Category Archives: Film reviews

Film reviews

Antlers Review

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Just in time for Halloween, Director Guillermo del Toro delivers Antlers, a horror film for true horror fans.

Whether it’s a horror film or other genre, del Toro always weaves hidden gems into his films. He did so with Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Crimson Peak (2015), and The Shape of Water (2017) which won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2018, and he does so with Antlers.

Antlers takes place in in a small town in Oregon. The main character is schoolteacher Julia Meadows, played by Keri Russell. Julia becomes concerned about one of her students, Lucas Weaver, played by Jeremy T. Thomas, after he becomes overly quiet and Julia discovers disturbing materials in his desk depicting monsters and someone being held captive.

To learn more about Lucas, Julia enlists help from the town sheriff, her brother Paul Meadows, played by Jesse Plemons. Julia believes Lucas has been abused, but it is actually much worse than abuse. Lucas’s father has an infection that is turning him into a ravenous supernatural monster and Lucas has his father locked away in a room. Julia and her brother must put the pieces together to get Lucas out of his dangerous situation before time runs out on not just Lucas, but potentially the whole town.

I went in to Antlers with mixed expectations, but it didn’t disappoint. Antlers is well worth a watch, if only for the climatic scenes. No one does these better than del Toro, and the climatic scenes in Antlers leave you breathless. Antlers also felt different from most horror films—somehow more realistic and original. With Halloween right around the corner, Antlers should not be missed. Three and a half stars for Antlers. 

Film reviews

Drive My Car Review

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Drive My Car, from director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, is a Japanese language film with universal contemporary values that are displayed with empathy and artistry. The film, winner of the Best Screen Play award at the Cannes Film Festival, can be harrowing and sad, but it is a compelling story and a visual experience that will take your breath away.

The main character in Drive My Car is Yusuke Kafuku, played by Hidetoshi Nishijima. Yusuke is an actor and stage director, and he lives in Japan with his wife Oto, played by Reika Kirishima. Oto is a playwright, and she and Yusuke live a life of creativity, love, and commitment to each other. But Yusuke’s life takes a tragic turn when, just as he is about to start a stage production, he finds out he has glaucoma and then his beloved wife Oto dies. Yusuke is a stoic man and he continues with the stage production. He hires a chauffeur, Misaki Watari, played by Toko Miura. Yusuke makes directing his top priority, but it is obvious that he is struggling with his wife’s death.

Yusuke soon finds himself at odds with his production cast, and he unsure of their confidence in him. He begins to question himself as a person, and that affects his production even more. But as he becomes more at odds with those in his production, he finds a growing connection with Misaki, his chauffeur.

Losing someone we love is a tragedy that remains with us forever but, as Drive My Car reminds us, that is just how life goes sometimes. And there is always a path forward.

I loved Drive My Car. Despite its almost three hour length, I was hooked on it from the beginning to the end. The dialogue was inviting, the issues were inviting if difficult, and the outcomes were inviting as well. Four stars for Drive My Car.

Film reviews

Belfast review

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“Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things.”
–Kenneth Branagh

In Belfast, Director Kenneth Branagh delivers a film that is not only based on his own life, but one that is a masterpiece of brilliance and realism. Belfast is amazing, with moments of happiness, sadness, and many difficult challenges. Branagh’s auteur directing submerses us in his childhood world of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The film is emotionally moving and visually engrossing.

Belfast focuses on a small boy named Buddy, played by Jude Hill, who lives in Belfast with his working-class family. His mom and dad are played by Catriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan, and his grandpa and grandma are played by Ciaran Hinds and Judi Dench. Buddy loves his life in Belfast, but his family faces uncharted territory with the tumultuous riots in Northern Ireland. The largely black and white cinematography of the film sets the tone for the mood of the film, but Buddy’s happy experiences are in color. I loved this aspect of Belfast.

The film made me think a lot about challenging times in my own life. Branagh reminds us to see the light in both good times and bad, and to always keep moving forward.

Although Branagh obviously had ups and downs during his time in Belfast, I loved that his film doesn’t focus on the depressing drama of those times; rather, he keeps the tone optimistic and pleasant. Belfast touched me, and it will touch many around the world. It reminds us to always focus on what motivates us in our life. Four stars for the brilliant Belfast.