Review--She Said (Maria Schrader, 2022)

 

   Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) expose Weinstein in She Said (2022)

She Said, Maria Schrader's stunning 2022 film is a different kind of horror story.  One with which all women might identify.  Working, living, and loving in U.S. patriarchal society tends to play the horror of sexual harassment, exploitation, loss of bodily autonomy, fear of rape and murder, and other systemic inequalities on an endless loop.  I had heard about this film, and have had the book by the two journalists on my "to be read" pile for quite some time, but I cannot believe I waited so long to see this utterly riveting, powerful film.  Also, the terrific Maria Schrader, director of 2021's I'm Your Man, and star of the incredible Deutschland series ('83, '86, '89, streaming on Hulu), directs some gifted actors in this film--Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, Samantha Morton, and Jennifer Ehle, to name a few luminaries.  Even though we know the ending of this tale, which focuses on the explosive publication of the Pulitzer prize winning news story that took down Harvey Weinstein, I think you'll still be compelled by this film's strong storytelling.

      

The film opens with a lovely Irish lass heading over to a film shoot, where they are filming some pirate ship on the water in 1992.  Cut to this young woman running through the streets, crying and holding her clothes close as she tears away from something terrible.  The film comes back to this event later in the narrative's trajectory.  Suddenly we're in 2016, and now New York Times reporter Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) is meeting with a woman who plans to come forward to accuse Donald Trump of sexual misconduct.  As Twohey moves forward with the article's publication, she gets a call from the Orange Blob himself, calling her a "disgusting creature." Another jump in time has this guy winning the U.S. presidency, starting the "nothing matters" era that seems to be the world in which we're living.  Megan's pregnant with her first child--what a world to bring a kid into--and the film shifts momentarily to her eventual partner-in-crime, Jody Kantor (Zoe Kazan), who's chasing a story on sexual harassment and misconduct in Hollywood, zeroing in on another creepy big guy with too much power--Harvey Weinstein.

                     The painful experience of postpartum depression consumes Megan

She Said focuses on women's experience, whether its at home, in marriage, or in the workplace.  I was both surprised and delighted about the integration of Twohey and Kantor's personal lives.  When Megan returns to The New York Times after maternity leave, her boss, Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson) comes across as both caring and concerned about Megan's physical and emotional wellbeing.  Her support of both journalists seems a little bit "too positive," regarding The Times' position in all this, but I'm willing to allow for it, considering all the time viewers spend at the NY office.  Jody reaches out to Megan, and here again, their conversation about being a new parent, and what a struggle it is, seems incredibly sensitive.  Likewise, the portrayal of their marriages is also thoughtful, really showing the challenges of creating a work/life balance.  Kudos to them both for finding such supportive partners!

                 Jody (Zoe Kazan) holding another heartbreaking interview with a Weinstein victim

Once Megan signs on to help Jody with the story, the rest of the film consists of the two interviewing woman after woman, trying to get each of them to go on the record about their experience working for or interacting with Weinstein.  Just like the journalists, viewers realize how high the stakes are getting, as well as how terrified the victims are, as these experiences become more and more ubiquitous. (Side note: I was lucky enough to be attending the Sitges Film Festival when the news broke, and "the shitty media men" list was circulating as well.  I said to a fellow critic at lunch that I didn't know if any of this stuff would make a difference.  Little did I know! October 2017 was the beginning of a reckoning that still has legs).  Ashley Judd, as one of the only actresses initially willing to put her name and reputation on the line, cameos as herself in the film.  Weinstein torpedoed her career when she rejected his grabby hands, and it's amazing to see these events retold within this film.

      Zelda Perkins (Samantha Morton) bravely hands over incriminating documents to Jody

The thing that some people do not realize, especially people who have never experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault, is that the experience marks you, stains you, changes you.  Your place in the world feels tenuous and precarious, your worth questionable.  You blame yourself, just as others will assuredly blame you.  She Said not only captures the stories of some of these incredibly brave women coming forward, but also examines the ripple effect that sexual assault creates--everyone whom you confide in or love will likely be touched by these experiences.  These moments do not just "go away", and justice is seldom achieved.  The film keeps ratcheting up the suspense for much of the runtime as repeated women meet with Jody and Megan, but are too afraid to go on record.  That's why when women ] start saying they will come forward, viewers cry the same tears Jody does while watching.  The film is intense, but not in a bad way.

                         Weinstein enters the New York Times offices with his lawyers

By the time Weinstein enters the New York office to confront the journalists crafting the story, with women lawyers to boot, I just wanted him to pay already.  Of course, he denies everything, and bullies Megan as she meets with them, silently listening to their defense, the camera slowly zooming in on her stoic features.  The film emphasizes the team effort it takes to bring this story forward, and the long hours and numerous disappointments that it took to get there.  After reviewing it again and again, the editor of The New York Times performatively presses "publish" onscreen.  The rest we can easily recall.  As just a reminder, in February of 2023, Weinstein would get an additional 16 years added to his 23 year sentence after his trial in Los Angeles.

Thankfully, the film barely shows Weinstein, although his presence looms large.  The film's focus is on Twohey and Kantor, two persistent women journalists who broke a huge story, and pushed a snowball that was big when it started, and is HUGE now as it continues to roll over some of these "shitty men" in its path.  Yet, for all the complaints about "cancel culture," and the fragility of men now in terms of their so-called victimization, plenty of them are not yet canceled--Mel Gibson, Kevin Spacey, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Louis CK, among others. She Said stands as a testament to what holding men accountable looks like, and we should keep doing it, especially for those who think of themselves as potential leaders for the United States.  The film is a triumph, and is available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription.  I'm excited to see what Schrader does next, and this film should have won a ton of awards and accolades.  Highly recommended.

Review--Consecration--Christopher Smith (2023)

 

As a someone who was raised Catholic, I think almost all religious films, and religions, are scary.  My take is that Catholicism is a cult just like any other, and the Pope and his cadre of guys are the cult's leadership.  I'm also a pretty big fan of Jenna Malone, the star of Christopher Smith's latest horror thriller, Consecration (2023), so ignoring the disappointed and disappointing reviews of the film, I jumped right in.

         Grace (Jenna Malone) is a hardworking ophthalmologist trying to help her patients 

In the first few minutes of Consecration, Grace is walking down a London street when suddenly a nun in a pristine white habit points a gun at her...fade to black.  I like this beginning.  Call me intrigued and ready for more!  Switching to the present day, Grace is meeting with a blind woman and her husband, and suggests that there is a way to bring her sight back.  She then receives a phone call that her brother, a priest named Michael, was involved in what the police believe is a murder/suicide at a Scottish convent.  Grace doesn't believe that Michael could kill someone, let alone himself, and goes to the Mount Savior Convent on the Isle of Skye to investigate.  Cue sweeping vistas and sky-high seaside cliffs, as well as some really lovely drone shots of driving through the scenery.  Stunning.  The film actually reminds me of Mariano Baino's 1993 Nunsploitation shocker Dark Waters, with equally weird and malevolent nuns and just a touch of Folk Horror.  

              Grace sees the body of her brother Michael's body (Steffan Cennydd)

Grace is not buying the story the nuns are giving to the cops, particular DCI Harris (Thoren Ferguson), who is in charge of the investigation.  Why isn't there sand all over him if he died on the beach, she asks.  Well, Mother Superior and her mysterious fellow nuns are definitely hiding something.  Also on the case is Danny Huston's Father Romero, sent by the Vatican to consecrate the church and deal with a missing relic situation.  He appears to be helping Grace, but one scene gives away the game when Grace is not present.  Of course, as a Vatican "enforcer," he's not to be trusted.  He provides Grace with a book in secret code written by her brother--one that only she can read.  Kind of cool.  Lots of religious talk about there being "one true God," etc.  Again, like Dark Waters, viewers are not quite sure what God that might be, since the practices by the nuns are rather strange.  

Upon reading her brother's coded journal, Grace starts to experience a stream of confusing visions and hallucinations.  She has a very strong connection to Michael, in life and death, and not only does his spirit warn her, but she "sees" his torture by a priest and nuns when she touches an area where he has been.  What gradually unfolds is a traumatic past full of religious zealotry, child abuse, and children kept in cages.  Further, when the two children are on the way to being adopted after their mother's death by their father, a priest boots little Michael out of the vehicle and tries to chloroform Grace.  Things do not go well.  She also has strange flashbacks to experiences a century ago, where she's a little girl wearing a weird mask, and worshipping some deity above.  Definitely some folk horror practices going on.  Time bounces back and forth without clear boundaries, as Grace seems to see things from the past and the future.  No wonder in adulthood, Grace turned to science, while Michael fell deeper into religion.  Now, it seems there's a reckoning, as Grace investigates the secrets the convent is hiding, and how they connect to a traumatic past she is eager to forget.

                  Mother Superior (Janet Suzman) believes that the "relic" is Grace herself

Throughout the film, Grace is progressively stripped of her independence, as the convent places more and more restrictions upon her.  Also, nuns seem to end up dying right and left, by their own hand.  One minute they are brandishing a scary knife.  The next, they are dead.  Grace becomes more and more frightened as she watches these "murders" unfold, and the cops are highly interested in her.  Strangely, DCI Harris, when faced with these strange occurrences, steadfastly thinks it's all hooey.  Despite the occasional moment with another character, for expositional purposes, viewers are never far from Grace's side, and we are consistently meant to identify with her as she investigates these mysteries.

                         Grace begs Father Romero for help, surrounded by nuns

One of the penultimate showdowns between Grace and this cult is quite a spectacle, and the choreography of their religious rituals is definitely one of the visual highlights of the film.  Father Romero keeps saying "my child" to Grace in the most disingenuous way, but based laid cult plans!  I have to say, when viewers start to get answers to what's going on, I thought, "Oh. That's really dumb." Yet, you cannot just accept the film's "conclusion" at face value, because there are two, count them, two explanatory codas, that make spectators question everything that came before.  Like his previous film, Triangle, Consecration is certainly twisty, with some last minute reveals that sometimes hit and miss. Still, the nun with a gun comes back, and the very last death in the film is kind of great.  Sure, the death is a little cliché, but for me, that particular jump scare never gets old.  Consecration is not a great film, but it's pleasantly watchable, with a good performance by Jenna Malone, and a bunch of creepy nuns.  If you find religion terrifying, this film will hit some of your sweet spots.  It's streaming now on AMC+.

Review: The Invitation (Jessica M. Thompson, 2022)

 

         Walt (Tom Doherty), and Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) are dreamy in The Invitation  (2022)

Jessica M. Thompson has crafted a really fun gothic Vampire romance in her film The Invitation (2022), and I'm actually really surprised that the film has received so many milquetoast reviews, although I do agree with two complaints: the trailer gives the film away, and it's just not very scary.  Neither of these issues is a deal breaker, and as a critic who hungrily devours trailers, I knew what I was in for.  Further, while the film isn't a jump scare gore fest, I find bullying, microaggressions, and full-throttle gaslighting pretty scary, so if viewers identify with Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel), the film definitely has its share of terrors, albeit more psychological than visceral.  Most importantly, in a genre dominated by white women, The Invitation stars a BIPOC woman, who is savvy, funny, and heroic!  Yes!

Evie and her fabulous bestie, Grace (Courtney Taylor) are dodging grabby hands as they cater a posh event.  Evie tries to make ends meet while pursuing artistic work as a ceramicist.  Just keep in mind that this film is all about fantasy, so no need to question why she has a ridiculously amazing apartment--just go with it.  Evie's an orphan, and her Mom, to whom she was close, passed away recently, so when she discovers a DNA kit in the swag bag she snagged from the event, she decides to give it a try.  Why not.  She soon discovers that she has family, and that she's a cousin of the incredibly posh Alexander family, who reside across the pond in London.  Conveniently, her cousin Oliver is in New York on business, and asks if they can meet up.  Over dinner, he invites her to a family wedding in London, in order for her to meet her new family, who are eager to welcome her into the fold.  Noteworthy point: the Alexanders are white, and her line on the family tree is connected to her great grandmother's dalliance with a black footman.  This plot point is also patently ridiculous, but Oliver offers a free trip to London, so Evie decides to--just go with it.

    Evie meets the "lord" of New Carfax Abbey, Walter DeVille--he immediately seems very interested

She observes some staff showing up, and accidentally bumps into a young woman carrying a tray of glasses.  Blam!!  There's a mess, she's apologizing, and Mr. DeVille's butler (Renfield) mistakes her for the help until Walter sets him straight.  The first hour of this film is just gorgeous set piece after gorgeous set piece as Evie gets seduced and charmed by Walter--spoilers, you know he's a vampire, as the film reveals "someone" feeding on the help in the dark.  Sending a maid to get a specific bottle of wine is clearly the mark of death in this film, and if anyone gets out of line, to the cellar they go, or the library, or wherever else Walter is hanging out, alone and hungry.  Interspersed with these moments are Evie's interactions with Walter, her extended family, the Alexanders, and then two other families that have shown up for the wedding.  They have rehearsal dinners, and soirees with fireworks, and each time, Walter gives Evie an absolutely beautiful dress to wear to every function.  As fantasies go, this film has it all--a dishy heartthrob suitor who is fabulously wealthy and absolutely fascinated with Evie.  Grace, whom Evie checks in with daily because "cell phones," is pretty supportive about this

potential Mr. Right, but the fact that Evie's the ONLY POC in the whole film is impossible to ignore.

                Lucy (Alana Boden) is definitely the sweeter of the two other brides (of Dracula)

I really appreciate how The Invitation gives a decent backstory to Dracula's brides, and what their origin story might be.  We meet Lucy (Alana Boden) and Vicktoria (Stephanie Cornieliussen) when they show up for the the wedding festivities.  Viktoria is not pleased by Evie capturing Walt's attention; Lucy is just eager to have a "sister" in the family.  While the film is not explicit, its pretty clear that Lucy and Viktoria are Walt's brides, women from two families to which Walt offers protection, power, and eternal life.  The film opens with the Alexander bride killing herself rather than continuing to live...like a vampire, I guess.  So Oliver sets his sites on Evie as soon as the DNA test results prove a match, however mixed race Evie is.  For vampires, the blood, and the blood line, is what ultimately matters.

                                        Evie is not a happy bride on her special day

When Evie realizes what is in store, and that the wedding is actually hers, she looks pretty disturbed and shocked.  She goes along with it all to a point, but the bloodletting/wedding ceremony is where things go wrong for Walter and his minions, all wearing weird animal masks because???  Some stuff seems to be throwing spaghetti at a wall, but quite a bit does stick.  I found the ending satisfying, but a bit abrupt, with several potential storylines unexplored.  Look for a shout out to Mina and Jonathan Harker, and be prepared to identify with Evie, but know quite a bit more than she does through the whole film.  The Invitation is currently streaming on Netflix, and definitely worth it if you like old school gothic flair.

Review: Influencer (Kurtis David Harder, 2022)

       Madison (Emily Tennant) never has her phone far away in Influencer (Kurtis David Harder, 2022)

I've never been to Thailand, but Influencer (2022) definitely made this beautiful place seem extremely tempting.  Bangkok streets, winding roads, jungle, and deserted beaches glimmer under the sun in this well-crafted and sumptuous film.  Pre-credits sequence, viewers get a hint of what's to come, as the camera zooms overhead, supplying viewers with an aerial image of a body, seemingly female (but it's ambiguous) lying face first on a deserted beach.  With that little teaser, the film cuts to Madison (Emily Tennant) as a young woman "influencer" on a trip to Thailand, recording every moment with selfies, and video streams of her adventures.  She seems to be on her own, as her boyfriend Ryan has ditched her at the last minute.  She's lonely and a little bit bored, filling her time with getting her picture taken at local hotspots, and recording testimonials for products she's compelled to shill.   

Still, the places at which she stays are gorgeous--truly gorgeous!  The hotel she stays at is luxurious and appears to provide every possible comfort.  An apartment that she rents is a modernist showpiece, perched on a hill with its own infinity pool.  The film implies that she is making bank as an influencer, but in some ways, her lifestyle seems hollow.  Pretty on the outside, by but empty and shallow on the inside.  At one point, she gets hit on by an older gentleman at the hotel bar.  He seems relatively harmless, but still annoying, and when another young woman staying at the hotel watches her exchange, she quickly asks Madison if she feels like "a walk"--promptly rescuing her from the older man's attentions.  Madison's savior is CW, a sultry brunette who carries herself with ease around Thailand; a birthmark under her right eye only enhances her unique beauty.  CW (Cassandra Naud) and Madison quickly become inseparable, and when Madison's hotel room is broken into, her passport and identification stolen, CW quickly takes the impressionable influencer under her wing.

                            CW (Cassandra Naud) is the main reason to watch Influencer

While Emily Tennant's Madison does a commendable job bringing viewers into the story, Naud's CW is what kept me riveted to the film's last moments.  Things might get a little spoiler-y from here on out...just a warning. Rooting for the villain in a horror film is not really groundbreaking, as the love of Freddie, Jason, and Michael Myers suggests, and enjoying the demise of really unlikeable characters is often par for the course.  One of my favorite villain-loving films is Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, Scott Glosserman's 2006 slasher satire focusing on rising slasher-in-the-making Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel).  Baesel makes this deadly killer so unfailingly likeable, that you want him to get away with everything!!  If you haven't seen the film, Robert Englund (Freddy Kreuger) plays wonderfully against type as the "Ahab" chasing Vernon's whale.  Delightful.  Cassandra Naud's CW is equally entrancing, and as the film shifts to following her character, I weirdly did not find her as morally questionable as I should.

A couple of highlights the film brings to the fore: CW quickly encounters a new influencer, Jessica (Sara Canning), who is a little less trusting than Madison; and Ryan (Rory J. Saper), Madison's a-hole boyfriend, makes a surprise visit, looking to hook up with his cash cow, as Madison's "influencing" is something he "manages" for her.  Eye roll.  Heavy sigh.  CW handles these two with aplomb, involving a stiletto heel and a small motorboat.  Let me leave it at that...Honestly, I could have watched CW wandering around Thailand for another hour.  

                                           Madison and CW take a trip to a deserted island

As the film draws to a close, I was really worried as to how Harder was going to end things.  I could think of a couple of really lame endings immediately.  While I wouldn't say that the film's conclusion is wildly unpredictable, I do think it's pretty satisfying, and even draws a smile from CW in the end.  Influencer is streaming now on Shudder in the U.S.  I highly recommend it!