Author Archives: Keith Garlington

REVIEW: “The Duel” (2024)

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Filmland is the Arkansas Cinema Society’s curated celebration of local, national, and international cinema. In it’s seven year history, the annual event has hosted an impressive array of industry guests that includes Richard Linklater, Jessica Chastain, Adam Driver, Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Chloé Zhao, Will Forte, and many others. Filmland 2024 is no different.

This year’s festivities kicked off with a special screening of “The Duel”, the debut feature film from co-directors Luke Spencer Roberts and Justin Matthews. This uneven yet somewhat contagious dark comedy stars Dylan Sprouse and Callan McAuliffe as former best friends who decide to resolve their differences the way most of us would – with an old-fashioned duel, complete with vintage pistols, ten paces, the works.

Taken as a whole, “The Duel” is a mishmash of ideas, several of which work well and others that don’t. It’s as if you plucked ingredients from “The Hangover”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and Ridley Scott’s “The Duellists” and threw them into a pot. Unfortunately some of those ingredients overpower the others. In this case it’s the film’s crude buddy comedy aspirations. If you plow down deep enough you’ll find what resembles a thematic core. But it’s buried under banter and antics that only seem there to get an R rating.

Roberts and Matthews don’t waste much time kicking things off. We learn that Colin (Sprouse) and Woody (McAuliffe) were once best of friends. But that changed when Colin secretly started sleeping with Woody’s girlfriend. To pay his ex-friend back, Woody took Colin’s cherished surfboard, the last thing made for him by his late father, and burned it. With no hopes of reconciliation, the two decide to handle things the gentlemanly way – with a duel.

In case you’re wondering, the movie is indeed set in our current day which makes the film’s premise even more outlandish. But that’s also one of the movie’s strengths. It’s completely aware of how silly it is and everyone involved is in on the joke. That doesn’t mean all the humor works (more on that in a second), but it makes the absurdity not only easier to digest but also easier to embrace.

Stuck with the two friends-turned-enemies are their other pals, Kevin (Hart Denton) and Sam (Denny Love). Both have taken different sides in the dispute but agree that Colin and Woody are taking things too far. So they tag along like good movie sidekicks as their stubbornly furious friends meet with the mysterious Christof (a scene-stealing Patrick Warburton) who looks, speaks, and acts as if he stepped out of a time machine.

Christoff is a seller of antiquities who not-so-secretly moonlights as an organizer of one-on-one duels. He immediately begins laying out the rules which includes the proper way of challenging, maintaining gentlemanly behavior, and choosing your “Field of Honor” (aka where to duel will take place). That last rule falls on Kevin and Sam for no plausible reason other than to give the characters something to do.

Kevin and Sam have a chance meeting with a coked-up Joey (Christian McGaffney) who connects them to Rudolpho (Ronald Guttman), a wealthy drug baron and duel enthusiast in Mexico. Rudolpho invites the uncouth foursome and Christoff to use his lavish estate for their showdown. They agree, but before any shooting is done there has to be a time of reflection, a big feast, and several other time-spenders meant to give characters opportunities to hammer things out.

The woman in the middle is Abbie (Rachel Matthews). She would have been a welcomed addition to the story if she had been given anything resembling a character arc. Instead Abbie is never seen until later. She pops up at Rudopho’s mansion to give a number of stilted speeches in an effort to talk some sense into her two battling beaus. She’s obviously right about what they’re doing, but her sudden moral clarity rings hollow because we haven’t had any time with her.

To Rogers and Matthews’ credit, “The Duel” wraps up with a gutsy finish that’s also the only way it could end without selling out. And it’s an ending that comes closest to hitting home the film’s deeper theme. The performances are roundly solid and there are funny lines scattered all through it. But certain characters make no sense outside of serving up punchlines. And the film’s fixation on earning an R rating robs it of time and attention that could have been better spent. “The Duel” is available now on VOD.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

My 10 Favorite A24 Films

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The prestige production company and movie distributor A24 is about to celebrate its 12th anniversary. During its twelve years the New York City based company has quickly evolved into one of the most acclaimed names in cinema. In the process they have cultivated an indie style all their own which has developed quite the cult following. They have opened the doors to so many different voices and have given creators an avenue to tell stories that would otherwise have a hard time finding an audience.

