As I wrap up my reviews for Sundance 2019, I feel inclined to mention that 2019’s offerings were mostly good. There is little chance that the “Next Great Film” premiered at this year’s festival. That said – there is a lot to choose from. The majority of what I saw was above average, they just needed that extra boost of originality, editing, or built-in tension.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile
A chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy, from the perspective of his longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth Kloepfer, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.
This movie with the extremely long title was one of the most buzzed about features at this year’s festival. Honestly, serial killer non-fiction is at an all time high. When you add Zac Efron to the mix (as Ted Bundy), you have a movie that sold out in minutes. Also, the buzz has been so strong with this one that Netflix has already bought the rights, but won’t be airing until later this year.
The first question I get about this movie is about Efron’s performance. The answer is that he is actually great. He clearly dives into the role that will finally make audiences take him seriously. This is the necessary progression he needed in regards to his typical frat guy crass comedic roles. He takes his natural charisma and melds it with the “charm” of Bundy. Lily Collins is fantastic as the hopeful love of Bundy’s life. The movie focuses on their relationship over a decade, all while he fights court cases and an eventual final sentence. There is little attention given to the actual murders until the very end. It’s an interesting take for a movie about such an evil man. The omission of such almost has you rooting for him as he grandstands in court representing himself. He seems to be the underdog.
There is a bit of redundancy in terms of the script and I was never entirely engaged, but Extremely Wicked is one to watch during awards season and possibly for Efron’s performance alone. B
Sweetheart
Jenn has washed ashore a small tropical island and it doesn’t take her long to realize she’s completely alone. She must spend her days not only surviving the elements, but must also fend off the malevolent force that comes out each night.
If Castaway and Predator had a baby, it would be Sweetheart. This surprise creature feature runs only 82 minutes and is such a tight movie because of it. There’s little new on screen as it is a deserted island story with a threat that comes at night. Yet, being so short, there is no filler. Kiersey Clemons (Dope, Hearts Beat Loud) leads and owns this movie. This is a low-budget movie and it follows the Bruce the shark mentality from Jaws – Only show what you need to with the monster.
This is perfect for a late night movie night with some friends. It’s short, so no one will lose patience. The island scenery is beautiful, there are some jumpy moments, and Clemons’ is the survivor we didn’t know we needed. The movie is more fun than memorable and worth a watch. B
Blinded by the Light
In 1987 during the austere days of Thatcher’s Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.
Comparisons to Sing Street will be obvious. In fact, this could easily be seen as a Pakistani boy’s own version of Sing Street. Javed (Viveik Kalra) is an aspiring writer, but knows he’ll be stuck in the same dreary British town forever unless something major changes in his life. Enter the music of Bruce Springsteen. He discovers Springsteen years after his peak popularity and many of his peers consider him to be old-fashioned. However, the lyrics speak to his soul as nothing has before. The best parts of this movie are when Javed is feeling moments of crisis and he puts on his headphones and the lyrics literally pop up on the screen giving the scene and his life context.
There is no original music in the movie, but new wave classics and Springsteen’s greats are plentiful. This is overall an adorable movie, based on true, yet simple, events. Javed must deal with what speaks to him personally and balance that out with the strict culture of his father. This is a nice movie with some of the cheesier montages I’ve seen this side of Rocky IV. It’s not quite as funny as I hoped, but there are some really fun moments. B
The Lodge
A soon-to-be-stepmom is snowed in with her fiance’s two children at a remote holiday village. Just as relations finally begin to thaw between the trio, strange and frightening events threaten to summon psychological demons from her strict religious childhood.
Whenever I think about this movie, and yes I have often since I’ve seen it, it ranges anywhere between a C to a B+. I can never decide if I was bored for most of it or if the slow burn build-up paid off in spades. The Lodge takes its time and is a very quiet, dreary experience with slow-moving tension. And just when it starts to wear out its welcome, the end swings in and punches you in the gut. The pay off is anything but forgettable and all too haunting.
I would give this movie a higher score, but I don’t think I will ever watch it again. It’s actually good when you look at the overall picture. There are some incredibly shocking moments that will leave you unnerved. I can recommend this to my horror friends that want a different experience than a standard slasher, but for everyone else, Hole in the Ground would be my first recommendation. Let’s keep it going with the same grade – B
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