PRESENCE (2024)

 

Directed By: Steven Soderbergh 

Written By: David Koepp

Cinematography: Peter Andrews

Editor: Mary Ann Bernard

Cast: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mullholland, Julia Fox, Lucas Papaelias, Natalie Woolams-Torres 

Longing for a fresh start, the Payne family jumps at the chance to purchase a 100-year-old suburban dwelling to recover from a traumatic experience. But houses, just like people, can get ill. As subtle disturbances gradually expose its sinister supernatural malady, the unseen intruder floats effortlessly through corridors and rooms to watch the tenants' every move. After all, the quiet entity was here first; good luck forcing it out. With their security and sanity hanging in the balance, what will it take for the Paynes to rid the house of the Presence?

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When it comes to Stephen Soderbergh‘s movies technically they are tight and they come out very often so you’re never left wanting for the new or the next one and while for the most part they play conventional they are usually experiments of themselves cinematic ones which is sometimes what makes them feel a little more removed from reality or from a conventional cinematic standpoint. As he usually is one man band as a director, director of photography and editor, seemingly having an in-house Screenwriter as he tends to collaborate with noted Screenwriter David Koepp recently constantly. 

With this film, he uses more his technical style to the achievement for the film, which is very few cuts as most of the film is long takes uninterrupted with the camera constantly flowing and giving him a chance in a reason to use wide angle shots, whereas the film is supposed to be a ghost story And we see everything transpired more from the point of view.

It allows us to step in the viewer as the spirit kind of invading the space of these characters and leaving us to more be voyeurs in their world and lives as we see snapshots of them 

Though one can understand why an audience might dislike this film as there is a storing a plot, but you’re not aware that they’re supposed to be one as at first you’re thinking or going with the flow and believing this to be more of a cinematic experience experiment and then slowly a plot comes interview at first it seems just like Random facts or that this is going to be a film more about a haunting or a haunted house, but as it goes along, everything begins to come together as secrets are revealed in a revelation is made. The film is unpredictable 

There are clues early on, but you believe them to be random though later on in the film and on subsequent viewings and start to notice them more as they were laid out, even if one storyline which becomes a major one seems a little ridiculous. It works within the cinematic landscape 

As at first, it seems like we’re more gonna get a domestic family drama rather than a true haunted house film and this film doesn’t truly have any scares, but there is tension Phil throughout if you really pay attention and get into it so this isn’t your typical haunted house film Sometimes that genre or premise is so wide open there many things you can do with it and this film takes that opportunity to do so

There’s really nothing wrong with the film. It just feels very sterile. You had accomplished by the end. You don’t truly feel anything. Luckily it sure and it is a marvel at times if you’re really into filmmaking, but maybe as like it goes it stays so cold that you wonder by the end, what was that or was it worth it? 

I believe so, though also to a certain extent, it feels like typical Soderbergh isn’t a bad thing as after a while you do come to care about the characters and one of them who you can’t really stand an about face towards the end that is believable.

Grade: B-

DASHCAM (2021)

 

Directed By: Rob Savage 

Written By: Rob Savage, Gemma Hurley and Jed Shepherd

Editor: Brenda Rangott

Cast: Annie Hardy, Amer Chadha-Patel, Angela Enahoro, Seylan Baxter, Mogali Masuku, Caroline Ward, Jemma Moore

Viewed through her livestream, abrasive musician Annie Hardy's night takes a dangerous turn after she agrees to help transport a frail elderly woman out of town. Annie and her friend Stretch embark on a horror-fueled road trip and livestream the most terrifying night of their lives.

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Writer/director Rob Savage’s follow-up to his hit film HOST. That was quite a bit, due amongst other things to being made during the pandemic and how believable the effects were. 

The enjoyment of the film will depend on how much or how long you can stand the lead character.  as she is very unpleasant and her behavior at times only seems to make things worse as she continuously makes bad decisions.

She will split the audience for this film

You do have to send through a third of the film with her as an introduction before any of the supernatural or horror elements take place. 

The film does work at being creepy and scary most of the time. As we spend most of the film

The main character. The audience will be happy any time another character shows up and interacts and partially takes over the narrative.

She stays a jerk even in the worst of times always saying the wrong thing. It seems like the film wants you to root against her. She makes it political to go with the time that the film was made and released. 

So you wonder if this is a commentary on people with this kind of political worldview at what seems like an apocalypse. This is a particular character.

