Two Reviews for the Price of One - "It Comes at Night" and "The Book of Henry"

   With Transformers trying to take the weekend, I thought I'd take a moment to share my thoughts on two recently released films worth seeing outside of the gargantuan bubble that comes from big blockbuster movies. I've noticed recently that some of the best films out there are ones that don't have a $200 million dollar budget. These smaller movies are so rich with character, story and fantastic performances, that I don't think it's fair to dismiss them since they don't consist of large amounts of CGI or people with superpowers. That's not to say that those movies are bad. Wonder Woman and Logan, two powerhouse superhero films, are definitely two of the best films I've seen this year so far. I just gotta give props where props is due. So, for your reading pleasure, here's a little two-for-one for you. One, a drama/thriller, the other a horror/mystery, both with interesting marketing techniques (one hinders, one heightens), but ultimately both worth checking out.

   Last year's The Witch was a polarizing movie for some people. The reason being is that it was marketed as this game-changing horror movie, and ultimately it wasn't that. It is creepy, but the movie isn't really a horror film. The marketing for that movie did it no favors and it probably lost a lot of potential viewers, despite it being one of the better films of 2016. It Comes At Night has the same issue. The trailers would have you believe that it is this ultimate showcase of horror, when in all actuality it isn't. I don't consider that to be a spoiler, more of a due service. Know what you're getting into and the level of disappointment will go down. That being said, It Comes At Night is a really, really interesting and engaging film, beautifully shot and well-acted. Writer/Director Trey Edward Shults delivers a really unique and ballsy film in the midst of larger movies that, I think, is as good if not better than most. It is scary at moments, and there is quite a bit of tension throught the film, but It Comes At Night is a deep character study of people in extreme situations. In a way, that can be scary.

   The story of It Comes At Night is a post-apocalyptic (I think) tale about survival. The thing about this movie is that it is never quite clear about some of the outlining details about the environment. You learn, or assume, through the opening events of the film that there is some form of virus that turns people into zombies...but you never see a zombie nor is there much discussion about the cause of the sickness. You just know that there is an issue because the central family lives secure within a desolate home. Joel Edgerton's character has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son, but is soon put to the test when a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge. The paranoia and the unanswered questions leave you as an audience member to flesh out the details. I found that so refreshing and unnerving at the same time. A lot of questions go unanswered by the film's end, but for me that left me more curious than frustrated. Joel Edgerton gives one of his best performances in this movie as a man desperate to keep his family safe while fighting off the potential for mass hysteria and paranoia to ensue. The ending caught me slightly off guard, and I was left pondering what I would do should I be placed in the situations the characters find themselves in. I highly recommend seeing it if you get the chance, or need a break from grand spectacle films. It Comes At Night is slow-paced, thrilling and unnerving till the very end.

--

   If you're looking for something a bit more light-hearted, The Book of Henry is a great choice. I saw this movie twice this week, once by myself and the next day with my wife because she needed to see how great this movie was. The Book of Henry is the story about a mother named Susan (played by Naomi Watts), her two sons Henry (Jaeden Lieberher) and Peter (Jacob Tremblay) and the girl next door, Christina (Maddie Ziegler). Henry is an 11-year-old genius who notices something off about the relationship between his neighbor Christina and her step-father Glenn (Dean Norris). Susan is a bit of an immature mother, who leaves the running-of-the-family to Henry, and dismisses Henry's claims about their neighbor. Through the instructions in Henry's carefully crafted notebook, Susan eventually sets out to rescue Christina from the hands of her abusive stepfather. The Book of Henry is a heartfelt story about family, love, and what it means to do the right thing.

   The acting in this movie is the highlight for sure. Naomi Watts does a great job at convincing you she's incapable of being a parent without the assistance of her 11-year-old genius. Her arc throughout the story is the most poignant and the Susan you meet at the beginning blossoms into a better version by the end. Jaeden Lieberman has played the role of a smart kid multiple times, and he's great at it. The interactions between Henry and other adults in the film are quite comical because they're very adult conversations, just one of those adults is a small child. The chemistry between Lieberman and Watts is believable, but is ultimately blown out of the water when compared to the chemistry he has with Tremblay who plays Peter, his brother. Jacob Tremblay is so freakin' good. It is truly insane how gifted this young actor is. The first time I, and most of the world, saw him act was in the Academy Award nominated film Room, where I believe he was even nominated. The bond between these two brothers is so believable. There's a particular scene about half way through the film where the two share in a sobering conversation that brought tears to my eyes both times I watched it, and it's mostly due to Tremblay's performance in that scene. After the movie was over, and after talking about all the various points that we liked, the one constant comeback for my wife and I was how good Jacob Tremblay was. If you're looking for a feel-good movie that has great acting, great direction, is well-written, and just a joy to watch, The Book of Henry is a great choice.