Alien at the Movies

My Best Friend’s Exorcism 

In 1988, teens Abby & Gretchen are BFFs & hang out with their classmates Margaret & Glee. But after an incident in a said-to-be haunted house, Gretchen’s demeanor & behavior begins to change. Worried about her best friend being possessed, Abby tries to save her with an exorcism in this horror comedy. Filled with quirky characters, this film is a satirical 80’s pop culture parody of the horror genre. It’s lighthearted fun entertainment, more amusing than scary. If your formative years were during the 1980’s, you may get a kick out of this as one.

Alien gives it 2 “Lemon Brothers” stars out of 4.

Smile

Hospital therapist, Dr Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon), suffers a traumatic experience as she observed her hysterical patient’s bizarre self-inflicted injury. Thus begins this mystery/psychological horror thriller. Cotter begins to exhibit all of the same symptoms of her seemingly mentally ill patient. Is what she sees & hears just hallucinations? Is it a curse? Is it supernatural or demonic? More creepy than scary, this film is contrived & predictable, which is not unexpected for the genre. You can count on a number of jump scares. No one believes the victim, not her fiancé, her family, her colleagues, her therapist, nor her ex, who coincidentally is cop investigating her patient’s death. So the protagonist must go it alone to solve this mystery & try to save herself. It’s weak in story but if you just want a few startles & a little gore, you might have an okay time. Bacon does do a good job as the traumatized victim. I️ can only imagine the film’s auditioning process: show me your creepiest smile.

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

Avatar (revisited in 3D)

It’s been nearly 13 years since I️ first screened James Cameron’s ground-breaking fantasy adventure about the planet Pandora & it’s indigenous people, the Navi. It still holds up against the test of time. I was still in awe of the on screen beauty of the film & the beauty of the film’s message. It still feels like a wild journey to a distant planet. It’s an action-packed thrill ride with wondrous creatures & plant life that will dazzle your eyes. It’s an emotional story about honoring & respecting everything on your planet. This theatrical viewing was in 3D with a short clip of  “The Way of Water” sequel playing mid credit. Can’t wait to see this next episode later this year.

Alien gives it 4 “Jake & Neytiri” stars out of 4.

Bros

The LGBTQ+ community has been shunned, ignored, feared, hated, & misunderstood for way too long. Finally, they get a film to give them a voice & to be represented properly. This is a rom/com about 2 men with a fear of commitment. Billy Eichner plays museum curator Bobby, who is out & proud of being gay but he’s also scared & insecure about being in a relationship. It’s boy meets bro when he meets Aaron (Luke Macfarlane). Aaron is a macho guy but more reserved & restrained about his gayness. This is a hilarious & clever “opposites attracts” love story with an awareness agenda but the film can still laugh at itself.. It’s everything you wanted to know as well as too much information. So put aside your preconceived notions & biases. Just sit back & enjoy the humor & tender moments because people are people & everyone just wants to be happy. Look some surprise cameo moments.

Alien gives it 3 “Night at the Museum” stars out of 4.

The Class

This coming of age story is a modern update of “The Breakfast Club”. Six students meet for a special Saturday theater arts make-up exam. They are loner misfits with problems & issues they are hiding. Their liberal teacher (Debbie Gibson) is trying to draw out the best in her troubled students. Speaking of TBC, Anthony Michael Hall is all grownup & playing the tenured, old school, hardass teacher overseeing this special session. It’s high school youth drama & conflict resolution as these kids put up a front & attitude, argue & fight, before bonding together & feeling better about themselves. This emotional ride feels contrived but it’s satisfying.

Alien gives it 2½ “be yourself” stars out of 4.

Dog 

An army Ranger (Channing Tatum) with PTSD & a brain injury tries to apply for a rotation position in Pakistan. When his army buddy in killed in an auto accident, he is tasked with escorting his friend’s military dog to the funeral. Thus, begins the wild cross country road trip in this comedy/drama. This is the classic misadventures road trip with a pair that don’t get along but eventually bond. They are two broken solders who realize they need each other. The behavior of these two are not so likable. But if you are sympathetic for our veterans & love animals, you might enjoy their journey. This film feels a little too forced & contrived to combine situations for laughs & drama. Tatum can’t quite pull off the heavy comedic load by himself.

Alien gives it 2 “I️ Love Me book” stars out of 4.

See How They Run

It’s a play within a movie about adapting the play into a movie. In 1953’s London’s West End, a murder occurs at the celebration of the play’s 100th performance. The play is Agatha Christie’s Mousetrap. This is a murder mystery/comedy filled with puns & Christie/Mousetrap Easter egg references. If your sense of humor leans towards a dry wit, then you may enjoy this whodunnit. Adrien Brody plays American movie director Leo Köpernick who explains his idea on how to film a whodunnit. Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell), who’s partial to drink, is assigned to the case. Assisting him is rookie Constable Stalker (Saoirse  Ronan) who is overeager with the tendency to jump to conclusions. Together they shift through cast of suspects & possible motives to find the killer. This English film may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it may delight Agatha Christie fans.

Alien gives it 2½ “Three Blind Mice” stars out of 4.

The Woman King

It’s 1823 in West Africa where a small kingdom of Dahomey finds itself at a crossroads between the white slavers & the prosperity of their people. King Ghezo (John Boyega) has a secret weapon, the Agojie, his royal guard & protectors of the palace & his people. It’s shades of Wakanda as this all-women troop of Amazons are trained to defend to the death. General Nanisca (Viola Davis), new recruit Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), & her mentor Izogie (Lashana Lynch) are at the heart of the story. These actors all give fierce, powerful, & emotional performances. This society with a remarkably sophisticated & progressive lifestyle for its time offers a different African perspective other than the typical land of primitive savages. This is a fascinating untold story of a real historic female group featuring fictionalized portrayals. The film is rich in culture, strong with interesting characters, full of intense action, & has great storytelling. There are some surprise twists & personal conflicts to heat up the drama. Look for a mid-credit tribute to a fallen warrior. 

Alien gives it 3½ “shark tooth” stars out of 4.

Moonfall

A disgraced astronaut (Patrick Wilson), a NASA administrator (Halle Berry), & a conspiracy theorist make a last ditch effort to save the planet in this “X-files” Chicken Little the-sky-is-falling story. Director/writer Roland Emmerich has dreamt up fairly ludicrous global disaster concept as a backdrop for some normal family drama situation: divorced parents with a troubled teen. This sci-fi extravaganza spectacle is hard to take seriously with its cheesy dialogue & out-of-this-world premise that seems to get sillier & more outrageous by the minute. However, it you crave over-the-top calamities & can suspend common sense for a couple of hours, you may get a kick out of the wild ride adventure. 

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

Barbarian

It was a dark & stormy night when a pretty young woman, Tessa (Georgiana Campbell), arrives at the Airbnb in Detroit that she rented; only to discover it was doubled booked. The first arrived renter, Keith (Bill Skarsgärd), suggests that they share it for the night until they can straighten things out the next day. Tessa is uneasy & Keith seems to be too friendly & accommodating in what is advertised as a horror flick. I️ start to imagine a “Psycho” Norman Bates vibe. Suspense builds with locked & unlocked doors as well as hidden rooms & passages starting to peak my suspicions & panic with my inner voice screaming don’t do that and just turn & run away. There are a couple of awkward film transitions, some jump scares, creepy moments, some plot holes, a “MacGuffin” or two or three, & some surprises. If you like this horror genre, you’ll probably have a good fun time. Justin Long as AJ is introduced as another poor soul caught in this terror trap. The dictionary defines barbarian as a person from an alien land, culture, or group believed to be inferior, uncivilized, or violent. You’ll likely either love or hate this film with very few falling in between. The less you know about the plot, the better the time you may have.

Alien gives it 2½ “odd house in the neighborhood” stars out of 4.