"Week Two" has come and gone and that means "Week Three" is upon us! I didn't get around to planning a pattern or theme for this week's films so its a pretty random mishmash of movies. I started with two Keanu Reeves flicks, segwayed into a couple of my favorites, and finished it all off with two new offerings from Netflix. I do however have plans for "Week Four" and I'll give you a not so subtle hint. So with that all out of the way lets dive right in!
Movie #11: Constantine (2005)
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Djimon Hounsou
Plot: In a shadow war between heaven and earth supernatural detective John Constantine tries to maintain the balance and protect humanity.
Opinion: Differences to its source material aside, I think Constantine is one of the best comic book to film adaptations ever made. Noir and Horror are two genres that when done well can turn out fantastic, and this film is no exception. Reeves is perfectly cast and slips effortlessly into his role, and the world and characters that inhabit it are so intriguing that it is crying a shame that we never got a sequel. Thankfully in the past few years the film has steadily grown a cult following, so there may still be hope yet.
Movie #12: The Devil's Advocate (1997)
Director: Taylor Hackford
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, Al Pacino
Plot: An young up and coming Florida lawyer gets the job of a life time working for a gigantic law firm in New York city. The only catch is that his boss may be Satan himself.
Opinion: I've got a soft spot for this 90's supernatural drama. Pacino is clearly having a great time in his role and I think this is one of Reeves' strongest performances in his career. The film plays out like an extended episode of The Twilight Zone and is a lot of fun.
Movie #13: Cast a Deadly Spell (1991)
Director: Martin Campbell
Starring: Fred Ward, Julianne Moore, David Warner
Plot: In an alternate version of 1940's Los Angeles where magic is commonplace, a hard-boiled Private Detective who distrusts the supernatural is hired to trek down a stolen book that could bring about the end of the world.
Opinion: What a blast this movie is. I mentioned earlier that when Noir and Horror are mixed well the results can be amazing, and this movie is a great example of that. Take a Raymond Chandler novel and set it in a world where magic and the supernatural are the "norm" and you've got this movie to a "T".
Movie #14: What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
Director(s): Taika Waititi, Jermaine Clement
Starring: Taika Waititi, Jermaine Clement, Jonny Brugh
Plot: A "Documentary" following a group of Vampires who live together in modern day New Zealand.
Opinion: This film is simply and inarguably one of the best Horror Comedy's ever made. Even if you not a fan of the horror genre its simply impossible to not enjoy it.
Movie #15: Tales From the Crypt (1972)
Director: Freddie Francis
Starring: Joan Collins, Peter Cushing, Ralph Richardson
Plot: Five strangers lost in a catacomb share tales of how they will die.
Opinion: One of the best "Anthology" Horror films ever made and the origin of the T.V. series of the same name. Made by the great British film production company "Amicus Productions", this film is an absolute must see for fans of the genre.
Movie #16: The Ritual (2017)
Director: David Bruckner
Starring: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier
Plot: Five friends from their college days reunite for a backpacking trip in Sweden. When they stray from the path and into the woods, something starts to stalk them.
Opinion: A great horror movie isn't just about the horror happening on screen, it is about what the horror represents. Hereditary could just as well be a look at mental illness and how a family deals with it and its impossible to not think about race and racism when you watch Get Out. Taken at face value The Ritual is your standard "lost in the woods and hunted by a monster fair", but dig a bit deeper and you get a powerful and touching film about grief, guilt, and the struggle you have to go through to find the willpower to move on with and live your life.
Movie #17: Apostle (2018)
Director: Gareth Evans
Starring: Dan Stevens, Richard Elfyn, Paul Higgins
Plot: A man must infiltrate the ranks of a cult who have kidnapped his sister in order to save her life.
Opinion: I went into this film with high hopes. Dan Stevens is an actor I've really been enjoying lately and director Gareth Evans has made two of the best kung-fu action films ever with The Raid and its sequel. Sadly though I have to say this film didn't quite hit all the right notes for me. That is not to say it is a bad film at all, just that I felt like it needed more time to tell its story. Despite the film's two hour runtime, theres a lot to unpack. Too much in fact and I think the story would have been better served as a series. Still if you're a fan of the genre you could do much worse as far as movies go this time of year.
Well that wraps up Week Three! I'd love to hear any of your opinions on the films I watched and I am always open to suggestions for what to watch next, so feel free to hit me up in the comments below. As always thank you for reading and I'll see you next week!
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