Director Michiel Blanchart’s “Night Call” is a French and Belgian action thriller that manages to endure its own broad-brush messaging to deliver a tense and taut 97-minute experience that will have you glued to your screen. The bulk of the film happens over the course of one fateful night in Brussels and takes a young man on a personal journey that will undoubtedly change his life forever.

Jonathan Feltre plays Mady Bala, a 24/7 locksmith and part-time college student who travels around the city at night taking calls from anyone in need of his services. One such call comes from a young lady named Claire (Natacha Krief) who has locked herself out of her apartment. Mady arrives at the address and is greeted by Claire who ushers him into her building. From there Mady trustingly makes two ill-advised concessions that have serious repercussions.

Mady’s policy is cash up front along with a form of identification. But he’s quick to toss it aside after Claire informs him that her purse is locked inside her apartment. Somehow swept by her charm, our easily duped protagonist agrees to help, only to find himself alone in the apartment while she runs downstairs to the ATM.

Of course Claire doesn’t come back and after a few minutes Mady finally realizes he’s been hoodwinked. But it gets worse with the arrival of the apartment’s real tenant – a neo-Nazi who flies into a rage after seeing a young minority in his place. The man immediately and brutally attacks, and following a violent scrum Mady kills the man in self-defense.

The story is set to the backdrop of escalating protests across the city following the death of a young black man at the hands of the police. That’s certainly rich ground to explore. But here it feels like a convenience that provides Mady with a reason to not call the cops. I don’t doubt that Blanchart and co-writer Gilles Marchand have good intentions. But for much of the movie this racial tension is more of a plot device than something being examined.

Despite that Blanchart deserves credit for keeping his high-energy story moving forward. Things really kick into gear with the introduction of a gangster named Yannick (Romain Duris). We learn the man Mady killed was keeping a stash of cash that belonged to Yannick. All Yannick knows is that the money is gone, the man is dead, and Mady is somehow connected. So he has his henchman pick up Mady and makes him a deal – find the girl and return his money by morning or he’ll be the one to pay.

From there the intensity steadily builds in large part thanks to the film’s crisp pacing, bursts of gritty action, and Feltre’s committed performance. Yet so much of the story demands at least some suspension of disbelief. There are simply too many coincidences and conveniences. And while the journey has enough zest to keep us entertained, it limps across the finish line with an on-the-nose ending that lazily reveals the movie’s biggest villain. It’s one of several missteps that holds this otherwise propulsive movie back. “Night Call” releases in select theaters January 17th.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

Christmas in small town Ohio is the backdrop to “Nutcrackers”, yet another ‘fish out of water’ feel-good story, this time from director David Gordon Green. Following some lukewarm swings at franchise horror with three Halloween movies and one Exorcist sequel, Green attempts to lighten things up with “Nutcrackers”. Unfortunately he ends up with pretty mixed results.

Ben Stiller takes on his first lead role in seven years playing Michael, a development manager at a prominent real estate firm in Chicago. We meet him as he’s on his way to Ohio to take care of some family business. We learn that his sister and her husband were tragically killed in a car accident leaving behind their four young sons. As the only living relative, Michael has to sign papers before the children can be placed with their new foster family.

Michael’s plans are for a quick trip as he’s due back in Chicago for an important sales pitch for his firm. But his plans derail after he arrives and is greeted by Gretchen Rice (Linda Cardellini) with the Department of Family Services. She informs him that the potential foster family backed out and he must assume custody until another family can be found. Clearly unequipped and unprepared, city boy Michael finds himself out of his element on his late sister’s farm with four rambunctious kids to wrangle.

A huge chunk of the movie is spent on Michael’s culture clash with his four nephews, Justice, Junior, Samuel, and Simon (played by real-life brothers, 12-year-old Homer, 10-year-old Ulysses, and 8-year-old twins Arlo and Atlas Janson). It’s the centerpiece of what is a cliché-riddled story that’s full of cheap humor and country-fried rural stereotypes. Amid the stream of fart jokes, farm animal cracks, and one painful and neverending sex-ed gag, Green and screenwriter Leland Douglas try to develop something resembling an emotional center but it never feels authentic.

To Stiller’s credit, he does bring a little warmth, and he manages to make Michael’s eventual internal conflict somewhat believable. But he’s trapped within a terribly predictable character arc that hits every single beat you expect. Absolutely nothing will surprise you about what his character does and where he ends up. And while Cardellini is every bit as good as she always is, she’s given very little to do which seems like such a waste.

