SMILE 2
2024 | Dir. Parker Finn | 127 Minutes
4 out of 5
Larger in scale than its predecessor in terms of production value as well as pure anxiety, the toothy trauma monster feeding off a troubled pop star opens the narrative up to all manner of ingeniously plotted and deeply uncomfortable moments. The pacing unfortunately stumbles for long stretches, and while the air of dread is palpable throughout, the jumpscares and disorienting twists do little to break the tension that somewhat devolves into monotony. Naomi Scott is very impressive, incredibly convincing as a celebrity gradually descending into total madness.
SATURDAY NIGHT
2024 | Dir. Jason Reitman | 109 Minutes
4 out of 5
Tense, funny, and very engaging, this dramatization of the 90 minutes leading up to the broadcast of the first episode of Saturday Night Live is an entertaining glimpse into the stress and chaos of creating something brand new under overwhelming pressure and uncertainty. Driven by its larger-than-life characters more than by narrative, Jason Reitman's picture does a decent job of selling the suspense of whether or not the show will even make it to air, though the inevitably of how television history plays out takes quite a bit of the edge off. Leading a fun ensemble cast, Gabriel LaBelle perfectly captures the nervous bottled-up energy of untested talent playing SNL creator Lorne Michaels. Other standout performances include Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner exuding pure sweetness, Nicholas Braun pulling double weirdo duty with varying degrees of success as both Andy Kaufman and Jim Henson, and Cory Michael Smith perfectly cast as arrogant upstart Chevy Chase.
MEGALOPOLIS
2024 | Dir. Francis Ford Coppola | 138 Minutes
3 out of 5
Clearly fueled by raw passion, Coppola's allegorical epic is a fascinating incoherent rant of a film. The dialogue and performances are distractingly affected, and while the ideas the narrative carries are intriguing, if overly broad, the plot is disjointed and even confounding at points. This is the cinematic equivalent of a master chef stepping out of the kitchen to lecture the diner about delicious imaginary dishes, but these illusory delicacies are somehow still undercooked. Its heart is in the right place, I guess.
THE WILD ROBOT
2024 | Dir. Chris Sanders | 102 Minutes
4 out of 5
Visually rich and conceptually inspired, this warmly crafted robot feature is an earnest tale of motherhood, found family, community, and belonging that's accessible to all ages without condescension. The quality of the animation is superb, breathtaking at times, though the design of the titular machine is somewhat derivative. Lupita Nyong’o is excellent leading a very interesting voice cast, and Matt Berry once again demonstrates that his presence just makes everything funnier.
THE SUBSTANCE
2024 | Dir. Coralie Fargeat | 141 Minutes
5 out of 5
Incredibly daring and delightfully grotesque, it's a cautionary tale body horror film with inventively disgusting imagery you cannot unsee. The picture stylishly and mercilessly confronts and subverts the absurdly high value society places on youth and surface-level beauty. Most provocatively, arguably the most terrifying aspect of this feature is its depiction of one woman's self-loathing mutating into full-on self-destruction. Stars Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are nothing short of perfect, particularly impressive as the narrative spirals into absolute chaotic revolting weirdness with no turning back.