jaredkjacoby

At 2:17 a.m. In Maybrook, Pennsylvania, an entire class of kids goes missing after getting out of bed to run into the dark night. With no trace to follow their whereabouts, the teacher of said class is accused of being involved of their disappearances. One of the parents of the missing kids works with the teacher himself to discover what happened to his child and the other children. Along the way, they both face a number of scares...

Of the horror movies that I have seen so far, Weapons might be the one that disturbs me the most. I could not keep my eyes off of this horrifically amazing movie. This movie has one of the creepiest stories out there and it takes full potential of its intriguing premise. It starts off almost like a psychological thriller with some crime elements as Justine Gandy faces heat for the disappearance of her entire class aside from one kid. The story is consistently engaging as there are appetizers of the horror to come. It is split into six different perspectives which all lead up to the mystery. It is also pretty original with how it handles the conflict of the missing kids, the problems the characters are facing and the revelations of the events that took place here.

Each section of the movie tells a different story such as Mrs. Gandy's situation of her class going missing, Archer Graff searching for his son, an officer and criminal having their own drama, what happened with the principal and what is going on with the one kid who did not go missing. Every single storyline here works and adds a level of drama, intrigue and eeriness to the main story. Also, all of these characters are interesting to follow as the story shows their most vulnerable moments, especially Mrs. Gandy and Paul.

Director and Writer Zach Cregger creates a very creepy atmosphere here that builds up with each section of the film. From the moment those kids run in the same direction, the movie gave off a haunting feeling. There are subtle moments of horror and atmosphere-building too like the scene where Mrs. Gandy has someone knock on her door and discovers the word witch on her car, the villain sneaking into her car quietly, Archer seeing his son run in an illusion and more. There are several jump scares along the way, but they are very effective and they are timed when you finally let your guard down. Once Amy Madigan's character shows up, the atmosphere goes from pretty eerie to downright creepy. From the moment she steps on screen, I knew the movie was gonna get scarier. I love atmosphere in this movie because it fills the room with uncertainty and dread for each scene.

The third act is spectacular. It is one of the most downright insane third acts to any film I have seen in a while as the revelations and the carnage stop holding back at this point. It takes the creepy atmosphere from the first couple of acts and dials it up to 100 and I loved watching how the final act played out.

Cregger did inject the script with a lot of dark humor to the point where I have seen some people call this movie more of a comedy than a horror film. I completely disagree with this sentiment because this movie is terrifying, but it does have a lot of surprisingly hilarious moments. Have you ever wanted to see a character react with annoyance to a jump scare? What about seeing a burgler getting fixated on a dvd copy of Willow? The comedy in this movie cracked me up, but it never takes away from the horror and disturbing atmosphere of the film. That makes the gags in here work that much better because in the hands of a different director, it could have come off as tonal clashing.

The performances are top notch. Julia Garner is expressive and vulnerable as Justine Gandy, a teacher who goes through so much crap and struggles to cope. Garner does a great job showcasing different sides to Gandy such as sad, kindhearted, a little selfish at times. She makes her character flawed, but likable which makes for the best kind of protagonists. A lot of that can be applied to Josh Brolin as Archer Graff. Brolin is very emotive and passionate here as a parent of one of the disappeared kids. I love how Archer is angry, but can be reasonable and he goes the extra distance to find his son. He is a great parent, though there might be an implication that he is flawed too. The leads are great in this movie.

The supporting cast is excellent too. Benedict Wong provides one of the most levelheaded presences of the film as Marcus. Of course, when it gets to the scenes where his face looks messed up, they lead to one of the most frightening and honestly one of the saddest sections of the film. Alden Ehrenreich is fun to watch as the cop who has some secrets himself. Austin Abrams has one of my favorite roles as James. He is a criminal, but Abrams makes this guy funny and even a tad bit sympathetic because it's clear he has nothing. I actually think Cregger made James more sympathetic than Paul by showing that Paul is not the nice cop he seems.

The best performance in the movie by far and possibly my favorite performance of the year goes to Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys. Holy moly is this woman magnificent. The moment Madigan pops up on the screen, the tone of the movie shifts. Her presence is that chilling. Everything from her speech, her body language, her facial expressions and her false attempts in being affable has Madigan play the role as one of the most memorable villains I have seen in a horror film. I genuinely hope she gets considered for best Supporting Actress at the Oscars because she nailed her role hard. Everyone in the cast did.

Visually, the movie looks fantastic. It has very eerie cinematography by Larkin Seiple who uses a lot of shots to create tension in scenes. There is a shot of James looking at a TV and seeing the reflection of two people who look zombielike. There are also several one-takes in the movie that build atmosphere, including one right at the end of Justine's portion of the story. The way movie looks is very sharp and slick. This movie has a good chunk of gore in it and the gore effects are creative and memorable. Some look instantaneous while other moments look painful. The musical score is done by Ryan and Hays Holliday and Zach Cregger. The music here is very creepy, but it fits the tone of the movie perfectly. I remember how it sounds and I like how there is not just typical horror music here.

