Review: Prey (2022)

Prey  (2022)
R ‧ Scifi/Action – 1 hour 39 Minutes


Written by Patrick Aison

Directed by ‎Dan Trachtenberg

THE CAST

  • Amber Midthunder as Naru, a young Comanche warrior who protects her tribe against a Predator
  • Dakota Beavers as Taabe
  • Dane DiLiegro as the Predator
  • Stormee Kipp
  • Michelle Thrush
  • Julian Black Antelope

THE STORY

(In their own words) In the Comanche Nation in 1717, a fierce and highly skilled warrior named Naru learns the prey she is stalking is a highly evolved alien with a technologically advanced arsenal

(L-R): Amber Midthunder as Naru and Dane DeLiegro as the Predator in 20th Century Studios’ PREY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by David Bukach. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. It’s a really cool addition to the franchise. Love the setting in the Native American world. 
  2. They are releasing the film in a full Comanche language dubbing. This is the first time ever for a feature film. 
  3. Love seeing an action film with a really strong female lead. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The special effects of a bear are really bad. For a movie with this kind of budget….come on. Really?
  2. The lack of consistency with using Native American language and “English” and accent or no accent.  
  3. Unlike the original, there doesn’t seem to be much of a deeper underlying message to the film. It’s just there for fun. 
Amber Midthunder as Naru in 20th Century Studios’ PREY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by David Bukach. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

THE REVIEW

I will admit, I rolled my eyes when I heard they were coming out with a fifth installment of the Predator franchise called Prey. Like, haven’t we mined this franchise for enough material yet? However, once I learned about the premise I became intrigued.  This installment is technically a prequel to the others, set long ago in Native American land in 1717. From the trailer it was unclear if the Predator was the one hunting the members of the Comanche Nation or if it was the other way around. Which actually is kind of an accurate question even during the film. 

The story centers around a young female warrior, Naru (Amber Midthunder)  who’s trying to earn the respect of her fellow tribemates, when suddenly The Predator shows up.  Seemingly, the Predator seems like he’s just there to find prey to hunt. To her, it’s a sign from the gods that she’s ready to be a hunter and she’s ready to capture him. But things don’t go as easily as she hoped. 

Midhunter does a wonderful job in the lead role, showing herself to be a formidable opponent of the predator and someone who deserves the respect of it and her peers. 

At this point, the success of the film and to an extent. really comes down to whether the story they tell with the Predator is a good one. We aren’t expecting surprises, we know what the Predator’s people can do…so it is really about did they come up with a good story and execute it well. I feel like they did on both counts.

The film was full of captivating drama and action, it gave us enough of a sense to not really know how it would end throughout. We didn’t know how these folks with less technology would stand a chance against the predator. 

Dane DiLiegro as the Predator in 20th Century Studios’ PREY, exclusively on Hulu. Photo by David Bukach. © 2022 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

I enjoyed this film a lot. I’m not entirely in love with it, but it is probably the best entry into the Predator franchise since the original. I really enjoyed seeing the intersection of scifi/fantasy and the old technology living of the Comanche Nation. 

This is a great popcorn film. 

THE LESSON

Never underestimate your opponent. 

If you won’t fight back, you may not be worth it.

THE FINAL WORD

The fifth installment of the Predator franchise is probably the best one in decades. Intense, action packed, and a creative 1717 Comanche Nation setting.

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

Prey gets a Like It

WHERE TO WATCH

Prey will be streaming on Hulu in the U.S. on Friday, August 5.

THE TRAILER

Review: Gone In The Night

Gone In The Night (2022)
Rating ‧ Thriller/Mystery‧ 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Written by Matthew Derby and Eli Horowitz

Directed by ‎Eli Horowitz

THE CAST

Winona Ryder, Dermot Mulroney, Dustin Ingram, John Gallagher Jr., And Brianne Tju

THE STORY

(In their own words) Upon arriving at a remote cabin for a getaway, a woman and her boyfriend discover another couple already staying there. They decide to share the rental for the night, but the boyfriend’s disappearance sparks a race for answers.

