Pizza Movie
I made sure to have pizza while watching the film. I had Domino's Handmade Pan Pizza, pepperoni and Italian sausage. I also had their Sweet Honey BBQ Loaded Chicken. I eat way too much, but somehow, I went through this meal easily. I had similar pizza meals the previous 2 weeks and it took me 3+ hours to eat the pizza. I managed to finish the pizza just when the 3rd act started. Anyway, this movie was okay. The writer/director pair seemingly wanted this to be like a 90s teen comedy, but it's more of a pastiche than a true embodiment of that style. It's basically a stoner movie without the marijuana. The main characters were in a series of wacky events while high from pill. I was hoping that the movie would go crazy with visuals to go along with the drugged out conditions of the characters. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't go far enough there. I wanted crazy visual detours. There was a brief sequence where a certain location is depicted via a black-and-white animation. I wanted more of that. The movie dabbles with crazy visuals, but they were so brief. At least the main cast was enjoyable, the 3 actors had nice chemistry. One of them is from Stranger Things, Gaten Matarazzo. He was great overall, and the writer/directors clearly had the story created with him in mind because they kept talking shit about his face! I know the guy has a distinct face, but while watching the movie, I kept thinking that he looked like a young Sean Schemmel. Schemmel is the English voice of Goku. There's a scene where an older version of Gaten's character appears. I wanted it to be Sean Schemmel! Anyway, the movie is extremely dumb. I kept questioning things from the movie, but had to tell myself to turn the brain off. It really is a movie to watch while having a simple, over-indulgent meal like pizza. I didn't laugh a lot from the film, but I had a decent time. I was never bored, I really liked the performances from most of the cast, including the supporting players. I can see some of those supporting actors being fixtures in future comedy films. In a way, the movie reminds me of Snack Shack where the goal was to be a throwback. Snack Shack had a dramatic turn that made the movie really standout. Pizza Movie didn't have that kind of edge, but it's still pretty creative. I appreciated the effort. I know the movie has gotten some flak, but it's nothing to get mad about. It's dumb fun.
7/10
Hokum
A step above Damian McCarthy's previous film, Oddity. This film is tighter with a better execution of the slow burn than Oddity. Both films have similar themes to the point that you can tell they're by the same director. That said, Hokum does stand on its own. It's not a retread at all. A big reason for that is the leading performance from Adam Scott. Obviously, he was the MVP of the film. I like that his character was an asshole. He was basically the only gray character in the film, everyone else was black and white. Ultimately, he's one to root for, especially because he's not the most unlikable person in the film. Similar to Oddity, the supernatural horror is advertised for people, but the human horror is the real sauce. It grounds the movie, making it feel a little more realistic than one might expect with a story about a haunted hotel and a witch. Like Oddity, the movie is primarily set in one location. The movie never feels boring because of that. I never felt a lull. The biggest reason for that is that there was a major reveal multiple times in the narrative. Things became more intriguing as the story unraveled. Even when it seemed like everything was revealed and the third act is a go, one more reveal comes toward the end. I like that. Slow-burning horror films aren't my favorite, but Hokum works because it actively keeps things interesting. The scares are mostly effective. The cinematography is solid, going along with the suspense of the film. The design of the main location was great. The sound design is a major player, with a bunch of grating and disturbing sounds.
I wish the movie were gory! I got a little annoyed at the film for cutting away from violent moments. I think the movie is only rated R because of the dark subject matter, things that wouldn't fly for a PG-13 film. It wasn't R-rated because of violence or sexual themes. While I complain about the movie not going far enough in the violence, I think that wasn't the point of the film. It was more about atmosphere and a more retro-feeling mindset. It definitely owes itself to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Damian McCarthy has established himself as a unique and valuable voice in horror, and I look forward to what he does next.
