VOD Scream (2022) (a.k.a. Scream 5) (dirs: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, 2022)

"How well do you remember the original?"

With the Halloween franchise showing what can be achieved with respect and creative thinking (and cleaning up at the box office), Scream becomes the latest horror property to go the belated sequel/reboot route in the fifth instalment of the Woodsboro saga. After a deft restaging of the original film's classic opening and an efficient introduction to the new generation of young characters, the story sees another Ghostface killer on the rampage, this time targeting the descendants and survivors of those involved in the earlier murders, leading to some very satisfying deep dives into the cinematic history of Woodsboro, the Stab meta-movies and the Scream franchise itself.  As is the way with the current trend for requels (addressed within this movie, of course), it is all about the female characters - it really does not pay to be male in this film - and rather than fleetingly introducing innocent victims blundering into murderous set-ups, the latest generation has real connection to the story and are presented as damaged but savvy and up for the fight, giving the events that unfold real weight.  This latest Scream film does a great job of integrating the legacy and new characters well, and directors and writers clearly know their genre and this franchise in order to deliver by far the strongest and most entertaining entry since the first sequel.    
 

VOD: Spider-Man - No Way Home (dir: Jon Watts, 2021)

"You're not Peter Parker!"
"I am so confused right now."

Following straight on from Far From Home, this final part of Tom Holland's original Spider-Man trilogy is a supremely confident film from the outset.  With Peter battling college applications and the small matter of the whole world now knowing his superhero identity, he enlists the help of Doctor Strange to fix his problem by magic with catastrophic results.  We are not even half-an-hour into the film when the multiverse shenanigans start with a spectacular face-off with an old enemy from the Raimi films, making the viewer wonder how the rest of the film can match up, which it then goes on to do admirably, including a spectacular SFX-laden trip to the Mirror Dimension and more visitors - good and bad - from the other cinematic multiverses.  As well as being a tightly-written and lively film, Tom Holland simply does not put a foot wrong, driven by his (real-life) chemistry with Zendaya and the delightful verbal sparring with Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.  No Way Home has become one of the first true blockbusters post-pandemic, but it is not simply a matter of release timing - the Marvel formula works so well, new visual and story elements create interest as well as the significant nostalgia factor of the nods to the past, and Sony hit gold when they cast a young actor as talented as Holland to lead what has become one of the most enjoyable series within the MCU.

 

VOD: Slumber Party Massacre (2022) (dir: Danishka Esterhazy, 2022)

"I can't believe we're doing this!"

A surprise reboot for this minor horror franchise, the original Slumber Party Massacre movie emerged at the height of original 80s stalk-and-slash, known largely for its attempt to look at the sub-genre from a female perspective.  Using the 'next generation' gambit, the modern-day daughter of the survivor of an earlier lakeside massacre and her best friends embark on a similar all-female trip and - of course - history seems to be about to repeat itself...although this group of protagonists have other ideas.  Whilst fitting in with the current trend of empowering women in leading horror roles (although it has perhaps always been there in the genre, from the original Final Girls onwards), this version can hardly be called a cutting-edge feminist critique by simply emasculating the male characters, as the young men renting the house across the lake are presented as fundamentally dumb, boorish and objectified victims, yet there is some fun to be had in playing with masculine genre tropes (such as the impossibly large phallic drill of the killer and the male gaze reversal for the shower victim).  To the film's credit, it is decently shot and avoids looking and sounding cheap, simple refeernces to classic horror films (from Psycho to The Shining to the Friday The 13th series) work well, and the film feels pleasingly authentic in tribute to old-school stalk-and-slash film.  It also manages to pull off reasonably the balance between successful delivery of the schlock-horror elements and also subverting some visual and narrative expectations for what is ultimately a simple low-budget exploitation flick.
 

VOD: The Sparks Brothers (dir: Edgar Wright, 2021)

"It is a little strange."

A good way to sum up this fine documentary about the enduring and elusive band Sparks is to say that it is both very Edgar Wright and very Sparks: serious yet playful, affectionate yet analytical, conventional yet anarchic.  It deploys a raft of respected talking heads in black-and-white, Pythonesque cut-out animation and an incredible wealth of excellent archive footage that follow the band's progress over the last five decades.  The context of the brothers' own lives and the evolution of American culture from the 1950s onwards is artfully deployed through sound and visuals and makes the journey truly sing, and the chronological album review format may be simple but it works well here in tracing the evolution of their sound/style as well as the band itself.  Whilst comprehensive and celebratory - and rightly so - this excellent documentary does not detract from the enigma that is Sparks, but it is a delight to delve into the background and history of the band and to spend time with the two quite charming and interesting Mael brothers.
 

VOD: Death On The Nile (dir: Kenneth Branagh, 2022)

"It's an obscene extravagance."
"I know. Wonderful, isn't it?"

Branagh's delayed follow-up to his reasonably successful Murder On The Orient Express finally got a release, and whilst overshadowed by his award-winning Belfast and negative publicity attached to one of the stars, it also proves to be a considerably lesser film from mediocre source material.  After opening with a superfluous wartime flashback sequence and an indulgent musical number, the clumsy first act and unsparkling dialogue does not bode well, although the film picks up a little once the real mystery begins.  The cast is strong - Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer in particular play well - and although Branagh clearly directs with confidence and the occasional interesting flourish, the film feels rather bloated overall, meanders about and is content to revel in its extensive and not-always-convincing CG visuals, whereas tightening up the narrative would have possibly made the story play better and make the film a better viewing experience.

 

VOD: Joe Bell (dir: Reinaldo Marcus Green, 2022)

"Keep walking."

Based on a true story, this desolately sad but sensitive and well-written film follows the journey of a regular working-class father (played sincerely by Mark Wahlberg) as he comes to terms with his bullied 15-year-old son's coming out and decides to walk across America spreading the message of tolerance.  The playful relationship between Wahlberg and young Reid Miller feels very natural and easy to watch, and Maxwell Jenkins (from Netflix's Lost in Space) does well in the smaller role of the younger brother.  It feels like an oft-told story with little new to offer (social media bullying, small town prejudices) but it is delivered in a clearly honest, heartbreakingly simple and unmelodramatic way.  Whilst gay culture is stereotyped basically (Cher and Dolly Parton drag queens, GaGa songs), there are a couple of sudden harsh emotional rug-pulls that are managed very well, and overall the film is a raw, effective and affecting examination of homophobia and grief.