I have been hearing great things about this movie for a while, so when I finally got the opportunity to watch it, I grabbed it. What is fascinating and scary to think about is that Never Rarely Sometimes Always was relevant and filmed long before Roe v. Wade was overruled in 2022. What a fucking disgrace that is.

It’s difficult to discuss anything related to this movie and not get political, despite that equivalence being absolutely fucking dumb. Women’s rights aren’t political. They exist, or, in an ideal society, should exist. The sheer fact that many women can’t decide their fate and whether or not they want to become mothers is ludicrous. It reminds me of the old joke that says that if men could get pregnant, there would be abortion machines on every corner. There would be a morning-after pill, during-the-coitus pill and one after-the-fact pill, just in case. And I strongly believe this is not a joke. If you still can’t see where I stand on this issue… I don’t know what to tell you.

I will try as hard as possible to talk about the movie and put the horrific facts aside for a moment. The film paints a very black-and-white picture, but it does it to make a larger point. What I mean by that is every man our two protagonists encounter is either disgusting, inappropriate or a straight-up creep. If I worked for a few right-leaning websites, my following sentence could look like this: “Never Rarely Sometimes Always hates all men! But some men are nice, but this movie doesn’t want to acknowledge that because it’s so pro-feminist, toxic….” You can probably imagine the rest, especially if you were not born yesterday. But, as always, people will see what they want to see. This movie chooses specific and, unfortunately, real-life characters that your mum, sister, girlfriend, or wife can encounter in her day-to-day life to illustrate a much bigger point. Don’t believe me? You don’t have to; I am a man. But ask them. Talk to the women who mean something to you; listen to them, and you might be surprised and uncomfortable.

And Never Rarely Sometimes Always puts you in this uncomfortable space from the very first scene, and it never disappears. Eliza Hittman knows how to say and show so much with so little and uplifts this film, where despite it being a very indie and low budget (I can’t find a precise figure, but it’s quoted under five million dollars) movie, you don’t feel “cheated”. It grips you, never lets you go, and you stay glued to the screen despite its bleakness and tough-to-watch scenes. A big part is Eliza, but the main heroines are Sidney Flanigan and Talia Ryder.

I can’t say this any louder, but I hope both actresses have a long and fruitful career ahead of them. Sidney is our lead, and she does so much with just her face and eyes; it was mesmerizing to watch. The pivotal scene where we learn why this film is called Never Rarely Sometimes Always when the camera is on her face for what must have been at least ten minutes, was a masterclass in acting. The subtlety, when she realized a couple of things about her life through those questions, she was “forced” to answer… heart-breaking, poignant, and well done. I felt like giving her a massive hug at the end, and if it was in my power, all of her rights back because she deserves is entitled to them.

Talia’s character must have been tricky on paper because it’s such a specific role to portray. She had to be the “fodder” for her cousin, provided some levity (even though there are hardly any jokes) and most importantly, captured that specific bond that only the best of friends have. Those you can tell to fuck off, and they know you just need a moment to yourselves, so they might walk away for a minute, but they never leave your side. They are always there, looking after you. Talia captured that perfectly, and her chemistry with Sidney was spot-on. Because of them, you cherish those (rare) moments of lightness these two share.

In a perfect world, Never Rarely Sometimes Always would not be needed. But we live in a less-than-ideal world, so films like this are badly needed. If even one person who is on some edge about abortion watches this movie and it convinces them that we should re-think this ban and let women decide for themselves, that would be awesome. As with any policy like this, you are not punishing women; you are punishing “normal” people, aka middle-class (that’s disappearing faster than polar ice caps) and lower-class people who don’t have the means. This movie doesn’t forget to show how money plays a big part in this situation and how much shit our protagonists must go through before it’s all over. Imagine now how this story would have looked if they came from a wealthy family. Still not that great, but much less struggle, right? Yep, that’s the point. Ban on abortion doesn’t ban abortions; it bans access to safe abortions.

Overall, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a harsh watch, yet it is worth your time. It is as indie as it gets, but because of the craftiness of the people behind the camera and the acting talent of those in front of it, you never feel bored; you never think of the budget. You are there, in those couple of days, with these girls, one of whom is simply not ready to become a mom. And that is a good enough reason not to bring a baby to this world. This movie is one of those that hit you hard, but because of the two protagonists, there are genuinely beautiful moments that capture their relationship and our not-so-perfect world in all its madness. If you can, please see this movie.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

This film is one of those simple, straight-to-the-point movies I admire. I am all for having a complex story with even more complex characters, but every here and there, it’s a blast to watch something that has a simple premise, gets to it quickly, and it knows when to end. And since the premise here seems to be: “What if the kid from Home Alone (1990) was a girl and more of a psychopath?” I was down with this film almost instantly.

Of course, it’s not as simple as I make it out to be, as Becky (the name of the movie and our titular character) starts as your stereotypical teenager that is pushed one too many times by bad guys, who decide to ambush her, her dad and potential step-mom at their cabin. I liked the progression of her character, from trying to get away at first, clearly thinking about the situation, and only when something big happens (no spoilers here, but I think you’d hardly be surprised), she snaps and goes full-on Rambo mode. Except she isn’t Sylvester Stallone, an Italian stallion full of muscles on top of another, bigger muscles. She is “just” a little girl who shoves us how no matter the size or gender, anyone is capable of the most horrendous act of violence if pushed to a breaking point.

Sure, you can make an argument about Becky being just a dark, twisted film full of violence and gory details. And you would not be wrong per se; there is quite a lot of violence and gore. I was surprised that the camera wasn’t “shy” to capture a few brutal stunts, so if you are a squeamish person who can’t handle gore very well, this film might not be for you. But to me, the main reason I enjoyed this film so much was two performances, one by our main protagonist Lulu Wilson and the other by, and I can’t believe I am writing this, Kevin James. Yep, that Kevin James.

Let’s start with Lulu – I wasn’t that familiar with her. Apparently, she was in Sharp Objects (2018), but I would be lying if I said I remembered her. But I will remember her from now on, as she was awesome in this film. Her performance was precisely what this film needed, she led this film effortlessly, and I was with her for the entire movie; she portrayed this complicated character very well. Regarding Kevin James, this might be his best performance, hands down, simply because of how different it is from anything he had ever done before this. Forget the loveable goofball who somehow lands the hottest women in his films, no. In Becky, he is this Nazi leader, the personification of evil. When he and his “buddies” escape from prison, it’s more than implied they kill a family (children included) to get to the cabin where Becky is. I was genuinely shocked at how much I enjoyed James’ performance in this film, and I hope this wasn’t just a one-off, and he will consider playing more dramatic or “straight” roles more often as he has a talent. You quickly forget that this is the same actor who portrayed Paul Blart.

The only negative thing I could say about this film is the more Becky fights, the less believable those scenes get, especially towards the end. I am all for empowerment and all that stuff, but body mass matters and especially a certain “scene in the field” didn’t ring true whatsoever. I liked the parts before, where she managed to surprise her opponents and took advantage of the situation, but especially towards the end, she survives a bit too much. And I am writing this as a person who was rooting for her the entire film.

But honestly, that’s about it. I know there is a sequel coming out this year (The Wrath of Becky, 2023), and I can honestly say if it is playing somewhere around me, I will support the creators by going to see it in the cinemas. I am not expecting something mind-blowing, but as long as they stick to their guns, develop the character further and keep it simple, I will be there. As the meme goes, I don’t just support women’s rights; I support women’s wrongs. And I wouldn’t want to stumble across Becky in the woods in her cute bear hat, covered with blood.

Overall, Becky is a simple 93 minutes in-and-out film that you will either have a good time with or not. Due to its simplicity, it’s almost that binary; you are either all in for all the violence, gore and little girl murdering people, or it may not just be your cup of hot cocoa. If it’s not, I can’t blame you. But it was mine, and I enjoyed my time with Becky. I enjoyed Kevin James’ performance, and therefore I enjoyed this film. And I hope I will write the same thing once I see the sequel. As long as you don’t mind gory scenes, I would recommend Becky.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

We’ve had many cinematic duos, but I never thought I would crave more of this Nordic one, consisting of Thomas Vinterberg and Mads Mikkelsen. After The Hunt (2012) or Jagten, I was down to watch anything these two will decide to make next. And Another Round (or Druk) not only delivered, it reminded me why I love how much attention and well-deserved recognition movies from foreign countries are finally getting.