THE BEST
The BEST things about the film

  1. Winona Ryder – I will really watch anything she does. She definitely delivers and carries the film. Her performance is so nuanced, like early on in the film she does little things in the rearview mirror, subtle looks that later end up being very important.
  2. Editing – The way they edited the film in a non-linear framework really made the mystery compelling. They also really tightly edited the film, it was nice and short and didn’t have extra fluff in the film. Kept the story direct and focused.
  3. The suspense – The film is certainly suspenseful. Director Eli Horowitz definitely hit the tone of the film well. The first half of the film is especially intriguing.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The main premise, the inciting incident of Kath (Winona Ryder) agreeing to stay overnight with a couple strangers was just kind of preposterous. I had a hard time getting over the fact that I didn’t believe she would be willing to stay. And then so easily accept the explanation for why her boyfriend disappears…fundamental foundation problems.
  2. Predictability – The mystery didn’t take too long to start figuring out that something else happened than initially presented and we get a good guess on where it’s going. I can’t say I had a prediction for the end of the film, but with a smaller cast you know too quick who all the players will be.
  3. The third act – The third act of the film is a bit of a head scratcher. Bizarre and possibly unearned. The film deserved better than the ending that we get. 

THE REVIEW

The film feels like a late night movie you catch repeating on HBO a bunch so you finally watch it and wonder…”I thought Winona was doing pretty well at this point in her career, I wonder why she did this film. “ Winona Ryder is certainly the draw to the film and her acting is quite wonderful and nuanced…she didn’t need to do this film, but the film definitely needed her.  She really does a wonderful job in the film. She is the source of making every seen engaging, mysterious, and you want her to solve the mystery. The film simply wouldn’t have worked without her cast in the film. 

That being said, the rest of the cast does a really good job in their respective roles. Brianne Tju has a really interesting quality to her that brings an air of mystery. You always get the sense that there’s something she isn’t saying. She certainly has that “it” factor. 

What the film does well is tone. It does a really good job of creating an intriguing atmosphere that while watching, you can somewhat go along with the story. But it’s one of those films that the more you think about it, the film starts to unravel. 

THE LESSON

Learn to be okay within your own skin.

THE FINAL WORD

Winona Ryder is outstanding in this mystery that will have you on the edge of your seat for the first half of the film and then scratching your head for the last third. 

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

Gone In The Night gets a Like It.

THE TRAILER

Review: DC League of Super-pets

DC League of Super-Pets (2022)
PG ‧ Animated Action Adventure ‧ 106 minutes


Written by John Whittington

Directed by ‎Jared Stern

THE CAST

Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, John Krasinski, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, Thomas Middleditch, Ben Schwartz, and Keanu Reeves.

THE STORY

(In their own words) Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime side by side in Metropolis. However, when the Man of Steel and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a ragtag group of animals to master their own newfound powers for a rescue mission

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. Humor, lots of animated physical comedy. I watched it with two of my kids, one six and one four, and they both laughed a lot during it.  Especially in the first 20 minutes. 
  2. There are some touching moments such as when Krpyto (Dwayne Johnson) and Ace (Kevin Hart) connect over Ace’s traumatic moment that led to him being sent to a rescue.
  3. Really nice family friendly superhero story you can bring kids to so they can enjoy super-heroes in the theater.  
  4. Fun characters. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. As much as it’s being advertised as a buddy comedy between Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, We know since it is an animated film, we know that they record their voices separately. You aren’t going to feel this chemistry between them.  That is marketing. For some reason, this film more than others you don’t get a sense of chemistry between characters. And I’m honestly not sure why I get that feeling. 
  2. There’s not a lot memorable about the film.  
  3. I find animated films a bit hard to connect with overall, but this one truly didn’t spend the time in making a strong connection and relatability with the audience.

