"The Final Girls" Review:
I remember watching “Friday the 13th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” marathons on the occasional Friday the 13th back in the day. Even though I would watch from underneath a blanket in fear, it was something about the slasher flicks that I enjoyed. “The Final Girls” is a celebration of the 1980s style slasher flicks. It knows what it is and what it’s doing. It’s a movie on the timeline of a cinematic history full of movies and it uses tropes from over the years to make its point. There is so much going on in the film that highlights the past through a contemporary lens, but in the best way possible!
Max (Taissa Farmiga) was always playing the role of the grown up with her mother, Amanda (Malin Akerman), a one time star of “Camp Bloodbath” 1 and 2. Three years after losing her mother in a car accident, Max is invited to a movie marathon of her mother’s biggest role by the franchise’s biggest fan, Duncan (Thomas Middleditch). Max drags her best friend Gertie (Alia Shawkat) to the theater. They run into Max’s possible new flame Chris (Alexander Ludwig) and his ex/mean girl, Vicki (Nina Dobrev). The teens double for the stereotypical characters that can be seen in “Camp Bloodbath”.
After a fire breaks out in the theater, the group try to escape through the theater screen to the back exit but are transported into the “Camp Bloodbath” movie, “Last Action Hero”-style. They soon discover they are stuck in a continuous 92-minute loop of the film and the only way to get out is to get involved in it. As the film moves forward, each cast member steps into their position. Duncan is the genius who knows the Camp Bloodbath movies in and out. While you may assume that you know how everyone else fills their roles, it’s their interaction with their counterparts that makes the film so interesting!
As Chris interacts with Kurt (Adam DeVine), the jock of Camp Bloodbath, viewers can see the 80’s definition of the athletic male stereotype versus the 2015 version. Yet, where the movie finds a lot of it’s emotional depth is in the interaction with Max and her mom’s character, Nancy. The chance for Max to speak to her mom again turns “The Final Girls” into a fun movie with wit and heart.
For the film geeks, the movie is technically proficient and brilliantly executed. All the elements of slasher films are there for dissecting through humorous scenes thatserve the story: slow motion running, backstory flashbacks, stepping over titles, jump screams from the killer appearing in the window, swelling scores, and so much more that this review could turn into a paper. There are plenty of spoof horror films out that you probably can roll your eyes thinking about right now, but this I assure you is not one of those.
“The Final Girls” is an absolutely brilliant film that celebrates the process of filmmaking, the history of slasher films, and the emotions we feel as viewers when we go to the movies. You can’t reinvent the wheel that Wes Craven created in “Scream”. However, you can create your own brand. “The Final Girls” does that and some! Go see it now!
Rating: A+
"The Perfect Guy" Review
“The Perfect Guy” is a movie that you can be late to. You can go get popcorn during the opening credits (credits not trailers) and be back in time to not miss anything you don’t already know from the film’s trailer. It’s the same old tale with new characters, but that doesn’t mean it can't be good popcorn chompin’, throw it at the screen while you yell fun.
Leah Vaughn (Sanaa Lathan) is a 36 year old, hard working woman who by all signs has a lot going for her. She’s got a beautiful house, a great job, and a handsome boyfriend, Dave (Morris Chestnut), to come home to. The only thing she’s missing is a ring on her finger and the pitter patter of little feet running around the house, which Dave doesn’t want to rush into. Unfortunately, that’s the motivation that causes her to chase after completion and happiness by breaking up with Dave and shortly after, getting involved in with Carter (Michael Ealy).
Blinded by her desires, Leah has the time of her life with Carter. She introduces him to her inner circle of girlfriends, and even her parents. Everyone loves him. That’s all you missed while getting popcorn. Over the top, rushed vignettes of Carter being the “perfect” guy in the first half hour is what writer Tyger Williams cooked up for us so that we can finally get to Carter giving us a moment of explosive behavior.
From there, the movie gets decent, tense, and suspenseful in the “I wonder how this will play out” kind of way. You know how it’s going to end. You just don’t know the steps the film will take to get there. Lathan and Chestnut give performances that are good enough to receive their check but nothing more. Ealy shows signs that he tried to get inside Carter's psychopathic head and actually have some fun with his character.
I had a great time laughing at how dumb Sanaa’s character is with my wife. We had fun picking up the bread chunks of foreshadowing that the movie threw at us. We didn’t mind that we paid matinee price to see the film, and neither will you if you know what you’re getting yourself into. Otherwise, you can wait for it to come on Netflix and be entertained from home.
Rating: C-