One Movie Punch

Today’s movie is “Last Flag Flying” (2017), the Amazon Studios drama directed by Richard Linklater and written for the screen in collaboration with Darryl Ponicsan, based on his novel. The film follows Larry “Doc” Shepherd (Steve Carrell), who travels with his former military friends Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston) and Rev. Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne), to bury his son who died in the Iraq War.

Spoilers ahead. 

Richard Linklater is one of those rare directors that has mastered the ability to have a diverse filmography that maintains a mostly consistent aesthetic. I’m not talking about using rotoscoping animation technique, even if “Waking Life” was my first experience with Linklater, or at least not just that. You just know it’s a Linklater film the same way that you know it’s a Wes Anderson or a Quentin Tarantino or a Tyler Perry film. It creates a lot of freedom to play with different genres of film and not be beholden to the unspoken rules within each genre.

I can see why Linklater was drawn to Ponicsan’s novel, which was a sequel to an earlier novel called “The Last Detail”, adapted into a film in 1973. I can also see why he co-wrote it with Ponicsan, as the time for a more authentic sequel had long past, and everything about that period of time seems quite different twelve years later in hindsight. The film may be set in 2003, but it benefits from that hindsight in really great ways, able to ask and answer the right questions about the time period. The audience also benefits from knowing more about the facts surrounding the Iraq War, as opposed to the so-called faulty intelligence of the time.

This film has great dialogue, but it is brought to life by the cast. Steve Carrell exudes a feeling of grief throughout the entire film, where even his few moments of joy feel like a kind of mania. Laurence Fishburne plays the reformed soldier to a tee, moving between soldier and preacher as needed. But Bryan Cranston as Sal Nealon is fantastic, acting as both provocateur and defender, with a well-developed character. And most importantly, the chemistry between them is excellent, with no upstaging, and no scene overstaying its welcome.

“Last Flag Flying” (2017) is ultimately a film about the paradox of the American soldier, wanting to do what’s right for the country even when sometimes our political leaders can act as opportunists. It’s also a film about the stories we are told about the wars we’ve engaged in, and the stories we tell ourselves to cope with the consequences of those wars, in particular, losing family members. Fans of military or family dramas, or any fan of Linklater, will enjoy this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 77% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 65

One Movie Punch: 9.0/10

“Last Flag Flying” (2017) is rated R and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Today’s movie is “Tully” (2018), the modern motherhood comedy from writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman. The film follows Marlo (Charlize Theron), a mother of three including a newborn, struggling just to exist as a parent. However, her brother Craig (Mark Duplass), after seeing her struggles, offers to hire Marlo a night nanny named Tully (Mackenzie Davis) who allows Marlo, as it were, to find herself, now seemingly lost to motherhood.

Spoilers ahead.

I had the pleasure of taking my spouse and the mother of my daughter to see this film over the weekend. It seemed like a no brainer for Mother’s Day, but I think it is especially so for suburban motherhood today. I’m not talking about the mothers who are doing it all, keeping perfectly fit, getting all the housework done, managing all their children’s activities, possibly working full-time, and oh yeah, still trying to be a spouse. My hats off to you all who can do it. This film is about the rest of suburban mothers, barely keeping it together, and struggling under the real (or perceived) shaming for not doing everything... and especially those whose spouses can’t find a hamper or the kitchen sink, at least in hetero-normative marriages.

I also love films that tell you everything about the film in the trailer without telling you anything. Folks who have seen “Tully” (2018) know what I’m talking about, but for those who haven’t, I’ll be staying well away from the key part of the story. I will say, however, that it is great to see another film written by Diablo Cody, especially one that tackles middle-class and, let’s face it, upper middle class notions of suburban and urban motherhood. The story is not only well-written, but well-told by Jason Reitman, using great montages, excellent composition, and selling the story from beginning to end.

But the real star here is Charlize Theron, and very likely an Oscar-nominated performance as Marlo. I had some concerns with her gaining weight for the role, not just for her health, but there’s something about an established actor gaining weight for a role when there are plenty of working actors with that body type. Putting that to the side, however, Theron is amazing, and her commitment to the role allows her to not just feel, but express the absolute exhaustion of Marlo’s life. If there’s any drawback to the performance, it’s that everyone else besides Marlo and Tully fade into the background, at least until the ending, and then you kind of wish you got to know the other characters a lot more than they were presented.

“Tully” (2018) is an excellent film about modern motherhood in some places, and while not a universal experience, it is an authentic one, masterfully crafted by Diablo Cody, and brought to life by Jason Reitman and Charlize Theron, with a strong assist from Mackenzie Davis. Fans of family drama, or pretty much any suburban, middle class mother should definitely see this film. And I have a strong suspicion we’ll see it again at Oscar time.

Rotten Tomatoes: 87% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 75

One Movie Punch: 9.2/10 

“Tully” (2018) is rated R and is currently playing in theaters.

Today’s movie is “Manhunt”, an action-packed Netflix Original from none other than John Woo, based on a novel by Jukô Nishimura. The film follows Du Qiu (Hanyu Zhang), a Chinese pharmaceutical lawyer transferring from the Tenjin Corporation to a new posting. The corporation is secretly developing a warrior drug using illegal human testing, and to prevent trade secrets from leaking, they frame Du Qui for murder. Upon arriving at the crime scene, Detective Yamura (Masaharu Fukuyama) sees Du Qui fleeing and begins chasing him across Osaka.

Spoilers ahead.

I’m not sure where to start with this film. The script is based on a novel from Juko Nishimura, which was previous adapted into a film in 1976. The premise actually hearkens back to that era, full of plausible human testing scenarios and secret warrior drugs, especially without an Internet. But setting this film in modern times strangely makes some plot choices implausible at best, and when we finally get to the corporation deciding to experiment on Du Qui instead of putting a bullet in his head, I finally gave up hope.

The actions scenes are all rather fantastic, easily the best part of this film, and that’s what John Woo is known for. But the rest of the story is told with some seriously obtrusive editing, almost difficult to watch at times. Crossfades, voiceovers, and I’m not a huge fan of the soundtrack, which didn’t always set the right tone, at least for me. And it sucks, because I really like John Woo, but it just doesn’t work.

The cast does an okay job given the script and the souped-up premise. Hanyu Zhang plays a mostly believable Du Qui, right up until he gets the juice. Masaharu Fukuyama rides the line between meeting his match and secretly trying to control Du Qui, but letting him go that many times is so bad that it becomes a line of dialogue. Rain (Ha Ji-won) and Dawn (Angeles Woo) make a great pair of assassins, worthy of their own picture if their fate wasn’t so tragic. And Qi Wei’s portrayal of Mayumi is really good, when the script allows it.

“Manhunt” (2017) is a great action thriller, but everything else around it has trouble being cohesive. Great characters follow a faulty premise in a modernized world, with some good and bad results. Fans of John Woo’s work will definitely appreciate this film, but may not find it to be one of his better works. Fans of great action, especially gunfights, will definitely appreciate the action in this film, if nothing else.

Rotten Tomatoes: 65%

Metacritic: 69

One Movie Punch: 5.0/10

“Manhunt” (2017) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Welcome to Streaming Saturdays.

Last year when I was participating in the #DLMChallenge, I started to notice a number of independent films being picked up by the major streaming providers, bypassing the theatres to distribute directly to our homes. Netflix has most notably been releasing one or two films every week, sometimes many more, which along with Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Shudder, makes it difficult to know what to watch. Each week I hope to bring you one of those newly streaming films, reviewed on release day and delivered via podcast the following day. Sometimes they’ll be great and sometimes they’ll be awful, and then sometimes, like today, they’ll be all right. But at least you’ll know. I’ll watch them so you don’t have to.

And now...

Today’s movie is “The Kissing Booth” (2018), the Netflix Original romantic comedy written and directed by Vince Marcello, based on the novel by Beth Reekles. The film follows Elle Evans (Joey King) and her best friend Lee Flynn (Joel Courtney), who are working on a kissing booth fundraiser for their school. In order for it to be a success, Elle must convince Lee’s brother Noah (Jacob Elordi) to participate, who she not so secretly has a crush on, and who might just have feelings for her as well.

Spoilers ahead.

A kissing booth for a fundraiser is a terrible idea. The film makes a joke about it, and all the diseases that could be transmitted by it, but apparently that’s not enough to stop the premise from moving forward. And to be honest, it’s really only a mechanism for the larger story surrounding Elle, Noah and Lee, which has a lot of merit, and notably, doesn’t even hint at devolving towards some unspoken feelings between Lee and Elle, to the story’s credit.