THE REVIEW

I wanted to like this. I really did. I’m a big DC fanboy. I like a lot of the films in the DC universe that most people don’t. It was lighthearted, but unmemorable. It had some fun characters like the evil bald guinea pig hellbent on world domination, but we really don’t care enough about them to emotionally invest. The main protagonist Krypto, played by the charismatic Dwayne Johnson, somehow wasn’t very likable. And I love Dwayne John. Too bad dogs can’t do the People’s Eyebrow. 

I did laugh out loud a few times with my kids. I will admit that. But 90% of my enjoyment of the film was based on their reaction. It’s a kid’s cartoon. Which is okay. I get a lot of enjoyment watching my kid’s enjoy movies. I hope this spurns a love of movies for them. 

THE LESSON

Love isn’t about spending every moment together, but rather what you would do for the person you love. 

THE FINAL WORD

A less than memorable animated film that may be better suited for a night out with kids. Yet, still better than Justice League. Maybe the grown up superhero films need more pets. 

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

I give this a Lose It for Adults but A Like It for children. 

THE TRAILER

Review: Elvis

Elvis  (2022)
PG-13 ‧ Musical/Drama ‧ 2 hours 39 Minutes

Written by Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce and Jeremy Doner

Directed by ‎Baz Luhrmann

THE CAST

 Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Olivia DeJonge, Luke Bracey, Natasha Bassett, David Wenham, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Xavier Samuel, and Kodi Smit-McPhee

THE STORY

(In their own words) Elvis Presley rises to fame in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

THE BEST


The BEST things about the film

  1. Loved that this is one of the first films to really show how much Black music influenced Elvis by him growing up in the culture. 
  2. This first ½ of the film is filmmaking at its best.
  3. Tom Hanks is brilliant in his role as Colonel Tom Parker. Hanks has this amazing ability to draw us in to watch him in a film and then let us forget that it is him. 
  4. Cinematography is fantastic in this, the editing is wonderful. It really does a great job telling this story.
  5. Despite having seen a lot of films about Elvis, I feel like this film actually showed us a new story. 
  6. The pacing is great. It’s a long film but it  didn’t feel like it. 
  7. The music. You have to like the Elvis music style a little bit to enjoy this. But even outside of his singing there is a lot of rhythm and blues music, showing us what Elvis was influenced by. 
  8. It actually made me care about Elvis again, which I didn’t think would happen since I was twelve years old. 
  9. Austin Butler’s performance is an amazing impersonation of Elvis.
  10. This film finally got me to understand why girls went crazy for Elvis. The cinematography really created this understanding. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. It really glosses over some really bad stuff about Elvis – like how old Priscilla was when he married her, and his cheating on her while on the road.
  2. Some of the music choices, like including rap during his walking around the Black neighborhoods, didn’t work for me because they didn’t continue throughout.
  3. It suffers a typical problem of biopics, this film struggles in the third act trying to include his whole life. It would work better to just be a section of his life. 
  4. At no point did the film seem relevant to today. I kept asking, why this film? Why now? I really didn’t need this. 
  5. The music wasn’t that memorable and I would expect the Moulin Rouge director to do better with a piece like this.

THE LESSON

It doesn’t matter what you accomplish, if you are unhappy with yourself, you’ll never feel like you’ve done anything.

THE FINAL WORD

The first ½ of the film is worth the ticket price. This is an interesting take on Elvis but not one that feels especially poignant for today. 

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

Elvis gets a Like It.

THE TRAILER



THE REVIEWER

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Review: Jurassic World Dominion

Jurassic World Dominion
PG-13 ‧ Adventure/Sci-fi ‧ 2h 26m

Screenplay by Emily Carmichael and Colin Trevorrow
Story by Derek Connolly

Directed by ‎Colin Trevorrow

THE CAST

Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, DeWanda Wise, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong, Omar Sy

THE STORY

(In their own words) Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live–and hunt–alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history’s most fearsome creatures in a new Era. 

