Alien at the Movies

Fallout

Follow the trauma in the aftermath of a deadly high school shooting on a student, her family, & her friends. This sad story explores a young girl’s experience after hiding out in a bathroom stall huddled with 2 classmates when shots ring out. Issues of fear, drugs, alcohol, therapy, & anxiety are examined through the eyes of this teenager as she tries to cope. Unfortunately, this kind of real life story has happened too often.

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

A Hero

In this Iranian film spoken in Persian, Rahim is in prison for a debt he could not repay. While on a two-day leave, his secret girlfriend/future wife finds a handbag fill with gold coins. He is tempted use the coins repay his debt but he decides to do the proper thing & returned it to its rightful owner. As rumors of his story spreads, there are new doubts & he must prove his story is not a lie.

Alien gives it 2 “honesty” stars out of 4.

Sing 2

Buster Moon & his musical gang are back for more singing & fun shenanigans. Things are great at his new rebuilt theater but he has bigger dreams for a “Las Vegas” style show extravaganza. Toss in some new characters to play off your beloved old favorites. This one relies more on the plot rather than the musical numbers.The songs are not as memorable as the classics used in the original. Will Buster’s new show be a hit or miss? It’s not necessary to see the original first but it is more fun to know the characters’ background stories.

Alien gives it 3 “Outer Space Themed Stage Show” stars out of 4.

A Father’s Legacy

A young man (Jason Mac) on the run from the law seeks shelter from a crotchety old man (Tobin Bell) living alone in the woods. The longer he stays, the more they bond as they share their secrets & philosophies on life. It seems like fate has brought them together. This is an inspirational film about family, faith, doing what’s right, & redemption. As the pieces of the puzzle come together & lessons are learn, this moving film about father/son relationships may bring some tears.

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

Coyote Lake

Somewhere near the Texas/Mexican border, a poor mom & daughter duo rent out rooms from their dilapidated home. Seemingly sweet & innocent, they are actually self appointed vigilantes drugging & robbing unsuspecting human traffickers & drug runners and disposing the bodies in the lake. The mom is controlling & the daughter has been brainwashed into this way of life with the hopes of escape once they save enough money.. Their murderous plans are disrupted when 2 desperate drug dealers seeking shelter take the women hostage. This is a psychological thriller examining human behavior in the struggle between good & evil.

Alien gives it 2½ “cinder block” stars out of 4.

The Last Duel

Based on true events, one knight accuses another knight of raping his wife & appeals his case to highest court in 1387 France. This is a detailed period piece dressed up with fantastic costumes & amazing backdrops that will convincingly send you back to that time. Candlelights & huge fireplaces help set the mood in those drafty cold castle rooms. See how noblemen lived & struggled during those harsh times with some insights to medieval science, religion, law & order. The film runs around 2.5 hours long; told in 3 chapters: His Side, Her Side, & the Accused Side. Each reveals a little more. Matt Damon, Adam Driver, & Ben Affleck have major roles.  An intense fight to the finish highlights the conclusion.

Alien gives it 3 “throw down the glove” stars out of 4.

Drifting

Newly released from prison, a man along his fellow homeless street sleepers loses all of their possessions without any warning when the city’s cleanup program loads their things all into garage trucks. Follow the plight of the homeless as social workers try right this wrong. This Hong Kong film is based on an actual 2013 court case. The film focuses on a small band of individuals struggling in their sad little world but are willing to look out for each other. Although this is set in China, it is easy to see that homelessness is the same all around the world. The film is spoken in Cantonese with English subtitles. Even my rusty old Chinese American brain, which can’t speak it, could still understand certain key words & phrases. This film tries to bring back some humanity to the unfortunate that most would rather be unseen. 

Alien gives it 2½  “seeking an apology” stars out of 4.

Eternals

In 5,000 BC, 10 immortals (Amal, Sersi, Ikcaris, Kingo, Sprite, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, Gigarmesh, & Athena) are sent to Earth by the Celestial Arishem to eliminate the invasive Deviants. They remain hidden in history as secret protectors of humanity. These Marvel superhero characters are lesser known & there are quite a few of them to keep track of. The CGI action scenes are spectacular but complicated & confusing plot seems to drag on a bit at times with its nonlinear storytelling. The backdrops are amazing as audiences are taken globally around the world. There will be surprises that you will not see coming. You may want to see it again just so that you can properly process all of the information thrown at you. Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, & Gemma Chan star among the ensemble cast. Of course, stay seated for the mid & end of credits clips with hints to what may be in stored next for the Eternals. 

Alien gives it 2½ “Tiamut Emergence” stars out of 4.

Blackbird

Lily (Susan Sarandon) & Paul (Sam Neil) plan a final family reunion at their beach house. Arriving are daughter Jennifer (Kate Winslet), her husband Michael (Rainn Wilson), their teenage son Jonathan, other daughter Anna (Mia Wasikowska) with her on-again-off-again life-partner Chris, & old family friend Liz. It’s uneasy tension & awkward conversations as hidden secrets & unspoken feelings are expressed while trying to put up a brave front as if everything were normal…  playing charades, walks on the beach, & celebrating an early Christmas. As the plot evolves, emotions explode & surprises are revealed in this drama on a controversial subject. Sarandon, Winslet, & Wasikowska give outstanding performances. The beach house is an absolutely beautiful backdrop. This is an emotional story about family, love, & death.

Alien gives it 3 “The Right To Choose” stars out of 4.