As the film is well put together and has great direction that kind of pays off if you stick with it as it gives a commentary on social media or presentations of craft and character and story.

Though it’s weakness is that while nothing is ever totally explained everything seems like it’s happening instead of offering even a general explanation

As it is filmed in first person. You not only feel like you are a character in the film taken in for a ride. But also get a running commentary from the characters and comments on the side at times. The film feels like a hard journal.

It even sticks to the cliché of characters of color, not making it to the very end.

There are some moments where you feel like not again. Yes, it gets crazier as it goes along and her strange phrases and times of trouble and terror only helped to make it feel a little more different and strange

The film might’ve been a better shot as at times it feels like the premise is a bit stretched out even at under 90 minutes, so it almost feels like an extended V/H/S anthology story made into a feature. 

By the end, it feels like an interesting experiment, though not sure if it makes the audience care one way or another the end 

Grade: C 

THE CLEANSING HOUR (2019)

Edited & Directed By: Damien LeVeck

Written By: Aaron Horwitz and Damien LeVeck

Story By: Aaron Horwitz

Cinematography: Jean-Philippe Bernier 

Cast: Ryan Guzman, Kyle Gallner, Alix Angelis, Chris Lew Kum Hoi, Daniel Hoffmann-Gill, Emma Holzer, Joanna David, Ionut Cristian Grama 

Another successful "exorcism" streamed online - or so it seems. Can the "exorcist", producer and their team bring the ratings up? Ratings skyrocket, when a real demon gets involved.

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This film Stays entertaining enough  throughout. It offers twists and turns though for any savvy viewer I beleive they will be able to see where it is headed. It will Keep you guessing throughout. Though by the end feels a bit predictable 

The film sets up the audience early to not believe everything that they see as truth. So it tries to keep that mood of guessing throughout. 

Though the movie has some roles that feel useless and only there to add to the bloodshed and kills. The cast still managed to make you care and believe what happens. So that it keeps you engaged. As it seems relevant with today's times and online atmosphere. 

It has very impressive special effects for the most part. Especially for a film that you can tell had a limited budget.

It might have an opinion on social media but it doesn’t beat you over the head with it oir try to act like it’s above it or smarter. Which is what makes is all the more charnong and actually clever. 

One will admit Kyle Gallner being in this film is what Initially peaked the interest. Another film where he is pretty much one of the leads and is phenomenal. In the rare chance to play a more likable character.

Grade: B- 

FREAKY TALES (2025)

 

Written & Directed By: Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck

Cinematography: Jac Fitzgerald

Editor: Robert Komatsu

Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Ben Mendelsohn, Normani, Dominique Thorne, Angus Cloud, Too $hort, Ji-Young Yoo, Jack Champion, Kier Gilchrist 

Four interconnected stories set in 1987 Oakland, CA. will tell about the love of music, movies, people, places and memories beyond our knowable universe.

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I’m Going to say this right now that this room is best to go into blind, as that is the best way to experience it, and might offer you more of a surprise or surprise is there anything. As even if you seen the trailer there’s still enough mystery to not know exactly what you’re getting into.

One thing that can be said Is that the film doesn’t really live up to its title as there are tails I don’t know how freaky they are, rather than just tales of an anthology. The film feels more like short stories, that take place around one another in the bay Oakland, California, as characters do cross paths with each other in different tails, but each one has its own kind of genre in story. It feels very Tarantino ask the light and more of a wannabe.

The thing that connects them might be violence and Oakland legends like Tom Hanks in Too $hort you are treated like legends in this film, and Too $hort has a cameo as well as being betrayed by someone else in one of the stories.

The stories here, pretty much cut and dry. They don’t offer that much in the way of surprises. One story focuses on punks versus Nazis and we get to know some of the characters involved. The next story is about two young African-American women going into a rap battle. The next story is a tale of redemption in the past in the last tail is more of a revenge tail inspired. It feels like by game of death the Bruce Lee movie.

Truthfully, the first tale could’ve been its own film in itself exploring the characters a bit more, but maybe it was in case of been there done that no not offering up as much of a diverse characters in the Punk cultural scene. 

The film fall short as it doesn’t really live up to its title and what are the stories, eventually connect your left, wanting more or expecting more from it, especially with the angle of this green substance, that really only comes into play effectively in one tale, but does work to connect or let the audience know Somethings about to happen. it’s a harbinger.

