Safe Return Doubtful

Bugonia 

A pair of conspiracy theorists kidnap the CEO of a large company believing that she is an alien capable of negotiating a deal meaning that she would leave Earth and stop harming its residents. 

It’s a satirical absurdist dark comedy with great performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. It’s not hard to see where it’s going, but still plenty of fun getting there. 

IMDb score 7.5 / 10 – My score 8 / 10 

Wake Up Dead Man

The third in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series, and the best so far. It must be difficult to put new life into the whodunnit genre, but this certainly does that. It’s easy to watch, good storytelling with a star-studded cast. Josh O’Connor’s performance stands out; he seems an actor with great range; I have another of his films, The Mastermind, coming up in the next few days, and I really enjoyed him in the Italian drama, La Chimera, this time last year.

IMDb score 7.4 / 10 – My score 7 / 10

Sentimental Value 

A family drama about a father and his two adult daughters, reflecting on the past. The father is a film director, absorbed by making one final film, which seems to be based on a traumatic event earlier in his life. It’s beautifully made by Norwegian Director, Joachim Trier; slow-paced, and easy to identify with, but with a final scene that elevates it to be something special. 

IMDb score 7.9 / 10 – My score 8 / 10 

Train Dreams 

I’m a huge fan of the book by Denis Johnson, the story of a logger and railroad worker. What may seem a simple life is actually one of great meaning and beauty, with the background of a rapidly changing America in the early 20th century. 

Despite the magnificent location, and a strong performance by Joel Egerton, I don’t think the film has anything like the strength of the book. 

IMDb score 7.5 / 10 – My score 5 / 10 

Frankenstein 

The film that Del Toro has been wanting to make all of his career, and it does actually come over as being rather self-indulged. Shelley’s story has had more than 430 film adaptations, so I was looking for something a bit different here, dubious of whether I’d find it. Other than the cinematography and the AI generated backgrounds there was little of it. It begins well, in the Arctic on the ice. But the second half (it’s in two distinct parts) lost the momentum gained in the first 80 minutes, and it’s a long film that doesn’t justify its 139 minutes. 

IMDb score 7.5 / 10 – My score 6 / 10