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Film reviews

Leviticus Review

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This is a terror film that shocked my mind. I could not turn away due to the deep bond just under the surface. Leviticus is haunting, daring, and mentally mind-boggling. When it comes to friends and deep connections, the force takes a toll. The fight for love and friendship is one-of-a-kind. The film starts with someone finding a form of joy that is dismissed later, karma plays a role. Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, his approach has violence written all over Leviticus. 

Filmed in towns in Australia, the subject of conversion therapy is deeply rooted in Leviticus. The film centers on two teen boys, Naim (Joe Bird) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen). Both of them have a love interest in each other, but believe it must be kept secret since they come from family backgrounds where their sexuality may be viewed as inappropriate. Naim’s mom is played by Mia Waskikowska. She wants Naim to find connection in his life, but at the same time her religious beliefs are top of mind. Therefore, Naim feels he is in a place where he cannot love Ryan. This film is a tear-jerker especially when the terror comes around in such haunting yet intriguing ways.

The film finds its wonders when it focuses on the feeling of someone wanting to be the center of attention. Naim finds Ryan in a scenario where he believes he is not interested in him, and he betrays him in a childish way. This leads Ryan’s family to have a man known as “The Deliverance Healer” to try to spiritually kick the same attraction thoughts out of Ryan. Is this approach beneficial? To an extent, it is not, but it is meant to keep the compelling storyline going. When this happens the fight for love in Leviticus feels bold. At the same time, it cannot be dismissed. The feelings between Naim and Ryan cannot be diminished.

After the healing approach is attempted, the spirits continue to come back and haunt Naim. The possessive issues involving Ryan look detrimental. Naim always finds himself feeling that an evil source of Ryan is after him. With no one to look out for him, there are times when audiences will assume the worst. In reality, Naim still loves Ryan, but he wants the spirits to go away. Ryan does too. Can their love survive with the lurking terrors following them?

I appreciated how the karma theme in Leviticus uses bipolar writing to create resilience. The writing technique of Chiarella is two-sided—one to think about love and the other to think about survival. Both must be achieved before happiness can prevail. It takes a bloody fight and circles of death matches before that can happen. Leviticus is a ride I urge viewers to take to see how far the main characters go to get what they want.  How bad do Naim and Ryan want each other? Find out in Leviticus. Three-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

I Love Boosters Review

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Boots Riley is a master filmmaker who takes quirky ideas and turns them into something of pure imagination. His set-ups may look goofy, but he has the ability to set up his characters’ egos to deliver deeper meaning. After being fascinated by Sorry to Bother You, I Love Boosters places an emphasis on a risky subject matter—shoplifting. In the film, the moving parts include jealousy and surrealism. At first, the context might not appear serious enough, but in the end is mind-blowing in the way it explodes with cinematic colors. 

The film takes place in the San Franciso Bay area. The term “boosters” means shoplifters. The ladies in this boat are Corvette (Keke Palmer), Sade (Naomie Ackie), and Mariah (Taylor Paige). They have a mission to steal because they want to get back at a high-end executive. This lady in power is Christie Smith (Demi Moore). There are lots of crazy angles in a world of fashion and favoritism that comes crashing together. Corvette is the main lady of focus in terms of her choices. The film focuses on her and the man on her mind, Pinky Ring Guy, played by LaKeith Stanfield. The hurdles to be jumped to achieve power feel like a fantasy of fanciful vindictiveness.

The film highlights the frustrations in the world of fashion and reminds viewers constantly that its characters are in a world of hate. For example, they must deal with an egotistical manager named Grayson (Will Poulter), who always blames conflicts on his staff. However, he is not the worst. Christie is. The gals will stop at nothing to take her down. The writing includes various imaginative revenge scenarios, but the farther the girls pursue payback, the harder it gets. Riley has a strong attitude of never giving up even if it leads to surprising outcomes. At one point, a van drives up and down escalators and into storefronts at the mall. The writing about the fashion scene is filled with amusing excitement and amazingly colorful flare ups.

There is a moment in the film when someone mentions they know the three Fs, i.e., fashion, forward, filanthropy. (Yes, they spell the final word with an f, not a ph!). The desire for fashionin the industry is examined from different angles as the characters pursue their missions. Somehow Riley makes it work because his characters have a diversity of personalities—no one goes down without a fight or by sacrificing their popularity in I Love Boosters.

This film is an invigorating ride where reality is out of this world. It’s a dazzling display of wishes coming true in weird yetfulfilling ways. Stanfield, Palmers and Moore are a cast and ensemble with a purpose. Stanfield has a laid-back and charming attitude. Palmer has bad intentions but also rocks with common alternatives. Finally, Moore. She is the nerd who is never wrong. Despite her glamourous power, her character is written to never lose. Despite all the revenge she faces, she remains the classic queen of evil. Audiences will adore these characters that Riley has used his innovative wonders to create in I Love Boosters. Four out of four stars.

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.