MOVIE REVIEW: I Am Not a Serial Killer

I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016)

Horror, Thriller, Sci-Fi

Directed By: Billy O'Brien

With horror currently owning the box office, the age old debate has once again been brought to the surface of whether or not horror is still thriving. Spoiler: it is, and it has been for years now- you just have to know where to look. While Don't Breathe is sitting at number one at the box office it feels like a good time to remind fans that great horror can be found at anytime streaming on VOD outlets. For example, you can currently go and stream the new horror thriller I Am Not a Serial Killer while it is still playing in a limited theatrical run. I did so and in turn was treated to a weird, original new story told from a point of view we don't get to experience too often. 

John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records) has been recently diagnosed as a sociopath by his therapist, and despite the titles negative connotations, he has owned his new identity. He knows he has issues and that if the perfect sequence of events were to happen he would probably end up killing someone. He doesn't want to hurt anybody, though, in fact, the idea couldn't be less appealing to John, but he knows the potential is there. He follows a strict set of rules to keep himself from getting to that point but when a serial killer pops up in his remote little town his entire world is turned upside down. It's made even worse when he makes a strange discovery about the person performing these heinous acts and he now feels an obligation to do something about it. 

Seeing this story unfold from the point of view of John, a diagnosed sociopath, is what makes this movie so enjoyable to watch. We are seeing an original take on a classic small town murder mystery, told through eyes we rarely get to view anything from. Watching John handle his condition is fascinating enough to carry its own movie and learning how he has crafted his own set of rules, and how each of those rules keeps his bad habits at bay is a just one of many clever angles this movie operates on. 

Take that premise and use it as a baseline to tell a murder mystery and it gives us a take with are unfamiliar with. John's vast knowledge of serial killers and how they work allow him to catch onto the trail of his town's new infamous celebrity fairly easily and what he finds is totally unexpected. You may think you have the movie figured out in the first act but when the twists start coming and the film takes a slight sci-fi turn the outcome of the movie becomes rather unpredictable. 

Despite its cool and original premise, I Am Not a Serial Killer is not without its flaws. Watching John navigate his mental state is fascinating at times and pretty much everything dealing with the killer itself is totally engaging, but the filler in between can be quite clunky. There were a handful of moments where I began to lose interest in what was happening in the scene, or what I was watching didn't play directly into the story and slightly lost my interest. They do their best to create the strange relationship between John and his mother, who is aware of his diagnosis, but it often times comes off as a passing thought. 

The film succeeds with a clever premise and great performances from its leads. Max Records owns his role as the sociopathic John Wayne Cleaver, his unsettling demeanor and way of carrying himself creates the eerie atmosphere that most of the story operates on. The real treat though is Christopher Lloyd, who plays John's creepy old neighbor Crowley. Lloyd turns in one of the best performances we have seen from him ages and it adds a gravitas you wouldn't expect from a flick like this.

This is exactly the type of movie that totally justifies the changing landscape of releasing horror films. Though this is a clever new horror thriller it isn't a movie you necessarily need to see on a big screen. Yes, every movie is enhanced by being seen in a theater but this is also the perfect kind of horror movie to just pop on a Sunday afternoon and be surprised by. It offers us a new point of view in which to view a horror story from, and for that alone, it is worth the price of a rental. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

MOVIE REVIEW: Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)

Animation, Adventure, Family

Directed By: Travis Knight

Knowing the amount of work and dedication that goes into making a stop-motion animated film it is near impossible for me to see anything made this way and not get fully enraptured in the majesty of it all. So much tedious and highly detailed work that requires infinite patience goes into making these kinds of films and I am always amazed anyone has ever managed to make an entire feature film. There is no better producer of such stories than Laika studios, which originally started as Will Vinton studios, who are responsible for some of the most popular stop-motion films of all-time. These include The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, and ParaNorman which are all incredible stories catered towards children yet seemingly written for the adults who take them. The latest from the studio, Kubo and the Two strings, furthers their reputation of making visually stunning and mentally stimulating movies that audiences of all ages can enjoy. 

