Highly Recommended Films
In Longlegs, Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), an FBI agent with psychic abilities, joins Agent Carter (Blair Underwood), to investigate serial killings that are linked to a mysterious killer who goes by the name of Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). Meanwhile, she deals with her emotionally abusive mother, Ruth (Alicia Witt), who's very religious. The less you know about the plot of Longlegs beforehand, the better, because it's best watching it going in cold so that the beats land more strongly during its twists and turns. If you haven't watched the trailer yet, don't. It gives too much away. Writer/director Oz Perkins does an impeccable job of maintaining suspense and intrigue from the very first scene, a brief prologue that flashes back to Lee's childhood. It's a scene that sets the film's foreboding tone without giving away too much. Perkins should also be commended for knowing how and when to incorporate exposition while allowing the audience to be on the same page as Lee. Is there something supernatural going on? What's Longleg's motive? Could someone be helping him? Those are among the provocative questions that you'll ponder along with Lee. She's an interesting character because she's intelligent and brave, yet vulnerable and flawed. Maika Monroe gives a heartfelt and raw performance. It's the best performance of her career. Nicolas Cage is barely recognizable behind a lot of prosthetics and makeup that, along with Cage's wild performance, makes Longlegs look effectively creepy and unhinged.
The cinematography offers plenty of style in terms of the camera work, lighting, and use of color which, together with the sound design and production design, becomes an integral part of the film's substance concurrently. A seemingly simple scene like Lee sitting in a room with a red carpet brims with visual poetry while contributing to the eerie atmosphere. There are some very grisly images and violent scenes, but some of the graphic violence actually remains off-screen. The third act, refreshingly, doesn't tie everything up neatly in a bow and leaves room for interpretation. So, kudos to writer/director Oz Perkins for trusting the audience's intelligence. At a running time of 1 hour and 41 minutes, Longlegs is a spellbinding, taut and intriguing psychological horror thriller. It opens nationwide on July 12th, 2024 via NEON.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
Colman Domingo, one of the best actors of our time, gives yet another Oscar-worthy performance in Sing Sing. He portrays Divine G., an innocent man who's wrongfully imprisoned in Sing Sing Correctional Facility. While repeatedly trying to appeal his conviction, he joins a theater group where he writes plays and stars with his fellow inmates. The theater group is part of a program called Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA). Writer/director Greg Kwedar and co-writer Clint Bentley have created a genuinely engrossing, understated and inspirational emotional journey with just the right amount of poignancy and levity while avoiding clunkiness and an uneven tone. Much of the film will make you feel like you're watching a documentary because the camera merely follows Diving G. and his theater group with little to no music score. The raw, convincingly moving and nuanced performances and the natural dialogue help to further ground the film in authenticity. Not a single scene feels contrived, maudlin or heavy-handed. Most of the inmates in the theater group are actually played by the real-life members of the group who were formerly incarcerated. Paul Raci rounds out the cast as Brent, who serves as the programs advisor/director.
Interestingly, Sing Sing doesn't spend too much time on what led to Divine G.'s wrongful imprisonment or on his struggles to prove his innocence. There are no flashbacks and very little exposition about his past, but just enough to humanize him. Much of the film's emotional resonance come from Colman Domingo's bravura performance. He manages to find the emotional truth of his role and to open the window into Divine G.'s heart, mind and soul from start to finish. At a running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes, Sing Sing, based on a true story, opens at Angelika Film Center and AMC Lincoln Square on July 12th, 2024 via A24 before expanding to more theaters. It would be a great double feature with Ghostlight.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1
Sting
Directed by Kiah Roache-Turner
12-year-old Charlotte (Alyla Browne) lives with her mother, Heather (Penelope Mitchell), stepfather, Ethan (Ryan Corr), in an NYC apartment. One night, she finds a small spider, names it Sting, and keeps it as her pet. Little does she know that the more she feeds it, the more it'll grow into a giant deadly spider that terrorizes the residents of the apartment building.
Writer/director Kiah Roache-Turner has made an enormously entertaining crowd-pleaser with a perfect blend of horror, comedy and thrills. In the prologue, an exterminator, Frank (Jermaine Fowler), arrives to investigate the source of loud noises in the walls of the apartment building. A mysterious creature soon drags him before the film flashes back to the moment when a spider egg falls from outer space and crashes through a window in Charlotte's apartment building. The hatches, Charlotte finds it and keeps it in her room while feeding it cockroaches. Where did the spider egg come from? How is it able to make sounds that mimic Charlotte like a parrot? Why does Charlotte choose "Sting" out of all other possible names for the spider? Those questions aren't answered, but that's fine. The screenplay remains lean and light on exposition which is beneficial because it allows the plot to remain tight, focused and uncomplicated. Kiah Roache-Turner does an effective job of establishing the bond between Charlotte and Sting as well as her rocky relationship with her stepfather. Those scenes are surprisingly moving without being cloying or clunky.
