Tag: nervesquidpilot

3000 YEARS OF LONGING (2022)

Top contender for the best film of the year that nobody will see, not least of all because it seems like its theatrical run has been cut to less than two weeks.

That is a baffling choice, because this is a great film! At once tiny and intimate, while still presenting grandiose and epic storytelling in fine form.

It goes like this: a woman who wants for nothing discovers a Djinn in a bottle, and he spends days with her recounting his life to convince her to make the obligatory three wishes.

The longer it sits with me, the more I appreciate all the detail and nuance.

It’s beautifully constructed; wonderfully imaginative in design, narrative, composition and performance. Set design and VFX are fantastic and magical in a distinct, unique fashion. The simple chemistry between Swinton and Elba alone elevates this to something special.

Not perfect, but a sincere and genuine piece of creative filmmaking executed with the kind of seasoned confidence and flair that only George Miller can.

It’s unlikely you’ll be able to enjoy this in a cinema now, but it’s definitely worth your time when it hits streaming.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

THE REHEARSAL // s01

Part reality show, part social experiment, part work of (evil?) genius.

It’s impossible to describe exactly the kind of absolutely wild project this is, and it’s really worth your time to just watch the first episode blind and see for yourself.

Nathan Fielder might be a supervillain. There’s a lot of conversation to be had about the ethics of The Rehearsal, because on one hand it feels exceptionally manipulative, but it’s also hyper-conscious of exactly this fact and accounts for itself in frequently surprising ways.

Seriously though, check it out. It will make you say “What the fuuuuuuuuuuck…?”

A lot.

by Thomas Scott Holland

THE SANDMAN // s01

A pitch-perfect adaptation of the beloved graphic novel series.

Immaculately cast, beautifully shot. I’d have personally liked it to skew just a bit darker and stranger, but really there’s not much to pick at.

If you’ve read the series, you’ll be delighted to find how faithful it is. If you never read it, this is the perfect introduction.

Fingers and toes crossed that WB/Netflix greenlights the rest of the adaptation, this one really deserves it.

Highly recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

DAY SHIFT (2022)

What’s this 90s vampire movie doing, being released in 2022?

Genuinely, I thought this was some kind of relic that had just gotten a wide release.

It’s fine. The humour’s hit and miss, the action is hilariously well done, the story is serviceable.

It’s kind of inconsistent its worldbuilding, in that it explains a lot of what things are but then forgets to ask why or to connect them together or pay things off fully.

Still, it’s silly fun that never takes itself seriously at all, so it’s mostly forgivable.

Not going to shake the world, but it’s worth a watch.

by Thomas Scott Holland

BETTER CALL SAUL

When Breaking Bad finally wrapped, it seemed unlikely that we were going to see a show as good again for a long time.

And then, here comes a prequel/spinoff which somehow manages to not only surpass it, but to actively improve and build on the original series.

It’s remarkable. Even knowing full-well where things are going, BCS manages to wring an incredible amount of tension and character growth out of every moment of screen time.

It’s superbly shot, brilliantly acted, and up there among the best written and directed shows of all time.

Even if you’ve never seen Breaking Bad, this is an absolute must watch.

Highly, highly recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

BULLET TRAIN (2022)

A wild, bloody, ridiculous action-comedy from the guy behind John Wick and Deadpool 2.

It’s assassins on a speeding train, with multiple overlapping jobs, changing objectives and an escalating series of Chekhov’s guns.

Feels very antithetical to a lot of modern Hollywood action fare: the edges are rougher, the gags don’t feel like they’ve been run through a committee. It’s refreshing, loose, silly fun.

It’s kind of a hot mess, but in a good way — pinballing from one absurd scenario to another, juggling a big cast of goofball personalities, and never for a moment taking itself too seriously.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

PREY (2022)

A solid little monster film, and probably the next-best Predator film after the original.

Proves definitively that the franchise works best when stripped right back to simplicity: take a ruthless alien hunter, drop it in a random time period. They’re slasher films! In this case, it’s the 1700s on the Comanche nation.

Amber Midthunder (Legion) is a badass, the action is well choreographed, cinematography is gorgeous, the creature design is awesome and it’s got a sweet dog!

What more do you want? It’s great fun!

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

THE GRAY MAN (2022)

It’s actually kind of impressive that a movie directed by the Russo Brothers, and starring Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Billy Bob Thorton and Jessica Henwick could be so utterly mediocre and forgettable.

Evans should absolutely be playing more villainous roles, he seems like he’s having a ball. But other than that, The Gray Man is little more than a mishmash of ideas from other action movies that have all been executed better elsewhere.

The result is something with no definitive personality of its own — just overlong shootout after overlong shootout with aimless, scattershot pacing. It feels solidly half again longer than it actually is.

There’s much better action films out there, don’t burn two hours on this.

by Thomas Scott Holland

NOPE (2022)

Another banger from Jordan Peele! If Get Out was his Sixth Sense, then this is his Signs.

The trailers are somewhat deceptive as to what kind of movie this actually is, and the film itself is quite cryptic about it for the first half, before properly settling and letting you know for real what you’re watching.

It’s very well written, shot with creativity and style, and brings enough unique character, humour and strange flavour to the table to make it really stand out. Minimal locations, clever and striking low-key production design.

Less horror film, more creature-feature. It’s really fun, definitely worth a watch.

Highly recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland

MS. MARVEL (2022)

Among the better Disney+ Marvel series.

Super sweet and charming, plus it’s refreshing to have a completely different perspective in the MCU.

Strong emphasis on culture, history and family from a Pakistani/Muslim perspective, made accessible by an extremely charismatic performance from Iman Vellani.

There’s a bit of a change-up in her powers compared to the comic, but I kinda get why. It makes her a bit more unique in the MCU, since Reed Richards is due to arrive in the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, and Marvel seems pretty much allergic to using The Inhumans for anything. It works here to tie them back to her heritage, and by the end of the season she’s using them in a way that’s practically the same idea, only done with sparkly gemstone type effects instead of stretchiness/Embiggening.

The villain arc is a bit weak, but it’s got youthful energy to spare, and a lot of fun production design.

Young Avengers lineup is looking promising!

Still, it’s fair to feel fatigue with the endless parade of superhero stuff, and it’s nice to have something lighter on the roster.

Recommended.

by Thomas Scott Holland