(from left) Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill), Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Maisie Lockwood (Isabella Sermon) and Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

THE REVIEW

If this movie was a dinosaur, it would be a Funasaurus Rex. 

This is the sixth film in the Jurassic park/world franchise. The original was a masterpiece, in part because it was the first time we saw dinosaurs on screen at that quality of animatronics with touches of CGI, and it was the first time exploring this universe. Not to mention it being directed by Steven Spielberg who is a master storyteller. At this point in the franchise, there are just naturally going to be less mystery and less surprises about this universe. One of the biggest mistakes sequels make is trying to recapture the former glory by repeating the same tricks, by following the exact same formula. Also, with CGI becoming so much cheaper and studios wanting to utilize it, I think it hurts franchises like this. The limitations of CGI actually help in creating mystery and with story telling. I am of the strong opinion that limitations are great for storytelling. 

Where this film exceeds is in its special effects  and the storytelling.

The special effects; at times it’s hard to tell which is a practical animatronic dinosaur and when it’s CGI, the biggest give away is when it does “too much.” But also, the CGI itself is pretty incredible. There are times I had to tell myself “dinosaurs aren’t real, this is just a story, breath, Silas. In through the nose, out through your mouth.” 

Storytelling; I liked  that it managed to tell a somewhat new story within this established universe. Are they stories I’ve never seen? Not really, but I loved the way it was told and that they put them in this world. The story is split in the first two-thirds between two narratives – one following the original Jurassic Park stars and the second by the Jurassic World stars, until they inevitably meet up. This isn’t a spoiler because you know this is something that has to happen. 

(from left) Kayla Watts (DeWanda Wise) and Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

Let me say this though, if you are coming to a film about dinosaurs walking modern day earth as a result of cloning technology and the complete breakdown of the amusement park they were built for, you need to be watching this film with a very open mind. You need to be watching this for the fun of it, for the wild entertainment, to enjoy it like an amusement park ride. This is not meant to be Shakespeare, we know we are not watching a serious academy award contender. This is not going to be a Million Dollar Baby with dinosaurs.  

Do I wanna see crap? No. Do I expect crap? No. Not at these ticket prices.  What I want is to be swept away into a fun story that doesn’t make me think too much, and plays within its own defined laws of physics, science, and stretched believability. I think Jurassic World Dominion does that. 

Two people behind me thought it was hard to follow the story because it jumped around so much. I think maybe they are idiots and I guess they don’t like subplots. It followed the story telling technique  of something like Empire Strikes Back, which while I love it, isn’t exactly rocket science. 

THE BEST
Three BEST things about the film

  1. Special effects.  The animation is really incredible. The use of “practical dinosaurs was great. Hard to distinguish which were CGI and which were animatronic. 
  2. They actually found an original story to tell within this Jurassic Park world setting. This wasn’t just a rehash of old plots, it had definite nods to the past, but those were mostly pretty subtle. 
  3. Pacing and surprises. The film went by really fast.  There are definitely a fair number of twists and turns in the film to keep suspense up throughout the film.

THE WORST

A Mosasaurus in Jurassic World Dominion, co-written and directed by Colin Trevorrow.

The three WORST things about the Film

  1. There’s a lot of movies to watch before this to get the full emotional depth the film would provide. 
  2. There’s only so many ways to get eaten by dinosaurs, so there are limits to what the film can do with action scenes. 
  3. Even if you suspend your belief for the dinosaurs, you have to really not have your thinking cap on as far as physics and laws of science would work.  Don’t think too hard for this film. 

THE LESSON
There are actually many lessons from this film.

1. Biotech companies that alter food are nearly always questionable

2. Our desire to mess with natural law  will lead to our deaths. 

3.  Humans tend to fail to learn from their mistakes when there’s money to be made. 

THE FINAL WORD

This movie is a thrill ride for your soul, not for your brain. Grab some popcorn but not a big drink because the runtime is so long. 

