The Iron Claw (2023): At more than two hours, Iron Claw pushes the boundaries of tolerable misery. The real story has so much of it, that for reasons of artistic balance some had to be excluded. So it is in some awe that I watched the rise and demise of the van Erich wrestling family, anchored by a strong and sombre performance from Zac Efron. I am willing to be accused of preferring a more straightforward biopic over the messily ambitious Love Lies Bleeding, but in order to be willing to overanalyze a story for its iconoclastic ambitions, it needs to keep my attention engaged. Sean Durkin’s Iron Claw does that and its foremost feat is to transmit tragedy without being tragic. Not everyone enjoyed the poetic final shots of the movie, but I thought it fitting and a mild kindness to the viewer, who is left to reel in the pain that was inflicted upon them. 8
Vermines (2023): I do hope you have gotten over Arachnofobia (1990), because this is considerably more serious and harrowing stuff. Set in an apartment building in a Paris banlieue, things go south very quickly once an exotic spider gets loose and starts doing spidery things that veer towards the fantastical. Be ready to get jump scared effectively and to reprioritize spiders on the list of household critters to fear, as things go from bad to worse really fast. This is a movie grounded in obvious social commentary, featuring black and mixed race characters, who have often found themselves between a hard place and the authorities in France, where the malcontent bubbles over with worrying regularity. Solid genre stuff. 7
Vicious Fun (2020): Cody Calahan’s slasher meta-horror is the poster child for this of thing, a well-oiled genre film. Helped by a handful of charismatic, if one-note characters, the movie captures a strong 80s vibe, delivers on some gruesome kills and features a distinctively fierce villain in Ari Millen’s Bob. By the end, though, I had the sense that VF had played it a bit too safe, executing on the formula, but shying away from real exploration of its theme. Still, it honours its title, by being both vicious and fun. 6
Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2022): Back when I saw Tetris (2023), I was aware that this other movie that was kind of similarly themed had come out, just about pinball. Tetris, with its spy-thriller esthetics, had taken its toll on me so it took a while to get around to it. I don’t think I have a favourite between the two, as both try to do something different with the histories they’re telling and both fail at it while still delivering a workable and, at times, entertaining movies. Pinball starts out strong by breaking the fourth wall with flair, fake documentary story within the story kind of thing, and introducing a moustache that will haunt your dreams. Unfortunately it drops the wall-breaking act for a long stretch, where the whole thing plays out safely and familiarly. Had it found the right balance in its approach, it might have stood out as a more inspired tale of how pinball regained its honourable status after decades spent outside the law. 6
Love Lies Bleeding (2024): I had been meaning to watch Rose Glass’s Saint Maud (2019) for a while now, but the draw to LLB proved stronger in the end. Starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brien, alongside the likes of Ed Harris, Jena Malone and Dave Franco, it’s an explosive love story turned thriller turned revenge trip with strong females leads. In its first half, the movie is pretty exciting, sensual and visually compelling, imbibing from the holy 80s aesthetic juices. It doesn’t really have anywhere to go though and with an average script and underdeveloped characters, it wears its promise thin as the action gets going. A completely overcooked finale on steroids leaves a bitter taste and a sense that watching LLB was more un- than rewarding. 5
tributary stu 