8/10
Ready or Not
This was the third time I watched the movie. I reviewed it back in October 2024. I had to revisit it to get a refresher for the sequel. The movie holds up, it's still a lot of fun with no dull moments. All killer, no filler. It's also still very funny in places. Nearly every cast member has at least one funny moment. More important than the laughs was the violence. The gore in this movie was pretty cool, some instances were played up for comedy! That worked for me. Watching this a day after Hokum, I was very pleased to watch a movie that gave me certain thrills that Hokum didn't. Most notably, gore. Obviously, they're two different movies, but I prefer fun stuff. That just feels especially right for the weekend. On top of all that, Samara Weaving was such a star. She was a fantastic protagonist in the film, and that's mostly because of her. The writing for her character, Grace, is very basic, so it pretty much fell on the actress to really bring the character to life. I think Samara Weaving did that through her natural charm and strong command of the material. It just felt like she embodied Grace. She understood the assignment. It was so easy to root for her. It also helped that the character wasn't a badass from the start. She more or less developed into one. She doesn't blatantly kill someone until the third act. The violent scenes featuring her before that were either self-defense or accidental.
An important and horny shout-out to Andie MacDowell. Total MILF in this movie. In the third act, she has a conversation with Alex, her son, and Grace's new husband. She sat down, lifted her dress a bit, exposing her upper leg. YES! She was reaching for her cigarettes. Anyway, Adam Brody was also pretty good. The whole cast was a treat, but Samara Weaving was easily the most likable. The film, overall, was a nice reminder that I should watch more films starring Weaving. She's carved out a great career path filled with genre films, especially horror. A modern-day scream queen for sure. Ready or Not is more of a survival thriller/comedy with horror elements, but the point still stands. Ready or Not was also a nice reminder of how much I vibe with Radio Silence's brand of entertainment. The kind that goes all-in as a genre romp with brisk pacing, always wanting to go bigger and crazier as the movie goes on. They pulled this off in this film and Abigail. I was confident that they did the same thing for the Ready or Not sequel. As far as which film is their best, it comes down a bit to preference. I'd rate this film and Abigail the same, for example. I prefer Ready or Not to Abigail. That film is essentially a vampire film, while Ready or Not is basically an "Eat the rich" film. Maybe there was a time when those films became tiring, but as capitalism becomes more soulless, infuriating, and evil, "Eat the Rich" films become more satisfying. Ready or Not is extremely satisfying.
8/10
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come
Much of what made the first Ready or Not fun was present in this sequel. Radio Silence went bigger here. I can't say for sure it's better. I was a little surprised by how good this film is. I feared a significant drop-off, but I didn't get that. I think a major reason for that is being a huge fan of action movies. This sequel veers more into action territory than the previous film, even going for one-liners! Samara Weaving once again leads a Radio Silence film with such gusto and infectious energy. Kathryn Newton paired well with her as Grace's sister up until a certain section. That section of the movie is my least favorite because the writing was pretty weak. The sisters had a major falling-out, which was so predictable and such a speed bump. The film worked best with its foot on the pedal, never stopping. Slowing down for sister problems didn't work for me, and the actresses couldn't elevate the material. Thankfully, the action and overall genre thrills in the film do so much to overshadow this. Still, had that section of the movie not been present, I would have leaned toward this being superior to the first Ready or Not. It just worked so well for me, and I really didn't expect that.
The supporting cast was so great. Elijah Wood worked as a necessary lore dumper while also clearly having a fun time. Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy were a very dynamic pair, with the latter being a little scary late in the movie. All the actors playing the other families were entertaining in their own ways. The biggest surprise among that group was the little Spanish boy. He actually got the biggest laugh out of me in the whole movie. Kevin Durand was an early highlight, his screen time was much shorter than in Abigail. But his character in this film is a lot more zany. There was an Indian guy who seemed to be inspired by Aziz Ansari. He was a little short, very loud, meager, and obnoxious. He was a lot more likable than Aziz Ansari!
The movie has more dazzling action sequences, better displays of gore, higher production value, more variety in locations, and just everything that truly makes this bigger than the previous movie. I might think it's better than the original Ready or Not after multiple viewings. I just have more history with Ready or Not, and there's something scrappy and humble about that film. It was an unexpected cult hit. While Ready or Not 2 is obviously crafted to be a hit. Either way, this sequel was another example of Radio Silence having so much fun, and I just so happen to vibe with their brand of fun.
