Weapons

A bonkers horror/comedy that helps resurrect original concepts in Hollywood.

The only expectation I had for this film prior to seeing it was that it would defy my expectations. And defy my expectations it did.

Weapons tells of a small-town classroom of children who mysteriously disappear one night, all at the same time. Told with an unconventional film narrative divided by six chapters, with each chapter focusing on a different character, the plot steadily reveals its rotten secrets layer by layer.

Detailing the intriguing premise gives no spoilers away. Director Zach Cregger take it to gonzo directions and deftly ties the chapters together as this film reaches its horrifying and hilarious climax. I can’t recall the last movie I watched that dialed up both suspense and comedy to such extreme levels.

Based on the box office results, it looks like original concepts are back in full force. Potentially, so is the age of the auteur. Cregger has a style and voice uniquely his own.

10/10

The Boy and the Heron

The Boy and the Heron is billed as Miyazaki’s final film. If it truly is it’s a great way to go out.

The film is equal parts autobiography and fantasy. A Japanese boy loses his mother during World War 2 in Japan, and moves with his father to a more rural part of the country, to live with his aunt, who is now pregnant with his soon-to-be half-sister (I hope I got that right).

A talking heron torments the boy and the aunt goes missing (did the heron take her away?). The boy wanders to a mysterious abandoned tower and into another world that seems to be a blend of living and dead souls. Is it the afterlife? Another dimension? The heron claims his mother is alive, and she resides within this world.

Some incredible sequences and visually arresting animation ensue, and the fate of several worlds is at stake.

Miyazaki is obviously a master storyteller and in my opinion, this is his best film since Spirited Away. It’s a film about life, loss, and ultimately a meditation on death. Plenty of Hollywood stars voice the characters, including Christian Bale as the boy’s father.

Narratively the final act felt like an exercise in surrealism, and I was okay with that because I was so engrossed in what I was watching.

I’ll never look at a parakeet the same way again after this movie.

9/10

Dream Scenario

Nicolas Cage stars in this surprisingly quiet and melancholy comedy.

While I was expecting quick and punchy SNL-style humor after reading that the film also features Tim Meadows and Michael Cera, this film is dark, contemplative, and slow-paced, with humor also sprinkled throughout an otherwise cerebral piece.

Nicolas Cage turns in an Oscar-worthy performance as an ordinary professor who starts appearing in the dreams of everyone around the world, causing him to gain social media fame and become a part of meme culture.

When Cage is on, he’s legendary, and this film ranks among his best performances.

It’s a well-acted and well-scripted film that takes some unexpected turns and has something to say about the modern desire to “go viral.” I’ve always been a Cage fan because I like someone who is utterly unpredictable and willing to take risks.

9/10