Set in a small rural town called Centerville, the film revolves around a mysterious zombie invasion caused by polar fracking that has altered the rotation of the Earth’s axis. It is a film with a simple premise as it relates to locals and local law enforcement dealing with a zombie invasion with some unique commentary observed by a local recluse in Hermit Bob (Tom Waits) who would narrate as he walks around the woods seeing what is happening. Jim Jarmusch’s script has a unique narrative as it play into multiple characters including locals, the law enforcement, a Scottish undertaker who carries a samurai sword, traveling hipsters, a trio of juvenile delinquents, and a MAGA farmer. Notably in their reaction to the news about the Earth’s axis being off its rotation which explains watches and smartphones not working as well as day and night being off with the dead rising from the grave on the latter. The script also play with the dialogue as well as certain phrases that would become gags.
Jarmusch’s direction is also offbeat as it is set in a small town that is shot on various locations in small towns in upstate New York. While Jarmusch would include wide and medium shots of the locations that include the mountains near these small towns. Much of his direction is intimate in the usage of medium shots and close-ups as it opens with Chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray) and Officer Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver) trying to talk to Hermit Bob over claims that he stole some chickens from the local MAGA farmer Frank Miller (Steve Buscemi). The film then goes into offbeat elements with Chief Robertson and Officer Peterson noticing that it is 8 PM and it is still daylight with their watches and phones not working. Jarmusch’s approach to horror is more comical as the first two zombies who would appear during nighttime with the moon glowing would create havoc all because they want coffee. It would then lead to other mysterious events where Chief Robertson, Officer Peterson, and Officer Mindy Morrison (Chloe Sevigny) try to comprehend what happened with Officer Peterson realizing it is a zombie invasion.
Jarmusch would also create moments that are suspenseful yet also play into humor with characters realizing some of the zombies they killed as well as things with which they could not deal. A trio of juvenile delinquents in Stella (Maya Delmont), Olivia (Taliyah Whitaker), and Geronimo (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) are easily the smartest characters in the film as they figured out how all of this happened while dealing with their adult supervisors treating them like idiots. Jarmusch also play into the idea of consumerism in what these zombies want in the words they say as Jarmusch also puts in some satire as it relates to conspiracy theories and fake news with a news reporter in Posie Juarez (Rosie Perez) providing the news on nearby locations. The sense of surrealism and odd things would occur that includes the presence of the new local undertaker in Zelda Winston (Tilda Swinton) who is an oddball that practices Buddhism, carries a samurai sword, and speaks in a Scottish accent. Even as she participates in a climax that also strays from convention in a film where moments of the fourth wall is broken. Overall, Jarmusch crafts a quirky and humorous film about a group of locals dealing with a zombie invasion.
Cinematographer Frederick Elmes does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key lighting and shadows for the exterior scenes at night including shots at the cemetery as well as colorful lighting for some of the interior scenes. Editor Affonso Goncalves does excellent work with the editing with a few elements of jump-cuts, slow-motion shots, and other stylish cuts to play into the film’s humor. Production designer Alex DiGerlando, with set decorator Kendall Anderson and art director Julia Heymans, does fantastic work with the look of the diner where some of the characters socialize as well as the police base where some of the action happens. Costume designer Catherine George does nice work with the costumes as they are straightforward, including a few stylish bits in the clothes that the zombies wear.
Special makeup effects designer Michael Marino does amazing work with the look of the zombies as they all have a different look to play into their own wants as it also has elements of quirkiness in how they move. Special effects supervisors Michael Fontaine and Johann Kunz, along with visual effects supervisor Alex Hansson, do terrific work with the visual effects as it relates to the moon as well as scenes involving the zombie and a major moment in the film’s climax. Sound designer Robert Hein does superb work with the sound in how music sounds from a car as well as sound effects that play into the zombie apocalypse. The film’s music by SQURL and Carter Logan is wonderful for its low-key electronic score with contributions by Jim Jarmusch that play into the film’s suspense and humor while the music soundtrack features an original song by Sturgill Simpson that is played throughout the film.
The casting by Ellen Lewis is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Sturgill Simpson as a guitar-carrying zombie, Charlotte Kemp Muhl as a fashion zombie, Jodie Markell as a woman on TV talking about her missing cat, Eszter Balint as the diner waitress Fern, Rosal Colon as a janitor working at the diner, RZA as delivery worker who is friends with the gas station/toy shop owner Bobby that has some unique views on the world, Carol Kane as a dead town drunk who comes alive as a zombie who wants chardonnay, and the duo of Iggy Pop and Sara Driver as two zombies that wants coffee. Larry Fessenden is terrific as a motel owner in Danny Perkins who is becoming upset over his cats disappearing while Rosie Perez is superb as the local news reporter Posie Juarez who reports all the mysterious events on the news. The trio of Maya Delmont, Taliyah Whitaker, and Jahi Di’Allo Winston are fantastic in their respective roles as the juvenile delinquents Stella, Olivia, and Geronimo.
The trio of Austin Butler, Lukas Sabbat, and Selena Gomez are excellent in their respective as a trio of hipster travelers in Jack, Zack, and Zoe with Gomez being the standout as a young woman with a love for Sturgill Simpson. Caleb Landry Jones, Danny Glover, and Steve Buscemi are brilliant in their respective roles as town locals in the gas station/toy store owner Bobby, the hardware store owner Hank Thompson, and the MAGA farmer Frank Miller as locals who deal with the zombie invasion with Buscemi being ignorant about what is happening. Tom Waits is amazing as the local recluse Hermit Bob who is the observer in the film as he realizes something is going wrong as he does everything he can to be away from the chaos. Tilda Swinton is incredible as the local undertaker Zelda Winston who is an odd newcomer to the town in what she wears as well as practicing Buddhism and carries a samurai sword as Swinton brings a lot of fun to her character.
Finally, there is the trio of Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Chloe Sevigny in remarkable performances as the local law enforcement in Chief Cliff Robertson, Officer Ronnie Peterson, and Officer Mindy Morrison. Sevigny provides that sense of fear of a woman who is unprepared for zombies while becomes emotional over the fact that she must kill people she knew. Driver’s performance is low-key in his humor as he is someone who drives a small smart-car while also comments on everything that is happening where he breaks the fourth wall at times. Murray’s performance is subdued as a police chief who is taken aback at what he is facing as he was hoping to retire as he later copes with the severity of the situation he is in.
The Dead Don’t Die is a marvelous film by Jim Jarmusch. Featuring a great ensemble cast, an offbeat and witty take on the zombie movie genre, colorful visuals, and an eerie yet odd music soundtrack. It is a film that plays with the tropes of the zombie film genre while also being subversive in its approach to the genre. In the end, The Dead Don’t Die is a remarkable film by Jim Jarmusch.
Jim Jarmusch Films: Permanent Vacation - Stranger Than Paradise - Down by Law - Mystery Train - Night on Earth - Dead Man - Year of the Horse - Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai - Coffee and Cigarettes - Broken Flowers - The Limits of Control - Only Lovers Left Alive - Gimmie Danger - Paterson - (Father Mother Sister Brother) - The Auteurs #27: Jim Jarmusch
© thevoid99 2025
Set in Kissimmee, Florida at the Magic Castle Inn motel, the film revolves around a six-year old girl who spends much of her time playing with other kids including a new kid at another nearby motel as she deals with her young mother trying to make ends meet while they’re watched by a tough yet fair motel manager who does care about the young girl. It is a film with a simple premise as it’s more about the many adventures a six-year old girl and her friends take part as they scrounge up whatever money they can get while living in this motel near Walt Disney World. The film’s screenplay by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch is largely straightforward in its narrative but has a looseness in its structure as it follows the exploits of Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) as she plays with her friends as they do all sorts of things and beg for money to buy an ice cream cone while she lives in a motel with her young mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) who works as an exotic dancer until she loses her job.
While she does get free food from a friend in Ashley (Mela Murder) whose son Scooty (Christopher Rivera) is a friend of Moonee, Halley would also sell perfume outside other motel/hotels nearby to pay the rent. Still, she is hoping to go out and party yet things become problematic as well as the fact that she and Ashley fall out over an incident involving Moonee and Scooty at an abandoned condominium area with their new friend Jancey (Valeria Cotto). It would lead to some trouble though Halley doesn’t make things better in how she would get rent money as the motel manager Bobby (Willem Dafoe) has been keeping an eye on things as well as watch over the children. While Bobby is a character that is tough on the rules and can tolerate the children in their mischievous antics. He does care about them as well as Moonee knowing that this girl can fend for herself despite her mother’s immaturity as he would also fend off a pedophile trying to chat up with the kids.
Baker’s direction doesn’t just feel loose in its presentation but it also has this colorful feel to it as it is shot on location in Kissimmee with the U.S. Highway 192 route being the main part of the film as it is a major character in the film as is the Magic Castle Inn. Baker’s usage of the wide shots are definitely striking as he definitely captures the scope of the building as well as the many different areas in the town as it showcases the world that Moonee and her friends live in. There’s a vibrancy to the visuals as it does play into a world that is magical in some ways yet there is also a realism into the fact that it is nearby one of the most famous attractions in the world in Walt Disney World where these real-life places add to this air of Americana that is unique. Baker’s usage of the medium shots and close-ups play more into the life at the Magic Castle motel including the room that Moonee and Halley stay in as it play into the world that these characters live in.
Also serving as the film’s editor, Baker maintains that air of looseness in the editing as it play into the sense of energy in the film where Baker uses jump-cuts to capture some of the energy in the kids running around the motel parking lots and such. Even where Baker would use hand-held cameras to bring up that air of realism as he also employ a lot of non-actors in the film. It gives the film that grounded presentation where Baker also shoots the film in 35mm for much of the film with the exception of the ending as it was shot on an iPhone 6S Plus. Still, Baker does maintain that sense of vibrancy in the visuals though it becomes more realistic during its third act as it does play into Halley’s activities in her room and the trouble she brings despite her intentions to raise Moonee though it would come with many complications. Overall, Baker crafts an exquisite yet entrancing film about the life of a six-year old girl and her young mother living and creating chaos at a motel in Kissimmee, Florida.
Cinematographer Alexis Zabe does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography as its emphasis on capturing the vibrancy of the locations with all of its colors has something that does feel like a fantasy though it set in real locations while many of the scenes at night are low-key in its lighting as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Stephonik Youth and set decorator Kurt Thoreson do excellent work with the look of the motel room that Moonee and Halley live in as well as the motel lobby and a few places the characters go to. Costume designer Fernando Rodriguez does fantastic work with the costumes as it is play into the look of the film with all of its colors and neon-like look in some of the things the characters wear.
Special effects supervisor James. L. Roberts and visual effects supervisor Philippe Desiront do terrific work in some of the film’s minimal set pieces that include the scene of the kids burning a pillow at a condo that goes wrong. Sound editor Jesse Pomeroy and sound mixer Mark Weber do amazing work with the sound as it help play into the real atmosphere of the locations as well as the way music sounds from another room. The film’s music by Lorna Balfe is wonderful as it is largely low-key as it appears mainly in the film’s ending as this soaring orchestral piece that play into the drama while music supervisor Matthew Hearon-Smith cultivates a fun soundtrack that ranges from hip-hop, pop, R&B, Latin music, and such from acts such as Kool & the Gang, Nao, Vee tha Rula, Bobby Harden, Frank Fuchs, Bronze, Rich White, Hatuey, Ghosmerick, Skeey, Men Envy Children, Doug Walker, Renz Young, Coca Vango, Ryan Oakes, Mikey Amare, Noah North, Jennie Dapello, the Zinghoppers, Prez P and Big Nic, STS, Friends of the Friendless, Creig Camacho, Holfix, and George Pollis as a lot of is played on location.
The casting by Carmen Cuba is incredible as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Macon Blair as a tourist who claims Halley stole some wrist bands, Sandy Kane as an elderly lady who likes to be topless at the pool area, Aiden Malik as a friend of Moonee and Scooty in Dicky, Edward “Punky” Pagan as Dicky’s father, Josie Olivo as Jancey’s grandmother, Andrew Romano and Carolina Grabova as a Brazilian newlywed couple on their honeymoon, Terry Allen Jones as a cab driver in Patrice, and Caleb Landry Jones in a small role as Bobby’s son Jack who shows up when his father asks for help at the motel. Valeria Cotto and Christopher Rivera are amazing in their respective roles as Jancey and Scooty with the former being a new arrival at a nearby motel who joins in the fun and see the locations while the latter is a kid who likes to find things including a lighter that would ultimately raise suspicion from his mother. Mela Murder is excellent as Scooty’s mom Ashley who works at a diner as she helps bring in free food to Halley and Moonee until an incident forces her to be a mother and keep Moonee away from Scooty.
Willem Dafoe is phenomenal as Bobby Hicks as a manager for the Magic Castle motel who watches over everything as there’s moments where he’s stern and has to not take any bullshit from anyone but there is also a sensitivity in the way he acts towards the kids including Moonee as he becomes concerned for her well-being due to the activities her mother is doing in the film’s third act. Bria Vinaite is brilliant as Halley as a young woman who loses her job as an exotic dancer as she does what she can to pay her rent and be a good mom although she doesn’t make the best decisions and acts immature at times which adds to the realism of her performance. Finally, there’s Brooklynn Prince in a sensational performance as Moonee as a six-year old girl who likes to play around and do fun things despite the chaos she brings that naturalistic energy and innocence to her character as well as a sense of heartbreak into the situations she has to endure as it is a true breakthrough performance.
The Florida Project is a tremendous film from Sean Baker that features great performances from Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, and Willem Dafoe. Along with its ensemble cast, rapturous visuals, a vibrant and realistic setting, study on poverty near a world that is meant to be magical, and its bumping music soundtrack. It is a film that explores life seen from a young girl’s perspective as she tries to have fun during the summertime while dealing with the reality of her environment. In the end, The Florida Project is a spectacular film from Sean Baker.
Sean Baker Films: (Four Letter Words) – Take Out (2004 film) – (Prince of Broadway) – Starlet (2012 film) – Tangerine (2015 film) – Red Rocket - Anora
© thevoid99 2022
The film follows a young woman who is addicted to heroin as she tries to get her next fix while roaming around New York City as she also contends with her on-again, off-again boyfriend who treats everyone like shit. It is a film that is really the study of a woman who is homeless and needing a fix where she deals with trying to scrounge money for her fix but also contend with her abusive boyfriend. The film’s screenplay by Josh Safdie and Ronal Bronstein is largely straightforward in its narrative yet it focuses on the life of Harley Boggs (Arielle Holmes) as she roams around the city while dealing with the coldness from her boyfriend Ilya (Caleb Landry Jones) to the point that she slashes her wrists in front of him where she goes to the hospital. Following her release, she continues to pursue Ilya but also befriends the low-level dealer Mike (Buddy Duress) by trying to get money and such as well as be around him to get her fix. Throughout the film, Mike questions why Harley continues to be around Ilya who is cold and abusive as he is reluctant to give her heroin though he has to do whatever to continue his business as well as feeding his own addiction.
The direction of Josh and Benny Safdie definitely has a raw quality to the overall presentation as if they’re showcasing everything on location in and around New York City through a form of cinema verite. Yet, it is a style that does give the film that realism it needed to showcase the grit and grime of Harley’s own lifestyle as she would often sit in a place with a sign needing money while would often take part in thefts at convenience stores. There are some wide shots the Safdies use to not just establish certain locations but also wisely avoid notable landmarks of the city by grounding the film in the streets where they use medium shots to play into the characters in certain spots. Notably a scene where Harley and Mike steal some mail to see if they can find something they can make money from as it play into the way junkies and dealers survive.
The Safdies also maintain this sense of desperation of how junkies live and go for their fix as the usage of close-ups play into that desperation including these shots of Harley on a bed with a pink neon light all over her. The film also showcases some graphic moments of violence such as a moment early in the film where Harley cuts herself in front of Ilya to prove her love to him as well as a fight between Ilya and Mike. It is among these moments that do feel real but also in Harley’s own blindness in her love for Ilya even though a lot of what Mike says about him is spot-on as it does play into this cycle of abuse. The third act doesn’t just showcase Harley’s own devotion towards Ilya but also some truths about Ilya as he is someone that can show love but it is only fleeting. Overall, Josh and Benny Safdie craft a mesmerizing yet harrowing film about the life of a heroin addict in the streets of New York City.
Cinematographer Sean Price Williams does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward to play into the air of realism where it is shot with available light for many of its exteriors with bits of lighting for some of the interior/exterior scenes at night. Editors Benny Sadie and Ronald Bronstein do excellent work with the editing as it does have some style in its usage of jump-cuts and other straightforward cuts to play into the drama. Production designer Audrey Turner and art director Blake LaRue do fantastic work with the look of some of the homes that the characters crash at as well as a home where Mike lives in.
Visual effects supervisor Adam Teninbaum does terrific work with some of the film’s visual effects as it largely relates to a key moment late in the film that would play into something big. Sound mixers Evan Mangiamele and Benny Safdie do superb work with the sound as it play into the natural elements of the locations as well as how music is played on a location. The film’s music by Paul Grimstad and Ariel Pink, with additional pieces by Isao Tomita, is incredible for its eerie electronic score that play into some of the dark moments of the film with some somber pieces from Tomita as well as music from Burzum, James Dashow, Headhunterz, and Tangerine Dream for its soundtrack.
The casting by Eleonore Hendricks and Josh Safdie do wonderful work as it feature some notable small roles from Diana Singh as a woman who let Mike and Harley live at her home as long as they pay rent, Yuri Pleskun as a drug dealer named Tommy, Mike Patellis as Mike’s supplier Marcos who gives Harley a motorcycle ride, Aaron Keller as a Hasidic man who gives Harley money to get high, Benjamin Hampton as Mike’s friend Antoine, Eleonore Hendricks as Ilya’s friend Erica who would be a girlfriend to Mike during his break from Harley, and Ron “Necro” Braustein as a friend of Ilya and Harley in Skully who is hoping to help Harley out following her suicide attempt. Buddy Duress is amazing as Mike as a drug dealer who makes Harley his assistant of sorts while also giving her the fix she needs while also having issues with Ilya.
Caleb Landry Jones is brilliant as Ilya as Harley’s on-again, off-again boyfriend who is quite cold and verbally abusive towards her as he is also someone dangerous despite the fact that he does have some love for her. Finally, there’s Arielle Holmes in a phenomenal performance as Harley Boggs as a young heroin addict dealing with a tumultuous relationship as well as her own addiction where she deals with a self-destructive lifestyle and lots of uncertainty as there’s a raw nature to her performance as well as showcase the reality of how junkies live.
Heaven Knows What is a phenomenal film from Josh and Benny Safdie that features a great leading performance from Arielle Holmes. Along with its ensemble cast, gripping character study, raw visuals, and a hypnotic music score and soundtrack. It is a film that explore the life of a drug addict as she deals with trying to find a home and win back her boyfriend despite the fact that he’s cruel to her. In the end, Heaven Knows What is an incredible film from Josh and Benny Safdie.
Safdie Brothers Films: (The Pleasure of Being Robbed) – (Daddy Longlegs) – (Lenny Cooke) – Good Time (2017 film) – (Uncut Gems)
© thevoid99 2022
Written and directed by Jordan Peele, Get Out is the story of young African-American who is in an interracial relationship with a white woman where she takes him to her family home where he makes an awful discovery. The film is a horror film set in a quaint American suburb where a young man realizes what is going on as it relates to the world of white liberals and their ideas of race. Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Stephen Root, Lakeith Stanfield, and Catherine Keener. Get Out is a thrilling and horrifying film from Jordan Peele.
The film follows an African-American photographer who reluctantly agrees with his white girlfriend to visit her family at their countryside home where he learns that the family’s African-American maid and groundskeeper act very strangely as is an African-American guest at an annual party. It’s a film that explore the idea of a world where a young man is about to go into a world that he isn’t sure would be receptive in as he arrives to this small countryside town where it is the opposite where he’s welcomed. Jordan Peele’s screenplay showcases why Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is reluctant to meet this family but he is calm by the reception he’s given though he notices a lot of odd things at the house where his girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams) lives with her family that consists of her neurosurgeon father Dean (Bradley Whitford), her psychiatrist-hypnotist mother Missy (Catherine Keener), and younger brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones).
Dean and Missy may seem welcoming towards Chris as they both offer to help him quit smoking yet Jeremy is a little leery towards Chris. Jeremy doesn’t surprise Chris but it’s the housemaid Georgina (Betty Gabriel) and groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson) who both sport these strange smiles just make Chris uneasy. When Missy converses with Chris, things take a weird turn as it relates to a tragedy in Chris’ life as it lead to moments that become offbeat to the guests Chris meets at this annual gathering Dean and Missy have every year. Notably as they’re largely white with the exception of an Asian and an African-American man named Logan (Lakeith Stanfield) who also acts odd as he’s in a relationship with a white woman 30 years older than him. The odd atmosphere and people Chris meets would have him asking many questions as it would lead to something darker prompting his best friend in TSA agent Rod Williams (Lil Rel Howery) to make some chilling discoveries of his own.
Peele’s direction does have elements of styles in terms of the camera movements he creates as well as the element of surrealism that looms throughout the film. Especially in the opening sequence in which an African-American is at a suburb calling a friend telling him about some fucked-up shit as he notices a white car is driving nearby and some weird shit happened. Though the film is set at upstate New York with a few shots set in New York City, much of the film is shot on location in Fairhope, Alabama and the city of Mobile, Alabama as it play into this idea of an idyllic countryside home near the suburbs in an autumn setting. Peele’s usage of the wide shots play into the vast scope of the exterior of the house while he would use some dolly-tracking shots for some unique medium shots to get a look at the interiors of the house. It would play into something that is idyllic but there is still something off as Peele’s approach to the humor is restrained while the drama is also low-key and straightforward. The second act in which the annual party with all of these guests is definitely an intriguing sequence. Notably in that restrained approach to humor where there’s subtleties into what these guests are saying.
When a moment at the party becomes chilling, it does create that sense of intrigue that Chris is dealing with as it confirms that something has been off the moment he and Rose accidentally hit a deer on their way to Rose’s family home. Peele’s direction would leave behind small clues such as a door that’s left ajar in Rose’s room as well as the behavior of the housemaid and groundskeeper whenever they approach him. The film’s third act is definitely a horror film but not in a gory nor in a conventional sense in comparison with modern horror. Instead, Peele takes his time to let things unfold while balancing that with some humor involving Rod’s own discovery and his need to seek out help. It all play into these ideas of social classes and race relations where Chris is aware of the way things are but never would realize how far some people would go to ensure African-Americans’ place into 21st Century society. Overall, Peele crafts a very witty yet harrowing film about an African-American’s visit to his white girlfriend’s family home where it’s not what it seems.
Cinematographer Toby Oliver does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the natural and colorful look of the daytime exterior scenes to the usage of low-key lights for the exterior scenes at night as well as other lighting schemes to play into the suspense and horror. Editor Gregory Plotkins does brilliant work with the editing as it doesn’t devolve into conventional horror editing techniques as it plays more into building up the suspense with its stylish edits while using some inventive montages to help play into the suspense and surrealism. Production designer Rusty Smith, with set decorator Leonard R. Spiers and art director Chris Craine, does fantastic work with the look of the Armitage family home as well as some of its rooms and the apartment that Chris lives with Rose where Rod is watching Chris’ dog. Costume designer Nadine Haders does terrific work with the costumes as it is quite straightforward with the exception of the posh clothes of the party guests as well as the clothes that Logan wears.
The visual effects work of Paul Baran does superb work with the visual effects as it is largely minimalist for the deer-hitting scene as well as these surreal sequences whenever Chris is under a state of hypnosis where he’s in this strange world. Sound editor Trevor Gates does amazing work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the party as well as the way Missy would stir her teacup with a spoon as it adds a lot to the sound design as it is one of the film’s highlights. The film’s music by Michael Abels is incredible for its mixture of low-key orchestral music mixed in with some Swahili-inspired chants that include bits of blues to play into the suspense and horror while music supervisor Christopher Mollere provides a fun soundtrack that mixes pop and hip-hop as it features cuts by Childish Gambino, Flanagan and Allen, and Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.
The casting by Terri Taylor is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Richard Herd as Dean’s father, Erika Alexander as a detective that Rod goes to in the third act, Marcus Alexander as the groundskeeper Walter, Betty Gabriel as the housemaid Georgina, Lakeith Stanfield as the odd yet young African-American guest Logan, and Stephen Root in a superb small role as a blind art gallery dealer in Jim Hudson who is interested in Chris’ photos. Lil Rel Howery is fantastic as Chris’ friend Rod as a TSA agent who house-sits Chris’ apartment and his dog where he would get calls from Chris about the trip as he notices something is off when he doesn’t get any calls prompting him to start his own investigation. Caleb Landry Jones is terrific as Rose’s younger brother Jeremy as a young man that doesn’t seem fond of Chris as he wants to practice jujitsu moves on him while being too eager to play into the scheme that is unveiled in the third act.
Bradley Whitford is excellent as Dean Armitage as Rose’s father and a revered neurosurgeon who is warm to Chris while being very odd in the way he approaches or converses with Chris. Catherine Keener is brilliant as Missy Armitage as Rose’s psychiatrist/hypnotist who is also warm to Chris as she is intrigue into the tragedy of his life as she would use it as a tool to get him hypnotized. Allison Williams is amazing as Rose Armitage as Chris’ girlfriend as this young woman who epitomizes kindness and free-thinking as she understands Chris’ reluctance to meet her parents while there is something off about her when she’s at her parents’ home where she adds a layer of creepiness to her performance. Finally, there’s Daniel Kaluuya in a remarkable performance as Chris Washington as an African-American photographer who gets invited to meet his girlfriend’s parents as he tries to remain calm and collective but notices something isn’t right as it’s a very restrained performance from Kaluuya that would eventually become more chilling as the film progresses.
Get Out is a tremendous film from Jordan Peele. Featuring a great ensemble cast, an eerie music soundtrack, themes on race and social classes, and an inventive and witty script that is willing to create discussion. It’s a film that is definitely explores the ideas of racism in a modern context and how people perceive others who are different as well as what they want to do in a modern world. In the end, Get Out is a phenomenal film from Jordan Peele.
Jordan Peele Films: Us (2019 film) - Nope
© thevoid99 2017
Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the story of a woman who rents three billboards to bring attention into why the local police haven’t made any effort into finding out who killed her daughter. It’s a film that explores a small town unraveled by a woman’s need for justice where its chief wants to help but is dealing with personal matters prompting his deputy to cause a lot of trouble. Starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage, Abbie Cornish, and Sam Rockwell. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a visceral and eerie film from Martin McDonagh.
A young woman had been raped and killed outside a small town in Missouri as her mother becomes consumed with guilt and rage as the investigation hasn’t gone anywhere prompting her to rent three billboards outside of the home that asks its local police chief why hasn’t there been any arrests. The film is about these three billboards which has caused a lot of trouble for this small town in Missouri as its police chief is dealing with the fact that he’s dying from cancer despite the fact that he does want to help. Yet, there are those who are angered by the billboards including a deputy who acts out by causing all sorts of trouble unaware of what he’s supposed to do for the town. Martin McDonagh’s screenplay doesn’t just explore this small town rocked by a murder only to be more unhinged when Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) decides to rent these three billboards outside of a town that is on her way home where it reads the following message in sequential form: “Raped while dying”, “And still no arrests”, and “How come, Chief Willoughby?”
While Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is upset over the billboards, he does understand Mildred’s anger as he is still unable to get a break over the murder of Mildred’s daughter Angela (Kathryn Newton). Adding to his trouble is the fact that he’s diagnosed with cancer as he’s become more concerned with his wife Anne (Abbie Cornish) and his two daughters. Though he tries to continue his job as well as find any clues with Angela’s murder with Deputy Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) helping him despite the fact that he doesn’t like Mildred nor does he do what is right by the law as he is prejudiced and takes the law into his own hands. One of McDonagh’s key aspects of the script isn’t just the structure and this exploration for peace and justice in a small town. It’s also in the development of the characters as both Mildred and Chief Willoughby are individuals want some idea of justice as the first two acts revolve around both of them with the former being a single mother with a teenage son in Robbie (Lucas Hedges) as she also has a contentious relationship with her ex-husband Charlie (John Hawkes).
Then there’s Dixon who is this mama’s boy that is very hot-headed and eager to succeed in the force but is also a dimwit who prefers to read comic books and listen to music on his earphones than do his job. There are people in the force who would question why Willoughby would keep him on the job as it would be unveiled in the third act where it play into Dixon’s development as a character. Especially as he would find his true calling that would give him a sense of purpose as well as give some kind of hope and peace to Mildred and Chief Willoughby.
McDonagh’s direction is definitely evocative in terms of the imagery he creates where it is shot mainly in Sylvia, North Carolina as this small town of Ebbing, Missouri with its usage of mountains and routes with certain curves on the road. Yet, there is this one location of these three abandoned billboards that would be at the center of the film as they would appear constantly whether it’s in a wide shot or in a close-up. Since the billboards are below a hill where Mildred can see hit from her house, it is placed in an area outside of town where it would get a lot of attention where McDonagh’s would showcase how some would react to these billboards. Notably Chief Willoughby and Dixon who would see these billboards as it just add to their reaction whether it’s serious or comical. The humor in the film does have an aspect of darkness but also in the way Mildred deals with people including a local priest as she puts him in his place.
McDonagh would also use close-ups and medium shots to get an intimate look into the lives of the characters in the film as he would show what they’re like as Mildred is just a woman who works in a shop that is just consumed with grief and anger as she lives with her teenage son. Chief Willoughby lives in a farm with his family while living in the small town is Dixon with his mother as they all have different lives and personalities yet are part of this very diverse community that is coming apart by Mildred’s actions. Even in some of the moments that involve arson and violence with the latter coming from Dixon as he beats up a local advertising agent. It’s a gruesome scene but it play into the sense of loss that Dixon is dealing with and his inability to control himself as he would later find that control during a tense meeting with a man at a bar. It’s a moment that shows that despite many of Dixon’s flaws, there is still a man that is just trying to do good for his community. Even in a world where justice is hard to come by for a woman just wanting peace for her daughter and those who had suffered through this murder. Overall, McDonagh crafts a mesmerizing yet gripping film about a woman calling attention for justice for her daughter’s rape and murder.
Cinematographer Ben Davis does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography from the usage of low-key lights and such for many of the scenes set at night to a more naturalistic look for the interior/exterior scenes set in the day. Editor Jon Gregory does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Inbal Weinberg, with set decorator Merissa Lombardo and art director Jesse Rosenthal, does fantastic work with the look of some of the locations including the police precinct building and the look of the billboards. Costume designer Melissa Toth does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual including the uniforms Chief Willoughby and his team wear.
Special makeup effects designer Leo Corey Castellano does terrific work with the look of a character late in the film as it play to escalation of tension in the film. Visual effects supervisor Tyler Gooden does wonderful work with the visual effects as it is mainly based on scenes involving fire. Sound editor Joakim Sundstrom does superb work with the sound with the way some of the scenes in the small town occurs as well as some of the film’s violent moments. The film’s music by Carter Burwell is incredible for its mixture of low-key orchestral music with some country textures to play into the location of where the film is set while music supervisor Karen Elliott provides a fun and offbeat soundtrack that include music from ABBA, the Four Tops, and a mixture of music genres ranging from folk, country, rock, and classical music.
The casting by Sarah Finn is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Amanda Warren as Mildred’s friend/co-worker Denise, Darrell Britt-Gibson as a billboard painter who helps Mildred in posting the ads, Kerry Condon as the advertising agent secretary Pamela, Clarke Peters as a man who would come at the film’s second half to take charge of the investigation, Nick Searcy as the local priest who tries to help Mildred only to get a lashing about what he does, Christopher Berry as a mysterious visitor of the town, Sandy Martin as Dixon’s mother who is also prejudiced, Zeljko Ivanek as the precinct desk sergeant Cedric Connolly, Samara Weaving as Charlie’s dim-witted 19-year old girlfriend Penelope, Riya May Atwood and Selah Atwood as Chief Willoughby’s daughters, and Kathryn Newton as Mildred’s daughter Angela in a lone flashback scene on the night she was to be killed. Caleb Landry Jones is terrific as the billboard advertising agent Red Welby who takes Mildred’s money to post the ads where he would later get himself into serious trouble with Dixon.
Lucas Hedges is superb as Mildred’s son Robbie who is dealing with the action of his mother as he considers moving in with his father as he also realizes the need for justice. Peter Dinklage is fantastic as James as a local who is a friend of Mildred as he would help get out of trouble during the film’s third act as a way to give her something she didn’t have in her marriage to Charlie. John Hawkes is excellent as Mildred’s ex-husband Charlie who had been abusive to her as he feels that her action with the billboards have done nothing but bring trouble. Abbie Cornish is brilliant as Willoughby’s wife Anne who is dealing with her husband’s illness as well as the impact of the billboards where she does meet with Mildred in a scene during the second act as it play into the injustice that everyone is dealing with.
Sam Rockwell is incredible as Jason Dixon as a police deputy that is this odd mixture of someone who is ignorant and is willing to do something stupid but there’s also a good person in there where Rockwell toes the line between being profane and being decent where he later goes through a transformation of sorts in the third act where he realizes what needs to be done. Woody Harrelson is remarkable as Chief Bill Willoughby as a local police chief who is the target of Mildred’s billboards as he is aware of what he needs to do but he’s also dealing with his own illness as it’s a role that displays some humility but also some dignity. Finally, there’s Frances McDormand in a phenomenal performance as Mildred Hayes as a woman who is consumed with grief and guilt over the loss of her daughter as she rents three billboards to get attention and justice for her daughter as it’s a role of anguish, rage, and humor in which McDormand just seizes every ounce of energy and anger into her role while displaying this I-don’t-give-a-fuck attitude about a world that is dark while clinging to some idea of hope.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a tremendous film from Martin McDonagh. Featuring a great ensemble cast, beautiful locations, an offbeat music soundtrack, and themes about justice and the need for action in a world that doesn’t get anything done. It’s a film that showcases what some will do in a call for action but also to make sense in a world of injustice where there are those that want to do what is right no matter how complicated the world can be. In the end, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a magnificent film from Martin McDonagh.
Martin McDonagh Films: (Six Shooter) – In Bruges - Seven Psychopaths
© thevoid99 2017