8/10
They Will Kill You
If you type the movie in the Letterboxd search bar, you will get Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2 underneath it. That's funny! It's as if Letterboxd's algorithm is telling you what They Will Kill You is inspired by. Director Kirill Sokolov ripped off Tarantino big time. Certain camera shots resembled what Tarantino did in many of his movies, including Kill Bill and Django Unchained. To give an example, the fast zoom-in shot that was used for Leo's introduction in Django, and Uma Thurman pulling up at Vivica A. Fox's house, and the Ironside theme plays. Zazie Beetz was basically written and directed to be like The Bride in Kill Bill, even down to her gruff delivery and always having a scowl. A family member is in danger. In this film, it's the younger sister instead of the daughter. Zazie Beetz is barefoot for pretty much the whole movie. That does point to Die Hard, but you can't help but think of Tarantino's famous foot fetish. Not to mention some creep had a bit of fun with Zazie Beetz's feet in one scene. The blood shooting out into the air like in Kill Bill or many violent Japanese films. That's an important note to make. I say that this film ripped off Tarantino, but Tarantino has ripped off so many other filmmakers. To say They Kill You rips off Kill Bill is also to say that it takes a lot from Asian cinema and a few motifs from spaghetti westerns. The movie doesn't concern itself with originality. I do get the sense that there's an unapologetic sense of adventure, as well as being style over substance. I was able to let the movie slide with the thin story and lack of originality. I was rewarded. This is a pretty fun movie. Sometimes it's too derivative and stylish that I feel disconnected from the film. But I always get brought back in. Someone who helped keep me invested was Zazie Beetz. She easily carries the film. Even though she's clearly drawn from The Bride, she stands out because of her whole appearance. That includes being Black. You rarely get a Black heroine. I was very delighted that Zazie Beetz got to lead a movie, as I thought she was nice in Deadpool 2 and Bullet Train.
The supporting cast is decent. A few of them are actors I know pretty well, and it was especially nice to see them do a wacky movie like this. Heather Graham was especially delightful. The last film I watched her in was Gunslingers, which was complete shit. Heather Graham deserved better, and seemingly, some people agree because she was in this and is currently shooting the next season of White Lotus. She was the subject of a running gag that worked well enough for me. Patricia Arquette was also memorable. Not for the best of reasons. I found her Irish accent a bit odd. Also, with her being married to a Black man, I couldn't help but think of Holes! I imagined that this movie was an alternate reality if she and Dule Hill didn't die in Holes, and they went on to sell their souls to the Devil. Tom Felton, aka Draco Malfoy, was in this. Interestingly, his character's name was Kevin Sullivan, a former wrestler and manager. He was also quite bizarre. I then thought Tom Felton looked like a younger version of that Kevin Sullivan. Anyway, he was okay in the film. The woman who played the main character's sister was pretty good.
The violence in the movie is very stylized. The choreography was pretty good, though it heavily reminds me of the Kill Bill fight scenes, especially in Volume 1. Characters being sent flying from gunshots and whatnot, that was also prominent in Tarantino films. Most of the action sequences are nice, with multiple funny parts. There's something special about the people at the Virgil Hotel that certainly isn't lifted from a Tarantino film. The gimmick is interesting, but it made the results of fight scenes very predictable. The stakes didn't feel so high because of that gimmick. Still, the action was more satisfying than not. The production design was also sweet, with the hotel interiors being very colorful. The Virgil felt like a character in the movie with how detailed some of the sets were and the various actions done in these locations. The cinematography, despite featuring shots Tarantino utilized in his career, was still pretty dazzling. The storytelling structure was similar to Kill Bill, where you'd move forward and then flash back to stuff, almost a pattern with this movie.
