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The Night of the Hunter begins with a starry night sky and ominous music as the opening credits fade in and out. The ominous music changes into a slightly eerie, off-putting lullaby that contains the line, "Dream little ones dream." When the credits finish, a kindly old woman appears amongst the stars and begins teaching a Bible lesson to a group of young children. One of the Scriptures she's teaching from, Matthew 7:15-20 (KJV), reads, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringers forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringers forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." The opening, feeling much like a storybook, sets the dreamy, fairytale-like atmosphere that the film contains throughout. The forbidding tone of the music, as well as the warnings about false profits, puts the audience on edge and foreshadows what is to come.

Beware of false prophets. Masquerading as a righteous, God-fearing reverend, Harry Powell was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He carried around his Bible and talked a good talk, getting people to trust him completely, but he was actually as evil and ruthless as they come. With money being his motivator, he would set his sights on the weakness and vulnerability of recent widows. In the story, he is kind and comforting to Willa, making her feel safe and secure in her time of need. Eventually, do to the pressure of raising two children on her own during the Great Depression, she gives in and accepts his marriage proposal. Only after their wedding does Powell reveal his true nature. He is a truly evil, vile man and the textbook definition of a false prophet.

Nine-year-old John Harper, the main character of the story, had it rough. Before his father's arrest, he was tasked with watching over his younger sister and mother and he was burdened with the secret of where the money his father stole was hidden. He was forced to grow up too fast. His change from a carefree, innocent boy to a young man with responsibilities happens over just a few seconds onscreen, but it works because it is executed very well. He's an attentive, obedient kid, and when his dad tells him to keep the money a secret and take care of the family, he takes it to heart. Despite the added responsibility that was thrust upon him, he was still a kid. A great scene that both demonstrates the childlike wonder he still possessed and offered some foreshadowing for the journey he was about to undertake was the first time he went to visit Uncle Birdie. There was a steamboat going by on the river and John looked at it with a deep, wishful longing. He wanted to escape the situation life had him in, and the boat could take him away to some place great, but it was out of his reach.

The kids in the film are completely misunderstood by the adults around them. They are repeatedly told to mind their elders and do what they're told. Nobody takes the time to really care about any of them except for Rachel Cooper. Understanding that being a kid isn't easy, she says, "It's a hard world for little things." She takes in kids that need help and guidance, and she cares for them and loves them. Not being too tough or too lenient, she firmly teaches them right from wrong. In many ways, she is Powell's opposite. Both know the Bible, but one uses it for good while the other uses it for evil.

A huge reason why The Night of the Hunter feels like a nightmare of a fairytale has to do with the stunning black and white cinematography and incredible sets. Shadows are used heavily throughout the film to partially block one thing out or shroud another in darkness. This often creates a sense of mystery and suspense, making the film to feel scarier than it actually is. One great shot that exemplifies this is the one of Cooper sitting in a chair with a gun across her lap and her head is completely covered by a shadow. Another amazing shot, which actually uses light rather than darkness to make it more chilling, is the underwater shot of the car. Also, many of the shadows in the film seem to be at slightly unnatural angles. This, along with the gorgeous sets that look very good but are clearly fake help to make the film feel like a storybook.

It's a shame that Charles Laughton never went on to direct another film because The Night of the Hunter is masterful. It is a frightening, suspenseful film. The characters are interesting and the story is compelling. It has a distinct look and feel that is unique to itself. Most importantly, across just a 93 minute runtime, it does a fantastic job of exploring some compelling topics such as childhood and false prophets. It's wildly impressive that Laughton only directed one film and it ended up being this great.

Alex Garland's Civil War is both captivating and underwhelming--resulting in a good film that leaves something to be desired. There are good characters and interesting themes, but nothing ever feels as if it's fully developed. This is a film deserving of both criticism and praise.

Set in an America at war with itself, the film follows a group of wartime journalists in their efforts to photograph and document the horrors of a civil war. Remaining politically neutral (which greatly benefits the film), the story is entirely focused on the photographers and how they react to and navigate through the senseless, dehumanizing violence they witness firsthand. Each of the four main photographers are at different stages in their careers and lives; but, in the pursuit of capturing great shots, they've all been desensitized to the brutality around them. Jessie is an ambitious young woman who's attempting to get her career started. She's eager, wide-eyed, and innocent at the beginning. The horrific nature of the job heavily impacts her early on. As the exposure to savage violence gradually numbs her, becoming a full-blown, reckless professional who feels nothing by the last scene. Joel is a middle aged man who is already past the point of feeling anything emotionally, but he gets a massive adrenaline kick every time he steps foot into a war zone. Lee, a middle aged woman, is at a point where she no longer feels any emotion or adrenaline. However, she does seem to be in a state of internal conflict, questioning what she's doing. Sammy is an old man who is well past all of those stages.

The relationship between Jessie and Lee is one of the central components of the story. They were kind of the same character, but at different stages of their lives, which is an interesting dynamic to observe. Played brilliantly by Cailee Spaeny, Jessie's transformation from an eager, lively young woman into the cold-hearted, adrenaline-chasing professional she became in the last scene was sad to see. There was an excellent use of snapshots throughout the film that emphasized the photography was more important than life to the characters; and it increases the more hardened Jessie became. Lee had already gone through that regression long ago, but she was now on the verge of a mental breakdown. Having Jesse around seemed to ignite a sliver of something inside of her. It got her thinking about what she was doing and wondering if it was all worth it. Did taking the photos and "exposing the truth" actually make any kind of difference? Kirsten Dunst really nailed this role. She was stoic and lifeless most of the time, but she displayed just enough subtle emotions at just the right times to make the character work.

Unfortunately, like every other aspect of the story, the dynamic between Jessie and Lee could've had a lot to offer, but it was not explored near enough. Each of the main characters had a lot of potential as well, but they were all underdeveloped. Jessie in particular could've been a fascinating character, but her arc felt very rushed. The film didn't need to slow its pace down, but it would've greatly benefited from taking the time to better flesh out its characters. Nothing worked near as well as it could have on an emotional level because of how shallow the characters were explored. Even scenes that were great as is, such as the one featuring Jesse Plemmons's show-stealing appearance, could've been much more impactful had the characters been better developed.

Civil War is a good movie that could've been great. It's a mixed bag of both exciting and underwhelming moments. There's a lot to like about it, but there's also a lot to be frustrated about. It's an interesting premise, and the performances are outstanding; but in the end, it holds itself back from being something special.