Brawl in Cell Block 99 - 4/5

This is one of those movies that is really good and I can’t recommend it. It’s too brutal, too heavy, and too real for most people to enjoy, but it’s so viscerally poignant that if you can stomach the content you owe it to yourself to watch. It’s another ‘crying for the state of the world’-type films, not the action-style prison break movies that make up the rest of this sub-genre, and it’s executed in a somber brutal realism that shows the deep respect the filmmakers have for the subject matter.

Content warning: abortion, brutal violence

Closest comparison: It’s like Wind River, but for abortion instead of sexual assault.

Setting: Crime / Prison
Plot: Hard Times / Action
Tone: Slow Burn / Brutal

Miller's Crossing - 5/5

This is the kind of movie that you have to pay close attention to, because if you miss a line you very well may be lost for the rest of the run time. But because of the intricate nature of the backstabbing mafia plot the dialogue makes the audience pay just as close attention as the characters, constantly wondering what is doublespeak, and where each person’s loyalties truly lie. Most movies and shows try to accomplish this with invented drama but here it’s all mechanical, reliant on tangible necessities not fabricated strife. The Coen Brothers are in top form here, with dialogue so rich they had to tone it down in future movies to appeal to a wider audience.

Closest comparison: It’s like The Godfather that’s not trying to win an Oscar, with two mobs for the price of one.

Setting: Gangster
Plot: Thriller
Tone: Drama

Zombieland - 4/5

This movie is pedal-to-the-metal funny from start to finish. Of course, it’s zombie-themed humor so if that turns your stomach then definitely skip this one. The action is fun, but it’s the interpersonal dialogue that is the real highlight of this movie. It was one of the first movies to heavily feature text digitally inserted into the space of the scene, and its comedic impact hasn’t been matched since. And it has a pitch-perfect mid-movie character turn that raises the whole movie to another level.

Closest Comparison: It’s the fun comedy version of movies like 28 Days Later and I Am Legend.

Setting: Post-Apocalyptic
Plot: Adventure
Tone: Comedy

Bird Box (Netflix) - 3/5

This movie is very intense and nerve-wracking, constantly reminding the audience of the peril the protagonists are in. The story is told in a brilliant way that simultaneously gives a sense of security for some characters and tension for others. I was afraid it was just going to be a rip-off of A Quiet Place, but it blazes its own path, having about as much in common with Dawn of the Dead as anything else. Outstanding performances all around and superb use of editing so the audience feels everything it does’t get to see on screen. But where A Quite Place has heart and love, Bird Box has harrowing tension, leaving the audience more exhausted than its plot and message warrant.

Editor’s Note: After rematching the film and doing some research, I found that many of the elements that seemed enigmatic and clever turned out to be simply occult symbolism with which I was unfamiliar. It’s still pretty well-made but this undercuts its impact significantly, as even moments of important character growth are neglected in favor of including occult ritual analogy.

Closest Comparison: It’s like a cross between A Quiet Place and The Happening.

Setting: Apocalyptic
Plot: Horror
Tone: Horror/Thriller

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Netflix) - 5/5

It’s bizarre and amazing, funny and tragic, beautiful and nerve-racking all at the same time. Or rather, in succession, but and it knows what it is every step of the way even if the audience is still trying to figure it out. The Coen brothers lead their audience expertly through various stories, keeping the emotions just where they want them every step of the way. It’s very violent in parts, sometimes played for comedy, sometimes for tragedy. If you like Coen brothers movies it’s a must-see, if you like Westerns don’t let the beginning throw you off. This movie touches on all the different aspects that are central to other Westerns, somehow without giving them short shrift, and there’s nothing else like it.

Hotel Artemis - 3/5

The look and feel of this movie are fantasic. It's a master class in old meets new with a realistic, grungy world that has high-tech elements woven seamlessly into it. The acting is also great and the actors all did some of their better work. The whole thing just needed to be 20 minutes longer. Most of the story lines don't get adequately resovled, and the audience has to infer the fate of several characters. I would really like to give this one a 4/5, and if they release an extended director's cut on DVD it may get there. But as it is, the last half is disappointingly short for all the cool things they set up and didn't pay off.

The Punisher (Netflix, 2017) - 4/5

It's ultraviolent and there's too much sex, but ultimately it's all used very powerfully to tell an intense but good story. A few great twists and one exceptional episode in particular make it rise above the lesser Marvel Netflix crossovers. I rank it just below Daredevil (Season 1) and just above Luke Cage. If you can stomach the violence, definitely give it a try.

The Hateful Eight - 2/5

Quentin Tarantino has always had an eye for cinematography and an ear for catchy dialogue, and this movie is no exception. From the title alone it should come as no surprise that none of the characters are particularly likeable (except for Tim Roth's Oswaldo Mobray who, while a villain, was enjoyable to watch). This movie goes straight for the shock value in a few places, as Tarantino does, but the payoff here is less of a twist and more of a "Yeah, I guess that makes the most sense" climax. I only recommend this if you're a die hard fan of his other movies.

John Wick: Chapter 2 - 3/5

They lost their way with the second one. It still has beautiful cinematography, some fun fight scenes, and memorable side characters. But the lack of specific motivation or creativity in resolving fairly straightforward conflicts makes it a definite drop in quality from the first one. I found the suit gimmicky and by the end they had really gotten John Wick's character wrong.

Logan - 5/5

First off: it's ultraviolent, it's sometimes depressing, there one 2-second "gentlemen, avert your eyes" blip, and there's lots of swearing. But it's the best movie I've seen in a while, and it's certainly the best X-men movie to date. And the little girl is awesome!
It's a very emotional and emotionally mature movie that takes its subject matter seriously and delivers on the payoff in heart-pounding, tear-jerking realism.

John Wick - 5/5

It does so many things right. Great action flick with amazing choreography and one of the best performances from Keanu Reeves ever. At the end of the third act the pace drops and there isn't a clear motivation as to why the last fight takes place. The two main combatants have only moderate motivation that's been set up beforehand as to why they're fighting, since they could have fought before but chose not to. But that's light criticism, all things considered.