By the final act, Green shelves the attempts at comedy and goes for the tear ducts with a sentimental finish that might have tugged at our heartstrings if not for the lackluster hour that preceded it. You can sense what the movie is shooting for and you can imagine ways that it might have worked. But the lack of originality, the overreliance on a tired formula, and the uninspired humor keeps the movie from ever earning our investment.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Period horror maestro Robert Eggers conducts a new Symphony of Horror with “Nosferatu”, a brilliantly assured remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 German classic of the same name. Written and directed by Eggers, this devilish dive into Gothic horror features most of the filmmaker’s well established trademarks along with a perfectly tuned cast who fully submerge themselves in the grim and macabre world Eggers painstakingly recreates.

While this modern adaptation distinguishes itself from the over century-old original, Eggers goes to great lengths to stay true to its predecessor. He embraces the same time period, setting, and characters although he adds a lot more depth and detail to his story. The majority of his additions and extensions work exceptionally well while some (such as his vaguely explained sexualization of certain plot points) are a little harder to sort out. But Eggers has such a good grasp of the material which is evident in every stunning frame.

When it comes to developing atmosphere, tone management, and period immersion, few do it better than Robert Eggers. He nails all three in “Nosferatu”. Set in 1838, the film introduces us to newlyweds Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) and Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) who live in the bustling port town of Wisborg, Germany. Years earlier a younger Ellen had a terrifying encounter with a mysterious force. Afterwards she suffered with troubling dreams and bouts of melancholy. But those things went away when Thomas came into her life.

Hoping to build a good life for his wife, Thomas takes a job at a local real estate firm. Its owner, Herr Knock (Simon McBurney) tasks Thomas with meeting a prospective new client who wants to buy a retirement home in Wisborg. The sickly client is adamant that an agent come visit him in person. The problem is he lives far away in an isolated castle in the Carpathian Alps. Knock throws in some extra incentive – if Thomas secures the account he will secure his position in the firm. And the client’s name – Count Orlock (Bill Skarsgård).

Despite Ellen’s pleas for him to stay, Thomas is determined to go. So he leaves his wife with their close friends Frederick (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Anna Harding (Emma Corrin) and sets off on his arduous six-week trek. After an overnight stop at an eerie gypsy village, Thomas makes the final leg of his journey to the ominous castle perched high in the craggy mountains. What follows is Eggers at his very best.

Once inside the shadowy cavernous castle, Thomas meets the mysterious Count Orlock. Bill Skarsgård completely vanishes into the character, whose long jagged fingers, deep-set eyes, and bushy mustache go right along with his long enunciations, gravelly tone, and the death rattle in his breathing. Eggers doesn’t linger on the hideous Orlock, instead smartly keeping him at a distance, only giving us strategically staged glimpses which adds to the sinister nature of his presence.

I won’t spoil the details, but Thomas’ meeting with the Count doesn’t go as planned. He learns firsthand of Orlock’s craving for human blood and manages to escapes the castle. Orlock begins making his way to Wisborg with his evil sights set on Ellen. In the meantime, Ellen’s nightmares return and intensify, causing Frederick to summon Dr. Wilhelm Siever (Ralph Ineson). Fearing there is something beyond science causing Ellen’s problems, Siever reaches out to the disgraced Professor Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) who specializes in the occult.

With all his players in place, Eggers begins methodically moving us through his grim phantasmagoric tale. Plague-carrying rats, unexplained madness, and shocking deaths all help pave the way towards a looming supernatural showdown. It’s all visualized through the breathtaking cinematography of Jarin Blaschke, easily among the year’s best, and accompanied by composer Robin Carolan’s bone-chilling chords. From pacing to presentation, “Nosferatu” keeps us glued to the screen and squirming in our seats.

“Nosferatu” is a movie with a deep reverence for Murnau’s seminal classic. But it’s also undeniably a Robert Eggers film as seen in the technical craft, brooding atmosphere, and fascinating worldbuilding. As always, he directs with an assured hand, trusting his wonderfully morbid vision over lazy jump scares or tired gimmicks. And as he’s unnerving us, subtle but effective themes of obsession and repression seep through to the surface. It’s yet another stroke of genius that places Eggers into a creative category all his own.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Few filmmakers in 2024 have made choices as bold as director RaMell Ross in his new film “Nickel Boys”. Based on Colson Whitehead’s 2019 Pulitzer Price-winning novel “The Nickel Boys” and inspired by the notorious reform school Dozier School for Boys, the film was already set to tackle some heavy subject matter. But Ross shoots his entire movie from a first-person point-of-view and in a boxed 4:3 aspect ratio, an approach that is far more than a gimmick yet comes with its own set of challenges.

