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Film reviews

Hokum Review

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For the first time in my life I felt really scared while watching a movie. The haunting experience of is still vibrating in my brain. Hokum is a journey where surreal terror reigns. Written and directed by Damian McCarthy, this story delivers scenes where mental health and creativity clash. McCarthy has a vision for showcasing stress and life scenarios that take a continued toll. Adam Scott plays the lead role. I am grateful that I got to see him speak and promote Hokum at CinemaCon this year during the Neon presentations. Hokum is an audacious film full of unexpected delights.

Adam Scott plays Ohm Bauman, a book author with a mixed reputation. He spends his lonely hours writing and utilizing his deep thoughts to add layers to his writing. As he consumes glasses of whiskey, his search for a story is always on the horizon. For Ohm, however, finding the keys to his story puts him in a bind. After the loss of his parents, he decides to visit an Irish Inn. He does this so he can go and scatter their ashes. He also wants to dedicate more time to his writing in the solitude of the Inn. The whole experience takes a considerable toll on his mental health because the Inn apparently has strange, disturbing things happening in it. With a closed Honeymoon Suite and other weird circumstances, Ohm finds himself in the center of danger.

For Ohm, the terrors of his childhood rumble. His stay at the Inn continues to alter his mind to a point where his mental condition is seriously impacted. He develops a friendship with a staff member named Fiona (Florence Ordesh) and with an outsider named Jerry (David Wilmost). The sketchy employee of the Inn is named Mal (Peter Coonan). When Ohm begins to realize that different elements are shifting, Mal is always trying to cover his tracks. What did Ohm walk into? Was going to Ireland the right choice? What is he trying to get with his story? Is the trip even about his story? Did he walk into a new nightmare? The doors of terror open and slam shut in the most gut-wrenching and spellbinding ways. Hokum involves deep searches for answers and survival.

Hokum blew my mind. I was invigorated by the mazes presented throughout the movie and the weird angles of the Inn. Scott also kills it. His attitude as a struggling writer adds depth to the terror especially since he is playing someone unaware in the beginning. But then as evidence evolves, he finds himself trying to put the various pieces together. It is somewhat like his performance in Severance, but this time the things he is encountering are really happening and leading to inevitable nightmares. He cannot escape his unforgettable and negative past. However, his new mission is to find what he walked into and deal with it. He can still be a good person and a good writer if he can escape what he’s lurking in this nightmare of a location. Three out of four stars for Hokum.

Film reviews

Hekla Review

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This is a film that I truly adore. The Chicago setting is filled with vibrant, unforgettable scenes. The cinematography is shot in black and white with transitions in between moments. This is Hekla. Written and directed by Michael Smith, the film was also co-written by Elizabeth Stam. Stam is the fantastic star of the film. Hekla channels the life of a starving artist. It explores her trials and errors with consistency as it highlights her life. An intriguing portrait is painted of the reasons consistency and acceptance play vital roles in tolerating life’s difficult moments.Hekla displays an essence and meaning that is purely gold.

Elizabeth Stam plays Hekla Gudmunstdottir. She is an actress in Chicago that is always inspired to work until she lands a role. Through many auditions, life scenarios, and a frustrating relationship, the landscape she navigates is filled with turmoil. Wendy Robie is the narrator of the film, and her voice brings empathy and awareness to the rough patches Hekla is going through. Hekla’s personal vision is admirable, but the outside world brings her unsatisfactory results. In addition to limited success in acting, she endures an up-and-down relationship with her partner Tyler Hrabosky, played by Mary Tilden. Hekla spirals in an intriguing manner while facing these matters.

My admiration for Hekla comes from the way Smith has the vision of portraying the life of an actor who must accept mixed messages. The result is an individual who is always over-thinking. This is exhibited well in the characterization of Stam’s performance. Hekla imagines herself as a queen with a pink dress in moments that feel inspirational. Smith is wonderful at utilizing the senses which are triggered frequently in Hekla. During auditions, and when highlighting relationships and conflicts, a colorful sense of a rainbow is beneath the surface. The one-person narrative direction is so enticing in this film. I could not take my eyes off the consistency of Stam’s performance. She is truly a gem that audiences will admire.

The scenes in which Hekla is commuting on the CTA trainsallow time for reflection. As Hekla goes from audition to audition at a variety of places, she goes deep into her mind thinking about success and rejection. I felt a sense of solitude in those moments spent on the CTA train because sometimes those moments are the ones where the moving of trains can deliver value by moving thoughts throughout the day. The concept of channeling emotions is powerful in Hekla.

I thought about two important themes while viewing Hekla, i.e., persistence and presence. Both themes are tied with encouragement. Hekla’s life focus is acting. She wants nothing more than to land a project that is going to make her shine. However, with her over-thinking, that is where the problems arise as well. The writing often transitions to Hekla trying to figure out how to put her best forth in her auditions while also struggling with her relationship with Tyler. The challenge to remain realistic shows up frequently in Hekla in a fascinating way.

Hekla is an exploration of passions, relationships, rejections, acceptance, and self-worth. Elizabeth Stam portrays these components perfectly in Hekla. Every moving part of Hekla is written for inspiration. It is destined to become a film known for delivering artistic meaning and is one of the best Chicago-based arthouse films I have seen. The starving artists’ vibes deliverartistically and dramatically. The reels rolled with emotions that made me come alive. Four out of four stars for Hekla.

Film reviews

The Sheep Detectives Review

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With flocks of sheep and a mystery surrounding, this is one that is family-friendly with many moments of joyfulness. There are also spy flick elements that continuously float in a humorous matter. The Sheep Detectives, directed by Kyle Balda, is quite stellar and I found myself intrigued. The involvement of talking animals and trying to solve a mystery lent an enthusiastic vibe tocreate a film that can only be described as a ride of joy. 

 

The man in charge of the sheep is George Hardy, played by Hugh Jackman. The sheep are Cloud (voiced by Regina Hall), Sir Ritchfield (voiced by Patrick Stewart), Zora (voiced by Bella Ramsey), Sebastian (voiced by Bryan Cranston), and Lily (voiced by Julia Dreyfus). There are more sheep, but these are the main ones that grasped my attention the most. George reads novels to his sheep every night until there comes a day when he goes missing. The sheep put on their police hats and go into search party mode. There is also an actual officer handling the case–Officer Tim Derry, played by Nicholas Braun. With George gone there is an amount of suspicion. The sheep do anything in their power to find him and the clues.

 

The ability of this film to encompass family values is extraordinary. It knows how to be in tune with what is going on and the type of audience to whom it is it is speaking. There are moments of confusion—primarily with the missing owner. Overall, though, there are wits and tricks from the sheep and the humans. There are also powers of authority to mix things up, including a greedy journalist named Elliot Matthews, played by Nicholas Galitzine. There is also a woman  named Lydia Harbottle, played by Emma Thompson. These two may havesomething to do with the vanishing of George. The sheep and Officer Tim feel they have mischievous aspects to the case as well. The writing lays out the storyline, but the sheep cross thatline to makes it enticing and highly entertaining.

 

The vastness of value is where The Sheep Detectives feels surreal. It is a film that creates a new era of talking animals in films. It incorporates the buddy side with lots of horn banging to go along with it. An authentic new direction from the mind ofBalda, as he delivers to his audience these sheep going into Sherlock Holmes territory. They do the best they can to play the detectives with some being ridiculous and others being smarter than their peers. Regardless, their actions get a response. Jackman is not in the film much, but his presence is of importance and matters to the story. Deep down, the talking sheep and Braun are the ones who are wonderful. They steal this film.

 

Joyful and remarkable, this is a movie not just for families. There are bits of mature humor, but overall it is a fun and unforgettable watch. The mystery of a disappearance brings more clarity and interactive feels with talking sheep. I admire The Sheep Detectives. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.