The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Jim Jarmusch's latest is a zombie movie unlike any other. It's not a horror movie. It's a comedy, an unconventional one at that. It breaks the fourth wall. It has a huge cast of familiar Jarmusch faces in bit parts. The humor is kind of awkward, off kilter. Bill Murray and Adam Driver are perfect for the dry, slow-paced, often deadpan jokes. I'm starting to like Adam Driver more in his comedic work. There are a lot of seemingly irrelevant characters. Surely there is something Jarmusch is trying to say about the outcasts of Centerville, a small American town (village?) with a cast of lonely characters. I'm not quite sure what. The movie takes a wonky turn at the end. It wouldn't have been how I ended it, but I'm not entirely unsatisfied cause it's appropriately bonkers.

Suspiria (2018)

Suspiria is not really a remake of the 1977 giallo classic by Dario Argento. It merely starts from the same point. But it veers way far off. The new movie lacks all the hallmarks of the original: the eroticism, color and music. It does have the gore. Act six has a hell of a lot of blood. It's really gratuitous. I don't feel like the movie really earned the twist in the sixth act. Or maybe that's just me saying that I didn't like the twist.The film is in a mix of German and English. Recall that the original was in comically dubbed Italian. The mix of languages comes off as kind of frenetic. The best part of the movie is Tilda Swinton, who plays 3 parts, probably one too many. And the movie runs two and a half hours, which is way too long for a horror movie.

Booksmart (2019)

Booksmart is hilarious, endearing, heartwarming, and necessary. Following in the footsteps of The Edge of Seventeen, Lady Bird and Eighth Grade, we now have the raucous teenage girl coming-of-age comedy we needed. Olivia Wilde shows remarkable artistry for a first-time director. The slick editing and bold musical choices scream style. The writing is smart and funny and relevant. And the actors nail every line. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein are a revelation. Their buddy cop chemistry is palpable. Dever reminds me of a young Natalie Portman. And naturally, Feldstein reminds me of her brother Jonah Hill. This had me laughing out loud nonstop, probably the most enjoyable time I've had at the theater all year.

Dark Phoenix (2019)

X-Men deserves a better ending than this. X-Men was probably my favorite superhero series, but they remade it to death. It should have ended with Days of Future Past and Logan. Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix were wholly unnecessary. I had forgotten that Days of Future Past erased the old timeline. Much like the recent bookend of the MCU, the time travel rules are kind of murky. But in their attempt to erase the ill received ending of the original trilogy in The Last Stand, they recreated the same plot, except worse. A redo was not necessary. They get a little into the politics that always made X-Men interesting and relevant. The othering of mutants is a message that is still poignant today, but it takes a backseat to a largely irrelevant main plot. Who are these aliens and why is Jessica Chastain their leader?

The Third Murder (2017)

This is something of a departure for Koreeda. Though there are some family dynamics here (father-son, father-daughter), they are not the focus of the movie. In fact, the introduction of some of these familial relations seem rather irrelevant. Instead this is a legal thriller. The themes raise grand questions about justice. The answers aren't apparent. But Koreeda does a good job at mystifying the truth. While the movie doesn't pack the same emotional punch as his family dramas, his writing is still careful and deliberate. And the mise en scene is still striking. I'm a fan of reflections in the glass.

Nobody Knows (2004)

Koreeda is the master of the family-themed drama. This is perhaps the most tragic of his movies. Sadness is usually tempered by sweetness, but the tragedy in this one is really overwhelming. That these children manage to find happiness amidst their horrifying situation is heartbreaking. And the director just tugs and tugs and tugs until the ending which offers no resolution. The child actors, particularly Yuya Yagira, are phenomenal. He is a portrait of fortitude and survival throughout and then we are reminded that he is just a kid being deprived of his childhood and desires. And so he struggles to maintain the one thing he has: his siblings. As always, Koreeda's direction is delicate. His writing is careful and deliberate. His camerawork is beautiful. Nobody Knows is trademark Koreeda.

Pokemon Detective Pikachu (2019)

Rob Letterman took big risks that mostly paid off. I didn't know at first how to feel about the 3D Pokemon, rendered in CGI. But I quickly acclimated to all but Mr Mime. Mr Mime is freaky. But Pikachu is adorable. Ryan Reynolds will forever be known for his sublime voice work as Deadpool and Pikachu. I would have been on board if Pikachu decided to curse a bit. But even the voice was just enough to evoke the comedy of Deadpool. The story is mediocre but the nostalgia mixed with Ryan Reynolds makes for an enjoyable time.