My Thoughts on Raya and the Last Dragon

 

Disney have spent the last decade in uncharted territory. That seems like an odd thing to say about a company that can guarantee a billion with a half-hearted remake of an old favourite, and in that regard, there's nothing surprising about Disney's recent output, but if you look at the films themselves, it starts to get more interesting. Their last few animated efforts-Moana, Zootopia the Wreck-It Ralph duology- have all drawn inspiration from more varied sources than Disney have done before, and while the studio has never been a stranger to exploring different stories, they haven't had a streak so rich with both diversity and quality in decades.

To that end, Raya and the Last Dragon is a welcome addition to the lineup, an animated fantasy epic that, even from its opening minutes, distinguishes itself from some of Disney's more frivolous fare and harkens back to the darker curios in their catalogue, such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire and The Black Cauldron. The plot follows Raya, a noblewoman wandering the wasteland in search of the last surviving dragon and the key to uniting five nations that have been turned against each other by growing distrust. Trust- and the lack of it- is a key theme in Raya, and by anchoring the high concept to such a simple, universal idea, the film is able to hit a hot streak early on and keep it going

The best parts of Raya are the moments where the tried and true Disney formula rubs up against something slightly fresher and more exciting. It's undoubtedly an entry in the Disney Princess canon but it brings some new ingredients to the table to signal the direction that brand is moving in. The film leans firmly into the adventure genre and places greater focus on worldbuilding and character relations. It's slightly darker than previous entries, but the added seriousness really suits the feel of the story. At the same time, it still finds room for animal sidekicks and more than one plucky comic relief, but places them in a new context to mine them for renewed effect.

Again, it's because the story is built around such a simple idea that the film is able to spend more time on the details of the world. Every character is defined by trust, each one of the five nations defined by their role in an early film betrayal, and every emotional turning point stems from one of the players addressing their own biases in the face of a greater good. This extends to Raya too, whose internal defense mechanisms ultimately become the backbone of the film's conflict. Kelly Marie Tran brings our heroine to life with careful, measured deliveries, which is a perfect compliment to the ever reliable Awkwafina, who brings both levity and a surprising amount of weight to the role of Sisu, the titular last dragon

All things considered, it's another strong entry in a reliable catalogue. The more solemn tone might take some getting used to but for a younger audience it's the perfect gateway to similarly story-driven fantasy stories such as Samurai Jack or Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic. Either way, it's an interesting take on a brand that's not going anywhere anytime soon, and with gorgeous animation, smart worldbuilding and a charming cast of characters, it's a fairly successful 107 minutes

★ ★ ★ ★

My Thoughts on A Quiet Place: Part II

The first Quiet Place came out of nowhere: an original blockbuster(!) helmed by Jim from The Office that delivered both thrills and heart, and managed to set up a sequel relatively organically. And though we've had to wait a while, it's finally arrived, so let's get into it. Before we begin, this is a spoiler-free zone, so don't worry about having any of the monster-fleeing goodness ruined for you here. Now, shall we?

Opening with a flashback, AQP2 threatens its audience with an unspeakable horror: over-explanation. Thankfully, it's just a tone setter, providing some context to a story that begins almost where the first left off. It doesn't really serve the plot but it does give us the chance to reacquaint with these characters, the perfect reintroduction to ensure that our empathy with them hasn't waned in three years. From there, the plot splits into a search for help and a fight for survival, and it's to the film's huge benefit that it keeps things fairly simple. There's not much to either storyline, all the better for the thrills to resonate and hoo boy do they ever. Now that the "creatures that hunt by sound" premise has been broken in, the film is able to really hone in on the relentless, electric shocks, and right from the start, it manages to find a really confident flow.

 Because AQP2 hits such a confident rhythm early on, it's able to place so much more faith in the audience and avoid burdening them with an abundance of plot, which leaves more room for the shocks. From quick darts of terror to more sustained releases of tension, Krasinski is incredibly adept at juggling different but consistently effective methods of delivering thrills, and because he's unleashing them on a cast of characters that are largely known to the audience, he's able to ensure that the stakes are always felt. The plot takes a slight backseat but the film places a clear goal for one set of characters, before having fun exploring all the ways it can keep that just out of reach for them. As for the other main storyline, it largely functions as a way to keep the adrenaline flowing, but it's engaging enough, and gives us more time to admire the beautifully nasty creature designs, which is no bad thing. 

A lot of what this film does well (simple but electric tension, genuine affection for its characters, no-frills creature attacks) was also present in its predecessor, but what's interesting is what this second installment adds. For one, it gives fairly interesting insight into what the rest of mankind has been up to. No spoilers, but one dockside dalliance gives weight to the old speculative fiction metric that the need to survive blurs the line between man and monster.

And as long as we're talking about newcomers, there's also Cillian Murphy's Emmett. Much more than a mere Krasinski stand-in, he's the family's introduction to the world outside the farm, something that becomes all the more thrilling when he finds himself completely out of his depth. There's a small moment of sound design that signals his role in the story, where the film mirrors a moment between Emmett and Regan with an early gesture she shares with her father, and brilliant as it is, it sort of exists to be subverted as Regan proves herself to be more than capable of filling the role of protector. Millicent Simmonds again delivers the performance that defines the film, seamlessly becoming a figure of hope and cementing her status as an iconic figure in modern horror. She's also just a great protagonist, effortlessly guiding the audience through a narrative that's too taut for comfort.

And that's one of the film's only real issues. The tension is maximised and Krasinski chooses action over horror, and while there's nothing wrong with that, it does mean that the film can forget to let its plot sit with the audience and place all of its focus on getting to the next setpiece. This is something that the first film did while also giving itself room to breath, and although Part II plays as an effective rollercoaster of a film, and does everything it needs to do, it moves a little too quickly and ends a mite too suddenly to really deliver any sort of cohesive point to the story.

But as an exercise in stress and an excuse to check in on the most unfortunate family in the post-apocalypse, A Quiet Place: Part II more than delivers. It's got a habit of investing too heavily in thrills but after a year out of the cinema, that's hardly a bad thing. It's light on plot but doubles down on what made the first such a triumph, and in the process manages to provide a punchy, breathless 97 minutes. It's not quite as elegant or as impactful as the first but it does tap into a rush of pure adrenaline and twist that into a pretty engaging feature length chase. Does it have the legs to keep this franchise going? Maybe not, but in the here and now, it's a decent way to return to cinemas.

