Ari Aster’s third theatrical release, “Beau Is Afraid,” is undoubtedly his most daunting from a viewer’s perspective. It is a three-hour display of Murphy’s Law, where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. While Aster’s first two films “Hereditary” (2018) and “Midsommar” (2019) were certainly horror films, “Beau Is Afraid” is equal parts comedy, drama and horror. With each unfolding of events, the number of possible interpretations of the story grows as the lines blur between reality, dreams, nightmares and hallucinations.
The meme waterfall that followed Chris Pratt’s casting announcement turned the newest franchise-based film, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” into something of a must-see. Due to the popularity of the Mario games—because who hasn’t played Mario Kart at least once in their life—the film garnered some speculation. Would it pay proper homage or soullessly promote the video games it hails from?
“Cocaine Bear” spends so much time confused about which tone to take on that it lacks any real direction. This film had every chance to provide an over-the-top thrill ride that mimics the aforementioned effects of cocaine for viewers. Instead, it’s an hour and a half of back-and-forth scenes that leave the audience confused on whether to laugh or cry.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” kicks off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with a zany tale of fatherhood, revolution and giant ants. Starring Paul Rudd as Ant-Man and Evangeline...
James Cameron’s "Avatar: The Way of Water," the sequel to 2009’s "Avatar," finally hit theaters on Dec. 16, well over a decade after the first film’s release. As a sequel to the highest-grossing film of all time, expectations are high for this next installment. But, does it live up to the legacy of the original?
With the arrival of the holidays comes a slew of Christmas films, both new and old. “Violent Night” is the most recent entry in this canon. While many recent releases fail to utilize the talent of their stars, David Harbor plays the perfect morally gray Santa in this creative Christmas tale, and grown-up fans of “Home Alone” are sure to enjoy this film’s gory gimmicks.
Bradley Earnshaw and Eriq Dixon
• December 2, 2022
The 28th Cucalorus Film Festival came to a close on Nov. 20. After limited attendance following the pandemic’s onset, Cucalorus saw a high level of involvement this year, with 136 films and shorts shown across four days. Enjoy as The Seahawk staff writers Bradley Earnshaw and Eriq Dixon share the details of their favorites from the festival.
From films about parenthood to urban legends, conversations on poverty to Reading Rainbow, the 28th annual Cucalorus Film Festival is a multifaceted exploration of creativity with a huge variety of films and several stage performances to enjoy.
After hitting theaters on Friday, Nov. 11, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” proves an instant success for the MCU franchise. An unsurprising verdict, the sequel follows the fan-favorite “Black Panther,” which broke theaters in 2018 with its very-needed inclusion of an African MCU superhero. “Wakanda Forever” now pays tribute to late actor Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa) whilst introducing a new Black Panther in his place.
A romantic drama set along the English coast, the stylistic setting and poignant performances found in “My Policeman” leave audiences with a beautiful message about finding love and coming to terms with our innermost identity.
While films like “Don’t Worry Darling” and “Blonde” have captured most of the anticipation for films in the past month, one that’s slipped through the cracks is David O. Russel’s “Amsterdam.” With a cast consisting of Christian Bale, John David Washington, Margot Robbie, Chris Rock, Robert DeNiro and even names like Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Taylor Swift and Zoe Saldana, how could it go wrong? As viewers will come to see, very quickly.
Despite the recent drama stirred among the cast of “Don’t Worry Darling”, Olivia Wilde’s newest feature remained an anticipated release. With the director of “Booksmart” and a star-studded cast behind it, it seemed to guarantee excellence. However, the final product is not quite the powerhouse thriller that moviegoers anticipated. The film’s disjointed writing falls apart by the conclusion, failing to capitalize on its own potential.