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

I give Jurassic World Dominion a Love it, because it is something I definitely want to see again. 

THE TRAILER

THE REVIEWER

ABOUT SILAS LINDENSTEIN

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Episode 201: Shila Ommi and Apple TV’s Tehran

Shila Ommi from Apple TV+’s show Tehran stops by to talk about the opportunities streaming and Apple TV+ is giving her, her background in Theatre, and she answers our world famous Seven Questions.

Review – The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
R ‧ Action/Comedy ‧ 1 Hour 47 Minutes

Written by  Kevin Etten &‎ Tom Gormican

Directed by ‎Tom Gormican

THE CAST

  • Nicolas Cage
  • Pedro Pascal
  • Sharon Horgan
  • Ike Barinholtz
  • Alessandra Mastronardi
  • Jacob Scipio
  • Neil Patrick Harris
  • Tiffany Haddish

THE STORY

(In their own words) Unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, actor Nick Cage accepts a $1 million offer to attend a wealthy fan’s birthday party. Things take a wildly unexpected turn when a CIA operative recruits Cage for an unusual mission. Taking on the role of a lifetime, he soon finds himself channeling his most iconic and beloved characters to save himself and his loved ones.

THE REVIEW

Nicholas Cage is obviously a massive talent. He has what most actors dream of….a distinct voice and style of acting that draws people. 

Above all though, he’s an artist.  I believe that it takes true artistry to be self-reflective and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is a great opportunity for Nicholas Cage to be self-reflective and self-deprecating.  Nicholas Cage shows he is not afraid to make fun of himself and how self aware he is of how the public at large sees him.  The film is a clear fictional version of Cage, but clearly painted with a lot of truth. Truths that lesser men may not be able to handle. 

The essence of the story is that a financially struggling Nicholas Cage takes a million dollar paycheck to attend a fans birthday party. While there, he learns that his fan may be a high profile drug lord and the FBI wants his help to save a woman they believe is being held on the estate. 

The results of this are a wonderful, refreshingly original comedy. Cage is a comedic force in the film. It’s a great tribute to Nicholas Cage that will be enriched by how many films of his you have seen, the good and the bad. The film is part buddy comedy, part action comedy, but whatever it is doing, it is consistently funny. 

I love how self aware the film is…, it’s so layered. It’s almost a movie within a movie within a movie. Are we watching what happened or a story told about what happened? 

There are really only two points of the film I didn’t care for. One, is that I think a film focusing on the celebrity of a Hollywood actor shouldn’t have so many other recognizable faces co-starring. I think it takes us out of the film. It constantly reminds me that the story isn’t real because Nicholas cage is pretending he’s talking to an agent when it’s obviously Neil Patrick Harris. Give us unknown actors for these roles. 

The second point is the end of the film. I can’t tell if they just ran out of time, or just weren’t sure how to end it. But I felt as if I was robbed of a solid ending to the film with a little bit of slight of hand. 

Javi Gutierrez’ (Pedro Pascal, left) and ‘Nicolas Cage’ (Nicolas Cage, right) zooming through the mountains of Mallorca, Spain. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate

THE BEST


BEST things about the film

  1. Original
  2. Self-Aware
  3. Pacing
  4. Very funny.

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. I don’t feel like we get the ending we deserve. 
  2. I wish other actors in the film were not so well known. I really like the idea of Nick Cage the movie star being amongst all these regular people. But having other semi-stars around him takes away the potential realness feelings of some of the scenes. I really wish the roles played by Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris, and Pedro Pascal were played by unknowns, even though they do a fine job. 

THE LESSON

Being a Hollywood star doesn’t mean life is easy. 

‘Nicolas Cage’ (Nicolas Cage) greets ‘Javi Gutierrez’ with a ‘Palm Hold Fist’ salute as he arrives in Mallorca, Spain. Photo Credit: Katalin Vermes/Lionsgate

THE FINAL WORD

A very funny love letter to Nicholas Cage that could only work being starred by Nicholas Cage himself. It is hilarious, self-aware, and very inventive. 

