Veering away from the supernatural-themed movies with unique twists that defined the first decade of his career, M. Night Shyamalan (Signs, Old) ventures into a genre designed to induce a different type of suspense. While unique, Trap is so far-fetched and full of contraptions, conveniences, and implausibilities that it almost finds itself in the unenviable “it’s so bad, it’s good” category. Fortunately, the first two acts built enough tension that not even the ridiculous conclusion could completely derail the film.
Category Archives: 2024
The Bikeriders (2024)
Director Jeff Nichols (Take Shelter, Mud) is an expert at creating ordinary characters, placing them in everyday situations, and letting interactions and relationships carry the story. He has masterfully accomplished this through films I adore, such as Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, and Mud, and through films, such as Midnight Special and Loving, that aren’t quite as good as a whole but still have well-crafted characters. The Bikeriders, his most recent film, follows a similar blueprint but fails to tell an exciting story or have a single character we genuinely care about. While well-made, with a stellar cast that put forth effort, the film was a snoozefest.
Twisters (2024)
The best thing I can say about Lee Isaac Chung’s (Minari, Munyurangabo) Twisters is that it does very well at what it tries to do. In his first film since earning an Academy Award nomination for 2020’s Minari, Chung takes on a film that couldn’t feel any more different. Twisters is not a sequel or reboot of the commercially successful Twister, which earned $495 million worldwide, more than five times its $92 million budget. The 1996 movie was one of the most-hyped and anticipated in years, with its trailers ahead of their time and featuring two of the newest Hollywood A-listers, Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. Despite its commercial success, it had poor Rotten Tomatoes critics (66%) and audience (58%) scores.
A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
Disappointing. That’s the word I would use to sum up A Quiet Place: Day One, the prequel to A Quiet Place and the third movie in the successful trilogy. John Krasinski wrote and directed both A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II. Krasinski only has producer credits for the final installment. We felt his absence. A Quiet Place: Day One lacked originality, coherence, and suspense. It was a cash grab, which I played into. Michael Sarnoski (fresh off writing and directing credits of his debut film, Pig).
Challengers (2024)
I have a spot in my heart for intense sports movies. I also enjoy films that effectively incorporate flashbacks to flesh out the story and its characters. Luca Guadagnino’s (Bones and All, Call Me by Your Name) Challengers incorporated both themes into a tense, drama-filled drama, set against the backdrop of professional tennis.