Indie – Page 4 – Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare

“Saturday Night”

By Brett_G on October 20, 2024October 20, 2024

8.2

With Aaron Sorkin level dialogue and walk and talks, this one won me over almost immediately. Then, you get into the fantastically realistic representations of the cast and the chaos of live TV, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire runtime. I knew it would be good, but I didn’t expect it to be great. Every member of the cast is perfectly paired with their role and every single frame of film is used to its fullest potential. There’s a beautiful chaos alongside the razor sharp writing that balance each other out much better than expected. Highly recommend, and look forward to this cast making their way into more projects in Hollywood!

Horror/Thriller Indie Science Fiction Uncategorized

“The Substance”

By Brett_G on September 21, 2024September 21, 2024

8.4

“Why does her bathroom look like something out of a “Saw” film?”

“Why is that hallway carpet and red bathroom straight out of “The Shining?””

Not since the movie “Society” have I seen a movie quite this moist… I can honestly say that I did not see the third act going that off the rails. Homages aside, the execution here is second to none. Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are perfect playing off each other, and Dennis Quaid is the perfect amount of creep to really drive the central points home here. There’s definitely a strong underlying theme of obsession with vanity and selfishness and the broader themes of the Hollywood system. But there’s also one of the best body horror films in years. The originality of the horror slate this year is so refreshing, and I’m here for every frame of it on the big screen!

Comedy Indie

“Babes”

By Brett_G on September 13, 2024September 2, 2024

7.8

This was SO GOOD! I expected funny, but not laugh out loud the entire time funny. This one left the entire theater in stitches. There was an authenticity that took the comedy over the top and really made it fire on all cylinders. Instead of going for pure slapstick, it had a great deal of genuine heart under the hood that made the buy-in that much stronger and the laughs hit that much harder. There’s an unabashed quality here that not many films have nowadays. Perfectly cast and expertly executed. From the hairstyles of the OB/GYN to the doula embracing the prom theme for the birth. We were all here for every bit of the magical messiness.

Comedy Drama Indie

“Between The Temples”

By Brett_G on September 12, 2024September 2, 2024

6.2

It’s okay… maybe it didn’t quite land for me? Some funny moments, but overall not one of the more memorable indies this year. It never got traction in my mind. It hits predictable notes and led to a “meh” overall impression for me.

Indie Science Fiction Suspense/Thriller

“Cuckoo”

By Brett_G on September 10, 2024September 15, 2024

7.4

I didn’t expect the symbolism to be so on the nose here. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what I was in for other than “weird” with this one. Thankfully, it delivers on weird, and so much more by the time the credits roll. I’m not really sure what the lesson was, other than to trust your gut and to refrain from wearing headphones while biking at night, but damn… it was a hellacious ride.

With the ambiance of “The Human Centipede” and “Shutter Island,” you spend the entire runtime on edge and guessing what’s going to unravel next. Hunter Schafer is the glue that really holds this one together and makes things work. Without her, there’s no way this one makes it to the end. If you don’t mind weird, this was a nice veer off the beaten path into the weeds of lesser known films at the multi-plex.