This week’s releases include an Oscar-winning powerhouse; a horror anthology that gets exponentially better; a superhero sequel; an extrapolation of current conditions; a religious classic; and a twist on a traditional genre.
Don’t Tell a Soul (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
While stealing money to help their sick mother (Mena Suvari), teen brothers Matt and Joey (Fionn Whitehead and Jack Dylan Grazer) are surprised by Hamby (Rainn Wilson), a security officer who gives chase and is then trapped in a well. Over the next few days, Joey and Hamby forge an uneasy relationship. Hamby tells Joey he’ll keep quiet if Joey sets him free. But Hamby holds another secret, one that will threaten Joey and his family.
This is an atypical cat-and-mouse thriller as the cat ends up in the trap and the mouse is put in a position of power it finds confusing. Joey is a good kid who wants to do the right thing… and avoid a potentially fatal beating from his delinquent older brother. Hamby quickly recognizes Joey is seeking a father figure and tries to use that to his advantage, though his frustration frequently bleeds through during their conversations. The brothers’ relationship is incredibly volatile and difficult to comprehend, though Joey’s attempt to turn the tables is commendable until it backfires. The film’s last act is a very different picture as new developments significantly alter the narrative direction and gives characters new agency. Suvari is nearly unrecognizable, while Wilson is creepily perfect for the role of a man manipulating a vulnerable boy. The bonus feature provides some interesting insight into filming inside a deep, dark hole, as well as how to stage convincing stunts between two young men who are thankfully very amicable off-camera.
Special features include: “Flesh & Blood: Creating Don’t Tell A Soul.” (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
The Mortuary Collection (Blu-ray & DVD)
Set in the phantasmagorical town of Raven’s End, nothing is as it seems. Sam (Caitlin Fisher), a misguided young girl, takes refuge in a decrepit old mortuary. There she meets Montgomery Dark (Clancy Brown), an eccentric undertaker with more than a few skeletons in his closet. Montgomery chronicles the strange history of the town through a series of twisted tales, each more terrifying than the last, but the young girl’s world is unhinged when she discovers that the final story…is her own.
The first tale is about a pickpocket who gets her slimy comeuppance; the next is a promiscuous frat boy who learns the importance of safe sex; followed by a husband who finds freeing himself of his catatonic wife challenging; and finally, a classic account of every (fictional) babysitter’s worst nightmare. Sam is appropriately unimpressed by the first story, which is not especially engaging. The next tale is far more enticing, featuring an attractive young couple in a romance gone awry. It’s infused with humour at the expense of its male lead, though it’s difficult to feel sorry for him. Next up is a much darker comedy as a trapped husband inadvertently turns a simple offense into a messy debacle with little chance of escape. However, the final story is truly the film’s climax. With a child killer escaped from the asylum, a babysitter must try to keep the murderer at bay. What’s most amusing is the young woman’s actions mirror those of the protagonist in the slasher movie, “The Babysitter Massacre,” which she’s watching on TV — a meta-moment cleverly manufactured by writer/director Ryan Spindell, who especially created the in-screen movie to play within the short.
Special features include: commentary by director Ryan Spindell; deleted scenes; 14 extensive behind-the-scenes segments; and in-depth conversations with director and writer Ryan Spindell, the actors and crew. (RLJE Films & Shudder)
Promising Young Woman (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Everyone said Cassie (Carey Mulligan) was a promising young woman…until a mysterious event abruptly derailed her future. But nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be: she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs of the past
In spite of how this movie was marketed, it’s not a rape-revenge fantasy. In fact, one of the most refreshing aspects of the film is it doesn’t visually depict a rape even though the crime is at the centre of the narrative. The picture is an expertly constructed critique of rape culture. The idea that “nice guys” are incapable of committing such heinous acts, victim blaming, passive participation and a flawed legal system are all strategically addressed in a manner that is impactful, as well as entertaining. However, this is not Ms. 45 or I Spit on Your Grave — a fact some people may find challenging to accept. Not because it’s not exceptionally well-executed and intelligently structured, but because it doesn’t follow the brutal, reactionary path of those films’ protagonists. Yet, more important is the discomfort that intensifies as scenes go on a little too long, giving characters the opportunity to reconsider their decisions. The repetition of this unease is deliberate as it reflects a similar persistence in our culture. Academy Award-winning writer/director Emerald Fennell’s feature debut is a powerhouse film with an unmissable message delivered with poise and a sharp wit. Everyone who participated in the making of this picture should be proud of their work.
Special features include: commentary with writer/director Emerald Fennell; “A Promising Vision”; “Two-Sided Transformation”; and “Balancing Act.” (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment).
