Two on Netflix and two at home.
Two hot viewing recommendations and also the film that ruined our weekend.
New and worthwhile films worth watching.
I Saw the TV Glow: the best film of 2024 arrived on Netflix
A few months ago I was asked to choose the best film of 2024, and I did not hesitate for a second. The title went to I Saw the TV Glow.
This, even though it was not released locally and was not screened in cinematheques, and was available only on VOD, and that was months after its release in America.
Now it arrives on Netflix, and maybe finally it will receive the exposure and recognition it deserves here.
As a reminder, these were the reasons for the choice at the time.
The film follows a boy and a girl who connect in the nineties over admiration for a television series, in the days when such obsession required much more effort, for example recording episodes or finding someone to record for you.
The film follows them in their adolescence and through their lives, as they walk with dreams in the air and their heads in the ground, afraid of their own shadow.
It is a film about the importance of television in our lives, about obsessive admiration for cultural phenomena in youth and how these obsessions look to us in retrospect, and about gender dysphoria and our tendency to be ashamed of ourselves instead of others being ashamed of themselves.
The film expresses all of this in an incredibly invested way.
The heavenly soundtrack was written especially for it, and the fictional television series at its center is created in a way that manages to build an entire hypnotizing world within it.
Behind the camera stood directors Jane Schoenbrun.
This is their second feature film after We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.
This time they take a few steps further and create an emotional and powerful cinematic experience, to the point that while watching it in a cinema hall in New England late at night last spring, I almost felt the need to go out and breathe air.
And now to the elephant in the room.
If the film is so good, why was it not screened here.
It may be because its creators are outspoken anti Israeli activists and supporters of a boycott movement.
However, we still recommend it warmly.
After all, unlike the so called liberals in America, we do not boycott or silence anyone.
Despite being shelved locally, it is not a niche film.
It was produced and distributed by A24, one of the significant studios today, received considerable attention, appeared in many end of year lists and was crowned by John Waters and Martin Scorsese as one of the films of the year, and now it is also in the Netflix catalog.
The compliments are justified, but be warned.
It is a painfully sad film, showing that it is not clear what we will leave behind except fears.
The Ugly Sister: prepare the tickets, the popcorn, and the vomit bags
A few months ago The Substance was released, and we declared it disgusting and revolting but also a crazy masterpiece.
Eventually it became one of the talked about films of the year, won an Oscar and was even a small box office hit.
Last week The Ugly Sister from Norway was released, and we will say the same thing about it.
It is also a crazy masterpiece and also disgusting and revolting.
Actually, there is a difference. It is even more extreme than The Substance.
All this sounds like exaggerated headlines, but this is the truth for me and for many others who were impressed by the film at festivals in Sundance and Berlin.
I personally saw it in an underground film festival in Boston, in front of a crowd that reacted enthusiastically to its madness, and it was definitely part of the experience.
It is recommended to watch the film on a big screen and with people.
It is another adaptation of Cinderella.
Here the style is different and also the point of view.
The story deals with the less attractive stepsister who competes for the prince and the right to marry him and live happily ever after.
Encouraged by her manipulative mother, she is willing to do anything to win.
She undergoes extreme medical procedures to improve her eyelashes and nose.
To make her foot fit the shoe, do not ask.
To lose weight, she swallows a tapeworm that eats in her place.
The side effects erupt in one of the most unbelievable scenes of the last year.
The film contains many such scenes and does not lose momentum for even a moment.
It is the first feature film by director Emily Blichfeldt, who reveals herself as a tremendous talent, and do not be surprised if soon we see her directing Apple series or Hollywood horror films.
The cast is excellent, and the original music by Kaada sent me searching for more tracks online.
All departments did an outstanding job, continuing the rise of Norwegian cinema in recent years.
Since it is an artistic Norwegian film, its budget is not high, and this is visible in the production values. Still, the result is impressive all the way.
The provocation is not empty.
Cinderella has dark origins, so connecting to its dark side is natural.
The film belongs to the body horror genre, similar to The Substance, Titane, and the classics of David Cronenberg.
It delivers a message about beauty ideals, dieting obsession, and how society pushes us to sacrifice our bodies for unrealistic goals, ending up losing everything.
It may not be the most original message, but it is relevant, painful and deeply relatable.
Havoc: after a serious mess, this film is at the top of Netflix
A four year journey ended last week when Havoc came directly to Netflix.
Filming began in 2021 and was supposed to reach us earlier, but was delayed.
Parts were reshot, but the question is how much.
Director Gareth Evans claims the reshoots were less significant than claimed.
According to him, the main reason was the actors’ strike which delayed completion, and scheduling issues. The film stars busy actors like Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker.
The film arrives with a battered reputation and mixed reviews, but will likely reach the first place on Netflix.
It belongs to the action thriller genre, features well known actors, and is directed by Evans, considered one of the hottest action directors today.
He broke out with The Raid and later the series Gangs of London.
The plot is generic.
Hardy plays a corrupt cop hired by a corrupt politician and businessman, played by Whitaker, to rescue his son who got into trouble.
The mission reveals a network of criminal figures.
Despite many characters, the film is only around one hour and forty minutes.
The plot is banal and not coherent, but it is only a background for the action scenes.
Evans directs them in a breathtaking way, far above the usual Netflix level.
From the first second, Havoc is a whirlwind of adrenaline.
The result is what was once called a farmer’s film, dying on every acre.
It is an exaggerated dance of violence and blood.
It should not be viewed as a moral document but as a violent performance.
It is meant for people who love their action stylish.
One advantage is the acting.
Whitaker steals the show from Hardy.
He has an intimidating presence but also baby like softness that creates fear but also empathy.
Local hit: the biggest success right now
Local cinema is going through two opposite processes.
On one hand it becomes more isolated and niche.
On the other hand more commercial, like a small Hollywood without the budgets.
We see sequels, adaptations of sketch shows and reality programs, casting based on social media followers and more.
This month a film adaptation of a cult television series was released.
The project succeeded and celebrates with tens of thousands of ticket sales.
The brand began in the seventies with columns written in a newspaper, describing the lives of colorful characters.
The columns became books, then a TV series in the nineties.
The series was not part of a golden TV era but was rediscovered later and gained many fans online.