Greetings again from the darkness. It’s frightening to see how societal norms and individual behavior have shifted over the past five years. It seems clear that the COVID Pandemic was a turning point … or at a minimum, an accelerant. Writer-director Ari Aster (MIDSOMMER, 2019; HEREDITARY, 2018) uses this as a theme in this Neo-noir Western that takes place in a small fictional town in 2020 New Mexico as the pandemic was kicking into gear.
You should know upfront that Aster serves up a giant pot of cinematic vegetable soup. Topics touched on include: politics, racism, pedophilia, Antifa, gun rights, Black Lives Matter, White guilt, envy, divisiveness, murder, conspiracy theories, George Floyd, David Hogg, face masks, social distancing mandates, cults, ambition, abortion, and Native American land rights. If that’s not enough for you, the film also includes an abundance of dark comedy and the final act features a barrage of violence. Just writing that is exhausting, yet nowhere near as exhausting as watching this film.
Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix (JOKER, 2019) stars as Sheriff Joe Cross, an odd man in a white hat who dares challenge his rival, the sitting town Mayor, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) for the office in the upcoming election. Cross is the one who eschews wearing a mask, while Garcia is the smooth-talking type who encourages commitment to the mandates. The differences between the men are obvious when we see Garcia’s heart-warming (pandering) TV ad as contrasted to Cross’ campaign car sign with “You’re” spelled “Your”. The two men don’t like each other, a situation exacerbated by rumors of a long-ago incident between Garcia and Cross’ wife, Louise (two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone).
Being ill-equipped to run an election, even with the assistance of his two deputies, Michael (Michael Ward, EMPIRE OF LIGHT, 2022) and Guy (Luke Grimes, “Yellowstone”), isn’t the extent of Cross’ problems. His marriage to Louise is rocky at best, and having her mother, Dawn (Deidre O’Connell, a talented actor in TV and movies since the 1980’s) live with them and spew her conspiracy theories only adds to the bumpy ride. Things get worse for Joe when Louise grows close to charismatic but vacuous cult leader Vernon (Austin Butler) … a guru who manages to calmly say things that rile folks up in a hollow-cause kind of way.
Cinematographer Darius Khondji works his magic with a film that bounces all over the place thematically. In traditional Westerns, it was always good versus evil; however, this contemporary version is more political and seems to lack any people who are actually good. Joaquin Phoenix goes all in for his role, and Pedro Pascal continues to prove he can play just about any character. Emma Stone and Austin Butler take on minor roles, while Deidre O’Connell gets to shine in a couple of scenes. Don’t believe for a second that filmmaker Aster is attempting to explain how we’ve reached this moment. It’s more a snapshot in time of how people react under extreme pressure and how everyone has a snapping point. Is the film provocative or is Aster just having fun stirring the pot? Talk amongst yourselves (after watching).
Opens in theaters on July 18, 2025
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Once it became a bumper sticker, it also became a cliché. “Stuff” happens. It happens to each of us. Of course, the degree to which something bad affects us is a personal matter, and how we deal with it determines the impact on our life. A traumatic event will stick with us forever in what’s best described as the aftermath. Although we get some backstory, first time writer-director Eva Victor focuses on the aftermath, and the result is a realistic, grounded, and emotional perspective of one woman’s journey to trudging forward.
Greetings again from the darkness. It might seem dangerous or even cruel to look at war through the eyes of a child. However, this time, it’s a brilliant approach because most of the story is personal … following the villagers on the edges of the Rhodesian Bush War – a Civil War meant to overthrow White colonialism and restore power to the local Black populace. Long admired for her acting career, Embeth Davidtz takes on the director’s chair for the first time, and also adapted the screenplay from Alexandra Fuller’s best-selling 2001 memoir.
Greetings again from the darkness. After reading the synopsis, I was tempted to pass on this one and move on to the next film on the list. What could possibly be appealing about another fading boxer whose life is in shambles? Co-directors Bjorn Franklin (also the screenwriter) and Johnny Marchetta are frequent collaborators on music videos, and this, their first feature film, is a solid action-melodrama with some moving parts that all (OK, mostly) come together. It also has a surprisingly effective lead performance.
Greetings again from the darkness. Grief is one of the most powerful emotions we humans can experience. The range of effects varies from lethargy to sadness to full-on depression. We’ve all experienced that feeling of wishing for one more shared moment or the opportunity to say goodbye. Writer-director Nacho Vigalondo (TRUE CRIMES, 2007, COLOSSAL, 2008) is working with an intriguing premise and a strong cast, yet for some reason, this one doesn’t pack the punch it seems like it should.
Greetings again from the darkness. Beauty. It permeates every scene in Durga Chew-Bose’s (TINY FURNITURE, 2010) adaptation of the 1954 Francois Sagan novel. The novel was previously adapted for the screen in 1958 by legendary filmmaker Otto Preminger, and this new version assumes a different tone while maintaining the essence of the novel. It should be noted that Sagan was only eighteen years old when her novel was published, adding pertinence to the character of Cecile.
Greetings again from the darkness. Given the turmoil around the globe, being the first film co-directed by an Iranian filmmaker and an Israeli filmmaker makes this one even more impressive … both on screen and behind it. The co-directors are Zar Amir Ebrahimi (who also stars) and Guy Nattiv (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Elham Erfani). Nattiv previously won an Oscar for his superb short film SKIN (2018).
Greetings again from the darkness. After you loop the belt around the ceiling fan in the cheap roadside motel, you then tighten it around your neck. You are prepared to follow through, yet when you regain consciousness, you are shocked to realize your Sunshine Radio motorhome is being driven by a human-sized monkey. Writer-director and lead actress Nina Conti and co-writer and lead actor Shenoah Allen quickly jumpstart the oddities and make it clear this one is going where no man or monkey has gone before.
Greetings again from the darkness. Those teenage years can be so bumpy. One day is the worst ever, and the next day is the best. Dealing with parents is frustrating because they just don’t understand. Making friends is impossible. Today they like you and tomorrow they join with others in making fun of you. Clothes and shoes are never right. School is a waste of time. It’s a wonder anyone ever reaches their twenties. In his first feature film, writer-director Chris Merola doesn’t try to tackle all aspects of teenage misery, rather just enough to make sure we recognize it.
Greetings again from the darkness. Empty Nest Syndrome is one thing I’ve never really understood. As parents, for eighteen years we work diligently to raise independent, morally strong and confident individuals who can contribute to society and stand on their own. When that time comes, it should be a celebration, not an episode of sadness and depression. For so many parents, it’s the latter. This first feature film from writer-director Antonio Sequeira takes on this topic by showing not just the changing family dynamics, but also the changes for the individuals.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 