Faulty premise aside, the film also feels incredibly privileged, especially with the gigantic Flynn household, consequence-free alcohol parties, and a TV-14 rated kids being kids attitude. And with all this privilege comes overblown feelings about simple dilemmas, like having a crush on your best friend’s older sibling. Of course, this film is not really meant for someone my age, so perhaps the film will resonate a little better with my daughter, or folks a couple decades younger.

Joey King really shines as Elle, who has a lot to admire as a character and which King animates brilliantly, avoiding a cliché “nice girl” and filling out what could easily have been a vapid role given the privilege at play. The rest of the cast is adequate, but somewhat one-dimensional, particularly Noah, who doesn’t really grow at all. And I couldn’t help but notice that Marcello’s overuse of monologues felt a little too much like “Sex and the City”. See what I did there?

“The Kissing Booth” (2018) is a highly privileged romantic comedy with a completely implausible premise, but ultimately ends up being pretty decent. Joey King does a great job in the lead role, helping to carry the film forward along with some snappy one-liners and unlikely situations. Romantic comedy fans looking for a low-stakes, high school, coming of age story should definitely check out this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 6.6/10

“The Kissing Booth” (2018) is rated TV-14 and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Before we get started, I just want to take a moment and introduce you to Film Buff Fridays. I hope to showcase films from thirty or more years ago, currently available for streaming, with a special focus on silent, classic, and cult films. If you have any suggestions for future episodes, head over to onemoviepunch.com and let me know. And feel free to dig into the archive for reviews of classics like “Metropolis” (Episode #014), “The Warriors” (Episode #070), and “The Conversation” (Episode #091).

And now...

Today’s movie is “Häxan” (1922), the silent documentary-style horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, based on his study of a German guide for inquisitors, and brought to life as part presentation, part dramatization, to ultimately draw comparisons between superstition and mental illness. It was banned in the United States for torture, nudity, and sexual perversion, which compared to now seems hilariously naïve.

I first stumbled across “Häxan” while thumbing through the racks at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, looking for anything of interest relating to William S. Burroughs, one of my favorite authors. It turns out that in 1968, a new version of “Häxan” was edited, removing the silent film text stills with a narration by Burroughs, and a surprising jazzy soundtrack from Jean-Luc Ponty. The soundtrack was bizarre with no context, and I only finally got around to seeing it recently. By the way, this remake is the version currently streaming on Amazon Prime, despite the mislabeling.

This was Christensen’s third film, and is considered one of his better works. It starts almost like a slideshow presentation, with some background on Christian notions of witchcraft, laying a base for the dramatizations to follow, depicting what were considered (in the manual) as actual practices, an insightful look into the nature of the inquisition tactics used to supposedly root out witches, and a leap into “modern times” to show how mental illness may have been misinterpreted as witchcraft, showing modern cases of so-called hysteria. A lot of information for a silent movie.

However, Christensen’s direction is almost comical, maybe by intention. Christensen himself plays the devil in all the scenes, with some strange need to continually wag his tongue, a behavior you might recognize from “Seinfeld” when Elaine visited a priest. The scenes are mostly overacted, almost farcical if the subject matter were not so gruesome. In some ways, the acting almost takes away from the facts themselves, becoming more entertaining than informative, which is probably how this film attained a cult status.

“Häxan” (1922) is more cultural curiosity than quality film, making a lasting impact on both the dramatized documentary and horror genres. The film itself will certainly leave an impression, but you might find the music in the 1968 version doesn’t always match the tone in the film, even if Burroughs nails the narration. Fans of horror movies, or documentaries about witchcraft and inquisitions should definitely check out this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.8/10

“Häxan” (1922) is not rated and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Welcome to Documentary Thursdays. Each week I hope to bring you a newly playing or currently streaming documentary, looking for interesting or insightful looks at our society or our history. In fact, this week I’m reviewing the final 2017 Oscar nominee, but you can check out the previous reviews for “Abacus: Small Enough to Jail” (Episode #025), “Last Men in Aleppo” (Episode #032), “Strong Island” (Episode #046), and last year’s winner, “Icarus” (Episode #039). If you have any suggestions, head over to onemoviepunch.com to let us know, or reach out to us on Twitter @OneMoviePunch.

Thanks! And now...

Today’s movie is “Faces Places” (2017), the 2017 Oscar-nominated documentary from JR and Agnés Varda. The documentary was filmed while JR and Agnés Varda traveled across rural France in a box truck taking photographs of the people they meet, and form an unlikely friendship in the process, delving into their own stories and other stories on a variety of topics.

A little background for folks not familiar with either JR or Agnés Varda. Varda has been making art for almost her entire life, best known for her film work in the French New Wave movement, but also for installations and photography. JR is a pseudonym for one of France’s most notorious street artists, and has been involved in a number of installations and projects, both licensed and unlicensed, eventually winning the TED Prize for 2010 and starting the Inside Out Project, which uses mobile photobooths hidden in trucks to take and print black and white portraits.

The artworld can be a fickle place, sometimes overtly dominated by the egos of artists and buyers alike, wrestling with difficult questions about what is and is not art, often decided with checkbooks and popular opinion more often than any serious reasoning. Which makes “Faces Places” so refreshing in its playfulness and its lack of ego. Varda and JR keep a very loose structure to their collaboration, seeing where their collective vision takes them, and appreciating each other’s work and perspective, even as they playfully criticize each other. And the people they encounter in their journeys all feel genuine, never playing to a camera, which is important to making this film work.

Most documentaries nowadays tackle serious and/or tragic stories, as could be seen in this past year’s Oscar slate. Police brutality, Russian doping, financial scandals, and the Syrian civil war are all important topics, but all end up being downers in the end. “Faces Places”, by contrast, is incredibly positive despite some topics about old age, engaging people to participate in its creation rather than exclusively appreciating the final product. It’s still important that we cover the other topics, and all four documentaries did so incredibly, but we also need stories that lift the heart as well, and this film does just that.

“Faces Places” (2017) is a whimsical documentary by Varda and JR, a collaboration that creates a symbolic bridge between French New Wave and contemporary street art. Fun concepts are born from their work, bringing the power of art to everyday life, and enhancing the latent power found in smaller communities. Viewers who are looking for a positive documentary that warms the heart rather than shocks the conscience need look no further.

Rotten Tomatoes: 99% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 95

One Movie Punch: 8.8/10

“Faces Places” (2017) is rated PG and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Welcome to Worldwide Wednesdays. Every Wednesday I’ll find a currently playing or newly streaming international film to showcase, helping to expand your horizons outside the mainstream markets to find smaller productions overlooked by US distributors. If you have a suggestion for future shows, head over to onemoviepunch.com and let us know, and while you’re there, check out the archive for our previous international film reviews for “After The Storm” (Episode #031), “White God” (Episode #073), and a recent favorite, “Pickpockets” (Episode #115). 

Enjoy!

Today’s movie is “Forgive Us Our Debts” (2018), the Netflix Original drama directed by Antonio Morabito and written in collaboration with Amedeo Pagani. The film follows Guido (Claudio Santamaria), an unemployed man who is unable to pay back his enormous debt, which has been sold to a collection agency. After being attacked outside his local hangout, he approaches the agency and offers to work off the debt as a collector, learning the trade under Franco (Marco Giallini), one who has mastered the process.

Spoilers ahead.

Debt is the most pervasive form of modern subjugation. The wealthy agree to lend you their wealth in exchange for repayment in the future, but for the debtor, it is a mortgage on the hope of the future to meet the real or perceived needs of the present. This unbalanced relationship has existed for thousands of years, with religious texts having specific teachings against usury, or charging a high interest on debts. So, seeing a film about debt and debt collection should raise a lot of feelings.

Morabito and Pagani develop a script that explores the world of Italian debt collection through the eyes of Guido, someone who eventually sees both sides of the process. Franco serves as a great initiator into the process, working with Guido to show him the diversity of clients and tactics relating to debt collection. By the way, at least to me as an American, a character named Guido doing debt collection means something else. I felt an evil glee to watch the two harass the wealthy and well off, but also felt a deep sadness to watch them collect debts from the poor and those barely surviving. And we get to watch that journey happen to Guido, and how his actions affect a potential relationship with Rina (Florja Kodheli), the temporary bartender at his local hangout, and his relationship with the Professore (Jerzy Stuhr).

Morabito uses some really nice fixed and wide-angle camera work, utilizing great urban neighborhoods to show the diversity of classes struggling with debt. I appreciated the main sets, especially the bar. Costumes are a key part of the film as well, with branded overcoats playing a major role to psychologically intimidate debtors. And yes, as you can imagine, the hypocrisy of Franco’s religious faith and his chosen profession is well on display.

“Forgive Us Our Debts” (2018) is an insightful look into debt collection, sometimes poignant, at other times moody. Morabito utilizes an interesting premise to explore the issue, the relationships between the characters, and, in my opinion, leaving a little too much unsaid. Fans of financial dramas or folks who just like watching vulture capitalism at work should definitely check out this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: NR

Metacritic: NR

One Movie Punch: 7.4/10

“Forgive Us Our Debts” (2018) is rated TV-MA and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Today’s movie is “The Florida Project” (2017), the Oscar-nominated drama directed by Sean Baker and written in collaboration with Chris Bergoch. The film follows Bobby (Willem Dafoe), a motel manager who has an extended-stay deal with Halley (Bria Vinaite) and her daughter, Moonee (Brooklynn Prince). Willem Dafoe was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance.

Spoilers ahead.

There’s so much to admire about “The Florida Project”, but I really appreciated Sean Baker’s use of many first-time actors to bring this film to life. It adds a noticeable layer of authenticity to the performances, particularly for Halley and Moonee. Dafoe’s supporting role is quite reserved, working almost exclusively to support the main story, but also insinuating there is so much more character there. Prince makes Moonee adorable, and then really brings it home at the end.

The characters work to help tell the story of Halley and Moonee’s summer, a series of vignettes filled with juxtapositions. Moonee’s frighteningly carefree attitude can be simultaneously admirable and nerve-wracking. Halley’s parenting, such as it is, can seem horrific, yet genuine. And the Florida resort areas have their own kind of juxtapositions, with wealthy tourists bringing money to be entertained by mostly underpaid and overworked part-time labor, making employment and poverty the realities relegated to some communities, like the Magic Castle.

Sean Baker does a spectacular job composing this film. The camera work around Kissimmee works to simultaneously demonstrate the dominance of storefronts and strip malls while showing just how small the children are compared to the rest of the world. The costumes are perfect, believable and surprisingly understated. And nothing drives home the insanity of poverty today than having empty condos sitting just down the road from the motel. Baker drives it all home with an emotional final scene, when Moonee runs from Child Services to see Jancey (Valeria Cotto), and they run off to Disney and away from all their problems, a perfect metaphor for how Halley has lived her life all summer.

“The Florida Project” (2017) is beautifully crafted film, weaving together a tough story with a great cast, and addressing the reality of resort town poverty and a terrible economy. Baker uses each scene to not only develop the characters, but develop our relationship to the characters, and capable of making me feel remorse for laughing at least a few times. If there’s any criticism of the film, it’s that it can leave folks without much hope, and without any real way to address the problem Baker captures so well. Fans of family dramas in particular, and excellent film-making in general, should definitely check out this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 96% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 92

One Movie Punch: 8.2/10

“The Florida Project” (2017) is rated R and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

Funny story before we get to the review, for all you daily listeners. I meant to see this film a lot earlier in the year, but I just had too much going on to get out of the house, and honestly, I was worried the audience would ruin it for me. I had to pause or skip a number of podcasts and reviews, which I eventually went back to, and imagine my surprise when I heard this...

...which was from April 17th, or about three weeks before I saw the film. Had no idea the nice folks at the Pot & Plot Podcast (say that three times fast!) gave the show a mention in Episode #47. I’ve given my mea culpas to them over social media, but you should give them a listen at joshandsteph.podbean.com, or subscribe to Pot & Plot in your podcast directory of choice. Thanks again, Pot & Plot!

All right, everyone quiet, because...

Today’s movie is “A Quiet Place” (2018), the critically acclaimed horror film directed by John Krasinski and written in collaboration with Bryan Woods and Scott Beck. The film follows the Abbott family, including Evelyn (Emily Blunt), Lee (John Krasinski), Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe), and Beau (Cade Woodward), who are surviving a world where predatory creatures with supernatural hearing hunt any life they can hear, including humans.

Spoilers ahead.

I’m confident in saying that this is the best new film I’ve seen this year. It will be the fourth 10/10 review I’ve given, next to Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” (Episode #014), Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” (Episode #037), and the groundbreaking “Captain America: Civil War” (Episode #085). And for me, a film earns that ranking when they do the best version of that particular film, regardless of genre or actors or box office numbers or even other critical scores. In fact, we’ve finally entered a world where entire genres aren’t being snubbed by critics and audiences alike. People are finally taking fantasy and science fiction and horror films seriously again, and we all get to reap the benefits.

John Krasinski has created a masterpiece hidden in a concept film, and one that requires the right kind of audience willing to respect the absolute need for silence to watch this film. The sound editing is superb, amplifying the background noises, making sharp sounds really stand out, and making the usual noise in our life seem so loud. The near lack of spoken dialogue requires you to focus on the subtitles and if you listen close enough, you can hear their breathy whispers. Each part of this film draws you further and further in, so much so that I understand the anger of folks who tried to see the film with a bad audience.

The film itself is well-paced, broken up into three major events in their family’s struggle to survive after the creatures arrive. The first event sets the tone for their film, where an innocent mistake leads to the death of their youngest, creating literal and figurative unspoken tension within the family. The second event involves a scare about a year later, when the family is getting ready for the coming of another child and nearly give their position away to the creatures within the vicinity. And then the last act, when the family is separated and Evelyn goes into labor after injuring herself, stalked by the local predator, building steam until some major sacrifices need to be made. Everyone is great, but Emily Blunt is spectacular and believable and I want a GIF of her cocking the shotgun as soon as possible.

“A Quiet Place” (2018) is an exquisitely crafted concept film that treats the genre and the audience with respect. The ending quite literally left me speechless, full of complex emotions and a huge sense of admiration for Krasinski. I cannot recommend this film enough, and I encourage everyone to see it before it leaves the theaters. Just be quiet, sit back and watch real movie magic happen.

Rotten Tomatoes: 95% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 82

One Movie Punch: 10/10

“A Quiet Place” (2018) is rated PG-13 and is currently playing in theatres. Don’t miss it!

Today’s movie is “Mom and Dad” (2018), the horror comedy written and directed by Brian Taylor. The film follows Carly (Anne Winters) and Josh (Zackary Arthur), who return home to their parents, Brent (Nicolas Cage) and Kendall (Selma Blair), on a day when a mass hysteria overcomes all parents driving them to try and kill their children. Yes, you heard all that correctly.

Spoilers ahead.

Situational horror films have become more prevalent in recent years, especially with the success of “It Follows”, “Don’t Breathe”, “Get Out”, and most recently, “A Quiet Place” (more on that tomorrow). In some respects, all horror films have situational elements, but only recently have those situations extended past one or two awful people to include new world rules, as in “The Purge”, “The Belko Experiment”, and most famous of all, “Night of the Living Dead”. The real challenge is being able to balance the story so that it isn’t simply a concept film, but also has something of a larger message to be communicated based on the situation.

“Mom and Dad” is quite literally a savage film, in that a mysterious and unexplained signal is transmitted through radio and television static to reverse the parenting impulse, an effect in overcrowded domestic pig farms known as savaging. Strangely enough, this effect only makes parents target their own children, and not children in general. And let’s face it, there’s not a parent on this planet who hasn’t had a thought of harming their child, and in some places, some folks still practice “spare the rod, spoil the child” kinds of child-rearing practices.

So, how well does the film stack up? It ends up being mostly a concept film, cramming in almost every possible scenario into two hours, including what happens right after giving birth to a visit from the grandparents. Cage and Blair are really evil, and while the kids are a bit meek, they feel pretty realistic, despite some outlandish twists and turns to shoehorn in some much needed comic relief. Brian Taylor takes this concept as far as it will go, riding a line between comedy and horror, and using some flashbacks to demonstrate how creepy some parental behavior can be to children.

“Mom and Dad” (2018) is not for the faint of heart, exploring a truly awful concept in a fun, if distributing sort of way. It stays away from making any larger points, though, even as the script is peppered with everyday sayings and actions that should make parents reflect on their own behavior. Horror fans and parents with strong stomachs should enjoy this film, but be ready for extremely dark comedy and horror.

Rotten Tomatoes: 73% (CERTIFIED)

Metacritic: 58

One Movie Punch: 7.2/10

“Mom and Dad” (2018) is rated R and is currently streaming on Hulu.