Writer-director John-Michael Powell has conceived and crafted one of the best rural crime thrillers in recent years with “Violent Ends”. Shot in Northwest Arkansas with the Ozark Mountains as its backdrop, the film offers a markedly clear-eyed perspective on cycles of violence and the devastating consequences to families caught within them. And though his film is a work of fiction, Powell grounds his story in a rich and visceral authenticity.

“Violent Ends” is an independent film through and through. In addition to its financing and production, this gripping indie tells a uniquely compelling story that’s pulled from a very specific region. It’s a movie more interested in layered storytelling than splashy spectacle. And it remains focused on grounded characters whose lives are molded by the complexity of their circumstances. At the same time, Powell shows an affection for genre which significantly enriches this Southern Gothic revenge thriller.

The film opens with a quote from William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. It reads “These violent delights have violent ends“, a reference to the tragic fate of the play’s doomed lovers. The story itself kicks off in the hills of Northwest Arkansas. It takes place in 1992 as rural communities are still recovering from a crippling farming crisis. Seeing an opportunity, the Frost family grew into a powerful crime organization by trafficking cocaine and meth up the Arkansas river, preying on the desperate and despondent.

The Frost family’s operation is ran by three brothers. Ray and Donny oversee the cocaine business while Walt is in charge of the meth trade. The opening scene introduces us to Lucas Frost (Billy Magnusson) as he’s entering the state penitentiary to visit his incarcerated father Ray (Matt Riedy). Lucas shares news that he is about to marry his girlfriend Emma (Alexandria Shipp) and he’s leaving the family business. The news enrages Ray, but Lucas finds support in his mother Darlene (Kate Burton), a sheriff’s deputy caught between caring for her family and covering for them.

Meanwhile, just getting out of prison is Walt’s son, Sid. He’s played by the underrated James Badge Dale who gets a savory villain role he can really sink his teeth into. Sid is a cold menacing presence with a bad haircut and out-of-control ambitions that soon ignite a civil war within the Frost family. It begins with Sid and his brothers robbing a scrapyard as Emma happens to be delivering some checks. In the chaos, Sid’s antsy little brother Eli (Jared Bankens) shoots and kills Emma. It’s a mistake that has a violent ripple effect across the entire family.

Powell uses Emma’s murder to jumpstart his story’s revenge angle as a devastated Lucas sets out to discover who killed his fiancé. And once he follows the trail to Eli, it leads to an explosive chain of events that sees Lucas reeled back into the very life he wanted to escape. As the story careens down its inevitable path to violence, Powell subtly underscores the individual and family tragedies, both of which fuel his film’s powerful thematic core. And by the time we’re done with his tension-soaked final act, the brutal cost of violence has been made painfully clear.

From beginning to end, Powell emerges us in his assiduously defined Southern setting. He and cinematographer Elijah Guess vividly capture rural Arkansas through their carefully chosen locations and keen attention to some of the smallest details. Equally important are the richly textured and lived-in performances from Magnusson, Burton, and Dale, along with strong turns from Nick Stahl and the always great Ray McKinnon.

“Violent Ends” is an inspired sophomore feature from an exciting filmmaker with his finger firmly on the pulse of the story he’s telling. John-Michael Powell’s fresh voice and sharp perspective helps to energize his storytelling while the evocative themes he explores unfold with unsettling clarity and a deep emotional resonance. An intensely focused narrative, great performances, and a splash of genre grit – it all gives “Violent Ends” the kind of kick that will stick with you well after the end credits roll. “Violent Ends” opens in theaters on October 31st.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Based on a harrowing true story of courage under fire, “Valiant One” is an action war thriller directed, produced, and co-written by Steve Barnett. This lean and modestly budgeted feature clocks in at just barely over 80 minutes. But it does some good things in its short running time, most notably telling a story about overcoming fears in the face of death and putting your life on the line for those under your command.

At Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, United States Army Sergeant Edward Brockman (Chase Stokes) is surprised when he is assigned to a field operation to repair a radar unit in the demilitarized zone near the North Korean border. But their routine in-and-out mission turns into a nightmare after wind shears from a storm causes their helicopter to violently crash outside of allied air space.

With his superiors killed, a reluctant Brockman is next in the chain of command. The first thing he discovers is that he and the other survivors are inside North Korea meaning headquarters can’t send a chopper to pick them up. So Brockman is tasked with leading the team’s medic, Selby (Lana Condor), infantrymen Ross (Jonathan Whitesell) and Lee (Daniel Jun), and a civilian engineer, Josh Weaver (Desmin Borges) across the border to an extraction point where Delta Force is waiting.

“Valiant One” starts off a little shaky as it introduces its core characters through an early sequence hampered by unconvincing tough guy banter. But it gets on track as the soldiers begin making their way through enemy territory. Barnett effectively emphasizes the intense pressure that comes with making split-second decisions. And he’s not afraid to show fear and even panic. That’s because his soldiers aren’t sketched from action movies. They’re grounded in real life.

At the same time, not much is shared about the region’s tensions or the geopolitical interests of the United States. Pretty much all that’s conveyed is we are the good guys and the North Korean army are the bad guys. So don’t expect to learn anything about the conflict beyond that. It doesn’t kill the intensity of watching the soldiers navigate the dangers they repeatedly face. But it does leave the story feeling light on context.

Aside from that, there are a few other blemishes that you can’t help but notice. While most of the performances are serviceable, they aren’t always up to par. And there are a handful of scene-sabotaging music choices that stick out like a sore thumb. But Barnett and company pull it off where it matters most. They make the soldiers their focus, highlighting the in-the-moment courage a soldier must possess despite the emotional consequences that will eventually come with their actions.

VERDICT – 3 STARS

The first two Venom movies had all they needed to be great – a terrific character with an equally terrific history, the perfect actor, and the big budget backing of a major studio. And while 2018’s “Venom” and 2021’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” were financial successes, neither were particularly good movies. And that leads us to “Venom: The Last Dance”, the third and final Venom film that sadly falls into many of the same traps as its predecessors.

The overqualified Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist turned fugitive who is the host of a super-powered alien symbiote called Venom. The pair went on the run following the events of the previous film, eventually settling in Mexico. But when Eddie sees himself on the local news, the duo head out, turning “The Last Dance” into a buddy road-trip movie with the frazzled Eddie as the straight man and Venom as the incessant jokester.

As the two travel into the States, they’re pursued by a crack black-ops military unit led by Chiwetel Ejiofor’s General Strickland. But this time around Eddie and Venom find themselves hunted by a far more dangerous threat. The movie starts with a cold open where we’re (barely) introduced to Knull, an evil cosmic deity who created the symbiotes but has sense been imprisoned by his creations. In order to escape he needs something called a “Codex” that just happens to be inside of Venom. So Knull sends his creature army to fetch the Codex so he can break free.

Through several uninteresting turns we learn the only way for the Codex to be destroyed is if either Eddie or Venom dies. Once Strickland gets wind of it, he and his soldiers intensify their search for our protagonists. At the same time, Knull’s ravenous creatures find their way to earth leading to a not-so-epic showdown. Along the way several side characters appear who do little more than eat up screentime. Namely the symbiote-obsessed scientist, Dr. Teddy Payne (Juno Temple) and her assistant Dr. Sadie Christmas (Clark Backo). And a family of alien enthusiasts led by their hippie father, Martin (Rhys Ifans).

Kelly Marcel, the writer of the previous two Venom movies, takes on full screenwriting and directing duties this time around. She hits us with more of Eddie constantly sparring with his attached alien “buddy”. And as before, the goofy banter gets old pretty quick. We also get tons of CGI action, some of which is pretty entertaining, especially once we reach the decommissioned AREA 51. Unfortunately the narrative threads that hold it all together are paper-thin and finding anything to latch onto is a lot harder than it should be.

Tom Hardy has said this is his last run as Eddie/Venom and that’s a good thing. The 47-year-old Englishman is a powerhouse actor who can hopefully move on to more substantial projects. As for “The Last Dance”, it ends the already subpar series on a whimper. It’s plagued by an erratic script, a lack of emotional weight, shallow characters, and a handful of truly awful scenes (none worse than a laughably bad dance number to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”). It still may muster up enough to satisfy the Venom die-hards (assuming they exist). But most everyone else will just be happy the series has come to an end.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

“Violent Night” is dumb beyond measure, deliriously hyper-violent, and a glaring clone of countless other movies (just with a Christmas time setting). But here’s the thing, this holiday action-comedy is proud to be all of those things. In fact, it’s exactly what director Tommy Wirkola and the screenwriting duo of Pat Casey and Josh Miller are going for. Their firm devotion to their vision is certainly commendable. It’s also what makes the film wear out its welcome well before its numbingly goofy (and proudly blood-soaked) final act.

David Harbour plays Santa Claus, donning the classic red suit and white beard but with a far from festive snarl. We first meet him on Christmas Eve chugging beer at a pub in Bristol, England. Disenchanted with the greed and overall lack of Christmas spirit in the world, the not-so-jolly elf lets out his frustrations to his makeshift drinking buddies before hopping on his sleigh, upchucking all over the bartender (a drunk barfing – there’s a new one), and flying off to continue his deliveries.

Meanwhile in Greenwich, Connecticut, an estranged couple, Jason Lightstone (Alex Hassell) and his wife Linda (Alexis Louder), are taking their daughter Trudy (Leah Brady) to the excessively lavish Lightstone estate, the home of Jason’s crude and obscenely wealthy mother, Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo) who’s hosting a Christmas Eve party for her family. Between the staff, the security detail, and the team of caterers, it’s far from a cozy affair. But that’s hardly a concern for the garish and self-consumed Gertrude.

Already at the party is Alva (Edi Patterson), Gertrude’s shallow, boozy daughter; Morgan (Cam Gigandet), Alva’s husband and a low-rent action movie star; and Bert, Alva’s obnoxious son from her first marriage and a wannabe social media influencer. They all come together for a night of upper-crust indulgence, fake affection, and family posturing.

But just as the money-grubbing Lightstones are set to begin their festivities, the caterers pull out automatic weapons and start mowing down Gertrude’s staff and security detail. Leading the assault is “Scrooge” (John Leguizamo), a holiday-hating mercenary who fires more dopey Christmas one-liners than bullets (a gag the movie never seems to grow tired of). Scrooge and his team aren’t just their to crash the party. No, he’s there for the $3 million in cash that Gertrude has locked up in a state-of-the-art vault.

What the goons didn’t count on was Santa Claus who stops at the Lightstone compound to leave a present for Trudy (she’s on his nice list). But after he encounters one of the mercs, Saint Nick finds himself forced into action. From there this “Die Hard” knock-off pretty much plays just as you would expect, with Santa as the John McClane character, Scrooge playing a poor-man’s Hans Gruber, and several heavily armed henchmen – some trying to open the vault while others try to track down the poison pill that threatens to derail their heist.

The film shamelessly rips off several other movies, but in the case of “Die Hard”, it’s too much to even be considered an homage. But thanks to its Christmas setting, “Violent Night” is able to have some fun all its own. And that’s fairly entertaining for a while. Unfortunately for me, the film reached a point where I needed more than a hard-R spin on a Christmas movie. But Wirkola and company are relentless, milking their gimmick dry and then still pressing on for another 30 minutes or so.

One bit I did enjoy was its tip of the hat the “Home Alone”. We get about a ten-minute sequence that I won’t spoil, but it sees Trudy going full-blown Kevin McAllister but with much more gruesome results. And despite the lazily conceived potty-mouthed Santa bit, Harbour is (to no surprise) really good in his role. There’s not much depth or nuance in the character (despite the writers trying to manufacture some), but Harbour’s natural personality makes his Santa semi-interesting.

“Violent Night” desperately wants to be a new holiday cult classic, but it’s hardly something that’ll leave a lasting impression. Ultimately it is aggressively what it is. It tries to add some emotional layers by throwing in a couple of sudsy scenes along the way. But in reality, the movie mostly seems interested in pushing its R rating, and it loses itself in that relentless pursuit. It’ll be a blast for some. But for those who burn out on its gimmick, I can see it being an endurance test. “Violent Night” is out now in theaters.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

Science-fiction fans who have been starving for something new, look no further. The directing duo of Kristina Buožytė and Bruno Samper have melded sci-fi with dystopian dark fantasy to give us “Vesper”. Don’t let its small indie status fool you. “Vesper” is a transporting experience and a masterclass on immersive world-building, showing that you don’t need the deep pockets of a major studio to create an absorbing setting.

Filmed in Lithuania, Buožytė and Samper vividly portray a dank and harsh planet Earth. They show us a tragically ravaged world, yet it’s one of spellbinding beauty. It’s much like the actual story itself which is somber-toned and melancholy yet warm-hearted and (in its own eventual way) hopeful. This creative balance is one of several things that set “Vesper” apart. And while its overall concept isn’t particularly new, the film carves its own identity by freshening up familiar ideas and shrewdly utilizing one of science-fiction’s biggest strengths – its ability to show us ourselves and our world from a number of enlightening perspectives.

In the world of “Vesper”, humanity tried and failed to dodge an impending ecological disaster by investing heavily in genetics. But as a result genetically engineered viruses and organisms escaped containment and wiped out most plant-based foods, animals, and a large portion of the human population. In this New Dark Age, those with power and status live in enclosed cities called Citadels. All those on the outside struggle to survive, dependent on seeds engineered and sold by the Citadels for food. It’s a social structure doomed by its very nature.

Outside the safety of the Citadels is a treacherous land filled with eerie mutated plant life and animated flora. Predatory plants with piercing tendrils or noxious gases pose a constant threat while others pulsate with a near fluorescent glow and react like an adoring pet to human touch. Such a complicated ecosystem may sound overwhelming, but not for 13-year-old Vesper (a very good Raffiella Chapman). Keen, resourceful, and with a knack for biohacking, Vesper has not only adapted to her surroundings, but she’s studied it and used what she has learned to engineer her own biological creations.

Vesper dreams of one day working in the labs of the nearest Citadel. But the reality of her situation offers no real hope. She lives in an old wood shack with her paralyzed and bed-ridden father Darius (Richard Blake). His brain is linked to a drone that he uses to communicate with Vesper and follow her when she goes out for supplies. Her mother left them a year earlier, joining a nomadic group of creepy scavengers called Pilgrims. So it’s left to Vesper to run the house, provide food, and take care of her father.

After their house is robbed, Vesper seeks help from her uncle Jonas (Eddie Marsan), a smart but ruthless leader of a small nearby town. Jonas is a cold and callous man who excuses his actions in the name of survival. Take his ghastly agreement with the closest Citadel. He trades bags of children’s blood for seeds. The Citadel’s scientists then use the blood to create synthetic humans called Jugs who are designed to do the work of laborers. “Jugs are designed to be loyal”, one character says. “It wouldn’t be so easy with humans.” Again, a social structure doomed to failure.

Vesper and Darius’ lives change dramatically after a Citadel glider crashes in the forest. Vesper discovers an injured woman named Camellia (Rosie McEwen) near the wreckage and nurses her back to health. The presence of a Citadel citizen excites Vesper but concerns Darius. And things only get worse once Jonas gets wind of the crash. The story takes some darker turns in its second half, especially as it digs deeper into the best and worst of humanity.

Despite their film’s overall bleakness, Buožytė and Samper don’t leave us without hope. Nothing in their world is certain, but they give us a reason to believe in Vesper, and they show a glimmer of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Chapman’s earnest and determined performance is key. But none of it works without the rich, captivating world which is brought to life through a remarkable mixture of digital and practical effects. It feels real and organic, yet full of mystery. Even more, it adds a harrowing layer to Vesper’s journey and ours as well. “Vesper” is now available on VOD.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Zombie movies come in all shapes and sizes. To further prove that glaringly obvious point, just look at the Spanish film “Valley of the Dead” which recently premiered on Netflix. Now while its name may sound like a pretty run-of-the-mill zombie horror title, a first glance of the movie teases something quite different. It starts off resembling like a heavy war movie. Shortly after it starts to play like a comedy. But ultimately things get serious when the dead come alive and begin feasting on the living.

“The Valley of the Dead” is co-directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera and Alberto del Toro. It’s an adaptation of the novel “Noche de difuntos del 38” by Manuel Martín Ferreras. It premiered at 2020 Sitges Film Festival but had its official release delayed until this year due to COVID-19. Now Netflix imports it to their platform, adding to their already large collection of international features.

While this may be a hard film to read initially, it quickly begins to reveal its identity. It’s a zombie flick for certain. But it’s also very much a war movie, a survival thriller, at times a black comedy, and a sharp critique of human division and how we cling so tightly to our differences. When it’s all put together it may not be the most innovative or groundbreaking concoction. But there’s enough action, cool period production design, and good character work to make this a pretty entertaining stew.

The story is set in 1938 and unfolds during the Spanish Civil War. It opens with a Nazi convoy pulling up to a wedding party in a small Italian village and brutally gunning them all down. A Nazi officer puts on a gas mask and then tosses a canister among the dead bodies. A blue gas pours out engulfing the deceased and then the camera cuts. And just like that you have a good example of who is ultimately behind what we are about to experience.

From there we’re introduced to Captain Jan Lozano (Miki Esparbé), a perpetual troublemaker who finds himself on the brink of being executed for the third time (this time for head-butting a judge who happened to be the cousin of Francisco Franco). Just as the firing squad is about to shoot, Jan’s high-ranking uncle stops the execution. He has convinced his superiors to spare his nephew’s life. But in return, Jan will have to carry out a suicide mission. One that will take him across no man’s land to the other side of the Sierra.

Jan is assigned a 17-year-old driver named Private Decruz (Manel Llunell) and the two head out into the wild. Their first obstacle comes while checking out a downed fighter plane. The pair are surprised and taken captive by a squad of enemy rebels. But before the adversaries can sort out their predicament, they have their first encounter with the undead. Yep, it turns out the battlefield is littered with flesh-eating zombies. And if they want to survive, the Nationalists and the Republicans will have to put aside their politics and work together…if possible.

It’s not hard to see where things go from there. It becomes a story of ‘who makes it till the end’ as the band of survivors fight battles from within and without just to stay alive. There are some fun action sequences as well as some entertaining encounters between characters. There are pinches of black comedy which keep things light early on. But later, the critique of war and politics along with the divisions they cause is addressed in a number of interesting ways. For much of the film, the greatest threat to the group’s survival lies within them, not the undead.

While “Valley of the Dead” takes a few ambitious swings, ultimately it follows a pretty familiar path. You won’t have any problems figuring out how things play out. There’s actually more mystery in guessing who makes it out than how they do. Still, the period wartime setting, the variety of character types, and some genuinely fun zombie action makes for a movie with a little more to offer than you might think. “Valley of the Dead” is streaming now on Netflix.

VERDICT – 3 STARS