Alien at the Movies

 The Rising Hawk

I️t’s love & war in 13th century Eastern Europe when Mongol invaders threaten the peace & quiet of the peasant Carparthian villagers. The film is entertaining ut fairly predictable. There is a handsome peasant boy who meets a beautiful higher class girl & they become attracted to each other. Of course, they happen to be offspring of the leaders of their individual villages. These leaders don’t see eye to eye but are forced into a pact defend off the dreaded Mongol horde. Greatly outnumbered, the villagers are pushed into taking desperate measures. Look for individual heroics, betrayal, & revenge motives. You know, the typical manipulated dramatic situations.

Alien gives it 2½ “necklace” stars out of 4.

 Centigrade 

Inspired by a true story. In 2002, a pregnant novelist & her husband on a book tour become stranded in their rental vehicle buried in snow on the side of the road in Norway. Filmed almost entirely from inside the car, the feel is extremely claustrophobic. So imagine spending nearly 90 minutes, trapped with an arguing couple as they struggle to survive their frozen prison. Not pleasant. You may be more desperate to escape than these two. Will their survival skills save them? Is this entertainment or annoyance?

Alien gives 2 “frozen frustrations” stars out of 4.

 Words on the Bathroom Walls

High schooler & aspiring chef Adam (Charlie Plummer) suffers from schizophrenia which get him transferred to a new school & put on a new experimental drug for a second chance. Adam struggles to hide his secret & appear normal in his new environment. He is stuck between a rock & a hard place, hearing the voices in his head & the side effects of his new medication. He meets & begins to connect with Maya (Taylor Russell), a super smart girl with a secret of her own. At home, he has trouble dealing with his single mom’s boyfriend. AnnaSophia Robb plays one of the voices in Adam’s head & Andy Garcia is the  confessional priest. This is an eye opening story of a schizophrenic told through his eyes as he sees his world. It is a heartbreaking film as this individual struggles with being labeled as a crazy person when he just wants to feel normal like everyone else. 

Alien gives it 3½ “straight jacket” stars out of 4.

 Chemical Hearts

This is not a sneak preview. This was an online streaming event.

This film for the incurable romantic is about a senior high student Henry (Austen Abrams) who has never been in love & a transfer student Grace (Lili Reinhart) who carries the physical & emotional scars of a tragic accident. Slowly, an attraction builds between this unlikely pair. This film explores all of those teenage struggles with life, awkwardness, emotions, & self doubts. Abrams & Reinhart are terrific in this tale about young love, relationships, trauma, loss, grief, & heartbreak.

Alien gives it 3 “old mill pond” stars out of 4.

 The Stranger

This is not a sneak preview. This is a web TV crime thriller that released in April 2020.

It’s a ride share driver’s worst nightmare when she encounters a psychopathic passenger. Following a “24” timetable, a Kansas girl Claire (Maika Monroe) & her little Toto dog get wept away on a whirlwind trip across L.A. being tormented by an all too clever stalker with tech skills. It’s a crazy cat & mouse game with me the mysterious madman (Dane DeHaan) seemingly always one step ahead of everyone. Claire does get a little badly needed assistance.  However, not from a scarecrow, a tin man, & a cowardly lion, but from an Indian 7/11 convenience store clerk. Every hour as the clock ticks away, things continue to go from bad to worse keeping audiences on the edge of their seats trying to figure how this is going to play out.

Alien gives it 3 “algorithm” stars out of 4.