For that reason I’m celebrating A24 by listing my ten favorite films from their lengthy catalog. There are so many gems to choose from, and you might be surprised by what’s included and what’s left off. Hit the comments and let me know what you think…

#10 – “White Noise” (2022)

Ok, let me go ahead and get this one out of the way. In what is sure to be a bewildering choice to some, I stand by “White Noise” and its spot on this list. It took a couple of viewings for me to fully get in rhythm with what Noah Baumbach was doing. But once I did, I was hooked. I love the performances from Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, and it features an end-credits dance number for the ages. I love it. [MY REVIEW]

#9 – “After Yang” (2021)

I adored Kogonada’s feature film debut, “Columbus”. He hit his mark again with “After Yang”, an artful and quietly stirring reflection on humanity, family, and self-discovery. It’s very meditative in nature, using the camera and much as its script to immerse us in its heartfelt story. Elegantly directed, brilliantly acted, and visually arresting – “After Yang” is a beautiful film. [MY REVIEW]

#8 – “Minari” (2020)

Few movies have cut me to the heart quite like Lee Isaac Chung’s deeply personal family drama “Minari”. Subdued in all the right ways and anchored in the human experience, “Minari” follows a South Korean immigrant family and their search for the American Dream. The film earned six well-deserved Academy Award nominations and still stands firm as one of A24’s most affecting movies. [MY REVIEW]

#7 – “The Iron Claw” (2023)

While “The Iron Claw” received rave reviews from fellow critics, it still feels like a movie that never got the attention it deserved, especially during awards season. This crushing biographical drama based on the tragic true story of professional wrestling’s Von Erich family features a sublime ensemble cast and a career best performance from Zac Efron. Even better, it tells their devastating story with compassion and empathy. [MY REVIEW]

#6 – “Past Lives” (2023)

2023 was a stellar year for A24 (even more from it in a moment) and “Past Lives” was a big reason why. There is so much to love about this emotionally penetrating drama. It marked the spectacular feature film debut for writer-director Celine Song. And it featured one of the year’s very best performances from Greta Lee. “Past Lives” has stuck with me ever since first seeing it. [MY REVIEW]

#5 – “A Most Violent Year” (2014)

Here’s another movie that deserves more long-term love that it gets. J.C. Chandor’s rich and gritty crime drama “A Most Violent Year” was shunned by all the major Awards ceremonies. Still, it remains one of the best films of 2014 and one that has steadily gotten better with each viewing. The starring duo of Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain are magnetic, and Chandor’s storytelling sucks you in. [MY REVIEW]

#4 – “The Rover” (2014)

I’m guessing this is a pick that will surprise a lot of people. Nevertheless I’m a huge fan of “The Rover”, David Michôd’s dark and gritty dystopian drama set in a lawless Australian outback. Guy Pearce delivers a phenomenal lead performance, but it’s Robert Pattinson who steals the show. This is the performance that opened many of our eyes to the “Twilight” star and he hasn’t looked back since. If you haven’t seen “The Rover”, do yourself a favor and check it out. [MY REVIEW]

#3 – “The Witch” (2015)

Writer-director Robert Eggers burst onto the scene with one of the best directorial debuts of the past decade. “The Witch” is a masterclass in how to do amazing things with a tiny budget. Eggers’ film is expertly crafted – chilling and tension-soaked. And if that wasn’t enough, it made a star of young Anya Taylor-Joy whose big screen career has only blossomed. “The Witch” remains etched as one of my all-time favorite horror films. [MY REVIEW]

#2 – “First Reformed” (2018)

Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed” is the kind of wrenching movie that you wrestle with for days after seeing it. And that’s a big part of what makes its searing exploration of guilt, obsession, self-destruction, and despair so effective. Ethan Hawke delivers the performance of his career, fully embodying Schrader’s tragic lead. Meanwhile the influence of auteurs such as Bresson and Bergman can be seen everywhere. A brilliant film top to bottom. [MY REVIEW]

#1 – “The Zone of Interest” (2023)

Some may be quick to cry “recency bias” and I can understand why. But don’t be so quick to dismiss the stunningly brilliant film that is “The Zone of Interest”. Jonathan Glazer’s daringly precise and artfully calculated Holocaust drama is so quietly chilling that the true insidious nature of what we see creeps up on us. It’s fittingly unsettling yet strategic in how it conveys its horrors. As a result we get a landmark achievement both in filmmaking and as a historical reflection. [MY REVIEW]

REVIEW: “The Beast Within” (2024)

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“The Beast Within” opens with a line from an old proverb, “There are two wolves inside all of us … they are always at war.” The Two Wolves legend has often been attributed to a Cherokee elder speaking to his grandson. It’s essentially a metaphor for the inner conflict where the two wolves represent doing good and doing evil. When asked which wolf would win, the elder responded, “The one you feed.”

That proverb emphasizes a compelling struggle that “The Beast Within” attempts to explore through the guise of an old-fashioned werewolf movie. But at its heart, this patient and measured horror thriller has human interests that stretch well beyond genre. Father-daughter relationships, loss of innocence, and generational trauma are just some of the thematic through-lines that become easier to spot as the story unfolds.

Image Courtesy of Well Go USA

Director Alexander J. Farrell, who wrote the script alongside Greer Ellison, seems to do a lot with a little. I’m guessing some choices were made with budget constraints in mind. Other choices simply show good instincts. The small cast and fairly limited setting certainly help with cost. But they’re also fitting for this particular story. And we don’t see much in terms of creature effects because Farrell keeps his lycan offscreen for the vast majority of the movie. It may seem like a shortcut, but it effectively works in the story’s best interest.

Set mostly in and around a remote country manor, the bulk of the story is told through the perspective of a young girl named Willow (played by the talented Caoilinn Springall – also great in this year’s “Stopmotion”). Willow has an unexplained respiratory disorder that forces her to use oxygen whenever she gets anxious. And that’s often in their troubled household. Her mother, Imogen (Ashleigh Cummings) tries her best to shield her daughter from a dark family secret. But the more the curious and observant Willow secretly probes, the closer she gets to a painful truth.

While Willow has a close bond with her mother and grandfather Waylon (James Cosmo), her relationship with her father Noah (Kit Harington) is more complicated. She both adores and fears him – conflicting feelings stemming from Noah’s unpredictable manner which vacillates between loving and seething. But no one wants to talk about the real issue, preferring to keep Willow in the dark despite her father’s growing volatility, especially during a full moon.

Image Courtesy of Well Go USA

Noah lingers on the periphery for much of the film, adding an uneasy presence that Farrell takes advantage of on multiple occasions. It allows us to hone in on the characters and the intricacies of their relationships which is ultimately what the movie is most interested in. But it also adds a thick layer of tension than only intensifies as the inevitable revelations come to light. Harington ably embodies each of the “two wolves” while young Springall does a good job earning our empathy.

By the end, the story’s allegory may be a bit on-the-nose, but it’s plenty impactful. Farrell adds some subtle twists and the mystery is made more effective by his ability to plant questions in our minds. Meanwhile cinematographer Daniel Katz cements the tone with his clever framing, moody interiors, and beautiful yet ominous drone shots of the countryside. It’s crucial to connecting us to this slow-paced yet savvy family story that both demands and rewards our patience. “The Beast Within” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Crescent City” (2024)

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“Crescent City” is a well-known nickname for New Orleans, Louisiana. “Crescent City” is also the title of a popular series of fantasy novels. But I’m not sure either of those have connections to the new “Crescent City” movie, a knotty crime thriller set and shot in and around Little Rock, Arkansas. Where does the “Crescent City” title come from you ask? I have no idea. That’s not to say it isn’t somewhere in the movie. But it would be easy to miss in a feature this overstuffed and convoluted.

Director R.J. Collins attempts to add spark to this overloaded and overplotted serial killer thriller, squeezing every drop of tension he can out of a mostly tension-free script. But much like his talented cast, there’s only so much he can do. Screenwriter Rich Ronat bites off more than he can chew, eventually adding twists on top of twists. As a result, his screenplay puts useful things such as coherence and plausibility out of reach, leaving Collins with more characters, more motives, and more plot pieces than he can handle.