Songbird (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
A devastating pandemic ravages the world and the United States is in its fourth year of lockdown. Infected Americans are ripped from their homes and forced into quarantine camps known as Q-Zones, from which there is no escape, as a few brave souls fight back against the forces of oppression. Amid this dystopian landscape, a fearless courier, Nico (KJ Apa), who’s immune to the deadly pathogen, finds hope and love with Sara (Sofia Carson), though her lockdown prohibits them from physical contact. When Sara is believed to have become infected, Nico races desperately across the barren streets of Los Angeles in search of the only thing that can save her from imprisonment … or worse.
It’s not surprising this unprecedented year is inspiring new narratives that build on our current experiences. In this world, COVID-23 is ravaging the nation. No one leaves their homes for even shopping essentials. There is no safe distance for conversing with neighbours or loved ones. Bracelets signifying immunity are gold, as they permit the wearers unlimited access to the empty streets and ward off patrolling armed soldiers authorized to maintain order with lethal force. Natural selection has given people opportunities they never would’ve dreamed of before the outbreak, while destroying others’ aspirations. The resourceful are thriving with some exploiting the situation to take advantage of desperate people. It’s the realistic apocalypse audiences can equally relate to and dread. Daily check-ins via a government monitored mobile app and personal sanitizing stations are just some aspects of the “new new normal.” At its core, this is a love story. However, the attempts to weave in other relationship dynamics, as well as tales of greed-fuelled power trips feel out of place and not as well developed. The ending is somewhat predictable, but mostly satisfying.
Special features include: commentary with director/co-writer Adam Mason and co-writer Simon Boyes; deleted scenes with director commentary; making-of featurette; “The Story of Songbird”; “Kingdom” promo video. (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Ten Commandments (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & Digital copy)
The film tells the story of the life of Moses (Charlton Heston). Once favored in the Pharaoh’s (Yul Brynner) household, Moses turned his back on a privileged life to lead his people to freedom.
This is an incredibly rare case in which director Cecil B. DeMille directed the silent 1923 version of the story, then revisited the same narrative in 1956 to make an epic, four-hour blockbuster still watched around the religious holidays. Though the original film is two hours long, it’s essentially split into two pictures: one is the telling of Moses and the commandments, and the other is a morality tale in which the characters break the commandments and suffer the consequences. While many of the scenes depicted in the black-and-white film are recreated in the remake, it significantly expands on the story. A rare introduction at the beginning of the film informs audiences the following narrative portrays Moses’ life before God spoke to him and due to its length, an intermission is included. The remake was shot in Egypt and the Sinai with one of the biggest sets ever constructed for a motion picture, resulting in a picture that’s survived the test of time.
Special features include: commentary by Katherine Orrison, author of “Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille’s Epic, The Ten Commandments”; newsreel of New York premiere; and theatrical trailers. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Wonder Woman 1984 (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & Digital copy)
The fate of the world is once more on the line, and only Wonder Woman can save it. This new chapter in the Wonder Woman story finds Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) living quietly among mortals in the vibrant, sleek 1980s — an era of excess driven by the pursuit of having it all. Though she’s come into her full powers, she maintains a low profile, curating ancient artifacts and only performing her superheroic acts incognito. But now, Diana will have to step directly into the spotlight and muster all her wisdom, strength and courage in order to save mankind from a world of its own making.
This story is a new take on the legend of the monkey’s paw, which grants people’s wishes — but at an unidentified cost. While the direct results are mass destruction, people’s natural inclination for greed and war is actually more frightening. Countries are divided, producing widespread illness, while humanity’s survival is left in the hands of two irrational leaders with their fingers on world-ending buttons. The second film in the planned trilogy has a very different feel from its predecessor. Firstly, Diana is a very different person. Rather than a fish out of water, she’s now a well-adapted professional with a sensible fashion sense and great people skills. As this picture is not set in the middle of a war, there’s also significantly less action. Instead, the focus is on the toll being Wonder Woman takes on Diana’s personal life. The romantic element of this picture is definitely heightened as Diana has waited more than half a century to be reunited with the love of her life (though it could’ve arguably been executed more justly). Consequently, one of the themes in this franchise appears to be the many sacrifices she makes to keep the world safe — something many of her male DC counterparts have not had to do over the years.
Special features include: making-of featurette; “Gal & Kristen: Friends Forever”; “Small But Mighty”; “Scene Study: The Open Road”; “Scene Study: The Mall”; “Gal & Krissy Having Fun”; “Meet the Amazons”; “Black Gold Infomercial”; “Wonder Woman 1984 Retro Remix”; and gag reel. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