★ ★ ★ ★ 

Top 20 Movie Musical Numbers Part 1 (20-11)

 Let's talk musicals. With In the Heights currently lighting up cinema screens, I thought I'd revisit one of the oldest and most beloved genres in cinema, and one that I know I can come back to time and time again for some great tunes, energetic performances and a sense of fun that few other genres can offer. And what is a musical without musical numbers? This list was so hard to put together. Getting it down to 20 was so tough but I think I'm happy with what I have. Before we start, I feel like I should run down some ground rules to outline exactly what I look for in a musical number

1.The songs have to be musical numbers, not just songs performed in the film. We're specifically looking at movies where people burst into song and sing how they feel, so that disqualifies the like of Cabaret, The Blues Brothers, School of Rock, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Once and Wild Rose. All great movies, but not quite what we're looking for here

2. I'm mainly looking at musicals, but if a movie has a musical number, even if it's not a musical outside of that, it counts. Think something like Wise Up from Magnolia, one of many honorable mentions for this list

3. I'm rating these on a combination of factors. First off, the song itself. How does it sound? What are the lyrics like? How does it fit into the larger plot of the film? Second, the way the number plays out. Performance is key here, and I'm really going to look at how creatively the song is brought to the screen. Spectacle gets you a long way on this list, and I'll be looking for scenes that go all out in the musical stakes

4. Just to add to the last rule, I won't be factoring in how iconic a song is. This isn't a popularity contest, and while a lot of these songs are really well loved, I'm purely going off of personal preference, so if the song you love from your favourite musical doesn't make the cut, then I'm sorry but this is just my list of songs from musicals that get me going

5. No Disney songs. At least not from their animated films anyway. There's just so many to choose from and I think the only way to honour that correctly is by giving them their own list

Alright, I think that's all the bases covered. This is going to be a big one, so let's crack on while there's still time before the curtain rises. These are my top 20 musical numbers from movies!

20. I'm On My Way (Paint Your Wagon)

Let's kick things off with a great opening song. Paint Your Wagon is an... odd film. I've got a pretty big soft spot for it but between the bulky 154 minute runtime, the unconventional musical numbers and a plot that's thin even by musical standards, it's definitely more of a curio as far as musicals go. Fortunately, it's blessed with an absolute belter of an opener. Starting with this rousing chorus chanting "goooooooold" before kicking off with a spirited ode to the life of a prospector, I'm On My Way has energy to spare. I love the way this thing sounds, with this big group of men on a journey together, celebrating their pursuit of wealth. It's so joyous, and I love the idea of all the different languages that come in a few verses into the song. It really fits for this opener about people coming together in search of one thing, and it starts the film off really nicely

It's only number 20 however, because it kind of slouches in the visual department. It mainly plays over the opening credits, which are fine, but it kind of feels like a waste of this kind of sound. Listen to it on its own and it conjures up images of men dancing around these huge wagon trains, bursting into song out of pure excitement for what they'll find when they start digging. I don't know, it's a lot of energy for such low-key visuals, and even when we do get some footage to go with it, it still feels too relaxed for something that sounds so bombastic. All the same, it's a fun, catchy number, and a great start to this list

19. Journey to the Past (Anastasia)

Anastasia is fine. It's not a bad film, but it's definitely one of the weaker entries in the Don Bluth catalogue, and the imitation Disney style doesn't do much to make it stand out. But my god do those songs bang. This has one of the best soundtracks of any animated film, and I was spoiled for choice, from the glorious Once Upon a December to the unbelievably catchy In the Dark of the Night. But it's Journey to the Past that really does it for me, from the charming, twinkly opening to the huge ballad that blossoms out of it. I love the vocals here, with Liz Callaway absolutely giving it socks as the song builds into this huge, heartfelt ballad. The lyrics are simple but smart, and the way Callaway delivers them really does a great job of reflecting how Anastasia's confidence grows as the song goes on

And then there's the visuals, and my god does this scene look amazing, like a living, breathing painting. I love the designs in this film, and Bluth's animation is as slick and smooth as ever. It perfectly complements the sound of the song, toning down on the lavish designs of a Secret of Nimh or an All Dogs Go to Heaven in favor of simple but effective visuals. Journey to the Past just really stands out among Anastasia's already stacked songbook, and really makes the case for animated music outside of the Disney catalogue

18. Every Sperm is Sacred (The Meaning of Life)

The Life of Brian is not a film about religion. It's also not a musical, but I bring it up because it's frequently cited as Monty Python's great pisstake of Christianity. Personally I've always seen it as a satire on the stupidity of blind groupthink, but if you want to hear the group take religion to task-in song form no less- then look no further than Every Sperm is Sacred, a gloriously brazen take on Catholicism that simultaneously spoofs moral righteousness, anti-contraception mindsets and 1968's Oliver in one fell swoop. It's just really funny, especially as the song goes on and more and more people start to sing about the dangers of wasting sperm. It starts with Michael Palin and his absurdly large family, before throwing in singing statues, a musical corpse, and a cameoing Michael Caine

It's so silly, and if it's not quite on the level of the group's best satire, then it definitely earns points for how far they take the gag. The comedy musical number is an underappreciated art, and Every Sperm is Sacred impresses for just how far they go into the realms of bad taste. It's not big or clever but it is hysterical, and the sheer shock value that comes from seeing this for the first time has to count for something. It also sounds really good, with the jaunty piano giving it that charming Consider Yourself vibe. I don't know, it's just a great joke delivered in song that keeps escalating and escalating, before exploding into pure musical ecstasy. Hang on, that just got really gross

17. Pinball Wizard (Tommy)

Ah yes, the classic set-up: a deaf, dumb and blind boy taking on Elton John in a pinball tournament to win eternal arcade glory. When it comes to the 1975 Whosical, there's a wealth of songs to choose from, but it's the most beloved song in the film that makes it onto this list. And can you blame me for picking it? Trippy camera movement, insane premise and the thumping, catchy music make for an absolute fever dream of a musical number, and part of what gets it on this list is just that: the weirdness of it all. Tommy is a strange film, even among Ken Russell's filmography, and this scene is a perfect encapsulation of the film's surreal genius. Elton John is an amazing addition here, too, from his giant boots to his back and forth with the crowd. He's totally on the film's wavelength, and watching him get more and more exasperated as the song goes on is a real joy. Speaking of, the scene when it switches between their facial expressions, and we get to bask in some beautiful overacting is easily my favourite part of this whole thing

I just love how it embraces the weirdness of Tommy, from the cartoonish set design to the amazingly silly lyrics ("He ain't got no distractions, he plays by sense of smell"), and then combines those things with the huge sound of The Who. It's a standout banger in a rock opera full of them, and in a genre that lives and dies by its concepts, it absolutely aces it. Pinball Wizard is a number that would feel out of place in any other musical but it's right at home amidst the insanity of Tommy. Also I know I mentioned them before but I really just want to know where Elton John gets his boots because wow they're really something