Interestingly, the movie was released in theaters a few weeks after Ready or Not 2. The main reason I watched the two films close together was that I heard about the similarities and how they may have hurt They Will Kill You at the box office. The movie didn't review very well anyway. This film and the Ready or Not movies involve satanic cults comprised of rich people. They dabble in horror, but are also comedies. The balancing of action and comedy is more similar to Ready or Not 2. Leading ladies reuniting with their estranged sisters! The cult must make a sacrifice in both Ready or Not and They Will Kill You. The movies are set in one main location. Guns and swords are used a lot. All these films are gory. The gore in They Will Kill You was more animated. The main character is aided by someone from the inside, a traitor to the cult. I could keep going, it's just crazy how similar these movies are. One thing that They Will Kill You has that neither Ready or Not film has is Black people! Okay, Ready or Not 2 briefly featured a Black woman at the hospital, but she was practically an extra. This movie was willing to have some melanin. While that's a major positive, it doesn't make They Will Kill You better than the Ready or Not films. Those are more grounded in comparison, and I appreciate that. This movie goes places, and it's fun, but it just didn't land like the Ready or Not films or Tarantino films. Or Sam Raimi films! Oh, this movie definitely has some Raimi-isms.
Despite all that, I'm ultimately being nicer to this film than seemingly most people. I did have a good time watching the film. It's very derivative and kept making me think of better films, but it still managed to be entertaining.
7/10
Is God Is
I watched this on Father's Day. The film's title might be off-putting. Certain elements of this film could also be considered off-putting. But I was so into this movie. The movie was an odyssey of sorts, with twin ladies searching for their dad, who burned them and their mother. As someone who had no father figure, it was easy for me to side with the women. Even though the dad was played by Sterling K. Brown, a man who more often plays decent people, I wanted the guy to suffer. There was quite a bit of suffering up until the climax of the movie, and it was always striking. The movie is a concentrated dose of Black female rage. This felt more specific to Black women than They Will Kill You. The writer/director is a Black woman, Aleshea Harris. This was her debut film, and what a bold and confident debut! The movie might be heavy-handed in its messaging, but it worked so well for me. The story is tragic, but the way the movie flowed, the way the violence was presented, and quite a bit of the dialogue and acting, screamed "genre film." Most of the movie was set during the day, and the various locations were filled with very green fields and yards. This was a surprisingly colorful movie.
Aleshea Harris lucked out with the cast as they all seemed to be very down. The most down, the person who seemingly embodied the spirit of the movie the most was Kara Young, who played one of the twins, Racine. She was so commanding and charismatic. Vivica A. Fox was the mother of the twins. If Tarantino ever did Kill Bill Volume 3, he should cast Kara Young as Fox's character's daughter! She would have the right mean streak, and she would be able to square up. All she would need is a rock in a sock. Mallori Johnson, who played the other twin, Anaia, was also great. Not as aggressive, but that was necessary. The sisters were able to stand out and have individual highlights. Unsurprisingly, they're fantastic together, such great chemistry. Sterling K. Brown was fantastic as the villain. The kind of villain that's menacing, but also calm, and says some things that are baffling, such as his justification for burning the twins' mother. I liked how Sterling K. Brown was shot, sticking to a certain tactic until the third act, the main event. Vivica A. Fox was a treat. She mentioned Sterling K. Brown being hesitant to be very physical with her, but she told him that she can handle it because she did Kill Bill. That was a nice example of how down she was for a movie like this. Janelle Monae had a great little part. She was the best-dressed person in the whole movie. Mykelti Williamson, aka Bubba from Forrest Gump, also had a great little role. Erika Alexander was very funny, she played a Southern Baptist pastor. Her son was played by Josiah Cross, who I recognized from A Thousand And One, another great movie written/directed by a Black woman.
The original music was done by Jseoph Shirley and Moses Sumney. They did a damn fine job. The soundtrack was also strong. One of the songs was Guillotine by Death Grips, and that was used so damn well! Surprisingly, both They Will Kill You and Is God Is feature Doechii in their soundtracks.
I really enjoyed the twins' journey to their dad. The climax with the twins and the dad was great, but there was some room for improvement. The ending kind of wrapped up too quickly, not giving much time to really feel what happened. Other parts of the movie could be nitpicked. It seemed like the movie was going to go one way involving the twins, but then they quickly got back on track. It might've been better if they hadn't tried to go that one way and just stuck to the straight and narrow. Any nitpicks could be forgiven simply because it's Aleshea Harris' first film. Hopefully, it's not her only one. I'm so down for more movies from her. The movie is based on a play she wrote. This definitely felt like a passion project, and it was easy for me to get wrapped up in it.
8/10
] @RustInPeace , as I watched:
