Busanhaeng (2016) - Review in english

Horror movies were never the same after the zombie trilogy by the director George Andrew Romero. In Night of the Living Dead (1968) we were presented to zombies who eat human flesh, a thriller mixing horror and social criticism. In the second film, Dawn of the Dead (1978), besides the social satire about paranoia and humanity to the brink of apocalypse, the movie explores the comic potential of zombies, especially black humor. We are the headless and cannibalistic beings who roam the cities. Closing the trilogy, Day of the Dead (1985) continues with the social criticism and the comic tone, but relies on a more depressive and gloomy scenario, apart from the use of graphic violence. Following the footsteps of George Romero we have the gore Braindead (1992), the horror 28 Days Later (2002) and Rec (2007), and in humor genre, Shaun of the Dead (2004), Zombieland (2007) and Død snø - Dead Snow (2009).

The South Korean movie Busanhaeng (original title) or Train to Busan (english title) focuses on horror and action, with some moments of suspense. Written and directed by Sang-ho Yeon (known for the zombie animation Seoul Station - 2016), the film tells the story of a financial sector executive, Seok Woo (played by Yoo Gong, known for Do-ga-ni - Silenced - 2011) who agrees to travel with his daughter, Soo-an (represented by Soo Kim-an), from the capital Seoul to the city of Busan for she spends some time with her mother (Seok's ex-wife). After embarking on a modern express train (KTX) passengers discover that an epidemic is raging South Korea, turning much of the population into zombies. With an infected person on board and the disease rapidly spreading, father, daughter and other passengers will have to fight for survival and for their lives, trapped inside a high-speed moving train.

The director Sang-ho Yeon does a great job, managing to immerse the viewer in the plot. Despite most of the action been set in a train the film has a dynamic narrative and impresses for its visual and technical accuracy. Unlike the slow zombies of George Romero's trilogy in Train to Busan they are extremely agile, threatening and lethal. Another highlight is the cast. The characters are well developed, even for a horror movie and the actors deliver relevant performances, especially Sang Hwa (played by Dong-seok Ma, known for Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom - The Good, The Bad, The Weird - 2008), the girl in the role of the daughter, Soo-an Kim, and Yoo Gong acting as the father. The soundtrack and sound effects are moderate, providing genuine scares.

There are still some elements in the movie of South Korean culture, as the obsession with education and study, and a strong critique of modern society. The quest for professional success even at the expense of family and leisure time is questioned in the film, as well as the social tension. Moral and ethical conflicts involving empathize or not for others and follow or not the animal instinct of self-preservation are exploited by different profiles of the surviving passengers.

Despite having some cliches of the zombie genre Busanhaeng is a great horror film, with good moments of suspense, well-constructed action scenes, a well-chosen cast and the right amount of tension to captivate the viewer.

Original title: Busanhaeng

English title: Train to Busan

Director: Sang-ho Yeon

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5700672/

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The Shallows (2016) - Review in english

Since the Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws (1975) the movie industry did not have a thriller film involving shark able to make the viewer feel scared and also cheer to the protagonist so intensely. Directed by the Spanish Jaume Collet-Serra (known for Orphan - 2009 and Unknown - 2011) the feature-film The Shallows tells the story of Nancy (played by Blake Lively, known for The Age of Adaline - 2015), who goes surfing alone on a paradisiac and deserted beach in Mexico, where her mother visited decades ago. After spending much of the day surfing she is attacked by a great white shark, getting trapped 180 meters from the beach. Needing to race against time and fight for her life, the battle for survival requires from Nancy all her skill, cleverness and fortitude.

There are several reports of shark attack around the world, which adds even more drama to the story told. A recent case that had worldwide impact occurred on September 19, 2015, during the final heat of the World Surfing Circuit in Jeffreys Bays in South Africa. The three-time world champion Mick Fanning was surprised by a shark attack and escaped with a severed leash on his surfboard. Fortunately the episode had a happy ending and Fanning was unhurt, as it can be seen in the images recorded on the day.

Esthetically The Shallows is impeccable. The site chosen for filming is paradisiac and the direction of photography of Flavio Martínez Labiano (also worked in Unknown - 2011) is very beautiful. The scenes both inside and outside of the water and the aerial and water camera shots have created an amazing setting, bringing the viewer into the plot. The use of non-professional cameras and surf scenes manage to convey truthfulness to the narrative. The direction of Jaume is attractive, engaging and agile, exploiting well the open shots to contrast the man's relationship with nature. Here we point out a visual device that was very well used in the movie: the option to put text messages, Instagram photos and video conversations on the screen.

The performance of Blake Lively in the lead role is efficient, managing to hold a difficult role in a film centered on the protagonist. The soundtrack has no exaggerations, conveying the necessary tension that the story needs. A negative point that weighted down the final result of the movie was the overuse of clichés. The script and direction have sinned by conventional solutions and could have innovated more. Still, The Shallows holds the attention and interest of the viewer, who will be tense and attentive to every detail of the story, waiting for the outcome of the dynamic between the prey and the predator.

Original title: The Shallows
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4052882/

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Green Room (2015) - Review in english

A movie with crime, suspense, horror and punk rock: can it still get better? Yes, it can! We are graced with the performances by Patrick Stewart (known for his interpretation of the captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation - 1987-1994 and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise) and Anton Yelchin (only mentioning some of his latest work: The Driftless Area - 2015, We Don't Belong Here - 2016, Star Trek Beyond - 2016 and Porto - 2016). The film Green Room gains even greater importance as one of the last works in which we see the actor Anton Yelchin, who died on June 19, 2016, at 27 years old, pressed by his own car against a concrete mailbox in the house where he lived.

Directed and written by Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin - 2013), Green Room tells the story of four young musicians, Pat (Anton Yelchin), Sam (Akia Shawkat), Tiger (Callum Turner) and Reece (Joe Cole), members of a punk rock band called A'int Rights. With the tour's failure and the blunder made ​​by the producer with the payment of the show, they will perform for the last time for a neo-Nazi audience at a roadside club around Portland. After the show, by chance, they witness a crime in the dressing room. As the only witnesses, they are prevented by the contractors from leaving the place, being locked in a room. Living the most hardcore night of their lives, can they rely on the promise of the club owner, Darcy (Patrick Stewart), that everything will be fine?

Two key elements that the director uses to make the movie are tension and nervousness, employing the claustrophobic atmosphere of imprisonment to create some disquieting moments. The dark tone of the picture is fundamental in this process, relying on poorly lit and dirty environments, apart from the use of graphic violence to shock the viewer. The soundtrack is very subtle, almost going unnoticed at times.

Another gimmick for fans is all the characterization work of a punk rock band. The members of A'int Rights travel in a van, live with little money and due to the dream of being able to make a living with their music and art. Like every young musician in early career, they play in shitholes for a few bucks and participate in the underground scene of the cities. A funny and entertaining moment of the film is when the band plays the cover song Nazi Punks Fuck Off, written by Dead Kennedys, a visible provocation to the neo-Nazis who were there.

The cast was well chosen and here we have to highlight the performances of Anton Yelchin and Patrick Stewart. Playing two opposing forces, the first is sensitive and intense, while the second is cold, calm and meticulous. Stewart, giving life to the character of Darcy, imposes respect and arouses fear.

Green Room is a film with a simple script: be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Even with a low budget, the director was very effective portraying the nightmare of the four young musicians. It's worth following Saulnier's next movies.

Original title: Green Room
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4062536/

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Z for Zachariah (2015) - Review in english

Science fiction movies have always aroused interest of directors and screenwriters and whetted the imagination of people. Z for Zachariah, based on the homonymous book by Robert C. O'Brien and directed by Craig Zobel, is a typical post-apocalyptic movie (to quote a recent film in that style we have the great The Survivalist - 2015) which focuses on drama and interpersonal relationships. Ann Burden (Margot Robbie, known for The Wolf of Wall Street - 2013) is a young woman who survived a nuclear disaster, which devastated almost the entire planet, in one of the only places not affected by the radiation: her family's farm. She lived alone with her dog Faro until the appearance of the scientist John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor, known for 12 Years a Slave - 2013), which had managed to resist the tragedy thanks to its special costume. An affinity and a bond are established between them, but the arrival of another survivor, the mysterious Caleb (Chris Pine, known for the films Star Trek - 2009 and Star Trek Into Darkness - 2013), threatens the relationship between John and Ann and shatters the harmony of the place.

The pace of the film is slow, focused on drama and the internal conflicts of the three characters. Instead of external threats and great action scenes or destruction, the plot deals with the complexities of the human mind, such as game of interests, distrust, fear of being alone and people's different reactions when subjected to extreme situations. Thus, the success of this type of narrative depends on tension and suspense created by the script coupled to casting and director's skills.

The performances, by the way, left absolutely nothing to be desired. Chiwetel Ejiofor hands on all duality of his character, John, which is intelligent and skeptical, but at the same time, possessive and keeps some secrets. Margot Robbie embodies the role of Ann, a humble girl, religious, sweet and naive, which is vulnerable by the inexperience of life and the fear of loneliness. Chris Pine completes the cast of confused personalities with the mysterious and manipulative Caleb, who brings with him a dark past.

The photograph, taken with long shots to explore the beautiful nature of the region, and the good soundtrack are positive features in the movie. But small failures in script and direction eventually delivered a smaller film than it could be. The dialogues and the atmosphere of tension and conflict between the characters should be better developed, especially in the third act. There is a visible continuity error in the movie: Ann's dog simply vanish after Caleb's arrival, with no explanation at all. The end, built ambitiously to enable viewer's reflection and imagination, leave some loose ends which causes the feeling that a few scenes lacked depth. After all, Z for Zachariah creates tension and drama in some moments, besides having great performances.

Original title: Z for Zachariah
Director: Craig Zobel

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1598642/

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Coherence (2013) - Review in english

There is an expression in english that is often used to describe people or situations out of the ordinary: "it's a real gem". This is exactly how we classify the movie Coherence. But not for its millionaire budget, on the contrary, with an extremely limited budget it develops a complex and challenging narrative that can overshadow several blockbusters. Science fiction from the director James Ward Byrkit, with suspense and terror pinches, the film features four couples, Emily and Kevin (Emily Baldoni and Maury Sterling), Beth and Hugh (Elizabeth Gracen and Hugo Armstrong), Lee and Mike (Lorena Scafaria and Nicholas Brendon) and Laurie and Amir (Lauren Maher and Alex Manugian) that come together to make a dinner party at the home of one of them. The same night, a comet called Miller passes very close to Earth. Strange events are triggered, such as cellphones breaking, blackouts and people acting differently from how they usually do, turning the quiet dinner on a busy night of curious events.

The director (Byrkit) did a superb job since the film was recorded in just five nights, practically in one set (a house). The actors did not know what was going to be made​​, which contributed greatly to the suspense of the film. To them were given the characters and reported some personality traits and mood for the day of recording, then putting the triggers for what would pass and shooting what resulted. Here we must also highlight the cast. Although the movie does not have any known name, the actors do not disappoint and deliver excellent performances. The 8 characters have their importance well shared, with Emily (Emily Baldoni) being the protagonist.

The screenplay, also written by Byrkit, is bright and complex, exploiting to the full all its nuances. Developed with intelligence, everything that appears throughout the film is no accident: speeches, contextualization and objects. The smallest of details provides information that changes the understanding of the movie. Thus, the characters are part of a puzzle, making us constantly think about how each of its parts fits into the overall context of the film. Even the theory of Schrödinger's cat (a paradox of quantum physics) was used to make the film even more exciting. To make everything clear to the viewer, the characters themselves make notes to establish some things, being the protagonist a key part in monitoring and understanding the facts.

The photography, although simple, is so effective that makes it darker and more intimate. Filmed entirely with a hand-held camera and with some dark scenes, little can be seen in some scenes. These moments of pure darkness do not interfere at all at the understanding of the movie, but convey the right amount of tension and suspense to the viewer. The soundtrack complements the dark and suspenseful environment desired by the director. Alternating between quieter moments, with a discreet pace, and others more agitated, conveying a more frantic or dark beat.

Coherence is a movie full of twists that will leave you thinking about its many possibilities. Some people may want to watch it again, not only to understand it better, but mainly to capture several details that go unnoticed.

Original title: Coherence

Director: James Ward Byrkit

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2866360/

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The Invitation (2015) - Review in english

Some good movies don't receive enough attention and end up being classified as underrated. The Invitation, from the director Karyn Kusama, is one of these cases. The less information about the plot the public know the best will be the cinematographic experience. Will (Logan Marshall-Green) was married to Eden (Tammy Blanchard), but after the accidental death of their young son, they divorced and she went away without giving news. Two years later she returns to seek her ex-husband, inviting him and his girlfriend Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) over for a reconciliation dinner, a reunion with the couple's old friends. Sadie (Lindsay Burdge) and Pruitt (John Carroll Lynch), unknown people to Will, are also present in the dinner. Accompanied by her new husband, David (Michiel Huisman), Eden is totally different from what she was before, awakening in Will the suspicion that the hosts have sinister plans against him.

The Invitation offers the audience a story with slow pace, projecting drama, suspense and mystery, besides the touch of paranoia that turns out to whet the curiosity of the viewer. As the protagonist we feel increasingly uncomfortable, seeing bad omens everywhere. The house, the visitors and their attitudes begin to arouse doubts and queries.

It is worth mentioning the great performances of the entire cast. Will (Logan Marshall-Green), unpredictable and suspicious to the level of almost become paranoid, Eden (Tammy Blanchard) with a melodramatic instinct, Sadie (Lindsay Burdge) extroverted, detached and wild and Pruitt (John Carroll Lynch), with a calm and very peculiar coldness. All these traits, together with a well-dosed soundtrack, arouse an eerie feeling in an environment where everyone seems suspicious. After all, is there a conspiracy or is it just the protagonist imagining things?

Original title: The Invitation

Diretor: Karyn Kusama 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2400463/

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10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) - Review in english

Few thriller movies can mess with your head to the point where you no longer know what is really happening there. 10 Cloverfield Lane is one of these films. After suffering a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) wakes up over a mattress on the floor, locked in a basement room. Desperate, she receives the visit of Howard (John Goodman), who reports that the world as she knows no longer exists due to a chemical attack. He saved her and brought her into his bunker, where they are safe. Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) was also helped by Howard and completes the last of the three leading characters. Suspicious of his history and not knowing whom to trust, she tries to get answers and find a way to leave the site.

The director Dan Trachtenberg did an impressive job playing with the public's expectations about what in fact is real or paranoia of the characters. We experience the same doubts as well as the protagonist Michelle. Much of this success is due to the actions of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, a mixture of vulnerability and strength, and John Goodman in one of the best performances of his career, with a dubious and unstable character, alternating between protective, threatening and crazy.

Tense and exciting, with a great picture and a tailored soundtrack, 10 Cloverfield Lane attempts to deceive you, provoking throughout the film the expression "what the fuck is going on?". Watch it and try to find out.

Original title: 10 Cloverfield Lane
Director: Dan Trachtenberg 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179933/

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Ich Seh Ich Seh (2014) - Review in english

Some movies are better appreciated when little or nothing is known of its history. This is the case of the austrian horror/thriller film Goodnight Mommy (Ich seh, Ich seh; original title) from the directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz. In an isolated house somewhere in Austria, the nine years old twins Elias (Elias Schwarz) and Lukas (Lukas Schwarz) expect their mother (Susanne Wuest) return home after a plastic surgery. However, with the bandaged face and a different and less affectionate behavior, the boys begin to doubt whether or not is really their mother who is there. This makes her an impostor, as they increasingly suspect, or just a bad mother?

It is in the mother's figure that lies the best construction of the film. In the first scene in which she appears, when she opens and closes the curtains and looks harshly at the children, we are slaughtered by their fear. The twins are shocked to look at the strange covered face creature. Since the children are the focus of the narrative, we follow the story through their eyes, which ultimately highlight only one side of the events.

The performances are intense. The twins Elias and Lukas Schwarz, who lend their names to the characters, and the mother played by Susanne Wuest, act in an exemplary way. The psychological and emotional aspects of the characters are well developed, contributing to spice up the family drama. The directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz made ​​an exquisite work by exploiting the conflict arising from the doubts of the boys.

Goodnight Mommy is a film that will, for several days, let the viewer immersed in questions about what happened there. It will also make couples seriously rethink the desire to have children...

Original title: Ich Seh Ich Seh
English title: Goodnight Mommy
Director: Sererin Fiala, Veronika Franz 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3086442/

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