The Equalizer Review

Rated R (Strong Bloody Violence and Language Throughout, including Some Sexual References)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 11 Minutes

Cast-

Denzel Washington-Robert McCall

Chloë Grace Moretz-Teri/Alina

Marton Csokas-Teddy

David Harbour-Frank Masters

Melissa Leo-Susan Plummer

Bill Pullman-Brian Plummer

Johnny Skourtis-Ralphie

Haley Bennett-Mandy

David Meunier-Slavi

Alex Veadov-Tevi

Vladimir Kulich-Vladimir Pushkin

Anastasia Mousis-Jenny

Directed by Antoine Fuqua

Denzel Washington--the epitome of badassery.

Note: At AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

There's a scene in Antoine Fuqua's latest film "The Equalizer" where the main character, Robert McCall, coolly walks away from a massive explosion in slow motion. It's an action movie cliché that's been done to death already but I have to admit, it looks extremely badass, especially when said character is played by the venerable Denzel Washington. The two-time Academy Award-winning actor, who's just a year away from hitting sixty, seems to love starring in action thrillers as much as weighty dramas. While Washington may not be the biggest movie star in Hollywood, he's by far the most consistent as his films almost always open with $20+ million debuts at the domestic box office, with the occasional $30 million (2010's "The Book of Eli") and $40 million debut (2007's "American Gangster" and 2012's "Safe House") sprinkled about. The man has just about done it all over the past forty years but one thing he's never done is star in a sequel. Well, that's about to change with "The Equalizer," loosely based on the CBS television series of the same name, which starred British actor Edward Woodward and ran for eighty-eight episodes across four seasons between 1985 and 1989. Columbia Pictures/Sony is obviously gunning for a new franchise here. In fact, the studio is already developing a sequel after this one apparently scored through the roof during a test screening back in February. Normally I don't approve of such bullish moves in Hollywood but now that I've seen Fuqua's film, I have to say, I'm excited for a sequel. Although it doesn't exactly break the mold as far as vigilante-themed action thrillers go, "The Equalizer" remains a riveting, stylishly-directed film that's elevated by a fantastically badass performance from Denzel Washington.

Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), a widowed, unassuming middle-aged man with a mysterious past, has settled into a quiet life in Boston, Massachusetts, where he works as a stockperson at a big-box home improvement store by day and voraciously makes his way through his late wife's unfinished reading list by night. A chronic insomniac, McCall regularly stops by a local twenty-four hour diner, where he enjoys a hot cup of tea, reads his book, and makes friendly small talk with teenage prostitute Teri (Chloë Grace Moretz). She reveals that her real name is Alina and that she dreams of becoming a singer one day. Unfortunately, such aspirations remain out of reach as long as she is under the controlling thumb of the Russian mafia, led by local mob boss Slavi (David Meunier). When Alina ends up in the ICU after being savagely beaten, McCall dusts off his professional combat training and dispenses brutal justice against Slavi and the other Russian thugs that follow him. His actions trigger the wrath of powerful Moscow-based mafia boss Vladimir Pushkin (Vladimir Kulich), who sends his top enforcer Teddy (Marton Csokas) to take care of McCall. The former government operative must now stay one step ahead as the sociopathic Teddy and the corrupt cops that follow him slowly closes in for the kill.

Marton Csokas plays a sociopathic Russian enforcer on the hunt for McCall.

Working from a script written by Richard Wenk ("The Expendables 2," "The Mechanic"), Antoine Fuqua's "The Equalizer" is something of an atypical action thriller due to its low-key approach and while it's not a superhero film in the traditional sense, it might as well be since it plays out like an origin story of sorts. The opening act takes it slow and is spent by establishing who Robert McCall is as a person, as well as his friendship with teenage prostitute Teri/Alina. Audiences are first introduced to McCall while he's shaving away the white film of hair that has sprouted on his head overnight. Hopping on the crowded MBTA bus, he then commutes to his job at a big-box home improvement store called Home Mart. The idea of a deadly government operative putting his violent past behind him and leading a quiet, anonymous life is nothing new but McCall isn't the usual tortured hero who keeps everyone at arm's length. He's a genuine people person, frequently joking around with his co-workers (when asked about his past, McCall tells them he used to be one of Gladys Knight's Pips and even shows off some slick dance moves) while also helping out his friend Ralphie (Johnny Skourtis) train and lose weight so that he can become a security guard. Some of McCall's dialogue can be rather clunky, like something out of a cheesy motivational poster ('Progress, not perfection') but it's refreshing to see what is essentially a B-grade movie take the time to develop its main character. There's a great scene where McCall tells Alina about his late wife's love of reading and his determination to pay tribute to that by going through all the literary classics. Character moments like this are often a rarity in most action thrillers of this type as they're frequently preoccupied with shoving in as many action set-pieces as its running time would allow. Such an approach can quickly grow monotonous so I'm glad of Fuqua's restraint in the first act.

Of course, when the action hits, it hits hard. When McCall sees Alina lying helplessly in the ICU after being savagely beaten by local Russian mob boss Slavi, something snaps within him. A line has been crossed and he cannot sit idly by while doing nothing. However, he doesn't burst into Slavi's place of business with guns blazing. McCall instead tries to negotiate by handing over $9800 in cash in an attempt to buy Alina's freedom. However, Slavi is insulted by the offer and rebuffs it. That proves to be a very unwise choice for him and his band of thugs. What follows is a slow-burn cat-and-mouse game between McCall and the ironically-named Teddy, a sociopathic enforcer sent from Moscow. It's highly entertaining to watch, with Fuqua capturing the former government operative's uncanny ability to quickly assess a dangerous situation by slowing down time and going into what the production notes call 'Equalizer Vision,' similar to what Guy Ritchie did in his "Sherlock Holmes" films. McCall has a brutal yet cleanly efficient fighting style, with the man coming off as practically superhuman at times as he shrugs off bullet wounds and turns every household object into a lethal weapon. Hell, the final act plays like a gritty, R-rated version of "MacGyver"! Set in the spacious Home Mart at night, McCall methodically stalks Teddy's gun-toting men and picks them off one by one in an increasingly gruesome manner while Harry Gregson-Williams' thumping score plays in the background. Fuqua knows what kind of film he's making yet rarely does the end result look so stylish thanks to Mauro Fiore's moody, evocative cinematography. Sam Woolf from We Got This Covered sums it up best in his own review: 'Any hack can just [shoot] a guy getting hung from a barbwire noose; real pros can make you think there's poetry in it.'

It's a B-movie through and through but "The Equalizer" is elevated by Washington's performance and Antoine Fuqua's confident direction.

If you were to look up the definition of 'badass' in the dictionary, you would simply see a picture of Denzel Washington's face. The critically-acclaimed actor previously worked with Fuqua on 2001's "Training Day," for which he won his second Academy Award for his role as crooked detective Alonzo Harris and it's clear the two have an easy rapport with each other. While I'm lukewarm on some of his films (like 2012's "Flight"), Washington has never given anything less than a solid performance. As I mentioned before, this is B-grade material yet he treats the role with the utmost seriousness, taking care to convey Robert McCall as a redemptive man who only wants to do good. The character's innate decency shines through in scenes depicting his everyday acts of heroism, with Washington making it clear that although McCall can kill you faster than you can blink, he only resorts to violence when all other options are exhausted. One of the best scenes in the film is when his character confronts the sociopathic Teddy at a Russian restaurant and matter-of-factly states that if he doesn't stop hunting him, there will be dire consequences. Marton Csokas is perhaps a little too over-the-top as the central villain but his scenery-chewing is never less than captivating as his character grows increasingly frustrated at failing to capture his prey. Despite receiving second billing, Chloë Grace Moretz only appears in the first act and the last five minutes. Fortunately, she makes the most of her limited screen-time in her scenes with Washington, with their characters exhibiting a pseudo-father/daughter relationship. Finally, David Harbour, who was fantastic as sleazy serial killer Ray in "A Walk Among the Tombstones," brings surprising depth as corrupt Boston cop Frank Masters. Melissa Leo and Bill Pullman also show up in minor roles as former CIA allies of McCall.

Released on September 26, 2014, "The Equalizer" has received lukewarm reviews with 58% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it to be 'more stylishly violent than meaningful, but with Antoine Fuqua behind the cameras and Denzel Washington dispensing justice, [the film] delivers.' Audience reception appears to be extremely positive and given Washington's near-consistent record at the domestic box office, it's pretty much guaranteed to have a $30+ million debut over the weekend. The executives at Columbia Pictures/Sony must be happy with this news. While "The Equalizer" isn't original in regards to its premise, the film remains a highly entertaining watch. It's also refreshing to see a picture that's not ashamed of its hard R-rating and wears it proudly like a badge of honor. I think it's safe to say that this won't be the last time we'll be seeing Robert McCall 'equalizing' someone.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"When you pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too."

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A Walk Among the Tombstones Review

Rated R (Strong Violence, Disturbing Images, Language and Brief Nudity)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 53 Minutes

Cast-

Liam Neeson-Matthew Scudder

Dan Stevens-Kenny Kristo

Boyd Holbrook-Peter Kristo

Brian 'Astro' Bradley-T.J.

David Harbour-Ray

Adam David Thompson-Albert

Sebastian Roché-Yuri Landau

Danielle Rose Russell-Ludmilla 'Lucia' Landau

Ólafur Darri Ólafsson-James Loogan

Mark Consuelos-Reuben Quintana

Laura Birn-Leila Alvarez

Razane Jammal-Carrie Kristo

Marielle Heller-Marie Gotteskind

Maurice Compte-Danny Ortiz

Directed by Scott Frank

Liam Neeson stars as ex-cop Matthew Scudder in Scott Frank's "A Walk Among the Tombstones," based on the 1992 Lawrence Block novel of the same name.

Note: Screened on Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

I used to live in a less-than-savory neighborhood in the Bronx when I was a kid. A common sight that I would see upon coming home from pre-school were these thuggish-looking teenagers who sat on the apartment staircases getting high on marijuana, or some other drug that my young mind couldn't yet fathom. My mom would repeatedly warn me that they were 'bad people' and that I must keep my distance from them at all times. Were they actually bad? I'll never really know, but what I do know is that there's always someone worse lurking about, as exemplified in Scott Frank's slow-burn crime drama "A Walk Among the Tombstones." An adaptation of Lawrence Block's 1992 novel of the same name and the tenth installment in the popular Matthew Scudder book series, Frank fast-tracked the project at Universal following his Academy Award nomination for his script for Steven Soderbergh's "Out of Sight" in 1999 but it unfortunately languished in development hell for over a decade. Harrison Ford was initially set to portray Scudder, with Joe Carnahan—fresh off his 2002 breakthrough "Narc"—as director. However, Ford apparently 'chickened out' due to the source material's edgy content, resulting in Carnahan exiting the film as well. D.J. Caruso was in talks to direct in 2011 but Frank, tired of seeing his passion project repeatedly fall through, decided to just take over the reins himself. The casting of Liam Neeson, who's currently experiencing a career renaissance as an action star, finally gave the long-gestating film adaptation the necessary push it needed to move forward. Less "Taken" and more "The Grey," Frank's "A Walk Among the Tombstones" is old-fashioned to a fault yet it manages to overcome its genre clichés with a compelling mystery and an even more compelling performance from Neeson.

The year is 1991. NYPD detective Matthew Scudder (Liam Neeson) walks into a local bar that's friendly with the boys in blue and orders his usual: two shots of whiskey with a side of coffee. While reading the paper, two armed thugs suddenly burst into the bar, intent on robbing the place. They shoot the bartender dead, rousing Scudder into action despite his drunken state. He manages to kill one of the thugs but the second escapes with a third accomplice, who was waiting nearby in a car. Scudder kills the driver and after a short pursuit, takes down the final thug. Eight years later, a retired—and sober—Scudder makes ends meet as an unlicensed private investigator. A fellow AA member named Peter Kristo (Boyd Holbrook) approaches him at a diner one night about a potential job from his brother Kenny (Dan Stevens). Scudder meets with Kenny at his home and learns that the man's wife (Razane Jammal) had been recently kidnapped and killed. He offers $20,000 to Scudder to find the people that took her but the ex-cop, deducing that Peter's brother is a drug trafficker, refuses to help. Scudder later finds Kenny waiting at his apartment door. The widower reveals that a ransom was requested, which was promptly paid but the kidnappers killed his wife anyway and sent her back in pieces, just for kicks. After listening to a disturbing tape recording of Kenny's wife being murdered, Scudder agrees to take the case. While researching similar incidents in the Brooklyn area, the unlicensed P.I. befriends a homeless teenager named T.J. (Brian 'Astro' Bradley), who begins tailing the retired cop in order to become more like him. Scudder's investigation comes to a head when he discovers that the kidnappers have taken a thirteen-year-old girl (Danielle Rose Russell), forcing him in a race against time to save her.

Between this and the wickedly entertaining "The Guest," British actor Dan Stevens has been having a very good 2014.

All right, let's make this clear: "A Walk Among the Tombstones" is not another "Taken." I was seriously concerned that this would be the case since the trailer made it seem like a retread of the 2009 Luc Besson-produced film. In fact, the only scenes in Frank's film that comes across as "Taken"-like is the prologue, where Liam Neeson's Matthew Scudder singlehandedly takes down three thugs despite being drunk on whiskey shots, and when he threatens one of the kidnappers over the phone. Neeson's latest is a largely subdued affair compared to his more action-packed offerings as it hews closer to the hardboiled detective flicks of old with its retro, film noir vibe. Through the lens of cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., New York—specifically Brooklyn—is shown in a less glamorous light. The script, written by Frank, is rather straightforward as far as storytelling goes. There are echoes of David Fincher's "Se7en" with its serial killer plot but don't expect any surprise twists like that film. While some viewers will find the deliberate pacing too slow, the joy of watching "A Walk Among the Tombstones" comes from the investigation itself and the strange assortment of characters that Scudder encounters. One such highlight involves a tense exchange between the ex-cop and a cemetery groundskeeper named James Loogan, played by a subtly creepy Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. Suspecting him of knowing more than he lets on, Scudder breaks into Loogan's shed at an apartment rooftop. The groundskeeper shows up, knife in hand and ready to attack, but rather than disarm him, the unlicensed P.I. calmly remarks that he can easily take the knife away and 'stick it in [his] neck.' Loogan quickly gives up without protest. It's one of the film's best scenes, helped in large part by Neeson's wry delivery. However, there are moments of cheese, mainly stemming from Scudder's interactions with homeless teenager T.J. He meets him at a local library and enlists his help in using those newfangled computers and internet. T.J.'s inclusion is meant to show Scudder's concealed humanity and have him confront his past but it doesn't really work due to the way Frank writes the teen. His smart-aleck personality comes across as more irritating than charming.

The script's real strength lies in its themes, which is perfectly encapsulated in the film's tagline, 'People are afraid of all the wrong things.' This is manifested in "A Walk Among the Tombstones" in two ways. First, the year the story takes place in is 1999, right in the midst of the infamous Y2K scare. Of course, we all know that Y2K turned out to be a much-ballyhooed non-event but the bitter irony is that only a year later, 9/11 happened. Second, the people who kidnapped and killed Kenny's wife—minor spoiler here—turn out to be two schmoes that you wouldn't even give a damn about if you were to walk past them on the street. During his first meeting with Kenny, Scudder correctly deduces that the man makes his money through drug trafficking and being a former cop, he refuses to help him. However, Kenny convinces the P.I. that he did love his wife and that swift justice for her is the only thing he lives for now. Despite his criminal profession, he's actually not an evil person and the same goes for Yuri (Sebastian Roché), whose thirteen-year old daughter is taken when the kidnappers notice her while she's walking her dog on the street (the scene is creepily set to Donovan's 1968 pop song Atlantis). We just assume they're evil because of what they do. In a city full of thugs and drug traffickers, it's rather ironic that they across as saints when compared to the kidnappers, whom Frank describes in the film's production notes as 'a harbinger of things to come and nobody was paying attention.'

David Harbour and Adam David Thompson deliver impressive performances as sadistic kidnappers Ray and Albert.

Of course, the most compelling aspect of "A Walk Among the Tombstones" is the presence of Liam Neeson. The sixty-two year old Irish actor always gives 110% in his performances and it's no different here despite the role not being all that different from all the gruff, no-nonsense characters he's played in the past five years. Neeson does a fantastic job conveying Scudder's regret and world-weariness but there's also a sense of playfulness to his portrayal, as evidenced by the aforementioned tense exchange between the ex-cop and Loogan. While he may not be battling Albanian thugs or going head-to-head with wolves, Neeson still engages in a fair amount of badassery. Equally impressive are David Harbour and Adam David Thompson, who portray the sadistic kidnappers. Thompson's Albert is the quieter of the duo with his stone-cold stares while Harbour's Ray is the more talkative. I have to say, Harbour's performance made me sick to my stomach, and I mean this in the best way possible. The character is a sexual deviant yet is also sickeningly charismatic. The film never attempts to understand the kidnappers because there's nothing to understand. That's what makes them so frightening. The rest of the supporting cast are solid, with Dan Stevens (who's also currently starring in the wickedly entertaining "The Guest") further distancing himself from his role on "Downton Abbey" as repentant drug trafficker Kenny Kristo.

Released on September 19, 2014, "A Walk Among the Tombstones" has received mildly positive reviews with 66% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that it 'doesn't entirely transcend its genre clichés, but it does offer Liam Neeson one of his more compelling roles in recent memory, and that's often enough.' While Neeson has been a pretty strong box office draw as of late, his latest film debuted with only $12.8 million and fell short of Universal's modest projections. Given its $28 million production budget, it's not a total disaster, although prospects appear dimmer when the film goes up against Denzel Washington's "The Equalizer" in its second weekend of release. The lower-than-expected opening doesn't necessarily mean audiences are tiring of Neeson as Frank's crime drama was always going to be tough sell with its deliberate pacing and icky subject matter. The script sticks close to genre conventions but the central mystery, Neeson's strong performance, and the director's fearless exploration of the darkest recesses of the human soul makes "A Walk Among the Tombstones" well worth a watch.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"Let her go or you'll be looking behind you for the rest of your worthless life!"

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The Guest Review

Rated R (Strong Violence, Language, Some Drug Use and a Scene of Sexuality)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 39 Minutes

Cast-

Dan Stevens-David Collins

Maika Monroe-Anna Peterson

Brendan Meyer-Luke Peterson

Sheila Kelley-Laura Peterson

Leland Orser-Spencer Peterson

Lance Reddick-Major Carver

Chase Williamson-Zeke

Joel David Moore-Craig

Tabatha Shaun-Kristen

Directed by Adam Wingard

Director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett take viewers on a roller-coaster thrill ride with "The Guest."

Note: Screened on Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at Williamsburg Cinemas.

Director-writer duo Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett certainly have a thing for terrorizing innocent families. Equal parts dysfunctional family dramedy and home invasion thriller, last year's "You're Next" was one of the biggest surprises of the summer, a vivacious, blood-soaked romp that brazenly mixes on-screen mayhem with a twisted sense of humor. Exuberantly received during its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011, Wingard's low-budget slasher flick unfortunately sat on the shelf for close to two years after Lionsgate acquired the distribution rights, with its release put on-hold due to the studio's ongoing merger with Summit Entertainment. Such scheduling nightmares are thankfully absent for Wingard's latest feature "The Guest." A gleeful, nostalgic homage to the grindhouse exploitation films of the 1980s, "The Guest" is a gripping and wickedly entertaining thriller that's destined to become a cult classic with its punchy synth score, giddily over-the-top violence, and most memorable of all—Dan Stevens' indelibly charismatic performance.

Recently discharged soldier David Collins (Dan Stevens) makes his way toward a small prairie town in New Mexico in order to fulfill a promise to close friend and comrade-in-arms Caleb Peterson, who was killed in combat while the two were serving overseas together. Still struggling over the loss of her eldest son, Caleb's mother Laura (Sheila Kelley) welcomes David into her home when he shows up out of the blue and invites him to stay for the night. Her stressed-out and overworked husband Spencer (Leland Orser) initially views his new houseguest warily as he fears that David might be suffering from some form of PTSD but he quickly warms up to him after the former soldier lends a sympathetic ear while he vents his frustrations over a bottle of beer. David is soon invited to stay indefinitely, with the handsome, polite, and soft-spoken war veteran ingratiating himself with the family by helping around the house and bonding with their bullied teen son Luke (Brendan Meyer). Anna (Maika Monroe), the Petersons' twenty-year-old daughter, is the only one who keeps herself distant from David's charms despite being obviously attracted to him. After overhearing him make a suspicious phone call, Anna decides to do some digging into David's past and discovers that not all is what it seems.

British actor Dan Stevens delivers a charming and creepy performance as the titular guest David Collins.

The opening scene: a man, glimpsed from behind and wearing heavy combat boots, is jogging down an empty road through a desert. Suddenly, the title card—written in large purple "Exorcist"-style lettering on a simple black background—slams into view over a blaring synth. The next shot, accompanied by another alarming blast of scary music, shows a scarecrow with a grinning pumpkin head lording over a desert field. Three shots in, we already know what we're in for with "The Guest" and that we're about to have a hell of a bloody good time. Although this is ostensibly a thriller, the film falls into several genres and contains aspects of drama, horror, action, dark comedy, and even a dash of sci-fi, all blended together into a demented concoction that could've easily devolved into a tonal mess but Wingard has already proven himself to be a master in navigating such conflicting tones with "You're Next." Take for example a tense scene where Anna has just discovered that her friend Craig (Joel David Moore) has just been killed and that her pot-dealing boyfriend Zeke (Chase Williamson) is the prime suspect in the murder. Already suspicious of her new houseguest, she accuses him in front of her family of being an imposter and the way David stops chopping the vegetables and calmly explains himself—while casually waving the kitchen knife around!—is both hilarious and menacing all at the same time. The entire film is like this, with comic moments arriving in the most unexpected places, such as when David, his true identity now blown, casually blows up a small diner with a pair of grenades. In fact, the character's nonchalance while committing horrible acts of violence is a frequent source of humor. This is a difficult feat to pull off yet Wingard and Barrett accomplish it with gleeful aplomb.

The revelation of David's identity is patently ridiculous and is the film's only misstep but it's fortunately easy to overlook thanks to the tour-de-force final act. Utilizing hazy, neon visuals reminiscent of Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive," Wingard pits David and 'Final Girl' Anna in a deadly cat-and-mouse game set in an elaborate Halloween haunted-house maze at a local high school while Annie's 2009 synth pop song Anthonio (the 'Berlin Breakdown' version) blares in the background…because why the hell not? Suffice to say, it's an awesome sequence and you can almost hear Wingard and Barrett giddily high-fiving each other behind the camera. "The Guest" wears its cinematic influences, specifically John Carpenter, on its sleeve and while some directors who do this can't help but constantly wink at the audience, it's never in any doubt that Wingard is less than authentic. He has genuine respect for the grindhouse exploitation flicks of the 80s yet rather than simply create a pastiche, he makes it his own.

Maika Monroe makes for a fantastic 'Final Girl' as Anna.

Of course, "The Guest" wouldn't be half as good if it weren't for Dan Stevens' fantastic performance. Primarily known for his role as Matthew Crawley on ITV's "Downton Abbey," Stevens is absolutely mesmerizing to watch as his character subtly goes from charming to menacing, frequently in the same scene. It's a challenging part to play because the British actor needs to maintain some semblance of likability while also giving off a threatening vibe. Wingard utilizes Stevens' steely blue gaze and washboard abs for maximum effect, seductively drawing viewers in even though they know that something is amiss. The rest of the supporting cast is just as excellent, with Sheila Kelley and Leland Orser playing the part of grieving wife and overworked husband incredibly well. You can't help but feel sorry for their characters. As bullied teen Luke, Brendan Meyer effectively conveys his character's growing fascination with David while Maika Monroe makes for an outstanding Final Girl as Anna. The angst-ridden character is the only one to proactively act on her suspicions and she earns our sympathy with her increasingly perilous plight. "The Guest" may be a roller-coaster thrill ride but Monroe takes the material seriously, even when it goes really over-the-top in the haunted-house finale.

Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival back in January and currently in limited release, "The Guest" has received glowing reviews with 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised it for 'boasting enough intelligence to bolster its darkly violent thrills' and that it 'offers another treat for genre fans from director Adam Wingard.' I'll admit, this film wasn't even remotely on my radar and I only went to the advance screening out of boredom. I'm very glad I did because this is such an oddball picture and for one to be so good is a rare feat indeed. While the audience at the aforementioned screening clearly enjoyed the film, it's hard to say how the rest of the general public will react. Despite excellent word-of-mouth from multiple festival screenings, "You're Next" came and went without making so much as a blip at the domestic box office. It feels like a similar fate awaits "The Guest" but I hope I'm wrong because this is one of the most fun theatrical experiences I've had in quite a while.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"What the F*CK?!" (This is the last line in the film.)

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Honeymoon Review

Rated R (Disturbing Bloody Images, Sexual Content and Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 27 Minutes

Cast-

Rose Leslie-Bea

Harry Treadaway-Paul

Ben Huber-Will

Hanna Brown-Annie

Bob Harrison-Dark Figure #1

John Lauterbach-Dark Figure #2

Henry Lawrence-Dark Figure #3

Peter Leo-Dark Figure #4

Josh Mulvaney-Dark Figure #5

Keith Wolfrey-Dark Figure #6

Directed by Leigh Janiak

"Honeymoon" marks the directorial debut of Leigh Janiak, a new voice to watch in the horror genre.

Note: Viewed through Video on Demand.

People often complain that 'Hollywood doesn't make good movies anymore' or 'Hollywood has run out of ideas' and I'll admit, I've made those same complaints myself considering some of the crappy films I've had to put up with but the truth of the matter is that the overall quality of Hollywood's output hasn't changed all that much compared to the so-called 'glory days.' They continue to make good films as well as bad films. What cynics see are the big event pictures with massive production budgets and marketing campaigns, giving them the impression that that's all Hollywood makes. This is what brings in the money so obviously that's what theaters show. However, there are countless other films waiting to be discovered…online. Video-on-demand services have proven to be quite popular in recent years as it allows smaller-budgeted films the chance to find a wider audience. You can still see them in theaters if you want but it's often a limited release and you have to live in a major city like New York or Los Angeles. So why am I talking about all this? Well, one of my most anticipated films of September has just hit VOD and it's called "Honeymoon." Although it belongs to the horror genre, this isn't the type of horror that Hollywood usually releases. It's not about jump scares or blood and gore; it's about making your skin crawl. In that regard, "Honeymoon" is an unqualified success. Merging domestic drama with disturbing body horror, Leigh Janiak's directorial debut is a creepy, unsettling picture that will keep you riveted until the very end thanks to a pair of fantastic performances from Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway.

Bea (Rose Leslie) and Paul (Harry Treadaway) are a newlywed couple who embark on their honeymoon by driving up to a remote cabin in the woods that belongs to Bea's family. All is well as the two quickly settle into conjugal bliss. Following a tense encounter with Bea's former flame Will (Ben Huber) and his visibly troubled wife Annie (Hanna Brown), Paul wakes up in the middle of the night to find Bea missing. Concerned, he wanders outside into the woods and manages to locate his wife, naked, freezing, and covered in mud. Bea repeatedly insists that she was sleepwalking but Paul doesn't fully buy it as she has never sleepwalked before. Things take a strange turn in the following days as Bea becomes distant, with her behavior growing increasingly peculiar. A pair of odd marks on his wife's thighs leaves Paul troubled as he begins to suspect that something sinister took place in the woods and that the Bea standing before him might not be the same woman that he married.

Rose Leslie and Harry Treadaway deliver fantastic performances as a newlywed couple whose honeymoon turns into a nightmare.

Despite its small budget and even smaller cast, Leigh Janiak's "Honeymoon" manages to accomplish quite a lot in the span of its eighty-seven minute running time and serves as proof of what an aspiring filmmaker with limited resources can achieve as long as he or she has a good idea (and a good script). Taking a page out of "The Evil Dead" and its ilk, the film opens with our newlywed couple driving up to a secluded summer cabin in the Canadian lake country for their honeymoon. Video footage taken on their wedding day is woven into this opening scene, providing subtle hints that Bea and Paul haven't known each other for long and that their marriage was perhaps a quickly planned affair. Janiak doesn't present the cabin as some foreboding, ominous place. In fact, it looks like any other cabin that you can find in a random vacation catalog. This sense of 'ordinariness' pervades the first act as Bea and Paul enjoy their new life together as a married couple but even here, the cracks are beginning to show. There's a bit of awkwardness in the way they interact, again suggesting that the two may have fallen in love too fast. It's also hinted that Paul is someone that gets easily jealous when Bea reunites with a former flame named Will, a reunion that turns into a tense affair when Will's wife Annie walks in saying that the newlyweds should immediately leave. Subtlety is one of the strengths of "Honeymoon": it drops clues that something is wrong but it doesn't overdo it or show its hand too early.