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

Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent gets a Love It.

THE TRAILER

THE REVIEWER

ABOUT SILAS

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Review – X (2022)

X  (2022)
R ‧ Horror • 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Written by Ti West
Directed by ‎Ti West

THE CAST

Mia Goth; Jenna Ortega; Martin Henderson; Brittany Snow; Scott Mescudi. 

THE STORY

(In their own words) In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their reclusive, elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast soon find themselves in a desperate fight for their lives.

THE REVIEW

Horror is not my “go to” genre. It’s one that I’ve really tried to enjoy, but mostly I get too scared to watch alone, and reviewing movies can mean watching a lot of movies by myself. So, if it weren’t for a friend offering to attend the press screening for X with me, I wouldn’t have gone, though I was intrigued. 

I was mainly intrigued since the film is being distributed by A24 Films and over the last year, I’ve come to find that A24 Films tends to release surprisingly good films.  So I had a hunch I might enjoy it. And I did, I actually really enjoyed the film, though there is a lot to digest from it. 

The basic part of the plot is a group of young filmmakers are setting out to shoot an adult film. The director, Wayne,  wants it to be a huge financial success like Debbie Does Dallas. The cinematographer, RJ, wants it to be a more artistic film than most pornos. He wants it to be a high quality film and raise the genre up as a whole, that’s his mission and reason for doing the film, aside from just paying the bills.  Which is fitting because my impression of the film was that it was really raising the bar on horror films. It was shot with much more finesse than most horror films. Its acting is solid throughout, the writing is really good, the film moves in different directions than you suspect, and manages to captivate you as a viewer, not to just see what the next brutal killing will be, but you want to know how the story will end.   

This is also the second film this year I’ve seen Jenna Ortega in, and I have to say she is turning in some wonderful performances recently. I think she’s showing that she is going to be a force in cinema really soon. She’s not alone in a solid acting performance, but she is the character that gets to experience a major change during the story. She’s the only one that makes a choice to change her life and it’s compelling to watch. The entire cast does a very fine acting job. It’s one of the best ensemble pieces of the year so far. 

The film is tense. There is a huge amount of build up for the true action gets started. It lays a lot of groundwork in the beginning of the film, but in a really good way. The first hour of the film is used really well to set up how this thing will finish. Just excellent pacing throughout. 

There are also a couple of really cool editing choices. Superfast back and forth jump cut edits of different locations  and of what is happening. They are nearly jarring to the point of looking like a mistake when it first happens, until you realize they are making a deliberate choice. 

This is really a first rate film, not just an excellent horror. The sum of the parts of this make it a really good film. But don’t be fooled, it is a horror. There’s some graphic slashing scenes that aren’t for the faint of heart, it’s a horror. A really good one.  

DSC_2846.NEF

THE BEST
Three BEST things about the film

  1. Unexpected twists. 
  2. I like that it’s not just a slasher horror. It was actually very cinematic and had some heart to it. 
  3. Well developed characters. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. Some ridiculous choices by characters to advance the plot. 
  2. Too convenient for many parts.

THE LESSON

Ask permission from homeowners before you shoot a film in their property.

THE FINAL WORD

A surprisingly elevated horror film, bringing an artistic eye to a genre where you don’t expect it. 

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

X gets a Like It 

THE TRAILER

THE REVIEWER

ABOUT SILAS

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.

Review – Alice (2022)

Alice (2022)
R ‧ Drama/Thriller ‧ 1h 38m


Written by Krystin Ver Linden

Directed by ‎Krystin Ver Linden

THE CAST

 Keke Palmer; Jonny Lee Miller; Common; Gaius Charles; Alicia Witt

THE STORY

(In their own words) Alice, an enslaved person yearning for freedom on a Georgia plantation, escapes through the woods and stumbles through time into the year 1973. After she meets a disillusioned political activist, she confronts the lies that kept her enslaved.

