Jack Henry's Year in Film - Week 11
So, it was not my intention for this week to be Cloverfield themed but, due to some unexpected internet issues one night, I borrowed the first one from my roommate Jeff. Then, when our internet mysteriously reappeared, I saw that the other two were streaming so I figured, “Why not?”. My last two films have nothing to do with the Cloverfield Franchise. I guess they both could be considered horror films, It Comes at Night definitely, Dogtooth is a bit of a stretch, but I’ll explain why it could be. Next week I’m gonna be watching the films of my favorite filmmaker, Paul Thomas Anderson, so get excited for that one!
Without further ado:
WEEK 11
MONDAY (3/12) - Cloverfield - Matt Reeves
I was actually pleasantly surprised by Cloverfield. It is definitely not without its flaws but I thought it was pretty good. Cloverfield acts as sort of a combination of Godzilla and Blair Witch, combining the classic “giant monster attack” with the “found footage” style. Except for a few scenes, Cloverfield feels pretty realistic adding terror and tension. I also really liked that the monster stayed unexplained (at least for this movie). I think my problems with the film primarily come from the camera operator, Hud. Hud, couldn’t hold the camera steady to save his life (the monster felt this way too) which, I guess for being an amateur is pretty realistic. Also, I felt like his acting was pretty poor. But for the most part this movie felt fresh and I thought it was pretty enjoyable.
MY RATING: 7.5/10
TUESDAY (3/13) - 10 Cloverfield Lane - Dan Trachtenberg
10 Cloverfield Lane is more of a spiritual sequel to the original. It takes place in the same world but feels like a wholly different beast. Unlike the first it’s filmed in the third-person and even the genre changes from a monster horror to more of a psychological thriller. Michelle, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, finds herself in a fallout shelter after serious car accident. She was “saved” by Howard, played by the excellent John Goodman. Howard tells her that the U.S. has been attacked and that everyone outside is now dead. Even though we know Howard is telling the truth, and that there are massive monster roaming around up there, there’s never enough proof and even we as the audience question whether the danger is real. This is helped by the fact that John Goodman is excellent as the creepy paranoid war veteran. If the character was a little more comedic and bumbling he could have been reprising his role as Walter Sobchak from The Big Lebowski (actually, now I really want to see that rendition). The film does a great job of building tension and paranoia which pays off in a pretty great climactic finish. Overall, I really enjoyed this film, even more than the original.
MY RATING: 8.5/10
WEDNESDAY (3/14) - The Cloverfield Paradox - Julius Onah
Unfortunately, it was short lived. This one, while styled a lot like the original Alien film, plays out more like Prometheus (also a bad movie). Now, I unabashedly love space horror. The original Alien is excellent, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is more of a thriller, is one of my favorite films, I even kind of like Event Horizon which is arguably a very bad film. Perhaps it’s because space is scary in the first place; the infinite unknown. But The Cloverfield Paradox is almost unbearably bad. Really, the only thing going for this movie is its cast. Guru Mbatha-Raw, David Oyelowo, and Daniel Brühl’s acting chops shine even through the poor writing. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Zhang Ziyi, whose known for her work with one of my favorite directors, Wong Kar-Wai, and stars in other films like House of Flying Daggers (and Rush Hour 2). Even with it’s good cast, the movie falls apart with its confusing and messy plot and its ridiculous explanation of where the monsters come from. Here’s hoping the next addition, currently titled Overlord, will be better (also, if they don’t change the name to Cloverlord, I’m gonna be pissed).
MY RATING: 3.5/10
THURSDAY (3/15) - Dogtooth - Yorgos Lanthimos
Dogtooth is one of those films that I hope people from the far future (or our Cloverfield monster overlords) pick up to see what life was like in our current day and age and just go, “WHAT THE HELL?!”. It comes from the director of The Lobster, which is a weird movie in and of itself, but still doesn’t hold a candle to Dogtooth. I thought The Lobster was really great, and it’s easy to see the director’s influence on the film’s style and writing, but I’m not quite sure what to make of this one. The film is centered around a family; a father, mother, and their three grown-up children. The children are probably in their 20s but act as if they’re only around six years old and this is due to the fact that their parents have never let them leave their home, which sort of looks like a compound. The parents have taught them that outside of their compound is dangerous; their older brother ventured out and was “killed” by a house cat. Only when the childrens' dogtooth falls out will the parents let them leave the compound. My thoughts are the parents are either just hyper-overprotective, or they’re scientists studying the psychosis of the children since it’s implied that the children aren’t actually siblings. I think this could be considered a horror film, but more likely a psychological thriller, from the premise alone but things definitely get weirder and more violent as it goes on. It was super bizarre but also a very interesting look at nature vs nurture. I really wanted to like this movie, so that’s probably the reason I rated it so high, but honestly it would take me a second viewing to really figure this one out. So, if (and that’s a hard if) I ever watch this again I might have to update my rating, for better or worse.
MY RATING: 8/10
FRIDAY (3/16) - It Comes at Night - Trey Edward Shults
It Comes at Night is a post-apocalyptic horror film about a family surviving in a house. The film has zombies in it but they’re not really like other zombies in films. They kind of just sit there and the only real threat they pose is the spread of their disease. The film feels thematically different than most films in its genre and it’s refreshing. The film is about fear and it explores this theme very well. The family is tested when they meet another family in need; should they help them and risk the sickness? The cinematography in the film was quite exceptional. Most of the film takes place at night and, since there is no electricity, the main sources of light are the characters’ lanterns. The darkness always seems to be trying to engulf them; it’s its own overwhelming force. I also really like how this film uses ambiguity. Spoiler: I personally think it was Travis that opened the door late in the movie since he’s the one having the weird nightmares, and he does have a dream about leaving the house, but the little kid got blamed. They never say this for real but I think it would make sense. Really the only thing I would have changed about this film is how long to hold the last shot, and if you’ve seen it you know what I mean. I personally would have held the shot for a lot longer to really dwell on the characters’ despair. Other than that I thought the film was quite good and smart. It’s an interpretational film and I really liked that especially since it’s considered a zombie horror film.
MY RATING - 8.5/10
As I will have to watch a little over 250 movies this year I would greatly appreciate some suggestions. Feel free to leave some in the comment section. Or if you want a recommendation don’t hesitate to ask