The story (written for the screen by Ross and Joslyn Barnes) follows an unexpected friendship born out of horrible circumstances. Set in 1962, Elwood (Ethan Herisse) is a bright and ambitious African-American boy raised by his loving grandmother Hattie (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor) in Jim Crow-era Tallahassee, Florida. Ross briefly ushers us through Elwood’s early years, showing us the world through the youngster’s eyes. In keeping with Ross’ first-person approach, we only occasionally see Elwood’s face through reflections in windows or a photo booth snapshot.

Among Elwood’s very small group of supporters is his teacher Mr. Hill (Jimmie Fails) who encourages his now 16-year-old student to apply to Melvin Griggs Technical School. Elwood is accepted and excited about advancing his education. While walking a rural highway to Melvin Griggs, Elwood hitches a ride with a garish but friendly man in a shiny Impala. But it turns out the car has been stolen and the local authorities arrest the man and falsely accuse Elwood of being an accomplice.

With no consideration given to due process, Elwood is taken to Nickel Academy, a fiercely segregated penal institution posing as a school for boys. He’s immediately introduced to the Academy’s oppressive system of forced labor and rank abuse. The forbidding administrator, Mr. Spencer (Hamish Linklater) runs the school by an edict he calls his “Four Levels of Behavior”. Reach the final level and you “graduate”. But as Elwood later learns, most people only leave by aging out or dying.

But it is at Nickel that Elwood meets someone who will forever change his life. A fellow “student” named Turner (Brandon Wilson) takes Elwood under his wing and the two quickly become close friends. It’s here that Ross shifts his perspective over to Turner, staying in first-person but showing us things through another set of eyes The rest of the film chronicles their growing friendship with Ross frequently switching between their points-of-view.

As you can imagine, the themes are pretty heavy and exploring them can be harrowing. At the same time it’s often quite moving. Ross offers a mesmerizing meditation on the Black experience that manages to find a beauty in the world that offers a sharp contrast to the ugly. Yet while the filmmaking gives us an exquisite vision of Elwood’s view of the world, the beautiful imagery lessens as the ugliness of the world becomes more of a reality for him.

The entire approach to “Nickel Boys” certainly grabs you and Ross clearly offers us a new way of considering such a story. But in the process he loses his grip a bit, specifically in the final act. There are few too many gaps in the storytelling as the movie tries to come to a close. Puzzling images are thrown in that muddle more than enlighten. Similarly, several flash-forward scenes make the finish more convoluted than it should be.

Those things aside, RaMell Ross deserves a ton of credit for tackling themes we’ve seen handled many times over but making us look at them in ways we never have before. The performances are strong throughout, especially from Ellis-Taylor. And the emotional weight they help convey form the backbone of this piercing and evocative drama that keeps you riveted, third act kinks and all.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

I’m pretty sure I’ve shared my treasured memories of the video rental era. My memories of going to the video store every Saturday with my parents and renting four or five VHS movies to watch over the weekend. During those many video store visits there’s no telling how much time I spent perusing the horror section. The shelves were loaded with cheap B-movie chillers that I couldn’t get enough of.

The new movie “Night of the Harvest” is yet another slasher flick that would feel right at home on those video store shelves (that may sound like an insult but it’s not). It’s undoubtedly a project made with a shoestring budget and by a small crew, many of whom work in front of and behind the camera. In a way that makes these kinds of movies tough to review. The production is undoubtedly affected by its limitations. But at the same time you can’t help but appreciate the passionate creators who are trying to make every penny count.

“Night of the Harvest” comes from co-directors Christopher M. Carter and Jessica Morgan. The script was written by Carter from a story he conceived with Morgan. Adding to her duties, Morgan also stars in the film alongside Brittany Isabell. Carter, Morgan, and Isabell all serve as producers. The cinematography was handled by Carter while Isbell headed stunt choreography. As I said, it’s a small crew wearing several hats.

