Dead Mail Film Review

 

Dead Mail Film Review

Halfway to Halloween Presented by Shudder

We’re halfway through our halfway to Halloween celebration with Shudder!

So far we watched and reviewed 825 FOREST ROAD and SHADOW OF GOD.

This week brings you a noir thriller, DEAD MAIL.

On a desolate, Midwestern county road, a bound man crawls towards a remote postal box, managing to slide a blood-stained plea-for-help message into the slot before a panicking figure closes in behind him.

The note makes its way to the desk of Jasper, a seasoned ‘dead letter’ investigator at a 1980s midwestern post office.

As he begins to piece together the letter’s origins, it leads him down a violent, unforeseen path to a kidnapped keyboard engineer and his eccentric business associate.

DEAD MAIL is a thriller told in three distinct parts using two storylines that eventually merge at the climax of the film.

The first part sets the vibe for a potential cat and mouse game thanks to the thoroughness of the dead letter office. It’s an intriguing beginning that immediately pulls you into the story and then abruptly shifts, taking you down the path of the second storyline

The second part/storyline is focused around the how and why behind the dead letter received in the first part of the film. The main antagonist is eccentric to say the least and the story gives off strong John Fowles’ THE COLLECTOR vibes. (Add to your reading list). At times, the pacing can feel a bit slow but the build up is worth it as the film moves in the third part where both storylines collide.

All around, this is a very well-done noir thriller that demands to be on a movie shelf for viewing parties. The purposeful aesthetic of the film immediately transports you back to the 80s and the characters, both minor and major, leave a lasting impression.

Make this Friday night movie night with DEAD MAIL, popcorn, and ice cream. I suggest Neapolitan. I think you’ll thank me later.

 

Fantasia International Film Festival - The Soul Eater Film Review

 

The Soul Eater

Directors: Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo
Writers: Annelyse Batrel, Ludovic Lefebvre

 

The boogeyman never looked so terrifying as it does in, THE SOUL EATER, a thriller with the horrific elements directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo are known for.

A pair of quite different investigators arrive in Roquenoir, a run-down town in the French mountains, and wind up approaching the same case from two different directions.

Commander Elisabeth Guardiano (Virginie Ledoyen) has been sent to look into a married couple’s grisly murder, and Captain of the Gendarmerie Franck De Rolan (Paul Hamy), from the “department of alarming disappearances,” intends to track down a group of missing children.

Their missions turn out to be linked, and one of the elements tying them together is “The Soul Eater,” a local boogeyman legend intended to encourage kids not to wander off into the woods. This creature may not be a myth after all, and as strange details about the double killing come to light and more bizarre deaths occur, Guardiano and De Rolan are drawn toward a shocking truth.

THE SOUL EATER uses the classic pacing of giallo films, and each twist and turn only increases the viewers anxiety as Guardiano and Frank get closer to uncovering the grisly truth of what is plaguing this French town.

Both Guardiano and Frank are motivated by different personal demons that help viewers feel some empathy, so they have a well-rounded experience of emotions as the story unfolds.

Additionally, the use of some common clichés like “the rundown town that used be a main tourist attraction,” “no one is who you think they are,” and even The Soul Eater fable itself, distract the viewer until you’re hit with a well-done twist that completely shifts the film.

The last half hour is a punch to the gut as the true horror unravels, literally one horrifying room at a time. But again in true thriller fashion, a somewhat poetic ending allows viewers to walkaway with some relief.

THE SOUL EATER is a slow burn that doesn’t implode on itself and ends in a satisfactory smolder. 

I only caution parents to prepare themselves for a hard watch in the last third of the film.

Keep directors Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo on your radar like I have since their first film INSIDE and you won’t be disappointed. Their storytelling is chef’s kiss.

The Menu Review

The Menu
Dir: Mark Mylod
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Judith Light, Aimee Carrero, and John Leguizamo 
1h 46m

Search through the range of suggested videos on your social media platforms, and you are guaranteed to come across commentaries regarding the artistry of cuisine. The meticulously constructed, often decadent, combination of ingredients transformed into food unworthy of destruction with a fork and knife. Director Mark Mylod turns the cinematic lens onto highfalutin foodies with "The Menu," an entertaining and biting dark comedy about entitlement and food culture.  

New couple Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) wait impatiently for a boat that is transporting them to a private island for an exclusive dinner presented by the famed Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). Other guests, who compose the top percentage of affluence, also wait in anticipation, mingling with their boastful opinions about the evening ahead of them. Upon arrival at the swanky kitchen, an obedient and highly-organized army of kitchen staff wait to serve a multi-course of curated cuisines.