The story is pretty funny on the surface as the basic premise is; what if people were born with negative alcohol levels and we “must” drink a little every day to be… happier? More adjusted? More relaxed? Or all of these above? It isn’t as “random” as it sounds, as the film’s premise is based on a (now debunked) study (you can read it for yourself here) that explored that very idea. What is fascinating about this is you can immediately tell the difference between cultures and people from different backgrounds approaching the same thing. You can’t convince me that many American directors would have made this into this uplifting comedy with some dramatic elements. But in the hands of Europeans, this turns into a darker drama about life, alcoholism, almost this meditation of what it means to be alive. Yes, there are some purely comedic scenes, but Another Round is not a comedy; by any means.

One aspect of this film is the idea of enabling, what happens when this (slowly increasing how much you drink per day) goes too far. And this will hit close to home for many people, as alcoholism is, unfortunately, quite a universal problem; that knows no race, gender or border. It would be almost impossible to find a person who at least doesn’t know somebody affected by alcoholism. And since it’s such a prevalent addiction, it’s been put to film many times, but somehow, Vinterberg found a new “spin” on it and made a film that resonated with people everywhere. After all, he did win the Oscar for “Best International Feature”.

What I liked the most about this film was that it never came across as “judgemental” or “preachy”, despite having every right to be. All four characters start like extremely loveable people, only for pretty much all of them to descend into some sort of “hell”. They all hit bottom, and as it happens with alcohol, some take a while to get there, whilst others get there quickly. And for a few, there is no way back. Without going into spoilers, there is a clear “price to pay” for this experiment for all our protagonists; only some pay a much higher price than others. That brings me to this movie’s end.

Again, without going into spoilers, the ending is so beautifully bittersweet; I have heard some people were confused by it. And to a degree, I honestly believe it’s intentionally “vague”. Another Round managed to showcase all the dangers of alcoholism without any judgment, but it makes its stance clear. However, that doesn’t mean the character(s) will follow it. What do I mean? We all know what is good for us; we should exercise regularly, eat cleanly, sleep well, read, constantly educate ourselves… the list goes on and on, we all get the drill. However, how often do you do all of these? People take shortcuts and often don’t follow the “best advice” even if they know, deep down, they should. It’s the complexity of being human; we all know what is good for us, yet we don’t follow it, and sometimes we just straight up ignore it. Another Round encapsulates this uniquely human experience and gives it to us “raw”. It’s a complex film about complex characters, so no wonder the finale would also be complexly bittersweet. The end reminded me of the famous quote by Nietzsche: “Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster… for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.” Just to be clear, I don’t think our main protagonists becomes a monster, it’s just a bit complicated than that. And you may watch this film and read this ending entirely differently, and that right here is the true power of art.

Overall, Another Round is an excellent film full of characters you may recognise. That is usually a good thing, but given this film’s topic, I don’t think anyone wants to recognise somebody they may know in this, or worse, realise one of those characters may be them. It is a more serious film than you may expect, but it is worth the watch. And that ending… is just an ambivalent cherry on top of this bittersweet cake. And you will hum (if not sing) “What a Life” by Scarlet Pleasure for a few months onwards, I guarantee it.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

If you read a few of my reviews, you know I like the phrase “I heard a lot about this film…” or some variation on that, because it is true as I love films and I try to keep up with everything that is coming out. But for one reason or another, Wolfwalkers escaped me until the Oscar nomination. I still remember watching the Oscars live and seeing the short clip introducing this, and I thought how beautiful this film looked. And when I heard people raving about it, I knew I had to watch it. Well, it took me a while, but I finally got around to it, and the film did not disappoint.

Wolfwalkers stands out immediately because of its animation style. We are so used to Pixar animation being one way, DreamWorks being this other way, and even though they have their quirks, they aren’t THAT different. That is where Wolfwalkers grabs you instantly by looking not just differently but by being breathtaking. The great thing about that animation style is that it’s not different “just for the sake of being different” that style fits so well with the story of the movie that it enhances it. This film is about nature and our relationship with the wilderness, this unique, colourful and “wild” (the best thing that comes to mind) animation fits this movie so well, and you will get lost in it very quickly.

What helps is the story that is so beautifully simple. I know this might sound like a backhanded compliment, but I assure you, it is not. This film is based on Irish folk tales, so it makes sense that stories that are a couple of centuries old will be simpler than what we are used to now. But it is this simplicity that makes it so much more powerful and honest. I often talk about how I love some “raw” films, and to me, a raw film simply means “getting back to the basics”. No over convoluted plot, no $200 million budget, just a simple story told in a unique way. And what is a better “back to the basics” story than a folk legend? Forget it’s Irish in this case; stories/legends like these have been around for a reason, passed around from generation to generation because of their lessons. Sometimes, to scare children into behaving well, others remind ourselves we should be better to each other or nature, as is the case with this movie.

Wolfwalkers is a simple story about a certain group of people who can transform into wolves at night. We follow daughter Robyn and father Bill (the father is voiced by Sean Bean, who is this movie’s “biggest name” actor) as they move to Ireland to help wipe out the wolves. And as it happens, things aren’t all as black and white as they seemed. And that’s the thing about folk tales; they are rarely about “just one thing” stories. Wolfwalkers is not just about our relationship with nature/animals, it is also about the parent/child relationship as well as the father’s feeling to just “shut up and take it” from his “boss” (or Lord Protector in this instance), desperately trying to secure a life for his daughter. This movie touches on all these topics, and they all work hand in hand, resulting in one epic story that (and this can’t be understated enough) is a visually breathtaking journey.

If you examine the animation style closely, you will notice it also “seems” simplistic. And again, this is the best thing I can say about this movie because not only it isn’t simplistic, but the movie uses the animation itself as a story device. That’s right, it’s not just to enhance the story, but many times, the film changes the aspect ratio based on what we are supposed to feel at that scene or whether it’s an intimate scene or a fight scene. When I realised that, I was even more impressed by the animation and the choice to use it. In this instance, and this instance only, this movie reminded me of The Mitchells vs the Machines (2021, my review here).

I know what you are thinking: “Wait, what? How does this pretty traditional-ish animated movie compare to this much different film?” The answer is, of course, they are not the same, but they both utilise their animation style to their maximum capacity. Often, animation (albeit stunning) is just a way to communicate a story. And lately, more and more animated shows and movies have started to realise that the biggest advantage of using animation is that your imagination is the limit. Nothing else is stopping you, me or anybody else from drawing or animating literally anything you can think of, meaning you can play around with the form itself. The Mitchells did this by inserting many easter eggs throughout this film, and due to the film’s quick cutting, it felt like something a kid who grew up watching YouTube videos from the early 2010s would have made (which was the point). And Wolfwalkers used animation to change the ratio of many scenes. In a way, this film reminded me of some anime here and there (that’s still a genre I need to delve deeper into) with their way of toying with ratios, colours and making sure each frame pops out.

But ultimately, I must say that Wolfwalkers is uniquely its own thing. The voice acting done mostly by Irish actors only added the extra element of awesomeness. As somebody living in Scotland for almost 11 years now (goddamn, time flies), it is always fun to hear proper Irish actors using their voices and, more importantly, in stories that originated from their tales.

Overall, Wolfwalkers is an amazing animated movie that deserves to be seen by many more people. It is currently on Apple TV+ (that’s how I watched it), and I would say if you don’t have that streaming platform yet, this film is worth paying the price of a month’s subscription for. It is a touching story about a daughter and father, about our relationship with animals and nature. But most importantly, it is a “simple” story done exceptionally well, proving yet again that you don’t need big budgets, big names or a complicated story to make a stunningly exceptional film. I can’t recommend this enough.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke