robodoc-20897

Extremely entertaining throwback-appearing (think old Hollywood cinematography and score) blood-soaked origin story of a girl with big dreams. After hints of malevolence, a chain of circumstances and events leads Pearl down a dark path.

The key here is Mia Goth's performance. One minute she comes across as a sympathetic character, the next she is beyond creepy, and there are still times in this film with laughter interspersed between moments of horrific violence. Perhaps the best moment in the film is a monologue that is best described as otherworldly. Really good watch, tremendous performance.

Small scale by design, this plot-twisty thrill ride is a great watch for one big reason: it's fun. This is escapist stuff that is just perfect for the creep factor, some well-placed jump scares and actually some laughs. Pretty cool that Zach Cregger, known primarily for his comedic writing is at the helm. He pivoted to the horror genre here, and developed characters more deeply and realistically than we usually see. Also Skarsgard, Campbell and Long are just perfect in their assignments.

Barbarian punches above its weight class, and I recommend watching it without having any knowledge of the plot beforehand.

Several parables set up a narrative for Idris Elba's lonely, heartsick and surprisingly relatable djinn - while providing a potpourri of short stories with both entertaining and unpredictable narratives. His perspective runs counter to Tilda Swinton's academic, who enters with confidence - only to doubt her most strongly held beliefs. This is an adult fairytale that forces us (as it does Swinton's Alithea, "truth" in Greek mythology) to realize that fulfillment in life comes from the coalescence of science, history, and, yes, faith in following one's heart.

Technically, George Miller's team pulls off seamless special effects in a kaleidoscopic backdrop of the Middle East, spanning from the time of King Solomon and Sheba through the Ottomon Empire with stunningly beautiful and often heartbreaking backstories. The musical score never drowns out the dialogue, while the visuals are always adding layers that provide purpose to our characters' motivations.

Overall, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a recommended film, that can stand up to analysis due to some unique directorial and story-telling characteristics, while also serving as a satisfying date night with turns that will keep viewers longing to learn the fate of our two lead characters.