Three Characters Trying Not to Speak Any Evil (CREDIT: Susie Allnutt/Universal Pictures and Blumhouse)
Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Scoot McNairy, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough
Director: James Watkins
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Rating: R for Violence, Disturbing Behavior, and a Little Bit of Innuendo
Release Date: September 13, 2024 (Theaters)
What’s It About?: Americans Louise and Ben Dalton (Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy) are feeling a little adrift ever since moving to London with their 11-year-old daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). While on vacation in Italy, they forge a bit of a connection with British couple Paddy and Ciara (James McAvoy and Aisling Franciosi), whose son Ant (Dan Hough) has trouble speaking because he’s missing part of his tongue. Paddy and Ciara are friendly, if perhaps a smidge too forward. But Louise and Ben are vulnerable enough to be won over by their sway, and it also helps that the chronically anxious Agnes opens up when she’s around Ant. So the Daltons soon find themselves guests at Paddy and Ciara’s remote countryside estate, but this idyllic retreat gradually becomes more and more suspicious. Forgivable faux pas like Paddy feeding the vegetarian Louise the first bite of the prized cooked goose quickly give way to more frightening secrets, like Ant revealing his bruises to Agnes. Louise wants to vamoose at pretty much the first warning sign, and it’s not long before Ben and Agnes are feeling the same.
What Made an Impression?: We Don’t Know the Half of It: You might think you know exactly what is going to happen in Speak No Evil. It has the sort of trailer that appears to give away the entire plot, plus it’s a remake of a Danish film that came out just a couple years ago. I haven’t seen the original, but I have watched the trailer, and there are some key moments that are remixed this time around. I guessed the major third act reveal based on the previews, and I’m sure I won’t be the only one. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Every inch and crevice of McAvoy, Franciosi, and Hough’s performances scream “Something’s not right here!” As the thorough depravity of Paddy and Ciara’s designs are brought into the open, it’s riveting, profoundly alarming, and breathtaking. Bonding Through Trauma: A shared stressful experience, if handled sufficiently, can deepen the bond of a relationship. And well, Louise and Ben could sure use some relationship strengthening. They’re reeling from a minor case of infidelity, as well as resentment from Louise putting her career on hold for Ben’s sake, plus just general feelings of existential instability. So perhaps it was fated that they would run into Paddy and Ciara, who kind of fancy themselves as amateur therapists. In a more good-natured movie, the Daltons would probably be eternally grateful for their intervention, but in truth, they’re profound manipulators. Nevertheless, the ultimate effect is the same, as Louise and Ben manage to find their way back to each other through this terrifying gauntlet. Resourcefulness is Key: Isn’t it so satisfying to watch movie characters be resourceful? (I have to tip my hat to Kyle Buchanan for elucidating this observation during a recent guest appearance on the Blank Check podcast.) The Daltons don’t appear to have ever been trapped in a situation as disorienting as this one, but it’s immediately clear that they’ll just have to figure it out if they’re going to survive. I for one couldn’t peel my eyes away from their efforts, as evidenced by the fact that I didn’t write a single thing down in my notebook for the entire 110 minutes. Often when thriller protagonists are captivatingly resourceful, it’s clear what experience they’re drawing from, even if their backstories are merely hinted at. In the case of Speak No Evil, that’s a little less true. In fact, it’s a running theme how ineffective Louise and especially Ben feel in their daily lives. But the experience of raising a child can go a long way. If you’re going to be a decent parent, then you necessarily figure out a lot along the way as the years roll by. So when Louise and Ben start surreptitiously grabbing makeshift weapons and cleverly scoping out their surroundings, we buy that they’re able to pull this off by virtue of their dedication to protecting Agnes. If you want to believe that you’ll similarly always be there for your kids, it’s worth checking out Speak No Evil to see how it tests your mettle.
Speak No Evil is Recommended If You Like: Psycho, You’re Next, Orphan
A scene from The Front Room that doesn’t take place in the front room (CREDIT: Jon Pack/A24)
Starring: Brandy, Kathryn Hunter, Andrew Burnap, Neal Huff
Director: Max and Sam Eggers
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: September 6, 2024 (Theaters)
I thought I was ready for The Front Room. A pregnant Brandy vs. Kathryn Hunter as her ignorant, zealously religious stepmother-in-law: how could you go wrong with that premise?!
Alas, now that I’ve seen it, I feel compelled to issue a warning to anyone who is excited as I was. This could very well be construed as a spoiler, so stop reading if you must, but that won’t prevent me from fulfilling my civic duty.
Okay, here goes: a good chunk of this movie about incontinence. Like, a BIG chunk. And it’s not shy about it! It’s also a tonal mish-mash, which it actually handles pretty well. But I really don’t think it needed all those stinky bodily fluids.
To Be AfrAID, or to be very AfrAId? (CREDIT: Glen Wilson/Columbia Pictures)
Starring: John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Keith Carradine, Havana Rose Liu, Lukita Maxwell, David Dastmalchian, Ashley Romans, Wyatt Lindner, Isaac Bae, Bennett Curran, Greg Hill, Riki Lindhome, Todd Waring
Director: Chris Weitz
Running Time: 84 Minutes
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: August 30, 2024 (Theaters)
I ain’t afraid of no A.I. And AfrAId didn’t convince me that I should be! First of all, it’s just a movie, so we should really just relax. Second of all, it takes a much-less apocalyptic approach than it could have. Whereas horror movie monsters are typically defeated or merely just escaped from by their story’s end, in AfrAID, AIA the A.I. ultimately brokers a compromise with its human keepers. In that way, it offers a similarly uneasy (but possibly hopeful) solution as that of The Babadook. So yeah, that’s something different than what we usually get from this genre. If that sounds kind of enticing to you, then I would go ahead and encourage you to check out AfrAId!
Grade: A.I. Don’t Love You, But A.I. Do Tolerate You
Starring: Bill Skarsgård, FKA Twigs, Danny Huston, Josette Simon, Laura Birn, Sami Bouajila, Isabella Wei, Jordan Bolger
Director: Rupert Sanders
Running Time: 111 Minutes
Rating: R
Release Date: August 23, 2024 (Theaters)
Well, I just saw a movie, so I guess it’s time to ask myself once again: would I like this to happen to me? “This” being “become The Crow (2024).” I can definitely see the appeal! The Bill Skarsgård version of Eric’s trail of vengeance may be soul-destroying, but it’s relatively clean and about as straightforward as advertised. Plus, I’ve never seen the 1994 Crow (nor read any of the comics, for that matter), so I don’t have a sterling standard in my head to compare it against. Ultimately, if I could somehow finagle a fantastical Crow-like journey that wouldn’t seep into my mortal existence, I’d be down for it, especially if it meant having a mentor played by Sami Bouajila, who kind of reminded me of Luis Guzman in the “Documentary Filmmaking: Redux” episode of Community.
Well okay, since Slingshot didn’t get a super-duper big release, nor was it heavily advertised, I suppose I ought to provide a quick synopsis so that you don’t have to open an extra tab. Casey Affleck plays an astronaut named John who’s on a mission to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. He’s joined by two other astronauts, played by these dudes Laurence Fishburne and Tomer Capone. Meanwhile, there are flashbacks to John’s time on Earth when he was recruited into the mission and fell in love with his girlfriend Zoe (Emily Beecham). Those flashbacks will prove to be important later! Anyway, while the crew gets to the point in outer space where they must perform a slingshot maneuver around Jupiter, John starts to lose his mind a little bit.
To get extratextual for a moment, I saw this movie with my dad on Sunday afternoon of Labor Day weekend, which was a good scheduling idea, as the ending made me go, “Hmm, I’m not quite sure how I feel about that.” Luckily, ambiguity that’s as big as the vast expanse of space was easier to handle on a relaxing weekend. So if you’re thinking about seeing Slingshot yourself, just make sure to avoid any simultaneous existential crises. (Unless you’re into that sort of thing!)
CREDIT: Warner Bros. Pictures (CREDIT: Screenshot)
I saw a bunch of movies in August 2024 that I haven’t released my full thoughts about yet, as it’s been too hot to say too much about any one movie. So I waited until September in the hopes that it would cool down at least a little bit and that I wouldn’t overheat from all this film analysis.
They keep making new movies, and some of them are even worth watching. Here’s what’s at the top of the slate for September 2024:
Speak No Evil: I’ve seen the trailer for this about 6 million times in the past few months. It’s a remake of a Danish film that I’ve heard good things about. James McAvoy looks creepy. There’s also a mini-Halt and Catch Fire reunion.
Movie theaters will Speak No Evil on September 13.
Release Date: August 30, 2024 (IFC Center in New York City)/September 6, 2024 (Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago)/September 13, 2024 (Additional Cities)
What’s It About?: In a case of “Only 90s Kids Can Understand,” Seeking Mavis Beacon doggedly attempts to uncover the truth behind the once-ubiquitous software program that taught a generation of children how to utilize their keyboards as efficiently as possible. Launched in 1987, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing and its title character delivered a regal air to the burgeoning personal computer sector. A lot of people apparently believe that Mavis Beacon was a real human being, but she was in fact a fictional character originally brought to life by model Renee L’Esperance. For filmmaker Jazmin Renée Jones, Mavis Beacon was one of the most influential people of her childhood – and so therefore was L’Esperance. Thus, she felt absolutely compelled to make a documentary to uncover how Renee became Mavis, and why she then just … disappeared.
What Made an Impression?: Society in the Machine: Jones feels a vibrant kinship with anyone who still believes that Mavis Beacon is a real person, probably because she used to believe that herself as well. Her movie doesn’t dive completely into the Mandela effect, but it is indebted to a society that is for better or worse perpetually connected to the online world, both thematically and formally. A good chunk of the film plays out on computer screens, with vintage Mavis Beacon game footage, FaceTime conversations, and chunks of viral memes. Its style in the early going reminded me of the Rodney Ascher doc A Glitch in the Matrix, which examined the possibility that we’re living in a simulation within the context of a post-Matrix world. I’m intrigued by how this setup posits that Beacon has been just as influential as Neo, Morpheus, and Trinity, although Jones doesn’t really stick with this approach. Alas, I kind of wish she had, as Seeking Mavis Beacon could have benefited from being a little less prosaic as it moved ahead. Documentarian, Document Thyself?: It becomes pretty clear early on that Jones’ journey to contact L’Esperance will be rather quixotic. That’s not entirely disappointing, as Jones does manage to interview some of the other important figures behind Mavis’ creation. And with the digital snooping aid of her “cyberdoula” partner Olivia Ross, they also manage to track down a bit of a mild cover-up. But with L’Esperance proving to be firmly unreachable, the movie fills time with Jones’ and Ross’ personal struggles. Ultimately, Seeking Mavis Beacon is a documentary whose ostensible subject is just too far out of reach. Jones is too perseverant (or less generously, too stubborn) to accept that, though. There’s plenty of oomph to this story, but its inability to grapple with its limits makes for a frustrating viewing experience.
Seeking Mavis Beacon is Recommended If: You’re Okay with a Documentarian Becoming the Stealth Subject of the Documentary
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