THE OPTIMIST - MOVIE REVIEWS

  Fall is just around the corner, believe it or not, which means we're going to see more scary movies start to populate the cinemas. As a fan of horror, I always look forward to these new creepy stories. Director Nia DaCosta's new film Candyman opened this last weekend and I was finally able to check it out. I knew nothing of the original franchise, and so before venturing off to the cinema, I watched the first film from 1992 to prepare myself. That movie surprised me in so many ways. The mythology of the Candyman is tragic but also muddled and somewhat unclear regarding the "rules," but that original film painted a clear picture regarding tone and atmosphere that is unlike most slasher movies. Watching it made me more excited to see this new film, which is a direct sequel to the first (there have been a few other Candyman films since 1992, all of which I haven't seen or know much about). Though Candyman (2021) did nothing to really help clarify the muddled myth...

  I love a good horror movie. Being scared is a universal feeling, and when done right, scary movies can be both entertaining and cathartic. That rampant rise in tension and that fall of release is like a roller coaster experience but from the comfort and safety of a cinema, and I love it. Sometimes it doesn't always pan out; sometimes horror movies simply aim to generate their scares from predictable jump-scares and common horror tropes. Story is often sacrificed for cheap scares in those moments, and that's okay - there's a place for those, for sure. However, when tension, tone, atmosphere, and unpredictable, subverted expectations are used to generate those awesome scares, that's when you've got something worthwhile - in my opinion. Director David Bruckner's new movie The Night House is one that I was really juiced to see just from the trailers, and it delivered an experience that was not only worthwhile, but truly spooky. The Night House follows a widow na...

  So, I decided to stay in and catch a new film that dropped on streaming this weekend, and I gotta say, I was not expecting the experience of this movie to be as moving as it was. I'm talking about the new movie CODA from writer/director Sian Heder, which is streaming now on Apple TV+. If you don't already subscribe to Apple TV+, it's worth considering. There are some really great shows and films that are offered on the platform, award-winning original dramas, and a host of other great content that is well worth the price. CODA  is the newest edition to the service, but is also playing (limited) in select theaters. There are multiple ways to view it, the easiest being through the streaming service, but at any rate, this movie is one worth checking out for sure. CODA is the story of Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) who is a Child of Deaf Adults, or a CODA, hence the title.  Ruby has lived a life fully connected to her family, because growing up she had to interpret for th...

  Writer/Director Edson Oda makes his feature debut with the existentially moving film Nine Days . I was intrigued by the concept outlined in the trailer and went in with an open mind. What I left with was a greater understanding for the importance of living your life to the fullest, and the precious blessing of being true to who you are. The film tells the story of Will (Winston Duke), a recluse who is designated as an interviewer of souls who are looking for the potential at living a mortal life. Will lives in a house out in the middle of nowhere, on what is probably some outer plane of existence, though that's never made clear. He is often visited by Kyo (Benedict Wong), a premortal being who is tasked to evaluate Will's choices for mortality. Will spends his "days" observing his chosen "winners," taking note of important events, and recording those moments on VHS tapes.  The interview process is what drives most of the narrative. When a slot opens in Wil...

I could not have been more excited than I was last night before seeing James Gunn's latest romp The Suicide Squad . I'm a big fan of Gunn's work - outside of his larger comic book films - and when it was touted that Warner Bros. and DC essentially let the reigns out and allowed Gunn to do whatever he wanted with this film, I was excited. (Although, that would have been a wonderful way to work with Zack Snyder, whose experience seems to be completely opposite of Gunn's, but that's a larger discussion for another day). An unleashed James Gunn is a wonderful James Gunn, and The Suicide Squad is easily one of DC's best. It's gory, violent, hilarious, epic, and full of way more heart than I had anticipated.  Talking about this movie without going into spoilers will be tough, but I'll do my best. This movie tells the story of hardened criminals Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Peacemaker (John Cena), Bloodsport (Idris Elba), and many, many others as they are for...

  Matt Damon's latest film, Stillwater , tells the story of a father named Bill (Damon) - a bundle of red-state stereotypes - who travels from Oklahoma to France to help his estranged an incarcerated daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin). Allison is in prison for a murder she claims she didn't commit, and Bill is determined to help free her by getting to the bottom of things, even when the authorities seem to think there's no case. What I thought was going to be a unique and tense crime thriller turned out to be an emotional drama that I didn't see coming. Stillwater has clear, distinct acts. The first act is very much a crime thriller, or at least feels that way. We see Bill hastily investigating flaccid leads; we learn about his relationship with Allison, get introduced to Victoria and Maya - friends that Bill makes along the way - and it would seem like a clear cut narrative. However, the second act is where you really get into the meat of the story; it morphs into th...