Dead of Night (1946)

A contractor heads out to the country to estimate a remodel but is struck by déjà vu immediately. Those in the house are fascinated by his strong belief that he's dreamed all of this before and, as a result, start sharing their own experiences with the supernatural.

It's well-crafted and spooky without ever delving into sheer terror (though the dummy scene scared me but good when I was younger). Just a great Halloween movie.

B+

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)

I was pretty concerned that this would be too violent for me (I really have a problem with bats as weapons). But it was, instead, just a blast with cartoonish violence and a reckless "anything goes" vibe. Quinn is a fun narrator and Robbie plays her just right. I was on her side.

It's obvious that this cast was enjoying themselves thoroughly and it's impossible not to sucked into the fun.

B

Leave No Trace (2018)

Father and daughter Will & Tom live rough in one of Portland's forested parks. Their arrangements are simple and they keep themselves undetectable to park visitors. When necessary, they venture into the city to pick up provisions and to visit the VA as Will suffers from PTSD. Despite their efforts, they're discovered and temporarily detained before being offered housing on a local tree farm in exchange for labor. But Will cannot take it for long and is soon ready to push off into the wild again.

This story was so affecting. Though I'm not an outdoorsy type at all, I am empathetic to the longing to be free of bureaucracy and other people's ideas of how one must live. I also really loved the fact that those they encountered were not bullies or judgmental -- they truly wanted to help and did so with kindness. But decency isn't the same as freedom. And just because you are related to & love someone doesn't mean you long for the same life.

I was sobbing by the end and so grateful to have experienced this gem.

A-

A Handful of Dust (1988)

It took a bit before it got going and then I was still fairly confused about the arrangements... apparently taking a lover was a pretty common occurrence in '30s England? I'm not sure if I've got that right. Despite my ignorance of British society, I wound up invested in the story. I couldn't help but root for Tony, cuckolded for loving his ancestral home and being rather too accommodating. Once he finally stood up for himself and chased an adventure, he landed in even hotter water. 

All that said, the movie still felt stiff and a little flat -- more like a made-for-PBS movie than one that got the full cinematic treatment.

B-

Night Comes On (2018)

When she turns 18, Angel is released from juvie with no job and no place to stay. She does, however, have a plan: track down and kill her father for murdering her mother. In that pursuit, she finds her sister in foster care and embarks on a bus trip with her to visit him.

It's a very quiet and deliberate story. It doesn't dwell, but we understand the struggles that Angel faces and the seeming insurmountability of her situation. If she wants something, she will have to pay for it with money she doesn't have or the body she does. It's clear that she longs for a different life but doesn't have the support she needs tools to get it. Surprisingly, the vibe winds up being hopeful rather than depressing.

B-

The Leisure Seeker (2018)

An elderly couple take off on a road trip in their titular ancient Winnebago. Their grown kids are worried because she is suffering from advanced cancer and he from some form of senility -- perhaps Alzheimer's. He was a professor of literature and always wanted to visit the Hemingway House in Key West, so that's where they're headed.

It's a really good story of one woman's fight to retain control of her own destiny, even as family and disease want to remove her choices. It's also a stark look at the frustrations of the love of your life being right in front of you but seeming to be nowhere near due to the cruelty of the aging mind.

Surprisingly, it's not a downer.

B-

The Informer (1935)

Gypo, a big simple lug, wants to get some money to take his girl away from a life of poverty in Ireland. When his friend, on the lam for murder as part of the Irish rebellion, shows up in town, Gypo sees an easy way to make that money: by informing and collecting the bounty. The problem is, he can't cope with the guilt -- nor can he stop spreading his newfound wealth all over the town.

There's really not much to this. If Gypo had an ounce of sense, he would've gotten away with it. But he's so dumb and willing to accuse others of his crime that it's pretty difficult to root for him.

C-

Brittany Runs a Marathon (2019)

When I saw the trailer for this, I literally said "fuck that movie" because it was, so clearly, another fat = loser story. And -- for the first half or so -- it sure seemed like that's how it was going. But then it surprised me by taking aim at unhealthy habits of any kind: including placing too much importance on the scale's number. I wound up thanking my daughter-in-law, who recommended it, after initially rolling my eyes at the suggestion.

B

Khartoum (1966)

British General Gordon leads an Egyptian army in the defense of Sudanese Khartoum against "Mahdi" a Muslim leader. They both believe they are doing the will of God and have mutual respect for the other, but stand in stark opposition.

There's drama with the British government wanting to pull Gordon out without looking weak and Gordon refusing to leave though even Mahdi wants him out before he attacks. But it doesn't really matter because this movie was just so repetitively boring. 

D+

Take Me to the River (2016)

A couple and their 17-year-old son travel from California to Nebraska for a mother's side family reunion. The son would like to come out as gay while there, but the mother is dead-set against it. When a young female cousin runs screaming with blood on her dress after being alone with Ryder (the son), tensions get very high -- as one would expect. What one doesn't expect is that the Californians would stay put, banishing their son to a shack on the property, rather than leaving immediately.

This whole movie was seriously skeevy. You know that something is going on beneath the surface, but for families to use children in a revenge plot for a long ago incident just went beyond the bounds of decency. Everyone lacks so much common sense, too. I felt dirty when this was finally over.

D

The Invisible Man (2020)

Cecilia is so terrified of her tech genius boyfriend Adrian that she has to drug him in order to escape in the middle of the night. Even then, she hides out at a friend's house -- scared to walk outside lest he find her. But, when news breaks that the he has committed suicide, she is finally able to relax...until she becomes convinced that Adrian might not be as gone as everyone thinks.

This is one of those "everyone turns against a person who has, to this point, been trustworthy" movies. For example, a mean email breaks a lifelong sisterly bond... when would that ever happen?? If I received a message from my sister that said "I never want to see you again," etc. and then she showed up on my doorstep saying that she never wrote that, I'd give her the benefit of the doubt. I mean, duh.

It's also one of those movies where everything was given away in the trailer. It's a fine jump-scare movie for 13 to 15-year olds, but everyone else has probably seen this type of thing done better before.

C+