REVIEW: “The Locksmith” (2023)

February 8, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Ryan Phillippe has a brand new film called “The Locksmith” although there’s a good chance you didn’t know about it. That’s because the modest crime thriller came with barely a whisper of promotion. It’s actually a fairly entertaining time-burner that has no trouble holding your attention. At the same time, it turns out to be too straightforward for its own good. There are no unexpected twists and no real surprises of any kind.

Call it noir-lite, “The Locksmith” marks the directorial debut for Nicolas Harvard. A total of four writers penned the script, John Glosser, Joe Russo, Ben Kabialis, and Chris LaMont, from a story conceived by Blair Kroeber. In addition to Phillippe, the film features supporting turns from an intriguing cast that includes Ving Rhames, Kate Bosworth, and Jeffrey Nordling.

In a brief prologue we meet Phillippe’s Miller Graham, a master safecracker struggling to provide for his wife Beth (Bosworth) and their young daughter. He convinces his equally struggling best friend Kevin (George Akram) to help him on a job that’s orchestrated by Detective Zwick (Nordling), a corrupt vice cop who’s pretty high up on the department’s food chain. But things quickly go south. Zwick guns down Kevin to cover his tracks, and Miller is left to take the fall.

Miller keeps his mouth shut and serves ten years in prison. After being released, he’s given a handyman job by his loyal and wise friend, Frank (Rhames). But his main focus is on mending his relationship with his now ex-wife Beth and being a father to his now 12-year-old daughter Lindsay (Madeleine Guilbot). But things get complicated when he’s approached by April (Gabriela Quezada), Kevin’s kid sister. She’s gotten in too deep with a wealthy and powerful real estate developer, Garrett Field (Charlie Weber) who secretly runs an extensive prostitution and sex-trafficking ring. She wants out and she needs Miller’s help.

While Frank warns him not to get involved, a guilt-ridden Miller feels its his responsibility to help his late friend’s sister. So despite being hassled by Zwick and his two goons (for reasons I’m still not sure of), Miller and April hatch a plan to steel a bag of money from Garrett. It goes about as well as expected, putting Miller, his friends, and his family in danger.

Nothing that happens from there will catch anyone by surprise. Yet it’s clear that Harvard and the team of writers genuinely care for their characters. Both them and their relationships (as conventional as they may be) are given the time and attention they need. There’s an earnestness between Miller’s efforts to win back Beth’s trust and her willingness to give him a chance. There’s a sweetness to his relationship with Lindsay. There’s a sincerity in his friendship with the mentor-like Frank.

As for the villains, they’re all pretty one-dimensional. Garrett as a typical rich baddy who’s more of a plot device than an interesting or memorable character. Zwick is a different story. In many ways he’s your prototypical corrupt cop without a single redeemable characteristic or shade of nuance. But Nordling is so deliciously vile and despicable that he makes the character fun and steadily entertaining.

But “The Locksmith” tries to incorporate a little too much into its straight-line crime story – safe-cracking, assault, robbery, murder, prostitution, kidnapping, sex-trafficking, police corruption, plus some. There are also some pretty noticeable lapses in logic. Take April’s belief that it’ll take $500,000 (!!!) just to “start a new life“. Or Miller’s incredibly bad plan to steal the cash. Or Zwick’s irrational obsession and harassment of Miller.

As for Phillippe, it seems he has found a home in these B-movie thrillers. But to his credit there’s never a sense he’s slumming it or just cashing a check. He’s a sturdy lead who finds ways to make each of his characters interesting. It’s the same with “The Locksmith”. Phillippe earns our empathy and keeps us engaged, regardless of how dense Miller can seem and how head-scratching his choices can be. “The Locksmith” is now showing in select theaters and on VOD.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

REVIEW: “The Wonder” (2022)

February 7, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Florence Pugh continues to deliver strong performances through a fun and eclectic variety of well chosen roles spanning numerous genres. Her latest is “The Wonder”, a period drama with a tinge of psychological thriller from Chilean director Sebastián Lelio. The film is set in 1862 where Ireland has been stricken by a great and devastating famine. But in a rural Irish village a young girl has inexplicably been able to survive without eating. Some including her family insist it is a miracle from God. Skeptics believe the attention is unwarranted and that it’s all a ruse.

Lelio, who co-wrote the screenplay with Emma Donoghue and Alice Birch, spends a lot of time exploring the tensions between faith and science, more specifically those who prescribe to one side with no regard for the other. Pugh plays an English nurse named Mrs. Elizabeth Wright who is summoned to the remote village by a committee of local dignitaries (Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, and Brían F. O’Byrne). She’s joined there by a nun, Sister Michael (Josie Walker). The committee wants the two to observe a 9-year-old girl named Anna O’Donnell (Kíla Lord Cassidy). After 14 days, they are to report back to the committee with their findings, Elizabeth from a medical perspective; Sister Michael through the eyes of faith.

It’s said to have been four months since the seemingly healthy young Anna last ate and the townsfolk are baffled. How can she still be alive? “I don’t need to eat,” she tells Elizabeth in one of their first meetings, “I live on manna from Heaven.” Elizabeth and Sister Michael begin their observation in shifts and are instructed not to confer with each other before reporting back to the committee. Tom Burke pops up playing William Byrne, a reporter from London’s The Daily Telegraph with a special interest in the girl (and later in Elizabeth). He’s there to sniff out a story – is it something scientific that they don’t yet understand or is it something spiritual and supernatural?

The truth slowly comes into focus as Lelio patiently begins putting his pieces together. Many of them come from Anna’s family which includes her mother Rosaleen (Elaine Cassidy), her father Malachy (Caolán Byrne), and her older sister Kitty (a terrific Niamh Algar who’s also the story’s unconventional narrator). Through them we learn the O’Donnell’s are deeply religious and a certain family tragedy still looms over their household. Much the same, Elizabeth has a deeply buried grief of her own which drives her desire to get to the truth.

“The Wonder” provokes some intriguing questions as it moves along, answering them from what seems like a fairly cynical point of view. The final act is a little shaky, but Lelio holds it together, ultimately ending in a place of hope while still making his overarching message abundantly clear. Interestingly, the movie is book-ended by scenes from a warehouse movie set where our narrator speaks to the value and persuasive power of stories while encouraging the audience to engage with them. It’s an interesting idea that doesn’t quiet land the way it intends.

It may have a few shortcomings, but they don’t outshine the many things “The Wonder” does well. Lelio shows an exceptional management of tone and the way he captures and uses his period setting enhances the story in a number of ways. He also knows what he has in Florence Pugh whose standout performance is both thoughtful and haunting. She keeps the movie centered and engaging, even in the few instances where its sputters. “The Wonder” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

New to Home Video: “Project Wolf Hunting”

February 6, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Well Go USA Entertainment has announced the home video release of the action-fueled, insanely violent genre mashup “Project Wolf Hunting”. This wild and blood-drenched 2022 South Korean action film has horror, thriller, survival, and science-fiction elements baked in. Director Kim Hong-sun doesn’t hold back, and just when we think you know what you’re watching, he throws another surprise our way. It’s not for the squeamish, but genre fans will be delighted. Read my FULL REVIEW HERE.

This new Blu-ray, Digital, and DVD releases of “Project Wolf Hunting” hits shelves FEBRUARY 14, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2022

Rating: NR

Runtime: 123 Minutes

Director: Kim Hong-Sun

Starring: Seo In-guk, Jang Dong-yoon, Choi Guy-hwa, Park Ho-san, Sung Dong-il, Jung So-min, Lim Ju-hwan, Hong, Ji-yoon, Jung Moon-sung, Jang Young-nam, Ko Chang-seok, Jung Sung II

PROJECT WOLF HUNTING, the “antes-raised, safety’s off, no-holds-barred action cocktail” that is “like an adrenaline shot between the eyes” (IGN), debuts on Digital, Blu-ray^™ and DVD on February 14 from Well Go USA Entertainment.

During transport, a group of hardened criminals stages a jailbreak that quickly escalates into a bloody, all-out riot. As the fugitives exact their brutal terror campaign onboard the ship, something even more terrifying emerges from below. The action-packed thriller from director Kim Hong-Sun (Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area) stars Seo In-guk (The Master’s Sun, Hello Monster), Jang Dong-yoon (Search, Mr. Sunshine), Choi Guy-hwa (Train to Busan, The Wailing), Sung Dong-il (The Cursed, The Great Battle), Park Ho-san (The Call, Prison Playbook) and Jung So-min (Alchemy of Souls).

