I've spent so much time over the past month with my NFL preview that I didn't get the chance to share my thoughts on the majority of the films I saw in theaters in August. To fix that injustice, I've decided to briefly sum my thoughts on We're the Millers, Elysium, The World's End and You're Next.
We're the Millers: One of the whackiest and most consistently funny movies of the year. The whole lead cast delivers the goods and nails the fucked-up family dynamic they were going for. Comedy veterans Jason Sudekis and Jennifer Aniston pull their weight per usual, but the two young guns Will Poulter and Emma Roberts steal the show. British import Poulter makes a splash in his first major American role with a fresh take on the standard "awkward virgin" role and Roberts goes completely against her typical roles and shows a lot of comedic chops as the runaway Sudekis's character hires to pose as his daughter. We're the Millers is a blessing in a year that has mostly lacked standout comedies.
4/5 Stars
Elysium: Neil Bloomkamp follows District 9 with another hard-hitting sci-fi flick in Elysium. It may not be as groundbreaking, well-written or carry as powerful of a social message as District 9,but Elysium has more than enough of its own merits to succeed as a film. The solid albeit straightforward story and the barrage of well-shot, bloody action sequences suck you in immediately. Not to mention, Matt Damon delivers a powerful performance in the lead role and Sharalto Copley makes for a delightfully demented villain (aside from Benedict Cumerbatch in Star Trek Into Darkness, Copley's performance as Kruger makes for the strongest antagonist of the year.) What prevents Elysium from a home run is a woefully miscast Jodie Foster as the secondary antagonist and the action sequences, while impressive, they were almost directly lifted from District 9 giving the film a subtle sense of unwanted familiarity . It's definitely not perfect, but Bloomkamp delivers another great film that further strengthens his resume and reputation as one of the young directors to watch.
4/5 Stars
The World's End: Another amusing and fun romp from Simon Pegg and co. Pegg and Nick Frost add Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman and Eddie Marsan to switch things from their typical buddy dynamic to a more group-based dynamic and the results are pretty fantastic. There is a very authentic sense that this is a group of guys reluctantly reuniting after decades apart and heading back their hometown then realizing why they became friends in the first place when chaos ensues. It was also cool to see Pegg and Frost do a bit of a role reversal with Frost playing the straight man focused on his career and Pegg playing the immature moron who refuses to grow up. The vibe of this is much more in-line with Shaun of the Dead than Hot Fuzz, which was great because this crew is at their finest when dealing with the supernatural opposed to more realistic storytelling and there is plenty of director Edgar Wright's trademark high-octane, over-the-top action sequences to balance out the comedy. This film rolls on all cylinders most of the way until it loses a bit of steam with a pretty stupid finale that wraps up the story on a really awkward, bizarre note that doesn't line up with the rest of the film. Aside from a disappointing and unfitting ending, the final film of the Cornetto trilogy is a success.
4/5 Stars
You're Next: Now this is the type of horror film I enjoy watching! What starts off as your typical, run-of-the mill slasher/home-invasion film, turns into a wildly entertaining, creative and often morbidly hilarious film that puts a breath of fresh air into a genre that desperately needs it. Director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett have a thorough understanding of what makes the genre tick. There's a nice balance of old-school tension (the suspense is amplified by stunning cinematography that creates an aura of dread and has a lot of really cool, creative shots) and new-wave gorefests (the kills in this are some of the most creative and satisfying in recent memory.) It's biggest success though is that never it takes seriously and is all about having fun, which is something the horror genre rarely accomplishes. You're Next is the type of film that helps me maintain faith in the horror genre and is easily the best film the genre has offered up in 2013 thus far (To be fair, I haven't seen the wildly-acclaimed The Conjuring yet.)
4/5 Stars
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