As Hitchcock once wisely observed, logic is dull; imagination is more important than logic. Fortunately, Sting doesn't run out of neither imagination nor ideas as it presents different ways for the spider to scare and excite the audience including it crawling on the ceiling like in the film's theatrical poster. Arachnophobic audience members need not worry, though, because the spider isn't so scary that they'll be shielding their eyes. There are some very intense scenes, though, especially one that will be talked about and referenced because of how it pushes the envelope while tipping its hat to Alien. Erik (Danny Kim), a scientist who lives in the building, and the exterminator, Frank, provide some much-needed comic relief. Some jump scares are used in amusing ways. One of Frank's zingers, which involves the mention of sex with a blender to describe what he's seeing, is laugh-out-loud funny. The third act escalates the action and thrills without becoming exhausting or tedious.
Sting has pretty solid performances, especially from Alyla Browne who gives a breakthrough performance. Everyone from the major roles to the supporting roles, like Helga (Noni Hazlehurst), Heather's mother, is well-cast. The film also boasts a very clever and creative opening credits sequence with a well-chosen song that sets the tone. A song with very appropriate lyrics that plays over the end credits is unexpected which makes it all the more refreshing. Hint: it's the same song that plays over the opening credits of the underrated 90's cult classic Blast From the Past. The production design makes the most out of the low budget without looking cheap. There are actually some very well-shot sequences with practical effects and not too much CGI. The spider's design looks much less scary than Hanus, the giant spider from Spaceman. Sting doesn't rely heavily on blood and gore, but when those moments do arrive, they're quite shocking, so audiences looking for some cool kills will be pleased and might even exclaim, "Holy shit!" during one particular kill. The pace moves briskly enough, and the film doesn't overstay its welcome at a running time of 1 hour and 31 minutes. Ultimately, Sting is scary, funny and suspenseful. It’s one of the best horror comedies films in years, and it's destined to become a cult classic.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1 Released by Well Go USA. Now on VOD. 
Love Lies Bleeding
Directed by Rose Glass
Lou (Kristen Stewart) lives in a small town in New Mexico and manages a local gym which her estranged father, Lou Sr. (Ed Harris), owns. One night, Jackie (Katy O’Brian), a drifter from Oklahoma, arrives in town on her way to a bodybuilding competition in Las Vegas. She and Lou hit it off, but they get into trouble when Jackie takes matters into her own hands after JJ (Dave Franco) physically abuses his wife, Lou's sister, Beth (Jena Malone).
If you take Blood Simple and cross it with <Bound an Killer Joe, it would look something like Love Lies Bleeding. The screenplay by writer/director Rose Glass and co-writer Weronika Tofilska doesn't score points for originality, but it compensates for that as a taut and compelling crime thriller that's afraid to take risks and to get into dark territory. To say that Lou comes from a dysfunctional family would be an understatement. Her father is corrupt, domineering, violent, menacing and intimidating. Lou's sister, Beth, ended up marrying a man who's just as toxic as her father. When the audience first meets JJ, he's having sex with Jackie in his car. It's only a few minutes later that you'll learn that he's married to Beth and that Lou will fall in love with Jackie. Beth gets hospitalized when JJ beats her up. Did she try to fight back? Interestingly, the filmmakers choose to not show him beating her up or a scene that shows what caused him to beat her up, so the audience is expected to connect the dots on their own and to use their imagination, a powerful tool. There's a wonderful scene where Lou, Jackie, Beth and JJ are eating at a Chinese restaurant together while neither Jackie nor JJ talk about the elephant in the room: the fact that they had sex earlier. However, the audience can tell by the way that JJ behaves that he's very nervous.
Elsewhere, though, Love Lies Bleeding very little to the imagination as Lou tries to help Jackie from covering up a crime that she commits. They also try to frame Lou Sr. for it. The plot gets increasingly complicated and twisted when Daisy (Anna Baryshnikov) claims to have witnessed their crime, so she blackmails Lou. The filmmakers should be commended for writing characters who are quite unlikable and deeply flawed, yet complex human beings. Lou and Jackie cross legal boundaries, but they have somewhat of a conscience. Whether or not they're introspective is a whole other matter. One of the film's most revealing and surprisingly tender scenes is when Lou sits down with Jackie when they first meet at the gym as they talk about their traumatic past. It's wonderful that beneath all of the grittiness, darkness and violence, Love Lies Bleeding actually has a beating heart.
Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian give raw as well as emotionally resonating performances. They both have palpable chemistry together. Ed Harris is very-well cast as Lou's father who's also a sick and twisted crime boss. In terms of sex and violence, there's plenty of it, although not much nudity. The violent scenes are very graphic, though, and push the envelope with the unflinching gore. Other ways that the film tries to be shocking and disturbing include a scene where Lou Sr. devours a live beetle whole. Love Lies Bleeding also has some surprisingly surreal sequences which are darkly comedic. On top of that, the music score is superb along with the stylish cinematography and lighting. The film's visual style and use of music often become a part of its substance. At a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes, Love Lies Bleeding is a sizzling, suspenseful, and electrifying crime thriller.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1 Released by A24. Now on VOD. 
Dune: Part Two
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Paul (Timothée Chalamet) has joined the Fremen tribe and chooses to be given the name Muad’Dib while promising to bring paradise to the Freman as their messiah. Meanwhile, he joins fellow warrior Chani (Zendaya) in a war against the Harkonnens, led by the nefarious Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) and his nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler).
Based on the novel by Frank Herbert, the screenplay by writer/director Denis Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts is more heartfelt than Dune: Part One's screenplay which spends too much time treading water with clunky exposition. Dune: Part One does have some exposition and introduces new characters, but it's not dull or convoluted. The film takes its time to develop Paul as a boy who's becoming a man and must face his future and the Fremen tribe's expectations of him. There's a lot on the line for him, especially with the war going on with the Harkonnens who desperately want to take over Arakis. Feyd-Rautha is a very terrifying and ruthless villain who will stop at nothing to win the war, so Paul and the Fremen warriors have many tough challenges ahead of them that put their lives at risk. Dune: Part Two also focuses a little on the relationship between Paul and his mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), which ground the film in emotionally resonating scenes. His bond with Chani, which could be something more, also feels engrossing while humanizing Paul. So, this isn't just a big, loud and action-packed spectacle; it actually has a beating heart beneath the surface that allows the audience to empathize with its heroic protagonist. In other words, it has just the right balance of truth, or humanity, and spectacle.
Dune: Part Two is a mesmerizing display of CGI effects combining with set designs, costume designs and cinematography to provide plenty of visual style and spectacle which becomes part of the film's substance concurrently. It's not only a spectacle for the eyes, but also for the ears thanks to the terrific music score by Hans Zimmer. The action sequences, particularly with the giant worms, are thrilling and awe-inspiring to behold on the big screen. Much like with most blockbusters, watching the film on the small screen would diminish the power of its visuals and sounds. Once again, Timothée Chalamet gives a solid performance as does Zendeya. The stand-out here, though, is Austin Butler who chews the scenery as Feyd-Rautha. Christopher Walken briefly shows up as Emperor Shaddam IV, and Florence Pugh plays the emperor's daughter, Princess Irulan. At a running time of 2 hours and 46 minutes, Dune: Part Two is a rousing, heartfelt and breathtaking spectacle.
Number of times I checked my watch: 2 Released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Now on VOD. 
Io Capitano
Directed by Matteo Garrone
16-year-old Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and his cousin, Moussa (Moustapha Fall) embark on a dangerous journey from Senegal to Italy in search of a better life despite the disapproval of Seydou's mother (Khady Sy).
Writer/director Matteo Garrone and his co-writers, Massimo Ceccherini, Massimo Gaudioso and Andrea Tagliaferri introduce Seydou and Moussa as they live in poverty in Senegal while dreaming of fleeing abroad. Their wish comes true when they save enough money to make the arduous voyage from Senegal to Italy by foot, vehicle and boat. Their journey takes them through a desert where they must hide their money or else it will be stolen and they'll get into trouble. They both put their lives at risk, but at least they have each other. Garrone and his fellow screenwriters capture the palpable bond between Seydou and Moussa, so the emotional beats land during the right moments when something happens to one of them. . Moreover, it avoids becoming maudlin, clunky or wallowing in Seydou and Moussa's suffering. Garrone knows what to leave to the audience's imagination and when to leave it without spoon-feeding the audience or dumbing anything down. He also knows when and how to trust the audience's intelligence. There are even some surprising moments of coming relief and surrealism which provide levity. So, Garrone also has a great command of the film's tone which is no easy task. Although Io Capitano maintains its suspense as it focuses on their long trek by land and sea, it also remains poignant and warm, so it finds just the right balance between Truth and Spectacle.
Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall both give raw, convincingly moving performances that help to further ground the film in authenticity. Everything from the cinematography to music score to the editing and breathtaking scenery are exquisite while contributing style and substance concurrently. Io Capitano feels epic in scope, yet firmly grounded in humanity from start to finish. It never becomes exhausting, tedious or lethargic. Moreover, you never feel the weight of its lengthy running time which is a testament to how truly engrossing it is. At 2 hours, Io Capitano is an exhilarating, captivating and genuinely heartfelt emotional journey brimming with warmth and tenderness.
Jean Kayak (Ryland Brickson Cole Tews), an applejack salesman, must fight hundreds of beavers who destroy his wooden barrels filled with applejack. To win over a young woman (Olivia Graves), he must bring hundreds of beavers to her father, a merchant (Doug Mancheski).
Hundreds of Beavers is a delightfully zany, exuberant and outrageously funny slice of comedy heaven. The screenplay by writer/director Mike Cheslik and co-writer Ryland Brickson Cole Tews takes a simple concept and turns it into an enormously entertaining slapstick comedy reminiscent of the classic comedies of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. It has the same madcap energy found in Looney Tunes and the offbeat humor found in A Town Called Panic. Fortunately, it never runs out of steam and gets increasingly bizarre without being exhausting or tedious. There are many clever surprises, big and small, along the way which makes this a rewatchable film to catch all of the details and jokes.
In terms of its plot, logic and reason are thrown out the window, but that's okay because, as Hitchock once wisely observed, there's something more important than logic: imagination. Hundreds of Beavers has plenty of imagination from start to finish. It's also visually stylish while making the most out of its limited budget with animation that's charming, like Ray Harryhausen's animation. The black-and-white cinematography and the fact that it's silent will make you feel like you're watching a film from the Golden Age of American Cinema. You can laugh with it or at it. You can still enjoy it whether you watch it sober, intoxicated or high. It's best to see it with a large crowd, though. At 1 hour and 48 minutes, Hundreds of Beavers deserves to become a cult classic. Now playing in select theaters nationwide.
Number of times I checked my watch: 4 Released by Cohen Media Group. Now on VOD. 
Driving Madeleine
Directed by Christian Carion
Charles (Dany Boon), a cab driver, develops a friendship with his passenger Madeleine (Line Renaud), a 92-year-old woman who's moving into a nursing home.
The screenplay by writer/director Christian Carion and his co-writer, Cyril Gely, is an engrossing story brimming with warmth, tenderness and joie de vivre. Fundamentally, it's a platonic love story between two broken souls who connect during a long cab ride. Charles has hit a rough patch with his wife, struggles to make ends meet, and will lose his license if he receives another traffic ticket. When Madeleine first enters his cab, she seems content as the two of them have light conversations. When she asks him to stop by the place she grew up in and tells him about her past, that's when Driving Madeleine delves into darker and more tragic territory. There's much more to Madeleine than meets the eye. The film flashes back to Madeleine as a young woman (Alice Isaaz) who falls in love with Raymond (Jérémie Laheurte). She vividly recalls their first kiss. A lot more happens in Madeleine's past that won't be revealed here, but it does change the way you look at Madeleine because of her actions. However, bravo to the filmmakers for not judging her nor for asking the audience to judge her; instead, they ask you to experience her, warts and all. Madeleine, like the film itself, is like a beautiful rose with a few prickly thorns. It doesn't dwell on its darker themes, but it doesn't shy away from them either. Most importantly, though, it's sweet without being schmaltzy, and dialogue sounds natural with just the right amount of wit and gentle comic relief.
Line Renaud shines in a warm, charismatic and radiant performance. She's just as great of an actress as Judi Dench. Dany Boon is also terrific and has a palpable chemistry with Renaud. They both breathe life into their roles, so the film's poignancy mostly comes from their moving performances. The flashbacks are somewhat clunky, but that's a minor, systematic issue that doesn't take away from the narrative momentum. The film moves at just the right pace without feeling rushed or too slow. No, nobody stares off into the distance for 10 minutes. Impressively, director Christian Carion grasps the concept of restraint and that less is more by keeping the running time under 2 hours. At just 1 hour and 31 minutes, Driving Madeleine is a captivating, wise and genuinely heartfelt journey well worth taking. It would make for a great double feature with Philomena.
Number of times I checked my watch: 1 Released by Cohen Media Group. Now on VOD. 
Highly Recommended Movies
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