Image Courtesy of Lionsgate

The city of Little Rock is shaken following three grisly murders, each with a decapitated victim and the killer’s signature – mannequin parts. Two deeply flawed Little Rock police detectives are put on the case, Brian Sutter (Terrence Howard), a devout family man tormented by a past case gone wrong, and Luke Carson (Esai Morales), his short-fused and impertinent partner.

After another victim turns up, their frustrated Captain (a check-cashing Alec Baldwin) brings in Detective Jaclyn Waters (Nicky Whelan) to assist. She’s a Tulsa homicide detective by way of Sydney, Australia. Neither Brian or Luke are thrilled with an outsider joining their ranks, but they follow orders nonetheless. Before long the trio find themselves questioning a suspicious local pastor (Michael Sirow), investigating a satanic dating site, and navigating an internal affairs inquiry relating to an entirely different case.

Image Courtesy of Lionsgate

Those things alone would be enough for a fully functional story. But the film throws in so many setups, coverups, and betrayals that they’re impossible to manage. The film also has an identity crisis. One minute we’re watching a police procedural, the next minute a whodunit, and even later a family drama. And all while the movie is working hard at being a competent crime thriller. In truth, it’s too much.

Howard and Morales are fine actors who are more than capable of carrying the film and here they certainly put in the effort. At the same time, Little Rock provides a strikingly fresh setting. But “Crescent City” eventually crumbles under the weight of its own ambition. It seems as if every character has secrets, numerous motivations are sketchy, and overall there are too many story pieces that don’t connect. In the end, so much time is put towards corralling it all that more necessary components suffer. “Crescent City” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “The Union” (2024)

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Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry play old flames rekindling their relationship through the most ordinary of means – by entering the covert world of global espionage. That’s the gist of “The Union”, a new Netflix action-comedy that plays like a rehash of countless other film’s of its type. It’s a movie that is so by the numbers you’ll struggle to find anything that feels remotely inspired. And that’s a shame because there is some good talent attached to it.

“The Union” is directed Julian Farino who works from a script by Joe Barton and David Guggenheim. Their story follows a pretty conventional path, never veering anywhere close to originality either with its premise or its characters. Everything feels old hat and borrowed which leaves the audience with nothing to latch onto and certainly nothing to take with them. Yet it’s never boring…so there’s that.

Mike (Wahlberg) is a New Jersey construction worker and an all-around everyday guy. One evening his old high school girlfriend, Roxanne (Berry) walks into his favorite bar. The two haven’t seen in other in years and they immediately begin reminiscing about old times. They even go to one of their old hangouts overlooking the city. And that’s where Roxanne jabs Mike with a tranquilizer that knocks him out. Talk about escalating quickly.

Image Courtesy of Netflix

Mike eventually wakes up in London where Roxanne reveals she is a member of a clandestine organization known as (you guessed it) The Union. She introduces him to Tom Brennan (J.K. Simmons), the head of The Union who spends most of his screen time spitting out cheesy lines meant to sound witty. We learn that Roxanne’s entire team was killed and vital intelligence stolen. To retrieve it, The Union needs someone with no history – a nobody. No lifetime commitment required, just one operation and then Mike can go home (so much for clandestine).

Mike agrees to help and after one swift training montage he’s suddenly qualified for the mission. He and Roxanne will need to track down the location where the intel is being auctioned off. But they quickly learn other people are after it too. This leads to the bulk of the movie’s action as the field-tested Roxanne and the newbie Mike fend off a number of generic bad guys. And of course we get a little romantic tension along the way.

