A single environment further enclosed by the forces of winter has proved a suspenseful setting for many a film. From “The Shining” to “The Thing” to “The Hateful Eight,” filmmakers have taken advantage of isolation and inhospitable conditions to create scenarios that breed mistrust, paranoia and outright aggression. Some incorporate a wider expanse into their…
Robert Schwartzman’s The Argument begins when Jack (Dan Fogler, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”) invites some friends over to celebrate his girlfriend Lisa (Emma Bell, “Final Destination 5”) getting a proper acting role. Things go awry when she invites her co-star Paul (Tyler James Williams, “Detroit”) over as well, without Jack’s knowledge, and the…
On what appears to be just an average evening, a grinning pizza delivery man (David Harper, “The Clean Bones Gone”) walks through an alleyway carrying a pizza box, heading towards his next address. He’s dressed in a red polo shirt and a red visor, and we quickly discover he’s carrying a plastic bag — a…
On paper, Changeland has several of the components to success: The movie is set in scenic Thailand, it teases the promise of an emergent bromance between estranged friends Brandon (Seth Green, “Sex Drive,” who is pulling triple duty as director, writer and actor) and Dan (Breckin Meyer, “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past”), and it enjoys the…
The Browsing Effect is movie that explores how technology has changed the way we begin and behave in relationships. With dating apps like Tinder or Bumble, it makes it easier than ever to meet someone. But of course there is a cost to all these apps, since it brings a measure of casualness into the…
There are many levels to Erik Kristopher Myers’ deeply satisfying horror film Butterfly Kisses, which is more an exploration of authorship and authenticity than it is a straightforward found footage flick. To be honest, the horror element is probably its weakest — bluntly effective jump scares are all we get. But then, visceral thrills are…
2036 Origin Unknown, an obvious and rather ridiculous ripoff of “2001: A Space Odyssey” is aggressively dumb, purporting to be more for fans of science than fans of fiction, but really disappointing fans of both. It’s a time-consuming cure for insomnia, is what it is. It’s the year 2036 (duh). Mankind has replaced most of…
