#FastFive July Film Reviews

On By kyraalexandriaIn Cinema, Reviews

Here’s a quick look at some of my recent cinematic highlights:

Saint Maud (A24, 2019) Psychological Horror

#ColorMeObsessed *content warning: explicit depiction of sexual assault, gore, self-harm

From here on, I am a Rose Glass stan. This film hit all of my favorite horror nails perfectly: expert ratcheting up of tension, equal measures of psychological and physical scares, a reasonable run time, and one hell of an ending. It’s such a thrill when a film I’ve been anticipating delivers, and my goodness I can’t wait to revisit this one. Don’t be distracted by the religious imagery, this film is about a viscid, dripping descent into mental illness with some bodies racked up along the way for entertainment value. The titular Maud is heartbreakingly relatable—who hasn’t once been lost? Searching for something to cling to? To love? How far can misplaced zeal lead us? These are the questions I found myself rapidly asking and with increasing urgency while viewing. It is discomforting, it is frightening, it is fantastic.

Zola (A24, 2020) Dramedy

A frightening fever dream. *content warning: explicit depiction of sexual assault, violence

I’ve made it back to movie theaters! I’ve missed them so much—what beats the large screen, surround sound & being sucked into a new environment? Zola, of course, is a fable about being sucked unwillingly into a new environment of a particular sort. Based on the famous Twitter thread by Aziah “Zola” King about a weekend trip to FL gone horribly wrong, the film has been long-awaited. In a word, the film is dreamy: pastel lights shine over the characters in the opening scene which reoccurs throughout the film, and the actors behave more like they’re in a play than a film—awkward & disjointed from their surroundings at times. The film sticks closely to the bizarre tale from the original twitter thread until its climax. Zola falls in line with some of A24’s more unconventional projects, and ultimately wasn’t quite my cup of tea but I’d be curious what other members of #BlackTwitter think of the film.

Quiet Place II (Paramount Pictures, 2020) Thriller

#ColorMeImpressed *content warning: violence

This was the first film I returned to theaters to view and John Krasinski’s second installment did not disappoint. I’d argue the sequel is on-par with the first film in the series—gripping action scenes, continuation of the compelling family storyline, and of course very large, frightening creatures. There’s a great mixture here of payoff for those coming from the first film, and also plenty to enrapture new viewers. I am once again impressed at the stellar writing and acting. Quiet Place was a tough act to follow; Krasinski knocked it out of the park.

Paradise Hills (Alfa Pictures, 2019) Thriller

#NothingToSeeHere

This one is for the Alice in Wonderland fans—Paradise Hills brings something explicitly more sinister to its fancifully beautiful world but otherwise we have a clear tribute to Carroll’s story. And that’s honestly the most positive thing I can say for the film, otherwise, it is utterly forgettable: dismal acting and a plot as predictable as children’s television program do not, a quality film, make. It’s obvious everyone involved showed up purely for the film’s beauty because besides the stunning flowery aesthetics and eccentric fashions, the film is laughably regrettable.

Sleepaway Camp (American Eagle Films, 1983) Horror

*content warning: gore, references to sexual assault

Yes, that film. At the urging of a friend, I recently viewed this classic slasher for the first time, and was pleasantly surprised. Slashers are not my thing—I find them boring not only because of the predictable plots but also because rote homicide alone no longer provides much of a scare for me anymore. And this film is both of those things, I’ll admit the predominant emotion I had while watching was amusement at the 80s fashion and the off-putting behavior of the characters. What made the film for me was the gory kills, surprisingly effectively depicted for their time, and of course that famous ending which I won’t spoil here. I’d recommend for someone coming in with middling expectations, and I intend to finish the original trilogy.

Have you seen any of these films? Disagree with an opinion? Have a recommendation to share? Drop a comment & share your thoughts! 👂🏾

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