If there's one flaw, it's the explanation of what happened, which comes off as too pedestrian and formulaic.

Bea and Paul's wedded bliss comes to a halt when Paul wakes up in the middle of the night to find his wife missing. He manages to locate her in the woods but why was she there in the first place? And why is she naked? We immediately wonder whether she was sexually assaulted as Bea's strange behavior seems to support this. She keeps insisting that she was sleepwalking and seems to have trouble doing simple tasks like making French toast. It's at this point that "Honeymoon" takes a dark, disturbing turn and much of the horror stems from watching this very much in love couple slowly fall apart. Janiak does a wonderful job messing with our heads, leaving us in doubt about whether Bea and Paul are just experiencing growing pains stemming from their new marriage, or that something supernatural or otherworldly is involved. The film's biggest asset is its two lead performers, Rose Leslie (Ygritte from HBO's "Game of Thrones") and Harry Treadaway (Victor Frankenstein from ShowTime's "Penny Dreadful"). Both do a phenomenal job filling in the little details of their characters' relationship. Leslie in particular is a standout as her performance continuously hints that Bea, the real Bea, still exists, which is manifested by her character's maniacal protection over Paul but at the same time, she's also fighting some sort of inner battle with whatever that's taken hold of her when she went missing in the woods. Treadaway plays the part of a confused husband well and we sympathize with his character as he grows more and more angry over the fact that his honeymoon is being slowly turned into a nightmare. There's some icky body horror in the third act but what makes "Honeymoon" such a great film is the way Janiak slowly gets under our skin without resorting to cheap theatrics. The horror is derived from the characters themselves. If there's a flaw, it's the explanation of what happened as it feels too pedestrian and a little formulaic.

Premiering at South by Southwest (SXSW) and the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, "Honeymoon" is currently in limited release and is also available on VOD. Reception has been positive so far with 78% on Rotten Tomatoes but there's not enough reviews to form a general consensus. Given its small production budget, "Honeymoon" should break even in no time while also elevating Janiak as someone to watch in the horror genre, which is noticeably lacking in female directors. Eschewing the glossiness of typical Hollywood horror films, "Honeymoon" emphasizes careful framing and its lead actors' performances to create a creepy, riveting atmosphere of dread. I really hope people seek this film out and to Janiak, I say this: please keep directing because we need more talented women working in the film industry. I eagerly await your next project.

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

"I just want to make you happy."

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The Maze Runner Review

Rated PG-13 (Thematic Elements and Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi Violence and Action, including Some Disturbing Images)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 53 Minutes

Cast-

Dylan O'Brien-Thomas

Kaya Scodelario-Teresa

Aml Ameen-Alby

Thomas Brodie-Sangster-Newt

Will Poulter-Gally

Ki Hong Lee-Minho

Blake Cooper-Chuck

Patricia Clarkson-Chancellor Ava Paige

Dexter Darden-Frypan

Chris Sheffield-Ben

Joe Adler-Zart

Alexander Flores-Winston

Jacob Latimore-Jeff

Randall D. Cunningham-Clint

Directed by Wes Ball

Get ready to run in "The Maze Runner," the latest YA film adaptation to hit the big screen.

Note: Screened on Monday, September 8, 2014 at Regal E-Walk Stadium 13.

Hollywood's search for the next billion-dollar young adult film franchise continues with Twentieth Century Fox's "The Maze Runner," based on the best-selling 2007 novel (the first in a trilogy) of the same name by James Dashner. Many YA novels are 'best-sellers' but when the inevitable film adaptation arrives on the big screen, it flops. For every "Harry Potter," "Twilight," and "Hunger Games" that manages to explode at the box office and set new opening weekend records, there's a "Beautiful Creatures," "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones," and "Vampire Academy" that crashes and burns. On paper, these multi-book franchises seem guaranteed for cinematic success as they already come with built-in sequel potential and an established fan-base. However, that's not enough as the film needs crossover appeal as well. Look at last month's "Guardians of the Galaxy." Eight months ago, no one knew who Groot or Rocket Raccoon were, so Disney wisely positioned their first trailer as a primer of sorts to this obscure Marvel superhero team. Now it's the highest grossing film of the year! This leads to my main question: Will "The Maze Runner" become the next big YA film franchise? Unfortunately, my answer is no because Twentieth Century Fox has done nothing to promote it. There's been a pair of trailers, a panel at July's San Diego Comic Con…and that's it. Worse, the film—helmed by first-timer Wes Ball—doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from other dystopian, post-apocalyptic YA fare. That being said, "The Maze Runner" isn't terrible but one has to be better than average in order to stand out in this crowded YA landscape.

