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Free Guy

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Vampire Owl: We are all free vampires in a world of slavery.

Vampire Bat: This not really that much of a world of chains.

Vampire Owl: You are not understanding the power of our chains.

Vampire Bat: There are no chains in this realm which can hold a vampire.

Vampire Owl: I am not talking about the physical chains.

Vampire Bat: You mean to say that there is a telepath in the realm?

Vampire Owl: Yes, and she is stronger than any vampire mind reader.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about the legend of the witch-vampire.

Vampire Owl: It is actually the vampire-witch. She is mostly the witch.

Vampire Bat: Just because she knows how travel on a broom-stick, she is now a witch?

[Gets a paneer puffs and three glasses of blackcurrant shake].

What is the movie about? :: We are introduced to Free City where people who are wearing sunglasses are heroes, and run the city. They can do almost anything in the city, never really obeying the rules which are applicable to others. Among the many normal people in the city is Guy (Ryan Reynolds), who seems to live a usual kind of life, as he works as a bank teller, and considers his life as a part of a paradise where he lived from the time he can remember. His best friend is the bank’s securiy gurad, Buddy (Lil Rel Howery), who is not really bothered about the bank getting robbed frequently. Everyone out there seems to be very happy, and Guy feels that he has everything that he needs, except for a lover. He attempts to fall in love without success, and feels that he hasn’t really found the right person yet. Soon, he finds a mysterious girl wearing sunglasses, and as he goes after her, is run over by a train. It is soon revealed that the world they are living in is actually a game – a massively multiplayer online role-playing video game, which has Guy as a non-player character.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The mysterious girl is Millie (Jodie Comer) in the avatar Molotov Girl, a player looking for source code to her original game, Life Itself which she wrote with Keys (Joe Keery). It was stolen by Antwan (Taika Waititi), the Soonami CEO who stole it and turned it into something else. Keys wants to help, but prefers to work with Antwan instead, and continue to have a job. At the same time, Guy has deviated from the programme after listening to that unintentional song from Millie. He starts off by asking the wrong coffee instead of the one programmed for the NPC. He also starts talking differently to many people, which leads to changes in the programming of other NPCs too. Soon, he decides to steal the sunglasses, as the girl was also wearing them. He gets one from a robber, and starts seeing things from the perspective of the players from the world outside. It makes him think deviate even further from his original programming.

And what more is here in a world of chaos? :: The programmers think that a hacker from real life has taken over the NPC, and is playing the role differently, feeling that it is indeed a small glitch which will be resolved soon enough. As Millie comes against him, she also feels that he is a player and asks him to level up, so that he could be of more worth, an advice he takes into himself seriously. Unlike the others, he decides to level up by doing good things only, with minimum use of weapons. He begins to try to be like the heroes that he had witnessed on the streets, but with only the good side by helping people in need and fighting some evil. Soon, he becomes a top level player, and is also an internet sensation in the real world. He also saves Millie when she is on a mission to collect the evidence, and she falls in love with him feeling that he is actually a real person who is playing the game. Soon enough, they will understand the same, and so will Antwan. Now, the equations will be complicated. Can the makers find their code, and where does that leave Guy?

The defence of Free Guy :: The movie’s concept is really good, and is a pretty good addition to what we have seen before in different films before. Among the other more famous films, the one which I remember the most is The Thirteenth Floor, even though the world peculiarities also reminds us of the one most famous film, The Matrix. The main character also reminds us of the protagonist of The Lego Movie and the rest of the people like Nerve. We are reminded of the games like Grand Theft Auto, Mafia and The Godfather too. These reminders serve to provide some nostalgia too. The mixture made out of the combination of different interesting things continue to be engaging, and also has a certain amount of humour associated with it. At the same time, there is a strong emotional side which never brings the overdose. The world in the movie is indeed interesting, and there are some fine visuals which support this new universe. It is indeed a stylish and beautiful environment that we have here, and the connection with the original world is well-established.

Positives and negatives :: One might feel that the idea is not new, but the presentation does have some innovation about it, and it never really gets that dark or serious about the happenings around here. Due to the same reason, there can be some predictability here, which they have managed to hide at some points effectively. Ryan Reynolds is here with a fine performance, and a role which is very much more worth appreciation than Deadpool – here he plays one of the most lovable protagonists around, and he seems to do that with ease. As expected, he also excels in the action sequences. Jodie Comer excels in two worlds, and she strikes well with action sequences within the new world and also outside the game. There are some spectacular action scenes with the two around, and would be a case of grandeur on the big screen. Joe Keery also has a nice role to play which he manages well. Lil Rel Howery adds further to the comic side well. Taika Waititi also makes a good villain, the big rich one with only money in his mind.

How it finishes :: Free Guy is that kind of a movie which needs more attention in this part of the world, as it is appropriate for almost every kind of audience. The movie also deals with the idea of existence – maybe we are all in a video game too, and will never know. Maybe we are all programmed to, as there is something special about all of us – then, maybe life has no meaning; all these could be reminded by this one movie. What if we are not programmed to know the truth about our existence? Even in between all these people go for war, and most humans just hate each other. Maybe it would have been all better if this was a video game, for there is so much of hate, and the futility of one’s actions is disheartening. Those who work harder than others and the ones who are the most honest are the ones who suffer the most. You live a life with life-long learning and it might be some moron who gets the job for which you are best qualified – then there are the reservations which hands them the jobs. Maybe, our lives are also programmed – we might be in a video game.

Release date: 13th August 2021
Running time: 115 minutes
Directed by: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Joe Keery, Taika Waititi

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

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Deep Water

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Vampire Owl: So, how deep is the water?

Vampire Bat: Maybe the water is not really deep at all.

Vampire Owl: A vampire shall not check the depth of any water source.

Vampire Bat: You mean not even the rivers of blood?

Vampire Owl: I am not really fond of dried up blood.

Vampire Bat: Those have now become the plains of blood.

Vampire Owl: I have heard that zombies have rivers of brains.

Vampire Bat: It is a myth. In that case, they wouldn’t be desperately searching for more.

Vampire Owl: All horrors surely go deep.

Vampire Bat: There is already the presence of enough horror in the depths.

[Gets a vegetable samosa and three cups of white tea].

What is the movie about? :: Vic Van Allen (Ben Affleck) and Melinda Van Allen (Ana de Armas) are a seemingly normal couple living in a small town, Little Wesley, Louisiana. They also have a daughter, Trixie Van Allen (Grace Jenkins), but are not in love anymore, at least according to Melinda; yet they stay together. Melinda has many lovers though, and she maintains different relationships without deserting the family of which she continues to remain a part. Many people in the neighbourhood as well as their babysitter Chelsea (Juliet Brett) do consider them to be strange, but they go on with their regular lives with ease. Her new lover is Joel Dash (Brendan C Miller), who is forced to leave the party which they attend, after Vic tells him that he had killed one of the former lovers of Melinda. It feels like a believable story as the person had gone missing a long time ago. Kristin Peterson (Rachel Blanchard) from the neighbourhood tells him that now everybody has heard about that tale of murder. But people around him wouldn’t believe that, as they have known him for very long as a nice and forgiving person.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: While Vic seems to like a woman named Kelly Wilson (Kristen Connolly), but not thinking further about it, Melinda’s next lover is Charlie De Lisle (Jacob Elordi), who works as a piano teacher. But during a party, he is soon found dead in the house’s swimming pool, and Melinda suspects Vic of murder this time, as he had shown signs of being jealous, and was the last person to come out of the pool where they were celebrating. Kelly tells Vic that her husband Don Wilson (Tracy Letts) keeps telling everyone that Vic murdered the man by drowning him in the pool, and he also talks to Melinda about the same. Kelly also apologizes to him for her husband who comes up with some crazy theories, and he is concerned about the previous murder which Vic talked about too. Melinda and Don had even hired a private investigator named David Ricigliani (Joel R Martinez) who pretends to be a psychotherapist, but Vic is smart enough to figure him out. But that only increases the tension which is already present around there. How would the family go on from here?

The defence of Deep Water :: In the beginning, the movie might seem to follow a regular pattern, and might end up as a usual erotic thriller, but soon we come to know that this will not be the same. The movie picks up pace and brings the clues that we will be up to something divergent soon, and it is only a matter of time until we know that things are not really what they seem to be. If this was Deep Blue Sea or Dark Water, that would been another case – we have a combination of those movie names which seem so familiar. As this is based on the 1957 novel of the same name written by Patricia Highsmith, there is the material already set to go. The change from the plot of the original work is also something to be appreciated, because the movie adaptation changes seem to work perfectly for the leading cast, especially related to how things come together so well – otherwise, the proceedings of the movie wouldn’t have provided a meaning in the end. Then, you have to love the weirdness here, and it is never boring.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could feel like a little bit too long as it takes its own time to make things move through the path of a thriller, a psychological thriller. The leading man might feel to be the stoic one in the beginning, but people would find it the hard way that he is exactly not that. It could have chosen the full serial killer mode at some point of time, but it chooses not to go that dark in its tone. You do have Ben Affleck right at the core then, and he brings the special element as one would have hoped from him, even with that lack of interest shown in the beginning. Then there is Ana de Armas, this time with the black hair, has more than one surprise almost every time – she goes on around here with such vivacity which is unmatchable. With them around, one can look out for the psychological thriller as much as any other genre. You think that you know them, and their world – but this is not the universe where the predictable keeps happening, and deviations around here are going to keep you interested.

The performers of the soul :: Ben Affleck basically has a role reversal from what he had gone through in Gone Girl, and this time, as he would take a few actions related to the future of their marriage. He was also a favourite Batman for me for sure, and the roles to remember seems to come from him when least expected. Ana de Armas whom most of us know the best for her role in the Keanu Reeves starrer Knock Knock, surprisingly seems to have got younger and more beautiful here, and manages to go through this particular role with perfection. The Spanish actress who was also part of a Bond movie earlier, seemed to blend into this role as if it is custom-fit for a grand performance from her. It is evident from the very first moment when she is seen, and then right after the first party. Grace Jenkins who plays the daughter also has her own little moments. Kristen Connolly who is best known for The Cabin in the Woods also has a nice short role in here. At the same time, Tracy Letts plays the man of many doubts really well.

How it finishes :: Deep Water feels like one strange psychological thriller which takes the divergent path, the one which is not often explored this well. The emotions go strong and weird and you come across that kind of a couple who cannot be considered normal in any sense, even for the standards of some of those strange films. When you have much more than what meets the eye, it is more about the minds than anything else. With much less of a predictability factor, the movie is a fine work on the psychological side, as you keep looking forward to what happens next. Last year, Amazon Prime Video had The Voyeurs as one of the biggest exclusive releases, and this time after Kimi, this one stays a step ahead. As most of us continue the trend of not going to the theatres anymore, this release in the OTT platform adds to the interesting list of movies that we have watched at home. After all, home is the best place to watch movies these days, as we avoid the Corona virus as well as those overpriced petrol prices, parking fees and food.

Release date: 18th March 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 115 minutes
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Starring: Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Grace Jenkins, Kristen Connolly, Tracy Letts, Dash Mihok, Dash Mihok, Jacob Elordi, Lil Rel Howery, Brendan C Miller, Jade Fernandez, Finn Wittrock, Michael Braun, Devyn Tyler, Michael Scialabba, Jeff Pope, Paul Teal, Juliet Brett, Damon Lipari, Joel R Martinez, Jaren Mitchell

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Get Out

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Vampire Owl: This reminds me of the first two words Dracula uncle told me. It is nice of them to make a movie titled the same.

Vampire Bat: You are talking about what happened when you applied for apprenticeship with the wrong biodata.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I wasn’t trained in vampiric language at that time, and messed it up.

Vampire Bat: You could have just used the universal blood language at that time. It was an official language too.

Vampire Owl: I was just glad that I could get these two words from him without thinking that much about the same.

Vampire Bat: It was all that you were looking for?

Vampire Owl: Well, we are all satisfied with what we have, aren’t we?

Vampire Bat: Yes, we are happy with what we are, and what all exist for us.

Vampire Owl: It is something that we need to to teach the humans.

Vampire Bat: Unfortunately, even after being just mortals, they learn nothing about what could face them in the afterlife. The Lego movie characters know better.

[Gets three cups of evening tea with a piece of mango cake].

What is the movie about? :: A photographer named Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) have been in love for a few months, and they decide to visit her parents at a far away place, in the countryside, where they own a huge area of land of and property by the side of a lake. Chris is a little bit concerned about meeting her conservative parents because he is black, and her parents seem to be having a white legacy going with her grandfather having lost to Jesse Owens in front of Hitler during the Berlin Olympics of 1936. But the parents seem to be happy with their relationship, Dean Armitage (Bradley Whitford) and Missy Armitage (Catherine Keener) welcomes him to their home as part of their family, even though his brother Jeremy Armitage (Caleb Landry Jones) does come up with some strange remarks which they don’t mind that much.

So, what happens next in the movie? :: The servants at the house who are black, act rather too strange towards him, with Walter (Marcus Henderson) and Georgina (Betty Gabrietl), both doing strange things and also talking as if there is some hostility in the air. Chris has a strange feeling about the happenings at the place, and has a walk at night, during which he is hypnotised by Missy who is a psychiatrist, after which he feels no desire to smoke. He also seems Walter and Georgina doing some strange things, and Jeremy even tries to put a headlock on him, making him really uncomfortable. There is an annual gathering supposed to happen at the place too, during which a lot of guests seem to have special interest in him, except for the only black man in the group, Logan King (LaKeith Stanfield) who also acts strange. He talks about the same to his best friend, Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery) who asks him to get out of there.

And what is to follow with a twist of events? :: Chris also meets a man called Jim Hudson (Stephen Root), who is blind, but appreciates his work with photography, as he has his assistant who describes them to him. With all focus on him only, Chris asked about how it feels to be an African-American, but he passes the question to Logan who seems to have a certain problem answering the question, and when Christ tries to take his photo, gets angry, asking him to get out of there. Logan, bleeding from his nose, seems to feel better after a session with Missy, and Chris keeps narrating the happenings to Rod, who tells him that those people there might be brainwashing the black people with Missy’s hypnotizing ability, and keeping them as slaves, or even sex slaves, which at first seems funny, but Chris realizes that there is more to this strange behaviour of the people than what meets the eye.

The defence of Get Out :: The movie has its viewers feeling that there is something coming, right from the first sequence itself, and it keeps throwing something again and again on the way, to make sure that the audience is kept excited about what is to come. There is a big mystery ready to be revealed, and throughout the movie, there is the feeling of weirdness and danger which is nicely reflected through more than one character. The early feeling of waiting for the suspense to reveal itself has its replacement in the form of thrills and a certain amount of horror that get stronger by the end. We know that there is something eerie about it, but then we realize that there is even more to come as the movie progresses towards the end. There is tension that is shown between the characters here, and there is something like a rising intensity about it – we feel that this movie is getting better and better towards the end, as we know that something unexpected is to happen, and things are going to go bad for the protagonist, and then towards terrible.

The claws of flaw :: The humour doesn’t work much, and it also gets pretty much violent in the end, something which we weren’t expecting that much considering the first half. We do look at the huge amount of critical appreciation, and expect something even bigger, like a masterpiece, but we will only get this movie – on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie manages to have an approval rating of 99% based on 269 reviews; it is something that we don’t see that often, for things tend to come down a few days after a movie’s release. Metacritic has adjusted with an 84, but something like 99 is what keeps the expectations at a top level. People who have no understanding of the movie’s basic premise will find some trouble too. There is the certainty of some missing logic, with the way the movie becomes something not that natural by the end, which will raise some eyebrows here and there. If you are expecting the twist to be like The Skeleton Key, you are in for a surprise, with doctors and medical science being attached here, even without that much of a deep explanation.

How it finishes :: With Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams staying strong as the leading actors, we have a movie to look out for, right here. It is a flick which is not that well-known around here with a rather unknown cast for our audience, and not much of a title that grabs attention, but there will be a lot of fans for this one from here later, that is for sure. The opinions on this one are going to be divided here though, as the racial stuff is not going into the roots with our audience – maybe the caste would do if we make a similar movie here. The movie seems to reflect how things are, when we see another person as “the other“, as someone who really doesn’t belong to our group, and there are some people who pretend to accept them, even though they really don’t. People are such good actors in real life these days, aren’t they? We see so many of such people in this flick, and then there are others who just hate those who are different – the world still needs change for sure, and you see the need stored right within, with a smart horror thriller here. At the same time, lets hope that the viewers take something out of this movie and be better towards the others, the different, those who are not like everyone else.

PS: Check out the review of the latest release, Sunday Holiday.

Release date: 24th February 2017
Running time: 103 minutes
Directed by: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, Catherine Keener, Betty Gabriel, Marcus Henderson, Erika Alexander, LaKeith Stanfield, Stephen Root, Geraldine Singer

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.