Greetings again from the darkness. One tragic event can certainly derail a person’s life. It’s happened in plenty of other movies, often resulting in an engaging story of redemption. There is also nothing new about a friend or family member out to save a loved one who is in peril. Director Josef Kubata Wladyka co-wrote this script with the film’s star, Kali Reis, and though it covers some familiar territory from those two premises, it’s done so in a way that feels fresh and different and important.
Ms. Reis is an accomplished boxer, having held the title in two weight classes. Her heritage is part Native and part Cape Verdean, and she brings a personal perspective into the story of her character. Kaylee Uppeshau (Ms. Reis) slogs through days waiting tables at a greasy spoon, and sleeps at night in a women’s shelter, with a razor blade tucked in her cheek for protection. She was previously known in the ring as “KO”, but for the past two years her goal in life is to track down her younger sister Weeta (Mainaku Borrerro), who was abducted while walking home from Kaylee’s gym. The girls’ mother (played by Kimberly Guerrero, whom “Seinfeld” fans will remember as Winona) has moved on by running group therapy sessions for others who are grieving. She also makes it clear that Weeta was the favored daughter.
Kaylee gets a lead on her sister, and soon finds herself drawn into the world of sex-trafficking. It’s a dangerous situation as she goes up against local scumbags Bobby (Daniel Henshell) and his father Willie (Kevin Dunn), the white men who have a market for native girls. But Kaylee is not the typical victim. She has an intensity to match her body tattoos and multiple piercings (cheeks, nose, tongue, ears, naval), and the physical training to hold her own.
It’s her acting debut, and Ms. Reis excels as Kaylee in this thriller. She creates an engrossing character who is tough, yet relatable. Ms. Reis is intense, naturalistic, and believable. It’s quite a first-time performance, and she keeps us engaged all the way through. We are never really sure if Kaylee is after justice or closure, or whether she truly holds out hope that Weeta is still alive. The subject of Indigenous women and girls being abducted is also the focus of Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, based on the superb book by David Grann. Whereas that film will look at history, filmmaker Wladyka and Reis make it personal and deliver a literal and figurative gut-punch.
In theaters and VOD beginning February 11, 2022
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but prior to this movie, I was unfamiliar with Birthe Neumann. Most of her 50-year career has been spent in Denmark projects (film, TV, stage), but her screen presence here is such that I feel compelled to seek out some of her early work in order to catch up on what now feels like a gap in my movie watching. Ms. Neumann stars as writer Karen Blixen (pen name Isak Dinesen), who published her 1937 memoir, “Out of Africa”. The adapted book became a Best Picture Oscar winner starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. A couple of years later (1987) the film adapted from Blixen’s story “Babette’s Feast” won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film.
Greetings again from the darkness. The thing about humans is that we are always looking towards the future to see how we can make things easier, better, or more exciting. This is often with an eye towards more fuel-efficient cars, smaller and more powerful computers, and more effective medical treatments. Writer-director Maria Schrader and co-writer Jan Schomburg have adapted the short story from Emma Braslavsky and turn the lens to relationships and love. Is it possible to advance inter-personal relations to the point of perfection? Would that even be desirable or preferable to the messiness that’s gone on since the beginning of time?
Greetings again from the darkness. For us Agatha Christie fans, a certain amount of trepidation exists every time a new movie or TV version of her work hits. Stress level was reduced a bit this time since director-actor Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green are back following their collaboration on Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2017). Although the star power this time isn’t quite at the level of ‘Orient’, it seems Mr. Branagh has grown quite fond and confident of his own Hercule Poirot, the Belgian super-sleuth.
Greetings again from the darkness. We open on Hannah and her dad relaxing by the fire pit one evening. It’s their happy place … or is it contentment? Is there a difference? This first feature film from co-writers and co-directors Joshua Pikovsky and Jordan Tetewsky, is also the first film for most of the cast, including Hannah Lee Thompson in the titular role. Ms. Thompson is a musician by profession, and she proves to be a natural in front of the camera.
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s best not to take the film or its synopsis at face value. This bears no resemblance to a conventional film and the synopsis would have you thinking this is a traditional crime thriller. Iranian writer-director Abed Abest makes no effort to formulate an easy-to-follow story, and instead gives us a glimpse at war atrocities – here based during the Iran-Iraq War. Though it’s not a straightforward story to follow, the film is visually stunning and reminiscent (at times) of Jodorowsky and Kubrick.
Greetings again from the darkness. Spicoli (Sean Penn in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) was the poster child for stoners in the 80’s. Julie (Deborah Foreman in VALLEY GIRL) taught us the annoying Valley Girl speech patterns, some of which have ‘like’ stuck around. The Dude (Jeff Bridges in THE BIG LEBOWSKI) epitomized slackers, and Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman in THE GRADUATE) showed the messiness of post-graduation aimlessness. We can only hope that following in these era-defining cinematic footsteps was what writer-director-producer-star Kit Zauhar had in mind with her character of Riley – the prototype of a stereotypical whiny Millennial.
Greetings again from the darkness. My second film at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival is the first feature from writer-director Justin Zuckerman. After some retro opening credits showing 1970’s New York City, the story focuses on 21-year-old Lisa (Isadora Leiva), who is pursuing her dream of relocating to the Big Apple (she even wears apple core earrings) after graduating from Florida State University.
Greetings again from the darkness. What a terrific film to kick off this year’s Slamdance festival! Writer-director Clay Tatum and co-writer Whitmer Thomas co-star in their own story that brings the “old” meaning of ghosting back to the forefront. But fear not, this is about as scary as the clip from the classic cartoon “Casper the Friendly Ghost” that’s included. Rather than spooky horror, this is about comedic situations involving a particular ghost (not named Casper).
Greetings again from the darkness. It’s often fun when an innovative filmmaker turns a stodgy genre upside down and offers us a new take. And who better to flip over the frequently stale mode of romantic-comedies than Norwegian auteur Joachim Trier? Co-written with his frequent collaborator Eskil Vogt, the film could also be described as a dramady or a thirty-ish coming-of-age tale. Regardless of the label, it’s entertaining and thought-provoking, as well as being a bit dark in parts (some of these also being quite funny). This is being called the final film in Trier’s “Oslo Trilogy”, three loosely connected films including REPRISE (2006) and OSLO, AUGUST 31 (2011).
Movie Reviews from the Dark 