The film revolves around the titular character who gets abducted by a biker gang from her idyllic yet remote home as she becomes a prisoner to a warlord and later traded to another one where she later seeks vengeance on the man who had taken her away from her home and killed her mother. It is a revenge film set years after a global apocalypse where this young girl lives in an idyllic, yet remote area known as the Green Place where she encounters a group of bikers who would kidnap her prompting her mother Mary (Charlee Fraser) to go retrieve her. Unfortunately, Mary meets the warlord Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) who wants to rule the wasteland as he takes Furiosa for himself and is later traded to another warlord in Immortan Joe in an act of peace. The film’s screenplay by George Miller and Nico Lathoruis is straightforward in its narrative as it is told in five acts with the first two acts revolves around the young Furiosa who must endure so much torment as a prisoner and later become a slave for Joe where she would later disguise herself as a mute boy for its third act. Part of the film’s narrative feature some narration from a prisoner of Dr. Dementus in the History Man (George Shevtsov) who would provide some insight into the world and what had happened.
Furiosa would help create a massive supply tanker that would be armed with weapons and such as it would be driven by Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) who would take Furiosa under his wing as they would work for Immortan Joe who becomes restless over the deal he made with Dr. Dementus who had turned his fortress of Gastown into ruin. Jack would not just be a mentor for Furiosa but also give Furiosa another person to really care about as there’s hints of love between them. Even as Burke is willing to help Furiosa return home as they later deal with Dr. Dementus who has become unruly in his pursuit of dominance as he goes to war against Immortan Joe over the latter’s land known as the Citadel.
Miller’s direction is grand in terms of the scale that he creates as he would shoot the film on location in New South Wales in the towns of Hay and Silverton with the desert in the region being its main location. Miller’s usage of wide and medium shots does not just play into the vastness of these locations with such diligence in the caves and dunes in the deserts along with these sandstorms that would often emerge in the film. There are also a lot of worlds building that Miller goes into as it relates to the territories of Immortan Joe such as the fortresses he has including his main home at the Citadel where there are plants available though it is under Joe’s control. Miller does maintain a sense of intensity and suspense that plays into what Furiosa would encounter as a young girl and later as a woman. Even as he uses close-ups to play into her reaction as well as her silent demeanor when she is a woman disguised as a boy where she can observe her surroundings and situations.
With the aid of action designer Guy Norris as a co-director and a stunt coordinator, Miller creates these amazing set pieces for some of the film’s action sequences where this so much diligence in what is happening. Notably a scene in the second act where Furiosa works at the war rig as she would fix things under the truck and kill some rogue bikers while Jack is driving the war rig. The different camera angles as well as the different compositions that Miller creates do add to the sense of danger in these stunts and action set pieces. Notably in the film’s climax as it plays into this conflict of two warlords with Furiosa intent on killing Dr. Dementus herself following an encounter that revealed how she lost a part of her left arm. Miller also plays into the idea of vengeance as it relates to Furiosa but also in what she is taught about Dr. Dementus who had lost everything during the apocalypse as he is eventually pushed to the limit when his back is against the wall. Overall, Miller crafts an epic and exhilarating film about a woman who goes on a journey for vengeance.
Cinematographer Simon Duggan does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural photography for many of the daytime exterior/interior scenes along with some stylish filters for some scenes at night. Editors Margaret Sixel and Eliot Knapman do excellent work with editing with its usage of jump-cuts and fast-cutting as it help play into the action and suspense without deviating towards chaotic cutting as shots are allowed to linger for more than a few seconds Production designer Colin Gibson, along with set decorator Katie Sharrock and supervising art director Sophie Nash, does brilliant work with the look of some of the places in the film such as Gastown and the Citadel as well as the design of the war rig. Costume designer Jenny Beaven does amazing work with the costume designs in the usage of leather for what Dr. Dementus and his gang wear as well as some of the unique clothing of Immortan Joe and his associates along with the many different clothes that Furiosa wears throughout her time.
Hair and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt does fantastic work with the design of some of the hairstyles of some of the characters as well as the prosthetic nose that Dr. Dementus has as well as the makeup of some of the people in Dr. Demtentus’ gang. Special effects supervisors Lloyd Finnemore and Andy Williams, along with visual effects supervisors Xavier Matia Bernasconi, Dan Bethall, Paul Butterworth, Andrew Jackson, and Jo Plaete, do marvelous work with the visual effects with its mixture of practical effects that gives the film a sense of realism into the stunt work and action with some computer-based visual effects for some of the scenery and small bits to play into its sense of terror.
Sound designers James Ashton and Robert Mackenzie do superb work with the sound as it is a highlight of the film for how massive an engine sounds from afar or up close as well as the way things sound on location as is top-tier work from Ashton and Mackenzie. The film’s music by Tom Holkenborg is phenomenal for its bombastic mixture of orchestral music and electronic music that plays into the intensity of the action as well as the suspense as it is a major highlight of the film.
The casting by Nikki Barrett is remarkable as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Dylan Adonis as Furiosa’s younger sister Little Valkyrie, Quaden Bayles as a war pup who is a warrior in the war rig, Daniel Webber and Sean Millis as a couple of war boys, Peter Stephens as the main guardian of Gastown until he meets Dr. Dementus, George Shevtsov as a prisoner of Dr. Dementus in the History Man who is also the film’s narrator, Angus Sampson as a doctor who worked for Dr. Dementus and later for Immortan Joe, and Jacob Tomuri as a mysterious man who finds Furiosa in the desert in the film’s third act. Josh Helman and Nathan Jones are terrific in their respective roles as Immortan Joe’s sons Scrotus and Rictus Erectus as two men who are trying to run things for their father as well as deal with the chaos that is Dr. Dementus and his forces. John Howard is superb as the People Eater as Joe’s advisor who is also a military strategist who is trying to deal with the chaos of Dr. Dementus.
Charlee Fraser is fantastic as Furiosa’s mother Mary Jabassa as a woman from the Green Place who is a cunning warrior that tries to retrieve Furiosa only to deal with Dr. Dementus and his horde of bikers. Elsa Pataky is excellent in a dual role as a Vuvalini general who helps Mary in her pursuit and as a deformed biker known as Mr. Norton. Lachy Hulme is amazing in a dual role as a lieutenant of Dr. Dementus in Rizzdale Pell and as the warlord Immortan Joe as this monstrous figure who sports a mask that runs the Citadel and much of the Wasteland where he finds himself challenged by Dr. Dementus only to later feel betrayed and conned by him prompting him to go to war. Alyla Browne is brilliant as the young Furiosa as a child from the Green Place who is kidnapped by Dr. Dementus’ horde of bikers as she later becomes his prisoner as she reminds him of what he once had and later trade her to Immortan Joe as a possible future wife where she deals with having to do things herself. Tom Burke is great as Praetorian Jack as the driver of the war rig who becomes Furiosa’s mentor as well as a life partner as he teaches her how to survive while also hoping to help her return home.
Chris Hemsworth is phenomenal as Dr. Dementus as a warlord who likes to ride a chariot of motorcycles as he is hoping to create havoc and rule the Wasteland where he is eager to find vegetation and such from the Citadel only to later rule Gastown into absolute disarray. It is a performance filled with humor but also a lot of terror as Hemsworth really provides this air of cruelty of a man who had lost everything and wants people to feel his pain including Furiosa. Finally, there’s Anya Taylor-Joy in a performance for the ages as Furiosa as this young woman who had endured a lot as she is also cunning in her pursuit of vengeance while also not saying very much as she only has thirty lines in the entire film. Taylor-Joy also has a way in the way she reacts to things as well as an icy stare that expresses so much by having her do so little as this is truly an iconic performance from Taylor-Joy.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is an outstanding film from George Miller that features a tremendous leading performance from Anya Taylor-Joy in the titular role. Along with its ensemble cast, ravishing visuals, high-octane action set pieces, immense sound design, a riveting music score, and a gripping screenplay in its exploration of vengeance and loss. The film is an example of what an action film should be while also giving audiences a look into the life of a beloved character with her own story that proves to be as thrilling as another of one of Miller’s great characters in Mad Max. In the end, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is a magnificent film from George Miller.
George Miller Films: Mad Max - Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior - (Twilight Zone: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet) – (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome) – (The Witches of Eastwick) – (Lorenzo’s Oil) – (40,000 Years of Dreaming) – (Babe: Pig in the City) – (Happy Feet) – (Happy Feet Two) – Mad Max: Fury Road - (Three Thousand Years of Longing) - (Mad Max: The Wasteland)
© thevoid99 2024
The film is the story of a young prince who witnesses the murder of his father by his uncle forcing the young prince to flee as he later grows into a man seeking revenge as he is aided by a slave in reclaiming his throne. It is a film with a simple premise where it isn’t just about revenge but also a boy becoming a man and trying to find himself and the fate of his quest. The film’s screenplay by Robert Eggers and Sjon is largely straightforward in its narrative yet it is more about the journey that its protagonist Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) takes from the time he witnesses his father in King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke) be murdered by his uncle Fjornir (Claes Bang) when Amleth was a child (Oscar Novak) as its first act is about Amleth making an oath to get revenge on his uncle and save his mother in Queen Gudrun (Nicole Kidman) from his clutches. The first act also shows him becoming a Viking where he helps attack villages and such until an encounter with a Seeress (Bjork) who tells him that Fjornir has been exiled from Norway and is in Iceland with his mother, his eldest son Thorir (Gustav Lindh), and their youngest in Gunnar (Elliott Rose).
The second act revolves Amleth going to Iceland by posing as a slave where he meets another slave in Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy) who claims to be a sorceress as she would help Amleth in seeking revenge. Yet, things become complicated as Amleth learns about Gunnar and the new world that Fjornir and Gudrun live in as they kept a low profile while Amleth also learns that his father’s jester Heimir (Willem Dafoe) had also been killed by Fjornir where Amleth meets the He-Witch (Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson) who serves a medium for Heimir for Amleth. Amleth doesn’t reveal himself directly to his mother as he and Olga continue to work in secrecy as they would fall in love but things do get more troubling following some revelations leading into its third act. Notably as it does play into Amleth’s own devotion to his father and his father’s devotion to the spiritual world and nature itself.
Eggers’ direction definitely has elements of style but also this element of physicality into the world that these characters live in as it is intense and at times, unforgiving. Shot on various locations in parts of Great Britain as well as Ireland and Iceland, Eggers maintains this sense of physicality in these locations with the first twenty minutes set in this cold mountain forest where there are these gorgeous imagery with the daytime exteriors and interiors having this sense of the cold and the scenes at night were it is all about natural lighting that include this spiritual ceremony hosted by Heimir for the young Amleth and King Aurvandill. The usage of close-ups and medium shot in that ceremony also include these surrealistic images that play into this connection with the spiritual world as they would occur often in the film including a shot of a young Amleth on a horse running towards the light that is Valhalla.
Eggers also uses a lot of wide shots to get a scope of these locations but also these surroundings the characters are in as it also play into a moment in time that is brutal but also entrancing. Notably in shots where Eggers uses the wide shots in using these dolly-tracking shots to showcase the places that Amleth is in whether it is the palace building he’s in as a child or the place to retrieve a sword that he needs for his quest. The usage of the dolly-tracking shots would also play into the suspense including scenes late in the second act where Fjornir deals with these mysterious attacks where Eggers also maintains this air of brutality in the violence as it would intensify in the third act. Notably the climatic showdown between Amleth and Fjornir as it is told in a stylized manner that owes more to the prophecy that Amleth had to follow yet there are these surrealistic elements that bring a lot of power to this climax. Overall, Eggers crafts a mesmerizing yet unsettling film about a young Viking prince going on a quest for vengeance against his uncle.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of filters for a few surrealistic shots while much of it is natural in some of the interiors with its usage of fire as light as well as its emphasis on available light for some of the exterior scenes. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing as its emphasis on having shots play out while also emphasizing on jump-cuts and rhythmic cuts to help play into the suspense and action. Production designer Craig Lathrop, with set decorators Pancho Chamorro and Niamh Coulter plus art directors Robert Cowper and Paul Ghirardini, does incredible work with the film’s art direction in the design of the village and castle that the young Amleth lived in to the fortress that he would attack as a Viking and the home that Fjornir would live in with Gudrun. Costume designer Linda Muir does fantastic work with the costumes from the design of some of the gowns that Gudrun wear as well as the armor that Fjornir and King Aurvandill wore as well as some of the wool clothes the other characters wore.
Hair/makeup designer Maralyn Sherman, with special effects makeup designer David White, does brilliant work with the look of a few characters with the Seeress being a major example as well as the look of a few spiritual figures that Amleth meets. Special effects supervisor Sam Conway, along with visual effects supervisors Angela Barson, Colin McCusker, and David Scott, does terrific work with some of the visual effects that include some of the film’s surrealistic imagery as well as some of the animals the characters encounter. Sound editors James Harrison and Steve Little, along with sound designers Jimmy Boyle and David Volpe, do phenomenal work with the sound as it help play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the usage of layered dialogue for some of the surrealistic moments as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough is remarkable as it is a highlight of the film with its usage of percussions, discordant strings, and other sounds to help create an unsettling tone for the film.
The casting by Kharmel Cochrane is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Ralph Ineson as a ship captain Amleth and Olga meet late in the film, Magne Osnes as a berserker priest who had become a father figure for Amleth, Kate Dickie as a senior slave who sort of runs Fjornir’s farm, Olwen Fouere as Fjornir’s priestess, Hafpor Julius Bjornsson as a rival tribe champion that Amleth fights during a game of knattleikr, Eldar Skar and Phill Martin as a couple of Fjornir’s housecarls with the former who lost his nose from a fight with the young Amleth, and Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson as the He-Witch as a spiritual figure who would serve as a medium for Heimir. Oscar Novak and Elliott Rose are terrific in their respective roles as the young Amleth and his eventual half-brother Gunnar as two young boys who both adore their fathers with the former feeling the need to get revenge while the other is struggling to prove to himself as a prince. Gustav Lindh is superb as Fjornir’s eldest son Thorir the Proud as a prince who is eager to rule over the slaves as he takes a disliking towards Amleth unaware of his true identity.
Bjork is fantastic in her brief role as a Seeress as this mysterious spiritual figure who would guide and remind Amleth of his quest for revenge while Willem Dafoe’s brief role as King Aurvandill’s jester Heimir is excellent for its sense of energy and intrigue as someone who doesn’t just favor the spiritual world but also the physical world. Ethan Hawke is brilliant as King Aurvandill as a man of simple ideas as he has a close bond with his son while he is also a man who loves nature and the spiritual world. Nicole Kidman is amazing as Queen Gudrun as a woman who is Amleth’s mother but is unaware of his identity believing he had died where she is devoted to her son and stepson/nephew as she also brings a lot of ambiguity to her role. Claes Bang is incredible as Fjornir as King Aurvandill’s brother who would take the throne feeling that his brother is too much of a savage as he is also someone that wants to make his own mark following his own exile.
Anya Taylor-Joy is sensational as Olga as a slave who claims to be a sorceress as she befriends and later falls for Amleth where she doesn’t just help him in getting his revenge but is also someone who also has a connection with nature and the spiritual world in the hope that a better future would come. Finally, there’s Alexander Skarsgard in a phenomenal performance as Amleth as a young prince who goes on a quest for vengeance to avenge his father and save his mother where he deals with the complexities of his mission and the added stakes as it relates to his family as well as his uncle where Skarsgard brings in a lot of restraint but also an intensity into his performance where it is a major breakout performance for him.
The Northman is a tremendous film from Robert Eggers that features great performances from Alexander Skarsgard and Anya Taylor-Joy. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous yet grimy visuals, intense music score, eerie sound design, its study of revenge and fate, and its idea of myth and spirituality. It is a film that doesn’t play by the rules when it comes to revenge films while it is also a study of a man trying to do what is right while facing obstacles that would push him further into his quest. In the end, The Northman is a spectacular film from Robert Eggers.
Robert Eggers Films: The VVitch - The Lighthouse (2019 film) - Nosferatu (2024 film) - (The Auteurs #75: Robert Eggers)
© thevoid99 2022
The film revolves around a young woman who goes to London to study fashion as her love for the 1960s has her transported to that time where she meets an aspiring singer whom she believed would later be killed by her pimp. It is a film that explore a woman’s obsession for a period in time she had never lived in where she finds herself going back in the 1960s where she follows the life of a young aspiring singer who ends up going into a dark path that lead to her death as she wants to know who killed this young woman. The film’s screenplay by Edgar Wright and Kristy Wilson-Cairns follows the desire of its protagonist Eloise “Ellie” Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) who has largely been raised by her grandmother Margaret “Peggy” Turner (Rita Tushingham) following the death of her mother when Ellie was a kid. Ellie’s love for 60s fashion, music, films, and culture has her wanting to go to London where she gets accepted to the London College of Fashion. Yet, she is mocked for her taste by her snobbish roommate Jacosta (Synnove Karlsen) though she does befriend another student in John (Michael Ajao).
Ellie would then accept an open invitation to live in the house of an old woman in Ms. Collins (Diana Rigg) upon she pays rent where she takes a job at a pub where the first night she stayed at the house. She is transported to the 1960s where she meets Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) who goes to a club where she catches the attention of a man named Jack (Matt Smith) who promises her the chance to be a singer at another club. Yet, things don’t go well as Ellie suspects this silver-haired old man (Terence Stamp) as Jack who keeps following Ellie claiming she looked like someone he recognized after Ellie had dyed her hair blonde. Adding to the chaos that Ellie endures is that she has strange visions that are probably connected to the fact that her mother was a schizophrenic as she starts to see things including ghosts that also includes a ghost of her mother (Aimee Cassettari). Through what Ellie sees with Sandie, it does commentate on the roles women had to play in order to reach their dreams as there is a feminist commentary about what Sandie had to endure and Ellie is dealing with as it relates to Sandie’s own plight.
Wright’s direction definitely owes a lot to films from the 1960s including the British cinema of that period where it is shot on location in London and in the Soho area as well as areas outside of London where Wright manages to showcase the Soho area of what it looked like in the 1960s and how it looked like in the 2020s. Wright’s usage of the wide and medium shots do capture a lot of detail into these locations as they are characters in the film as is the London College of Fashion as it showcases a modern world that is trying to distance itself from the past with Ellie being this anomaly who prefers the music of the past than what everyone else is into. Even as she is treated terribly by Jacosta forcing her to sleep outside of her room where there’s a party while John accidentally drank her can of Coke. Wright’s direction definitely knows when to play into the drama and some of the humor though the film opens in a light-hearted manner of Ellie dancing wearing a newspaper dress she created.
Wright’s usage of close-ups do add to the drama and suspense as the first shot of Ellie meeting Sandie in a mirror and how much they mimic each other in that sequence showcase Wright’s flair for style in the dancing where both Sandie and Ellie are dancing with Jack. It is among these images along with these fantasy scenes of Ellie trying to save Sandie whose dream to be a singer doesn’t go as planned as it is this reality that Ellie has a hard time coping. Even as things begin to blur in the third act where Ellie sees ghosts as she wonders if she is crazy or is she really seeing something that really did happen to Sandie. It all play into the roles women had to play then to get what they want in life but also the compromises they made where Ms. Collins would warn Ellie that a lot of bad things happened in London in the 1960s but people prefer not to talk about it. Overall, Wright crafts a thrilling and evocative film about a young woman who goes back to the 1960s to avenge the murder of a young woman from that period.
Cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its stylish usage of lighting to play up the Soho-London nightlife of both the 1960s and 2020s as well as emphasizing on natural lighting for some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes including at the classroom where Ellie and other students try to create their own fashion designs. Editor Paul Machliss does excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of fast-cuts as well as montages to play into some of the chaos that both Ellie and Sandie would endure. Production designer Marcus Rowland, with set decorator Judy Farr and supervising art director Tim Blake, does amazing work with the look of the room that Ellie rents as well as Ms. Collins’ home as well as some of the places in the 60s including the ballrooms. Costume designer Odile Dicks-Mireaux does fantastic work with the costumes from some of the homemade clothes that Ellie has created including her casual clothing to some of the stylish clothes that Sandie wears.
Hair/makeup designer Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou does nice work with the look of the characters from the hairstyle that Sandie has as well as the different hairstyles that Ellie would sport as well as the look of the characters in the 60s and the Halloween party scene. Special effects supervisor Stephen Hutchinson and visual effects supervisor Gary J. Brown do terrific work with the visual effects in some of the effects as it relates to Ellie and Sandie looking at each other in the mirror as well as the design of the ghosts that Ellie sees. Sound designer Ben Meechan, with sound editors Dan Morgan and Julian Slater, does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations and settings as well as the effects as it play into this blur of reality and fantasy.
The film’s music by Steven Price is wonderful for its orchestral score as it feature some low-key themes as well as some bombastic string-based pieces for some of the suspense while music supervisor Kirsten Lane creates an incredible music soundtrack that features pieces by Sandie Shaw, Cilla Black, Peter & Gordon, the Who, the Kinks, the Searchers, Dusty Springfield, John Barry, the Graham Bond Organization, the Walker Brothers, R. Dean Taylor, James Ray, Barry Ryan, Rory Gallagher, and Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich as well as non-60s music pieces from Siouxsie & the Banshees and Anya Taylor-Joy singing a couple of 1960s classics.
The casting by Nina Gold and Martin Ware is remarkable as it feature some notable small roles from James and Oliver Phelps as cloakroom attendants, Michael Jibson and Lisa McGrillis as a couple of detective Ellie goes to in the third act, Beth Singh as the famed singer Cilla Black, Pauline McLynn as the bar-owner Carol that hires Ellie, Aimee Cassettari as Ellie’s mother, Elizabeth Berrington as Ellie’s professor, the trio of Jessie Mei Li, Kassius Nelson, and Rebecca Harrod as Jacosta’s friends, Sam Claflin as a punter that Sandie meets in a montage, and Margaret Nolan in her final film performance in a brief performance as a barmaid at a club that Sandie works at. Synnove Karlsen is terrific as the snobbish Jacosta who is briefly Ellie’s roommate who thinks Ellie is homely and the embodiment of uncool. Rita Tushingham is fantastic as Ellie’s grandmother Peggy as a woman who encourages Ellie to reach her dream but also remind her that there is always need for help.
Michael Ajao is excellent as John as a fashion student that Ellie befriends as he is one of the few kind people she meets as he is also concerned about Ellie’s behavior yet does believe that her claims are true. Terence Stamp is brilliant as the silver-haired man who follows Ellie in Soho after she dyed her hair blonde because she reminds him of someone where Stamp brings that ambiguity into his identity yet is someone that isn’t fond of the past. Matt Smith is amazing as Jack as a man who frequents at clubs who promises Sandie all of the things to expect only to use her for his own financial means as he has this devilish charm to him that is also menacing. In her final film performance, Diana Rigg’s role as the landlady Ms. Collins is truly an incredible finale for the famed British film/TV icon as this old woman who is fascinated by Ellie but also harbor secrets of her own as there is a charm to her but also someone who lived in the 1960s through its good times and bad times as it is really a performance that for the ages with Rigg at least going out a winner.
Finally, there’s the duo of Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie in phenomenal performance in their respective roles as Sandie and Ellie. Taylor-Joy’s performance as the aspiring singer with a sense of style in Sandie is one of charisma and energy as someone who has a lot of talent but is unable to deal with the harsh realities of the world as it lead to some dark turns. McKenzie’s performance as the fashion student in Ellie is a more reserved character who prefers the music and culture of the 1960s than today’s culture as she deals with being in the 1960s and later what happened to Sandie where McKenzie sells a lot of the sense of fear but also someone who wants to bring some kind of justice towards a world when women didn’t have a lot of choices.
Last Night in Soho is a sensational film from Edgar Wright that features great performances from Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy as well as a towering finale from Diana Rigg. Along with its ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, story of reality and fantasy in a world dominated by men, and a phenomenal music soundtrack. The film is definitely a riveting and genre-bending thriller that explores a young woman’s fascination with the past only to realize that there were also a lot of dark things that happened that would repress another young woman from reaching her dreams. In the end, Last Night in Soho is a spectacular film from Edgar Wright.
Edgar Wright Films: (A Fistful of Fingers) – Shaun of the Dead - Hot Fuzz - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - The World's End - Baby Driver - The Sparks Brothers
© thevoid99 2021
Set during the Regency-era of England, the film revolves around the activities of a young woman in the titular character of Emma Woodhouse who likes to be a matchmaker as she also copes with her own desires in life while improving the lives of others. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it explores a young woman who seems to have a lot of influence on those she meets yet often finds herself sparring with her brother-in-law’s brother in George Knightley (Johnny Flynn). The film’s script is told in the span of the year and broken into four seasons beginning with autumn and ending in the summer. It all play into Emma’s own pursuit of control and success in matchmaking as she befriends a student in Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) who lives in an orphanage of sorts as she is awaiting the identity of her father. Emma tries to get Smith to be in a relationship with the young vicar in Mr. Elton (Josh O’Connor) that doesn’t go well while she also tries to be get in a relationship for herself with her former governess’ step-son Frank Churchill (Callum Turner).
The script uses the four season structure to play into Emma’s growth as a person but also in her friendship with Smith and rivalry with Knightley although the latter also cares for Emma’s father (Bill Nighy) who copes with the idea of being alone though Emma plans not to leave him. The script also play into Emma’s relationships with others including Miss Bates (Miranda Hart) whom Emma is fond of as well as her former governess Mrs. Weston (Gemma Whelan) and her husband Mr. Weston (Rupert Graves). Notably as Emma would meet Churchill as she has to deal with the presence of Mrs. Bates’ niece Jane Fairfax (Amber Anderson) as it would create a rivalry of sorts for Churchill’s affections that would serve as a challenge to Emma who is forced to confront her own faults.
Autumn de Wilde’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in her presentation from the meticulous attention to detail in her framing as well as the way she presents this vibrant period of the times in England as it is shot on various locations in Britain with Firle Place in Sussex as the exterior of Emma’s home. The direction has de Wilde maintain this sense of atmosphere in the film as she also maintains a certain look for each season to recreate this idea of what it was like in those times. The usage of wide and medium shots add to the look of the film where de Wilde create these striking compositions that include shots of young girls wearing red robes walking in the background. There are also these shots that do look like they’re recreation of paintings while de Wilde also knows when to use close-ups as whether it’s a close-up of a face or hands as it says a lot in doing so little. It showcases the attention to detail in what de Wilde wants to capture in the way characters behave towards one another while choosing to create scenes that help play into the drama or a comedic moment.
Much of the film’s humor is low-key as de Wilde knows when to create something that is funny but it is done with much subtlety in the way Smith reacts to Mr. Elton’s portrait or the way Emma reacts to a bad situation along with her own feelings towards Mr. Knightley later in the film. The direction has de Wilde also maintain this air of tension that does start to loom in the third act with some revelations about Churchill as well as Emma losing some sense of control as she is forced to deal with her own growing pains. Still, de Wilde does find a way to flesh out the story and characters where it would allow Emma to figure things out but also do something for herself towards the end. Overall, de Wilde crafts an intoxicating and heartfelt film about a young woman who plays matchmaker for those around her while coping with her own faults and feelings about herself and everyone else.
Cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt does brilliant work with the film’s lush and colorful cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for some of the daytime exterior scenes set in sunny days to its usage of low-key lights and filters for a few scenes in the winter along with candle lights for a few nighttime interior scenes. Editor Nick Emerson does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into some of the dramatic and comedic reaction of characters. Production designer Kave Quinn, with set decorator Stella Fox and supervising art director Andrea Matheson, does amazing work with the interior look of the rooms and places that Emma and other characters go to including some of the shops and the ballroom for the ball scene at Miss Bates’ home. Costume designer Alexandra Byrne does fantastic work with the costumes as it has a lot of life from the simplest of clothing to the lavish dresses the women wear as it is a highlight of the film.
Hair/makeup designers Marese Langan, Laura Allen, and Claudia Stolze do wonderful work with the design of the hairstyles as there’s a lot of attention to detail into the hairstyles that the women have including some of the things that Emma has on her head. Special effects supervisor Neal Champion and visual effects supervisor Dillan Nicholls do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal special effects as it is largely bits of set dressing to help enhance the visuals. Sound editor Glenn Freemantle does superb work with the film’s sound as it adds to the atmosphere of the scene in capturing the natural locations along with some mixing in the way music and sparse sounds are heard in a room. The film’s music by Isobel Waller-Bridge and David Schweitzer is incredible for its mixture of orchestral music and the folk music of the time as it adds to the humor and drama with some lush string arrangements in some parts of the film while music supervisor Becky Bentham help provide the array of folk themes that were available during those times including a few originals that add to the atmosphere of the period.
The casting by Jessica Ronane is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Chloe Pirrie as Emma’s sister Isabella, Oliver Chris as George’s brother and Isabella’s husband John, Tanya Reynolds as a young woman in Augusta whom Mr. Elton would be with later in the film, Gemma Whelan as Emma’s former governess in Miss Taylor who becomes Mrs. Weston, Rupert Graves as Mr. Weston who does what he can to help Emma out, Amber Anderson as Miss Bates’ niece Jane Fairfax who becomes a source of competition for Emma although she is really a nice person, and Connor Swindells in a superb performance as Robert Martin as a friend of Mr. Knightley who pursues Harriet as he is someone that doesn’t have much to offer but is still a man of honor. Callum Turner is terrific as Frank Churchill as Mr. Weston’s son from his first marriage who is a charming young man that intrigues Emma though he is also quite cagey in the way he reacts towards Miss Fairfax.
Josh O’Connor is fantastic as Reverend Mr. Elton as a young vicar whom Emma tries to have him be a suitor for Harriet only he’s kind of a dimwit with other interests instead of Harriet as he would also prove to be much colder later in the film. Miranda Hart is excellent as Miss Bates as a woman who had been a lifelong family friend to Emma as she is trying to organize balls and be helpful to Emma and Harriet as it is an understated yet touching performance from Hart. Bill Nighy is brilliant as Mr. Woodhouse as Emma’s father as a man of great importance as well as being wise to the young people while lamenting over the idea of being lonely and ill since he is unable to deal with cold weather as it is a touching performance from Nighy. Johnny Flynn is amazing as Mr. George Knightley as a young man who is close with Emma’s family as he isn’t fond of Emma’s schemes and her behavior yet also is aware of her value as he also is attentive towards Harriet following Mr. Elton’s snub towards her proving he’s a good man that Emma really needs.
Mia Goth is phenomenal as Harriett Smith as a young woman who is awaiting the identity of her father as she lives in a school/orphanage where she becomes Emma’s friend while trying to find herself and her own wants in life as it is this mesmerizing and heartfelt performance from Goth. Finally, there’s Anya Taylor-Joy in a tremendous performance as the titular character as this young woman who likes to be a matchmaker and be in control of everything. Taylor-Joy brings a lot of wit and charisma to her performance but also bring up this air of naïveté as someone who doesn’t know as much as she believes as it is a career-defining performance for Taylor-Joy.
Emma is a sensational film from Autumn de Wilde that features a great leading performance from Anya Taylor-Joy as the titular character. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, ravishing visuals, its theme of love and control, a mesmerizing music score, and gorgeous locations. The film is definitely a compelling and whimsical comedy-drama that plays into the ideas of love and a young woman’s perception of it as it is faithful to the ideas and vision of its creator in Jane Austen. In the end, Emma is a phenomenal film from Autumn de Wilde.
© thevoid99 2021
Written and directed by Cory Finley, Thoroughbreds is the story of a high school student and her best friend who create a scheme to kill the former’s stepfather as they hire a drug dealer to do the job. The film is a suspense-drama that play into two girls who try to get a man killed as they cope with what they’re trying to do. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke, Paul Sparks, Francie Swift, and Anton Yelchin. Thoroughbreds is an eerie yet provocative film from Cory Finley.
Two old friends who had been estranged for a few years reunite for a study session as they rekindle their friendship by conspiring to kill one of the girls’ stepfather. It’s a film that play into a simple premise of two young women conspiring to murder a hateful and abusive man as they would get a drug dealer involved to do the job. Cory Finley’s screenplay is told through four chapters as it relates to the strained friendship between Amanda (Olivia Cooke) and Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy) as they’re both from upper-class homes yet haven’t really spoken or seen each other since the death of Lily’s father. Amanda is someone who is unemotional due to a mental disorder where she is sent to Lily’s home for tutoring/studying for an upcoming test as things start off awkward until Amanda gets a glimpse at Lily’s stepfather Mark (Paul Sparks) who runs the household with a very strict demeanor.
Even as he’s putting Lily in a boarding school for her behavioral issues which has Lily turning to Amanda for help as the two would scheme and turn to a drug dealer in Tim (Anton Yelchin). Yet, Tim already has a criminal record where he raises concern about if the plan would work with Amanda having figured out a lot of what to do with Lily also becoming unsure if the plan would work. Adding to the stakes is wondering what can go wrong as it’s something Amanda is fully aware of as she is trying to figure out all of the angles with Lily trying to make plans of her own.
Finley’s direction is straightforward in terms of the compositions and setting as it is shot on location in various small towns in Massachusetts as a small upper-class area in Connecticut. While there are some wide shots and some unique tracking shots in parts of the film, much of Finley’s direction emphasizes more on the interaction between characters and the tension at the home where Lily lives with Mark and her mother Cynthia (Francie Swift). Even in scenes where Amanda reveals how she can fake emotions with Lily along with the two chatting and watching old movies where Finley doesn’t really go for any tricks other than a few close-ups to play into the emotion as well as what is happening in the background as it relates to Mark.
By the time Tim is in the picture as he’s introduced in the first act at a party that Lily goes to, the film does get darker in tone with bits of humor while it also play into the attention to detail of what might happen. Yet, the film’s third act isn’t just about the aftermath of the plan but also Lily’s own reaction as well as the need to act on her own with Amanda realizing what Lily is trying to do. It would include this scene where it’s about what is happening off-screen as it focuses more on a character who is probably aware of what is happening but not in a good frame of mind. Overall, Finley crafts a compelling yet rapturous film about two teenage girls conspiring to kill one of the girls’ stepfather with the help of a drug dealer.
Cinematographer Lyle Vincent does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for many of the daytime exterior scenes with some low-key and stylish lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editor Louise Ford does terrific work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Jeremy Woodward and set decorator Kyra Friedman Curcio do fantastic work with the look of Lily’s home with all of its posh material including a giant chess set in the backyard. Costume designer Alex Bovaird does nice work with the costumes as it is stylish for the clothes that Amanda and Lily wear.
Sound editor Gene Park and sound designer Roland Vajs do superb work with the sound in maintaining an atmosphere into suspense including the film’s climax that is about the action that is happening off-screen. The film’s music by Erik Friedlander is amazing for its percussive-based score with elements of strings and electronics that help add to the suspense and drama while music supervisor Susan Jacobs creates a soundtrack that is a wide mix of music genres featuring contributions from A Tribe Called Quest, the Sweet Hurt, King Harvest, Rome Will Burn, Tanis Chalopin, and a classical piece from Franz Schubert.
The casting by Douglas Aibel and Stephanie Holbrook is wonderful as it feature a couple of notable small roles from Kaili Vernoff and Francie Swift in their respective roles as Amanda’s mother and Lily’s mother Cynthia. Paul Sparks is superb as Lily’s cruel stepfather Mark as a man who tries to instill his own sense of rules into the home while wanting to send Lily to a boarding school to deal with her own behavioral issues. In one of his final performances, Anton Yelchin is brilliant as Tim as a drug dealer who is hired by Amanda and Lily where he is unsure about doing the job knowing he’s got a criminal record and is trying to maintain a low profile while he raises concern about all of the things that can go wrong.
Finally, there’s the duo of Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy in incredible performances in their respective roles as Amanda and Lily. Cooke’s performance is one filled with restraint and dark humor as someone who is devoid of emotion yet is able to figure out what to do and how as it is a performance filled with a lot wit. Taylor-Joy’s performance is also restrained but more emotional as someone that is trying to keep it together while also trying to cope with the scheme she’s doing where she and Cooke have an amazing chemistry in the way they interact as they are major highlights of the film.
Thoroughbreds is a phenomenal film from Cory Finley that features great performances from Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, and the late Anton Yelchin. Along with its eerie visuals, chilling music score, and an entrancing story of scheming and friendship, it’s a film that doesn’t follow the many of conventions expected in a suspense film while studying the behavior of two teenage girls dealing with a terrible man. In the end, Thoroughbreds is a sensational film from Cory Finley.
© thevoid99 2019
Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Split is the story of a man who kidnaps three teenage girls as he is revealed to have 23 different personalities as he becomes unhinged. The second film in a trilogy of films based on individuals with special abilities that was preceded by 2000’s Unbreakable, the film features a man who is holding three young women hostage in order to connect with the different personalities he has. Starring James McAvoy, Anya-Taylor Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula, Brad William Henke, and Betty Buckley. Split is a gripping and harrowing film from M. Night Shyamalan.
Three teenage girls get abducted at a local mall by a mysterious man who inhabits 23 different personalities as they all try to escape but have no clue what they’re facing just as the man himself is being checked upon by a psychiatrist who believes he is developing a new personality. It’s a film with a simple premise yet there’s a lot of complexities into the situation that these three young women are in as they believe they’re facing just one man but he’s not exactly what he seems through the personalities he inhabits. M. Night Shyamalan’s screenplay follows the events that Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) and the many personalities he is in where he would meet his psychiatrist Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) as the kind and artistic Barry while he would be the OCD Dennis, the feminine and proper Patricia, and the young boy Hedwig.
For the two of the three teenage girls in Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula) who both try to find ways to escape only to be imprisoned in separate rooms. The third teenage girl in Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy) is aware that something isn't right about Kevin as she’s coping with her own childhood trauma that relates to what is happening to her. Yet, she is the odd girl as she only was with Claire and Marcia because of a party the former was having and didn’t have anything to do while is also someone that prefers to be a loner. This connection with Kevin just adds to the drama and suspense as Casey is more concerned with understanding what Kevin is as a way to earn the trust of one of his personalities and hopefully find a way to get out.
Shyamalan’s direction is engaging for suspense and drama that he creates as much of it is intimate in its setting in this mysterious world that feels like it is set in an underground environment. Shot on location in Philadelphia, the film does have Shyamalan use the city as a major location where Kevin would visit Dr. Fletcher occasionally whenever he needs help as Barry. Though Shyamalan does use a few wide shots for the locations outside of Kevin’s lair, much of his direction has him using close-ups and medium shots that include these claustrophobic scenes where it play into the girls trying to hide or be in this room that has a bathroom next to it that they have to clean constantly or else Dennis does something to them. The camera movements of the hallways with pipes on the ceiling definitely play into this air of terror that looms throughout the film while things feel much freer outside of that place. Notably as there’s scenes in the streets of Philadelphia where Dr. Fletcher would notice something as it relates to Kevin as Barry and what is happening to him as he starts to develop this 24th personality.
Shyamalan’s direction also play into these simple yet effective dramatic scenes such as a meeting between Kevin as Barry/Dennis and Dr. Fletcher where he keeps the camera still in a close-up of Kevin’s face as he’s slowly changing into this personality while Dr. Fletcher is talking. It’s a moment in the film that has Shyamalan using simple methods to get something going as it play into this shift of a man starting to unravel as he is becoming more dangerous to the girls he’s abducted. The film’s third act is about the unveiling of the 24th personality as well as Casey’s discovery about Kevin’s real identity and the personalities he has where it is clear that this is someone who also had trauma that is similar to what she encountered as a child told through flashbacks. Overall, Shyamalan crafts a chilling and provocative film about three teenage girls abducted by a mysterious man with multiple personalities.
Cinematographer Mike Gioulakis does excellent work with the low-key yet eerie look of the interiors at Kevin’s home and the rooms that he has with its usage of little lighting while going for something straightforward with the exterior scenes in day and night. Editor Luke Ciarrocchi does brilliant work with the editing as it does use rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense but also know when not to deviate from fast-paced speed cutting that is often conventional with big-budget films. Production designer Mara LePere-Schloop, with art director Jesse Rosenthal plus set decorators Jennifer Engel and Lauri Gaffin, does fantastic work with the look of the place where Dr. Fletcher works at as well as the home where Kevin lives and keeps his hostages in this small and desolate room. Costume designer Paco Delgado does nice work with the costumes as it include certain kind of clothes that Kevin wears in the different personalities he inhabits.
Visual effects supervisor Ed Mendez does terrific work with the film’s visual effects that isn’t used much except for a key moment in the film’s climax as it relates to the activities of Kevin’s new personality. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as the tense moments in the suspense into what Kevin becomes. The film’s music by West Dylan Thordson is wonderful for its eerie ambient-based score that help set a tone for the scene without overdoing it while music supervisor Susan Jacobs brings in a soundtrack of a variety of music from hip-hop, classical, indie, and score music from other films to play into the world the characters live in.
The casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it include some notable small roles and appearances from M. Night Shyamalan in a cameo as a security guard who recorded a video of Barry walking out of Dr. Fletcher’s building, Lyne Renee as an academic director for a seminar that Dr. Fletcher is speaking at, Neal Huff as Claire’s father at the beginning of the film before he gets knocked out by Kevin, Sebastian Arcelus as Casey’s father in Casey’s flashback scenes, Brad William Henke as Casey’s uncle John who is seen in the flashbacks as someone that is involved with Casey’s trauma, and Izzie Coffey as a young Casey from her own flashbacks. Jessica Sula and Haley Lu Richardson are fantastic in their respective roles as Marcia and Claire as two teenage girls captured by Kevin as they try to fight back in some ways with the latter leading the charge while the former also tries to fight Kevin as they both end up being isolated.
Betty Buckley is brilliant as Dr. Fletcher as a psychiatrist who is trying to understand Kevin’s condition as she notices that Kevin is starting to behave differently as Barry and later into other personalities such as Dennis where she believes that a new condition has emerged. Anya Taylor-Joy is amazing as Casey Cooke as a teenage girl who is also abducted by Kevin as she tries to understand Kevin while not wanting to do anything that could get her killed due to her own traumas where she would make a chilling discovery as it’s a restrained yet intoxicating performance from Taylor-Joy. Finally, there’s James McAvoy in a tremendous performance as Kevin Wendell Crumb as a man with 23 different personalities as McAvoy displays a lot of different accents, demeanors, and physical stances to play these personalities where he manages to be charming but also dangerous as it is really a career-defining performance from McAvoy.
Split is a sensational film from M. Night Shyamalan that features a tour-de-force performance from James McAvoy. Along with strong supporting work from Anya Taylor-Joy and Betty Buckley as well as eerie visuals, a discomforting setting, and a haunting music score. It is a film that marks a major return to form for M. Night Shyamalan as well as be a chilling suspense film that play into the idea of three young women dealing with the unknown. In the end, Split is a phenomenal film from M. Night Shyamalan.
M. Night Shyamalan Films: (Praying with Anger) – (Wide Awake) – (The Sixth Sense) – (Unbreakable) – (Signs) – (The Village) – (Lady in the Water) – (The Happening) – (The Last Airbender) – (After Earth) – (The Visit (2015 film)) – (Glass)
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Robert Eggers, The VVitch (A New-England Folktale) is the story of a family whose newborn son has suddenly disappeared as they deal with their surroundings as well as each other. The film is set during the early 17th Century in Colonial America where a family deal with their own fears in the middle of the woods. Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson, and Kate Dickie. The VVitch is an evocative yet eerie film from Robert Eggers.
Set in the 17th Century in New England, the film follows a Puritan family, who had been banished from a plantation over disagreements about faith, who move into a remote land near the woods where a series of strange events happen following the disappearance of the family’s newborn son. It’s a film that play into a family that is devoted to their faith and trying to create a farm in the land they live in as things begin to unravel by these mysterious events. Robert Eggers’ screenplay doesn’t just follow the life of this family but also the slow unraveling where they would accuse of each other of supposed witchcraft with the young woman Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy) being the major suspect despite the fact that her father William (Ralph Ineson) and younger brother Caleb (Harvey Scrimshaw) believe she isn’t a witch. Even though Thomasin was with the baby Samuel (Axtun Henry Dub and Athan Conrad Dube) the moment he disappeared.
She still gets blamed for what happened from her mother Katherine (Kate Dickie) while she becomes more uneasy when her twin siblings Mercy and Jonas (Ellie Grainger and Lucas Dawson, respectively) singing songs about a mysterious being called Black Phillip. During the course of the story, stranger things intensify as does the tension between the family members with Thomasin being the suspect as she had teased Mercy earlier claiming she’s a witch which wasn’t true. These incidents would force William to do something as Thomasin would see that something is off as she notices Mercy and Jonah acting suspiciously around this black goat.
Eggers’ direction is very entrancing for the way it creates a film that is about atmosphere and location. Shot on location in Kiosk, Ontario in Canada, the film maintains this look that is very grey and dreary with one shot of blue sky is only seen in the film. While Eggers would use some wide shots to get a scope of the locations and creating some unique compositions of the actors in their surroundings including scenes at the wood. Much of Eggers’ direction has him using some close-ups and medium shots as it play into the tension within the family as well as the suspense and drama that would loom throughout. Notably during the film’s second act where Thomasin and Caleb go into the woods where the latter makes a very eerie discovery that would impact everything.
There aren’t any big moments of violence but there is still an intensity that is fierce in the drama as it relates to the family being at odds with one another. Especially as it relates to witchcraft and Thomasin being the major suspect where it is also clear she is becoming a woman and there were plans of sending her away to help another family. This revelation only increases the tension between Thomasin and her mother where things eventually unravel prompting Thomasin to wonder if there is some evil spirit lurking around in the woods. Overall, Eggers creates a rapturous yet unsettling film about a family dealing with evil spirits lurking in the woods.
Cinematographer Jarin Blaschke does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting as many of the nighttime interiors were shot with lit candles as well as other elements to create something atmospheric and eerie. Editor Louise Ford does excellent work with the editing as it does have bits of style in its approach to rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense and drama. Production designer Craig Lathrop, with set decorator Mary Kirkland plus art directors Derek Connell and Andrea Kristof, does fantastic work with the look of the farm and the interior of the home that the family live in as well as the design of a mysterious home in the woods.
Costume designer Linda Muir does amazing work with the costumes as it play into the period of the times with its bonnets for the women and some of the clothes that the men wore in those times. Visual effects supervisor Geoff D.E. Scott does nice work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it is mainly bits of set dressing as well as a scene during the film’s third act. Sound designer Adam Stein and sound editor Mark Gingras do superb work with the film’s sound in creating that eerie atmosphere for some of the scenes in the woods that would play into the horror as it’s one of the film’s highlights. The film’s music by Mark Korven is incredible for its disconcerting and gripping music score with its usage of orchestral strings, choir arrangements, and other instruments that help play into the suspense and drama.
The casting by John Buchan, Kharmel Cochrane, and Jason Knight is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Sarah Stephens as a mysterious young woman in the woods, Bathsheba Garnett as a mysterious old woman in the woods, Axtun Henry Dube and Athan Conrad Dube as the baby Samuel, and Julian Richings as the plantation governor who would cast William and the family out of the plantation over an argument he has with William. Ellie Grainger and Lucas Dawson are fantastic in their respective roles as the twin siblings Mercy and Jonas as two young kids who have been singing weird songs and spend time with a black mountain goat that has made Thomasin very uneasy. Harvey Scrimshaw is excellent as Caleb as a young boy who knows something is going on in the woods as he tries to find out while knowing that it’s probably the cause of all of the tension within the family.
Kate Dickie is brilliant as Katherine as the mother of the children who seems to have a dislike towards her own daughter as she becomes stricken with grief as it’s an intense and chilling performance from Dickie. Ralph Ineson is amazing as William as family patriarch who put his family into an uncertain situation as he tries to maintain his sense of faith while wondering if he had made the right decision. Finally, there’s Anya Taylor-Joy in a phenomenal performance as Thomasin as a young woman who is dealing with not just losing her baby brother but also the chaos that would emerge as it’s a very intense and eerie performance of a young woman finding herself becoming a suspect for all of the bad things that is happening as she struggles with everything happening around her.
The VVitch is a tremendous film from Robert Eggers. Featuring a great cast, a riveting story, gorgeous visuals, eerie sound design, and an unsettling score. The film is definitely a horror film that doesn’t play by the rules while showcasing what happens when the ideas of faith and family is being tested by something unknown and possibly evil. In the end, The VVitch is a spectacular film from Robert Eggers.
Robert Eggers Films: The Lighthouse - The Northman - Nosferatu (2024 film) - (The Auteurs #75: Robert Eggers)
© thevoid99 2017