Waking up trapped in a caged elevator, an amnesiac young man named Thomas (Dylan O'Brien) finds himself transported to a mysterious, idyllic encampment dubbed 'The Glade,' which is populated by children and teenagers—all of them male. Led by Alby (Aml Ameen), these 'Gladers' also suffer from amnesia. They know their names but have no idea who they were before arriving in The Glade or why they're there. Surrounding the encampment are four massive walls, with one of them opening up every morning to reveal a vast maze. Each day, a group of 'Runners' guided by Minho (Ki Hong Lee) explore this extensive, constantly shifting labyrinth in an attempt to find a way out. However, they have to return to The Glade by nightfall as that is when the monstrous 'Grievers,' giant spider-like biomechanical predators, begin to patrol the maze. Thomas quickly acclimates to his new surroundings, forming a fast friendship with Alby's second-in-command Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and the affable Chuck (Blake Cooper). When Minho and Alby fail to return to The Glade one evening, Thomas recklessly rushes into the maze to rescue them and not only does he succeed, he manages to survive the night and kill a Griever in the process! Although Thomas' actions are well-received by the others, the physically-imposing Gally (Will Poulter) fears that the Grievers will retaliate. The arrival of Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), the first (and last) girl sent to The Glade, further threatens the existence of the encampment as she appears to have a connection to Thomas. With Alby gravely injured in a Griever attack and Gally aggressively stopping any attempts to leave The Glade, it's up to Thomas and Teresa to convince the others that the only way to survive and escape is to venture out into the maze again.

There's a female character but she's given little to do besides function as a plot device.

Although its budget was only $30 million, Wes Ball's "The Maze Runner" looks like it was made for almost three times that amount. I haven't read Dashner's book personally but I'm confident that fans will love the way production designer Marc Fisichella has brought the titular maze to life. It's visually stunning and lends the picture a great sense of scale. I saw the film in Regal's RPX format and the Dolby Atmos soundtrack was fantastic as it greatly enhanced the immersion, especially the action scenes. Combining thriller with monster movie elements, Ball manages to wring quite a lot of suspense during one nighttime chase sequence despite the CGI for the Grievers not quite holding up to close scrutiny at times. Unfortunately, these aspects only provide superficial thrills and as hard as it tries, there's little emotional weight to the film. Part of the problem is the flat and two-dimensional characters, with writers Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers, and T.S. Nowlin too focused on moving the story from point A to point B. When it comes to these high-concept YA films, you really need an engaging protagonist as well as a capable actor to portray them. For "The Hunger Games," you had Jennifer Lawrence and for "Divergent," you had Shailene Woodley. "The Maze Runner" has…Dylan O'Brien from MTV's "Teen Wolf." Now I'm not saying his performance is bad but there's nothing particularly distinctive about his character. Thomas is as bland a hero as they come. This leaves the central mystery of the maze to keep the viewer engaged and for the first half, it works. However, frustration soon sets in because answers as to why the maze exists and why the teens were put there don't arrive until the very end in a scene that I like to call 'The Plot Dump.' Yes, this is one of those films that just dump a load of information at the end and of course, the big villain is played by a well-regarded actress (in this case, Patricia Clarkson). It doesn't help that the revelations prove to be terribly derivative as it involves an oppressive organization and an apocalyptic catastrophe. Plus, everything is left deliberately unresolved in one of the most obvious sequel-bait endings ever.

It's a sleek-looking picture but "The Maze Runner" doesn't do enough to differentiate itself from other dystopian, post-apocalyptic YA films. 

I appreciate the ethnically-diverse cast in "The Maze Runner" and no one delivers an outright bad performance but the characters they play largely lean on established YA sci-fi tropes. Dylan O'Brien portrays Thomas, the 'Photogenic Messiah' as The Wrap's Alonso Duralde appropriately calls him. Indeed, Thomas feels like he was cobbled together from a laundry list labeled 'Standard Heroic Traits.' Despite O'Brien's efforts, his character never quite leaps off the screen compared to the likes of Katniss or Tris. Kaya Scodelario (from the British teen drama "Skins") fares even worse as the young actress is given little to do besides function as a plot device to jog Thomas' memories and spur him to free the others from the maze. The rest of the supporting cast isn't given much opportunity to develop their characters either, although Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Jojen Reed from HBO's "Game of Thrones") and Will Poulter succeed in lending their roles a bit of depth. In fact, their performances are by far the strongest. Patricia Clarkson pops in all too briefly as Chancellor Ava Paige. I assume she will play a bigger role in the sequels but who knows if that'll happen as it all depends on the box office.

After being previously delayed from February, "The Maze Runner" is now set to be released on September 19, 2014. Early reviews have so far been mixed with a current score of 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. I don't see it straying too far from that rating. As for the box office, the film will likely do better compared to previous YA films but "Hunger Games" numbers, or even "Divergent" numbers, is absolutely out of the question. Although a sequel—based on Dashner's second book The Scorch Trials—is currently in pre-production, Twentieth Century Fox could still scrap the whole thing if this film underperforms or completely flops. With "The Maze Runner," Wes Ball has proven himself to be a talented director and has made a sleek-looking picture for a modest budget but he's working with not-so-stellar material here. Here's hoping that the sequel offers up a little more innovation…if this one does well that is.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"We get out now…or we die trying!"

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