It was one year ago that Madison (Isabell) barely survived a horrific murder attempt. Still suffering from the trauma, she recently moved in with her protective older sister, Audrey (Morgan). On October 31st, Audrey and her friends gather together to set up their annual Halloween night party. Audrey believes it would do her sister some good so she convinces Madison to come along.

Among the partygoers is Audrey’s boyfriend Dane (Jim Cirner), his chatterbox best friend Will (Aeric Azana), the ebullient Joyce (Autumn Gubersky), and the bubbly couple Riley (Taylor Falshaw) and Jacob (Ashton Jordaan Ruiz). But things turn bloody real quick when an axe-wielding psycho in a hideous scarecrow mask starts hacking up the group of Halloween loving friends.

So far everything seems par for the course – a masked murderous maniac, a gaggle of hapless victims, and an assortment of brutal kills. But Carter and Morgan waste no time adding a twist that provides a jolt of energy to the story. I won’t dare spoil it, but it’s an unexpected turn that puts a fun spin on things and gives “Night of the Harvest” a grisly edge that helps steer the movie from the more conventional slasher movie path.

Sadly not everything works. There’s a whole angle about an ancient evil demanding a bloody harvest that’s too underdeveloped. It comes across as silly rather than chilling. And despite our best efforts, it’s hard to look past some of the performances, specifically the overacting and stilted line deliveries. But I still can’t help but admire the passion and effort behind this low-budget indie slasher. Its issues make it hard to give a ringing recommendation. But die-hard horror lovers will have a good time, as will anyone who appreciates resourceful genre filmmaking. “Night of the Harvest” releases September 24th on VOD.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

French filmmaker Alexandre Aja steps back into the genre he cut his teeth on with “Never Let Go”, a lean and atmospheric survival horror thriller energized by the star power of its lead, Halle Berry. It’s a film that doesn’t see the need in soaking its audience in blood or jolting them with cheap jump scares (with one lone exception). Instead “Never Let Go” is more of an old-fashioned chiller. It plays like a creepy bedtime story that grabs your attention and your imagination.

“Never Let Go” is built upon a fairly simple premise yet it’s surprisingly cerebral. Aja and the film’s screenwriters Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby take a very deliberate approach to their storytelling. They hint at and tease the threat of something sinister. But more of their time is spent developing a secluded and tight-knit family, laying out their complex relationships, and setting up their eventual fight for survival against a malicious Evil and themselves.

Berry gives an intensely heartfelt performance playing Joan, the mother of two young boys, Samual (Anthony B. Jenkins) and Nolan (Percy Daggs IV). Along with their dog Koda, the three live in an old house deep in the woods. We listen in as Joan tells her sons that the world has ended and now an ominous Evil lurks in the woods. She remains vague, sparing Samuel and Nolan the disturbing details and leaving an air of mystery for the audience to ponder.

Joan has taught her sons that their house is their only safe haven and they can’t be harmed as long as they remain connected to it. And not just figuratively but literally. Whenever they leave their home to scavenge for food, they tie heavy ropes around their waists that are bound to the house. “That rope is your lifeline,” Joan fervently preaches to her boys.

Little is ever revealed about the Evil, even by the time the closing credits begin to crawl. What we do learn is that it feeds on fears and insecurities and takes hideous forms for those who can see it. Joan is tormented by the Evil but has managed to shield Samuel and Nolan from it. But the boys soon find themselves at a crossroads. Do they keep putting faith in their mother’s claims? The more inquisitive Nolan begins to doubt the Evil’s existence which adds tension to an already stressful household.

Aja does a terrific job immersing us into his mostly single setting. He uses the house and the gnarled forest surrounding it to generate feelings of isolation and unease. He also uses his technical savvy to produce some real edge-of-your-seat chills (go see it in a theater with quality surround sound). And of course Aja knows what he has in Halle Berry who anchors a big part of the story.

While “Never Let Go” has a lot to love, it also seems to be holding back on us. There are rich themes galore woven into story (mental illness, maternal bonds, the existence of evil, just to name a few) but they’re present more than considered. And by the end not everything revealed makes sense. But the movie still clutches you and (pardon the pun) never lets you go. After seeing it you may want to leave an extra light on for a couple of nights, and it may have you second guessing going outside after dark. And that’s the kind of response that makes the film so much fun. “Never Let Go” opens in theaters today.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS