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

Italian producer-writer-director Uberto Pasolini gives a master class on handling emotionally heavy subject matter in “Nowhere Special”, a heartbreaking drama that never turns melodramatic or schmaltzy. Internationally co-produced, the film pulls inspiration from a true story which Pasolini intimately and emphatically shares. He hones in on the humanity at the story’s center, examining it in a deeply organic way with a Dardennes-like approach. The results are both beautiful and heart-shattering.

The film is anchored by a piercing James Norton whose lead performance matches the restraint Pasolini is going for. Set in Northern Ireland, Norton plays a 34-year-old single father named John who has devoted his life to raising his 4-year-old son Michael (Daniel Lamont). John’s wife and Michael’s mother abandoned them after giving birth, but John remained committed to giving his son the best life he could.

John works as a window washer and we often see him gazing through the glass at different establishments, observing various lives he wishes he could provide for his son. It’s a motif that is never overused and is made all the more affecting by the early revelation that John has a terminal illness. With only a few months left to live, he’s faced with the biggest and most agonizing decision of his life. He must pick the very best foster family for his son.

But while that choice weighs on him, John is faced with even more painful questions. How do you personally come to grips with your impending death? How do you prepare? Even more, how does a loving father inform his 4-year-old son of what’s to come? John is helped by a compassionate social worker named Shona (Eileen O’Higgins) who bends countless rules to help him search for the right family. But it’s his internal struggle between sheltering his son and readying him for reality that gives the film such an emotional punch.

Norton is fittingly understated yet he brilliantly conveys a father’s efforts to conceal his inward conflict behind a veil of normalcy. Small details in his performance do so much of the emotional heavy-lifting. And as the story thoughtfully moves towards the inevitable, Norton remains grounded and naturalistic. Meanwhile Lamont’s quiet soft-spoken demeanor reveals an inquiring young soul that observes more than expresses. The two make for a compelling and soul-stirring pair.

Handling material like this isn’t easy, and there are countless temptations to follow more conventional formulas. “Nowhere Special” works so well because Uberto Pasolini keeps his focus firmly on the people at the story’s core. His interests are internal and more human. As a result he wins our investment and keeps it for the duration. We feel the weight of every choice, we relish every tender moment, and we hurt with the inevitability of reality.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

The 2024 year in horror kicks off with the mediocre and noticeably muted supernatural chiller “Night Swim”. It marks the feature film directorial debut for Bryce McGuire who also penned the script. The movie is based on a five-minute short film of the same name made back in 2014 by McGuire and his close friend Rod Blackhurst. McGuire stretched their idea into a feature film with James Wan and Jason Blum signing on to produce.

Set in Milwaukee, Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) and his family are looking for a new home around the city. Ray is a Major League Baseball third baseman attempting to recover from a debilitating ailment. His wife Eve (the always great Kerry Condon) is tired of constantly moving every time her husband gets traded. She’s ready to put down some roots and provide some stability for their teen daughter Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle) and younger son Elliot (Gavin Warren).

After Ray gets some bad news about his condition he decides it may be time to settle down. He and his family move into a cozy suburban home with plenty of space and in a nice community. Even better it has a spacious swimming pool in the backyard. It hasn’t been used in 15 years, but they put in the work to get it cleaned up and ready to use. Soon they’re having friends over to swim and hosting neighborhood pool parties.

But as is the case with so many movies like this one, we learn the pool has a dark and deadly history. In the summer of 1992 a young girl named Rebecca disappeared after trying to retrieve her sickly brother’s toy boat from the pool. Of course that’s something their bubbly real estate agent (Nancy Lenehan) failed to mention. Before you know it weird things start happening, from flickering pool lights to creepy underwater visions. And it only gets worse from there.

The question becomes is the pool helping or haunting this family. Ray begins seeing dramatic improvements in his condition since swimming twice a day. But Izzy and Elliot are terrified by something they experienced in the deep end. As her kids grow more frightened and her husband creeps towards Jack Torrance mode, it’s left to Eve to hold her family together and get to the bottom of this killer pool.

Eve’s digging reveals a deeper and noticeably goofier history surrounding the pool – one that dates back centuries. McGuire attempts to build a compelling mythology, but it’s paper-thin and far more preposterous than interesting. The same could be said for the disjointed way the story ultimately plays out. Condon (who should have won the Oscar last year for “The Banshees of Inisherin”) is the biggest draw despite being handed a thankless task. She helps us stay fairly engaged, but keeping the movie afloat is simply too much to ask. “Night Swim” is in theaters now.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Of the many movies I watched in 2023 I’m not sure I saw one at odds with itself quite like “No Hard Feelings”. This tonally challenged cringe comedy from director Gene Stupnitsky can never seem to settle on what it wants to be. So much of its energy is spent being pointlessly crass as if desperately trying to earn the ‘raunchy comedy’ tag. But then it will almost randomly shift to a warm-hearted sentimental drama. Unfortunately for it (and us) the two mix together like water and oil.

Jennifer Lawrence plays 32-year-old Maddie Barker, an Uber driver and bartender living in the touristy and pricey Montauk, New York. Maddie is in a financial bind. Her car has been repossessed and she is in danger of losing the cozy house left to her by her late mother due to unpaid property taxes. She has three months to pay or she’ll lose her home. That’s when she spots and answers a rather odd posting on Craigslist.

Allison and Laird Becker (Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick) are secretly looking for a young woman to help bring their shy and socially awkward 19-year-old son Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) “out of his shell”. Percy has never been on a date, doesn’t have a driver’s license, and spends most of his time in his room playing video games and practicing on his keyboard. He’s set to go to Princeton in the fall and his parents (for some bizarre reason) believe he needs to drink, party, and most importantly have sex to be ready for college. Brilliant. Whoever completes the “job” gets a Buick Regal as payment.

Desperately needing a car, Maddie takes their offer with little consideration or shame. She quickly begins putting together a plan to seduce the much younger Percy. The ickiness of the premise is hard to get by especially when the movie makes it the centerpiece for much of its humor. Of course when in skilled hands comedy can be used to critique. But “No Hard Feelings” doesn’t feel like it’s critiquing anything.

It takes a few mindless mishaps, but Maddie eventually finds herself growing fond of Percy. Never to the point of ruling out having sex with him, but fondness to some degree. Stupnitsky (who co-wrote the script with John Phillips) throw in a handful of scenes that put aside the unfunny nonsense and tease what the movie could have been. They show a more sympathetic side of Maddie as she realizes her own need to grow up and mature. Sadly there just isn’t enough of that which is a big reason the story’s nice and tidy ending doesn’t work.

“No Hard Feelings” gives us glimpses of heart. But it’s almost always snuffed out by the witless physical comedy or the lazy raunchy gags which often seem to come out of nowhere. And of course it’s hard to shake the film’s premise. It does nothing to challenge or inform. It opens up no conservations and offers no real critique. Instead I was left wondering if this movie would have ever been made if the gender roles were reversed. Would anyone green-light a film about a 32-year-old man tricking and seducing a withdrawn and inexperienced 19-year-old girl? That question offers more food for thought than anything we get in “No Hard Feelings”.

VERDICT – 2 STARS