Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare
Cinematic Sommelier
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
Brett Garten, Movie Extraordinare 