Zach Cregger's Weapons is an amazing horror film. The only bad thing I can say about it is that some jump scares might be a bit predictable, but this movie is a masterclass on building atmosphere and tension and letting loose in the third act. I enjoyed the heck out of this movie and I cannot wait to see what Cregger does next after this and Barbarian. See this movie on the biggest screen possible.

Set on Earth-828 in the 1960s, a group of scientists and astronauts became heroes of their world after their DNA was altered by cosmic radiation. Sue Storm is getting ready to give birth to her and Reed Richards' child. However, things take a turn for the worst when The Silver Surfers delivers a message that Earth has been marked for death by Galactus, a cosmic entity. Reed and Sue, along with Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm must work together with their knowledge and powers to stop this giant from destroying their world.

The best word to describe Fantastic Four: First Steps is whimsical. Watching this movie is like watching a quirky sixties sci-fi show get adapted to big screen in the best possible way. I enjoyed the hell out of this.

First of all, I love how this movie looks. Not since the Guardians of the Galaxy movies have I enjoyed the aesthetic of a Marvel movie so much. These sets are so creative and colorful and fit the retro-futuristic setting of the film. The cinematography by Jess Hall is slick and colorful giving this film a unique look compared to the rest of the MCU. The costumes fit the tone and style of the film, the makeup is spot on and the design of Galactus is excellent looking very practical. The best looking parts of the film however are the scenes that take place in space. Those are some of the most gorgeous moments I have seen in a comic book movie. I especially love the chase with Silver Surfer and Fantastic Four's spaceship because it looks amazing and it is thrilling to watch. Most of the action scenes are very fun here, but that chase might just be my favorite set piece of the summer.

Unsurprisingly, we have an excellent musical score by Michael Giacchino who delivers a wonderful main theme for the Fantastic Four as well as some other great musical pieces, particularly the music in the space chase. The technical aspects in this movie are impeccable and what surprises me is that I thought the movie looked cartoonish from the trailers. I did not expect to like the aesthetic here as much as I did.

The cast is excellent too. Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards was a perfect casting choice. I believed Pascal as this genius who solved so many problems with science. Also, Pascal just has a warm and likable screen presence that makes his character so likable even at his more stoic moments. Ebon Moss-Bachrach is lovable as the chill Ben Grimm. I do wish he got slightly more focus because The Thing tends to be my favorite FF character, but I did enjoy Moss-Bachrach's natural line delivery and snarkiness. Vanessa Kirby is terrific as Sue Storm as she has some of the most emotional moments in the film. Kirby makes Sue Storm such a beast in this movie as well as a fantastic mother figure which is really cool to see.

My favorite actor and character in this movie though? Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm. Quinn embodies Johnny's goofiness and fiery personality, but emphasizes that Johnny is a much smarter person than he looks. He has probably my favorite scene in the film with his confrontation with Silver Surfer. Quinn surprised me with this performance because I thought he was gonna make Johnny Storm just a goofball, but he makes him into one of the coolest and smartest characters in the film.

Then there is Ralph Ineson as Galactus. Ineson nailed this villain delivering one of the coolest villainous performances of the year. His voice alone darkens the otherwise lighthearted film. Galactus is such a great villain because he is not misguided or misunderstood; he is just crazy and destroys multiple planets. Julia Garner as Silver Surfer is very solid even with the limited lines she has. Silver Surfer in general is a really cool character because of her powers and her dangerous presence. However, the single moment where she shows vulnerability is the scene that stuck out the most for me with Silver Surfer. The cast is fantastic and everyone brings something to the table.

Also, H. E. R. B. I. E. is awesome. An adorable robot that takes care of a lot of the chores for the FF and can hold his own in areas? He is super cool and funny.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is a very character and story driven movie. It focuses on the family dynamic of the Fantastic Four, how they are seen as public heroes and their preparations for their next stage in life. Watching this movie does feel like watching a sci-fi dramedy with some superhero battles thrown in and that makes it very enjoyable. The story is always engaging because the writing is so good with how the dynamic of the Fantastic Four makes for a lot of compelling or fun scenes. There is always something enjoyable going on such as Johnny giving Reed a hard time, his funny friendship with Ben and the close relationship between Reed and Sue. This is a movie about family that pushes the theme to the next level, especially with the inclusion on Franklin. I really enjoyed the lighthearted story about family here especially after the last film was so dark and self-serious.

The humor is not as strong as I thought it would be. It is a pretty funny movie that made me smile and giggle throughout, but I was not laughing hard the way I did during a few other blockbuster films this year. Despite that, I do like how this movie never takes itself too seriously and fully embraces its quirky retro-futuristic theme without being too cheesy. Despite being a lot less action-oriented than other superhero films, this movie never once felt like a drag. It always had something fun going on.