One of the wonderful aspects of all the Laika films is that each one is vastly different from the last, being sure to never be a retread of what came before. Their latest is another giant step in that direction taking us into the world of ancient Japanese mythology. Kubo isn't like most young boys his age, he descends from a magical bloodline that bestows him with great power. When he learns that ancient forces are after him he must set out on a quest to find a mythical suit of armor that will give him the power needed to defeat those who would steal what belongs to him. Meeting some eccentric characters along the way he must find the power within him that is needed to defeat the evil powers that would separate him from those he loves. 

After their last feature film, The Boxtrolls, was met with a less than desired reaction from both fans and critics all eyes were on Kubo to bring back their A-list status. The first step was the look, Boxtrolls was a bleaker looking film set in a grimy turn of the century England and it proved to be less than pleasing aesthetically. Kubo takes full advantage of the sheer beauty of ancient Japan and crafts it into one of the studio's best looking films to date. From fantastic character designs to amazing set pieces the film is visually arresting from the opening frames until the last. I often times found myself in wonder and awe at how they managed to get some of these gorgeous shots.

All flash and no substance isn't the answer however and after the great underlying messages of both Coraline and ParaNorman I was looking for something special here. Though the story never gets too complicated it lays the perfect groundwork to drive home another great lesson in the end. I love that these laika films tend to deal with adult themes head on and put them into a context that a much younger audience can digest and learn from. The lesson at the heart of Kubo may seem slightly generic and on the nose but when you see how it all plays out you see it drive that message home in a light you may have not thought about it in. 

The studio may have only released four feature films so far but within those you can already see what the key to their success is, a strong main character. Coraline, ParaNorman, and Kubo are all named after their main character for a reason; they are the vessel within which we are to navigate these fantastical stories. Whereas The Boxtrolls has no strong central character and it is never made clear within who we are to view the events of that movie. We follow Kubo as he becomes the person he was meant to be by discovering what is truly important to him. 

Making his directorial debut, Travis Knight, who has been an animator with the studio ever since it was purchased by his father Phil Knight, proves that he isn't just here because daddy has ownership. He does a phenomenal job crafting a magical story of what family truly means and how growing up without the ones you need most can change everything. When I watch stop-motion I tend to examine every shot, mulling over the fact that every single second has to be planned out beforehand. Despite digital this one of the last forms of filmmaking that requires every shot to be as perfect as possible, you can only reshoot so much when you can film just seconds a day. 

As is usually the case with this studio, they have brought in a solid cast of high profile names to do voice acting. Unlike with most big studios however, they cast actors that are right for the roles and actually have them voice act. Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, and George Takei all lend their voice talents to the movie, but it's young up and comer Art Parkinson who really brings it all. His work as the title character is what drives the film, as both Dakota Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee did before. 

The studio has a solid grasp on the stories they want to tell and how they want to tell them and I respect the heck out of the fact that they refuse to cater to the populace. They are making movies that on the surface have little or no mass appeal, yet once you dig into them you find a story that any person, of any age, gender, or race can find enjoyment in. I hope Kubo is just another in a long line of fantastic films from these guys, I know it will probably be another three years until we see their next but when the quality is consistently at this level that seems like so little to ask. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!

MOVIE REVIEW: Don't Breathe

Don't Breathe (2016)

Horror, Suspense

Directed By: Fede Alvarez

When I first saw writer/director Fede Alvarez take on the Evil Dead franchise three years ago I was blown away. It was one of the craziest horror experiences I had ever gotten to have on the big screen and even though it was technically a reboot of a beloved franchise, I could tell the guy behind the camera had something special to offer the horror world. He has a way of capturing the brutality of his carnage that makes it all feel totally real, even in a world of complete and utter insanity and if that wasn't displayed clear enough in his debut then his follow up film hammers that nail home in the biggest of ways. Don't Breathe, the second film from Fede Alvarez, is a master class in filmmaking that manages to capture the suspense and intensity we rarely get to see in movies in general.  

Focusing on a trio of petty thieves in the Detroit area, the movie couldn't have a more simple premise. Looking for a way out of their dump of a city Rocky (Jane Levy), her scummy boyfriend "Money" (Daniel Zovatto), and her good friend and literal "keys" to the operation Alex (Dylan Minnette) get a tip for a massive cash score that can single handedly get them out of their garbage lives. The job seems easy, the house belongs to an old man, and old blind man (Stephen Lang), who just happens to be sitting on a whole lot of cash. Unfortunately for our would be robbers this old timer still has some of his old military training up his sleeve and when the job goes wrong they wind up fighting just for a chance of survival, let alone the cash prize. 

The film plays as a hugely claustrophobic nightmare that takes little to no time getting into the bulk of the story. It takes all of fifteen minutes before they are in the house, tip-toeing around looking for a hidden stash. Fede doesn't take half of the film just to build the tension for a massive release, instead he gets the ball rolling fast by having them invade the house with the blind man still inside. Just knowing this makes the first ten minutes of rummaging in the dark so intense that when the first big payoff happens early on, you have already been gripping the edge of your seat in anticipation. From the moment they enter the home the suspense sucks you in entirely -and then the lights go out- creating one of the most intense and brilliantly shot horror sequences I have ever seen on the big screen. This movie is appropriately titled, as you rarely get a chance to breathe easy.

If you are wondering why it took three years to follow up his debut film it's made quite clear before the movie even starts, as Fede himself gives us a little message. He thanks us for coming to the movies but he also explains how he just simply wants to make good films that audiences will enjoy. He is making his movies into what they were meant to be, an experience. Between his Evil Dead and now this I have been given two of the best theater experiences I have ever had and it is because he cares more about how we feel in that dark room for ninety minutes than most anyone in attendance. This sentiment shines through his work and if it means I have to wait three years between each new Alvarez movie for this kind of quality then I am more than happy to do so. 

To get the best experience you can out of this go in with as little knowledge about it as possible. The trailers, as is so often the case, spoil just a little too much so if you have somehow avoided them keep doing so and go in cold. I'm sure most of you have seen the trailers though as they have been playing before countless movies this summer but even so, they hardly ruin the movie. There are a few big moments that would have been better served to see for the first time in the film but when something is made this masterfully it's near impossible for little details to ruin it all. 

Don't Breathe re-teams Jane Levy and Fede Alvarez and having now done two fantastic films with each other I wouldn't mind if the two kept going together. Levy is an incredible actor and her two vastly different roles in both Evil Dead and this prove she has huge range and can bring whatever Alvarez asks of her. His sophomore effort also brought him a little more star power in the form of the great Stephen Lang whose crazed performance brings much of the film's intensity. It was also nice to see Dylan Minnette, who impressed me a bunch in last October's Goosebump's movie, taking on some more serious fare. 

The latest from Fede Alvarez is just another in a rather long line of recent indie horror films made by incredible up and coming filmmakers that prove, while big studio movies may be in a bit of a rough spot, that the horror genre is in a way flourishing. The fact that this movie is in wide-release and is doing fantastic numbers is just further proof that not only is horror still as profitable as always, but that the people making it are just as talented as ever. In what many are calling a hugely disappointing summer of movies, us horror fans are being spoiled in the best of ways. Go see this on the biggest, loudest screen you can find and you'll be treated to one of the best movie going experiences of the summer. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies, you can find em anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later! 

MOVIE REVIEW: Sausage Party

Sausage Party (2016)

Animation, Comedy

Directed By: Greg Tiernan & Conrad Vernon

For the past nearly twenty years, since Pixar first released Toy Story there has been one giant question plaguing all of our minds; When will someone turn this gorgeous medium into the raunchy, profanity infused, sex comedy we all need? Okay, maybe I am the only one who has been thinking this but ever since news of this movie first caught my attention some three years ago I've been quietly ecstatic for its potential existence. It didn't come quick but it eventually got there and the first ever R rated digitally animated feature from the team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg has finally hit theaters, and oh boy is it a doozy. Never in my wildest imagination would I have ever thought I would see a major film of this nature. 

We knew from early on that this would be a movie centering on foods in a grocery store and their reactions to finding out what happens when they are taken home by a customer. Food finding out that is actually eaten alive rather accepted into "The Great Beyond" is a brilliant idea just on the comedic potential alone. Had you told me that Rogen and Goldberg would go the extra ten miles and turn this into one of the most honest and relevant movies about religion and its effect on humanity of recent memory I'd have called you crazy. Yet here I am, just a few days after seeing the movie telling you that Sausage Party, an animated movie about talking food, has more to say about the state of the world than almost anything else you will see this year. 

On the surface the film works brilliantly as a raunchy, slapstick comedy using foul language and taboo subject matter to its advantage. That means if you are simply going to see this movie to laugh you are most likely going to leave a happy person, from the opening scene to the absolutely insane finale there is little room for breathing with jokes coming at you in rapid fire. The movie attacks any and every kind of person in the world leaving no one safe from its criticism, which in turns brings laughs for any kind of person as long as you aren't easily offended. 

When you dig slightly deeper than the surface comedy this movie actually has something to say. It's obvious the story is drawing religious comparisons right out of the gate with the introduction of the food's belief of "The Great Beyond" and there reference to humans as "gods" but when actually paying attention to the dialogue and characters you realize it has something to say about those beliefs. It's not necessarily looking to stir the pot even, yeah they are saying some controversial things but the message at the core of it all is pretty simple; live your life the way that makes you happy and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. 

The message is there for those who want to see it but for those looking to just have some laughs this is all easy to overlook. When you have such talented comedians like Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, and Jonah Hill as well as pure talent like Salma Hayek and Edward Norton it's hard not enjoy what they are bringing to the table. If you are worried that the only appeal to this movie is watching animated food say curse words you need not worry, they find plenty of other ways to make you laugh than just the novelty of the idea.

I'm sure many of you are also wondering how the digital animation played out, as we have only really seen it be used for children's and family movies. To be honest it takes a few minutes to get used to, the atmosphere is so familiar but the content is so wildly different that you have to let yourself adjust. Even so there were points in the movie that I couldn't believe things were happening and I had to remind myself that this movie has a hard R rating. In the end I found this added to my enjoyment of the experience, my prior connection to this medium and family entertainment left me more than baffled countless times, it's a trip.

Rogen and Goldberg's work, as popular as it is, has never been for everyone. They make comedies that push the taboo's of our society and poke fun at the things we hold most dear to us, but that's what comedy is supposed to do. I'm sure Sausage Party will piss off more than its fair share of thin skinned movie goers and easily angered parents but the fact it even exists is a win for humanity in my book. The final fifteen or so minutes are more hilarious than maybe anything else I have ever seen in a movie theater. That being said, if you do not like super raunchy and inappropriate comedy then maybe pass on this one or at least don't yell at me for loving every second of it. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @zachWWMovies, smell ya later!

MOVIE REVIEW: The Mind's Eye

The Mind's Eye (2016)

Horror, Sci-Fi

Directed By: Joe Begos

If you are the horror fan who believes the genre is dead or dying because you've only seen the latest studio flick doing its best to mimic the latest trend then I suggest diving into the world of indie horror. Rather than mimic what's popular many of these filmmakers are taking influence from the masters of the genre and finding ways to create their own unique stories. Take, for example, the latest film from writer/director Joe Begos The Mind's Eye which plays as a giant love letter to the Scanners franchise and other films and filmmakers of its time. This could have easily been a cheap knock-off of movies people love but Begos took the influence and injected it right into the heart of a story that stands entirely on its own.

The film focuses on two people with extraordinary abilities, Zack Connors (Graham Skipper) and Rachel Meadows (Lauren Ashley Carter). Unbeknownst to most of the world, these two belong to a small portion of the population with telekinetic capabilities. When a sadistic doctor by the name of Michael Slovak (John Speredakos) finds out about their special talents he abducts them in hopes of harvesting their abilities for himself. The two manage to escape his facilities and now the crazed doctor will do whatever it takes to get them back. What he doesn't know is that the powers he has been suppressing in them are slowly coming back, and a man with a gun may not be able to do much when the person they are pointing it at can control their brain.

We are hardly seeing an acting clinic on display here but we still gets solid performances from both of the leads Graham Skipper and Lauren Ashley Carter. Doctor Slovak however, played by John Speredakos, literally descends into madness by the end of the film and the performance by Speredakos is so much damn fun. Watching him and Skipper go back in forth in the finale is real treat. I also have to mention horror community favorite Larry Fessenden also has a small role in the movie and we all know anytime he pops up it usually means you're watching a pretty good flick.

When it comes to sci-fi horror one of the keys to success is making sure the sci-fi aspect of the film isn't buried. Nothing is more disappointing than going into a film with promise of something like aliens or telekinesis and have them be an afterthought. Begos gets this, his low budgets haven't stopped him from interjecting tons of interesting science fiction elements into his horror movies. He also doesn't beat you over the head with exposition to make sure the audience is picking up on it either, he stages these moments in a way where we are able to pick up and understand exactly what's going on. We easily understand these characters powers and the extents to which they can use them without having to be told directly why. 

This isn't to say the film shies away from being a full on horror movie, telekinesis can be used in some pretty terrifying ways and we see more than a few of them on display throughout. Unlike Scanners though, a film this one is drawing huge influence from, they aren't just exploding heads all willy nilly the entire time, it's not so easy for this world's telekinetics. The Mind's Eye builds off of what that movie introduced and rather than try to imitate it turns it into something new. Instead of just exploding brains (which I'm not saying isn't in the movie) they can use their powers in a multitude of different ways, like wielding weapons or tossing bodies across a room in a ultra-violent fashion. If you are the fan that goes for unique kills and buckets of blood this movie is entirely for you. 

The story draws influence from all over the board, not just horror. the opening scene of film is it's own version of The First Blood intro. A drifter wanders down an empty road only to be stopped by police and thrown into the hellish situation that is to follow. You can tell Begos just wanted to make a movie with the feel of all of his favorites from the late seventies and eighties while shaping it into his own vision with some modern tendencies. He's not trying to pull on nostalgia as much as create a familiar atmosphere in which he can show us something new, and he succeeds at doing so. 

At the beginning of the movie a title card pops up that prompts the viewer to "watch this movie as loud as possible" and though they may seem like a cheap gimmick to some it's actually a perfect piece of advice. The sound design and score are incredible and it is only enhanced when you crank the volume to eleven. The film boasts a wonderful, old school synth dominant score that plays a key role in creating that familiar atmosphere for the viewer. Add that to the impressive and creepy sound design surrounding the telekinetics and violence, and you have a truly unique experience.

The Mind's Eye isn't the type of film that plays gangbusters to any type of crowd, but for the right audience (which I am a part of) this movie plays as a totally insane rollercoaster ride through hell that we never want to get off of. Begos is making the kinds of films we love and cherish as "cult classics" from the past, only in modern times. I have a good feeling with time each of his films will have a growing audience of dedicated fans. This is easily one of my favorite horror films of the year and I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us horror geeks next. 

As always, thanks for reading and I am Zach Who Watches Movies. You can find me anytime on twitter @ZachWWMovies, smell ya later!