“A Quiet Place: Day One, a thrilling and profound prequel to John Krasinski’s alien invasion horror directed by Michael Sarnoski, stars Lupita Nyong’o in the role of a terminally ill young woman. The movie, lasting 99 minutes and with a 15A certificate, depicts a sombre woman who, unfazed by alien chaos in Manhattan, heads alone towards the north while others travel downtown for safety. Despite its dark undertones, the film effectively captivates the audience with well-executed set performances.
The animated film, A Greyhound of a Girl, adapted from Roddy Doyle’s 2011 novel, crafts an enjoyable viewing experience with its humour and poignant exploration of death and memory. Directed by Enzo D’Alò, it features the voices of Brendan Gleeson, Charlene McKenna, Mia O’Connor, and Sharon Horgan among others. The film uses black and white melancholic dreams as a subplot, revolving around the title’s sighthound but a few misplaced musical montages somewhat interrupt the narrative flow.
Lastly, Kinds of Kindness, an 18 cert film with a runtime of 164 minutes, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and featuring an impressive cast including Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, proves to be an intriguing choice for potential viewers. Emma, Jesse, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, and Mamoudou Athie make up the cast, pulling audiences into their compelling narrative.”
Returning back to his eccentric roots after achieving mainstream acclaim with Poor Things and The Favourite, Lanthimos has released a trio of disorganised and unsettling stories, all featuring the same primary cast. The initial part of the first episode delivers what one would expect. Common Lanthimosian motifs of power and obedience are exhibited in a setting filled with countless instances of bizarre brutality. However, as the story progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to follow along, leading to little more than a throbbing headache for your perseverance. Full review by DC
Eternal You, directed by Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck earns a rating of four out five with its limited release and 87-minute runtime. Christi Angel, a user of Project December that generates digital replicas of deceased loved ones, provocatively questions “Would you choose to speak to a loved one who has passed away?” This film ponders over our growing uneasiness with the digital realm via a series of personal conversations, resulting in an unexpectedly profound reflection. It necessitates asking who will take control of this data and at what price. MIT’s Sherry Turkle astutely comments, “Humanity is losing something profound as we are only given one choice”. Full review by TB.