16. The Inquisition (History of the World Part 1)

For as much as I love Mel Brooks, I've never fully gotten on board with History of the World Part 1. It just feels way too inconsistent. I really don't gel with the Stone Age gags or the overlong Ancient Rome stuff, but it also hits some gems that remind me why I fell in love with Brooks in the first place, like Hitler on Ice, the sequence in King Louis' court, and this, a riotous, old-school Broadway style send-up of torture and religious persecution. Mel Brooks thrives off jokes like these, where the worst that humanity has to offer are made to look as ridiculous as possible, and turning the Spanish Inquisition's savagery into song definitely qualifies. He takes something so unspeakably horrible and imbues it with showy satire and his trademark wit

The set design is incredible, the choreography is surprisingly ace for what is clearly a gag musical number, and there's a very knowing approach to how uncomfortable the whole premise is that allows The Inquisition to have aged amazingly well. And that's the thing: this song is undoubtedly in poor taste, but there's something to be said about how much Brook relishes in crossing the line. This is at the heart of everything that he's done in some way or another, and the idea of taking control by being the one laughing rather than the butt of the joke is exactly what makes his gags so sharp, and this is no exception. It just keeps escalating and escalating, until it naturally explodes into a synchronized swim routine complete with killer nuns. Because of course it does

15. I Can Hear the Bells (Hairspray)

John Waters' 1988 Hairspray is great. I love it, a lot, and it'd definitely be one of my favourite musicals.... y'know, if it was one. Yeah, it's a weird one, because the tone is there, the plot's there, and the general Waters campiness is there, but the songs just never come. Don't worry though, because Broadway had our backs on this one, transforming Hairspray into the musical smash it was always destined to be, before gracing cinema yet again by adapting the wonderful tale of Tracy Turnblad into a delightful big screen romp. And I love this film. It's fun as all hell, and never sacrifices the essential Waters spirit in updating the plot. And as Tracy drifts into a blissful daydream. the film's bouncy soundtrack and on-point body positivity really come into effect

I Can Hear the Bells is a fun scene in a film where every scene is bursting with joy, and what I love about this one in particular is what it's able to do on a slightly smaller scale than something like Welcome to the 60s or Big Blonde and Beautiful. I know I said I was looking for spectacle on this list, but I can't think of many dream sequences in films where we don't actually see the dream, and seeing Tracy float through her day, totally lost in a fantasy and confusing everyone around her is too pure not to love. It's another really funny musical number but this one gets extra points for how sweet it is, letting Tracy have her moment and keeping all of the gags in good fun instead of playing the setup entirely for laughs. Hairspray is a good natured film anyway but I love how unabashedly kind this song is. Even when Tracy calls out Amber and the rest of her bullies, there's a strange amount of positivity that could only come from a character as joyfully optimistic as she is. It's a song that makes me float off the ground every time I hear it, and it sums up everything that's great about Hairspray as a film and a concept

14. Luck Be a Lady (Guys and Dolls)

A dingy basement full of spiritually confused gangsters. A game of craps with impossibly high stakes. Marlon Brando breaking out his lesser-seen singing voice. None of these scream showstopper but Guys and Dolls is no ordinary musical, and this is not your average setup for a song. And yet, as Sky desperately pleads with the forces of the universe to grant him the fortune to win the game and make good on an even larger wager, Guys and Dolls finds its best number in the most unlikely of places. The unconventional setting and swinging horns instantly make this one stand out, but what really makes it work is Brando. Sky's swagger shines even as he desperately works to keep his cool. It's basically the internal monologue of a man who has upped the odds a little too much and finds himself having to put his money where his mouth is. In song!

It's just got this perfect swagger to it, where the effortless cool of Marlon Brando perfectly gels with Frank Loesser's brassy, slick lyrics. I also love how the other gangsters come in as the song goes on like some sort of ominous chorus daring Sky to go through with the bet. It's an A+ musical number in a film full of them, and although it's maybe a little on the simple side as far as performances go, the sense of energy and the way it escalates to a huge conclusion always puts a smile on my face. It's a classic, and for good reason

13. Movin' Right Along (The Muppet Movie)

To find exactly what I was looking for, I had to be pretty strict on the rules for this list, and as a result, there were a lot of casualties. I nearly had The Rainbow Connection on here but because that song is largely diegetic (in the original film at least), I couldn't count it without reconsidering the entire formula of the list, and then this would never get done. But it's not like the Muppetverse is lacking when it comes to amazing musical numbers. Shoutout to the reboot and its sequel for really going all in and bringing on Flight of the Conchords' Brett McKenzie to pen the bulk of the soundtrack but for my money, there are few things as joyous as a bear in his natural habitat. A Studebaker.

Movin' Right Along is a slightly more low-key tune than some of the other Muppets songs but it's infectiously catchy and packs some gut-bustingly funny lyrics, which really solidify its charm. And that's what gets this song on the list: simple, honest charm. The sheer joy that this track radiates never fails to put a smile on my face, and because it's in what is essentially a Muppet origin story, it also perfectly lays out the MO of these fuzzy freaks- do whatever it takes to do what you love, no matter how questionable your talent is. As Fozzie and Kermit speed down the road to Hollywood, this folksy tune scores their journey to stardom. It's everything I love about the Muppets bottled and shaken up until it pops and sprays down pure puppety glee all over the audience. It's also got a sneaky Big Bird cameo. And you can't hate a scene that does that

12. La Resistance (South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut)

 

There's an alarming amount of people who see Bigger, Longer and Uncut as some sort of parody musical which is ridiculous because it's A) a full-blooded, smartly written collection of absolute showstoppers and B) one of the best animated musicals ever made. As for the best song? That's a tough one, but why choose one when you can pick several rolled into one? La Resistance may not be what everyone thinks when they think of this film and that's fine, but I love how it samples a little bit of each of the movie's best tunes. A little bit of Blame Canada, a dash of Satan wishing for a better life, a snippet of Terrence and Philip celebrating fucking uncles as they prepare to be executed, all the best stuff from the first two thirds of this insane pisstake.

It sends up the big rousing medleys that so many musicals open their third acts with and just does it so damn well. It functions as a piecemover that sets up the climax while also being absolutely fucking hilarious and giving almost every character a moment to shine, and that's not an easy thing to do. As the army of children prepare to go to war with their mothers who have already declared war on Canada while the devil gets ready to invade Earth and the dads of South Park prepare to be entertained, Parker and Stone kick things up a notch and go all Les Mis on us, and the result is a banger that's almost ready for Broadway. Just need to take out all the uncle-fucking first

11. The Hell of It (Phantom of the Paradise)

Okay, cards on the table time: I'm cheating slightly, because this song is never actually performed in the movie- only over the end credits- but Paul Williams did perform this in character on a Brady Bunch variety show in the mid-70s so I'm counting it because when else would I get a chance to talk about Phantom of the Paradise? A musical fuck-you to the buffoonish Beef with such venomous lyrics as "If I could live my life half as worthlessly as you, I'm convinced that I'd wind up burning too", The Hell of It just drips poison and I love every minute of it. Brian de Palma's rock opera-update on the classic Gaston Leroux tale is truly bonkers and spends every minute of its runtime jabbing at the monsters of the entertainment industry, so ending it with evil record producer Swan literally seething with so much hatred that it could only manifest itself through song was a touch of genuis

The lyrics are witty and sharp, the song itself is bouncy and catchy and Williams' voice is perfect for this. His tone is so mild that it's easy to see Swan bubble with passive-aggressive acid as he's destroying Beef's legacy line-by-line. The only thing keeping this out of the top ten is the lack of any kind of visual aspect to speak of. Yes he's performed it elsewhere but it really does feel like they wasted the best song in the film on the end credits, and given how raucous Phantom's staging is, it feels like such a missed opportunity not to have its villain kick off in fabulous fashion. All the same, I'm just glad we got it at all

And that does it for part one. Stay tuned as I rattle off my top ten musical numbers of all time. I'd recommend bringing an umbrella 

My Thoughts on Army of the Dead

Earlier this year, Zack Snyder finally got his long-awaited cut of Justice League out into the world, and putting aside personal views on both certain portions of his fanbase and the wider DCEU, it was a triumph for a creative vision stifled by studio interference and personal tragedy. ZSJL's journey from mythical meme to definitive version of Snyder's original vision is proof that every so often, the sheer power of fandom can do good, and it set Snyder up as the man of the hour, at the crest of the pop culture wave, with all eyes on what he'd do next. Army of the Dead had been on its way for a while but coming two months after the Snyder cut dropped gave it new context. It was always going to come out, but with Snyder firmly in the zeitgeist, it feels like best possible time for a Snyder-helmed zombie epic, done his way, especially given how this is a project that was similarly haunted by a long, difficult transition from script to screen

But enough context, what's actually happening in Army of the Dead? When a zombie outbreak leaves Las Vegas as a desolate, chaotic quarantine zone teeming with undead, a retired mercenary is sent in with a ragtag team to recover $200 million from a casino vault. It's a simple premise, but the joy of Army of the Dead comes from how far Snyder leans into it, fully embracing the gonzo, genre trappings a zombie heist and delivering huge, utterly bonkers setpieces from beginning to end

And as horror/action hybrids go, this is defintely an effective one. Snyder is firmly in the cockpit here, and his passion is infectious. There's a huge amount of sincerity to this film, and Snyder (along with co-writers Shay Hatten and Joby Harold) is careful to steer clear of any irony or self-referential winking. There's an obvious amount of love for genre cinema here and the amount of faith that's placed into such a ridiculous idea is exactly what makes it work. Synder takes the premise completely seriously while remembering to have fun with it, and that goes a long way in keeping the viewer engaged, ensuring that they can invest in the plot while also reveling in the sheer chaos of it all. It's a tricky tightrope to walk, but the film makes it look relatively smooth

Not that it's entirely seamless. The film is bursting with energy and never runs out of ideas but the 148 minute runtime really starts to make itself known after the first hour. AOTD is a blast, but a messy one, and as Snyder guides the viewer through Escape From New York if New York was Las Vegas and Also Filled With Zombies, the film really starts to feel bloated and sluggish. It's a shame too, because all of these ideas are good, and every character is effective and well utilised, but even with the extended runtime, there's a lot here that needed more time to breath. It's undeniably indulgent, and while that's a crucial part of its charm, it comes at the expense of the film's narrative flexibility. The conclusion is reaches is satisfying but it would have benefitted from being to the closer to a film that was slightly tighter, and a little leaner

But again, it's hard to criticise a film that wears its director's unabashed love for the weird and the wicked on its sleeve. Snyder throws everything at the wall, most of it sticks, and then an army of undead strippers mow the wall down and unleash the zombie tiger. The purity of Snyder's vision feels refreshing in a world of hollow blockbusters that thrive on brand-recognition, and his sincerity can been seen in every corner of the frame. Most poignantly, it shows itself in the central father-daughter relationship, which gives the film a strong emotional backbone and a palpable sense of heart, wonderfully brought to the screen by Dave Bautista and Ella Purnell. Bautista stands out among a fairly strong cast as a capable leading man who can shine in both huge moments of action and intimate character beats. He rejects the unbearable machismo of similar action heroes, playing Scott Ward as a man genuinely trying to make amends, and the decision to define him by quiet likability instead of brash bravado was a wise one that gives AOTD a leg up over some of its actioner contemporaries

Ultimately, it's an overstuffed, hugely indulgent, batshit crazy mess, made with so much passion, brio and genuine love that to call it either entirely good or bad would come with an impossible amount of caveats. Instead, we should celebrate the fact that filmmakers like Zack Snyder are making huge blockbusters with this level of flavour and weirdness at all. Not all of it works, but it's undoubtedly more interesting than your bog-standard made by committee, uber-forgettable blockbuster fluff. From its beautifully ridiculous opening credits sequence to the surprising emotional heft of the ending, Army of the Dead is unbalanced but incredibly watchable, and if it can make good on the proposed sequel and confirmed prequels, then maybe Snyder can keep up the hot streak he blazed into 2021 on and shower us with more exciting creations that only he could have made

★ ★ ★

The Fastathon Part 1: The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Why do we love these movies? The Fast and the Furious series has to be one of the most willfully stupid but enduringly fun franchises in all of cinema, and with the ninth (tenth?) entry speeding toward us quicker than big Vin can say the F word, I think it's time we go back to the beginning, and work our way right through the Fastverse on the road to F9. It's funny that a series about street racing turned into one that features some addictively cartoonish scrapes, but at its best, that's exactly what these films are, and I think that's worth exploring a little bit. So let's do it, and rewind the clock all the way back to 2001 to see where it all began...

