In the realm of endless streaming websites and the twilight zone of cable television, one art medium has managed to withstand change and remain in its classic form: movies. In reflecting on the calmer periods of spring break and the lighter workload at the start of the quarter, here are reviews of a few movies that I’ve watched recently.

‘Sinners’ – 9.9/10

As someone who almost always despises horror movies, I would say this recent release leans much more into the thriller category, with its horror rating likely stemming from the extensive gore in the film’s second half and the occasional scare. That being said, I adored this movie.

Michael B. Jordan’s portrayal of the twins Smoke and Stack was incredibly elegant as he contrasted the two characters with vastly different mannerisms, despite both being played by the amazing actor. The film’s historical accuracy, achieved through Ryan Coogler’s five years of work put into its research, production and filming, made it near-perfect. Minuscule details created a captivating experience while watching the movie. Mary’s culturally accurate representation of the spiritual practice of hoodoo via a mojo bag, a pouch containing charms to protect against evil spirits, and the Irish and Italian styles of Smoke and Stack’s suits respectively simultaneously paid physical homages to Black Chicago and the beauty of the Delta. The soundtrack was the cherry on top, especially during the juke scene as Preacher Boy (Miles Caton) sings his solo a cappella while surrounded by different generations of Black people in dance and celebration. This scene pays homage to Ernie Barnes’ “The Sugar Shack,” epitomizing the Black joy that sprouted in times of economic strife. The film pays respect and honor to the Black South masterfully, and I can’t wait to watch it again.

‘A Real Pain’ – 8.7/10

With an Oscar-winning performance from Kieran Culkin and direction and acting from Jesse Eisenberg, this movie was a short, emotional piece that I would describe as delightfully satisfying. Culkin’s performance is the central highlight of the film, as his emotional sporadicity and impassioned facial expressions capture the complexity of grief, mental illness and immensity of human emotion, despite the basic plot. Aside from Culkin’s amazing performance, the cinematography is what made this movie worthy of awards. Beautifully colored Polish plains and numerous time accelerations through unimportant scenes with clean jump cuts overlay instrumental jazz, smoothing these transitions and illuminating the calm between intensely emotional bouts. 

My only criticisms stem from the film’s runtime – the 90-minute film plays like a short film, and I believe its story would have been better served in the packaging and advertising of a short film. The movie lacks the rich character development that usually comes from movies of this cinematographic caliber, mostly due to the simplicity of Eisenberg’s character and the plot’s heavy focus on Culkin. That being said, I think the lack of familial explanation for the duo could have also been a conscious choice to allow the viewer to solely perceive the two based on what the audience can gather in an hour and a half. A solid film with excellent visuals.

‘Nickel Boys’ – 9.2/10

This was a phenomenal film, to say the very least. There’s a special beauty in films that you have to watch twice to fully grasp, so my 0.8 off of the rating stems from this fact. An adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book by the same name, the film’s unique realism (lending heavily to its greatness) comes from the movie being shot entirely from the first-person perspective. The movie depicts the lives of Elwood, a book-smart boy who ends up at Nickel Academy after hitchhiking with a questionable stranger, and Turner, a street-smart Nickel Academy returner who finds Elwood’s optimism foolish. I felt genuinely terrified while watching the movie through the duo’s eyes as they navigate the trauma of a Jim Crow reformatory school ridden with racial violence and abuse. The embodiment of radical fear, horror and hope of the two boys is an emotional battle for all involved, which, combined with the intricate set design, made this film a masterpiece.

‘Rush Hour’ – 9.5/10

Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan are a devious combination, and the ‘Rush Hour’ series epitomizes a comforting, feel-good movie jam-packed with quick humor and intense fight scenes. The satisfying and advanced fight choreography in this movie speaks volumes about the production’s attention to physicality and Jackie Chan’s remarkable athleticism. Characters Lee, played by Chan, and Carter, played by Tucker, are forced to work together to halt an international villain after the FBI disregards their efforts to return a Chinese diplomat’s abducted daughter back home safely. The two go from enemies to compatible collaborators, combining Lee’s intelligence and fighting skills with Carter’s sly convincing tactics and Los Angeles connections to pull off the ultimate heist. In my opinion, the movie’s high rating comes primarily from its intricate yet convincing fight scenes as well as the chemistry between the duo, which kept my undivided attention for the entire 90 minutes.