Fantastic Four: First Steps is a pretty great comic book movie. I love the dynamic of the Fantastic Four, I really love the visuals and I enjoyed the story. I was not particularly excited about this movie so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Director Matt Shakman clearly has a lot of love for these characters and it shows in every scene in this movie. I have to say that it is nice to finally have a Fantastic Four movie that rocks.

A young couple moves to the countryside hoping to improve their relationship. As they hike towards their new home, they fall into a cave and get stuck there overnight. A supernatural encounter brings Tim and Millie closer together... literally.

Michael Shanks' Together might be the movie that disturbed me the most out of the horror films I have seen in theaters so far. This movie made me feel uncomfortable, it made me cringing for the next scare and it got me on several jump scares. This is a horror movie that succeeds on so many levels.

Shanks has created a dark and twisted world with Together. The way he builds on each scare and each creepy image is fascinating to watch. The movie starts off with an appetizer of what is to come in the opening scene. Warning though, it could be upsetting for animal lovers. Another early scare that got me is with Tim's hallucinations which brings one of the jump scares that startled me without even being that loud. There are so many scares and eerie moments that creep me out before we even get into the body horror in this movie. The story is very strong featuring a surprisingly solid amount of lore around the area where these fusions are happening and the solid pacing that never feels rushed or dragged on. Shanks builds up the atmosphere in this movie like a pro and this is his first feature length film.

Once we get into the body horror however? Those images are gonna give me nightmares. Even the smallest body parts sticking together look painful because of the pain Tim and Millie put themselves through just to separate from each other. What makes this movie so scary is the pain these two lovebirds go throughout the film and it does not let up even a little bit. The imagery and body horror in this movie are both very creative and take advantage of the premise without relying too much on it. The designs of some of the creatures that are fused together might be some of the most terrifying and painful-looking things I have seen so far in horror. This is absolutely not a movie for the faint of heart and I am honestly surprised I took it as well as I did because I know I can be squeamish to these kinds of films.

Although Together is overall a very frightening film and generally serious, it does have comedy in it. There are some very witty lines of dialogue and a few physical gags to demonstrate how insane the situation. I did laugh at them because they provided a little relief amidst the creepy atmosphere and crazy scares.

The performances are top notch in this movie. Dave Franco as Tim is amazing in this film with his body language, his line delivery and his genuinely fun personality slowly slipping into madness. Franco does a lot with Tim and he excels on every level. My favorite scene with Franco is when he talks about his childhood trauma with Millie and it is one of the quieter scenes of the film but I was totally mesmerized by how dead inside this man looked in this scene. It says a lot about how despite wanting to be a loving boyfriend, Tim has a lot of issues and trauma holding him back from moving forward. Dave Franco is outstanding in this movie.

Alison Brie as Millie is no slouch either. Brie's character is a bit less aware of what is happening to them and Brie sells her frustration, confusion and fear throughout the film. Her dialogue delivery is top notch especially some of the harsh words Millie gives to Tim. She also has one of my favorite lines in a lot of movies after she goes through extreme measures at one point. Brie is the embodiment of a woman who just wants to relax yet gets hit with the weirdest things imaginable in this area. Brie is great in this movie and her chemistry with Franco is impeccable. They play off each other so well as a flawed couple who do want to fix their relationship issues. They make the movie a lot more fun to watch with their dynamic.

Visually, the movie looks excellent. I did not expect a movie with so much disturbing content to have such lush filmmaking, but it surprised me. The cinematography by Germain McMicking is lush and beautiful even in the creepiest parts. There are so many memorable shots in this movie for different reasons such as disturbing moments of horror and some very cool compositions I did not think of. In fact, McMicking's work builds on the suspense of what scare or what image will pop up next. The lighting is solid overall even in the darker scenes as it never feels like the movie gets too dark where I cannot see anything. The creature designs look really cool and believable and it definitely got under my skin. There is one fusion towards the end that gives me nightmares and it made me sad too because of the story behind it. The musical score by Cornel Wilczek is eerie and builds on the dark atmosphere of this film.

If I had any criticisms for this movie, there is one reveal about a character I partially saw coming. It is the only truly predictable moment in the film. I have seen some complaints that the movie explains how the events that unfold in this movie, but I like the way they handled in the lore for this haunted area. Instead of having some bad guy explain what is happening to them, the movie makes it visual with little dialogue and let me tell you, it is frightening. It has a few jump scares, but they work in this movie, especially the quieter one at the beginning.

Aside from a couple of predictable moments, Director Michael Shanks knocked it out of the park with Together. This movie scared the hell out of me and kept me on my toes the entire time. I was dreading each moment even asking myself what the heck have I gotten myself into. Also, it is a pretty creative and original film that takes the story in cool directions. If you are a horror fan and you want to watch something a bit different from other horror movies, I think you will really like this. Just try not to eat too much before watching it...