The Fast and the Furious follows undercover cop Brian O'Connor in his attempts to infiltrate a gang of hijackers run by Dominic Toretto. As the mission goes on, O'Connor finds himself integrating further and further into the gang, bonding with Toretto and struggling to carry out his duty

For a series that garnered a reputation for huge, borderline sci-fi setpieces, it's funny how simple this film is. It's essentially Point Break with more DVD player theft, but not as good as Point Break and also not as delightfully homoerotic as Point Break. No, this is pure 2000s, all radical in-engine CGI effects and thumping hip-hop needledrops. To be fair, it holds up better than I thought it would, even if it does start a little rough. It only shows its age when compared to what followed it, although there's more than one line of dialogue that feels a little too 2001 for comfort. The plot's thin, even by this series' standard, and the Bigelow-riffing never feels anything more than lazy. The film never really expands on the cop-infiltration plot as much as Point Break does, and so it just feels kind of... underdeveloped

The same goes for the characters. Paul Walker was always the heart of the Fast films, but Brian had some rocky beginnings in this film. He's not even bad, he's just.... Johnny Utah, but with none of what made Keanu Reeves likable in that film. And no, I'm not going to fill this post with "pOiNt BrEaK DiD iT bEtTeR", but to be honest, there's a lot from this film that borrows from Point Break without ever really justifying that or doing anything interesting or different with it. Actually, that's a lie, because Dom in the first film is no Bodhi, I can tell you that much. I love Vin Diesel's gradual progression into a lovable chunk of biceps and good values but he's just so dull in this film, and it's hard to invest in his relationship with Brian when neither of them behave and speak like people. And that's a problem felt by the whole cast, unfortunately

It's not hard to see why most of these characters didn't become permanent fixtures in The Family, and with obnoxious turns and awful dialogue, I'm really happy that the road ended here for Jesse and Leon, and even happier that Vince came back less whiny in Fast Five. The super-charged magazine cover aesthetic comes at the cost of having characters we can actually care about. I mean even the most radical of 90s thrillers- which this weirdly insists on being despite the fact that it's from 2001- had characters that were at least memorable, but even the ones who'd go on to become fan favourites just come out of this looking painfully underwritten. And yeah, maybe you could argue that's not the point of an actioner like this, but isn't it? Think of what's great about this franchise and you inevitably come to characters like Han and Hobbs that have really become mainstays and taken on lives of their own as far as the series is concerned. It's an easy criticism to say that this film fails where its successors triumph but it's interesting to see what the Fastverse improved on as it progressed 

Alright, we've had our fun jabbing at this film's many central issues, but what's good here? Well, bizarrely, this film has a lot of really solid jokes. Yeah, bar the few that aged like milk, I was actually surprised at how often the film stopped to set up a gag, and even more surprised at how many of them landed. Something as simple as Letty absolutely ploughing a tough guy out of it in an impromptu race is obvious but hilarious, especially with how dreadfully seriously the rest of the film takes itself. Having said that, there's also a lot of lines that made me laugh for all of the wrong reasons ("NOBODY LIKES THE TUNA HERE!"). There's also something to be said for its beautifully dated aesthetic, which actually feels pretty endearing 20 years later. I don't know, there's something kind of charming about a film that's so invested in how cool and wild it is with zero self-awareness. It feels kind of... innocent? Yeah, weird to say I know but honestly it's the truth, and something that really made me smile

And even though most of the characters come up thin, I do think that Mia feels pretty decently established from the start. She's not the most well-rounded character but at least it feels like Jordana Brewster knows what she's doing, and the fact that the character stays pretty constant from here on out is something that I think this first outing can take credit for. The action is also pretty fun. Alright, maybe looking back now, it seems tame for a franchise that is 10000000% going to end with Dom and the gang travelling through time, but I do think the race sequences are thrilling, and the chases feature some pretty exciting action that holds up even now. It's both fast and furious- mindblowing I know- but the title really sums up director Rob Cohen's MO when it comes to putting this stuff to screen. Again, some of it feels a little basic, especially compared to 5's safe chase or 7's zombie cars but there's definitely something to be said about humble beginnings

And they don't get more humble than this. The Fast and the Furious is a weird one. It was a rough note for the mega-franchise to start on, and I'll say once more that it certainly ain't Point Break, but for what we did get, it could have been worse. It just feels like a very middle of the road car film, and I'm so happy that they ended up taking it in the direction they did because I really can't imagine this franchise being as successful or enjoyable as it is if it had continued on this path. Still, there's fast cars and guys being dudes, so thankfully some things haven't changed too much

My Thoughts on the 93rd Academy Awards

So, that happened. Three-ish weeks on from the Oscars, the dust is starting to settle, so I think it's high time we have a look at this year's winners and losers and assess the situation. After such a weird year for movies, it's actually interesting to look at the lineup of nominees and realise that, for the most part anyway, it was actually a fairly solid selection. Before we start, I should say that, out of the best picture nominees, I didn't actually get a chance to see The Father or Judas and the Black Messiah, which kind of limits me a little in talking about some of the bigger wins those films netted. There's a few other blindspots for me here and there, but I did manage to see every other acting nominee and good amount of the other big awards films. Anyway, let's break it down, category by category. I'll be tackling all of them-apart from the shorts- but I'll be brief on each, but if you want to skip ahead to anything, I'll have the categories themselves in bold

Best Original Screenplay

If you've read my Promising Young Woman review, you might be able to gather that I kind of like that film a little bit and so I'm slightly absolutely over the moon that it won Original Screenplay. I preferred Minari and Sound of Metal as movies (more on that later), but I think Emerald Fennell's takedown of the quiet, venomous misogyny at work in society had one of the finest scripts of last year. Not a line was out of place, and the very precise deployment of the film's key insights lends it this wickedly smart and surprisingly emotional sting that I don't think any of the films it was up against could match. I'll also say this now: much as I actually quite liked Trial of the Chicago 7, it really wasn't on the level of any of its competitors, and actually felt like a compilation of the best and worst of Sorkin. When it was good it was really good, but when it missed, it felt embarrassing. Sorkin's a great writer but he needs to stop directing his own scripts because the dialogue suffers for how he presents it onscreen. Anyway, really happy for Emerald Fennell, and hopefully this means we get to see more gems from her in the future

Best Adapted Screenplay

As for adapted, it wasn't a bad lineup either. Can't comment on The Father but seeing Borat: Subsequent Moviefilm nominated was a thrill, and seeing Regina King read the full title without missing a beat was more deserving of an Oscar than her win for Beale Street. Speaking of, it's such a shame that One Night in Miami struck out in every category it was nominated for because it's a real gem, and serious props to Kemp Powers for translating his play to the screen while still managing to make it cinematic. Nomadland obviously went on to be the big winner of the night so I don't mind that it didn't win here, especially because it's not really a film that wants you to focus on its script. 

Best Visual Effects

Another year, another VFX category full of films only notable for their effects. Tenet was the obvious winner here, and it absolutely deserved its win, but it was actually a fairly stacked category across the board. Midnight Sky and The One and Only Ivan are solid nominees, and it's nice to remember that the Mulan remake actually did some things right, too. I do think Love and Monsters arguably had better effects than Tenet, but I'm not complaining, because Nolan's film does feature some mind-bending visuals, beautifully realised, and deservedly recognised.

Best Editing

Pretty formidable category here too. Sound of Metal is a great choice to win, but Nomadland was no slouch either, and Promising Young Woman deserved a nod for those incredible montages. Trial of the Chicago 7 actually doesn't feel out of place here. The montages that bridge the different takes on the protests were genuinely fantastic, and the quieter scenes were put together in such an effective way that really gives them time to breath. Make no mistake though: this was Mikkel E.G. Nielsen's category, and his win here highlights just how beautifully Sound of Metal was constructed. When a film this good looks absolutely effortless, that's when you know there's a good editor around.

Best Costume Design

Am I the only one who was really surprised at how well Ma Rainey's Black Bottom did? Alright, it only won two Oscars, but still, apart from Boseman for actor, it was never a film I had tipped to be a frontrunner in any category. I don't mind its win at all, but personally I thought Emma. was the clear frontrunner here with those beautifully intricate period dresses. The other nominees weren't quite as strong but still fairly notable. I do like the costumes of Mank and Mulan, and while I can't speak for Pinocchio, any of the images I can find from it confirm that it absolutely deserved its nomination

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Ma Rainey again, and again, it's a hard one to argue with. There's a lot of overlap between this and costume design, and I think that Ma Rainey was definitely the best of the bunch. I do think that Hillbilly Elegy is a random addition here. It's definitely one of the least awful things about that film but paired with the bizarre performances of the actors wearing it, it made for one of the weirdest makeup nominations in recent memory.

Best Cinematography

Am I the only one who thought Mank was a worthy winner here? Beautiful crisp B+W imagery, strong shot composition, some incredible visual storytelling and a few cheeky nods to Citizen Kane, it's easily one of the best looking films of last year. Nomadland seemed like a lock for this category and Joshua James Richards delivers pure visual poetry and it's a shame these films didn't have better competition (although I haven't seen Judas and the Black Messiah), but they were easily two of the best shot films of the year. Minari seems like an odd omission here though, especially because it got good attention in the other categories, and I'd argue that it's much, much stronger than New of the World or Trial of the Chicago 7 in terms of its cinematography

Best Production Design

Another fairly unimpeachable win for Mank. It's interesting to see Tenet here, and that definitely speaks to Nolan's dedication to practical craftsmanship. Other than that? No real surprises here. The other three are pretty much what I expected from this category, although I would say that Saint Maud (which was eligible) seems like a bit of a snub here. One Night in Miami is another strange omission, especially as far as period pieces go. Still, nothing could have beaten Mank, which recreates 1940s Hollywood so faithfully that it's honestly slightly hard to believe it's not a lost film from that era

Best Sound

It still doesn't sit right with me that this was made into one category, but either way, nothing this year was beating Sound of Metal. And that's only right: so much of this film's story is told in its soundscape, and with sound this rich and packed with meaning, it's only right that it takes the gong here. Apart from that, it was a fairly strong category. I think Mank and Soul are great shouts here, and the latter is especially interesting considering how animated films are usually confined to their designated category

Best Original Score

Speaking of Soul, it had maybe my favourite score of this lineup out of context, although I am partial to Emile Mosseri's gorgeous soundtrack for Minari. Reznor and Ross team with Jon Batiste in such an effective way, resulting in another in a well-documented library of incredible Pixar scores. I do think that Terrence Blanchard's score for Da 5 Bloods is the one that complements its respective film the best. It matches his score for Blackkklansman, so huge and nuanced and perfectly melding with Newton Thomas Sigel's haunting images of the Vietnamese jungle. If I'm being honest, any of these scores could have won and I'd be happy, so Soul was a deserving winner, and more proof that Reznor and Ross are among the most exciting and effective composers working right now

Best Original Song

This is an odd one. I don't really love any of these songs over the others, they're all just pretty solid. I guess if I had to pick, I do like Speak Now. I don't know, this just wasn't an especially strong category this year. Even the songs on the shortlist- with the exceptions of Rain Song and Wuhan Flu- are all just alright at best. I won't say Jaja Ding Dong was snubbed but they definitely missed a trick by leaving it out, if only for the meme fodder it would have created. Fight For You is good and I do like H.E.R., but again, it doesn't really stand out over any of the other nominees. It was a decent category this year, but that's kind of it

Best Documentary Feature

Why was Dick Johnson is Dead left on the shortlist? Why was Boys State left on the shortlist? Where were Feels Good Man, Disclosure and American Utopia? It's not a bad lineup (although My Octopus Teacher was a bizarre choice to win), but it feels like with the exceptions of Time and Collective, the best stuff wasn't even in the final category. There were some good nominees but I don't think this category represented the best that documentary filmmaking had to offer in 2020. Some of the most creative and insightful docs this year didn't even make the cut, and the one that the Academy deemed better than all of them was just okay at best. Shoutout to the octopus I guess, but this was a real dud of a category this year

Best International Feature Film 

Yeah, of course it was Another Round, and rightfully so. In all honestly Thomas Vinterberg should have won this a lot sooner, but still, it was great to see him win, and his speech was easily my favourite of the night. This was an interesting category this year with how diverse and consistently good the nominees were. It's a shame most of these films didn't get a huge amount of buzz, and Another Round's status as an unbeatable frontrunner probably didn't do anything to help that. I'm always amazed by how strong this category is every year, and again there's a lot of films here that could match any of the BP nominees, like Quo Vadis, Aida? and Collective

Best Animated Film 

Another year, another easy win for Pixar that makes everyone pretend their nominated films weren't any good. Soul was my favourite film here, but I would have really liked to see Wolfwalkers get the gong too. Cartoon Saloon are now in as one of the most notorious Oscar-losers, and their latest is truly beautiful, and it would've been nice for it to win over something as obvious as Soul. For how obvious of a forgone conclusion this was though, it's hard to say that Soul didn't deserve its win. It's a lot easier to argue against Onward's nomination. I like the film an awful lot, but it's presence in this category over something like Weathering With You or even Trolls 2 kind of speaks to how bound to Pixar the Oscars are. Again, it's not a bad film, but it's hard not to feel like there should be a limit to the amount of films a studio can have nominated. On a completely unrelated note, it's great to be able to say the words "two-time Academy Award nominee Shaun the Sheep." If nothing else, that's the best takeaway from this category