BONUS FEATURES:

Features an all-new English dub
An original featurette “Behind the Scenes”
An original featurette “Making the Alpha”
Audio: DTS HDMA 5.1 / Stereo (Blu-ray)
Audio: 5.1 Dolby Digital / 2.0 Stereo (DVD)

REVIEW: “Project Wolf Hunting” (2022)

February 6, 2023 by Keith Garlington

I’m guessing you’ve probably heard movies described as “genre mashups”, “genre stews”, or “genre blends”. Few fit the bill quite like “Project Wolf Hunting”. From writer-director Kim Hong-seon, this wild and kinetic South Korean romp has action, horror, thriller, science-fiction, and survival elements all rolled into one ultra-violent and blood-soaked experience.

Sometimes we may use words like “blood-soaked” simply to describe a really violent movie. But with “Project Wolf Hunting”, you can apply it in a near literal sense. Hong-seon drenches his film in the red stuff – sprays of blood, pools of blood, splatters of blood, you name it. Slashed jugulars, crushed skulls, and severed limbs come by the dozens. So needless to say, this isn’t a movie for the squeamish. But if bloody, gnarly, proudly over-the-top action is your thing, Hong-seon has you covered.

**Image Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment**

To give you a better idea of what you’re in for, “Project Wolf Hunting” is what you’d get if you took “The Raid”, mixed it with “Con-Air”, and sprinkled in a little “Predator”. Most of the film takes place aboard a massive cargo freighter called the Frontier Titan, where a group of hardened violent criminals are being transported from the Philippines to Busan, South Korea. But deep in the belly of the ship lies a gruesome secret. One that takes the story in a direction you’ll never expect.

Seok-woo (Park Ho-san) is the officer in charge of the prisoners, and he accompanies the slew of police detectives, including Da-yeon (Jung So-min) who volunteered for security detail during the transport. Among the inmates is Jong-du (Seo In-guk) a full-blown psychopath with a following and the quietly mysterious Do-il (Jang Dong-yoon) who keeps to himself but clearly has history. As the Frontier Titan leaves harbor, back home in Busan a government agency takes command of the control center tasked with monitoring the transport.

As you might expect, the freighter is doomed from the very start. Once the ship hits international waters, criminals posing as crew members let loose Jong-du who leads the inmates in a brutal revolt against the police officers. The cops versus cons scenes are intense, and for a while we feel like we know exactly the kind of movie we’re in for. And then Hong-seon wallops us with a unexpected right turn.

Below, on the ship’s bottom deck, lies something far more grisly and violent – a grotesque super-soldier-like experiment labeled Alpha (Choi Gwi-hwa). But trust me, it’s no Steve Rogers. And when the action on the top decks inadvertently awakens it, “Project Wolf Hunting” catapults into full-blown slasher territory. The blood increases by the gallons, the savagery intensifies, and the body count soars. It’s a wild and crazy twist that gives a jolt to a movie that was already pushing things to the edge.

It’s hard to believe, especially in a movie like this, but a few things are simply too gratuitous and it’s clear they’re thrown in solely to push the envelope and grab attention (one that has absolutely nothing to do with violence). They’re the only times the movie feels gimmicky and lazy. Otherwise “Project Wolf Hunting” sticks close to its rabid, uber-gory, and undeniably fun vision. It’s a veritable ballet of blood-drenched brutality, choreographed with an unbridled ferocity. I won’t be for everyone (just ask my wife), but fans of no-holds-barred action are going to have a blast.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

SUNDANCE REVIEW: “Run Rabbit Run” (2023)

February 4, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Creepy kids continue to be all the rave in modern horror. The latest to tap into them is “Run Rabbit Run”, a haunting psychological horror film from director Daina Reid that premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The Australian made film stars Sarah Snook (“Succession”) as a mother dealing with the suddenly strange behavior of her 7-year-old daughter. In the process she’s taken back to deeply repressed memories from her childhood.

Written by Hannah Kent, “Run Rabbit Run” has a patience that sets it apart from the standard-issue horror fare we’ve grown accustomed to. It leans into the psychological aspect of its story as it examines a range of familiar themes, some better defined than others. And while you can’t help but recognize a few familiar horror movie tricks, Reid and Kent use them in a variety of ways that cleverly service their story.

After Elizabeth Moss dropped out due to a scheduling conflict, Sarah Snook was cast in the lead. She’s terrific playing a single mother named Sarah who’s still grieving the recent passing of her beloved father. She puts on a good show for her daughter Mia (Lily LaTorre), but deep down she still struggles with her loss. Her ex-husband Pete (Damon Herriman) and his new wife Denise (Naomi Rukavina) show concern, offering our first hint that something else might be going on with Sarah and Mia. It’s some really good table-setting from Reid and Kent.

Things take a wicked twist after a white rabbit suddenly shows up at their Melbourne home. Mia is intent on keeping it, but immediately begins acting peculiar upon its arrival. Her demeanor completely changes. She makes a crude bunny mask out of pink construction paper and wears it everywhere. She starts drawing ghoulish pictures on the back of her homework. Even stranger, Mia insists on being called “Alice” and demands to see Joan (Greta Scacchi), a grandmother she’s never met. “I miss people I’ve never met all the time,”she tells her concerned mom.

Several other things surface as the story unfolds, much of it to do with Sarah’s troubled past. We learn more about her broken relationship with her estranged mother Joan. And there’s a particularly painful loss from her past that resurfaces and begins chipping away at her psyche. Of course it’s all maneuvering towards several big final-act reveals, some of which become pretty obvious. But Reid holds enough of her cards close to the vest, and she doesn’t let her film get bogged down in genre routines.

Comparisons to Jennifer Kent’s “The Babadook” seem all but inevitable. And a few of the movie’s tricks (such as the metaphorical use of a festering wound that won’t heal) may seem a tad too familiar. But “Run Rabbit Run” carves out its own identity through its meticulous pacing and its backstory mystery. Reid’s prowess with the camera gives the film an unnerving sensation, especially in the second half. And then you have Snook who’s able to sell every scene, even the ones we feel like we’ve seen before.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

SUNDANCE REVIEW: “Shortcomings” (2023)

February 3, 2023 by Keith Garlington

Randall Park makes his directorial debut with “Shortcomings”, a romantic(ish) comedy written by Adrian Tomine. In many ways the film bucks many of the trends that have become synonymous with the romcom genre. But in several other ways it falls right in line with what we’ve come to expect. Ultimately it’s that inconsistency, along with some pretty glaring box-checking, that keeps the movie from fully gelling.

At first, Ben (Justin H. Min) and Miko (Ally Maki) seem like a form-fitting couple. They have their different likes and unique perspectives. For example he’s obsessed with artsy cinema while she’s much more politically minded. Yet differences aside, they’ve been together for six years and seem to love each other. But we start seeing cracks in their relationship which comes to a head when Miko gets accepted to a three-month internship in New York City. They agree to take “some time off” and she goes to the Big Apple while he stays in California.

Ben is a mix of pitiful and insufferable, and his only release outlet is his best friend Alice (Sherry Cola). She’s your stereotypical romantic comedy comic relief. She risqué, eccentric, and faithful, but mainly there to fill in a role and get some quick laughs. Cola’s performance is good and she does hit us with a funny line or two. But she’s the prototypical romcom sidekick who stands by the lead character and drops nuggets of wisdom in between her crude gags and obvious observations.

After Miko doesn’t answer his calls, Ben quickly looks for a cure to his loneliness. He starts by hanging out with Autumn (Tavi Gevinson), a wacky new employee at the movie theater he manages. Later it’s an acquaintance of Alice’s named Sasha (Debby Ryan). But they only open his eyes to what he had with Miko. The question is, has he waited too late to finally realize what he had? And does he have it in him to put his own ego aside?

We get some really good performances from Min and Maki who both do well in bringing out their characters’ personalities. But best is how Park writes them. While Ben is tough to bear, Miko is no angel which leads to some fairly interesting second half tension. Jacob Batalon also pops up in a small but funny role (he has one particularly funny line that Marvel Cinematic Universe fans will definitely enjoy).

Yet as a whole “Shortcomings” doesn’t offer as much to its genre as it clearly hopes to. It shows signs of originality and even ends on a pretty satisfying note. But you can see it working hard to have a modern appeal, despite leaning on a few too many tropes. Ultimately nothing about it feels all that fresh. It’s certainly a solid debut for Park. But the inconsistencies of the script, are a little too much for the first-time director to overcome.