Indie – Page 3 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Heretic”

By Brett_G on November 9, 2024November 9, 2024

8.2

Hugh Grant is so damn charming… you don’t want to believe that he’s as evil as he is here. Which coincidentally, makes him the perfect villain in this film and cranks the tension up to an 11.

What could have easily fallen flat as a “philosophy 101” lecture masquerading as a more depth-filled work actually ended up being genuinely intriguing and sinister. The twists and turns feel naturally methodical and the pacing is perfection, keeping the tension at the brink of boiling over almost the entire runtime, which was perfectly balanced for this type of film. Not dragging, but also not rushed. Extremely well done!

“My Old Ass”

By Brett_G on October 24, 2024October 20, 2024

7.9

When the third act twist hits in this one, it’s a gut punch for the ages. I really didn’t expect the depth that I got from this one. I expected funny moments interlaced with some heartfelt moments, but I didn’t expect this to be one of the most insightful and inspirational movies I’ve seen this fall. Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella play off of each other perfectly, and I can’t imagine anyone else in these roles. Hug your loved ones, gang… and don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith just because it might have an ending or hurt along the way.

Drama Indie

“Ghostlight”

By Brett_G on October 23, 2024October 20, 2024

8.4

Unexpectedly sweet. As family dramas go, this one fires on all cylinders and knocks it out of the park. The strength of the personality clashes really raises the stakes and the value of the payoff in the end. It took a while to find its footing and take off, but I did NOT expect the third act to hit as hard as it did. The dad processing his grief from the safety of portraying Romeo was such a tough watch but such a beautiful moment. Though I didn’t recognize any of the cast, they could not have been more perfect for their roles. A small but mighty film about family, love, grief, forgiveness, and getting outside of one’s comfort zone. Highly recommend!

Comedy Indie Rom-Com Science Fiction

“The 4:30 Movie”

By Brett_G on October 22, 2024October 20, 2024

8.5

This is as feel-good film as it gets for me. As someone who frequently spends an entire afternoon at a multiplex to enjoy anywhere from 2-5 (my record) movies… This film was speaking my language. Summer coming of age/love story set in up to your eyeballs nostalgia? I’m there! The story may be a little simple and goofy, but they absolutely killed it in the eyes of this fellow movie buff!

Horror/Thriller Indie

“Terrifier 3”

By Brett_G on October 20, 2024October 20, 2024

7.7

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat – Art killing children is only one of the absolutely abhorrent things that happens on screen during this one. Author Jason Pargin put it perfectly on Tik Tok recently – we go see these movies because we wish that evil was as simple to spot as Art the Clown. There’s definitely something deeper going on with this series, as it begins to not only out-gross large studio blockbusters (I’m looking at you “Joker”) but influence recent studio horror films (Smile 2’s level of gore was at an 11 all of the sudden).

Coming back to the feature, Art the clown has fun brutally murdering and dismembering everyone within any given frame for over two hours. The creativity of kills here is starting to give the “Saw” series a run for its money. Our new final girl Sienna comes into her own against the axe wielding jester, and the series itself finds its sea legs. Krampus is no longer the only horror icon here to ruin your holiday season by going after kids.

Technically speaking, you’re going to be hard pressed to find a better modern slasher. If you can stomach the blood and gore (which even I was surprised by), you’re in for a wild ride. I definitely understand if it’s not your bag, though. This is a love it or hate it type film to its core.