Screen Stuff Podcast

Annihilation, with briefer takes on The Darkest Hour, Brad’s Status, and The Only Living Boy in New York.

Paul and Elgin review #Annihilation:

Annihilation (21:01), written and directed by Alex Garland and starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, and Oscar Isaac. Veering away from Jeff VanderMeer’s novel of the same name, Garland’s follow-up to Ex Machina tells the story of Lena, a biologist and former soldier, who sets  off with four other women into a mysterious scientific anomaly called the Shimmer, or Area X, from which her ill husband has returned after going missing for a year. We discuss the distinctive sci-fi world building and imagery (perhaps some of the boldest since 2001: A Space Odyssey), the performances by Portman et al., Lena’s backstory and those of other characters, how the film does or does not organically come together, the critical reception, and the movie marketing here and overseas. WARNING: We do spoil parts of the movie’s plot and warn you before we do, but don’t feel this film can really be spoiled (it’s more about setting a mood and playing a thematic key repeatedly, with some twists, than about executing a plot).

The Alienist.

Elgin and Paul check out The #Alienist:

TNT’s The Alienist, a crime drama based on the 1994 novel by Caleb Carr, stars Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning. This ten-episode thriller (which has nothing to do with space aliens and much to do with the early days of criminal psychology and forensics) follows three protagonists who are chasing a serial killer in late nineteenth-century New York City. Does TNT’s attempt at prestige drama offer a fresh take on the serial killer mystery? And how are the show’s pacing, acting, costumes, cinematography, and set design? Are they strong enough to compel us to keep tuning in (despite the material’s familiarity)?

The Chi.

Paul and Elgin check out #TheChi:

The Chi, a new Showtime drama from Lena Waithe, starring Jason Mitchell, Alex R. Hibbert, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, and Jacob Latimore. Set on the South Side of Chicago, this sprawling series has already been renewed for a second season. But should you bother trying to get through the first? Is the storytelling compelling or confident enough to sustain us? The shadow of HBO’s The Wire (which many critics have compared The Chi with) looms large. Does the show offer anything fresh?

Black Panther, with briefer takes on SMILF, Altered Carbon, the Winter Olympics and positive Asian (American) representation on TV, the latest seasons of various reality TV shows (including Top Chef, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Queer Eye), and the non-app version of Mosaic on HBO.

Elgin and Paul review #BlackPanther:

Black Panther (35:05), co-written and directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, and Angela Bassett. Set largely in the fictional African nation of Wakanda (with a notable side trip to Pusan, South Korea), this latest box office blockbuster is not quite like any other film from Disney’s Marvel Studios. We discuss this superhero movie’s multiple layers, including its strong action set pieces and the real-life African and African-American history that’s intelligently and poignantly interwoven into its themes and narrative. WARNING: We do spoil parts of the plot toward the end of our chat (58:10).

The End of the F***ing World [WARNING: adult language in audio clip], but before that quick takes on All the Money in the World and Baby Driver.

Paul and Elgin check out #EndOfTheFuckingWorld:

The End of the F***ing World, a UK dramedy from Channel 4, available on Netflix. It’s written by Charlie Covell and directed by Jonathan Entwistle and Lucy Tcherniak, and stars Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden as two alienated British teenagers, James and Alyssa, who run away from home on a long road trip across England. The problem: James may be a psychopath who wants to kill her.

Based on a graphic novel set in the U.S. and clearly influenced by American road movies, this film can be quite odd in its tonal shifts. Do the filmmakers and young actors have the chops, as it were, to pull off something fresh? We get into spoilers late (30:35) in the review.