THE REVIEW

The biggest thing about Alice that I couldn’t shake were the words from the trailer, ‘Inspired by true events”. I had to research this after seeing the film. Turns out,  In 1960 a Black woman was found to be still held in slavery in the south.  There are so many incredible injustices that have happened to Black Americans over the last couple hundred years, even after I think I’ve heard all the stories there are to tell, I find an all new story. 

Alice is a powerful and emotional film. Opening up on the slave Alice, played by Keke Palmer working on a southern plantation, on what appears to be the early 1800s, it seems like we are going to have a typical story of a slave owner and his mistreatment of the slaves. But there are early hints of something wrong, something mysterious. One of the slave hand speaks of his father meeting a man who could make fire from his hands (a lighter). These little mysterious things pop in letting us know something is off. 

The master of the plantation is obsessed with Alice. After she secretly marries her boyfriend, the master becomes very upset and tells her husband he is going to send him away for
“breeding” purposes. And later, the master then forces himself upon Alice. Here is where you will get a lot of complaints. You will hear criticisms of torture porn or something like that. Because there are way too many movies of Black people in slavery and they often have rape scenes. It’s almost a trope at this point. But it’s really hard to tell a story involving that time and make it seem realistic without showing the horrors of what was happening. If a filmmaker doesn’t show the extreme ugliness of what was happening they can get accused of glossing it over and making it not seem so bad. It’s really a catch 22 for filmmakers dealing with this era. 

At this point, after a series of events involving her husband, Alice escapes the plantation, and makes her way onto a 1970’s modern interstate highway, where she faints upon almost getting run over by a semi truck driven by Frank, played by musician/actor Common. Frank takes her to a hospital and it is at this point that we realize she is not a time traveler, she isn’t crazy, she was being held in an unbelievable situation. She is caught between wanting to help her family she left behind and worried about not being believed by local police and sent to an insane asylum.  This is also the deep south in 1973, the police aren’t likely to be very helpful to her anyway.

The film has some really great moments. Keke Palmer’s performance is a masterpiece. Her acting is raw and emotionally open. Following her through each discovery is incredible. The pacing of the film is really nice, the story is compelling throughout, and it really does a wonderful job mixing the thrill and mystery in the beginning of the film, without giving away too much of what is going on. 

It’s an unnerving story, and it really does its job of compelling you to tell other people about it. While the specifics of the story are made up, the fact that the basic event of the film is true is both mind boggling and profoundly gut wrenching.  First time director Krystin Ver Linden did an exemplary job of crafting the film with the right tones, for in some ways this is two films in one. One is the world of slavery that Alice starts in before she finds the rabbit hole to freedom. Both worlds were distinctly different but clearly in the same universe. That’s what takes a lot of skill. 

This film made me tell all my neighbors about it and what the film is based on. What else can you ask from a film? It takes a really good film to make you talk about it and the source material, and this pulled that off. I urge you to take a look at this Sundance premiering film as it opens up nationwide. 

THE BEST


Three BEST things about the film

  1. The story is really engaging. 
  2. Acting performances are solid throughout. 
  3. Writing of the story and dialogue  is excellent. 
  4. Finally a twist on the traditional “slave” stories. 

THE WORST

The WORST things about the Film

  1. The time on the “outside” happens too fast. She should learn the history a lot slower. But I don’t know how to solve that and keep the pacing going. 
  2. It’s hard to keep watching the violence on Slaves movie after movie, but like mentioned before, how do you show the horrors without the horrors.

THE LESSONS

Doing the right thing is never wrong.

Just because a story is unbelievable doesn’t mean it isn’t true.

THE FINAL WORD

A compelling and thought provoking film that you’ll want to tell others about. 

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

Alice gets a Love It from me. 

THE TRAILER

ABOUT SILAS

When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.