The filmmakers throw us a couple of second half twists but neither move the needle. And even they are ideas copied and pasted from other movies. Other possible story angles pop up but never amount to much. Instead the movie keeps chugging down the most routine of routes. Even with its flaws, Wahlberg and Berry bounce off each other pretty well. There are some witty lines and some decent spurts of action. But finding much past that can be a chore, even for the most forgiving moviegoers. “The Union” is streaming now on Netflix.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

REVIEW: “Alien: Romulus” (2024)

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In an era when the movie industry is growing more and more reliant on established IP, it’s great to see a franchise film really show its worth beyond just making money. Don’t get me wrong, “Alien: Romulus” is tracking towards a strong opening weekend at the box office. But what’s more exciting is seeing director and co-writer Fede Álvarez return to the franchise’s roots. Shades of his work in 2013’s “Evil Dead” and 2016’s “Don’t Breathe” are hard to miss. But it’s Álvarez’s clear esteem for the earlier Alien films that make this such a treat.

“Alien: Romulus” is the seventh installment in the long-running sci-fi horror franchise. Its story (co-written by Álvarez and his frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues) is set between the events of Ridley Scott’s seminal 1979 classic “Alien” and James Cameron’s equally brilliant 1986 sequel “Aliens”. While it’s not directly connected to either of those movies, “Romulus” fits nicely with both, in style, in tone, and in quality.

“Romulus” tells a contained story which (much like the original “Alien”) proves to be a big strength. A small handful of characters, a confined setting, a terrifying unknown threat – it’s a formula that has fit this franchise well and Álvarez utilizes it to perfection. We may not learn much new and “Romulus” may not catapult the franchise into uncharted directions. But it is an extraordinary Alien movie.

Image Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

One of the first things you’ll notice is that “Romulus” looks and sounds amazing. It has become somewhat cliché to say, but this is a film that begs to be seen on the big screen (it’s hard to believe 20th Century Studios once considered releasing it exclusively on Hulu). The movie is a technical marvel as seen in its spectacular practical and digital effects, Galo Olivares’ jaw-dropping cinematography, and awards-worthy production design from Naaman Marshall.

Narratively, the story does everything we need it to do. It patiently introduces the characters, defines their mission and motivations, and then plunges them and us into a perilous and propulsive nightmare. Álvarez nails the tone and steadily ratchets up suffocating tension on his way to a bonkers ending that hits you with something you’ll never see coming.

As for the cast and characters, Álvarez puts together a solid ensemble to play a group of young space colonists living on an oppressive corporate mining planet. The group of friends consists of Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), her adopted android brother, Andy (David Jonsson), Rain’s boyfriend, Tyler (Archie Renaux), Tyler’s sister, Kay (Isabela Merced), the mouthy Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Bjorn’s girlfriend Navarro (Aileen Wu).

The mining operation is ran by Weyland-Yutani Corporation, a name Alien fans are very familiar with. The company runs the colony through forced labor contracts which keeps the people obligated to work. Even worse, they withhold travel permits under everchanging contract quotas which further restricts their workers from leaving. Tired of their harsh conditions, the friends resolve not to end up like their parents who all died working in the mines.

Image Courtesy of 20th Century Studios

After getting word that a derelict Weyland space station has drifted into the planet’s orbit, they hatch a plan – sneak aboard the vacant station and steal cryo-pods so they can make the long journey to a far away paradise planet. Once onboard they’ll have three hours until the station crashes into the planet’s rings and is obliterated. That would be more than enough time if not for the horrifying discoveries they make. You guessed it – xenomorphs.

Spaeny’s star is steadily rising and she continues the franchise’s trend of strong female protagonists. We don’t get much in terms of her backstory with most of it coming through Andy. We learn Andy was given to Rain by her late father who programmed him with a collection of bad dad jokes and a prime directive to take care of her at all costs. But over the course of the film, it’s Andy’s dramatic evolution that makes him the film’s most compelling character.

“Alien: Romulus” is sprinkled with cool nods to the franchise’s mythology including some ingenious connections to the original “Alien”. Much comes through the effort poured into the details, from the costumes to computer terminals to the space station design. And of course the alien effects are superb, once again proving the xenomorphs to be one of cinema’s most terrifying creations. Overall Álvarez may not bring many groundbreaking new ideas, but he understands the nuts-and-bolts mechanics and has the necessary passion. And that’s what makes this an exhilarating triumph that delivers everything Alien fans could want. “Alien: Romulus” opens in theaters today.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS