and acting. It contains possibly my single favorite scene of the last year or so. Featuring a mostly Black cast, this film shows some wonderful promise from first time director Raine Allen-Miller.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Rye Lane gets a very strong Like It.

WHERE TO WATCH

Streaming exclusively on Hulu

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THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Scream VI

SCREAM VI (2023)
R ‧ Slasher Horror ‧ Hours Minutes

Written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick

Directed by Tyler Gillett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin

THE CAST

Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere, and Courteney Cox.

Ghostface in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE STORY

(In their own words). Four survivors of the Ghostface murders leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. However, they soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage.

THE PREFACE

Okay, I have to make a confession before I start this review. I have only seen Scream 1 & 2, and to be completely honest I don’t even remember Scream 2 much. I also have a vague recollection that in some film in the franchise they started doing a thing where they were making a movie about the events in Scream but it was a fictional world within the fictional universe of Scream. But I didn’t know how it went. So I went into this film not knowing a lot of what is going on. I thought, “A good film should stand on its own and make me just want to go see the films I missed.

Jenna Ortega (“Tara Carpenter”), left, and Melissa Barrera (“Sam Carpenter” star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

The thrills. I was thrilled the entire movie. It was just super exciting. I don’t know if it’s because I was in the dark from the past movies, or if it was repetitive, or if there were swerves from the last film that I wasn’t picking on. All I know is that I was fully engaged and riveted the entire film. It works on its own. Having not known about a majority of the cast, I never felt lost. There were times I figured I should know more, but I think they did a great job of keeping the film self-contained while bringing in information that we need to know.
The humor. I was honestly shocked to go back and look and see that none of the previous films are labeled horror comedies. There’s this element of self awareness and meta humor within it that I was sure it was also a comedy. The creators just identify each of the films as a slasher horror, but this film I really do think has enough humor to get the horror comedy label.
The ensemble. I think this is a pretty terrific ensemble of friends that we get to watch in this film. The acting between each other is nice, they come off as truly having a long term friendship that works well together. The acting across the board is pretty good.

L-r, Mason Gooding (“Chad Meeks-Martin”), Jenna Ortega (“Tara Carpenter”), Jasmin Savoy Brown (“Mindy Meeks-Martin”), Devyn Nekoda (“Anika Kayoko”) and Melissa Barrera (“Sam Carpenter”) star in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s “Scream VI.”

THE WORST

The WORST things about the film

This is pure entertainment. I think the best horrors, the best comedies, the best of filmmaking happens when there is a social commentary being made. To say that this film is trying to get out a message would be a paper thin argument.
There’s some real twisting of laws of physics and common sense that needs to happen in order to make a lot of points of the film move forward. Suspension of disbelief needs to be pushed really far for this.

THE COMMENTS

I don’t know how this ranks in the series. I need to see the rest of the series. I have no idea how much this film repeats itself from other films. All I know is that what was presented to me was pretty exciting. This film has made me want to go back, watch the original, then see all the ones I missed.

THE LESSON
The past comes back to you.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Yes. In fact, I want very much just to see how well the ending works/makes sense. And I will rewatch as I go back to view the whole series.

THE FINAL WORD

A thoroughly entertaining thrill ride. I have not seen the last three films in this series and it made me want to run out and watch them all. It’s a pretty exciting film with a really terrific ensemble of actors. While it certainly has the violence for a slasher label, the film is full of really funny moments. In fact, there are elements that seem so absurd, I was a little surprised to discover it isn’t labeled a horror comedy. I could never have predicted the sixth installment of any horror film would be something I’d have been happy to have seen. But this one got me, it really got me. You scream, I scream, we all scream for Scream VI.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Scream VI gets a strong Like It.

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THE MEME REVIEW

Review: Champions

Champions (2023)
PG-13 ‧ Comedy ‧ 2 Hours 3 Minutes
Written by Bobby Farrelly
Directed by Mark Rizzo

THE CAST

Woody Harrelson as Marcus, a disgraced G-league basketball coach
Kaitlin Olson as Alex, Johnny’s sister and Marcus’ love interest
Matt Cook as Sonny, an assistant coach
Ernie Hudson as Phil Perretti, a fellow coach and Marcus’ friend
Cheech Marin as Julio, the manager of the rec center where the Friends practic
Mike Smith as Attorney McGurk
Scott Van Pelt as himself
Jalen Rose as himself

THE STORY

(In their own words) A former minor-league basketball coach receives a court order to manage a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Despite his doubts, he soon realizes that together they can go further than they ever imagined.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film;

All of the intellectually disabled actors are played actors with those disabilities and they do a fantastic job.
This movie made me smile the entire time. It was just such an enjoyable movie to watch. Touching, poignant, funny…it really hit all the right notes for me.
Woody Harrelson does a wonderful job acting and working with all of the actors/players and brings a level of prestige to a film.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film;

The writing isn’t the best. It borders on an after-school special level. It’s not intolerable, but that is I believe in large part due to the actors bringing more to the script than is there.
While mostly really respectful to the actors with the disabilities, there was one female character where I didn’t think the jokes worked because the humor may have been more directed at her than with her.

THE COMMENTS

This is an English-language remake of the 2018 Spanish film Campeones directed by Javier.
This is a film that is elevated by the actors. The script itself is a bit predictable, mildly preachy, and razor this with its premise believability. But the actors elevate this out of what it could have been.
My biggest fear about the film would be the misuse of the intellectually disabled actors and would be them making a lot of jokes at their expense. But that isn’t what happened. The film is very respectful.
I think casting Woody Harrelson in the coach position was perfect because of my knowledge of him as a person made me feel okay watching it. I assumed that he wouldn’t do a film that made fun of the players. Also, in my personal universe the film would take place in the same universe as White Men Can’t Jump.

THE LESSON

Being a champion has nothing to do with outcome, it’s a way of living.

IS IT REWATCHABLE

Absolutely.

THE FINAL WORD

Watching Champions is giving yourself an opportunity to smile for two hours. Heartwarming story and performances that elevate the script made it a solid sports-comedy film. The actors in the players in the film are in real life part of the intellectually disabled community and it was fantastic to see them have an opportunity to show a story with respectful portrayals and fully developed characters. Give yourself an opportunity to be happy and see this film.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Champions gets a Like It.

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THE MEME REVIEW

Review: The Menu

The Menu (2022)
R‧ Horror Comedy ‧ 1 Hour 46 Minutes

Written by Seth Reiss, Will Tracy
Directed by ‎Mark Mylod

THE CAST

Ralph Fiennes as Julian Slowik
Anya Taylor-Joy as Margot
Nicholas Hoult as Tyler
Hong Chau as Elsa
Janet McTeer as Lillian Bloom
Judith Light as Anne
John Leguizamo as Movie Star
Reed Birney as Richard Liebbrandt
Paul Adelstein as Ted. Lillian’s editor
Aimee Carrero as Felicity
Arturo Castro as Soren
Mark St. Cyr as Dave
Rob Yang as Bryce
Rebecca Koon as Linda
Peter Grosz as Sommelier

(From L-R): Judith Light, Reed Birney, Paul Adelstein, Janet McTeer, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Aimee Carrero, Rob Yang, Arturo Castro, and Mark St. Cyr in the film THE MENU. Photo by Eric Zachanowich. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

THE STORY

“Young couple Margot and Tyler travel to a remote island to eat at Hawthorne, an exclusive restaurant run by celebrity chef Julian Slowik, who has prepared a lavish molecular gastronomy menu where food is treated as conceptual art, although his approach to cuisine has some shocking surprises for the wealthy guests.”

MORE DETAILED STORY

(In their own words) A couple, Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), travel to a coastal island in the Pacific Northwest to eat at an exclusive restaurant, Hawthorn, where the reclusive, globally celebrated Chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish tasting menu for select special guests. Joining the couple are three young, already inebriated tech bros, Bryce (Rob Yang), Soren (Arturo Castro) and Dave (Mark St. Cyr), an older wealthy couple and repeat clients, Anne and Richard (Judith Light and Reed Birney), renowned restaurant critic Lillian Bloom (Janet McTeer) and her slavish magazine editor Ted (Paul Adelstein), and a famous middle-aged movie star (John Leguizamo) with his assistant Felicity (Aimee Carrero). Hosted by the immaculately dressed front of house staff led by general Elsa (Hong Chau), the evening unfolds with increasing tension at each of the guest tables as secrets are revealed and unexpected courses are served. With wild and violent events occurring, Slowik’s motivation begins to rattle the diners as it becomes increasingly apparent that his elaborate menu is designed to catalyze to a shocking finale.

Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes in the film THE MENU. Photo by Eric Zachanowich. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

The story – It’s a very creative story, one that I don’t think I’ve heard before. It’s suspenseful, thrilling, really funny, and you have trouble predicting where it’s going to go. Wonderful satire.
The themes – There are just so many wonderful themes about class warfare. Rich vs Poor, Have vs Have Nots, Givers vs Takers. There are so many underlying themes, the more you talk about it, the more you see.
The writing – This is a really well written film. Subtle, great dialogue, and layers upon layer of meaning behind everything.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

More backstory of most of the cooks would have really helped understand more.

The cast of the film THE MENU. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

THE LESSON

The rich don’t deserve bread.

THE FINAL WORD

This is a film that the audience should really devour. It is a tasting menu of satire, horror, comedy, thrills, and terror. Wonderfully written and speaks volumes about the role of class and the divide between the rich and the poor. This is not just another horror movie, it’s a warning that there is a breaking point and a message to the servant class about the power of saying ‘No.” Ralph Fiennes is a stand out as the celebrity chef Julian Slowik.

THE VERDICT

My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

The Menu gets a ‘Love It”

A course from the film THE MENU. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.

THE MEME REVIEW

THE TRAILER

Episode #208: The Cast of The Umbrella Men

This week Silas got to sit down with the Cast of The Umbrella Man, a new South African action/comedy/heist film, while they were in attendance at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Review: Bodies Bodies Bodies

Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (2022)
R ‧ Horror Comedy ‧ 1 Hour 35 Minutes

Screenplay by Sarah DeLappe
Story by Kristen Roupenian

Directed by ‎Halina Reijn

THE CAST

Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Rachel Sennott, Lee Pace, and Pete Davidson.

THE STORY

(In their own words)

When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong.

THE BEST

The BEST things about the film

The comedy – very funny film. Possibly now a current favorite horror comedy.
The suspense – Trying to figure out who the killer is, waiting for twists, waiting for the next death, trying to figure the whole thing out, was amazingly exciting.
The satire. The satire of the film to me seemed to be a commentary on the juxtaposition of the starring generation. This is a generation that is really in touch with their emotions and aware how their words can harm other people. Yet at the same time they feel empty.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

It’s definitely a film of convenience. Set up too perfectly.
Some exposition to explain dumb things people did, seemed unnecessary.
My lack of a time machine to go back in time and watch this again for the first time.

THE REVIEW

After every screening I see, I’m supposed to give notes to the PR firm holding the screening, let me share with you what I said to the things I told them:

“A refreshingly and surprisingly wonderfully done horror comedy, with an emphasis on the comedy.

Honest performances, never over the top, played for keeps never for laughs, but the laughs kept coming.

Pete Davidson is fantastic.

Wonderful ensemble! Acting, chemistry, they did it all so wonderfully.

Can’t wait to see it again.

It is the “do-not-miss horror of the year.”

Spot-on satire of a generation that has amazing levels of empathy and understanding of other people’s difficulties yet can’t find their own purpose.”

That should give you a sense of how I felt about this film.

They say it is a lot harder to write a review of a film you like than to write one for a film you hate. It’s really hard for me to write this review. I just want to gush over how much I enjoyed this.

I feel like I watch a lot of TV and film, and I just couldn’t predict this film. It’s horror, but it wasn’t as gory as I was afraid it would be. It showed it was also a comedy, but it was WAY funnier than I predicted. I thought I knew who the killer was, then I thought I knew who they were trying to make me think the killer was, then I thought I knew the red herring, cause it’s actually this other person….I was never right. I could just never predict what would happen. And that is absolutely exhilarating.

I don’t think the film will be considered a film to “change the genre” but it at minimum should set a bar of excellence because this film is truly wonderful. The writing is wonderful. The script is witty, the characters are fully developed, they are driven with clear motivations, they reveal things at just the right times, there are wonderfully developed social commentaries throughout the film, which is so wonderful to see in a horror comedy.

The acting is surprisingly awesome. Pete Davidson was just terrific and it makes me want to go watch his other films to see if I’ve been missing something.

THE LESSON

This movie is stacked full of lessons! It really is!

Lessons in white privilege, in ableism, in understanding the hardships others experience and trying to be an ally. But ultimately I came away with this:

Being an ally is great….but making yourself empty inside is horrible.

REWATCHABLE?

Absolutely. One of the first movies in a while that I can’t wait to watch again.

THE FINAL WORD

If you want a great laugh and scream movie, Bodies Bodies Bodies is it. It definitely has the blood and guts of a horror film. But it’s comedy makes me forget all that. This is close to the most fun I’ve had in a theater this year.

THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.

Bodies Bodies Bodies gets a Love It

THE TRAILER