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania 

In this 4th & final film in the Hotel Transylvania franchise, Drac is ready to retire & transfer the hotel to his daughter Mavis & her human husband Johnny, but he suddenly has second thoughts & tells a lie that sets off a comedy of errors. The Monsterfication Ray that changes Dac & his pack into humans & Johnny into a monster becomes damaged so they set off on a journey to repair it before these transformations become permanent. This entertaining animated family film leans more towards kiddie silliness. The simple lesson here is to just be yourself. As the end as the credits run, the CGI animation changes to a more cartoony form.

Alien gives it 2½ “crystal cave” stars out of 4.

The Nomads

Based on a 2013 true story, 2 transplanted North Philly high school teachers (Tika Sumpter & Donovan Tate) start a boys rugby team in the midst of a huge financial deficit where 3 schools were combined into one. This is the classic underdog story where individuals struggle against the odds, challenge themselves to do better, & learn to work as a team all under a rugby metaphor. It’s predictable but entertaining as the setups do telegraph where the plot is going. This movie is a feel good inspirational film worth viewing.

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

Time Is Up

In this teen romance story, high schooler Vivien (Bella Thorne) loves numbers, physics, & Steve, her boyfriend. Tattooed bad boy type Roy is Steve’s swim team mate who has his eye on Vivien. It’s not hard to see where is this plot is going. The film is very contrived with the gorgeous girl thrown together with the handsome guy with an accent & using fashion, color, lights, & Rome to dazzle the eyes. What American high school swim team has a competition in Europe? How does a high school girl afford to fly off to Rome to surprise her boyfriend? This makes more sense when find out this is an Italian movie production. This predictable drama heats up when a head trauma creates a critical memory loss situation. If you overlook the lack of realism & just enjoy the eye candy look, you may have an enjoyable good time.

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

The Lie

Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive…

Divorced parents (Peter Sarsgaard & Mireille Enos) go to extreme lengths to protect their 15-year-old daughter (Joey King) who claims to have pushed her best friend off a bridge into the icy waters below. Was this a stupid mistake made in a fit of anger? Or was is a premeditated act of revenge? Is she the “Bad Seed”? How well do you know your child? How far would you go to protect your child? This is intense drama as the situation begins to go from bad to worse. The parents are an emotional wreck while the daughter seems oddly calm most of the time. Is she a spoiled brat manipulating her parents? After awhile, plot feels pushed beyond believability just to get to the conclusion that I️ felt might be coming. Despite a few plot holes, I️ was entertained trying to guess the outcome while shaking my head at all of the bad choices being made.

Alien gives it 2½ “clumsy coverup” stars out of 4.

The Informer

Peter Koslow (Joel Kinnaman) is a FBI informant working to bust a Polish drug lord when an undercover NYPD officer is killed in a botched sting operation. Koslow is hung out to dry as the mob & the FBI put him in a squeeze play sending back to prison to do their dirty work & putting his wife & daughter at risk. Rosamund Pike is his FBI handler & Clive Owen is her superior. Common plays the NYC cop investigating the death of the undercover officer. It’s intense drama as double-crossed prisoner Koslow sinks deeper & deeper in trouble & is left to devise his own rescue plan with everyone seemingly out to kill him. This thrilling crime film is driven by its evil villains & not knowing who you can really trust.

Alien gives it 3 “The General” stars out of 4.

Before I️ Go

Samantha (Annabella Sciorra) is a lost woman questioning what she has done with her life & where she is headed. She is a loner & seems to be antagonistic towards everyone. She is a former aspiring singer/musician, but now working at menial jobs. Her aging father (Robert Klein) is a hoarder with difficulties decluttering. She has mommy issues. This comedy/drama is slow paced & Samantha is not a very likable character. She is that train wreck that you can’t look away from. But if you like quirkiness, this independent film has it in spades. Plus it has that New York City charm. I️ weirdly enjoyed following Samantha’s journey & hoping for some better change in her life.

Alien gives it 3 “lessons from an earthworm” stars out of 4.

My True Fairytale 

A terrible auto accident has dramatic impacts on the kids involved & on their friends & family. Two teens escape from the submerged car but one, Angie, goes missing. Angie’s dream is to become a superhero in her own fairytale so she sets off to “save the world” or at least help her friends & family in their troubled worlds. With so many characters, it takes a while to see what direction this inspirational film is really heading. Director/writer D. Mitry was inspired by a personal experience to make this film. 

Alien gives it 2½ “butterfly garden” stars out of 4.

Meander

A woman, Lisa, laying in the middle of the road gets up just before a truck arrives. The driver, Adam, offers her a ride.  Adam slams on the brakes when radio announcement describes a murder suspect & vehicle that matches him & his truck’s description. Lisa slams her head on the dash & wakes up in a confined room with an electronic bracelet locked on to her wrist. Apparently, she has become some kind of lab rat in tunnel maze with many dangers at every turn. Told from the protagonist’s view in these dark tunnels, nothing is really explained. Under duress at this point, Lisa at switches to her native tongue of French. If you have claustrophobic anxiety & aversion to torture porn, this may not be the film for you. Is Lisa hallucinating when she starts seeing & talking to her dead daughter? By the end, I️ find myself entertained by the intense drama but not satisfied with the conclusion. Was this pointless sci-fi or just eclectic French film making?

Alien gives it 2 “wrist symbols” stars out of 4.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

This is the story of Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain). From her childhood to her meeting & marriage to the Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) to their rise & fall as TV evangelist motivational speakers. See what drives this dynamic dual & the problems they had. Garfield does a great portrayal of the charismatic Reverend Jim & Chastain is amazing as Tammy Faye. See the woman behind that signature facial makeup look. At the end, photo comparisons of the real life people & the actors who played them are shown. 

Alien gives it 3 “pioneering religious satellite TV” stars out of 4.