Candyman (2021): A Messy Spiritual Sequel That Can't Get Out From Under The Original's Shadow

September 06, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Writer/director Nia DaCosta becomes the first Black filmmaker to take on the Candyman franchise with the 2021 soft reboot sequel to Bernard Rose’s groundbreaking 1992 original. Joined by co-screenwriters Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele (who also co-produced the film), DaCosta and company clearly have a lot to say, but their overtly signaled social messaging muddies the film’s mythology and dampens the horror.

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tags / Viddy Well, Viddy Well Film Blog, I love cinema, Nothing but movies, Candyman, Candyman 2021, Body horror, Social Horror, Black Film, Black cinema, Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Win Rosenfeld

Minari: A Beautifully Tender Feel-Good Film About Resilience, Family, And The American Dream

September 05, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Writer/director Lee Isaac Chung creates a real winner with his fourth narrative feature, Minari, a rapturous feel-good film about resilience, family, and the American Dream. Streaked with hardship and grit, this lushly lensed and deeply moving drama takes viewers on an emotional rollercoaster ride that’s rich in meaning and bursting with infectious tenderness and warmth.

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tags / Viddy Well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Minari, Lee Isaac Chung, Feel-Good Film, Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri, Youn Yuh-jung, Alan S. Kim, Noel Cho, Will Patton, Films about the American dream, Korean Film, Korean Cinema, Films about family

Pig: A Surprisingly Cathartic Drama Veiled As A Revenge Film

September 03, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Writer/director Michael Sarnoski cooks up a sublimely subversive three-course meal with his feature film debut, Pig. Although it’s masked as a revenge film, at its core Pig is a profound, genuinely affecting drama that proves that revenge doesn’t always have to be such a cold, violent dish.

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, I love cinema, Nothing but movies, Nicolas Cage, Michael Sarnoski, Pig, Pig Film, Pig 2021, Films about loss, Films about grief, Revenge Thriller, Alex Wolff, 2021 Film, 2021 debuts, Nic Cage Vehicle, Nic Cage

Reminiscence: A Sugarless Sci-Fi Noir

August 30, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy makes her feature film debut with the wistfully nostalgic genre mishmash, Reminiscence. Blending elements of sci-fi, thriller, mystery, romance, and noir into a soggy pulp, the film plays with a lot of interesting, albeit unoriginal ideas, but doesn’t possess the power to fully captivate. For all its creativity, it will likely remind many viewers of better films, rather than excite them.

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Reminiscence, Rebecca Ferguson, Hugh Jackman, Thandiwe Newton, Lisa Joy, Warner Bros, HBO Max, Genre hybrid, Genre Film, Sci-Fi thriller

Sister Tempest: A Frequently Strange And Often Wonderful Cyclone Of Creativity

August 28, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Indie writer/director and strange cinema guru Joe Badon returns with his sophomore feature, Sister Tempest. True to it’s name, Sister Tempest unleashes a relentless, ever-flowing cyclone of creativity. It may be too bizarro for many conventional moviegoers to get behind, but the messy kaleidoscopic phantasmagoria Joe Badon whips up is more than enough for adventurous cinephiles seeking something weird and psychological to sink their teeth into.

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tags / Viddy Well, Nothing but movies, Viddy Well Film Blog, I love cinema, Sister Tempest, Sister Tempest Film, Joe Badon, Arthouse, Surrealism, Avant-garde, Strange, Strange Cinema, DIY Cinema, Indie Cinema, Low-budget indies, Kali Russell, Holly Bonney, Linnea Gregg

Short Film Review: "klutz." A Clumsy Emotional Drama

August 27, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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klutz. is set to premiere next Friday, September 4th at the 24th Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles. Written by Elizabeth Narciso and directed by Michelle Bossy, this quirky short film takes audiences on an emotional journey that often gets tripped up in its own laces.

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, klutz., klutz, klutz. short film, Short Film Review, Elizabeth Narciso, Michelle Bossy, Malka Wallick, Emotional drama, Female directors, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Girl Gang Production(s)

Short Film Review: "A Good Couple" Examines The Fantasy And Reality Of A Relationship

August 27, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

A Good Couple is set to premiere this upcoming Wednesday, September 1st, at the 24th Dances With Films Festival in Los Angeles. Written and directed by Robert Gregson, the film looks at a not-so healthy relationship through a fantasy lens, asking us if our idealized perfection is a tangible reality or a complication.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, viddy well, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Short Film Review, A Good Couple, A Good Couple Short Film, Horror short, Films about relationships, Jordan Peele, Dances With Films Festival, Robert Gregson, Julie Ann Earls

Baby, Don't Cry: A Messy, Decidedly Dark Coming-Of-Age About Codependency And Toxic Relationships

August 17, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Baby, Don’t Cry recently had its world premiere at the 2021 Fantasia International Film Festival. Directed by Jesse Dvorak, who works from a script by Zita Bai (who also stars as the titular Baby), the film delves into the dark side of the coming-of-age genre (similarly to 2017’s Raw), giving audiences an unflinching look at a toxic romance and codependency.

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tags / Viddy Well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Jesse Dvorak, Zita Bai, Vas Provatakis, Baby Don't Cry, Baby Don't Dry 2021, Fantasia Fest, Fantasia Fest 2021, Dark, Coming-of-Age, Films about toxic relationships

Samantha Rose: A Quietly Intoxicating And Warmly Spirited Character-Driven Drama

August 17, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Long Gone By writer/director, Andrew Morgan, is back with a new feature, which he conceived, shot, and completed during the 2020 pandemic. Contrasting the darker heaviness of Long Gone By with something much more airy and earnest, Morgan and his team create a quietly intoxicating and warmly spirited character-driven drama about self-discovery.

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tags / Viddy Well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Sam Rose, Andrew Morgan, Duncan Blickenstaff, Lance Kuhns, Coming-of-Age, Character Drama, Drama, Indie Cinema, Low-budget indies, first-time actors, Freestyle Digital Media

Val: An Intimate And Introspective Vanity Project That Holds A Mirror Up To Kilmer's Career

August 13, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Venture into the mind of Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most capricious and charismatic actors, with the latest Prime Video documentary, Val. Constructed out of hundreds of hours of footage Kilmer shot himself, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to his time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever, Val peels back the layers to the often misunderstood thespian while still remaining largely at surface level.

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tags / Viddy Well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Val Kilmer, Val, Val Documentary, Val Kilmer Documentary, Jack Kilmer, Top Gun, Batman Forever, Tombstone, Introspective Documentary, Documentary film, Amazon Prime, Prime Video

The Suicide Squad: An Absurdly Silly And Immensely Fun Summer Blockbuster

August 07, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Writer/director James Gunn makes his triumphant return with the absurdly silly and immensely fun summer blockbuster, The Suicide Squad. Working the same magic he did with MCU’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, Gunn gives the DCU a refreshing boost, delivering a fun-filled cinematic experience full of entertaining stupidity, viscera, weirdness, laughs, and heart.

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tags / Viddy Well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, James Gunn, The Suicide Squad, The Suicide Squad film, DC Cinema, Summer Blockbuster, Silly Cinema, Absurdist Cinema, Michael Rooker, Viola Davis, Nathan Fillion, Margot Robbie, Idris Elba, John Cena, Sean Gunn, Warner Bros, HBO Max, Daniela Melchior, David Dastmalchian, Sylvester Stallone, DC Comics

Space Jam: A New Legacy Of Suck

August 04, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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In a blatant attempt to cash in on the growing 90s nostalgia and foist the Looney Tunes on a new generation of children, Warner Bros. tries to breathe life into Space Jam’s lungs with A New Legacy. Despite LeBron James and Don Cheadle leading the charge, this thoroughly doughy and shamelessly messy soft reboot delivers a flagrant foul to all cinemagoers.

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Space Jam, Space Jam: A New Legacy, HBO Max, LeBron James, Don Cheadle, Warner Bros, Malcolm D. Lee, Ryan Coogler, Looney Tunes

A Quiet Place Part II: A Solidly Crafted Continuation That Captures The Spirit Of The Original

July 31, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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John Krasinski returns to the helm of the Quiet Place franchise, writing, directing, producing, and starring (briefly) in this surprisingly solid sequel. With Part II, Krasinski crafts a taut continuation to the Abbott family’s story that effectively captures the spirit of the original while building out its post-apocalyptic world.

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tags / viddy well, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, John Krasinski, A Quiet Place Part II, A Quiet Place, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, Noah Jupe, Creature Feature, Sci-Fi horror, Thriller, William Friedkin

No Sudden Move: An Exceptionally Well-Crafted And Star-Studded Throwback Noir

July 19, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

Steven Soderbergh returns with No Sudden Move, an exceptionally well-crafted throwback noir that boasts his sharpest ensemble cast to date. Written by Ed Solomon (one half of the screenwriting team that gave us the Bill & Ted trilogy) and gorgeously lensed by Soderbergh himself, No Sudden Move marks his tightest film (in our opinion) since 2000’s Traffic. This ain’t nothing to sleep on!

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Steven Soderbergh, No Sudden Move, Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Ray Liotta, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin, Amy Seimetz, Julia Fox, Film Noir, Crime Film, Detroit, HBO Max, Warner Bros

INSIDE: Bo Burnham's Cleverly Cinematic And Incisive Comedy Special

July 19, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Five years after his critically acclaimed special Make Happy, comedian Bo Burnham returns with INSIDE, a surprisingly cinematic comedy special with an incisive bite and emotional depth. After his breakout success as a writer/director with 2018’s darling Eighth Grade, Burnham continues to prove that he really is a jack of all trades, shouldering an entire 90-minute special on his delicate frame while baring his soul and crumbling psyche for laughs — and attention.

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tags / Viddy Well Film Blog, viddy well, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Bo Burnham, Bo Burnham: Inside, Inside, Netflix, Netflix Original, Comedy Film, Comedy Special, Cinematic, Pandemic

Roadrunner: An Emotionally Charged Portrait That Delves Into The Life And Death Of A Cultural Icon

July 18, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Won’t You Be My Neighbor? director Morgan Neville is back with another emotionally charged documentary that examines the life of a cultural icon. This time around, Neville dives into the life of chef, writer, traveler, TV personality, and all around Renaissance man Anthony Bourdain, whose shows (No Reservations and Parts Unknown) touched a lot of lives. Unlike his examination of Fred Rogers, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain isn’t all lovely and warm; this unflinching look at Bourdain’s life and death is as inspiring as it is heartbreaking.

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Roadrunner, Anthony Bourdain, Morgan Neville, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, Documentary film, Cultural Icon, Chef, Food, Travel

Summer Of Soul: A Festival Of All Things Beautiful And Black

July 01, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson makes his feature film debut with Summer Of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised). The film transports viewers to 1969 to bear witness to a powerful and touching music festival in Harlem, which history tried to forget. Part documentary music film, part history record, the film dives into Black culture, the ways in which it’s persevered and continues to make a lasting impact on the world.

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Summer of Soul, ...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised, Questlove, Ahmir-Khalib Thompson, Harlem Cultural Festival, Black Flim, Black culture, Black Pride, Music Film, Music Documentary, Documentary film

In The Heights: An Exuberant Rhapsody That Celebrates Hispanic Culture

June 28, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

Lin-Manuel Miranda & Quiara Alegría Hudes join forces with Crazy Rich Asians director, Jon M. Chu, for In The Heights, a sweet, sugary summertime musical that celebrates Hispanic culture. Lathered in universal themes about a community and their dreams, this fairly conventional yet energetic musical gets by on its charms and genuinely touching emotional resonance.

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Jon M. Chu, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anthony Ramos, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins, Jimmy Smits, Latino Cinema, Hispanic Culture, Musical, Music Film

Short Film Review: "Molly Robber" Is A Kinetic And Stylish Comedy

June 19, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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Molly Robber is written and directed by Austin Hall and Zach Visvikis, a young Los Angeles-based filmmaking duo. The film was made during their senior year at NYU Tisch as their Thesis Film, and it recently screened at the Tribeca Film Festival and received the Audience Choice Award at last year’s Austin Film Festival. In just 14 brisk minutes, Hall and Visvikis take you for a breezy and comical ride teeming with energy and style.

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Molly Robber, Short Film Review, Molly Robber short film, Zach Visvikis, Austin Hall, Marley Medina, Morgan Gardiner, Melvin En DaChamber, Ben Heim, Chelsea Lopez, Barry Bostwick, Camron Jones, Elim Uraimov, Tristan Ott, Jeff Tendall

The Sparks Brothers: A Fun-Filled Musical Odyssey

June 14, 2021 / Aaron Haughton

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The Sparks Brothers marks the documentary feature film debut of Edgar Wright, who approaches the film with the same kinetic intensity of his narrative works. With a brisk pace and playful style, Wright chronicles the decades-long career and influence of the enigmatic rock pop duo Sparks, examining how one rock band can be successful, underrated, hugely influential, and criminally overlooked all at the same time?

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tags / viddy well, Viddy Well Film Blog, Nothing but movies, I love cinema, Edgar Wright, The Sparks Brothers, Sparks, Ron and Russell Mael, Documentary film, Rock Doc, Focus Features