kim_smoltz

I attended the east coast premiere of "The Lodge" a few weeks ago and can say it will most likely be 2020's most polarizing and divisive horror release.

If you've seen Franz & Fiala's last film, "Goodnight Mommy," you'll have an idea of what to expect in terms of tone and themes. The cinematography is breathtaking, and Riley Keough's performance is unbelievable. Like "Mommy" the central characters are two siblings who are up against some sort of unknown/unstable maternal presence while existing in isolation. Instead of a vast, lonely European farm, "The Lodge" features exactly what the title suggests -- a mountain lodge in the middle of nowhere. It's so well done that you can almost feel the icy frost in the theater as the film progresses.

Franz & Fiala take a lot of cues from Ari Aster, ESPECIALLY "Midsommar," in depicting sudden tragedy and brutal, existential grief that consistently drips off the screen. Additionally, there are underlying themes of mental illness and psychosis that are done really well and tactfully -- although I might add it may not seem so at first. Sorry if that's cryptic, I just don't want to give any spoilers. The ending will knock you on your ass. I couldn't move after the screening, I was frozen for half the credit roll, and couldn't stop thinking about it for days.

I highly recommend "The Lodge" for fans of Aster's work, or if you liked "Goodnight Mommy" and want more of the same slow-burn insanity.

"The Villainess" is an ambitious film, gathering influences from several established genres and styles including Scorsese-like gangster, Fast and Furious style car chases, classic femme fatale, Takashi Miike-style hack and slash, and revenge thriller. Director Jung Byung-gil wraps all of these into a tightly-knit ball, signs it with his own name, and delightfully throws it at the audience. It explodes with confetti and blood, and everybody cheers.

Sook-hee (Kim Ok-bin) is a professional assassin, trained from a young age, who has spent her life tracking down her father's killer. After a rampage, she is captured by South Korean intelligence, who recruits her as an asset. From there, the tension increases, and the mystery becomes more and more complex.

The cinematography is astounding and uses frequent color contrasts, quick panning, and three staggering long cuts (one of which is the opening scene, which digs its claws into the audience, demanding their attention for the rest of the film). These long cuts are shot in a way that is reminiscent of an action video game, kind of like a supercharged version of Gus Van Sant's direction in his "Death Trilogy." Each of them showcase the protagonist's rage, and the incredible direction of the sequences shows valuable insight into her mind.

The story is also very engrossing, and keeps the attention of the audience for its 120+ minute runtime. The film relies heavily on flashbacks of Sook-hee's life, and these flashbacks are blended into present-day in a way that resembles transient thought -- as if one is thinking about the past while living in the present. For example, most flashbacks occur suddenly and without warning, often within the same cut while using a great visual transition. The editing in these sequences is superb.

While Act 1 of the film is nearly perfect, Act 2 is a marked departure from the action-packed sequences of the first part of the film. Impressively, the cinematography changes to mostly classical Hollywood style with medium close-ups and simple art direction / mis-en-scene. It matches nicely with the tone of the second act, and Jung (the director) really knows what he's doing. The flashbacks continue, but unfortunately are far less clear in Act 2 -- they are still presented in the same "transient" format, but their content is much more important to the plot. While it sounds like a good idea to keep up consistency, the developments in Sook-hee's history become muddled and difficult to understand. I feel like the flashbacks in Act 2 should have been compiled together and left as one long sequence; it may have even fit nicely with the "calmer" atmosphere of Act 2.

Act 3 heavily draws on the themes introduced in Act 2's flashbacks, and therefore the comprehension of the film begins to slowly bleed out. While the resolution of the film is clear, it is difficult to fully appreciate it because of what went wrong in Act 2. The director clearly knows how to craft a film, but I feel like his choices in depicting flashbacks may have been a mistake in some parts of the film.

I think that the film deserves a second watch -- after knowing the resolution and ending, Act 2's flashbacks may become more clear. But for a first-time viewer, be aware that you may have to pay really close attention once the film "calms down" a bit.

Despite all that, "The Villainess" is an excellent and rare thriller that should've received a much wider release. Overall, I loved it, and can't wait to see it again.

Like a 94 minute Black Mirror episode, "Cam" whips its audience through a fast-paced roller-coaster of technological terror that will be undoubtedly appreciated by any fans of that show, plus films like "Unfriended" and "Searching."

Alice (Madeline Brewer), who goes by the name of Lola, is a full-time cam girl who is desperately trying to break into the Top 50 category on the website she uses. Despite this obsessive goal, she's got her personal rules and abides by them steadfastly, which ultimately hinders her ability to climb the ranks. She also has a family -- a mom and a younger brother, from whom she hides her high-income job. One day, she finds herself locked out of her account, replaced by an identical version of herself who is willing to do everything Alice isn't...and more. We get to watch as Alice desperately attempts to save her own identity, tracking down the source of the hack, while an unbearable amount of existential terror mounts in her head.

Daniel Goldhaber (in his directorial debut) is a powerhouse, and he is absolutely a name to watch in the future. The film is also written by Isa Mazzei (also her feature debut), partially inspired by her own experience as a cam girl. The two of them are seemingly unstoppable and are able to execute a mystery thriller in a manner you would not expect from two freshmen. The editing is tight and quick, jumping back and forth from "Unfriended" style computer shots to traditional shots. The lighting is incredible and meticulously designed for every scene, making heavy use of lush, blended colors Finally, the score of the film is mostly electronic -- ranging from rich soundscapes (a la Tangerine Dream) to upbeat and daunting. It is present throughout the entire film, enclosing it in a snare of suspense and dread. This film is flawlessly produced and everyone who worked on it deserves a round of applause.

Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid's Tale, Orange is the New Black) delivers a fantastic performance. She is the only actor who is heavily featured in the film; all other characters are support roles. Brewer steals the show and was an absolute perfect actress to fill the role of Alice.

While Acts 1 and 2 of "Cam" are almost perfect, Act 3 veers off into a different direction and introduces some surrealism that kind of clashes with the plot devices that have already been set up. The final act, plus the ending, is undoubtedly polarizing. For me, it was somewhat disappointing, but seems to culminate in a critique of cam culture and the malevolent "forces" behind the websites. It's difficult to explain this without spoiling the ending, but it does offer a healthy dose of surrealism which definitely throws the film off-balance. If Act 3 was set up in a different manner, this would be an easy 9/10, but I had to take a star away. Despite this, the film overall lands on its feet, and is probably still the best techno-thriller I have ever seen. It's probably worth a second watch to see if anything else can be pulled out of the cryptic ending.

Overall, Goldhaber and Mazzei have delivered a fascinating and unique film that pushes new boundaries while engaging in the emerging techno-thriller trend. I absolutely recommend it to anyone who thinks they can handle it.