Best Supporting Actress

This is an odd one. First off, Glenn Close was awful in Hillbilly Elegy, and she shouldn't have been nominated. I just hate how she's been reduced to being in this kind of trashy, pandering Oscar bait. Also, can we talk about her doing Da Butt at the ceremony? What a weird moment that was, the absolute lowpoint of an unnecessary, unfunny and overlong sequence. Apart from that, there's a pretty good Amanda Seyfried in Mank, and also Olivia Colman in The Father, which I still haven't seen. I'm so happy that Youn Yuh-jung won for her incredible performance in Minari, but honestly my pick to win was easily Maria Bakalova. She delivers a note-perfect comedic performance (something that the Oscars are perpetually unable to recognise), and she's the only one of these nominees who actively feels like she's risking something in her performance. She's playing this believably off-kilter character in some unbelievably dangerous circumstances, and most of the time she only had one take to do that in. Hell, she deserved it for the Giuliani scene alone, easily the most horrifyingly vital moment in any 2020 film, and the moments where's she's just riffing and Sacha Baron Cohen has to follow her lead make for some of the funniest gags in recent memory

Best Supporting Actor

Yeah, I should really see Judas and the Black Messiah. It looks like they made the right call though, and I'm so happy for Daniel Kaluuya. From Get Out to Widows, he's just been going from strength to strength, and I really wouldn't be surprised if he won again in the near future. I do think it's absolutely ludicrous that him and Lakeith Stanfield were both in supporting, and that definitely speaks to some of the Academy's more bothersome biases, but still, it's nice to see him get this honor. Apart from that, there's Leslie Odom Jr. and Sacha Baron Cohen, both really good but hardly standouts in this category. I actually would've put Kingsley Ben-Adir or Eli Goree ahead of Odom Jr. as far as the ONIM cast goes, and while Baron Cohen is good in Trial, he's much, much better in Borat 2, and I think that should've been the film he got recognised for. But the pick of the bunch for me was Paul Raci. I adored Sound of Metal, and while I'm not surprised that it only did well in the technical categories, Raci gave one of the most beautifully nuanced supporting turns from the last decade, and should have gotten recognised at more of the awards shows than he did

Best Director

How crazy is it that it's taken 93 years for more than one woman to be nominated for best director? God the Academy are so behind, but all the same, really happy to see Zhao and Fennell in this category. This is a cool one because much like a very proud teacher, I think everyone nominated in this category was a winner in their own right. Personally I think they made the right call on Zhao, but I do think that Lee Isaac Chung is worth a mention for Minari, and the way he very delicately brings childhood memories to the screen makes me quite emotional just thinking about it. But yeah, no wrong answers here, from Fennell's careful uncorking of PYW's tension to Fincher's brassy rush through 1940s Hollywood and Vinterberg's realising of his boozy epic. Oh well, at least we don't have to worry about Todd Philips getting it this year. Every cloud and all that

Best Picture

The Academy didn't leave it till last, so I won't either. And what a boneheaded decision that was. I'll rant about it more when we get to actor but Christ this was such a jarring move for the Academy to make for such a terrible reason. Thankfully, the lineup this year wasn't bad. The Father and Judas were always locks so not surprised to see them here. Trial of the Chicago 7 again shouldn't have been nominated for most of the awards it was up for, especially not Best Picture. I mean when festival big-hitters like Kajillionaire and One Night in Miami, big blockbusters like Tenet and especially something like Da 5 Bloods get passed over in favour of Aaron Sorkin's decent but hardly revolutionary social commentary, you know you have a problem. It just feels like a lot of things Sorkin has done, and in turn, it feels like a Frankensteinian hodge-podge of Oscar bait.

There's also Mank, which everyone decided to hate for some reason but I really love. It's Hollywood on Hollywood, Fincher adapting Fincher and Bill Nye the Science Guy playing Upton Sinclair: all the makings of an awards classic. All joking aside, I can't overstate how much I hate this trend of everyone being excited for a film, enjoying it when it comes out and then acting like it's absolute trash when it starts getting awards love. Obviously you don't have to love or even like Mank, but for so many people to shit on what is at the very least a well made film? I don't know about that one. So add Mank to the list, on top of Jojo Rabbit, Vice, Three Billboards, etc. etc. Should it have won? Honestly, not in my opinion, but it absolutely deserved to be in the category, and I hope we don't have to wait another 6 years for more Fincher

And then there's my top 4. Promising Young Woman was great, and I loved seeing it get Original Screenplay. Soon as that happened though, I kind of knew that it was out of the Best Picture race and that's okay. It's just nice for these really important genre films to get made and be recognised like this. As for Nomadland, I was really happy to see it win. Beautiful, very socially relevant visual poetry from Chloé Zhao that will hopefully mark a trend of the Academy going for quietly powerful films instead of big shouty issue movies. Was it my favourite nominee? No, but it's the one that honestly felt most necessary in 2020, and I have a feeling that what it's commenting on won't be going away anytime soon

But yeah, no two nominees came close to Minari and Sound of Metal for me this year. Minari is just gorgeous, a beautiful exploration of childhood memories and the trials of parenting, of assimilation and the pursuit of the American dream. Lee Isaac Chung's film is patient and poignant, bathing in this really powerful atmosphere and inviting the viewer to invest in this instantly lovable family. And although it's a period piece, few films last year felt this crucial to the discussion of what it is to be American. And then there's Sound of Metal, second only to Saint Maud as far as 2020 films go for me. An honest, empathetic and warm-hearted tale of a man looking for solutions and only finding more problems. It took what could have easily been a very dour, hard to watch subject matter and turned it into something so quietly poignant. Everything Sound of Metal did felt right, from the manic opening until the truly beautiful ending. If I had a vote, it would have gone to this film. One of the best films of the last few months by some distance

Best Actress

This was not a hard category to pick a favourite from. Andra Day is quite good in the very awful The United States vs. Billie Holiday, but she's consistently held back by how lumpen and awkward the script and storytelling are. I don't know, I'm excited to see where her career goes from here, but the film and performance just felt way too conventional as far as biopics go. I'm really happy for Vanessa Kirby, but her turn in Pieces of a Woman just felt way too keen to remind you that she's ACTING in all caps. Big, showy and ultimately a little dull. I did love what Viola Davis brought to Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, taking this huge character and channeling her into a film that maybe didn't deserve a performance this great. Still, great to see her firing on all cylinders. Carey Mulligan is amazing in Promising Young Woman, expertly juggling empathy, comedy and rage. She brings this very specific character to the screen perfectly, and honestly she gave maybe the best turn of the five. But I can't argue with Frances McDormand. I love Nomadland, and I love her in it. It's a very unshowy performance, and she strikes gold in how minimal she is, often putting the most important character beats in what she's leaving unsaid

Best Actor

Okay, let's talk about the worst thing that happened during the ceremony. For the whole night, it felt like they were building up to giving Chadwick Boseman Best Actor, and fair enough. I didn't love Ma Rainey, and I felt that he was much better in Da 5 Bloods, but it's a powerhouse performance that deserved all of the buzz it was getting. If that's the direction they wanted to go in, I wouldn't have had a problem with it. But rearranging the categories, making it seem like they were going to end on a big tribute and then just ducking out of that last minute was such a horrible, disrespectful decision. It just feels so tasteless, like they were using the huge current of love for Boseman in the wake of his death to drum up higher ratings for a tribute that didn't even happen. It's truly disgusting that they pulled this kind of stunt, and the fact that the ceremony just kind of stopped after this is really telling of how bad of a decision this really was

All the same, great to see Anthony Hopkins win again, and everything I've heard about The Father makes it sounds like he deserves it. It's a stacked category when Gary Oldman's the weakest one here, but amazing as he was in Mank, he just wasn't on the level of his competitors. Boseman gave a spirited, fiery performance that's maybe not as good as his spiritual turn in Da 5 Bloods but still rates up there as one of the many highlights of his tragically short career. Steven Yeun stuns in Minari, another very quiet performance that I'm so happy to see recognised. But again, I have to go for Sound of Metal and Riz Ahmed here. He is utterly transformational, truly becoming Reuben Stone and creating such an empathetic lead character. Pound for pound I don't think there was a better performance nominated in any of the categories this year. Ultimately I think the Best Actor lineup was an incredibly strong category with no wrong answers, but the Academy still managed to mess it up by turning it into a weird stunt and using Chadwick Boseman's death to get clout. And after a year like 2020, that was the last thing anyone needed

So that was my roundup of the 93rd Academy Awards. Overall it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Things are slowly getting more progressive, although right now most of the good stuff is in theory rather than practice. For everything the Academy got right in 2021, there was another harebrained risk that didn't pay off. They had a lineup that, while not perfect, represented a lot of the great cinema 2020 had to offer, before honoring it a ceremony that just felt kind of off for the entire duration before rapidly descending in its last half an hour. Still, if they're becoming more open to recognising women and people of colour, and not giving awards to obvious Oscar bait, then we can't be doing too bad. Things are getting better, and while nothing this year was as monumental as Parasite's win, there's still a lot of positives we can take away from this year's Oscars. Phew, this was a long one. I've been the Scoundrel of the Screen, and I'm going to have a lie down now

My Thoughts on Promising Young Woman

This feels like it's been a long time coming. Not Promising Young Woman's actual release, although it does feel like an eternity since the trailer dropped back in December of 2019, but the film itself, with its combination of topical subject matter and bold approach. Emerald Fennell's slick showrunning consistently one of the best things about Killing Eve's second season, and so her directorial debut has been hotly anticipated. It's a film that has proven divisive, and its subject matter will understandably be triggering for some, but its gung-ho approach and refusal to compromise has made it one of the talking points of the last few months. So let's talk about it

Cassie Thomas lives a fairly standard life as a medical school-dropout working in a coffee shop and living at home. At night however, she's something of a vigilante, luring in "nice guys" with a fake drunk act, after which they take her home and.... the less said about the plot, the better. This is a film that massively benefits from going in cold, so if it's not in the trailer, it won't be in this review. It's clear from quite early on that Cassie is fueled by rage and looking to right a past injustice, and this is the force that drives much of the film. Again, it's a film that very directly deals with a difficult subject matter, and although Fennell refrains from any graphic depictions, the frequent, open discussion of sexual assault might be tricky for some viewers and that's absolutely fine. This is a film that takes aim at a larger system, one that enables harmful behaviour through weak justifications, damning silence and a general lack of support. As Cassie gradually works her way through the list of people who perpetuate the cycle that caused her so much pain, the film is able to find its rhythm, building and releasing tension carefully as it doles out its hard-hitting insights

A huge part of that is the cast. Carey Mulligan is arguably the best she's ever been, filling Cassie with righteous anger and deep-seated sadness that comes out in every look, gesture and expertly delivered line. Fennell's decision to cast Cassie's cavalcade of nocturnal targets as fresh-faced actors with a natural likeability is a masterstroke as well. Adam Brody, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Max Greenfield perfectly perpetuate the idea that anyone could be a predator, no matter how many times they assure you they're a "nice guy". This casting is doubly effective when Bo Burnham turns up and sows doubt into both Cassie and the viewer. Can he be trusted, or will the film's carefully constructed pattern prove Cassie right and deny her actual happiness and fulfillment?

The tone is expertly handled, too. Fennell manages the white-hot fury under the candy-coated surface so masterfully, and the thrill of the film comes from how deftly it bounces between rom-com sweetness and something much darker. The two moods swap around so quickly and frequently that, by the hour mark, they're closely intertwined, and Fennell has managed to create a sense of genuine, palpable danger. The music plays a huge part in that, from disarmingly sugary pop like Paris Hilton's Stars are Blind to a bone-shakingly haunting rendition of Toxic in the much-discussed third act. That climax won't be spoiled here but when Fennell does show violence after holding back for so long, she lingers on it, forcing the viewer to look and fully consider what this means for the story and the culture it's commenting on. The reveals are shocking but never surprising, and that's where this film works best. The heaviest plot beats are ones that the viewer might be able to predict purely out of familiarity with the way society tends to treat such accusations, and the fact that we're at a place where that's possible is the thing that Fennell mourns most of all

And that's ultimately what the film is. For all of its stylish thrills, puncturing moments of comedy and white hot primal screams of rage against a world that seems incapable of improving, Promising Young Woman inevitably feels like an expression of grief. The ending uses Juice Newton's Angel of the Morning as an anthem for a justice steeped in remorse, going out on a supercharged high that feels absolutely true after everything that the film was building towards. It ends on a powerful note, not a definite conclusion or a catch-all solution, but a stinging social comment that lingers long after the credits roll

★ ★ ★ ★ ★