Chef Slowik, who at the clap of his hands immediately receives a stand-at-attention and response of "Yes Chef" from his kitchen staff, has hand-picked the arrangement of menu items along with the specific group of guests in his dining room. No one is there by accident. The guests include a name-dropping movie star (John Leguizamo), a group of male social media influencers (Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr, and Rob Yang), and a pretentious food critic (Janet McTeer), amongst other people who each occupy their own indulgent and arrogant place in society. Margot, who was added to the guest list at the last minute, is the exception. Chef Slowik has devious plans, and Margot has the potential to ruin his menu. 

Director Mark Mylod and writers Seth Reiss and Will Tracy craft a tight mystery seasoned with a pinch of horror movie influences. The story is a clever mix of dark comedy setups and a self-aware examination of modern food culture. Much humor is sprinkled throughout the story; the best jokes come at the peak of tension-fueled moments, at unexpected times when the film diverges momentarily down a darker path. However, it's never scary; the characters, with their loathsome mannerisms and cynical commentaries, dictate the sarcastic and comedic tone established throughout the film. 

It's hard to empathize with the guests in Chef Slowik's dining room. Each is obnoxious to various degrees of tolerability. The food critic imposes negative critiques after every bite. The movie star is more concerned with his fading status than the food in front of him. And Margot's date, Tyler, snaps pictures of every course even after being told it wasn't allowed. Except for Margot, who could care less about the food, everyone is terrible. 

At many moments Chef Slowik, the obvious villain of the film, garners the most sympathy. That's all because of the talents of Ralph Fiennes, who is no stranger to villainous roles. The actor’s sad eyes and uneasy mannerisms cut through the more powerful emotions of resentment and arrogance for the character. Fiennes's exceptional performance is a skillful balancing act. Anna Taylor-Joy is also great; her honest self-worth and confidence counter nicely against the other guests and the challenge of the demanding Chef. 

"The Menu," in moments, makes unnecessary narrative shifts for the sake of drama that stalls the otherwise tight pacing. But that rarely distracts from the fun the film is having. Supported by great performances and the entertaining use of dark comedy, "The Menu" is the best pick for a "dinner and a movie" night. 

Monte's Rating

4.00 out of 5.00

Old Review

Old

Dir: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Abbey Lee, and Eliza Scanlen

1h 48m

 

It was 1999 when director M. Night Shyamalan directed one of the great horror films, "The Sixth Sense," a film that changed the landscape of genre filmmaking moving into the new millennium. Fast-forward 22 years later, and the director is still composing his brand of a scary movie with old school "Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" vibes with the newest entry "Old." 

 

In "Old," a group of vacationers looking for a relaxing day at a beach encounter a strange anomaly that rapidly ages them. Making thirty minutes resemble about a year of life. The Shyamalan story, borrowed from the 2010 graphic novel "Sandcastle" by Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters, preys on the fears associated with time and the questions that arise when life disappears in the blink of an eye. 

 

Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Prisca (Vicky Krieps) are on vacation at a remote paradise island with their two kids Trent (Nolan River) and Maddox (Alexa Swinton). The beautiful resort, which greets its guests at the door with a fancy drink and offers lodging in glass-walled rooms, feels too good to be true. Guy and Prisca struggle with their relationship and use this getaway to escape the reality of their situation, one that feels already finalized once they return home. An invitation to visit a remote beach feels like the perfect adventure for Guy, Prisca, and their kids. However, once on the secluded sandy piece of paradise, strange events begin to happen. Trent and Maddox begin to outgrow their swimsuits, the adults develop wrinkles on their faces, and a dead body rapidly decomposes. The group realizes the beach is making them to age rapidly, causing them to desperately search for a way off the coast before their time runs out. 

 

"Old" is equal parts silly and thought-provoking. Shyamalan, who has always had a knack for turning a "Twilight Zone" episode into something bigger, writes a film that wants to talk about the deeper existential complexities of the aging process but instead remains a surface-level body horror thriller. 

 

Now, don't get me wrong, there is still fun with the sensations and spectacle introduced every few minutes in "Old." Watching young Trent (played older by Alex Wolff) and Maddox (played older by Thomasin McKenzie) age into teenagers with a new understanding of emotions is amusing. Seeing a cardiothoracic surgeon, played with glee by Rufus Sewell, mumble about forgetting which movie Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson starred in while also performing a gory beach surgery will make you smile and squirm. During the visceral moments, the director's restraint does a great job of allowing the viewer to connect the dots independently, which is often far scarier than seeing the event. At times the camera will circle like a ticking clock or sway back and forth like the pendulum of a grandfather clock. These technical pieces assist in adding tension.

 

Shyamalan understands how to evoke the big emotions in "Old" but misses the smaller, more interesting pieces that ultimately get left behind or interrupted for the big scare or twist. But in small moments, Shyamalan taps into the fear and trauma of the aging process with clever insights during unexpected scenes. One is when Maddox, who has aged into the caretaker role for her sibling and parents, walks into the ocean waves reciting positive affirmations to help her understand the situation she is tasked. This moment connects to the inevitable role some adults will take with elderly parents and children. Another is when Guy begins to have vision issues, and Prisca starts losing her hearing, the moment plays with subtlety. Both characters refuse to acknowledge the problem; instead, they hide it and modify their physical positions to fit their new health concerns. Gael García Bernal and Vicky Krieps are excellent in these smaller moments. 

 

"Old" spends most of its nearly 2-hour runtime indulging in its horror and thriller genre characteristics. While these moments are amusing within the film's premise, Shyamalan never unites these pieces to the ultimate horror of time being taken from someone. The memories, the feelings, the experiences, the whole reason why these people are desperate to escape the beach, are pushed into small scenes that rarely spend enough time to connect the sentiments to the situation. While "Old" sets up an engaging premise with amusing character turns, the final result will fade from memory faster than time passes on this beach. 

 

Monte's Rating

2.25 out of 5.00

Greta Review

Greta

Director: Neil Jordan

Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Isabelle Huppert, Maika Monroe, Zawe Ashton, and Colm Feore

“No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted,” an excerpt from an Aesop fable. 

Aesop’s words and fables have illustrated numerous, valuable life lessons humanity can still learn from today. Though, considering just how terrible humanity can be to one another, it’s easy to remember moments in life when you may have been too nice to someone else, and had that act of kindness taken advantage of. 

Director Neil Jordan crafts his own wicked fable with the film “Greta,” a story that deals with aspects of obsession and compulsion conveyed upon a young woman played by, Chloë Grace Moretz, who was trying to simply live by Aesop’s rule of kindness. 

The unhinged predator in pursuit is none other than Academy Award winning actress Isabelle Huppert doing her best “big bad wolf” performance. 

Frances (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a small town girl living in the big city, working as a waitress in a fine dining restaurant. She lives in a modern style loft with her best friend Erica (Maika Monroe), wandering around the city with wide eyed amusement, and travels on the subway to get to work. 

Frances is clearly trying to separate herself from the past but is doing her best to live a happy life in the present. On a trip home on the subway Frances finds a purse left behind, she searches it and finds an address that leads her to a lonely older woman named Greta (Isabelle Huppert). 

Frances develops a connection with Greta, they play the piano and look at dogs to adopt, and the two quickly become friends. But Greta has a secret and when Frances discovers it their relationship quickly changes. 

Stories of obsession are common in cinema; whether a young man’s obsession with his dead mother from “Psycho,” or a woman’s obsession with a married man in “Fatal Attraction,” or a deranged Hobbit’s obsession with a golden ring in “Lord of the Rings.” 

Obsession can make for intriguing tales that display the lengths that humanity will go to capture the person, place or thing they value so greatly. 

“Greta” at its narrative core is composed around the aspect of obsession, turning a story that straddles the line between being a cat-and-mouse thriller and a straight up survival horror film. 

It’s unfortunate that the film never makes a clear choice of what it wants to be, but instead fumbles about with some great actors doing their best with a story that never builds the tension or fear that it is trying to achieve. 

While the setup functions nicely to introduce the two characters together, with Moretz and Huppert creating some good chemistry with each other, once the deception is revealed the film falls into familiar territory. 

At one moment the film feels like it may swerve in another direction, which would make sense considering director Neil Jordan’s ability to turn strange circumstances into intriguing character studies. But instead it continues on its one-dimensional path. 

Moretz is a great actress who unfortunately isn’t utilized completely here, just like in other recent films, with ineffective ways that display her raw and emotional talent. 

Huppert keeps the film afloat with her sly smile and unhinged outbursts, but even her character at times feels pulled from a different story completely. 

The character Greta seems rich with a backstory that is never used to build more complexity into why she is doing such terrible things. “Greta” boasts a capable cast, a good director and an intriguing setup, each of which is completely underutilized in this by-the-numbers thriller.

Monte’s Rating

2.00 out of 5.00