One wishes, the film was much better as it definitely has the creativity and talent involved. It just builds to a certain level and never goes past it even when it seems like it has the strength to go further and be better.

It’s around the 80s which gives a kind of a nostalgic, feel where you can look back and laugh at the fashions, but I also remember them as that was what was cool at the time as well as the culture.

The film Does offer plenty of cameos throughout the film

No, it isn’t mirable as it still keeps too similar themes but like a true short story collection, it has different types of tails where one can be more comedic. One can be more dramatic. It’s the same here, whereas one tail, or at least two tails are pure, more action territory. Another could just be a kind of a slight more success story.

Wow, the film has trouble living up to its title. It is still worth checking out.

Grade: C+

LORNA’S SILENCE (2008)

 

Written & Directed By: Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne 

Cinematography: Alain Marcoen

Editor: Marie-Helene Dozo

Cast: Arta Dobroshi, Jeremie Renier, Fabrizio Rongione, Alban Ukaj, Morgan Marinne, Olivier Gourmet, Anton Yakovlev, Gregori Manoukov 

Lorna, a young Albanian woman living in Belgium, has her sights set on opening a snack bar with her lover Sokol. In order to do so, she has become involved in a scam conducted by Fabio, a gangster.

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A good old fashioned film noir. it’s from explorers the fringe of a criminal underground and has the groundwork of a film noir that plays dark and realistic.

Then, when you think something positive is going to happen in the film, it reveals itself only to sing deeper into the darkness.

Here the femme fatale is the anti-hero of the film. She’s trying to do what she needs to do but isn’t as coldhearted as she would have everyone believe.

She is caught in a situation that should be easy for her to handle which morphs into a no-win one.

What makes this film feel different is that for all the traditional roles the characters play like the mole the mark the femme fatale the mobster the film doesn’t treat or show them as cliché or clueless. It makes them full three-dimensional characters

Wish I could say the film is a Home-run, but it’s not that it isn’t worth watching and the first film by the Dardenne brothers That Is really enjoyable in quite some time. As one haven’t really like any of their films that much since ROSETTA.

Though this one lends itself more to genre then their other films and seems a bit more cruel. then their usual humanist films. 

Grade: B

I WENT DOWN (1997)

 

Directed By: Paddy Breathnatch 

Written By: Conor McPherson 

Cinematography: Cian De Buitlear 

Editor: Emer Reynolds

Cast: Peter McDonald, Brendan Gleeson, Tony Doyle, Peter Caffrey, Johnny Murphy, David Wilmot, Michael Mcelhatton, Antoine Byrne 

Irish action comedy. An ex-con is forced into taking on a new task by a ruthless crime-boss, but finds he is hindered by the partner he has been teamed up with. However, he soon realizes they must work together if they are to survive.

This film reminds me of the quirky indies that had stylized crime stories before it seemed like Quentin Tarantino cornered the market and with him a new generation who tired to copy and clone his style with throwbacks to bygone eras. 

Then having witty, snappy dialogue that told stories while not exactly always being about crime, but reveal ethics, morals, passions or lack of them.

This is one of those films that centers around crime, but is much more interested in the characters and dialogue. 

Though this film Will probably be accused of being one of them. This one has mroe heart 

As the film offers charm. It’s not something you haven’t seen before, but it is fun that the crime story that moves it along is almost secondary and there to keep the characters on their toes and moving from location to location. 

Jsit as the main characters are learning more and more about the job they have been hired to do and the history behind it. We are u raveling the mystery as to what is really going on.

At heart this is a buddy comedy of two nit wits. Not cut out for crime. even though both are ex-Cons. Who are trying to get out of the life, but keep getting pulled back in no matter how ahrdbthey try to escape. It’ also a road trip movie as they keep having to travel and go to new locations to suposedlt finish the job. 

For some audience members this film might remind them or have the same spirit as IN BRUGES only not as violent or dark. It also helps that this film has a similar cast member Brendan Gleeson when he was younger. 

In Fact this was one of his early roles that put him on the map and got him noticed.

The sayings and place cards between scenes are a bit annoying, but representative of the time period in film. Where it was thought witty or like chapter themes.  

There is a lack of style but plenty of laughs. Believable character work. Where you enjoy the company of the characters. As even when you find out the truth. You just have mroe compassion for them. As even the title is kind of a punchline. 

Grade: B